A deeply hopeful book that provides an alternative viewpoint while still maintaining a realistic outlook. The photographs are incredible and the information provided stays with the reader, offering further reflection and openings for discussion with others.
It is easy for books like this to be phoned in, simply table-top books that are meant to be seen and not read. This one, however, is full of care and bears attention beyond the colorful images.

This book has been a revelation. In fact, make that plural - so many revelations I simply couldn’t keep track. I’ve always heard of anecdotal knowledge that the natural world around us humans is symbiotic, and almost everyone studies those symbiosis-defining relationships in middle school, between cattle and birds, and some such.

The first chapter starts right off by going to an amazing level of detail in describing a world consisting of billions of microbial life forms that, along with the macroscopic life forms, maintain a level of harmony that most of us humans have trouble even believing, leave aside actually living it. There are degrees of connections that are impossible to imagine, and yet once known equally hard to overlook, that hold up the circle of life on this planet. There are universes-worth of life forms and instances of cohabitation that have been around long before the first humans roamed the Earth, and are likely to outlive our species as well, irrespective of humanity’s fate.

The mycorrhizal network opens up the first chapter, and you get an insider’s view of the field research that’s currently going on, to demonstrate beyond doubt how plants interact and have a mutually beneficial relationship with each other, and with a vast underground fungal network that spreads for miles under each unit of land. It is less surprising and more humbling to understand and appreciate the connections these species not just sustain but in fact seem to actively seek out and thrive on with each other, connections that are invisible to most humans, and that while seeming extremely delicate, yet have been shown to be resilient and self-sustaining beyond anything man-made. Life has been around for billions of years, and carboniferous nature as we’ve come to know and rely on, has also been around for billions of years, and clearly has had a head start in figuring out and establishing these mutually beneficial relationships. Unfortunately, humanity’s insistent approach to high yield crops and efficiency and other essentially human wants have led to harmful side effects, which are taking years to identify and understand. Of course, like all man-made problems, knowing it won’t be enough for overcoming it. That’s going to be a whole separate struggle of its own.

Which brings me to the second achievement of this book. In addition to identifying nature’s best practices and how we’re damaging them, the book covers, albeit in limited but extremely focused instances, ways to restore that balance without sacrificing human sustenance needs. Sure change is going to be needed, and it won’t be easy or welcome, but the book demonstrates how it could be done successfully.

There’s a quote later on in the book from Paul Engelmeyer, a birder credited with being the last (latest) to discover and photograph the nest of a North American bird - a small, brown-speckled seabird called the marbled murrelet - for the first time. In effect, he is the last discoverer of a brand new nest of a North American bird. He says “Things want to heal so much.” In essence, that’s what’s most amazing about the numerous natural habitats examined and interpreted in this book. Nature has a way of finding a balance between species as distinct as salmon on the one hand and minks, dippers, coyotes and river otters on the other, not to say anything of the bears! When everyone takes what they need from each other and from around them, everyone has a better chance of filling in a natural niche and not just surviving but thriving. Taking what we want, instead of just what we need, is the single biggest trait that in my opinion separates us from the rest of the living beings on Earth, and will continue to make it increasingly difficult and dangerous for us to even survive.

Elsewhere, there’s a chapter dedicated to regenerative agriculture and farming techniques that nurture and feed the surrounding natural habitat and other species, in a virtuous circle of symbiotic coexistence and cooperation. It seeks to further reinforce the idea that many living things are able to establish connections that elude us humans. Still elsewhere, there’s a stunning and detailed scientific account of how restoring beavers back into natural habitats from where they had previously been hunted out has near-magical restorative benefits, observed not over generations or decades, but literally over a span of a couple of years and seasons.

We have trouble living together across man-made national boundaries and barriers of language, religion and customs. We can’t seem to come to a collective understanding that this is a shared planet, and - in fact - as of now, is our only planet.

