Hi there! Today, I’m excited to share some intriguing books that I’ve come across. These books span a variety of topics, from geology and natural history to true crime and the art of taxidermy. Let’s dive into these captivating reads and see what they have to offer.
One of the books that truly stands out is Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World by Marcia Bjornerud. This book invites readers to explore the concept of “deep time,” emphasizing the vast age of our planet, which is about 4.5 billion years old. It highlights how modern humans have existed for only a tiny fraction of that time—approximately 0.04 percent. By adopting a geologist’s perspective, we can better appreciate the long-term impacts of our actions and the importance of thinking beyond our immediate future.
Next up is The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth’s Ultimate Trophy by Paige Williams. This book delves into the fascinating world of the commercial fossil industry, exploring both its legal and illegal aspects. It particularly focuses on some remarkable fossil discoveries in Mongolia. If you’re a fan of true crime stories with a twist of paleontology, this book is a must-read.
The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson is another gripping true crime story. It narrates the tale of a man whose obsession with fly tying led him to steal invaluable bird specimens from the Natural History Museum in Tring. This book is a compelling read for anyone interested in the significance of museum collections and the lengths some will go to for their passions.
Emma Maris’s Rambunctious Garden: Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World offers a fresh perspective on what it means to experience nature, especially in urban settings. Moving from Montana to Chicago, I found it challenging to connect with nature in the city. Maris’s book helped me realize that nature is all around us, even in urban environments, and it’s about redefining our relationship with it.
Zoo Nebraska: The Dismantling of an American Dream by Carson Vaughan tells the poignant story of a wildlife zoo in a small town. Founded by a college graduate with dreams of studying primates, the zoo’s journey is a tale of ambition, mismanagement, and eventual downfall. It’s a thought-provoking read about the challenges of realizing big dreams in small communities.
For those interested in primatology, Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas by Jim Ottaviani and Mari Swick is a delightful graphic novel. It introduces the groundbreaking work of these three pioneering women in Africa, offering charming illustrations and stories that bring their scientific contributions to life.
If you’re curious about taxidermy, Stuffed Animals: A Guide to Modern Taxidermy by Divya Anantharam and Katy Innamorato is a fantastic resource. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for beginners, including creative projects like crafting a two-headed parakeet and even recipes for woodchuck tacos. It’s a fun and informative read for anyone interested in this unique art form.
Lastly, the Field Museum has published a book celebrating 125 significant moments in its history. This book offers a glimpse into the evolution and growth of the museum over the years, including a mention of the Brain Scoop. It’s a wonderful read for anyone passionate about the history and behind-the-scenes work of natural history museums.
I hope you find these books as fascinating as I do. If you decide to check them out, I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you have any book recommendations for me, feel free to share them in the comments below!
Engage in a workshop where you will explore the concept of “deep time” by creating a visual timeline of Earth’s history. Use creative materials to represent significant geological events and discuss how understanding deep time can influence our perspective on environmental issues.
Participate in a simulated fossil hunting activity. You’ll be given clues and tools to “discover” fossils hidden around campus. Discuss the ethical implications of fossil trading and the importance of preserving paleontological sites.
Join a role-playing game where you will reenact the events of “The Feather Thief.” Take on roles such as museum staff, detectives, and the thief to understand the motivations and consequences of the heist. Reflect on the value of museum collections and conservation.
Embark on a project to identify and document nature in urban settings. Use photography and journaling to capture urban wildlife and green spaces. Present your findings and discuss how urban environments can support biodiversity.
Organize an exhibition showcasing the art of taxidermy. Collaborate with local artists or students to display creative taxidermy projects. Host discussions on the history, ethics, and modern practices of taxidermy as an art form.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
**Emily:** Hey, I am currently on the road filming our three-part series for PBS. So, I am not here right now, except we filmed this in the past. Here are some books that I like.
I don’t have all these books because I have a library card, so some of them are from the library. But anyway, here’s one. It’s called *Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World* by Marcia Bjornerud. This book helps wrap one’s mind around deep time concepts, like the fact that our planet is 4.5 billion years old and modern-day humans have only been around for the last 2 million years, which is about 0.04 percent of all that time. This book is a great introduction for how geologists understand deep time and emphasizes the importance of thinking beyond a few family generations to better understand the long-term impact of our actions today.
