Wild Connection

Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships Jennifer L. Verdolin 4/5	Published June 3rd, 2014 First Sentence "It wasn't until I was about eleven years old that I became acutely aware that there was a difference between boys and girls."
Publisher's Description: Wild Kingdom meets Sex and the City in this scientific perspective on dating and relationships. A specialist in animal behavior compares the courtship rituals and mating behaviors of animals to their human equivalents, revealing the many and often surprising ways we are both similar to and different from other species. What makes an individual attractive to the opposite sex? Does size matter? Why do we tend to "keep score" in our relationships? From perfume and cosmetics to online dating and therapy, our ultimate goal is to successfully connect with someone. So why is romance such an effort for humans, while animals have little trouble getting it right? Wild Connection is full of fascinating and suggestive observations about animal behavior. For example, in most species smell is an important component of determining compatibility. So are we humans doing the right thing by masking our natural scents with soaps and colognes? Royal albatrosses have a lengthy courtship period lasting several years. These birds instinctively know that casual hook-ups are not the way to find a reliable mate. And older female chimpanzees often mate with younger males. Is this the evolutionary basis of the human "cougar" phenomenon? Fun to read as well as educational, this unique take on the perennial human quest to find the ideal mate shows that we have much to learn from our cousins in the wild.
Dear Reader, This book was so much fun to read. It was exactly what I was expecting and more. I think I annoyed everyone around me with my, "Did you know..." statements. This is that kind of book, the one you have to share every little awesome fact you come across with anyone around you. Don't you just love those kinds of books? Well, I do. While the animal courtship and mating facts had me a-flutter, the comparison with human relationships was a bit less intriguing to me. You see, I've found that someone and this book might have been more relatable in my mate seeking days. Although, everything she says... I agree with. This is one of those books that you'll either love, get offended or blush and run away from it. Each chapter gives us a glimpse into a mating trait or ritual that can always be related to animal behaviour in some way. She gives examples that span from cockroaches to elephants and everything in between. The animal facts are truly fascinating, and in my opinion, the best part about the book. We get taught how birds will actively seek out certain colored foods to brighten up the colors of their feathers. Why? To get those lady birds of course! I could go on and on with all the facts I've learned but honestly, I just think you should read the book. What are you waiting for? Go out and buy this book, then read it. Go on... GO! Happy Reading, AmberBug

Support Shelf Notes! Purchase your copy of Wild Connections here:

The Jungle

The Jungle Upton Sinclair 4/5	Published 1905 First Sentence "It was four o'clock when the ceremony was over and the carriages began to arrive."
Publisher's Description: For nearly a century, the original version of Upton Sinclair's classic novel has remained almost entirely unknown. When it was published in serial form in 1905, it was a full third longer than the censored, commercial edition published in book form the following year. That expurgated commercial edition edited out much of the ethnic flavor of the original, as well as some of the goriest descriptions of the meat-packing industry and much of Sinclair's most pointed social and political commentary. The text of this new edition is as it appeared in the original uncensored edition of 1905. It contains the full 36 chapters as originally published, rather than the 31 of the expurgated edition. A new foreword describes the discovery in the 1980s of the original edition and its subsequent suppression, and a new introduction places the novel in historical context by explaining the pattern of censorship in the shorter commercial edition.
Dear Reader, Imagine yourself standing in a puddle of blood, covering the entire floor. All around you is corpses, the dead hanging from the ceiling to bleed dry. The smell is so nauseous you don’t understand how such a disgusting mess turns into food for the people. This isn't a horror story or perhaps it is… Upton Sinclair has created a jaw dropping story that inspired ACTUAL CHANGE. This was a fictional story with truth woven through it, this truth will make you question your political views, it may even change the way you eat. There was a brief part of this book that had me staring at my dinner plate untouched, which then prompted me to run to my computer and look up the TRUTH behind “The Jungle”. After reading about the change this book inspired (which I barely knew about from the little history I retained), I felt slightly better about things. However, some of these issues still exist today. We might not throw scraps of rat chewed meat to be sold but look at all the controversy today surrounding antibiotic fed livestock, etc. In some ways we may be coming full circle on some of these issues. The treatment of people in the workplace, rules and unions are still struggling to get basic rights (in some circumstances). Clearly, we still have a lot to learn; maybe someone will be brave like Upton and speak out through storytelling to shock the masses. Oh wait… this does exist… in documentary form… all over Netflix. Happy Reading, AmberBug

Support Shelf Notes! Purchase your copy of this book here:

