Tracks and Shadows

Harry W. Greene is the Stephen Weiss Presidential Fellow and Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University and a recipient of the E.O. Wilson Award from the American Society of Naturalists. His book Snakes: The Evolution of Mystery in Nature (UC Press), won a PEN Literary Award and was a New York Times Notable Book.

• List of Illustrations Acknowledgments PART ONE: DESCENT WITH MODIFICATION 1. Tracks and Shadows 2. Naturalist 3. Nerd 4. Field Biologist 5. Medic PART TWO: CONVERSING WITH SERPENTS 6. Graduate School 7. Hot Dry Places 8. Hot Wet Places 9. Giant Serpents 10. Venomous Serpents PART THREE: PRETTY IN SUNLIGHT 11. Friends 12. Loose Ends 13. Born-Again Predator 14. Field Biology as Art Notes Bibliography Index

"Achingly beautiful... Greene succeeds in illuminating the world as a place of beauty, harmony, and danger, deeply interconnected and worthy of cherishing and preserving." Starred Review. Publishers Weekly "This scientist has a poet's heart... Tracks and Shadows is a sweet surprise; rarely has science been so tender." Booklist "As beautiful and nuanced as the landscapes it evokes." The Scientist "What a pleasure it is to read these meditations on a 'personal quest for wildness.' ... What makes this book so rich is [the author's] gift with language along with his thoughtful appreciation of what it means to study nature and to travel, if ever so briefly, on a living planet." -- Laurence A. Marschall Natural History "As packed with people and drama as a novel." -- Stuart Pimm Nature "Greene engages readers from beginning to end... The book leaves us with questions to ponder but also with inspiration to indulge our curiosity for nature." -- Frances Bonier Science "Fiercely honest and fascinating." -- Jules Pretty Times Higher Education "Greene has created a rare bridge between [artists and scientists] and told us what it feels like to be a deeply sensitive research scientist, working in a world where the ecosystems are falling to bits around us." -- Rick Shine Current Biology "[Reminds] us that appreciation of the natural world is important to us as individuals and collectively." -- Hollis Walker Santa Fe New Mexican "No one reading this paean for a respect of the outdoors and its inhabitants could fail to be enthused." International Journal of Environmental Studies "Harry Greene's exuberance for life infuses this scien- tific autobiography, which overflows with his passion for herpetology, the wild places that his beloved reptiles inhabit, and very human friendships." Conservation Biology