Category: Nature

  • Here’s the buzz

    My husband, Lloyd Brinson, was a science teacher for many years, and he’s also become a pretty accomplished gardener. He already knew a good bit about the importance of pollinators – he raises eyebrows in our neighborhood by carefully mowing around patches of blooming clover in our yard – but he still found much to…

  • At the intersection of nature and imagination

    It’s always a pleasure to have a review from Tom Dillon, who draws attention to books I might otherwise miss. Reviewed by Tom Dillon THE INVENTION OF NATURE: ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT’S NEW WORLD. By Andrea Wulf. Alfred A. Knopf. 473 pages. $30, hardback Be honest, now. Who was Alexander von Humboldt? Do you know? The chances…

  • The enduring mountain

    Tom Dillon, journalist and outdoorsman, reviews a new book that’s full of information about North Carolina’s beloved tourist attraction and state park. Reviewed by Tom Dillon GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN: THE HISTORY AND GUIDE TO AN APPALACHIAN ICON. By Randy Johnson. University of North Carolina Press, 290 pages, $35. Mention Grandfather Mountain near Linville, and the face…

  • The wolves in our woods

    Like Tom Dillon, I’ve seen red wolves. Years ago, when my older son spent several summers helping with biological research at Cade’s Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, he took us to see a few wolves that were kept in pens as part of the reintroduction effort there. Then one day when I…

  • Under the ‘stinky’ ginkgo tree

    I’m always glad when Tom Dillon reviews a book for the blog. Not only is he a clear thinker and fine writer; he also reads the most interesting books, ones that might otherwise not come to our attention. Reviewed by Tom Dillon GINKGO. By Peter Crane. Yale University Press. 384 pages. $40, hardback I was…