In a series of short, wonderfully imaginative chapters, A.K. Dewdney introduces us to the vast and intricate web that is Hungry Hollow, a seemingly ordinary stretch of river somewhere east of the Rocky Mountains. We encounter a hackberry tree that perfectly reproduces the taxonomic Tree of Life, learn how it would look and feel to shrink by stages to the size of an amoeba while swimming in a river, watch a toad win the lottery, and see the world of Hungry Hollow from the viewpoint of bears, earthworms and even stones. This is a natural history book like no other.
I read this wonderful book about a year ago, and I've thought back on it regularly since then. It's as beautiful and sad as it is educational. Even those of us who love nature often have trouble letting go of our human perspective on everything we see. This book helps to bring other perspectives into view: what might your world look like (and feel like) if you were a raccoon? A tree? A blade of grass? A microorganism? As you read, each living thing begins to seem more real, more substantial, and you realize that there is a universe of life even in a small plot of land. "Hungry Hollow" is also a rare combination of science fact and fictional narrative, so that the things you learn stick with you at an emotional level. The book deepened my understanding of the world, and I'm grateful.
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