Eager, Ben Goldfarb
Eager, Ben Goldfarb
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Eager
The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter

Author: Ben Goldfarb

Narrator: Will Damron

Unabridged: 11 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/14/2018

Synopsis

In Eager, environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb reveals that our modern idea of what a healthy landscape looks like and how it functions is wrong, distorted by the fur trade that once trapped out millions of beavers from North America’s lakes and rivers. The consequences of losing beavers were profound: streams eroded, wetlands dried up, and species from salmon to swans lost vital habitat. Today, a growing coalition of “Beaver Believers”—including scientists, ranchers, and passionate citizens—recognizes that ecosystems with beavers are far healthier, for humans and non-humans alike, than those without them. From the Nevada deserts to the Scottish highlands, Believers are now hard at work restoring these industrious rodents to their former haunts. Eager is a powerful story about one of the world’s most influential species, how North America was colonized, how our landscapes have changed over the centuries, and how beavers can help us fight drought, flooding, wildfire, extinction, and the ravages of climate change. Ultimately, it’s about how we can learn to coexist, harmoniously and even beneficially, with our fellow travelers on this planet.

About Ben Goldfarb

Ben Goldfarb is the author of Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, winner of the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. His writing has appeared in the Atlantic, National Geographic, the New York Times, and many other publications, and has been anthologized in The Best American Science and Nature Writing. A recipient of fellowships from the Alicia Patterson Foundation and the Whiting Foundation, he lives in Colorado.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Michaela on December 07, 2015

I read this book the first time when I was eleven, but never finished because I lost interest. I don't regret (re)reading this, but I can't say it is worth recommending. The character of Eager was cute but there wasn't much more to it. The book had some rudimentary philosophy that could have been ex......more

Goodreads review by Juan on October 11, 2018

This book was one of my favorites. It was so cool that it was written in the future context. It was placed in the 22nd Century. It is also one of my favorites because it shows a theme of, It's always good to help. In the story Eager a robot was with the Bell family he liked to do chores and help aro......more

Goodreads review by Charlotte on April 21, 2017

*Yes, of course I could understand what was going on in the story, I'm merely pointing out flaws here. No unnecessary degrading comments about my intelligence* Plot: The premise had a lot of potential, with Eager's internal struggle with the meaning of life, but the author seemed to get bored with w......more

Goodreads review by Kathie on October 16, 2024

kazuo ishiguro wants what helen fox has just kidding but seriously for a kids book this touches on some great points like what the line is between computer intelligence and humans, what consciousness and free will are, the role of computers in our society, and it pokes fun at its own philosophizing.......more

Goodreads review by Miguel on September 13, 2018

This was an amazing book I really liked it it had a lot of good detail of what was happening in each chapter. It is very futuristic and I really like the style of the book. It has a chill vibe. My rating for this book is a 4 because it could have been more of a challenge to read. I highly recommend......more

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