A third special insight the book carried for me is the origin story of the phrase somewhat misleadingly attributed to Darwin, “survival of the fittest”. The author traces how Darwin was a creation of his times and the influences and inspirations he was driven by, and how ultimately Darwin’s words were interpreted after his death, by the nineteenth century philosopher Herbert Spencer, now widely recognized as the creator of the modern view of free-for-all capitalism. It was Spencer who developed the eponymous phrase after reading “Origin of Species”, and that interpretation has single-handedly been responsible for almost the entire breadth and depth of explanations and justifications we have developed over years when exploiting natural resources, and underestimating the complex relationships of other mutualist species. And then, there’s this guy most of us have never heard of - Kropotkin, a Russian aristocrat, an anarchist and a scientist, who was the earliest to actually put down in writing thoughts on the mutually beneficial nature of relationships in the wild, and in fact also tried to reinterpret Darwin’s “fittest” phrase, but due to a number of reasons his findings didn’t get the attention and recognition they deserved. It’s all coming back full circle now, and there’s a renewed interest in how Darwin may not have meant “fittest” in the way we have thought of - at all.

The last chapter is where all the preceding knowledge comes together with places that most of us live in - cities. How cities can and in some exemplary cases have successfully managed to blend and weave mini-habitats into and in-between our living spaces is clearly only the first and the most immediate frontier as we try and move towards a more mutualist world-view.

Ultimately, the book is a kaleidoscopic reminder that we have much to learn before we can call ourselves a mature, confident and truly intelligent species. Sure we’ve discovered the space-time continuum, the number Pi, and we’ve invented sliced bread, the wheel, and the printing press to store all the rest of our knowledge, we’ve invented the automobile and the automatons, there’s still so much more we have to know and learn and understand. And almost all of that doesn’t involve humans, and in fact predates anything remotely sapient.

One bonus - the print edition of this book has gorgeous pictures of some of the vistas and natural spaces described in the book, and the full color photographs help imagining and at times just comprehending what’s happening. It makes for an even richer reading experience!

Thanks to NetGalley, Patagonia and the author for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest and original review.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Really excellent book that I wish I had had more time to read. Probably a book that I would even purchase for myself.

I really enjoyed this book! Ohlson's premise is that the predominant view of "nature red in tooth and claw" is not only incorrect but also damaging. Though competition and brutality are part of nature, cooperation is a bigger part of the story, and both humanity and the planet will benefit from reevaluating our views of the natural world.

Ohlson uses a very convincing set of arguments and examples including studies of urban greening, new modes of farming, and ways in which nature has already created the solutions we're looking for (example: beaver dams make great natural soil-filters for stormwater runoff, and the beavers do all the rebuilding and maintenance for free!). It was really eye opening to me to learn that monoculture with pesticides doesn't actually produce higher yields than carefully encouraging natural pest control by introducing additional species into farms. I love the idea that we can make our farms and urban spaces greener in a way that benefits health and biodiversity while actually being better for the economy overall.

Ohlson comes at this book with the perspective of a writer who has interviewed a lot of scientists and others involved in green movements as well as some of her own experience. This means that her book does not have as many examples from scientific/academic papers as a similar book written by someone from a science background might have, but I believe it makes it more accessible to the average reader. Though she does mention problems (logistical and bureaucratic), this book felt more encouraging in terms of what I, as an average non-specialist citizen, can do to help my community than a lot of similar books I've read.

Paradigm shifting! Definitely recommend.

A great fascinating read. There was information in this book that I had never imagined. Trees that are linked and talking to one another like people on the internet through a complex of microbes in the soil.

With a similar sense of wonder and beauty to Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Sweet in Tooth and Claw is a gorgeous book about the generosity and cooperation that exist around us.

If you've read books like The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, you might know about the secret cooperation of a forest, but who knew that salmon could also help a forest to thrive? This book is packed with such examples and stories that really do help you see the world differently.

Here, Kristin Ohlson rekindles hope in the natural goodness and connectedness of the world, but her book is also a powerful reminder of the damage that humankind has done to our home planet – chiefly, through ignorance of these dense webs of connection that we still can't wholly wrap our heads around.

This book isn't always easy-reading – it's dense and packed with information, which lends it more to slow short reading sessions rather than a day-long read. But I think that's how this book should be enjoyed: slowly and thoughtfully.

