Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival (2003)

Like so many of Heinrich's books, a lovely and eclectic exploration of his chosen topic: in this case, animal adaptations for northern winters. Enjoyed it immensely. ( )

Bernd Heinrich isn't a purist. When he takes off to live in the frozen Maine woods for the winter, he might chop wood for heat and cooking but drives into town for a bit of relief every now and again. So reading him is reading a balanced man which is one reason I like his books so much.

The main reason though is that these books go into such extreme detail, the absolute minutae of the natural life and explain it in well-written prose and his own pen & ink drawings. His world is one where evolution is beautiful and following the development of the animal life and their adaptions that dovetail into the plants, the weather that year and the seasons overall is wondrous. Something beautiful. He doesn't see a difference between us and the animals, we are all one and go to make this great humming planet of life, Gaia, the earth.

*Actually he's not quite the balanced man, apart from being a professor of biology he's was also a champion ultra-marathoner, holder of the American records for running both the 156 miles in 24 hours race and the 100 miles one.

I wouldn't think his books appeal to everyone, you have to like reading non-fiction, nature books in particular, but if you do, then I can't think of any writer more enjoyable than Bernd Heinrich. ( )

I enjoy Bernd Heinrich's writing. He's a dedicated naturalist and his interest in wildlife is contagious. I do think however, that sometimes he writes a little too much like the scientist that he is. Winter World, like it's companion volume, Summer World, tends to read a bit too technically sometimes for the layreader, and focus frequently jumps from one subject to another within the space of a paragraph.

I do appreciate his inherent inquisitiveness and the straightforward way he goes about devining information to answer the questions that plague him. His hand drawn wildlife images are charming and enhance the accessibility of his book.

All in all, Winter World is a beneficial read--you'll definitely learn and begin to look at nature closely, in a way you never have before. I think it can best be digested in small segments at a time, though. ( )

All about what animals do to survive cold weather, based on Heinrich's own curiosity and observations about the natural world. Although it examines the strategies of many different creatures, from small insects to various members of the squirrel family, bats, beavers, frogs and bears, there is a common thread running through all Heinrich's investigations as he tries to solve the mystery of how kinglets (a bird smaller than a chickadee) manage to survive cold winter nights in northern latitudes. This book is just jam-packed with beautiful nature writing and compelling facts. Things like why some animals spend the winter scurrying around in a constant search for food, while others are comatose for months at a time in a hibernating torpor (and what, exactly hibernation is). Some animals hoard food, others lay up fat stores in their bodies, still others simply suspend all body functions, to any scientific examination dead to the world (no heartbeat, sign of breathing, etc.) There's also discussion on things like how the study of animal survival methods can impact human medicine. For example, unraveling the secrets of bear hibernation could help with the treatment of diabetes or patients who suffer oxygen-depletion to the brain (like stroke victims).

from the Dogear Diary ( )

I wanted to like it. I enjoyed some bits, but most often I felt like it was either too much surface info or not enough. There are beautiful sketches inside of various animals, which is nice. But about halfway through I gave up, due to being overloaded too often, not given enough info when he finally did peak my interest, and the jumbled overall feeling of disorganization. I think some good editing would have made this readable. ( )