Customer Reviews

Suburban Safari: A Year on the Lawn

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Battling crickets. Tailless squirrels. Weeds as our friends. Crow antics. A Cheeky chipmunk. Drama, comedy, and huge life and death decisions compete for writer Hannah Holmes's attention out on her two tenths of an acre back lawn. This is a wonderful book in so many ways. Number one - it's beautifully written. Passionate, funny, informative, and engrossing, Holmes's prose has been honed as fine as one blade of feral grass on the Freedom Lawn she so treasures in her back yard. Number two - it's chock full of details regarding some of the common, yet extraordinary, things we see every day. The reader may laugh over the antics of Holmes's crows, but at the same time, she is teaching us about crow ecology - what they contribute to our environment and why they're important. She does this with each carefully considered topic - from why weeds are good to how many threads make up Babbette the spider's web in her study. Number three - A Year on the Lawn is an important educational and ecological tool that would be a great asset to high school science classes. Number four - things we idly wonder about while sipping iced tea in our own backyards are honored here in spades. This is a great read, no matter the season, whether you're on a summer-kissed deck or looking out at the piles of snow covering the backyard grill. Move it to the top of your pile.

Even though this book was so highly recommended, I had trouble picking it up. A year examining the backyard? What?

As soon as I started the book, through, I was hooked on the intense social lives of Holmes's crows, the eating and gathering habits of her local chipmunk, her people-wary squirrel clan (many of whom lost parts of their tails), the oh-so-important bugs, and more. I'm not generally a reader of biology and nature books, so trust me when I say this book reaches across genres to the armchair reader.

In fact, Holmes supports her thrilling narrative with citations from many biology books. I can only imagine how dry these texts are, and I thank her for giving us the "best parts" in narrative form. I learned about the navigational skills of robins and the extensive scientific studies conducted on the species, as well as the fact that hummingbirds have to learn to love the color red for its sugar, and many a baby hummingbird can be found picking at dry brown leaves and stems. Holmes also discusses experiments that were conducted to learn how squirrels know to eat white oak acorns (which germinate before winter) and save red oak acorns (which can be stored through winter without germination). Holmes manages to pack all this scientific information and more into a terrific narrative about a woman and her backyard.

This book is highly recommended. I can think of nothing else that compares, and the story of Hannah and her backyard is anything but mundane.

This is a really fascinating look at the life that exists in a small suburban lawn---the many stories that play out there, with birds, squirrels, trees, grasses, even fungi! It's written in a light and very readable way, and is enjoyable from start to finish.

A few things would have made this book even better in my eyes. I'd have loved a drawing or map of the yard---the author often refers to different regions of the yard, like the Bamboo Forest, and I just couldn't quite picture how the yard was set up. Also, like many people, I didn't have a good idea how big 2/10th of an acre was---It would have been great to have been given something to compare the size of the yard with. At times, also, the author is a little more cutesy that I like, with slangy names for things that seem a little forced, like she was trying too hard not to be technical.

The most interesting thing I learned from this book was how huge the problem of non-native species is in this country! I remember doing a report in high school on periwinkles, which were all over the Maine coast I grew up on, and finding out they were introduced to the coast just centuries before. I checked several other sources as I just couldn't believe that to be true---there were so MANY of them! Now I realize how giant the problem is, and how MOST of the life in the author's yard is non-native. I wonder what we can do about this problem?

Certainly a recommended read, especially for those who enjoy watching the birds and wildlife close to home and would like to better understand what they see!

Looking for some books to read before going on vacation recently, I was drawn to "Suburban Safari" for a number of reasons, not in the least because I live in the 'burbs myself, with a backyard, and not much of a gardner frankly.

"Suburban Safari: A Year on the Lawn" is the hilarious tale by the author of how she experienced life in her yard for one whole year. It's amazing what all happens. Bugs, plants, birds, flowers, grass, it all grows and interacts in one way or another. From the book inside cover, I gather that Hannah Holmes has made her name through various science-related writings. It goes to the author's credit that she keeps the book as unscientific as possible, and with a healthy dose of humor. The pages just fly by. In all, if you're looking for a fun yet informative read, "Suburban Safari" easily fits the bill. Highly recommended, and I know that I won't look at my backyard ever the same way again!

I must admit I picked up this book because of the cover. However it was a fun read. I am currently taking an ecology class and this book made such an interesting companion. Holmes writes about seemingly boring topics (at least to the type that don't really enjoy science) and make it interesting. My friends are probably slightly annoyed about hearing the fascinating details of pill bugs and crows. It's a fun read, though at times it can be a bit slow, pefect for nice summer days outside.

Ms. Holmes conveys the spirit and joy of the true scientist in writing about her backyard biosphere. Carefully researched and referenced, this fascinating story is sure to inspire the reader to examine and appreciate their own surroundings.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone even slightly interested in ecology, the environment or science.

K. Reed

Although the author has a fantastic vocabulary and writes well, I feel that she veered off the subject of her CURRENT backyard too often. I had no interest in reading about the glacial age and the history of wolves in Maine and an entire chapter was dedicated to it. Nor was I interested in reports about lawns in Arizona and California, where the author had visited, or facts about the insulation in her house, and the way that fuel usage affects the environment.

However, there are interesting observations presented in a very readable manner, along the way. If you are interested in native versus non-native plant species, you will learn about them here. And some stories, like the relationship that develops with a chipmunk, are heartwarming.

In summation: I felt that many of the subjects written about were not first hand experiences, but rather information that the author gleened from professionals in their respective fields. I expected something along the lines of a journal, and something with a stronger timetable, that would represent "A Year on the Lawn".

This is a must-have for any household: a serious-minded, witty, often hilarious, gorgeously written account of the teeming natural world just outside the back door. The writing alone merits five stars. For her last book, Holmes was a finalist for an award that Stephen Hawking won, so she's no slouch in the science department, either.

When people think about wildlife and nature, they are usually thinking about areas that are remote from people and cities. But there is a surprisingly large amount of both much closer to us than that. In fact, the suburban and urban environments are amazingly friendly to a large diversity of animal and plant life. This book encapsulates a year in a suburban Maine yard, exploring the diversity of flora and fauna, and measuring the impact of people on their environment, both locally and globally.

The author has provided a light and witty account of her experiences in understanding the local environment of her home, and its role in the biodiversity of her neighborhood. From the crows and the chipmunk she considers her friends, to the aggressive invasive species (both plants and animals), she provides interesting and informative insights into the history and culture of the American yard. While this narrative is certainly skewed towards the environmentalist side, it is persuasive in suggesting that it might be worthwhile reconsidering some common practices and being more aware of our impact on the world around us.

"Suburban Safari" and "The Secret Life of Dust" are two of our favorite books by the author. A new 2009 text also appears promising.