Dan Riskin's book, Mother Nature Is Trying to Kill You: A Lively Tour Through the Dark Side of the Natural World
is not a happy feel good stroll through the beauty of the natural world. The desire of DNA to reproduce and the fierce competition for energy create an amoral world where the survival of the next generation is paramount. The book's chapters are organized according to the seven deadly sins in the bible. The extremely narrow variety of edible plants in this world provide evidence that they were not put here for us to consume. Less than 20 plant species provide 90% of the diet for humans. Many plant were made edible/tasty through careful breeding of humans. The tasty apples of today have a much wider variety of flavors then the original ones found in nature. This is a shout out to the U of Minnesota for Honeycrisp and SweeTango. The author views genetically modified crops as a natural extension of this breeding process. It moves the process along faster with more precision.
The author gets very close to nature as he slides on his back through bat guano in South America as he attempts to find vampire bats roosting in a cave. He and his future wife lie on their backs in the scratching sand attracting bats who associate the sound with their primary food source.
In summary, the colorful examples in the book are not for those who have a weak constitution. As human beings we can rise up above our primitive survival instincts and treat others with kindness. We can also appreciate nature for all its beauty, violence, and raw creativity as each species attempts to successfully live to reproduce another generation.
Radio interview with Dan Riskin - 12 minutes
Book summary by Dan Riskin, Ph.D. - 3 min.
All Things Dull and Ugly - from MontyPython with Portuguese subtitles - 2 min.
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