Abstract
Avian and landscape Ecologist John Wiens presents a craftful orchestration of previously published essays primarily drawn from his frequent contributions to the Bulletin of the British Ecological Society. In doing so, he provides fresh introductions and thematic chapters to tie these diverse reflections together. In the Preamble, Wiens refers to his path as following the course of a braided river. In the 38 essays that follow, he invites us into his boat on that river, in which we can trust his familiarity with the churning waters, and his masterful navigation skills.
The book is organized into five parts, structured around the larger themes of global change and why it is vital that we understand how these collective changes are affecting life on earth. In Part I, “Change, the challenge,” Wiens introduces the concept of change as inherent in the natural world, as well as within the history of ecology's attempts to make sense of that world. Shifting paradigms and a nice nod to Thomas Kuhn help frame much of what follows, including how his own understanding of community structure has evolved.