Janet Lembke (1933–2013)

[b: Despicable Species|1283660|Despicable Species On Cowbirds, Kudzu, Hornworms, and Other Scourges|Janet Lembke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1223629053s/1283660.jpg|1971975] is an interesting series of essays on the commonly hated species that exist within our day to day lives. There are chapters on everything from kudzu to opossums, the proteus protista to hornwoms, and of course the much maligned centipedes are various flies. This book was an interesting, enlightening read but suffers from the fact that it was published in 1999, and much has changed in the past several decades.

I learned a lot from this book, but could see how to a more enlightened reader the book could come across as a bit pedantic. It suffers from the charm of being written largely from [a: Janet Lembke|381630|Janet Lembke|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1411082326p2/381630.jpg]'s point of view, and its interspersed with musings about how these creatures relate to the Southeast, what it means to be a Southern writer, etc. I found these musings pleasant, and overall enjoyed the tone of the book itself. That having been said, I didn't go into this book with any particular expectations.

This isn't so much a scientific book as it is a pleasant little natural study. The final chapter, about the most despicable creatures of all - humans, was a bit expected and not altogether as good a chapter as I would hope it would be. At the end of the day we don't know if exterminating a whole species would negatively impact the ecosystem, but I think nowadays the thought is that it likely would rather than "another creature will fill the niche." Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and I hope to read more like it in the future.… (meer)

This is a pretty good book but not about cats! Cats are in the first essay, then each other essay takes an animal or plant from the author's yard and examines its history and impact on the world. (I feel a bit silly saying that but it really seems designed to make you think it's about cats.) It's a lot of information presented very clearly. Janet Lembke is a bit different from other authors, in that she doesn't seem too worked up about using chemicals in her yard or doing away with animals - very old school. So this is a good book but not really what the title and the cover imply!… (meer)