The next book is *The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth’s Ultimate Trophy* by Paige Williams. This book focuses on two areas of the commercial fossil industry: the legal and illegal sides, especially looking at some amazing fossils found in Mongolia in recent years. If you want a true crime story that investigates auction houses and fossil finds, it’s a really good one to pick up.
The next book that intersects with natural history museums and true crime is *The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century* by Kirk Wallace Johnson. This is an artfully written true crime story about how one man’s greed and infatuation with fly tying led to the theft of historically and scientifically valuable bird specimens from the Natural History Museum in Tring. As someone who has devoted years to helping others understand the importance of museum collections, it hit close to home. It’s a tough read but very well-written, and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes natural history museums.
Our next book is *Rambunctious Garden: Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World* by Emma Maris. We mentioned this book in our episode “Go Outside,” but I think it’s worth resharing. When I moved to Chicago from Montana, I struggled to find “nature” around me. Emma Maris talks about this in her book, and it helped me redefine what being in nature means to me now that I live in a city. It turns out that there is no escaping nature; it is all around you.
Next is *Zoo Nebraska: The Dismantling of an American Dream* by Carson Vaughan. This is a sad story of a good idea going badly. It details the rise and fall of Zoo Nebraska, which was a wildlife zoo in a tiny town. The zoo was started by a college graduate who aspired to work with mountain gorillas in Africa and eventually sought to establish his own primate research program in his hometown, but it didn’t work out well for anyone involved. It’s not a cheerful read, but it’s an interesting story of small-town project mismanagement.
Next is *Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas* by Jim Ottaviani and Mari Swick. If you’d like an introduction to the work of these famous primatologists, this graphic novel is a great place to begin. These three women paved new roads for primate research in Africa, and the illustrations and stories are charming.
This is a fun one for Brain Scoop viewers: *Stuffed Animals: A Guide to Modern Taxidermy* by Divya Anantharam and Katy Innamorato. If you’ve been looking for a great how-to taxidermy guide, this one is fantastic. It includes step-by-step guides for beginners and even shows you how to make your own two-headed parakeet, along with recipes for things like woodchuck tacos.
Lastly, I have to mention that the Field Museum put out a book last year to celebrate 125 moments in its history. If you love learning about the history and behind-the-scenes work of natural history museums, this book gives a great snapshot of how the Field Museum has changed and grown over the last 125 years. Plus, there’s even a mention of Brain Scoop in it!
I hope you like these books, and if you check them out, let me know what you think. And, as always, if you have recommendations for me, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
Timefulness – The quality of being aware of the vastness of geological time and its impact on the present and future. – Understanding the timefulness of Earth’s history allows geologists to predict future geological events.
Geology – The scientific study of the Earth, its structure, substances, history, and processes that act upon it. – Geology provides critical insights into natural resources and environmental challenges.
Paleontology – The branch of science concerned with fossil animals and plants. – Paleontology has revealed much about the evolution of life on Earth through the study of fossils.
Nature – The phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human creations. – The novel explores the theme of nature’s resilience in the face of human exploitation.
Taxidermy – The art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting the skins of animals with lifelike effect. – The museum’s taxidermy exhibit showcases a variety of species from different ecosystems.
Primatology – The scientific study of primates, including their anatomy, genetics, behavior, and ecology. – Advances in primatology have provided deeper insights into the social structures of primate species.
Museum – An institution dedicated to preserving and exhibiting objects of historical, cultural, or scientific importance. – The museum’s new exhibit on ancient civilizations attracted scholars from around the world.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – History helps us understand the cultural and social dynamics that have shaped modern societies.
Fossil – The remains or impression of a prehistoric organism preserved in petrified form or as a mold or cast in rock. – The discovery of a new dinosaur fossil has provided valuable information about the species’ habitat and behavior.
Obsession – An idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person’s mind. – The scientist’s obsession with uncovering the mysteries of the universe led to groundbreaking discoveries.
