Unseen City: The Majesty of Pigeons, the Discreet Charm of Snails & Other Wonders of the Urban Wilderness

by Nathanael Johnson

It all started with Nathanael Johnson’s decision to teach his daughter the name of every tree they passed on their walk to day care in San Francisco. This project turned into a quest to discover the secrets of the neighborhood’s flora and fauna, and yielded more than names and Johnson developed a relationship with his nonhuman neighbors.

Johnson argues that learning to see the world afresh, like a child, shifts the way we think about Instead of something distant and abstract, nature becomes real—all at once comical, annoying, and beautiful. This shift can add tremendous value to our lives, and it might just be the first step in saving the world.

No matter where we live—city, country, oceanside, or mountains—there are wonders that we walk past every day. Unseen City widens the pinhole of our perspective by allowing us to view the world from the high-altitude eyes of a turkey vulture and the distinctly low-altitude eyes of a snail. The narrative allows us to eavesdrop on the comically frenetic life of a squirrel and peer deep into the past with a ginkgo biloba tree. Each of these organisms has something unique to tell us about our neighborhoods and, chapter by chapter, Unseen City takes us on a journey that is part nature lesson and part love letter to the world’s urban jungles. With the right perspective, a walk to the subway can be every bit as entrancing as a walk through a national park.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Animals, Environment, Biology, Urbanism

224 pages, Hardcover

First published April 19, 2016

About the author

http://www.nathanaeljohnson.org

Reviews

[Story · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. There were a few interesting tidbits here but the author's endless droning on about his kid and his seeming fear of natural things made it a boring read. A much better book for those interested in learning more about the nature in our backyards and parks is The Urban Bestiary: Encountering the Everyday Wild by Lyanda Lynn Haupt.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The publisher's blurb serves as a nice intro, but this book is so much more. Included here are some fascinating tidbits: pigeons were once a symbol of affluence; in places abandoned by humans(like the Scottish isle of St. Kilda) the pigeons have gone extinct; racing pigeons (which can travel up to 110 mph) have sold for more than $300,000 PER BIRD. The author eases us into becoming more aware of individual aspects of our local flora (think Euell Gibbons) whether "weeds" or trees, and fauna ( from squirrels to bird language to crows to ants). The author clearly shows us how to become more attuned to any species of which we have raised our awareness, as well as indicating the in situ methods of developing a deeper understanding well beyond computer searches (which do require refined questions).
This book was provided as an ARC by the publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Goodreads Giveaways.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

In San Francisco and Berkeley, the author seeks to light a fire of science in his daughter's visions for the future. Along the way both of them full in love with magnifying, observing, and learning about urban flora and fauna. Who knew there were so much mystifying and impressive about pigeons, including they are here because of 18th Century hobbyists? Weeds you can eat, the activities of squirrels including drey architecture. Insights into the languages of birds from some of the scientific contacts the author made while probing his city biota and a foray into the unique gingko. The turkey vulture, so unknown, I found very interesting as well as the survey of the ant. (Another reason to finally read some Edward O. Wilson.) Also, wow - those crows are smart! And, so much fascinating about snails which themselves have apparently inspired a good book: The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating.

(I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.)

[Olga Kowalska (WielkiBuk) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nature is trendy. Everyone wants to write about discovering it all over again, about animals, plants, natural magic hidden all around us. Yet, these publications don't bring nothing new on the table - same old news, same curiosities written all over again, in different words, with different covers. Nathanael Johnson's book is nice, sweet and easy to read, however one must remember that Nathanael Johnson is just like everyone else - he is not a specialist, he's an amatour, with binoculars, Wikipedia and natural curiosity. And that curiosity is something worth following.
---
Jednym z najmocniejszych trendów ostatnich miesięcy i sezonów literackich jest rosnąca w siłę tendencja przyrodniczo-naturalistycznych pozycji pojawiających się na rynku książki, a „Sekrety roślin i zwierząt w miejskiej dżungli” Nathanaela Johnsona idealnie wpisuje się w ten trend. Szkoda tylko, że sam autor jest raczej przyrodnikiem-amatorem, który popularność zdobył w dziecinie ekologicznej kuchni, a przyrodę bierze „na czuja”, wspominając czasy dzieciństwa, które spędził w swobodnej, hipisowskiej atmosferze rodzinnego domu, w zgodzie z naturą. Oczywiście ze względu na swój lekki i przystępny język oraz na szczerość przekazu jego publikacja znajdzie szerokie i oczarowane grono odbiorców, niemniej trzeba pamiętać, że to wciąż przyrodnicze przygody laika, kogoś takiego jak my, kto za pomocą lornetki, lupy i Wikipedii przemierza miejskie ulice, mając szeroko otwarte oczy i ciekawskie, spragnione wiedzy serce. I ta postawa z pewnością zachęca, a może nawet wystarczy, by dostrzec piękno otaczającego nas świata, tak blisko, na wyciągnięcie ręki.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most fascinating, delightful book that I have read this year. Most people do not pay attention to all the living beings around them in their suburban, city world. Sure, we notice other humans, but what about all the birds, bugs, weeds, squirrels, etc? The author takes you into this world and gives you incredible information that you would have never guessed. Such an interesting read, that would be even better if you share it with your children. This book was very timely for me, as I have developed a fascination about birds in my neighborhood this past year and have learned so much by observing them. Teachers would also find this book great as well. The style of writing keeps you wanting to read more, and more.

