Rarely is popular science so well-written as William Stolzenburg has managed to write it in Where the Wild Things Were. He weaves a rich tapestry of the tales of predators (and lost predators) and the scientists who study them. The damage caused by humans driving out large predators makes for an interesting and compelling read, and although it is sometimes dire, it is never preachy.

In addition to Stolzenburg's main points about predators and ecology, I am impressed by Stolzenburg's treatment of the researchers in this field. From Paine to Leopold to Soule, all the names familiar to any student of biology (and some which aren't); Stolzenburg thoroughly but concisely tells of the motivations, context, and process of their research. Stories such as Paine's research on starfish are told in a clear, understandable, and interesting way, that should be appealing to someone without any biological background as well as to those who have been introduced to the concepts many times in biology classes. Stolzenburg has mastered the way of presenting the way science gets done, by telling the stories of those who do it. ( )

Rarely have I encountered a book that does such an excellent job of presenting scientific research. Attending a scientific conference on ecology, William Stolzenburg experienced a revelation familiar to many who pursue scientific endeavors; a chance encounter ignited in him an unexpected and consuming interest in a query about the natural world. The discipline of his fancy was the study of predator species and their importance, if any, to ecological communities as a whole. Are top predators really uniquely important in shaping ecological systems? Fired with an interest in this question, Stolzenburg dives into the history of predator research, visiting the sites and the scientists that are pivotal to the field. In “Where the Wild Things Were” he reports his findings.

Stolzenburg beautifully describes a series of fascinating ecological experiments and observations, and is particularly careful to identify potential bias and to warn against overgeneralization. Refreshingly, he approaches his question with a genuine interest in really looking at the evidence and thus determining the answer rather than pontificating or rationalizing a conclusion reached in a non-scientific way.

Inescapably, in system after system, Stolzenburg reports that the effects of predator species are surprisingly far-reaching. Starfish not only determine the ecological diversity of tidal pools, but pumas and eagles are essential for monkey social structures and the presence of wolves and coyotes protects native flowers and song birds. The evidence is overwhelming; losing top tier predators can cause ecosystems to deteriorate in profound and unexpected ways.

This knowledge is clearly of extreme important to those who want to stem the loss of the ecological diversity of our world. There is a very large constituent of people that firmly believe that all predators are bad predators, that the only good wolves and coyotes are dead, and that any contrary sentiment is so much uninformed liberal heart bleeding. Stolzenburg’s book is vital in that it presents the relevant research and conclusions in such an unbiased way that it may, just possibly, convince some members of this group. I feel I could send this book to a certain Wisconsin deer hunter I know, without offending him; as a sportsman, he naturally views all predators as unwanted competition, reintroduction and protection as at best a waste of government money. But he loves songbirds, the lush diversity of plants and animals that can be found in more remote spaces. Could this book convince him and his brethren that protection of predators is worth minor inconveniences, as a vital step in securing the health of beloved species and ecosystems? I reserve judgment, but if the clear explication of this book has no effect, I am not sure what could. ( )

A fine and fascinating book.

Wolves, cougers, sharks, whales, bears and lions - what happens to an ecosystem without these super predators? This book explores the history of scientific inquiry into the top-down ecological approach, along the way illustrating clearly the far-ranging impact a missing keystone predator has on an ecosystem by using real-world examples such as Yellowstone and the Aleutian Islands.

Reading the first few chapters of this, I found myself a bit confused - I thought the top-down ecological model was generally accepted years ago. Certainly, the massive bibliography suggests this to be the case. Then it became clear that although the concept may be generally accepted by ecologists, the reality of returning these predators to their natural habitats is not possible because of the fear they still instill in humans.

This is a very well-written (besides the epilogue: did his editor miss that?), well-researched book that I would recommend to anyone interested in the big predators or ecology. ( )

Stolzenburg's "Where the Wild Things Were" is an engaging, timely look at how the lack of predatory species (otherthan humans) is throwing our ecosystem out of whack.. Anyone who has has college level eco- bio- pr zooey will recognize many of the concepts presented, but you'll wish you'd had someone as good at explaining them as Stolzenburg in front of the classroom. ( )

Stolzenburg provides a readable historical timeline framework for those subjects from my undergraduate zoology days. The start is a bit slow during chapter 2. While the author admits his own biases and identifies his justifable rants, the various camps in the debates are presented fairly. Overall a recommended read. Admitedly I am one of those that would welcome the return of the megapredators in my neck of the woods. ( )

http://blogcritics.org/books/article/... ( )

A thrilling and well-written book where Stolzenburg shows us what happens when major predators are removed from their environment. From starfish to otters to wolves, the chapters sucked me in making this a book I truly could not put down. ( )

William Stolzenburg's Where the Wild Things Were summarized the past sixty years of scientific discoveries concerning the importance of predators as keystone species—remove these vital carnivores from the "Web of Life" and entire ecological systems collapse.

In this book, Stolzenburg recounts the history of predatory biology as a series of riveting mystery stories. In his capable hands, the stories read like literature; they are thrilling and exciting. As I read each tale, I couldn't help but feel like I was a voyeur tagging onto the coattails of one brilliant scientist after another, each one passionately hell-bent on finding the scientific truth buried in a puzzle of conflicting evidence. Eventually, when the facts fell into place, I was filled with the thrill of discovery. I can't recall many books that have made me feel so intellectually stimulated and delighted!

I actually read this book twice. The first time, I borrowed the book from the local library and only spent a few hours browsing through the text, reading here and there, trying to pick up the sense of the whole. I had to return the book before I could read it in earnest, but that brief encounter did not impress me. Browsing the book did not unlock the magic in its pages. A few weeks later, my Advanced Readers Copy arrived and I took the time to settle down and give this book my full attention.

I soon discovered that this is not a book to browse. To enjoy this collection of scientific stories, readers have to read it cover to cover—they have to give themselves over to the work and let the author pace their reading. Readers have to allow themselves the time to let each story play itself out from beginning to end. If they do, they will find that these tales will ignite their imagination and pull them along on thrilling journeys of scientific discovery.

If you are interested in the concept of predators as keystone species, don't miss reading this outstanding introduction and history. This is one of those rare science books that help you understand the humanity behind the science. It is also one of those rare science books that help you feel the joy of scientific discovery.

This book is highly recommended for both the professional and nonprofessional reader. The book is meticulously researched. For those who want to pursue the science further, there are fifty pages of notes and bibliography at the end. ( )

This work offers a satisfying presentation of the comparatively recent argument that the super-predators in an ecosystem (lions and tigers and bears, oh my) serve a critical function in maintaining the stability and health of the entire system. Each chapter is essentially a stand-alone story, well told, that also serves as a presentation and discussion of the events and findings in major steps along the way in the development of this analysis. While I was vaguely familiar with the basic concept before I read the book, many of the specific instances and the full impact of their resulting consequences were new to me. Probably the least dramatic case presented, the chapter describing what is going on in my part of the world, the Potomac river basin, titled “Bambi’s Revenge”, rang true: I am watching the failure of our native wild flowers as Japanese stilt grass takes over the understories of the parks I hike – and our gardens – while diversity disappears. The author uses an easily accessible, casual, conversational writing style. In addition to the usual bibliography, Stolzenburg also provides a wonderful set of chapter notes that, as well as citing the key primary scientific sources, also refers readers to the best of the related popular sources and recommends the occasional documentary. I recommend this book highly to anyone interested in wildlife and sustainability. I give it 4.5 stars. ( )

I was excited to get this book. I had just seen a movie, called "Lords of Nature: Life in a Land of Great Predators," that covered many of the scientific studies and predator reintroduction issues that this book talks about in much more depth. I was struck by how crucial these animals are to their ecosystems and what damage is done by prey animals when the predators are all gone.

Although I had very high expectations for this book, I was not disappointed. It's very well-written, in a journalistic fashion. It's organized in a logical way, beginning with descriptions of the various naturalists and biologists whose studies showed the importance of predators to different ecosystems, then getting into some of the issues caused by prey and "mesopredators" (small or scavenger predators that proliferate when top predators are gone, such as raccoons). It ended with a couple of chapters about the idea of bringing the top predators back, which has actually been implemented here in the US in several places, perhaps the most notable of which is Yellowstone, where wolves have greatly improved the park by affecting the behavior of the elk so that plants can grow and other animals can live in the areas protected by them.

What was sad to me in reading this book was that just as I got to the last chapters, and the ideas of "rewilding" (not only bringing back wolves but bringing large predators from other countries to replace those that went extinct when man first crossed the land bridge in prehistoric times), the news was suddenly full of Western states, including my own, Oregon, that are succumbing to local pressure and killing off recently re-introduced wolves and mountain lions.