The Soul of an Octopus

The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness Sy Montgomery 5/5	Published May 12th, 2015 (My Birthday!) First Sentence "On a rare, warm day in mid-March, when the snow was melting into mud in New Hampshire, I traveled to Boston, where everyone was strolling along the edge of the harbor or sitting on benches licking ice cream cones."
Publisher's Description: In this astonishing book from the author of the bestselling memoir The Good Good Pig, Sy Montgomery explores the emotional and physical world of the octopus' surprisingly complex, intelligent, and spirited creature: and the remarkable connections it makes with humans. Sy Montgomery's popular 2011 Orion magazine piece, "Deep Intellect"; about her friendship with a sensitive, sweet-natured octopus named Athena and the grief she felt at her death, went viral, indicating the widespread fascination with these mysterious, almost alien-like creatures. Since then Sy has practiced true immersion journalism, from New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, pursuing these wild, solitary shape-shifters. Octopuses have varied personalities and intelligence they show in myriad ways: endless trickery to escape enclosures and get food; jetting water playfully to bounce objects like balls; and evading caretakers by using a scoop net as a trampoline and running around the floor on eight arms. But with a beak like a parrot, venom like a snake, and a tongue covered with teeth, how can such a being know anything? And what sort of thoughts could it think? The intelligence of dogs, birds, and chimpanzees was only recently accepted by scientists, who now are establishing the intelligence of the octopus, watching them solve problems and deciphering the meaning of their color-changing camouflage techniques. Montgomery chronicles this growing appreciation of the octopus, but also tells a love story. By turns funny, entertaining, touching, and profound, The Soul of an Octopus reveals what octopuses can teach us about consciousness and the meeting of two very different minds.
Dear Reader, The first thing I learned from this book was the correct pluralization is not octopi but octopuses. Go ahead, have a laugh... it made me giggle too but I'm also a little sad that octopi doesn't exist (THE word). Anywho... I want to be best friends with Sy Montgomery, not only because she writes about amazing animals but she usually calls her friends up to join in these adventures. Oh, how I would have loved to be the one to meet her at the New England Aquarium for the chance to "pet" an octopus. Died! I would have died from excitement. I don't know why these non-furry creatures give me such a thrill? Okay, I admit that after reading this book... I clearly know why... THEY FRAKIN' RULE. Let's get this over with... shall we? I mean, we all know I'm going to list off some fascinating facts from the book, right? Please turn your head or galavant down to the bottom paragraph if you would like to read this book blindly. I won't blame you. The facts you'll learn will have you "Ooo0ing" and "Ahhhing" quite often. However, I can't begrudge those who won't pick this book up... NO! I must convince them that reading about octopuses is entirely worth it. Which, by the way... It IS! My friend Marsha (Hi Marsha!) sent me a link to this amazing video that pretty much goes over all these amazing facts (plus the narrator is to die for!!) I highly recommend watching it AND reading this book. CLICK here to watch the amazing video! Fascinating fact #1: When an octopus is relaxed, it will appear white. Other colors can range all across the rainbow, giving them one of the most impressive camouflaging ability in the animal kingdom. As the author states in the book, "They can change color, pattern, and texture in seven tenths of a second." Relaxed Octopus - Awww! Fascinating fact #2: An octopus has three hearts (Whovian?) and a brain that wraps around its throat. Now THAT is redonkulous but guess what? It gets better. An octopus can also regrow its arm if broken off. Why? Because "three fifths of octopus' neurons are not in the brain but the arms." Dumbfounded. Where did these creatures come from? I was going to keep listing facts but I decided the best thing would be for you to experience the book for yourself. The Author is amazing, she really knows how to write a book about something that could mind numbing boring (in a scientific way) but manages to do the exact opposite. I can't wait to read more books from her. She even mentions Victor Hugo (LOVE) and many other literary and cultural references that had me excited. She also compared an octopus to a dog, how she could "pet his head or scratch his forehead... he loves it". My mission in life is to pet an octopus now. The Author also brings to life this mysterious animal. She makes this story real, not just scientific. We get to hear all about the the people who have been changed from interacting with these animals, in a wonderful heartfelt way. If you think octopuses are scary, believe me... after reading this, you'll feel differently.  Happy Reading, AmberBug P.S.- Let me leave you with another picture of an octopus (because I can) Look at that color! So beautiful!

