stellar science writers who offer commiseration, blow me away with
their talents and kick my ass when needed: Christie Aschwanden,
Bruce Barcott, Maryn McKenna, Seth Mnookin, David Dobbs,
Deborah Blum, Elizabeth Royte and Karen Coates. Our coffee mug
says WTMFB. I’m fortunate to have all of you in my life.
Several other people read all or parts of the manuscript and
offered critical advice. Big gratitude for the helpful insights and
occasional fist-pumping of Amanda Little and Jay Heinrichs. Both of
them are prodigiously talented. Thanks to my nature-loving and earth-
moving agent Molly Friedrich and to the amazing team at W. W.
Norton—especially Jill Bialosky, Maria Rogers, Erin Sinesky Lovett,
and Steve Colca—and, for epic copyediting, Fred Wiemer.
There would be no fun in the natural world (or anywhere else)
without my game and loving family, both extended, stepped, halved,
in-lawed and nuclear. This book is really for and about you, John
Williams, Jamie Williams, Ben Williams and Annabel Williams.
There’s no nature like shared nature.