Rewilding goes against the human nature grain, it seems, and that in a very big way. The book describes the visceral reaction that followed rewilding efforts and publicity, and I was watching the same reaction every day as I read articles about wolf eradication on line and read the reader comments - and it does not leave one with a lot of hope that humans can ever actually heal their ecosystems by recognizing how crucial top predators are. But I hope that books like this will not only be read by people like me, but by those whose minds may be changed.

This book is not only well-written but it also contains great endnotes, bibliography and index. I very highly recommend it. I've read several environmental books in the past couple of years and this is definitely up there with the greatest ones. ( )

]Where the Wild Things Were is a look at the role of the top predator in ecological systems and studies of the effects upon their removal. Stolzenburg is a science journalist who became passionate regarding the topic of the book after attending a series of lectures and presentations at 2000 annual meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology. He begins the book stating up front his bias: he is clearly a proponent of he research and theories of those whose work he showcases in this book. Stolzenburg's writing style is clear and concise, his examples well chosen to make his case. For a lay person with some interest in ecological preservation, it all seems so correct. There is, however, considerable opposition and Stolzenburg is either dismissive of motives (rightly so perhaps when industry and politics are involved), or scarcely acknowledges it at all. As such, the book is more a work of advocacy and propaganda (not in a bad way) and not a piece of objective journalism. Since Stolzenburg makes no pretense to the latter, we shall look and see how successfully the book achieves it's goal.

Where the Wild Things Were is a summary collection of research dating back to the early 20th century. It looks at the role of the top predator in a given ecosystem: from coastal tidal pools in Oregon to kelp forests in the Aleutian Islands to isolated habitats created by urban sprawl or islands created by damming rivers. Much like the TV show Connections, a chain of events are constructed that describe how a particular habitat went from it's original to it's current state and in some cases projecting consequences if left unchecked.

The most involved of these examples nominally takes place in the Aleutian Islands. 18th century fur trappers nearly hunted the sea otter to extinction, but under government protection, it managed one of the more spectacular come-backs in natural history. Researchers noticed that the islands where they otter was found were surrounded in lush kelp forests, teeming with life, including one of the otter's favorite foods, the sea urchin. In islands lacking otter colonies, the seascape was a barren one, overrun by massive sea urchins whose appetite for kelp clear-cut the forest and left little attraction for other sea critters. Then in the mid-90's, a pod of killer whales was seen to be uncharacteristically pursuing an otter. Otter populations seemed to be declining, and a census confirmed than in 6 years, more than 40,000 were now missing. It wasn't disease, there was no piles of otter carcasses to be found. They simply vanished. The researchers found it hard to believe a few hundred whales could account for such a massive slaughter, but an analysis of a killer whale's caloric requirements indicated the carnage could have been explained by the appetite of less than 4 whales! Killer whales had also begun decimating seal populations along the coast, and the current blame is put on heavy whaling pressure that has severely diminished killer whale's preferred prey: gray, blue, fin and sperm whales. So fewer of the massive cetaceans leads to a bleak sea floor covered in spiny urchins.

Stolzenburg provides similar examples to support the roles of wolves in Yellowstone and lions in Zion. Biodiversity begins to fail once the top predator has been removed: secondary predators like raccoons and coyotes run unchecked, in turn putting heavy pressure on their victims (bird eggs, smaller rodents, etc.) Former prey species run amok, creating their own disaster. Deer and elk populations have exploded, and forests are becoming doomed as every sapling is stripped bare or cut to the ground by the hungry herbivores. In areas where the top predator has been repatriated, the effects begin to reverse themselves rapidly.

Stolzenburg also pleads the case of the "rewilders," a group of scientists who don't want to merely turn the ecological clocks back a few hundred years, but tens thousands of years, recreating a late-Pleistocene ecology where elephants and giant cats again roam the American plains. While bringing back actual extinct animals is still science-fiction fare, living analogs could serve in it's stead. The rewilding plan would use animals from zoos (rather than plunder their current homelands) and provide additional hope that some megafauna species can continue to survive. Such an experiment sounds fascinating, but needs to be handled with care. Many instances of introduced species causes more problems than it solves. However, as our knowledge of ecosystems improves, it becomes more plausible to do so safely and effectively.

Ultimately, the biggest challenge is overcoming fear. Most Americans would support these efforts, as long as these dangerous predators aren't being placed in their backyard. But as those backyards continue to encroach on animal territories, conflicts are unavoidable. Some animals become urbanized pests. Others, like cougars, are perceived to be a threat and are routinely killed even though there is no evidence to support they are a particular threat to humans (far more humans are killed by domestic dogs every year than have ever been known to die at the paws of a mountain lion).