Support Shelf Notes! Purchase your copy of this book here:

Man V. Nature: Stories (TLC Book Tour)

Man V. Nature: Stories Diane Cook 4/5	Published October 2014 First Sentence "They let me tend to my husband's burial and settle his affairs, which means that for a few days I get to stay in my house, pretend he is away on business while I stand in the closet and smell his clothes."
Publisher's Description: A refreshingly imaginative, daring debut collection of stories which illuminates with audacious wit the complexity of human behavior, as seen through the lens of the natural world Told with perfect rhythm and unyielding brutality, these stories expose unsuspecting men and women to the realities of nature, the primal instincts of man, and the dark humor and heartbreak of our struggle to not only thrive, but survive. In “Girl on Girl,” a high school freshman goes to disturbing lengths to help an old friend. An insatiable temptress pursues the one man she can’t have in “Meteorologist Dave Santana.” And in the title story, a long fraught friendship comes undone when three buddies get impossibly lost on a lake it is impossible to get lost on. In Diane Cook’s perilous worlds, the quotidian surface conceals an unexpected surreality that illuminates different facets of our curious, troubling, and bewildering behavior. Other stories explore situations pulled directly from the wild, imposing on human lives the danger, tension, and precariousness of the natural world: a pack of not-needed boys take refuge in a murky forest and compete against each other for their next meal; an alpha male is pursued through city streets by murderous rivals and desirous women; helpless newborns are snatched by a man who stalks them from their suburban yards. Through these characters Cook asks: What is at the root of our most heartless, selfish impulses? Why are people drawn together in such messy, complicated, needful ways? When the unexpected intrudes upon the routine, what do we discover about ourselves? As entertaining as it is dangerous, this accomplished collection explores the boundary between the wild and the civilized, where nature acts as a catalyst for human drama and lays bare our vulnerabilities, fears, and desires.
Dear Reader, This book was graciously given to me from TLC Book Tours, to be read and included in a blog tour for the October release. I would like to begin by thanking all parties involved (Diane Cook - Author, Harper - Publisher and TLC Book Tours - Tour Host). I had a lot of fun with this book, although the majority of the stories waded in the deep end of the pool, you can still have fun on the darker side, right?! The title Man V. Nature is so perfect, almost TOO perfect, I felt like the Author was giving something away that might have been saved for a readers discovery. That "AHA, I've got it!" moment, but maybe that could be something I look for in short story collections. The common thread of this one being exactly that, Man versus Nature. What would happen if we brought traits animals exhibit into our lives? What if we learned from their behaviors, the way they treat each other or even raise their family. I've heard time and again, people agasp with wonder at some of the odd relationships animals have with each other; "Grizzly bears actually kill the cubs" or "Male seahorses accept the eggs, fertilize them and carry the eggs to term". Take those odd quirks of nature and imagine what it would be like if this was YOUR life. Diane Cook has done a fantastic job, giving us twelve stories rich with thought provoking stories filled with a hodge podge of animal behaviors mixed with day to day life. I think an example would help, so I'll give you a little summary and thoughts from a few of my favorites. The first story is "Moving On" which features a futuristic(?) take on arranged marriages. This one was super strange (but also my favorite). Certain women and men (probable lower caste) are brought to an adoption-esque center where they are given classes and prepared to "marry" or "remarry" (which is the case in this story) after a marriage ends. This brought up quite a few questions, such as; What if we didn't get to choose our own destiny? What if life was predetermined? by who? the government? family... these questions went down a scary hole and I got stuck there for a little while. In "The Way the End of Days Should Be", earth is flooded and the main character being a rich, bratty woman who refuses to help any survivors except for one man who she uses as her protector. "Somebody's Baby" features a world where watching your newborn baby like a hawk, due to a neighborhood man going around stealing them, is considered normal. This story has animal habits written all over it. "Marrying up" creeped me out, but was very realistic. Imagine if you had to marry the strongest person you could find just to survive? We see this ALL the time in nature, the female picking the strongest and brightest mate. Another favorite of mine was "It's Coming", which had me immediately thinking of wild animals again. I imagined the executives as a group of rodents running around awaiting the hawk who'll scoop down and devour them. The panic and hierarchy make this story really interesting. With so many good stories, it's impossible to comment on them all, but each one gives us a unique comparison of our own lives with nature. I was able to reflect on nature and what makes the world such a big all-encompassing place. The wonder of behavior and how it can reflect on our very own actions or even how much they differ. What we would find strange in another human being, might be entirely natural in nature. I had so much fun reading this and I want to doubly thank TLC Book Tours for giving me access to this wonderful story collection. I can't wait to see what others think and will happily read anything else Diane Cook comes out with. Happy Reading, AmberBug P.S. - Check out TLC Book Tours

Support Shelf Notes! Purchase your copy of this book here:

Hardcover -- Kindle