Reading this is a reminder that humans can – and should – be involved in this interconnectedness too, as just another co-creator and caretaker of a generous and thriving ecosystem that requires our full attention.

Thank you to Kristin Ohlson, Patagonia, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Sweet in Tooth and Claw is a layman accessible examination of cooperative behavior, often across species, in the natural world, written by Kristin Ohlson. Released 6th Sept 2022 by Patagonia, it's 384 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

As popular science writing goes, this is an appealing and engaging read. The author has a lot to say about the interconnections between creatures and their natural habitats and how they can, and often do, cooperate to survive. The chapters are not linear, and they work more or less as independent essays: from forests and deforestation, to regenerative agriculture and developing new plant varieties which will work *with* and not *against* local ecosystems as well as some profound opposing philosophies on land use and conservation which were completely new to me.

Although it's scientifically accurate and information dense, it's not annotated and the author has not included a bibliography or reading list(s). There is a cross referenced index, but it was not included in the early eARC provided for review, so it wasn't possible to error check the information there.

It's well and clearly photographed throughout.

Four and a half stars. I would recommend this one for fans of popular science, especially nature and conservation readers.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

For fans of Rachel Carson and Robin Wall Kimmerer, Sweet in Tooth and Claw is an imminently hopeful book about the climate crises. Ohlson's musings and conversations with scientists about moments where humanity has cooperated, instead of competed, with nature will give readers some thoughts to contemplate. Well written and engaging.

The fungus among us is amazing. :P This book is not an easy read, it's packed with research, it took me time to read. I looked up a few words, it's been a long time since biology class. I am glad I took my time reading this in small bits, the information is a bit overwhelming, the connections of everything are amazing and frightening. To think of the connections we’ve destroyed and disrupted have impacted us and most of us don’t even know it. I look at the natural world differently, with more gratitude for all the little things.
This should be required reading for all

Rather than accepting that nature and creatures competing with each other for survival, why not observe other angles such as mutually beneficial interactions? Author Kristin Ohlson examines said interactions which are necessary to life such as my favourite, the mycorrhizae whose tiny filaments underneath our feet number in the hundreds of km per step. She also discusses bee and flower mutualism. As she says, the goal should be to use our observations from beneficial partnerships in nature to change our behaviours.

Though a nature fiend and a master gardener, I found there is so much to learn in this book from "salmon shadow" to infection genomics to saltiness of irrigation vs. microbes which makes plants more salt tolerant to animalcules to shortcut bees to evidence of animals seeking out others for company and pleasure. I had forgotten that ground cover can offer up to 15 degrees' cooler temperature. Science greats such as Leeuwenhoek, Koch and Pasteur are mentioned. And, as evidenced in my own energetic life as a child raised on a farm, when children are exposed to nature their immunity is more robust. What an interesting topic to mull over. Sparing vs sharing is mentioned as is myrmecophily. I love that larvae on Heliconia flowers work in tandem. The Sponge Park pilot project blew me away!

Nonfiction lovers intrigued by Science (including symbiotic relationships) ought to read this. It will challenge you and make you curious. I am not a believer in Darwinism and evolution but this book made me smarter. The photographs are awesome as well.

My sincere thank you to Patagonia and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this fascinating book which caused goosebumps at our wondrous Creation in a different way!

Writing Style: 5
Cover: 5
Enjoyment: 5
Buyable/Re-readable?: YES.

"So that we encourage and bolster the world’s hunger to thrive. And not just because that would benefit us, although it certainly would, but because other life-forms have as much right to flourish as we do and don’t exist for our use." - Kristin Ohlson

I want to thank everyone involved in getting this book made and to whomever allowed me the honor of reading it.

Yes.
Just yes.
Read this book, devour it, soak it in, *listen* to it.

