Natural Acts

A Sidelong View of Science and Nature

By: David Quammen

Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor

"Lively writing about science and nature depends less on the offering of good answers, I think, than on the offering of good questions," said David Quammen in the original introduction to Natural Acts. For more than two decades, he has stuck to that credo. In this updated version of Natural Acts, curiosity leads him from New Mexico to Romania, from the Congo to the Amazon, asking questions about mosquitoes (what are their redeeming merits?), dinosaurs (how did they change the life of a dyslexic Vietnam vet?), and cloning (can it save endangered species?).

This revised and expanded edition best-loved "Natural Acts" columns, which first appeared in Outside magazine in the early 1980s, and includes recent pieces such as "Planet of Weeds," an influential new Natural Acts is an eye-opening journey that will please both Quammen fans and newcomers to his work.

©1985, 2008 David Quammen (P)2022 Tantor

Bite sized stories

This is the first Quamann I’ve listened to. I will likely listen to more! His writing style is sardonic, spunky, and informative, and his subjects are intriguing. A fun listen.