Patagonia Book Four Fifths a Grizzly

Veteran environmental author Douglas Chadwick presents a wonderful series of personal essays that advocate for the amazing interconnectedness of nature, arguing that the path to preservation begins with how we see our place in the world. The result of decades of observation and reporting, Four Fifths a Grizzly pushes us to ask whether we are distinct from nature or an integral part of it. He views nature from a scientific perspective, showing that human DNA is not different from that of other creatures. We share a particularly close bond with grizzlies, with whom we share 80% of our DNA. Our DNA is also 60% similar to that of salmon, 40% to many insects, and 24% of our genes correspond to those of vines. Similarly, our bodies host many organisms, separate from us, but upon which we depend for our survival. Chadwick explains all this with funny and accessible stories. To address the question of how we can change the trajectory we are on, Chadwick provides examples of species and habitat recoveries, explaining that “we can really save a lot by acting quickly.”