We need this research and information out there, because Kristin Ohlson reveals how everything is literally connected and amazing. Animals and bacteria and urban spaces and people and on and on, that we are not red in tooth in claw, but the opposite.. It will resonate with those who appreciate and revere nature, those who respect and love it, those who feel a connection to flora and fauna and Earth and life, it'll resonate with farmers and scientists and just...yes. The photos are a wonderful compliment to the text, some being downright stunning. The people Ohlson chose to interview, follow, include, etc are essential and so very important, the kind of not-all-heroes-wear-capes sort. They're the people we need for the change(s) we need and they're doing such phenomenal work already. This book simply instills HOPE. She gives proper credit, extensive amounts of material, and writes in such a fashion that the book isn't dry or dull; her personality and vivacious passion sing though the pages (I want to meet her. I need to meet her.). The pace, the style, the content, they're all A+, *chef's kiss*, perfect. Important and vital and magical. I geeked out over parts (tree language, hello??) and was constantly chattering about what I was reading to my husband. There were fun quotes at the beginning of each chapter and a well-deserved near novella's work list of names of all involved. Honestly, I feel like I could write a novella myself about how much I appreciate and adore "Sweet in Tooth and Claw". This book makes Top Ten of 2022.

I will buy this book.
I would buy this book for library or classroom if I had one, I'll buy it for my nephew or niece.

"The whole point of our evolution, it seems to me, is for us to find a way to fit back into the world as it is, rather than try to remake the world to fit us." - Brian Doyle

p.s. Bonus points for zero typos! :D

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. It is scholarly and researched based and provides a modern approach to the natural world. I had recently read a book about a couple who was practicing regenerative farming in Scotland and this book spent a lot of time on the benefits of these systems and regenerative ranching in the American west. So many organisms are affected- even fungi, worms, mosses as well as more complex life forms. Changing just one thing can redistribute the whole. ecosystem. Ohlson covers many different biomes, backing her reports with research. Becoming a steward of Earth is an important job for all of us. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

I have not stopped talking about this book since I started reading it. Thank you to Patagonia, Kristin Ohlson, and NetGalley for the ARC. I will be buying a copy to reread and highlight and annotate as soon as it is published later this year.

Sweet in Tooth and Claw is about the climate crisis and yet, unlike so much written on the subject, it is a deeply hopeful book. I finished feeling more connected and empowered after reading about the ubiquity of cooperation throughout the natural world and how humanity is reinserting itself into that web of mutuality. The writing gets four stars from me, not because it isn't good but because so many writers in this field write so beautifully (Rachel Carson, Robin Wall Kimmerer) the bar is impossibly high. The content is where the book shines. It is as if Ohlson has read all the scientific papers and talked to all the experts and then distills the information into an easily consumable format for lay people. Her translation services are priceless.

I continue to think about the ideas and examples presented in Sweet in Tooth and Claw. As a reader, it has stayed with me, evolving as I wrestle with the problems and possibilities it presents. A new perspective is a rare and startling gift. I often read to get a glimpse of someone else's point of view. This book changed my own point of view. Where I once saw competition, I see cooperation. Where I saw humanity as the villain, I now see we have the opportunity to be co-creators of a thriving ecosystem. Co-creation has been an import part of my theology so I am not sure why the idea of being co-creators in a physical sense was surprising, but it was. This book provided me an opportunity to weave together my understanding of the spiritual and physical world. Provides me, present tense, because I continue to chew on the rich gift of Ohlson's research and writing.

Thanks again to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC. Please pre-order the book from your favorite indie bookstore today.

Review posted: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4760046683
Also shared on private IG & FB

I received an ARC from NetGalley & the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is interesting but definitely not casual reading. I've slowly been chugging away at it for several weeks but the information is a little dense (as in a lot packed in) & that makes it hard to read more than a chapter or two at once.

Not quite what I expected in terms of how it's written. It's not poorly written by any means, it just isn't quite for me.

I really like the conclusion of this book about how many parts of nature work together to make life better for nature and us. I like the study, about the ranchers who have allowed nature to reclaim the river and create a huge ecosystem that not only stopped the river from drying out during dry season but also create happier cow and landscape and more wildlife. I also like the community that is trying to reclaim a river in the Bronx, which was diverted long ago in to the sewer, and now they want to let it flow and create a natural environment. But like all new ideas it takes time for people to understand why this approach is good.
The book is very interesting to read and the examples about why this approach works is broad enough to understand why and encourages involvement from the reader.

