{"product_id":"a-salad-only-the-devil-would-eat-the-joys-of-ugly-nature-9781597145459","title":"A Salad Only the Devil Would Eat: The Joys of Ugly Nature","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA quirky and reverent romp through nature with an irreverently funny guide.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Among nature writers now working, Charles Hood may be my favorite. He never stops telling stories, and his perspective is fundamentally comic, even when he's recounting a tragedy.\" --\u003cb\u003eJonathan Franzen\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn these wry and explosively funny essays, nature obsessive Charles Hood reveals his abiding affection for the overlooked and undervalued parts of the natural world. Like a Bill Bryson of the Mojave exurbs, Hood takes us on a joyride through the obscure, finding wilderness in Hollywood palms, the airports of Alaska, and the empty lots of Palmdale. In a zinger-filled whirl of literary and artistic allusions, he celebrates Audubon's droopy condor, the world-changing history of a cactus parasite, and the weird art of natural history dioramas. This debut collection of creative nonfiction from a widely published poet, photographer, and wildlife guide unveils the wonderment of nature's underbelly with poetic vision and singular wit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHood, Charles:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Poet and essayist Charles Hood grew up next to the Los Angeles River and has been a factory worker, ski instructor, boat salesman, and birding guide. He stopped counting birds when his list reached 5,000, but he soon replaced it with a mammal list, which now nears 1,000. \u003ci\u003eWild LA\u003c\/i\u003e, his book in collaboration with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, was named the best nonfiction book of 2019 by the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association. Hood currently lives and teaches in the Antelope Valley and is the author of Heyday's \u003ci\u003eA Californian's Guide to the Birds among Us\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eA Californian's Guide to the Mammals among Us\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as nine and a half books of poetry.","brand":"Heyday Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50554022527250,"sku":"9781597145459","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_e23cb0f9-833e-40a3-8348-780d7e1f3d7f.jpg?v=1731705109","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/a-salad-only-the-devil-would-eat-the-joys-of-ugly-nature-9781597145459","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}