Stolzenburg makes a great case for protecting the role of top predators in any given ecosystem. I think I would still like to hear more of alternative theories and solutions, provided they aren't the product of corporate spin doctoring or tainted by political convenience. The message that the decline of biodiversity could leave us on bleak, often barren landscape if the status-quo is allowed to go unchecked is worthy of serious consideration. ( )

Where the Wild Things Were is an examination of the concept of predators as keystone species -- that ecosystems are ultimately kept in balance not from the bottom up, by limited food supply, but from the top down, by the actions of predators. Depending on the ecosystem in question, the top predator may be a starfish or a tiger, but in either case they are important far out of proportion to their numbers. The most famous example of the keystone species, which Stolzenburg discusses early in the book, may be the sea otter. One of the favorite foods of the sea otter is the sea urchin, which eats kelp and which few other animals will eat. Eliminate the sea otters, and a thriving kelp forest with dozens of species of fish and invertebrates, which in turn support fish-eaters like dolphins, seals, and sharks, is converted to an "urchin barrens" where spiny sea urchins roam a seafloor almost entirely denuded of kelp and its attendant species.

Starting with controlled experiments (a researcher repeatedly removing starfish from one tidepool and not another, and observing the resulting conversion of a thriving miniature ecosystem to a monoculture desert of mollusks in the starfish-free pool) and moving to discussion of half a dozen different ecosystems deprived of predators, Stolzenburg demonstrates the necessity of predators to maintaining healthy ecology. The main influence of predation, he argues, is not to reduce the numbers of prey, but to change the behavior of prey species -- elk in Yellowstone in the absence of wolves become bolder, grazing in stream bottoms where they would be vulnerable and moving around less than they otherwise would. This also provides a compelling counterargument to the suggestion of human hunters as a replacement for top predators -- few human hunters would be willing to target weak and sick animals over trophy males, or to spread their efforts out year-round rather than going out with friends during a brief hunting season.

This was a fascinating and well-targeted read; while Stolzenburg never talks down to his audience, he doesn't assume familiarity with the ecological concepts he discusses, either in general or in detail. While I was familiar with the basic outline of some of his examples -- the return of wolves in Yellowstone National Park facilitating a return of aspens, sea otters as a keystone species off the northwest coast of the US and Canada -- I was never bored by his explorations of these issues.

One potential disappointment is that, other than some very general discussion toward the end, the examples explored in this book are entirely North American. Part of that is certainly the limited experiences of the author, but certainly the rest of the world has also suffered from the loss of large predators. Europe may have lost its bears and wolves too long ago to have good records of what things were like before, but parts of Asia and Africa have seen ranges of predators shrink dramatically in the recent past -- have any studies been done there? And how has the Australian landscape changed with the destruction of the Tasmanian tiger? Despite these omissions I would unhesitatingly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in ecology, and especially to those with the naive view that individual animals, rather than ecosystems, should be the focus of protection. ( )

This is an informative, interesting, and disturbing account of the ecological impact of predator elimination. The author points out that some environmental problems commonly blamed on climate change may actually be the result of the loss of major predators in ecosystems. A particular point I found of concern is that what we today perceive to be wilderness is in truth an anemic vestige of once healthy ecosystems. Our standard for what we consider wild is sinking with potentially devastating consequences. This book provides a perspective on ecological issues not commonly covered in the popular press. I highly recommend you read this book if you care about the future of this planet. ( )

I am overjoyed that I was able to snag this through the LibraryThing Early Reviews Program. Now that I've finished reading it, I am not a bit less pleased.

Frankly, my good feelings about this book really got started the moment I received it in the mail, where it surprised me by arriving less than two weeks after I was notified of winning a copy. When I tore open the package and spilled the book out in my hands, I was struck at just how pretty it was. Judging by its cover, perhaps? Maybe. But I tell you it would have been warranted. The imagefile listed here doesn't do the cover justice.

But, oh, the content did not disappoint at all either. Where the Wild Things Were is a fantastically interesting book, and it's written in such an engaging manner that I was pulled straight through the whole thing in a matter of days. Try not to let the descriptive chapter headings seduce you into sampling the chapters out of turn with each other, though. As excellent as the individual chapters like "Bambie's Revenge" and "The Lions of Zion" are, the information contained within the chapters builds in a very structured manner, and I really encourage that the book be read right through. Best of all, the last quarter of the book is filled with fabulous reference information, from detailed chapter notes to a healthy-sized index. The bibliography alone is gold; I cannot wait to explore some of the books listed.

