Wild Things, Wild Places: Adventurous Tales of Wildlife and Conservation on Planet Earth

by Jane Alexander

In Wild Things, Wild Places actress, author, and conservationist Jane Alexander offers a moving first-hand assessment of what is being done to help the planet’s most at risk animals. In short reflections on her travels to some of the most remote and forbidding areas, she describes the ways in which human incursions into the natural world are destroying wildlife around the globe. With a clear eye and a keen grasp of the issues, Alexander highlights the remarkable work being done in the fields of science and conservation, and introduces readers to the field biologists, zoologists, environmentalists, and conservationists—the “prophets in the wilderness”—who have committed themselves to this essential effort. Inspiring and enlightening, Wild Things, Wild Places is a deeply personal look at the changing face of wildlife on planet Earth.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Animals, Science, Environment, Memoir, Own

311 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 27, 2016

About the author

Jane Alexander, of Lockeport, Nova Scotia and Dobbs Ferry, New York, is a Tony- and Emmy-award winning actress, four-time Oscar nominee, author and wildlife advocate. She is known for her roles in “The Great White Hope,” “All the President’s Men,” “Eleanor and Franklin” and “Playing for Time,” among others.

Alexander chaired the National Endowment for the Arts under President Clinton, and she has served on boards and councils for many wildlife and conservation organizations, including Panthera and BirdLife International. In 2012, she received the Indianapolis Prize’s inaugural Jane Alexander Global Wildlife Ambassador Award.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love reading about wildlife, particularly the strides being taken to try and protect those species that are being killed at absurd rates. When I saw the title of this book, my first impression is that it would discuss those wild animals - probably different species - and maybe some of the places and preserves created to try and save those animals. Sadly, that isn't really what this book is about at all.

Jane Alexander, some of you may know, is an actress. She has also become quite the dedicated conservationist. However, what sticks out from these pages more than anything is her love of birds. There are far more species of birds discussed - almost a dizzying amount - than any other form of wildlife. Basically, it's almost a travelogue - stories of the places she has visited, the people she traveled with, and the birds she spotted. There are a few other creatures mentioned, but a very few. This would have been better described as a bird book instead of a wildlife book.

Having said that - the book is fairly well-written and the stories are interesting. It's not a *bad* book by any means. It just seems misrepresented to a degree that might confuse readers looking for one thing and ending up with something totally different.

[Sundar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light read which takes us through several wildlife hotspots around the world. Jane has a balanced perspective about conservation, retaining optimism and pragmatism about human role in the ecosystem, but yet highlighting grave situations which need attention. Essentially a painting with a broad brush, I think it goes a little easy on accuracy and precision in a couple of places. I could sense that in the India story as well as when she refers to 'poisonous' rather than venomous snakes.

[Carol Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prominent actress Jane Alexander, who also headed the National Endowment for the Arts for quite a few years, has another side: She's a passionate birder and conservationist. And she writes well too.

In this book she writes not just about birds but about mammals, insects, and other creatures that make up our world and that we endanger. She has long played major roles in conservation groups and knows many famed naturalists. She went to Belize with Alan Rabinowitz, the authority on jaguars. She also has traveled to Peru (which had 1,900 bird species!), Brazil, Thailand, Bhutan, East Africa, Papua New Guinea, and Hawaii, and tells about the situation of wildlife in all those places. The conservationists she knows don't neglect the local people, who are vital to the preservation of wild species, and neither does she.

Whenever she went on location for a movie, she spent her break time out in the wild. She seems far more excited about the wild than about her career.

This is a lively, thoughtful book. I recommend it.

[Yasmine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The descriptions of the wildlife she’s seen as well as the photography were nice. Each chapter covered a different country/region. As for the commentary, she at times acknowledges her Eurocentric/ Western views about the places she visits and the people she meets but then also says stuff where there’s no reflection on the constant otherness she presents foreign (read: nonwhite) people and the implications of her actions/words. Like at one point she is literally comparing taking photographs of foreign women in their own countries/streets to taking photographs of “exotic” animals. Product of her time I guess but probably wouldn’t have picked up the book if I had realized this in advance.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A moving, inspiring, personal look at the vastly changing world of wildlife on planet Earth.

"In Wild Things, Wild Places, Jane Alexander writes with a clear eye and a knowing, keen grasp of the issues and what is being done in conservation and the worlds of science to help the planet's most endangered species to stay alive and to thrive.

"The book begins in Belize City in the early 1980s, in a rough-and-tumble town split in two by a rancid body of water into which everything was thrown -- carcasses, shoes, dead dogs -- and with mosquitoes rife with malaria. Alexander was there researching a screenplay she was writing about a female field biologist tracking Jaguars. Instead, Alexander came across a real-life male scientist--a field biologist, zoologist, and conservationist--in Belize tracking Jaguars. His name: Alan Rabinowitz, known as the Tiger Man, a stutterer as a child who stopped talking except to his pet turtle and chameleons and who promised the animals that if he ever got his voice back, he would become their voice.

"Alexander describes how Rabinowitz took her to his study site, deep in the jungle of Belize, in Cockscomb Basin; how, once there, she was in a state of wonder at seeing a Laughing Falcon perched above the porch and insect species the size of hummingbirds flying about. And she writes of how her life was changed forever as Rabinowitz opened up to her a world of wild things, wild places as they followed the tracks of the great cats through rainforests, hoping to glimpse the rare Clouded Leopard in Thailand, Tigers camouflaged by the grasses of India, and Jaguars lazing on the riverbanks of Brazil's searing Pantanal, the Serengeti of South America.

"We see Alexander becoming aware, through Rabinowitz, that the future for wildlife had become a kind of war and that the fight forward would be hard. And we see how Rabinowitz's efforts to save endangered animals from disappearing from Earth became Alexander's mission as well.

"She writes of the work being done by other scientists with whom she traveled, in search of a way to save large sections of wilderness for all types of wildlife. And she writes of her hopes for the future of the planet, of seeing the birth of environmental organizations representing millions of active citizens educating others and demanding change in legislation.

"And throughout it all--Alexander's account of her own personal journey from the little girl on the beaches of New England who wanted to fly to the grown woman today doing what she can to make it possible for all species (including our own) to continue to flourish."
~~ front & back flaps

The writing isn't brilliant, neither are the photographs. But the author has been to every country with extinction problems, and has done that in the company of people in the forefront of the fight. It's an amazing journey -- very inspiring! I finished the book with the conviction that I should find some way to join the fight... at some level, in some way. The book was written in 2016, and honestly, I don't think that much more is being done in 2023 to preserve wilderness and save species. Or at least not enough.

The white rhino is now extinct -- Sudan, the world's last known male Northern white rhinoceros, died in Kenya on 19 March 2018 at age 45. The black rhino has gone extinct -- November 6, 2013--The Western black rhinoceros has officially been declared extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The elusive snow leopard was listed on the IUCN Red List as endangered in 1986. In 2017, its status changed to vulnerable—one step below endangered—and it remains there to this day. However, the IUCN says the snow leopard's population numbers are still decreasing, and the cat continues to face a high risk of extinction.

So this book is well worth reading, especially if it ignites a fire in you to do something to help preserve the animals, and thus the planet. Anything. Doing anything at all will help.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gem of a book.
I picked this book is on a whim and realized quickly that I should hate it. Jane Alexander (Emmy winner and Oscar nominee, head of the NEA under Bill Clinton) is a rich, upper class white woman. She gets to travel around the world to see Nature's bounties because of her position of birth.
But damn can she write. She loves birds and big cats. But not house cats, which are an invasive species that kills up to 3 BILLION BIRDS a year.
It should be annoying, her global travel with her grandchildren ( one of whom marries an actual princess) and what not - but she gives an actual fig about the planet.
This book caught me off guard, it was so good from an unexpected source. If you love birds, and travel, and big cats ( but not free range murderous house cats), give this a read.
Also, sho moved from Putnam County in the mid-Hudson Valley (big love) to the maritime provinces of Canada (big love) - so extra brownie points for me.

[Noah Manges · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love wildlife and you love traveling, then you will enjoy this book a lot.

[Chris Aylott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scattershot organization doesn't hurt this collection of memories and portraits. Alexander has roamed all over the world with conservationists and biologists, and she captures their dedication, the beauty of the scenery, and the fragile position of much of the world's wildlife. There's also a lot of hope in the book as she describes innovative conservation programs, such as the Lion Guardians program that has enlisted Maasai warriors to protect lions instead of hunting them.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is fairly misleading. In theory it could be a fascinating read. Instead it's more of a memoir of the author - who is apparently an actress turned conservationist who mostly just travels around the world on adventures and meets conservation practitioners. I found it to be fairly boring and the lack of citations was kind o frustrating. I made it about 1/5 in and realized there's far more books that I could learn a lot more from and be more engaged with. Did not finish.

[John Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wild Things, Wild Places, by Jane Alexander; Alfred A. Knopf: New York; $28.95 hardback

Many of you know Jane Alexander. She is a prominent star of film and stage. Kramer vs. Kramer and Testament are among her screen accomplishments, but she also starred on Broadway and won an Emmy, an Obie, a Tony and countless other recognition for he astounding talents. Yet she also loves nature, and the animal kingdom therein. Her years of membership on Audubon, State Park and national Wildlife organizations are remarkable testimony to her diligence in protecting nature. Thus she stands highly qualified to offer this love poem of sorts for all the wildlife she has dedicated her fame and talents to defending.



These are indeed adventurous tales. Her forays into the wilderness are truly world encompassing. She explains the life of an eco-martyr, Seub, in Thailand who died for his defense of the animals there from poachers. Or we meet Tom Morgan, in backwoods New York, who shared his lifelong love of birds with Alexander. She explains how adaptable man is to his environment. We see aquaculture (modern day fish farming) develop in Norway, in Newfoundland, and Malaysia. There are of course encounters along the way with a host of wild animals, from elephants in Kenya, jaguars and tigers, to the Merlin of Nova Scotia, whose predatory ways killed most songbirds there as recently as 2014. Surely no animal you've ever loved from zoo visits is not addressed, for her interest is not only descriptive, but prescriptive. She wants us to save these creatures from the greatest predator, ourselves.

I enjoy her method of presentation. For example, she writes of searching for the snow leopard in Nepal. She composes in a way which engages not only sight and sound (particularly her description of the small aircraft flight which she took for access), but context. We learn about the people who inhabit these regions, and how they react to such dilemmas as keeping the animals where they live alive for future generations. And she does all this for each adventure she recounts. We meet the people on the front lines of her efforts, and join with them in understanding what we can do to preserve our world for our children.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mix between a travel memoir and reflections on wildlife and environment related issues. The author is an actress with connections and friends in high places it seems. Born into quite a well to do family and involved in politics through her advocacy for the arts, she got to know the important figures in conservation, becoming close friends with some, like Alan Rabinowitz, who got her on the committee of the Wildlife Conservation Society based in New York's Bronx Zoo. She therefore devoted a third of the book to chronicling the life and times of the late Dr Rabinowitz, which I was already familiar with having read almost all his books. Her positions in the conservation circle subsequently gave her not only the opportunity to travel to exotic spots for wildlife, but to be accompanied by conservationists in the field wherever she went, a real privilege.

The accounts of the trips to these destinations made for enjoyable reading as an armchair traveler. What was less so was when she lamented about the state of wildlife and the natural world due to human activities. Unavoidable in any discussion of the topic of course, but it felt ironical given that she is a member of high society and belonging to the boomer generation who got to live through the best of times in having easy access to abundant wildlife, yet having enjoyed the very lifestyle that contributed to the deterioration of the natural world over the last decades.

[Jimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to give this 2 stars but I feel as if the message behind this book is too good for that. Jane is an adventurous woman that has seen many species of birds in various places in the world. This birding passion drove her to meet many great scientists as well as other conservationists alike.

Although Jane is an actress with great wealth she still finds her self in great ecotourism locations to spot rare and endangered animals. Almost without fail saying that the animal will die unless x,y, or z happens. Most of the time these ideas are drastic and lack any informative background. I do appreciate her calling the attention to problems however her lack of research on said topics is quite frustrating and most of the time it seems opinionated.

This book to me is more of a travelers tale about her adventures. I went to school for many years learning about wildlife and fisheries so although I think she tried to channel her inner Leopald or E.O. Wilson I think she fell short. Once I got in the mindset of her traveling and not an scientific novel it became better to read as I do find it interesting how she views the world as well as others. I recommend it for someone who loves traveling and wildlife. But not as a way to enrich a deeper understanding of wildlife although I did learn a few things.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, with its balance of accessible scientific descriptions, engaging travel narratives, and endearing personal reflections about the value of ecosystems and the delicate equilibria in which they exist. Alexander's writing makes clear the challenges humanity faces in better protecting and coexisting with the ecosystems on which we all depend for our survival, and the already-visible tragic consequences of humanity's failure to steward the planet well especially over the past several centuries. The compelling beauty she experiences in both "wild" places and the habitats being protected and renewed in the midst of heavily urbanized areas makes its way into her accounts of all sorts of places, particularly those faced with the challenge of balancing technological and economic modernization and cultural and ecological preservation of crucial environments. Amidst the backdrop of climate change, her observations are both a sobering warning and a stirring, hopeful call to restorative action to create a more sustainable way of human coexistence with all Earth's creatures.

[Degenerate Chemist · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is essentially a travelogue split into three parts. The first part documents the achievements of Alan Rabinowitz, the second part focuses on how the authors fascination with conservation began, and the third part documents the damage being done to earth.

This book was interesting but it didn't amaze me. The section on Alan Rabinowitz was the strongest part of the book and the most fascinating. After that the book loses focus and meanders until it ends. Alexander almost makes the connection between Indigenous cultures and conservation (which would have built a much stronger narrative imo) but it doesn't quite land. And while she does pass on a lot of information she never cites any sources. She does recommend a few books for further reading.

The lack of sources is why I dropped this from a 3 star read to a 2 star read. Its a personal nitpick of mine when dealing with nonfiction books. If you are going to bring up research and data, tell me where I can verify that information for myself.

[Felicity Fields · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went back and forth on a 3 or 4 star rating. The first section of the book included much of the "adventurous tales" advertised on the cover, and I enjoyed discovering wild places and animals through the author's eyes.

Towards the end, though, the rants about how we're destroying our planet dominated the narrative. For me, it's a case of preaching to the choir and was frustrating and depressing. The writing itself is solid throughout, which is why I settled on a 4 star rating.

[Judy Zingher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexander is a good naturalist and has included a lot of information on places and creatures, including the threats they and we face. The book is clearly her experiences, acquaintances, travels, which are extensive and border on name-dropping. I anticipated a self-congratulatory work, but while the book is personal, it shares a lot of points of view and experiences. Alexander's style is a little precious, with extensive use of adverbs: gently, tidily, smoothly and such. I'm glad I read it.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed this book. Not my usual read -- reading it for an environmental book club choice. But I found myself unable to read without googling birds (esp) during my reading so I could hear their sounds or see what they look like. Reading the book was like being on an adventure but from a chair! Recommend.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book a lot - including the pictures. Jane Alexander (often along with her husband) has travelled around the world supporting conservation and those who do the conservation work. It was quite funny in parts too. A book like this, by definition, doesn't have a narrative structure to keep the reader going.

[Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to stretch to give this 2 stars because I couldn't finish it. I obtained the book because from the title I assumed it was scientific nature work. It was not. I was a memoire of the author's nature hobby trips with almost nothing about any actual science.
I really have no interest in her trips, friends, and so forth.

[Lucian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane has been to some incredible places and seen some incredible things, and some of the stories in this book are wonderful, but overall it felt too scattered for me to get very invested in it. A theme of conservation runs throughout the book, but from paragraph to paragraph, and even sentence to sentence sometimes, it was hard to follow a train of ideas.

[Kelli Reddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nonfiction about the authors lifetime travels and work to protect animals threatened by humans across the world. Predictably depressing as she describes the decline in populations of jaguars, various birds, whales, sharks, etc.

[Autumn Universe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect and should be a classic right up there with Silent Spring. Windows into how conservation processes work around the world and stories of the people who work hard in difficult conditions to make changes.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actress Jane Alexander discusses her travels around the earth, and the ecological issues she encountered in each of those countries. Alexander is passionate about conservation and birding, and is a talented writer.

[Nicole Marble · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could have been good.

[Christine Sopko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meeting her in person might be more enjoyable. I had a hard time getting into her story not due to content, but more the writing style.

[Mel Auffredou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up after 50+ pages when the rich white lady "conservationist" described her time riding elephants in the Indian jungle. I haven't ever lost faith in an author's expertise so quickly before.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring and informative. What if every human on earth read this book? We would be be better...

[Kanishka]

wow

[Wendy Capron · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting life! Each chapter is a different location and, in almost every case, I wished that the chapter would have gone on longer!

[Victor Lu · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book all about conservation and animal life.