Thank you to Goodreads and Rodale for providing me with such a great reading experience!

[Migdalia Jimenez · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book! I loved how Johnson gives us a lens to see the beautiful wildlife around us, even in urban settings.

Johnson starts off on a quest to pay more attention to the flora and fauna around him when he realizes that his daughter is asking about the world around them and he doesn't know the answers. From this simple beginning, he gains knowledge along with wisdom and a genuine awe for the world we inhabit. Luckily he wrote a book about it with neatly delineated chapters focusing on a different plant or animal, and we get to accompany him.

This quote really distills this book:
"As soon as humans take open-hearted notice of anything in the natural world, we find reason to love it."

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man I loved this book so much. Especially pertinent to me because he's talking about things I see every day in the Bay Area. He answers those curiosities you didn't even know you had, but had probably registered below the surface. I did want to know why pigeon's feet are all messed up! I did want to know why there are so many crows around my neighborhood! It's refreshing to be a bit curious about the things I see every day and see them in a new light.

[Chris Dietzel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great premise but the execution was extremely lacking. While reading this I kept wishing it had been written by Bill Bryson or another nonfiction author who knows how to keep your attention while inundating you with constant facts. Here, Johnson spends way too much time talking about his daughter instead of the book's main topic and he has trouble remaining objective and tends to continually stray into the subjective.

[Emily Kestrel]

I stopped reading this book after a couple of chapters because I was getting annoyed by the organization and writing style. I think I'm just the wrong audience, but I wanted more actual information and fewer "cute" stories about his preschool daughter and comments about how he used to think pigeons were sooooo gross before he started to observe them. And yet, I would definitely recommend this book to other people, because I can see how it could inspire them to take a closer look at their own neighborhood critters and weeds. But as for me, I've never lived in a big city so I found some of the author's assumptions a bit hard to relate to, and I've already read much of the factual content in the books he cites as sources (for example, Superdove by Courtney Humphries and Crow Planet by Lyanda Lynn Haupt--and they did it better).

In sum: Probably a good book, but I wasn't getting into it.

[uosɯɐS · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a pure pleasure read for me!

The author is a writer (usually about food and cooking), who lives in California with a young daughter whom he wants to teach an appreciation of nature. Except... he lives in the city, and what he's really after is teaching her to notice details.

It was really interesting to pick this one up on the heels of The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently... and Why, which mentions the different ways the Westerners and Easteners raise their children. Westerners are always naming objects for their children. Right on cue, that does happen here... but then there is a push to go deeper. "Tree" isn't good enough. "Squirrel" isn't good enough. Which is maybe a little more Eastern, but not totally. Well, Easteners might ask "How does the squirrel feel?"

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about all of the animals that you see but never really notice...The snail, the crow, the squirrel, all the things that you pass on your way to work and don't really give any thought to. This book made me think about these animals in great detail and the role they play in daily life. This was a informative book full of keen observations and an appreciation of nature.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely charming. Chapter-by-chapter, the author breaks down several commonly seen creatures and features in urban nature - pigeons, weeds, squirrels, bird language, gingkos, turkey vultures, ants, crows, and snails. I learned more about creatures I already enjoy (pigeons!), and learned about some I don't know much about (gingkos), and learned to grudgingly respect some I don't particularly like (dang snails eating all my veggie leaves). I bet at this point, my partner is sick of me starting sentences with things like "Did you know that pigeons. . . ?"

But don't go in expecting a guidebook - there are other books for that. Instead, this is a book that melds science and expert opinions with a story structured like a memoir, with plenty of personal tales. The author's daughter features heavily, and was the push that got him noticing urban nature, often invisible or outright maligned. I could even argue that it's a self-help book - the overall theme is the aim to motivate the reader to go out and find their own nature, whimsy, and enchantment.

I would highly recommend this, particularly to North American city or suburb dwellers. And if the author ever writes another book like this, say the other areas he describes in his endnote - gut bacteria, anyone? - I will definitely pick it up.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love(d) the premise of this book and each page taught me something new about the world around me that I wanted to share and see for myself. It’s obvious if you look at how long it took me to read this book, it was dry in parts and was at times a bit hard to get through.
The author offered lots of sections, subsections, and quick chapters seemingly to counteract and while it helped, my reading experience would’ve been improved by hearing this in audiobook form as I learned and was excited by this from the podcast 99% Invisible.
A fascinating distillation of facts and wonders about the nature within our cities. Anyone curious about: why we don’t see baby pigeons, just how smart crows are, or feel a bit better about human development is threatening species (because of the flip side some thrive with us), you’ll appreciate this book.

[Nancy Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is similar to Lyanda Lynn Haupt's Urban Bestiary (2013) with some overlap. Both books have a different chapter on each of the species, with a little memoir thrown in. Haupt talks about Seattle urban dwellers while Johnson talks about those living in San Francisco and Berkeley. After a quick Goodreads search, it looks like Unseen City (2016) was Johnson's last publication, and Haupt's most recent book was published in 2021.

Species in Urban Bestiary (2013): coyote, mole, raccoon, opossum, squirrel, rat, black bear, cougar, starling, house sparrow, pigeon, chickadee, crow, hawk, owl, chicken, tree, human

Species in Unseen City (2016): pigeon, weeds, squirrel, bird language, ginkgo, turkey vulture, ant, crow, snail

[Amy Prosser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who loves nature, or did at one time, should read this book. It focuses on the nature all around us in cities. Each chapter focuses on one unlikely hero that you will come to appreciate in new ways: pigeons, ginkgo trees, snails, crows, ants, weeds, squirrels, and more. I seriously found myself saying, “Whaaaaaaaaat?” Out loud, pretty regularly. I’d excitedly tell my husband about the amazing things I’d learned. I adore this book, and perhaps more importantly, loved the experience of reading it as I read - it just made me happy to read it.

Some cool facts I learned:

★Both male and female pigeons produce milk for their young, which evolved separately from humans. They can also detect low frequencies, see ultraviolet, and sense the Earth's magnetic field.

★Our ginkgo trees are pretty much identical to the ones the dinosaurs saw 200 million years ago.

★Some ant species only eat what the ants they've enslaved chew for them; they don't even recognize food on the ground! There are also suicide bomber ants that blow themselves up to splatter venom.

★Crows are crazy smart, and actually have culture. They never forget someone/thing who has wronged them (they can recognize distinct human faces), and they pass this information down to their children. They also have funerals. They're amazing.

★Squirrels were actually introduced to cities by humans to bring more nature. Also, they don’t actually forget where they leave their nuts (as I once believed)!

★Snails can withdraw into their shells and become dormant, for months or even years.

[Elle Maruska · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much. I really love how the author employed his daughter's wonder as a framing device for exploring the usually "invisible" aspects of urban nature. It was an effective way to emphasize how much life surrounds us if we take the time to explore it. Now I think I'm going to go outside and see if I can find a snail....I'd like to see if I can hear it chewing

[Kamila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, lighthearted science and a wholesome reminder to hold onto our sense of curiosity and slow down once in a while to look a little closer at the wonders all around us :)

[Ocean · Rating 4 out of 5]

i'm already fairly observant but this book made me even more aware of my surroundings, which is only a good thing. I learned some facts about ants and crows that made me laugh out loud. wish there was less pigeon-bashing, but I'm used to that :/

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I quite possibly wished this book into existence. Interesting nerdy details about the wildlife around the average city dweller - including ginkgoes and crows? Yes please!