If I really had to drum of some sort of quibble, I might complain that the coverstock of my trade paperback copy is a little light in weight and already showing a tendency to curl, or that the interior paper could stand to be a touch better in quality, or even that the delicate black curlicues, which decorate the green strips of cover at the top and bottom edges of the book and that you cannot see at all in the imagefile, have been mildly obscured by the placement of the author's name (a slightly lower placement would have been perfect). But as quibbles, those are hardreaching and of very little merit. Contentwise, I cannot complain at all. This book is highly recommended.

Because in truth your eyes will be focused, your ears will be tuned, your nose will be testing the air. Your back will be straighter, your steps will be lighter. One never sleepwalks through grizzlyland, dreaming of other places to be. (p. 217, 1596916429) ( )

I liked this book, although at times it felt a little schizoid. The interface between the more theoretical, direct demonstrations of the green Earth theory - starfish, otters, etc. - and the more traditional 'big mammal' apex predators was generally well handled. Personally, I would have preferred either a more thorough grounding of the starfish & otter type research or a focus more on just the predators or - ideally - both. Which, I suppose, is what the author attempted. Especially given the volume of endnotes packed into the slim volume, a little bit more length would have been appreciated. (Some minor typos in the copy I reviewed, likely due to the copy-editor.) ( )

William Stolzenburg has written an informative and accessible treatise about the demise of the large carnivores on our planet. Where the Wild Things Were is a persuasive argument for the essential role of predators in ecosystems. Rather than being seen as bloodthirsty killers, predators are shown as the regulators of biodiversity. Stolzenburg presents scenarios of various predator extinctions and the subsequent effects on the particular biomes -- examples range from the role of sea otters in kelp forests to starfish in tidal pools to wolves in America and Europe and lions in Africa, etc.

According to Stolzenburg, the demise of the predator inevitably results in a surge of the prey population which brings about a domino effect of destruction to the biologic community. Anyone who lives in an area that is overrun with deer can vouch for the truth of this. I, myself, live in woods that have been gnawed to the ground by the exploding deer population. The understory is gone, rare pink ladyslippers that were abundant twenty years ago are gone, my flowers and plantings are gone, and I don't dare to plant vegetables anymore. I would welcome a wolf or two to the neighborhood!

The book is written in an easy-to-comprehend style, with humor and sometimes a tad of wry self-admitted sarcasm aimed at the bumblings of those elected to protect our wild places. Definitely a "must" reading for anyone concerned with living in a biologically healthy and diverse world. ( )

An excellent book on biodiversity and the important role that apex predators play in sustaining it. Through studies, and the stories and people of the studies, the book examines the biodiversity of differing ecologies, from the shores of oceans to the forests of Yellowstone, and how predators interact and sustain them. Written in a readable and accessible style, the book was a joy to read. ( )

This book explores the role of predatory carnivores in ecosystems. Far from just being the top of the food chain, Stolzenburg shows the evidence of numerous researchers that predators are necessary for maintaining a healthy balance of prey and vegetation. Without predators, ecosystems collapse completely.

Stolzenburg shows evidence of similar regions with and without their primary predator - whether it be sea otters, sharks, or wolves - and the differences are alarming. The most dangerous predator of course is the human, and we have a long history of exterminating predators. Stolzenburg believes this goes back to the Pleistocene when the first humans arriving in the Americas eliminated the megafauna of two continents. Some of the most fascinating and controversial ideas are to "rewild"the Americas by introducing large mammals such as camels, lions, and elephants into the wild! While discussing the objections to the plan, I am surprised that Stolzenburg made no mention of the unfortunate history of invasive species (cane toads anyone?).

This is a very illuminating, saddening, but ultimately important perspective on how to preserve and recreate damaged ecosystems.

Read this Conservation magazine article by Stolzenburg for more details.

Favorite Passage:
The most dangerous experiment is already underway. The future most to be feared is the one now dictated by the status quo. In vanquishing our most fearsome beasts from the modern world, we have released worse monsters from the compound. They come in disarmingly meek and insidious forms, in chewing plagues of hoofed beasts and sweeping hordes of rats and cats and second-order predators. They come in the form of denuded seascapes and barren forests, ruled by jellyfish and urchins, killer deer and sociopathic monkeys. They come as haunting demons of the human mind. In conquering the fearsome beasts, the conquerors had unwittingly orpahned themselves. - p. 200 ( )

This book is an excellent and entertaining read. It outlines the developing argument that large predators are essential to a healthy and diverse ecosystem. ( )