A World in a Shell
Snail Stories for a Time of Extinctions
by Thom van Dooren
I love to find a book that answers questions that I have never even thought to ask. I knew nothing about snail extinction in Hawaii, for a matter of fact I knew very little about snails in general. So I was intrigued when I found a whole book about this topic. And my curiosity was amply satisfied. Snails turned out to be fascinating creatures, moreover, they serve as a pretext for wider reflection on evolution, colonialism, and our place in the natural world.
The author, an environmental philosopher, or a field philosopher, as he prefers to think of himself, is a wonderful guide to this disappearing world. His style is poetic, his openness and empathy boundless.
Recommended to anyone who likes modern nature writing and/or is interested in evolutionary biology.
Thanks to the publisher, MIT Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
