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375th out of 596 books
—
1,318 voters
The Boilerplate Rhino: Nature in the Eye of the Beholder
by
David Quammen (Goodreads Author)
In 1981 David Quammen began what might be every freelance writer's dream: a monthly column for Outside magazine in which he was given free rein to write about anything that interested him in the natural world. His column was called "Natural Acts," and for the next fifteen years he delighted Outside's readers with his fascinating ruminations on the world around us. The Boil...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
April 17th 2001
by Scribner
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September 2010
David Quammen doesn't answer that. He doesn't really know the mystery of the dickless owls, either. But sometimes the questions, and the thoughts t...more
No doubt you’ve often asked yourself, over the years, why it is that owls don’t have penises.Actually, no. I always wondered about dinosaurs. Did they have penises? How big? How violent and raucous was dinosaur sex? Is that why Noah wouldn’t let them on the ark?
(From “Spatula Theory: The Continuation of Courtship by Other Means,” p. 83)
David Quammen doesn't answer that. He doesn't really know the mystery of the dickless owls, either. But sometimes the questions, and the thoughts t...more
We have friends whom we don't see often, but I always leave their house after a dinner together with something interesting to read. When I thanked them for being so generous with good books and recommendations they answered, "We like lending books to you because you always return them--unlike many people we know." Well, under that kind of pressure to uphold my sterling reputation, I read this book immediately rather than adding it to the stack so that I wouldn't forget I had it.
This book is a co...more
This book is a co...more
Jun 03, 2011
Jason Mills
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Natural history buffs, but anyone really.
Quammen's writing always calls the word 'muscular' to my mind: he wrestles and bends every topic into a well-formed story, full of research but delivering its information in a way that is entertaining and purposeful. His essays, meticulously but unobtrusively structured, don't just stop, they CULMINATE, ending at the exact moment when they have made their point.
This volume is one of several collections of his natural history essays for the 'Outsider' magazine. The subtitle indicates a subliminal...more
This volume is one of several collections of his natural history essays for the 'Outsider' magazine. The subtitle indicates a subliminal...more
A superb collection of very readable essays on science, scientists, nature, and the great outdoors. There’s a piece on our similarity to the apes (should they too be classified homo?), an amusing essay of animal penes, a fascinating look at the Chamorro people of Guam’s diet of endangered fruit bat, a very thoughtful defense of Thoreau and Walden... the list goes on.
It’s not the variety of subjects that makes this collection so special, of course; it’s the charming prose, the personable voice, w...more
It’s not the variety of subjects that makes this collection so special, of course; it’s the charming prose, the personable voice, w...more
Great essays, I plan to read more Quammen (Monster of God hooked me hard a couple years back). Each essay is about nine pages, so it's well set up for someone reading in short bursts lunch-break style, short-attention span traveling, or similar. As such, I wasn't nearly as engaged in the book as a whole, and wanted a lot more depth from some of the essays, but their length is a reflection of the original publisher's criteria and, given that, Quammen packs a lot of reflection into each essay. The...more
"In 1981 David Quammen began what might be every freelance writer's dream: a monthly column for Outside magazine in which he could write about anything that interested him in the natural world. His column was called 'Natural Acts', and for the next fifteen years he delighted Outside's readers with his fascinating ruminations on the world around us. The Boilerplate Rhino brings together twenty-five of Quammen's most thoughtful and engaging essarys from that column, none previously printed in any...more
This is a disjointed compendium of unrelated and outdated essays. It’s essentially Quammen going through his files and trying to make a few bucks off his old stuff.
I don’t blame Quammen for this by any means. The essays were all new to me, and Quammen’s warmed-over repeats are better than most writers’ latest and greatest. However, I couldn’t help but feel that the essays lose something by being collected here, all in one place, with nothing to hold them together.
I don’t blame Quammen for this by any means. The essays were all new to me, and Quammen’s warmed-over repeats are better than most writers’ latest and greatest. However, I couldn’t help but feel that the essays lose something by being collected here, all in one place, with nothing to hold them together.
