Intelligent Tinkering: Bridging the Gap between Science and Practice (The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration Series)

Intelligent Tinkering is an important book for anyone in or considering a career in Restoration Ecology. Dr. Cabin shares the joys and the frustrations in designing and implementing scientific research. He explores the different perspectives of academic scientists and hands on practitioners engaged in protecting fragile ecosystems. He investigates to what extent science and what extent culture and politics determines how management and restoration decisions are made. Undergraduates will find the descriptions of the the scientific process and the clear and personal narrative of how this author goes about writing a scientific paper very useful. I would recommend this book for any undergraduate or graduate student in any of the environmental sciences. This book was a pleasure to read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Unlike so many other scientists, Robert Cabin is an excellent writer who vividly brings his subjects to life. I got swept up in the stories about trying to preserve and restore degraded species and landscapes, and I especially enjoyed learning more about the perspectives of the on-the-ground people who actually do this kind of work. I also learned a lot about ecology, natural history, ecological philosophy, and the gap between how science and conservation work in theory and what actually happens in practice in the real world. Highly recommended!

A great read--informative, entertaining, compelling, and provocative. I especially appreciated the respect and openness Dr. Cabin showed for the ideas and customs of native Hawaiians. Even though I am not in this field, and in fact have no formal training or experience in ecological restoration, I found it easy to read and follow because it is written more like a novel than an academic science book. I thus heartily recommend it to anyone who is interested in conservation, ecology, and the complex relationship between humans and nature.