Undesirable

Thoughtful and searching, Crawford is unafraid to ask the painful questions that underlie our haste to uproot, trap, and slaughter the species we deem out of place. By bringing her own emotional journey with invasive species to her research, she welcomes everyone to dig deep - not necessarily to dig out an invasive species, but to ask why and what we’re hoping to gain. With fascinating examples, deep feeling, and excellent research, this book will make you search your own beliefs and question what you thought you knew. * Bethany Brookshire, author of Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains *A wonderfully clear-eyed exploration that reveals as much about ourselves as about the species we love to hate. * Michelle Nijhuis, author of Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction *Undesirable is a captivating romp through the science of invasive species. Amy Crawford explores the stories of conquering organisms from garlic mustard to mute swans, asking whether such creatures are monsters or miracles, or maybe a little bit of both. Both humorous and important, this book is a must-read for those who want to know who really will inherit the earth. * Abigail Tucker, bestselling author of Mom Genes: Inside the New Science of Our Ancient Maternal Instinct *

Amy Crawford is a freelance writer and long-time contributor to Smithsonian Magazine. Her writing on science, the environment, and sustainability has also appeared in Nature Conservancy, CityLab, The Boston Globe, and elsewhere. She lives on a small farm in rural Michigan with her husband and children, and is a certified Michigan Naturalist.