Very cool project from someone who has lived with these animals and people in these areas for a good period of time. Author clearly knows what is needed to preserve and protect these creatures for the future.

A really engrossing book where the author revisits articles he's written for Nat Geo in the past and updates them. As I finished it, I was hopeful for the world, but sad when I remembered that Nat Geo has laid off all of its staff writers and will no longer be publishing a physical magazine next year.
Up from 3.5 stars.
Thank you very much to National Geographic and NetGalley for the ARC!

In David Quammen’s captivating book, “The Heartbeat of the Wild,” readers embark on a transformative journey that explores the intricate relationship between humans and the natural world. Through a collection of twenty narratives, Quammen takes us to remote and magnificent places, delving into the beauty, dangers, and perils of the wildness.

One of the central themes in “The Heartbeat of the Wild” is the crucial role of biodiversity in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Quammen emphasizes that true wildness thrives on diversity, supporting a delicate network of natural processes such as photosynthesis, pollination, competition, and predation. When these processes are disrupted, the heartbeat of the ecosystem falters, leading to the gradual demise of the wilderness itself.

One of the key themes of the book is the importance of biodiversity in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Quammen argues that true wildness must be diverse and support a network of essential natural processes, such as photosynthesis, pollination, competition, and predation. If not, the heartbeat of the ecosystem stops, and the wildness dies. Another theme that Quammen explores is the resilience of nature and the importance of preserving it. Nature provides us with essential resources for our survival and well-being, such as food, water, air, and medicine. Preserving nature also helps us reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change impacts, as natural spaces can store carbon and buffer against floods, droughts, and storms.

Throughout “The Heartbeat of the Wild,” Quammen shares inspiring stories of individuals who have dedicated their lives to the preservation of the natural world. One such tale chronicles the journey of Mike Fay, an American ecologist, conservationist, and explorer who follows in the footsteps of renowned figures like David Livingstone and Henry Morton Stanley. Fay’s expedition through the Congo Basin showcases the resilience of nature and underscores the critical importance of preserving it for future generations.

Quammen’s writing style is elegant, informative, and inspiring. His ability to paint vivid pictures with words allows readers to immerse themselves in the wildness and understand the intricate connections that exist between humans and nature. Through his prose, Quammen encourages readers to reflect deeply on their place in the natural world and the responsibility they bear in preserving it. “The Heartbeat of the Wild” serves as a powerful reminder that our actions today shape the future of our planet. It is a must-read for anyone passionate about the environment and the preservation of our natural world.

Having read 'The Song of the Dodo', I was keen to read 'The Heartbeat of the Wild' - and it did not disappoint.

The blurb provided is an accurate summation of the book. This is a curated collection of Quammen's writing for Nat Geo, covering mainly regions in Africa, although with a few trips to other continents.

Quammen is an excellent nature and science writer. I already knew that, and this book has reconfirmed it. His writing is compelling, entertaining, and poignant. I appreciated also the updates that Quammen provided at the end of each article, many of which were published around the turn of the new millennium.

One thing that I felt was missing were photographs, as Quammen often mentioned being on trips with notable wildlife photographers - but I imagine this would've significantly increased the cost of the book's production.

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to find out as much as they can about all the different biodiversity crises facing us today.

This is a bit different from a typical book since it's a collection of previously written articles. The context before and after definitely added something. This was very clearly an eARC and I found the lack of functional ebook features vexing at times. Like many NatGeo articles, I found this best read dipping in and out rather than all at once. Very educational and informative. I think this windup was an excellent idea. I'll have to look at the finished copy to see if any of the pictures were included.

A great compilation of the writings of David Quammen. His writing was interesting and engaging. Sometimes he would diverge from the journey to talk about conservation things, but I expected that going into this. I feel like even a few pictures would have made the book even better.

This book contains 20 articles on field research and conservation efforts that David Quammen wrote for National Geographic, first published from October 2000 through August 2020. The author has added new introductions and updates, which I found helpful. He also provides a foreword with some thought-provoking discussion of what constitutes wildness. Most of the stories take place in Africa, although a couple are set in Russia and one in South America. I found some of the stories more interesting than others, though each is interesting in its own way.

Although it’s not an easy read, this is a well-written collection of essays for anyone interested in ecology, field research, and conservation efforts. Quammen documents some sad losses and a plethora of concerns, yet he also shares hope that we can still preserve these wild places.

I was provided an unproofed ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.

“You can’t fully appreciate wildness, and you can’t protect it, unless you have heard and understood its heartbeat.”

Synopsis In Short: An anthology of David Quanmen’s articles written for Nat Geo. This book builds upon 21 of those articles with updated facts and trends, commentary describing how these assignments came to be, and a Foreword and Afterword making a case for what is essential to the phenomenon we call wildness.

What I liked:
🐘The introductions and updates provided with each adventure.
🐘 Colorful characters and real adventures in wild parts of the world
🐘Allowed me to be an armchair adventurer from Africa to Russia.

My thoughts: It’s no surprise that I loved this book! I have been a fan of this authors writings since discovering him while living in Yellowstone. His nature writing is so evocative and brings the area you’re reading about to life. Mixed in with some political commentary, this book really makes you think about what is or is not wild.

