A Slow Passion: Snails, My Garden and Me

by BROOKS RUTH (Artist)

When Radio 4 launched its search for the BBC's Amateur Scientist of the Year, little did anyone expect that the winning experiment would comprise one of our humblest garden pests. Grandmother-turned scientist Ruth Brooks posed the question: Do snails have a homing instinct?

With charming illustrations, 'A Slow Passion' is a sweet, funny and surprising investigation into the hidden life of snails, which will change the way you look at the smaller (and slower) things in life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Nature

320 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2013

Reviews

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A professional review that I read before purchase declared this book to be "a hymn to a glorious kind of Englishness." For me it held the cadence and tone of a southern American woman. It sounded like my mother whose absence is still a dull ache. Maybe there are more similarities between what shapes a rural Georgia gardener and an Englishwoman than most imagine. I don't know, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There is a quirky novelty to trying to explain to people you have fallen in love with... a snail story. I would especially recommend it to anyone mourning the loss of an admired, inquisitive, busy, strong-minded woman. Like me, you might be comforted hearing a missed voice in the writing style.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

First things first: Claire Hartigan's book cover is utterly perfect and beautiful. There are Ruth Brooks' precious, undamaged hostas and there are the nail polish marked snails off to devour them.

I'd heard about the snail homing research project which won an award, and this is a personal account of that project and what led to it. I had the sense of the words being dragged out of her, it was somehow not as smooth a read as I had anticipated, it's not "The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating", but enjoyable all the same and very realistic about scientific endeavour and her learning curve.

It was particularly delightful reading about her link with a school and funniest of all was the later incident on the train, en route to the World Snail Racing Championships.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a big fan of snails, This was a wonderful book. Thank you Ruth!

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

SNAILS

[Marjie C-O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly charming, extremely illuminating. Gets bogged down a bit when she begins her "science project," the ultimate results of which are nevertheless of great interest on their face as well as important for the species. For the most part, really lovely in its enthusiasm and British sensibility. Recommended for gastropod enthusiasts, for sure.

[Rivqa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a delightful, easy read; part citizen science report; part gardener's memoir. It gives the sense that with some curiosity and determination, science is everywhere and easily reached by anyone who cares to ask the all-important question: 'Why?'

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely charming and funny book that made me rediscover my love of snails.