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A compelling call to action to focus on what connects us in nature to solve today's problems.
In nature, everything is connected: from microscopic bacteria and soaring trees to animals struggling for survival amid thriving humanity. Yet many of today's toughest problems, from environmental destruction to divisive politics, stem from fundamental disconnection. In Intertwined, science writer Michael Gross explains how the natural world can act as a powerful reminder of the core truth of our interdependence.
Using examples based on recent scientific discoveries across a broad range of ecosystems and species, Gross shares important – and often surprising – stories about the sophisticated web of connections in nature. From plant cooperation to turtle conversation, he highlights crucial lessons we can apply to solve complex problems caused by human disturbances to these connections. Gross provides ample evidence of the far-reaching impacts of both natural and anthropogenic phenomena, from coevolution and nutrient cycles to species domestication and extinction.
We live in a complex world endangered by simplistic thinking, as the escalating climate crisis and loss of biodiversity demonstrate. To address these issues, we must recognize the wonder and ubiquity of the self-regulating network that enables life on Earth, as well as the threats that endanger its functioning. These thought-provoking stories from nature prove why it is so important to remember the connections that tie us to each other and our world.
Introduction: Everything Is Connected
1. Plants and Their Little Helpers
2. Fantastic Animals
3. Insects Rule the World
4. Looking After Our Forests
5. This Time, the Asteroid Is Us
6. Save Our Seas
7. Living with Animals
8. Listen to Nature
9. Animals Shaping the Environment
10. Life in the Times of Climate Change
11. Our Shared Burden of Disease
12. The Anthropocene and Beyond
Notes
Michael Gross (Oxford, UK) is a science writer who has published in Current Biology and other publications. He is the co-author of Astrobiology: A Introduction and the translator and editor of Lust and Love: Is It More than Chemistry?
"Even for a professional ecologist like me, Intertwined is a revelation – a compelling look at the myriad connections that link wild species on our planet and affect their vulnerability to the ravages of environmental disruption. I found the book fun, endlessly insightful, and chock-full of surprises."
– William F. Laurance, James Cook University
"Intertwined ranges widely across life's landscape, illuminating the infinite complexities of form and function that can be found among living organisms. In highlighting how Earth's fabric of life is being diminished by myriad, amplifying human impacts – and, crucially, how we might reduce these
impacts – it sends an important message to us all."
Jan A. Zalasiewicz, coauthor of The Cosmic Oasis
"This captivating synthesis of some of the most exciting recent findings in science illustrates the complexity and interconnectedness of life and its interactions with the environment, while simultaneously articulating the roles we have and continue to play in shaping the trajectory of life on Earth."
– Matthew Nelsen, Field Museum of Natural History