I enjoy David Quammen's writing, so expected to like this - and I wasn't disappointed. This collection of articles drawn from his National Geographic reporting focuses on animals, wild places, the external threats to both of those and the people working to conserve our diminishing wild spaces. Interesting and informative, I'd gladly recommend this to my graduate students as a great example of modern science and nature reporting.

This collection of Quammen’s articles for National Geographic will make you long for adventure, while being glad that you’re traveling from your armchair. Each piece is prefaced by a short explanation of the circumstances under which they were written, as well as an afterword that adds relevant information about what happened after they were published. I liked some of the essays more than others, but they are all so well written that it feels like being there, even without photographs. Being an animal lover, I especially enjoyed the articles about bonobos, lions, and elephants. I was terrified by the one about chimps and how their interactions with humans living close to them can be so scary. Some of the pieces about conservation had too much political and legal information for me to grasp, but they were informative nonetheless. I read an ARC so there may be photographs in the published books, but I wish there had been pictures. The cover is so gorgeous and made more poignant by the story of the model, a lion called C-Boy, which is told in the book.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/# National Geographic!

These essays were well written and informative and exactly what you’d expect from a National Geographic writer. Personally, I felt the stories were missing something without having the photography / pictures that would have accompanied these articles in the magazine. I did, however, really enjoy the additional comments the author added before and after each essay providing more insight and personal thoughts on his experiences. I would definitely read a memoir / biography by this author about his time working with National Geographic.

💕You might like this book if:
🔹 you are interested in nature / wildlife (especially in Africa)
🔹 you always wanted to write for National Geographic and would like a little behind-the-scenes insight
🔹 You enjoy watching nature documentaries
🔹You are interested in learning a little bit more about the types of people who dedicate their lives to science / conservation

I am a big fan of David Quammen - in fact, he is one of my favourite writers, and some of his books have deeply influenced my thinking - so I was delighted to read this new anthology of his magazine pieces. Previous collections of his writing have been short essays written for Outside magazine. This one is different because it is published by National Geographic and focuses more on the narrative, on-the-ground assignments, full of colourful characters and real adventures in wild parts of the world, mostly on the African continent. I loved every story. I also appreciated the short introductions and updates to each of them, added by the author especially for this publication.

If you're familiar with Quammen's writing, I don't need to encourage you to read this book. If you're not, it's a great place to start, as it's a page-turner and less focused on science than his regular books.

Thanks to the publisher, National Geographic, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

With a title like Heartbeat of the Wild (National Geographic 2023), I couldn't wait to read David Quammen's story of walking across Africa, and for the most part, Quammen didn't disappoint. There were pages filled with the flora and fauna, the danger and drama, how Mike Fay (the star and intrepid explorer) almost didn't make it--

"it seemed almost impossible that Fay could complete this epic trek as projected, given the factors such as exhaustion, malaria, the politics of national boundaries, the finitude of patience and stamina among the men of his field crew, the occasional charging elephant, the swamp water to drink, the filaria flies to shoo off, and the Gaboon vipers to avoid stepping on—all that and the other considerations arrayed against him. But a year had gone by, and he was still on the trail."

Quammen was invited to join Mike Fay--an "untamable man who just loves to walk in the wilds"--in this year+-long walk, many areas so remote "...its chimps had never heard of Jane Goodall." Quammen did a few weeks at a time and then returned to civilization, to write about Fay's endeavor for National Geographic--

"...'We’re going to parachute into Borneo, live on crackers for a month, and look for the world’s largest spider; we have your chute packed and an extra crate of crackers; we leave Tuesday. Are you in?” my answer is “I’m in.” (Although I might ask: “How large a spider?”) Nick Nichols is one of those two people. Besides, who doesn’t want to spend weeks living out of a comfortable safari tent in the backcountry of Serengeti National Park, following lions with one of the world’s leading lion biologists and his stalwart field assistants..."

If you love nature and a challenge, what could be better? Me, I was thrilled to join from the comfort of my reading chair, and what an adventure it was. There were many times, I wondered if Fay could make it. I won't tell you if he did, but I will tell you the story is filled with gorgeous insights into the wildness of nature, how it is like nothing else:

"Africa is an extraordinary repository of wildlife. It’s the greatest of places for great beasts."

"One female chimp held an infant whose large ears stuck far out from its head, glowing amber like a pair of huge, dried apricots whenever they caught backlighting from a shaft of sunlight."

The only distraction from the feral beauty of Nature was the chunk of pages devoted to politically-charged issues. A few times my eyes glazed over and then I snapped back, grudgingly tolerating that ugly world for the opportunity to immerse myself in the uncompromising beauty of nature.

If you decide to read this, don't expect a modern Matthiessen. Often, the book is more about the people studying the animals and their goals for protecting the chimps and gorillas than it is about the animals themselves. That’s not good or bad, just an observation, but because the title led me to expect more Nature and less humans, I was a bit disappointed. Admittedly, that could be me and you won't have that reaction.

Overall, this is an intriguing personal book with lots to hold a nature lover's interest.