SONGBIRDS, TRUFFLES AND WOLVES: An American Naturalist...

SONGBIRDS, TRUFFLES AND WOLVES: An American Naturalist in Italy by Gary Paul Nabhan (Penguin: $10.95; 227 pp.). Shaken by a divorce, botanist Gary Nabhan undertook a walking tour of Umbria, following the path of Franciscan pilgrims. As he walks, he reflects on agriculture, nature and religion. Unlike the vast monoculture farms of America that deplete the soil, the Italian hills have been farmed for centuries to produce a variety of crops. Nabhan rejoices in this saner approach to agriculture: “As I walked, I could see that some resources had obviously been used, but much had been given back. There were as many or more signs of renewal as there were signs of elimination. Certain patches had been left for brambles, birds, hops, and herbs that spiced the larder so that a measure of wilderness stayed within reach.”