Natursachbücher haben es mir seit einiger Zeit ganz im Besonderen angetan und wie dankbar war ich über den Tipp einer lieben Kollegin, die mir zu diesem Buch von Patrik Svensson riet. In abwechselnden Kapiteln erzählt der Autor vom eigenen Aufwachsen an der schwedischen Aalküste und dem Angelalltag des Vaters und dem großen naturwissenschaftlichen Rätsel rund um den Aal. Ich gebe zu, über dieses Tier wenig bis gar nichts gewusst zu haben - weshalb jedes neue Detail über sein Leben und dessen Erforschung (seit der Antike durch Aristoteles) mich völlig in den Bann schlug. Selbst heute wissen Naturwissenschaftler:innen noch lang nicht alles über dieses Tier, das anscheinend in der Sargassosee seine Heimat hat. Der Aal wird erst das, was er sein muss, wenn die Zeit dafür gekommen ist. Ein nahezu ewiges Leben ist ihm beschieden, er lässt sich in Gefangenschaft nicht züchten und gibt von Jahrhundert zu Jahrhundert nur weitere Rätsel auf. Insgesamt ist dieses Buch eine angenehme Mischung aus Memoir des Autors und Kulturgeschichte des Aals. Ein reines Aal-Sachbuch ist es auf keinen Fall und es wird definitiv über Fisch/Aal als Lebensgrundlage für den Menschen diskutiert. Das Fangen, Töten und Ausweiden des Tieres wird ebenso detailreich beschrieben wie das literarische Erbe des Aals (bspw. in Günter Grass "Blechtrommel"). Für mich war es ein faszinierendes und wirklich gut erzähltes Werk.

Bill Gates is one of the few super-rich who actually seems to feel some responsibilty attached to his wealth and is currently trying his best to get the world vaccinated. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that he feels strongly enough about the climate crisis to publish a book about it. It's a pleasantly solution-minded approach: he sets out in detail what exactly needs to be achieved and which, in his opinion, is the best way to do so. Clearly enthusiastic about the developing technology, Gates largely puts his faith in scientific funding and advancement. His optimism here comes across as highly knowledgable and justified, only tampered by his lack of plan when it comes to political cooperation. Here though, a lot of the initiative when it comes to tackling the climate crisis has floundered and been torpedoed by other interests. Let's hope Gate's book goes some way in opening politicians eyes everywhere.

This is a highly readable and well put together introduction to eugenics's past and to its present. Overall, Rutherford writes engagingly and expertly on a subject that is central to his research and the place where he practises it (UCL, Rutherford's university, was at the forefront of early 20th century eugenics research). For me, the book is most interesting on the state of eugenics thinking today as Rutherford explains and unpacks some of the complicated moral quandaries now faced by the medical profession and parents alike when it comes to things like so-called designer babies. Above all what he brings out is the deep complexity of the science which makes our media-filtered understanding of the topic seem too simplistic for words.
There are just a few occasions (most notably in the historical section) when Rutherford's style can be too chummy and once or twice he could do with defining terms more clearly but overall this is an excellent introdution to a compley and emotive topic

I am not the first Dussmann employee to recommend this wonderful book and I suspect I won't be the last either. Flynn's exploration of what she calls the 'post-human landscape' is a fascinating window into what happens to places humans have all but destroyed after we leave. From forest clearings created by WW1 shells to post industrial Scottish landscapes, she casts a rare optimistic glance over the effects of human intervention in the landscape by demonstrating that (although it can take many years) the natural world has an incredible ability to reclaim man-made wasteland and this can have extraordinarily positive effects on biodiversity and even on CO2 levels. Flynn is careful not to get too carried away in her optimism but an uplifting book which looks at the climate crisis is rare - all too often we are left to wallow in our imminent doom - so in many ways it is a breath of fungus cleaned fresh air!

Author

Cobb, Matthew

Matthew Cobb is Professor of Zoology at the University of Manchester where his research focuses on the sense of smell, insect behaviour and the history of science. His books include The Egg & Sperm Race and acclaimed accounts of the French Resistance during the Second World War and the liberation of Paris in 1944.