Undesirable
Amy Crawford
Also available as:
$55.95 AUD
- ISBN:
- 9780197768082
- Published:
- 26 Oct 2026
- Availability:
- Coming soon
Invasive species are consistently vilified as a major threat to the ecosystems we call home. But Undesirable reveals there is much more to this story, and offers surprising ideas about our relationship with the natural world.
Over the past five hundred years, human exploration, settlement and commerce have carried countless plants and animals far from their original homes, where
they sometimes go on to transform familiar landscapes, cause large-scale agricultural damage, and endanger precious native species. But the young field of invasion biology has been wracked by controversy and haunted by ethical quandaries as it has sought to
destroy some species for the benefit of others. Undesirable: Invasive Species, Humans, and Where We All Belong brings this complexity to light, illuminating the often dubious moral and even ecological and economic bases for many anti-invasive policies.
Whether it's garlic mustard spreading through American forests or brushtail possums allegedly decimating the flightless birds of New Zealand, Undesirable reveals a multi-faceted story of how humans have
irrevocably disrupted nearly every ecosystem in the world. We have introduced new species, destroyed habitat and changed the climateDLbut it's not always clear how to hold ourselves accountable in the quest to bring
balance and sustainability to this new natural world. Through case studies, historical surveys, media criticism, and conversations with both experts and the ordinary people who serve as foot soldiers in the war on invasive species, this book explores how confronting our deeper anxieties about nature and our roles in a changing world can help us see our "unwanted" neighbors in a new light and teach us all to be better stewards.
Chapter 1: Into the Woods Chapter 2: A Brief History of Invasion Chapter 3: America's Most Wanted Chapter 4: A View from the Trenches Chapter 5: Weeds in the River of Grass Chapter 6: Border Crossings Chapter 7: Predator Free Chapter 8: Conservation, Compassion and Cuteness Chapter 9: Brave New World
Amy Crawford , Independent Scholar, UNITED STATES
Amy Crawford is a freelance writer and long-time contributor to Smithsonian Magazine. Her writing on science, the environment, and sustainability has also appeared in Nature Conservancy, CityLab, The Boston Globe, and elsewhere. She lives on a small farm in rural Michigan with her husband and children, and is a certified Michigan Naturalist.
"Thoughtful and searching, Crawford is unafraid to ask the painful questions that underlie our haste to uproot, trap, and slaughter the species we deem out of place. By bringing her own emotional journey with invasive species to her research, she welcomes everyone to dig deep - not necessarily to dig out an invasive species, but to ask why and what we're hoping to gain. With fascinating examples, deep feeling, and excellent research, this book will make you search your own beliefs and question what you thought you knew." -- Bethany Brookshire, author of Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains
"A wonderfully clear-eyed exploration that reveals as much about ourselves as about the species we love to hate." -- Michelle Nijhuis, author of Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction
"Undesirable is a captivating romp through the science of invasive species. Amy Crawford explores the stories of conquering organisms from garlic mustard to mute swans, asking whether such creatures are monsters or miracles, or maybe a little bit of both. Both humorous and important, this book is a must-read for those who want to know who really will inherit the earth." -- Abigail Tucker, bestselling author of Mom Genes: Inside the New Science of Our Ancient Maternal Instinct