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Mike Shanahan

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shanahanmike

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Science, Nonfiction

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August 2016

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Mike Shanahan is a freelance writer with a doctorate in rainforest ecology. He has lived in a national park in Borneo, bred endangered penguins, investigated illegal bear farms, produced award-winning journalism and spent several weeks of his life at the annual United Nations climate change negotiations. He is interested in what people think about nature and our place in it. His writing includes work published by The Economist, Nature, The Ecologist and Ensia, and chapters of Dry: Life without Water (Harvard University Press); Climate Change and the Media (Peter Lang Publishing) and Culture and Climate Change: Narratives (Shed). He is the illustrator of Extraordinary Animals (Greenwood Publishing Group) and maintains a blog called Under the ...more

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Hi Mike, I enjoyed your book. As you can see by my profile picture, I own a house in rural Kenya, (edge of Rift Valley, 8000 feet) and am relocating there in a couple of months. I was interested in planting fig trees and trying to help re establish wildlife habitat around our seven acres. I have an old cookbook which refers to "Kijabe figs" which are said to be good for making jam. Do you know what species that is?

Mike Shanahan Hi Andrea
Thanks for getting in touch. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed my book. As far as I know, Kijabe refers to a place rather than a specific kin…moreHi Andrea
Thanks for getting in touch. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed my book. As far as I know, Kijabe refers to a place rather than a specific kind of fig tree. So Kijabe figs would be fig from trees in that area. The species is likely to be Ficus sycomorus, Ficus thonningii or Ficus natalensis.

The former is the same species that the ancient Egyptians cultivated. The latter is the famed mugumo tree that featured in the Kenya chapter of my book. You might be interested in these blog posts I wrote about fig trees in Kenya, as they include some information that didn't make it into the book.

https://underthebanyan.blog/2018/04/1...

https://underthebanyan.blog/2017/05/1...

In Uganda, people have long used the same species as a source of cloth (see: https://underthebanyan.blog/2018/12/0...).

Best wishes, Mike.(less)

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Gods, wasps, and strangers was amazing! Are you planning any other similar books on other fruits or vegetables?

Mike Shanahan Hi Cat. I'm glad you liked my book. I don't have firm plans for follow-up books yet, but am thinking of ideas. I certainly don't think any other fruit…moreHi Cat. I'm glad you liked my book. I don't have firm plans for follow-up books yet, but am thinking of ideas. I certainly don't think any other fruits or vegetables could compete with the figs in terms of how amazing their stories are.(less)

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Mike Shanahan’s books

Average rating: 4.11 · 574 ratings · 95 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

Gods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees

4.11 avg rating — 575 ratings — 11 editions

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Mike Shanahan's Blog

Introducing The Nature Beat

Hello! Some personal news: I’ve started a new newsletter called The Nature Beat about biodiversity, conservation, ecological restoration, nature-based solutions to climate change, and so on. While it is aimed primarily at journalists, it will be useful to anyone else who is interested in these topics and wants to stay up-to-date. Each week, The Nature … Continue reading Introducing The Nature Beat Read more of this blog post »

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Published on December 12, 2023 08:14

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Mike is Currently Reading

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The Gallows Pole

by Benjamin Myers (Goodreads Author)

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Aug 07, 2020 05:02AM

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Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter

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Mike’s Recent Updates

Mike Shanahan is now following Elias Johnson's reviews
Dec 22, 2025 11:14AM · like
Mike Shanahan made a comment on Aaron carrcallen’s review of Gods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees " Hello again Aaron. You might also like my newsletter, Planet Ficus, where I share many other fig-related stories. I can't share the link here, but it ...more "
Dec 04, 2025 10:17AM · see review
Mike Shanahan made a comment on Rolande’s review of Gods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees " Hello again Rolande. You might also like my newsletter, Planet Ficus, where I share many other fig-related stories. I can't share the link here, but i ...more "
Dec 04, 2025 10:17AM · see review
Mike Shanahan made a comment on James’s review of Gods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees " Thanks James. Glad you liked my book. You might also like my newsletter, Planet Ficus, where I share many other fig-related stories. I can't share the ...more "
Dec 04, 2025 10:16AM · see review
Mike Shanahan made a comment on Soumya Kundu’s review of Ladders to Heaven " Hi Soumya. Thanks for your review. I'm glad you liked my book. You might also like my newsletter, Planet Ficus, where I share many other fig-related s ...more "
Dec 04, 2025 10:15AM · see review
Mike Shanahan liked Soumya Kundu's review of Ladders to Heaven: "Well researched book. The author lucidly explains the biology of fig plants, their ecology, the vital role they had played in shaping mankind and the enormous role they play in ecological restorations. "For every five species planted, one should be a" Read more of this review »
Dec 04, 2025 10:15AM · see review
Mike Shanahan made a comment on Christy’s review of Gods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees " Hello again Christie. You might also like my newsletter, Planet Ficus, where I share many other fig-related stories. I can't share the link here, but ...more "
Dec 04, 2025 09:56AM · see review
Mike Shanahan and 1 other person liked Barbara Hoff's review of Gods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees: "The title says it all. It's a fascinating look at how fig trees (the tree in the Garden of Eden was likely a fig tree) have influenced our earth and our history. Could fig trees help to reverse climate change? I hope so!"
Dec 04, 2025 09:54AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Gods, Wasps and Stranglers by Mike Shanahan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Gods, Wasps and Stranglers by Mike Shanahan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mike Shanahan liked Yicheng Sun's review of Gods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees: "Life changing, fig trees inspire so much awe in me now. I loved the interweaving of science, personal anecdotes, and oral stories. "
Dec 04, 2025 09:53AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Gods, Wasps and Stranglers by Mike Shanahan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Gods, Wasps and Stranglers by Mike Shanahan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">