Animal Vegetable Criminal

A provocative and engaging exploration of our evolving relationship with the rest of nature. -- <i>Guardian</i> Combining diligently researched scientific reporting with the sniggering wit of a stand-up comic Animal Vegetable Criminal loves an eyebrow-raising anecdote. -- <i>The Times</i> Bestseller Roach sheds light on natures malefactors in this often funny, always provocative surveyRoachs writing is wry, full of heart, and loaded with intriguing facts This eminently entertaining outing is another winner. -- <i>Publishers Weekly</i>, starred review Reading a Mary Roach book is like spending a luxurious and joyful evening with the perfect dinner guest. Delightful facts become indelibly etched in your brain, and only later do you realise that hours have passed and your face slightly hurts from smiling too hard. In Animal Vegetable Criminal, Roachs peerless storytelling skills are paired with a sense of moral urgency, as she recounts stories of humans and other animals, uneasily and clumsily learning to co-exist in a world that they must now share. -- Ed Yong, science journalist and author of <i>I Contain Multitudes</i> Hilarious! With Animal Vegetable Criminal, Mary Roach again takes us into an unfamiliar scientific realm, in this case the science of managing the conflicts between humans and the natural world lethal leopards, rampaging elephants, jet-downing birds, even killer trees. Its an ever-widening conflict zone, but one that Ms. Roach gleefully mines for a multitude of bizarre facts thatll make you snort coffee through your nose. -- Erik Larson, author of <i>The Splendid and the Vile</i> An idiosyncratic tour with Roach as the wisecracking, ever-probing guide My favorite moments, ultimately, werent the funny ones, but those that reveal a bit of scientific poetry. * <i>New York Times Book Review</i> * With her characteristic dry wit, [Roach] brings an intense fascination to the seldom discussed details and the at times absurd miscellany in the unexplored corners of unappreciated research It is impossible not to smirk, chortle and sometimes outright belly laugh as you read her many wry asides and funny but fascinating footnotes But the real trick Roach pulls off is to keep you laughing while at the same time making sure the earnest points come across. * <i>New Scientist</i> * A hugely enjoyable exploration of what happens when the nature weve decided to love doesnt love us back. By turns hilarious and horrifying and often profound Roachs entertaining journeys are full of delightful curios and I was swept up in her joyful writing. -- Gaia Vince, author of <i>Transcendence</i> Each chapter is packed with the results of [Roachs] detailed investigations. Roach uses footnotes to add both depth and lightness to the topic at hand by capturing misfit studies, asides, and hilarious tangents Refreshing. -- <i>Science</i> Full of kernels of fascinating information Her approach is informative and unpretentious, and shes always armed with a dry sense of humor. Roach will change the way you think about the great outdoors. What more could you ask for? * <i>BuzzFeed</i> * The book brims with Roachs irreverent humor, which particularly shines when she experiences human-animal conflict firsthand A blend of modern science and history, with Roachs flair for spotting hidden absurdities As another entry in Roachs canon of books, Animal Vegetable Criminal stands tall (and hairy), educating as much as it entertains. * <i>Science News</i> * [Animal Vegetable Criminal is] powerfully propelled by the force of Roachs unflinching fascination with the weird, the gross and the downright improbable Theres a wacky genius to [her] interjections [Her] curiou

Mary Roach is the New York Times-bestselling author of several popular science books including Packing for Mars and Gulp, which was shortlisted for the Royal Society Winton prize. Her most recent book, Grunt, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Science & Technology Book Prize. She has written for the Guardian, Wired, BBC Focus, GQ and Vogue.