The Persistence of Wild Things:
How Life Finds a Way in the Most Unexpected Places
Discover a new wilderness, where animals survive--and even thrive--in damaged, developed, and disturbed environments
Migrating monarch butterflies lay their eggs next to busy highways in the United States. Wolves find safety in minefields along the Israel-Syria border. And a seabird population flourishes on a small Swedish island, protected by throngs of bird-watching tourists.
In The Persistence of Wild Things, award-winning journalist Emily Sohn takes readers on an investigative journey around the world to explore pockets of wildlife thriving in unexpected places. She speaks with researchers, digs into deeply complex questions surrounding modern relationships between people and wild animals, and reveals how our best efforts to help the environment may sometimes cause harm. Along the way, we begin to see the potential for a new approach to conservation, one that acknowledges the reality of today's ecosystems and sees humans as part of nature, not apart from it.
Although coverage of environmental issues often induces despair, The Persistence of Wild Things leads with optimism. By highlighting adaptation in the wilderness that surrounds us, it offers glimpses of a future full of resilience and hope.
“The Persistence of Wild Things is an adventure story, a master class in science journalism, and a moving reflection on the value of choosing hope over despair. Emily Sohn brings readers on a journey that holds profound lessons about the meaning of life in a changing world. These animals are finding their way, and their adaptations offer lessons about resilience to us all.”
Dan Buettner, National Geographic fellow and number one New York Times bestselling author of The Blue Zones
“Emily Sohn likes a challenge, searching for biodiversity (and finding it) in the most unlikely places, from oil rigs to war zones to open-pit mines. Thoroughly reported from around the world, The Persistence of Wild Things calls for an overdue rethink in how we define nature, and where we look for hope. An eye-opening and page-turning read.”
Thor Hanson, author of Close to Home and Buzz
“I love these life-affirming stories of accidental partnerships between the human and natural worlds. If species like marabou storks and springtails can thrive in disruption, Emily Sohn challenges us to imagine what would happen if we step up to become fully intentional co-creators of this astonishing world.”
Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix: How Being in Nature Makes us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative