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Bogland: The Secret World That Defies Death and Protects Life
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Expected 13 Oct 26Win a free print copy of this book!
15 days and 20:55:55
10 copies available
U.S. only
From a stunning new voice in popular science, a beguiling invitation to discover the hidden power of one of Earth’s most mysterious landscapes.
Boglands have long been dismissed as wastelands—too sodden to farm, too perilous to cross, too unruly to be considered beautiful. Yet come closer and a strange truth emerges: These unconventional landscapes are fascinating paradoxes that stretch our minds, hold the history of humanity, and will shape the future of our planet. As acclaimed ecologist Merritt R. Turetsky reveals, here between the borders of land and water, bogs conjure new life forms—acid-flinging mosses, amphibian-eating plants—from an overabundance of death. The past and present commingle with uncanny intimacy as ancient lives linger in remarkable states of preservation. Even as bogs sequester nearly one third of Earth’s soil carbon, accelerating exploitation risks swiftly transforming them from climate allies to climate foes.
Gorgeously written, Bogland is an ode and a call to action: To value these places precisely for their refusal to conform, and to learn from them new ways to adapt, endure, and belong on our changing planet—before it’s too late.
Boglands have long been dismissed as wastelands—too sodden to farm, too perilous to cross, too unruly to be considered beautiful. Yet come closer and a strange truth emerges: These unconventional landscapes are fascinating paradoxes that stretch our minds, hold the history of humanity, and will shape the future of our planet. As acclaimed ecologist Merritt R. Turetsky reveals, here between the borders of land and water, bogs conjure new life forms—acid-flinging mosses, amphibian-eating plants—from an overabundance of death. The past and present commingle with uncanny intimacy as ancient lives linger in remarkable states of preservation. Even as bogs sequester nearly one third of Earth’s soil carbon, accelerating exploitation risks swiftly transforming them from climate allies to climate foes.
Gorgeously written, Bogland is an ode and a call to action: To value these places precisely for their refusal to conform, and to learn from them new ways to adapt, endure, and belong on our changing planet—before it’s too late.
- GenresScienceNonfictionNature
240 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 13, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of Bogland by Merritt Turetsky
Thank you tremendously to W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for the eARC of this book!!
Ratings out of 5
- Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Information: 🧠🧠🧠🧠🧠
- Writing Style: ✒️✒️✒️
Favorite Thing Learned
Some of the best things I learned from this book were about carnivorous plants (those sections really excited me) and about the vast history that boglands are connected to. There are some minute details in this book that I knew from prior sources, however I felt that most of the knowledge was new to me which is why I picked this book up in the first place. Chapter 2 was probably my favorite.
Additional Notes
- I was not entirely pleased with the writing itself in this book. There are two main reasons why I say that. The first reason is that in some sections, especially the majority of the first chapter and some of the prologue, I felt super confused with the language that was being used. Not sure if maybe I just was reading it at a bad time for my brain or if it was that the subjects discussed in that section were too dense, but I felt like I needed some background knowledge to really grasp the information. As someone that works in ecology, I feel that for me to be confused it means it's likely even less accessible to readers outside of the life sciences. The other reason is that I felt like the author repeated herself a lot throughout the book.
- Once I got past that section of the book, I started to understand it a lot better and the information that was presented was actually quite phenomenal! I was very pleased with the knowledge I learned from this book. At first I wasn't sure that it would hit the main aspects of boglands that I wanted to learn about (the ecology and life there) especially as we got into more of a history focus, but I feel like it blended history and ecology quite well and even connected boglands to many human activities and traits to make them relatable to readers, which I think was a perfect call to action that is needed right now. I do sorta wish there was a bit more about the fauna of the boglands outside of the insects.
- I also really loved that a lot of the scientists and artists mentioned were women. Love seeing women in STEM, but also the women who used bogs in art that defied gender norms and standards while also seeing vast symbolism in these ecosystems. (Although, in the epilogue the author does slightly spoil Wuthering Heights so beware of that).
Thank you tremendously to W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for the eARC of this book!!
Ratings out of 5
- Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Information: 🧠🧠🧠🧠🧠
- Writing Style: ✒️✒️✒️
Favorite Thing Learned
Some of the best things I learned from this book were about carnivorous plants (those sections really excited me) and about the vast history that boglands are connected to. There are some minute details in this book that I knew from prior sources, however I felt that most of the knowledge was new to me which is why I picked this book up in the first place. Chapter 2 was probably my favorite.
Additional Notes
- I was not entirely pleased with the writing itself in this book. There are two main reasons why I say that. The first reason is that in some sections, especially the majority of the first chapter and some of the prologue, I felt super confused with the language that was being used. Not sure if maybe I just was reading it at a bad time for my brain or if it was that the subjects discussed in that section were too dense, but I felt like I needed some background knowledge to really grasp the information. As someone that works in ecology, I feel that for me to be confused it means it's likely even less accessible to readers outside of the life sciences. The other reason is that I felt like the author repeated herself a lot throughout the book.
- Once I got past that section of the book, I started to understand it a lot better and the information that was presented was actually quite phenomenal! I was very pleased with the knowledge I learned from this book. At first I wasn't sure that it would hit the main aspects of boglands that I wanted to learn about (the ecology and life there) especially as we got into more of a history focus, but I feel like it blended history and ecology quite well and even connected boglands to many human activities and traits to make them relatable to readers, which I think was a perfect call to action that is needed right now. I do sorta wish there was a bit more about the fauna of the boglands outside of the insects.
- I also really loved that a lot of the scientists and artists mentioned were women. Love seeing women in STEM, but also the women who used bogs in art that defied gender norms and standards while also seeing vast symbolism in these ecosystems. (Although, in the epilogue the author does slightly spoil Wuthering Heights so beware of that).
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It’s bog, it’s bog, it’s wet, it’s sphagnum, it’s old.
This is a book about wetlands. Bogs in specific. Bogs are one of those environments that are created out of the survival strategy of one particular plant in making an area tough to live in for anything else, which then goes on to attract other life looking to exploit that self-defined niche in further unusual ways.
This is a book by a bog scientist. Her passion for the topic is clear, and her stories are pretty fun. The prose is breezy and elegant, much more like old school science writing. The book surveys bogs from many different angles, including their role in human history, particularly warfare and religion, but also digressions into fun asides like carnivorous plants. This broad look is the book’s sole weakness; it is much more a collection of essays on a theme. The exception here is that as the book progresses, the more it focuses on how bogs (or their removal) affects climate.
I appreciate when someone looks to communicate their love for a not-as-beloved thing, and this is a book in that category. You will love bogs after this, and the book helpfully includes a list of places you can visit them world-wide. It almost aches a little to read in that sort of wistfulness over how much the author wants to communicate how vital, weird, and cool this type of landform is as opposed to its reputation.
My thanks to the author, Merritt R. Turetsky, for writing the book, and to the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, for making the ARC available to me.
This is a book about wetlands. Bogs in specific. Bogs are one of those environments that are created out of the survival strategy of one particular plant in making an area tough to live in for anything else, which then goes on to attract other life looking to exploit that self-defined niche in further unusual ways.
This is a book by a bog scientist. Her passion for the topic is clear, and her stories are pretty fun. The prose is breezy and elegant, much more like old school science writing. The book surveys bogs from many different angles, including their role in human history, particularly warfare and religion, but also digressions into fun asides like carnivorous plants. This broad look is the book’s sole weakness; it is much more a collection of essays on a theme. The exception here is that as the book progresses, the more it focuses on how bogs (or their removal) affects climate.
I appreciate when someone looks to communicate their love for a not-as-beloved thing, and this is a book in that category. You will love bogs after this, and the book helpfully includes a list of places you can visit them world-wide. It almost aches a little to read in that sort of wistfulness over how much the author wants to communicate how vital, weird, and cool this type of landform is as opposed to its reputation.
My thanks to the author, Merritt R. Turetsky, for writing the book, and to the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, for making the ARC available to me.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews