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forsan's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
In this enormously charming book, Brenner celebrates the nature that can be found in urban areas. Specifically, she focuses on her own city of Seattle, and the book's sixteen or so short chapters each focus on a particular organism or family of organisms (mostly fairly overlooked ones, from mosses and tardigrades to slime molds and lichens) that can be found somewhere in Seattle: some in Brenner's backyard, some in the pond she installed there, and others in Seattle's assorted parks and coast. Along the way she weaves in research that has been conducted on each of the organisms.
I really, really enjoyed this book. It's arranged into four seasonally-oriented sections, and it's really readable: each chapter is on the order of ten to twelve pages, so the chapters/essays move pretty quickly. Brenner's enthusiasm for the natural world is palpable, and it's just a really good time. This was another of my library's recommendations, and they definitely delivered on this one.
I really, really enjoyed this book. It's arranged into four seasonally-oriented sections, and it's really readable: each chapter is on the order of ten to twelve pages, so the chapters/essays move pretty quickly. Brenner's enthusiasm for the natural world is palpable, and it's just a really good time. This was another of my library's recommendations, and they definitely delivered on this one.
wafehling's review against another edition
5.0
An enjoyable and varied exploration through Seattle's ecology, every chapter focusing on a different species or location or topic.
kielma's review against another edition
3.0
I was a bit disappointed in this one, although probably because it didn't match with my expectations. I expected this to be about nature you can find in an urban setting, but with a few exceptions (hummingbirds, crows, tardigrades) this was all about creatures she found in very wild places. I was hoping to be surprised by things you can find in the city, but Seattle has several very large, very natural parks and this is where she found most of her subjects. There were some interesting observations here to be sure, but it wasn't what I had hoped for.
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