A Salad Only the Devil Would Eat: The Joys of Ugly Nature

Naturalist and essayist Charles Hood has written more than a dozen bewitching essays that, with his wry wit and eagle-eyed observation skills, translate nature into compelling stories with subjects that will transfix the reader. First, he insists on the critical necessity of maintaining nature journals, to record observations, impressions, data, and emotions of sites and scenes before the memories vaporize. I would gladly sketch my detached boots, as he demands of his students, if fortunate enough to enter one of his classes at Antelope Valley College.

Here, in this salad of talks, he praises the resiliency of desert plants able to survive in barren habitats and brags about his bird-watching addiction, which has flooded over to mammal sighting lists and laments the loss of prevailing species. He travels over the world examining fauna and flora, where he focuses on the birds, parrots, monkeys, penguins, palm trees, chapparals, and so much more.

One essay glowingly describes the assortment of whales witnessed during a commercial boating trip from Monterey, California, but not only does he describe the sightings, the report also includes the history of whale exploration along with nibbles of whales in literature. One stunning essay about John James Audubon and his painting genius took my breath away. This collection should become a classic. The lyrical writing will enchant the reader.