Back Road to Crazy: Stories from the Field

by Jennifer Bove (Editor)

Strap on your snake chaps and slap on some sunscreen as biologist Jennifer Bové takes you out to the field in the company of biologists working on the frontlines of wildlife studies, botany, and resource management. This exuberant and entertaining collection of stories ranges from Myanmar to the Midwest, from Argentina to Alaska and many points in between, offering tales that are by turns thoughtful, funny, tragic, and just-plain-crazy.

During five years of working in snake-ridden sloughs and rough northern seas, Jennifer Bové often asked herself 'Why am I doing this?' Realizing her own experiences were only the tip of the iceberg, she invited friends and colleagues to answer the same question. The result is stories that include deadly snakebites, a plague of marmots, special delivery skunk oil, bald eagle wrangling, and a mountain goat loose in the galley of a research vessel. These adventures are the details behind the data collected by these men and women driven to unlock nature’s truths. In The Back Road to Crazy, seasoned researchers and novices alike reveal the impulse to trade the comfort of a more sheltered career for demanding physical labor, whims of weather, and the company of unruly creatures.

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Jennifer Bové is an award-winning contributor to Ranger Rick Jr®, children's book author, and editor of three anthologies. Jen's work is often inspired by nature and her background in field biology, which brought her face-to-face with wild things like elephant seals, sandhill cranes, salmon, and snakes. She currently lives with her family in Wyoming.

Reviews

[Ian Billick · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a field scientist how could I not read this? Uneven but some gems. Fun to see the pieces on toolik and RMBL.

[w]

Great review of people and their field jobs. Lots of perspectives and that means some good and some hippy stuff. The first story is the best about the herpetologist who gets bit by a krait in burma on Sept. 11 2001. No planes folks.....

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In terms of full disclosure, I'm an author/contributor in this book. So it gets five stars from me, not only out of self-promotion but 'cause it contains some very good work. Also, my experience with Jennifer herself leads me to believe that she's a rarity - a writer and a (gasp!) fair editor.

[Andy Murdock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was hoping for more from this, but sadly most stories miss the mark and the collection feels amateurish overall. Good concept, but it shows why great creative science writers that are actual scientists are so few and far between.

[Zeb]

This looks very interesting...