Curious by Nature

The author of Strangers in the House examines nature’s connection to herself and humanity in this collection of essays.

Curious by Nature showcases Candace Savage’s exploration of the varied ways we relate to wildlife from our retelling of fairytales about the big, bad wolf to our struggles to find a balance between harvesting trees and allowing grizzly bears the space to roam. Along the way, she asks intriguing questions to which she sets out to find answers, such as what brings out the mothering instinct in mammals, what are the forces behind the spectacular displays of the northern lights, and just how do crows calculate the optimum height from which to drop their whelks?

Savage has spent the last twenty-five years exploring our complex relationships with the natural world: our prejudices, our growing body of scientific knowledge, our awe. She is particularly interested in bridging the gap between mythology and science, between longing and fact. Creating a livable future for ourselves and for other species, she believes, calls for both knowledge and love, and a deep sense of the value of wildness. This book is a record of Savage’s ongoing quest to engage readers in a conversation that enriches our lives and the lives of the animals whose stories she tells.

Praise for Curious by Nature

“Whimsical . . . . Though Savage is distressed by this “destruction that we, as high-end consumers of the world's splendor, are leaving in our wake,” the purpose of her essays is not to incite indignation but "to bring the ungraspable reality of the non-human world into clearer focus.” In this she succeeds admirably.” —Publishers Weekly