A book of essays by the author, mostly taken from Outside Magazine. The subject material is usually something about science, biology, evolution or social commentary.One of the best essays, "Rethinking the Lawn" describes the author's attitude to mowing lawns, which pretty much reflects my own. Another describes many aspects of eggs.
A most wonderful series of essays. All are well worth well and very poignant, informative, philosophical as well as humorus. The one that seems to stay with me with almost a wretching pathos is "Limelight. The little white Octopus on the World Stage." Isolation and endurance, that grasping at hope is a dark forboding place.
This book was such fun to read. David Quammen is very amusing and has such a readable style. I loved the way he interjects with his own thoughts but gives you some insight in to scientific theories, and questions concerning the natural world. Each essay has made me laugh out loud at least once! I will definitely look out for his other books.
I'm a science junkie myself and have always heard wonderful things about Quammen, especially from my father, whose opinion I value greatly. I admire authors who can make science coherent and comprehensible to the average reader but who do not simplify that science. It's a difficult task, one few writers handle successfully. And Quammen certainly is one of those writers. However, I was disappointed by this collection because it felt so haphazard, like an author trying to please an overeager acqui...more
This is a brilliant book. Quammen is able to write about nature,science,history and humanity in ways laugh out loud funny to heartbreaking. its a collection of magazine articles some better than others but all worth a read.
I love David Quammen. One of our best nature writers. This is a collection of his essays from Outside magazine; it makes a good break between other books.
David Quammen writes amazing science books for non-scientists. I learn more from one of his books than from any class I ever took in college.
Good essays, sometimes interesting analogies are stretched a bit too far. Nifty insights into nature
I loved this book, not only did I laugh and cry, but I also pulled the dictionary off the bookshelf more than once.
Quammen's books are always interesting and surprising.
As seen on Book(re)marks: http://bookremarks.blogspot.com/2013/...
Fascinating essays on natural history.
Quality Quammen. I wanted a full length book on each of the essays in this book of consolidated articles. I love how accessible Quammen's writing is to people with little to no biology background.
excellent, love his wirting
interesting collection of short stories
I'm a huge fan.
my kind of "good reads" .... !
“The Boilerplate Rhine” is a collection of articles written by Quammen for Outside magazine. Because of this, each essay has a magazine-like, formulaic format (teaser intro, body, conclusion) and little in the way of depth. This is compensated by the fact that Quammen is a such a good writer and story-teller he can make the topic of slug penises interesting. Light, fun and interesting reading about nature.
Pretty sweet job--write a monthly article for Outdoor magazine about any science or nature topic that interests him. All in all, the author does a good job, and his insights into evolution among lizards on the Baja California. :) But he lets his own voice get in the way of the narrative a little too often. I won't read any more of his books, but it was worth reading a few articles.
Quammen is an extremely entertaining author, and this is one of his finest books. In fact, it might be my very favorite of his, if only for the inclusion of the "spatula" essay. For those of you who haven't read it, it's about sexual evolution and "spatula" is used in place of another word. Hint: Male snakes have two spatulas. Male birds have none at all. Fun and educational.
Entertaining and informative essays about science and nature. Highly Recommend.
Nov 22, 2007
Lisa
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-reading,
andthewinnersare
If you like the natural world, this is a fabulous book of a collection of articles written for an Outdoors magazine. They are interesting, insightful, and pretty darn creative. And you don't have to be a scientist to enjoy them. My favorite article was about the cats. :O)
I'm a big fan of the author who writes science & nature articles and manages to make you think and laugh at the same time. You feel like a fellow traveler along for a quirky ride as the author embarks on a journey, through all things of the natural world.
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David Quammen (born February 1948) is an award-winning science, nature and travel writer whose work has appeared in publications such as National Geographic, Outside, Harper's, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times Book Review; he has also written fiction. He wrote a column called "Natural Acts" for Outside magazine for fifteen years. Quammen lives in Bozeman, Montana.
More about David Quammen...
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