A Salad Only the Devil Would Eat: The Joys of Ugly Nature

“Among nature writers now working, Charles Hood may be my favorite. He never stops telling stories, and his perspective is fundamentally comic, even when he’s recounting a tragedy.” Jonathan Franzen

"What makes this collection such a consistent joy is ultimately how hopeful the author feels, and how much he continues to enjoy moving through the world despite the twin realities of bad knees and climate change. [...] Reading Hood's work will make you feel smarter but, even more crucially in this dire age, more open to the sublime. [...] Read this book. It's a true delight." Los Angeles Times

"[An] eccentric collection of Earth's oddities [...] green-minded readers will appreciate the author's ability to find meaning in nature's quirky side." Publishers Weekly

"A book that celebrates the delights of amateurism, the facts that you stumble upon when you’re reading for something else, or the rare bird you happen to notice when you’re out on a whale watch." The Millions

"With a poet’s sensitivity, Hood shows himself to be as in love with words as with what he sees around him [...] his essays will charm, delight, and bring attention into high gear so that even a walk through an empty city lot will reveal treasures for the mind and heart." Foreword Reviews

"Once you’ve had a taste of the world of Charles Hood, you’ll want to follow him wherever he goes. He’s brilliantly entertaining and this is his best book yet." Elizabeth McKenzie, author of The Portable Veblen

“Hood is the love child of Rebecca Solnit and Edward Abbey, assuming such a child had been raised in an art colony by demented garden gnomes.” Michael Guista, author of Brain Work, winner of the Bakeless Prize for Literature

“Charles Hood’s essay about James Audubon’s work should be required for anyone who possesses a pair of eyes, whether or not they use them for birdwatching or perusing art.” William Fox, Director of The Center for Land + Environment, Nevada Museum of Art