It is a special privilege to know someone who has authored a book, and even more exciting when it’s one of your best friends. I have known Dr. Rob Atkinson for more than a decade, and can honestly say that he’s one of the people in my life I admire most. Rob and I have been together on safari in Kenya, searched for wildlife in the jungles of Vietnam, eaten lunch from stalls on the streets of Bangkok, and discussed wildlife trade policy for hours in Geneva coffee shops. [teaserbreak]
And while Rob is a true friend, he is also a learned one who applies his vast knowledge to animal protection and wildlife conservation. His latest endeavor, Moles, enables us all to have access to a significant resource about this enigmatic animal.
All news to me: Moles are typically black or dark grey, but they can be cream, apricot, rust, piebald, grey, silver-grey, yellow and grey, or albino. Moles can lift twenty times their own body weight.
Rob (I should call him “Dr. Atkinson,” no?), who honed his knowledge by studying moles at Oxford University, expertly balances the educational and the practical while maintaining sincere appreciation for the mole throughout his book, skillfully guiding the reader through an underground world to unlock the little-known mysteries of the mole. With detailed illustrations by Rob’s sister-in-law, Belinda Atkinson, he meticulously explores the physical characteristics of moles; their homes; how they spend their time; how they manage ice, floods, and other elements; alternatives to killing ‘nuisance’ moles; and much, much more.
Not only will Moles satisfy your curiosity with facts, figures, and insightful storytelling, but it becomes a tome for how humans and moles can live in harmony. For those who make a mountain out of a molehill—angrily perceiving moles to be ‘nuisance’ animals who build bothersome molehills on their lawns—this book offers a deeper understanding of the mole’s nuance and complexity. As Rob explains, the mole is “an exquisitely designed individual worthy of study, respect and affection. Yet moles’ existence is known almost solely through the molehills they make, and on this basis they are condemned as a pest. Most people have information only from their own perspective of the conflict; moles are not known or understood. This book tells the moles’ side of the story.”
So, I say Moles is a worthwhile read whether you care about moles specifically, animals in general, the issue of how we coexist with wildlife, or… if you just want to support an honorable and beloved friend.
Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
Adam