Curiosity becomes science, and what we understand becomes what we value. Join us for a Chats in the Stacks book talk with Harry W. Greene, one of the world’s leading snake experts with more than 40 years of fieldwork on six continents. His new book Tracks and Shadows: Field Biology as Art (University of California Press; October 2013) is not only about the making of a field biologist, but an eccentric mediation on natural history. Both an absorbing autobiography and a celebration of the beauty in nature, the book explores multiple themes including the destruction of habitat and loss of biodiversity, the nuts and bolts of field research and teaching, how natural historians help save species from extinction, and the “sheer poetry” of field biology.

Greene is professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Cornell University and a Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow. Other publications include the award winning book Snakes: The Evolution of Mystery in Nature. His books promote biological diversity, ecology, behavior and conservation—the core components of scientific literacy.

Light refreshments will be available throughout the event, and books will be available for purchase and signing.