Tinkering with Eden: A Natural History of Exotics in America

by Kim Todd

Book Overview

Mosquitoes in Hawaii, sea lampreys in the Great Lakes, mountain goats in the Olympic Mountains of Washington State--not one of these species is native to the environment in which it now flourishes.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393048608
• ISBN13: 9780393048605
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 302 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

fascinating blend of human and natural history

This book is a fascinating blend of American natural and human history, author Kim Todd showing that in a sense our history is almost as much one of animal immigrants as that of human immigrants. North America, already one of the richest continents in the world in terms of biodiversity, is home now to many thousands of introduced plant and animal species. Some were brought in for a taste or touch of home, missed by European settlers in the strange wilds of North America. Some, such as the honey bee, also proved of later significant commercial importance, becoming so vital to agriculture and indeed everyday life - pollinating plants, providing wax and honey - that later there would be many who found it hard to believe that the honey bee was not native to North America. Others, such as the rock dove or pigeon, provided a mixed track record; as Todd puts it, noting how revered the dove is in Western literature and how hated the pigeon often is; that in essence, "the colonists brought doves to the New World and ended up surrounded by pigeons." As much as the rock doves proved useful for food, for delivering messages (labeled by some in this regard according to Todd as "gallant" birds, praised in poetry and song), and as prized pets, they proved a huge problem in cities. Others, such as the European starling, proved downright pests. Brought over in a misguided attempt to introduce to the continent all the birds mentioned in the works of Shakespeare, it has spread throughout North America and become a plague like no other, pushing out native species from prime habitat and forming such large flocks in some areas as to present health hazards. Many introductions were accidental. When a canal was opened between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario in the 19th century, allowing goods from the Great Lakes and the interior of Canada and the United States to reach the sea via the St. Lawrence River (in a chapter she appropriately calls "An Artificial Wedding"), more than just ships plied these waters. The sea lamprey, long resident in Lake Ontario, had not been able to bypass Niagara Falls and enter the rest of the Great Lakes previously. Once present, Todd chronicles how the predator preyed upon the formerly vast schools of fish in the Great Lakes, sending fishing stocks plummeting and completely reworking the entire ecology of the lakes. Another creature taking unfortunate advantage of mankind to enter a new habitat - in this case the Hawaiian Islands - was the mosquito. Once an island chain completely free from this pest, this insect entered the islands from the emptied dregs of ship's water barrels. Quickly becoming a pest not only to humans but also to birds, the mosquitoes nearly wiped out many of the archipelago's avian fauna by spreading bird pox and avian malaria. Todd also writes of a recent immigrant, the monk parakeet, which first started to appear in the wild in the late 1960s thanks largely to escaped pets. Becoming more widespread, the author sh

Eye opening.

It's such a good feeling knowing how things happen. Kim Todd has written an engaging, interesting, well researched eye opener of a book. And, just imagine, we (so called evironmentalists and experts) haven't yet learned the lesson of not "Tinkering with Eden". Truly a must read.

Tinkering with Eden

Tinkering with Eden: A Natural History of Exotics in America written by Kim Todd is a reading pleasure as the prose flow with a charm and delight. The book is written so well that each chapter feels like you've read a short story, but upon finishing the book you realize that everything you've reading the book all come together.Ever since Europeans and others have been arriving in North America they've been bringing flora and fauna from where they came from and brought back flora and fauna from North America to their homelands. When this occurs, there can be some dire consequences, some native species are crowded out of their natural environments as the new species takes over with no natural predator... that is no checks and balances.The author is a storyteller, as she brings us these tales and others she interjects humors along with the science making for a very enjoyable read. Reindeer, lamprey, gypsy moths, starlings mosquitoes and pigeons can all be traced to other locations, but are now part and parcel of the American landscape.I've enjoyed reading this book as I know you will. The author's writing style is excellent and has won the Pen/Jerred Award, so I'm not alone when I say that this book is illuminating and entertaining and the author has a terrific storytelling technique. There are a few illustrations added to this book to give it just the right amount of detail. All in all, this was a very profound read that is wonderfully written, indeed.

Science combined with beautiful writing.

A wonderful work that combines diligent scholarship with a fluid and literary prose style. As each section informed me of the circumstances leading to and the effects resulting from the introduction of non-native species to a virgin environment, I found myself enchanted by the beauty of the language and the strength of the narrative flow. Each chapter reads like a literary short story.

Fascinating and fun to read!

The great thing about this book is that it is not easily pigeon-holed (no pun intended), and I think it would appeal to all sorts of readers. People with an interest in the environment and wildlife, as well as people who just like a good story, will be fascinated by the author's accounts of various exotic species and their introduction into North America. My favorite is the chapter on the ladybug. Kim Todd's prose is fluid and easy to read; she's also got a great sense of humor and irony. I read the review in Outside magazine and ran out to buy the book - I certainly was not disappointed, and you won't be either.