Back in March 2020, I published a review of Kelly Brenner’s then recently released book “Nature Obscura; a City’s Hidden Natural World.” It is a work by which I was – and still very much remain – much impressed by its overall concept, its content, and its writing style; which is why it continues to be one of the books I still commonly recommend to all seeking a book in which to loose themselves in the wonders of the natural world.
When a copy of Dr. Andrew A. Robichaud’s recently published “Animal City; The Domestication of America” from Harvard University Press arrived on my desk, I began reading it that very evening.
If you are already familiar with Wardian cases, you’ll be delighted with this opportunity to learn the fascinating history of their discovery and development. And if you’re unfamiliar with them, this book will introduce you to one of the most on-the-surface mundane but in reality most world-changing technological innovations of the nineteenth century.
One of the many things I love about Great Britain is the combination of its remarkable number of natural habitats and their relative close proximity to one another. Even if time spent exploring is limited to a mere weekend, one can traverse multiple natural habitats and in the process be afforded the delights to be found observing the flora, fauna, geology, and geography each has to offer.