Monday, August 30, 2010

Five best books on extreme cold

Bill Streever, a biologist who lives and works in Alaska, is the author of Cold: Adventures in the World’s Frozen Places.

For the Wall Street Journal, he named a five best list of books about extreme cold.

One title on the list:
Winter World
by Bernd Heinrich

Bernd Heinrich is a world-renowned biologist, but even as he approaches the world with a scientific eye, his child-like curiosity and love of anecdotal evidence remain intact. In "Winter World," he tests the insulation of a squirrel's winter nest with a baked potato. He relates the discovery of a frozen wood frog by 19th-century naturalist John Burroughs. He quotes biologist Lynn Rogers on hibernating bears. Through Heinrich's words we understand that things are lively under the snow—that the subnivean is a vigorous, biologically fascinating place. Central Park on a brisk February morning will never be the same.
Read about another book on the list.

Read an excerpt from Cold, and learn more about the book and author at Bill Streever's website.

The Page 99 Test: Cold.

--Marshal Zeringue