I want to thank Patagonia and NetGalley for this very interesting book about working with nature.

This was unexpected in its format and content. I thought it was a little more like the science/animal books that I like to read and instead it was a little more of a mix of philosophical wonderings mixed with the natural exploration of our world.

I liked the inclusion of the pictures and the stories/essays as they rolled through Ohlson's learning. I would have actually liked it even better as a true photo essay or photo biography because some were just awe-inspiring!

The NetGalley ebook was riddled with printing and formatting problems and therefore difficult to read, but I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. A charming, optimistic, and sorely-needed book that reminds us all that one of our greatest evolutionary advantages is cooperation and collaboration.

I found Sweet in Tooth and Claw: Stories of Generosity and Cooperation in Nature enthralling. I had previously read a book about trees “talking” to each other and this book started in the same vein. Trees, we learn, are connected underground by mycorrhizae, or “fungus roots”, which are a composite structure of the fungi and the roots. And not just trees are connected this way. Ninety percent of land plants are connected by mycorrhizae! These connections are of mutual benefit to the plants and the fungi. The plants trade their carbon fuel to the fungi in exchange for water and nutrients.

Kristin Ohlson reveals mutualism of this sort throughout the book, giving examples of symbiosis and interconnectedness in several varied species. I found the book becoming more and more fascinating as it unfolded. Ohlson also describes ways in which we can become part of these relationships and benefit not only nature, but ourselves as well.

The book is well researched and written in an engaging style that makes its scientific material easy and enjoyable to read.
Thank you to Kristin Ohlson, Patagonia Publishing and Net Galley for the ARC.

Kristin Ohlson's Sweet in Tooth and Claw takes the old adage of "...Nature, red in tooth and claw" and provides several examples of cooperation rather than competition in the natural world. From the Pacific Northwest the the Great Barrier Reef, there are lots of ways that nature has evolved to support cooperative growth.

Ohlson is not a scientist herself and credits those scientists whom she interviewed with endless patience for her many questions, and the resulting work is very accessible for the average person with an interest in nature but no PhD.

Expecting a science book, this is not exactly what I anticipated. The book description mentioned cooperation in nature, so I looked at the cover photo, and misunderstood the subject. I envisioned creatures helping each other live and survive--something showcasing species that work together. (A one bird species helping another, or helping another species; squirrels perhaps.)

Instead, this follows a journey of discovery by the author, Kristin Ohlson, as she learns about studies that lead her across the map and from one associated subject to another.

The author's interest was captured by a (friend) Canadian forest ecologist who has been uncovering the hidden cooperation among trees and other living things in the forest--so that is where this story begins. The entire book follows that journey in a travel journal-like form. It's unusual, but after the first chapter, the style makes much more sense.

The book is about interconnectedness, codependence, symbiosis, and sometimes cooperation. Observers around the world are finding that living things can--at times--go about their lives in a way that's part of a string of behaviors showing a clear chain for survival. Not cooperation in the strictest sense (working together by choice), but the opposite of competition (re: Darwin), and each link in the chain is important for a strong ecosystem.

A good chain example; a particular species of coffee plant is successful because birds eat spiders, which increases wasp populations, which reduces insects that eat coffee plants. Coral hold algae inside for mutual benefit, and other things work side by side.

The final chapters describe how countries to residents can honor nature by creating ecosystems instead of just "green spaces," so animals and creatures can be supported (and thrive) while our living spaces and our lives are improved in multiple ways!

I considered including highlights of the subjects covered, because they get more exciting (literally exciting) as the book progresses, but that makes a long review! I recommend this book, and suggest taking notes and/or using a highlighter.

How You Can Help: A community becomes biophilic (nature loving) when "...more than 50% of the residents can name and recognize at least 10 native plants, birds, and butterflies."

4/5 Stars
-1 Star for mild swearing.

#SweetinToothandClaw #NetGalley
#PatagoniaBooks #Ecology #Science
#Environmentalism #Nonfiction #OutdoorsNature #Forestry #Mutualism
#Farming #Interconnected #Cooperation
#Codependence #TenNativePlantsBirdsButterflies