Why Moths Hate Thomas Edison: And Other Urgent Inquiries into the Odd Nature of Nature

by Jason Schneider (Illustrator), Hampton Sides (Editor)

Join longtime Outside editor and contributor Hampton Sides as he rollicks through the fascinating, quirky questions readers ask about the world around them. Do beavers ever get squashed by the trees they're gnawing down? Why are there so many worms writhing on the sidewalk after a storm? What good are goosebumps? Why do llamas spit? What is the oldest living creature on earth? Focusing on natural history and outdoor lore, this collection ranges from the gothic to the comic to the cosmic. It includes the sorts of questions that most of us stopped asking (at least out loud) when we were eight years old. Outside magazine's "The Wild File" is what question-and-answer columns should be but seldom are: an often surprising, sometimes zany, always insightful and informative back-and-forth between a devoted readership and its publication. The result is an enchanting and enriching collection of answers that open windows to more questions. 60 black and white illustrations

Genres: Nature, Science, Nonfiction, Animals, Reference

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 9, 2001

Reviews

[Len Knighton]

For every person on earth of thinking age there must be at least one question they would love to have answered. One of my Seminary professors remarked that every person wants to learn something and every person can teach something. That might be a stretch but this book makes the theory seem plausible.
This is a book of questions; some I have asked but most dealing with subjects I know nothing about, much less heard of. And for every answer there seems to be an expert who has contributed to it.
Most of the answers are mixed with a little humor courtesy of Hampton Sides, which makes the book palatable.

Three stars

[Jdetrick]

A really fun book, explaining some of the oddities of the world in which we live. A quick, breezy read that still contains some fun facts.

[John Lyman]

Very informative, many obscure facts about things I’d never heard of. I hope I can remember a few of them.

[Yiftach]

Reading this aloud with my 13yo son, learning a lot and being amused at Sides' snark. A terrific collection of pop-sci tidbits.

[Jenny]

Hilarious and imformative answers to all sorts of nature questions. I think B. would love this book. I still remember a question about if what could happen if you hold in a sneeze. Just don't do it!

[Christy Mills]

It answered a lot of questions I have been asking for a long time about the outside world and it is perfect for anyone that has ever wondered about nature and the oddities it contains!

[Joseph]

I like the author's work and even though he was the editor of this I wanted to give it a read. It was very interesting to say the least.