Common Ground

Common Ground is a fascinating tour of the edges of ecosystemsurban and natural. It is in these heterogeneous landscapes that human animals encounter those of the non human variety. Cowen is an acclaimed nature and travel writer, but much of his writing has taken readers to vast pristine landscapesnational parks, the Arctic, etc. In this work he turns his focus to an underappreciated and under-illuminated landscapethe edgeland, or what he also refers to as the no man s land between city and country. Like an archaeologist, Cowen unearths human and natural histories. He carries the reader into the worlds of owls, foxes, and wheat fields, glimpses of what lies beneath and beyond, but also grounds the narrative in the everyday immediacies of iPhones, WiFi, and cafes. It is particularly appealing in its focus on the edges, spaces many creatures pass through and yet which few really appreciate. The edge-land's inhabitants are here introduced in immersive, kaleidoscopic detail as their voices and visions rise from the fields and woods: beasts, birds, insects, plants, and people and their changes across the seasons. "