[Dosia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I loved this! Inspiring and well researched it threw fascinating facts at me. I want to read more on urban nature! I want to explore! Is there a local birdwatching group near me? I need to join.
God I'm so unbelievably PUMPED

[Abe Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read in a long time. Encourages Self-awareness and enjoying the world around you. I'm now obsessed with identifying edible plants in my Seattle neighborhood , have a new found appreciation for squirrels , ants and snails, love bird ID'ing and practically worship the magnificent specimen that we call the Crow.

To the author: Thank you for making my world more amazing.

[Gary Nicholl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting. However it relied far to much on personal story and not enough on facts for my taste.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am usually very suspicious of the sort of popular writing where the author's process writing the story is a big part of the book — I understand that it makes for a more engaging story, but fairly often it feels like a way to create narrative where none exists to try and trick our socializing-monkey brains into believing whatever it's saying — but in this case I found it reasonable and enjoyable. It is quite likely that I've simply fallen for these rhetorical tricks — I'm fairly sure I have a weak point for stories about fathers of young children trying to do their best. Still, I think that even if I've been tricked, it's into believing something fairly harmless.

Johnson lays out his agenda at the very beginning of the book, and it's pretty mild; he's trying to make the case that there's a lot of nature going on all around us, even in cities, if we just pay attention to it. He also sort of makes the case that his life has been enriched by trying to pay more attention to it, but he doesn't really go further than that to try and tell you that your life will be enriched by it. It's remarkable restraint compared to most popular non-fiction writers.

As for the actual nature-writing portion of the book, I'd say there was a decent amount of interesting little tidbits of information about pigeons, crows, snails, squirrels, etc, but it was almost beside the point. You'll get some fun stuff to talk about at parties, but I'd say that the more interesting thing to get from these stories is about the process, not the results.

3.5 of 5 stars

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

From learning that squirrels have some serious intelligence in their small brains to learning that snails and some trees are hermaphrodites, Nathanael Johnson did an incredible job of creating intrigue and excitement among species in nature that I never before found enticing. His relationship with his daughter Josephine and the adventures they go on together were also extremely endearing.

His entire goal in writing this book was to help open his own eyes and the eyes of others to recognize that there is fascinating nature to be seen, whether or not you live in a city. His care to detail from pigeons to ants was inspiring and I loved how he excitedly contacted (nagged) specialists that specifically knew the crafts of each species.

I already feel that I will pay more attention to the sights, smells, and sounds around me and I would recommend this to any others that hope to do the same.

[Sophie Chouinard · Rating 4 out of 5]

good overall! a good read to reintroduce oneself to the natural world we inhabit. the writer’s storytelling ability made this an interesting read for an irregular non-fiction reader.

HOWEVER - the chapter about Weeds/Foraging… interesting and I understand you can’t really give advice or anything bc plant life is so diverse, but it felt like the chapter centred around suggesting that foraging can make Americans healthier and/or help people who don’t have enough food? like I see what you’re saying BUT there are like a hundred steps we need to take first (but this is a book about the natural world and not about solutions to people living in food deserts so I’ll let it slide but only BARELY).

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun, informative (without being dry or tedious) read! I learned a lot of neat trivia about animals and plants that I don't normally think about even though they are all around me. I had no idea crows had such a great sense of humor. I never realized how smart and hardy pigeons are. I didn't realize ants functioned as nearly one mind. This is a short read, really just a glimpse, of some everyday animals, plants and trees that we see without seeing nearly everyday.

[Elena Merelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! Even the sections regarding animals or the ones on weed, in which i wasn't so interested, were amazing! Such an easy read, the tone was relaxed, the parts mentioning the daughter or philosophysing about things made it even more worth it. Wish this author had more things, his way of writing had me really engaged throughout the whole book, and i learned to appreciate our surroundings even more. It's the little things, indeed! 100% would recommend.

[Mell · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Interesting look at the the often-ignored wildlife living under our feet and over our heads in cityscapes. I enjoyed the balance between the author's personal interest and observations and his references to interviews with scientists and experts. (Summer Reading Challenge for theme of outdoor activities.)

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim, and really enjoyed reading it. It starts with a father teaching his daughter about the natural world around their neighborhood, and he becomes so passionate about this that he begins a bigger study in earnest. I started thinking differently about the other living things around me.

[Karie Schulenburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If we come to love nature not only when it is rare and beautiful, but also when it is commonplace and even annoying, I believe it will heal the great wound of our species: our self-imposed isolation from the rest of life...We might remember that we are no different from our surroundings, that the trees and birds are as much our neighbors as other humans. We might remember that before the land belonged to us, we belonged to it."