Nature Matrix: New and Selected Essays

In this thoughtful collection, biologist Pyle (Tidewater Reach) examines the natural world and humanity’s place in it. Each essay reads as a standalone piece, though the ideas within benefit from closeness to one another. In an early essay, for instance, Pyle posits that while physical books offer a “direct experience,” digital ones do not. Later, Pyle elaborates on the value of experience, opining that the loss of a species isn’t just regrettable for the animals’ sake, but also because it represents humanity’s experience of the species disappearing. Pyle’s arguments are strongest when they deal in nature, and when his passion emerges in intricate details about landscapes, animals, and theories of the wilderness. “To what extent can the wild and the Wilderness include our own species; and how?” he wonders at one point. Occasional instances of datedness in Pyle’s word choices and attitudes may distract otherwise sympathetic younger readers—his description of visiting his “coed sister” in college, for example, or his resistance to the connected digital life. But these infrequent moments do not detract overly from Pyle’s message. His probing, thoughtful assemblage will resonate with readers who agree that nature needs to occupy a larger role in modern life. Agent: Laura Blake Peterson, Curtis Brown Ltd. (Sept.)