The naturalist and entomologist, whose new book is “Genesis,” loves a reptile guide called “Lizards and Snakes of Alabama,” which “speaks to my boyhood passion and is a source of good memories page by page.”What books are on your nightstand? What’s the last great book you read? Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt, “Human Ethology.” The massive, definitive account of communication and social life in hunter-gatherer and primitive agricultural societies. Gerald Durrell’s books, to start, which are full of naturalist observations. For the early years of natural history, I recommend Philip Henry Gosse’s volume from the middle of the 19th century, “Letters From Alabama.”

Source: New York Times February 28, 2019 09:56 UTC