Publisher's Weekly Review
Using personal anecdotes of encounters with North American predators, supplemented by the results of a number of studies, Eisenberg (The Wolf's Tooth) makes a case for the place of carnivores in the wild. She points out their usefulness in thinning herds of deer and elk that destroy woods and gardens, as well as removing the weak and sick, thus improving the health of the remaining animals. Chapters on the habits of individual species-grizzlies, cougars, wolves, lynxes, wolverines, and jaguars-introduce readers to their lives, and she shows how projects at Yellowstone and Denali National Parks demonstrate the feasibility of safely managing the wolf and grizzly populations. Given the potential threat to humans, some will not appreciate Eisenberg's pro-predator argument. Similarly, her suggestion that one should "speak to bears politely" might not work as well as her admonition to carry pepper spray. Nevertheless, her moral is that people need to "make better choices about how they interact with wildlife." While her section on ranchers seeking ways to better manage livestock could use some expansion, Eisenberg presents interesting information and her goals are laudable, but it remains an uphill battle to change the opinions of those unhappy about sharing their space with predators. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Moving to a valley in the Montana wilderness sparked Eisenberg's interest in the natural history of her land, and when wolves recolonized the area, she decided to go to graduate school and study ecology. Living in the area she dubs the Carnivore Way, a corridor that extends from Alaska to Mexico along the spine of the Rockies and through which the large carnivores can freely move, she found an intact ecosystem. The first section of the book describes the continental-scale corridors that carnivores and other wildlife use for their movements and why international cooperation in environmental laws is so important. In part 2, Eisenberg examines six large carnivores grizzly bear, wolf, wolverine, lynx, cougar, and jaguar in more detail. Woven throughout the science of studying carnivores are the author's reminiscences of her interactions with wild predators and insights into her research, making for an eminently readable primer on predator ecology.--Bent, Nancy Copyright 2014 Booklist
Choice Review
The Carnivore Way is an accessible, engaging expert's view of the complex biological, social, and political situation of North American carnivore conservation. Eisenberg (Oregon State Univ.) begins with the overarching issues, introducing the ecological interactions of carnivores, their needs, and the sociopolitical structures in play. She then devotes a chapter each to the grizzly bear, wolf, wolverine, lynx, cougar, and jaguar. The book hangs on the framework of a personal narrative, which succeeds in humanizing without falling into romanticizing. As with the topic at hand, Eisenberg works at multiple scales, from personal anecdotes or stories of individual research animals to the natural history of the species, population estimates, and the landscape needs (both ecological and human social) of these species to survive. The importance and complexity of the human context is a central theme, including local attitudes as well as national or international legal wranglings. Repetitive explanations that slightly stilt a straight read through allow the chapters to stand alone, which will broaden the book's use in diverse undergraduate or graduate-level courses. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through graduate students; general readers. --L. Leann Kanda, Ithaca College
Library Journal Review
Ecologist Eisenberg's (The Wolf's Tooth) interest in North American carnivores was sparked by observing the impact of wolves on her neighborhood. In this fascinating book, she discusses the role of the carnivore. The "Carnivore Way," an area of land that crosses the borders of the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is home to the six large carnivores discussed here. Heavily indebted to Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac, Eisenberg takes a naturalist approach to the impact of carnivores on ungulates (deer, elk, moose, caribou), which in turn affect the vegetation of a region. A central theme in the text is the shared responsibility of neighboring countries as these animals wander in and out of federally protected lands and over borders and back again. Ecology, it seems, knows no border patrols. -Verdict While its pedantic style may alienate academics, this title offers a blend of research and narrative that will appeal to lay readers, and it is well suited for purchase by public and undergraduate libraries.-Jaime Corris Hammond, Naugatuck Valley Community Coll. Lib., Waterbury, CT (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
