When nature breaks the law
 |
Description
Book Introduction
- A word from MD
-
Conflict and coexistence between wildlife and humansAll over the world, humans and wildlife are clashing.
Bears, elephants, monkeys, birds, and even trees.
The wild is without sin.
I just acted naturally.
If so, it is humans who need to change.
Mary Roach's characteristically witty prose explains how to coexist with civilization without destroying the ecosystem.
November 25, 2025. Min-gyu Son, PD of Natural Sciences
A new book by Mary Roach, "America's most entertaining science writer."
Track the scene where human law and the instincts of plants and animals collide!
Mary Roach visits places where human law and plant and animal instincts collide, from the back alleys of Aspen, Colorado, to a village in the Indian Himalayas and St. Paul's Square.
Along the way, we meet and talk with experts who manage human-wildlife conflicts, bear managers, tree fellers and blasters, and forensic investigators who investigate predator attacks.
Are the plants and animals that cause such troubles really 'nature's lawbreakers'?
In fact, it is none other than us, 'humans', who are causing the real problem.
Fortunately, however, humans can use science to solve this problem.
Each case requires careful review and a scientific approach, taking into account the characteristics of the species, circumstances and background, and even any collateral damage.
In this book, Roach offers a fresh exploration of the age-old question of 'the coexistence of nature and humanity' with sharp insight, witty humor, and a compassionate gaze.
Track the scene where human law and the instincts of plants and animals collide!
Mary Roach visits places where human law and plant and animal instincts collide, from the back alleys of Aspen, Colorado, to a village in the Indian Himalayas and St. Paul's Square.
Along the way, we meet and talk with experts who manage human-wildlife conflicts, bear managers, tree fellers and blasters, and forensic investigators who investigate predator attacks.
Are the plants and animals that cause such troubles really 'nature's lawbreakers'?
In fact, it is none other than us, 'humans', who are causing the real problem.
Fortunately, however, humans can use science to solve this problem.
Each case requires careful review and a scientific approach, taking into account the characteristics of the species, circumstances and background, and even any collateral damage.
In this book, Roach offers a fresh exploration of the age-old question of 'the coexistence of nature and humanity' with sharp insight, witty humor, and a compassionate gaze.
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
preface
1 Murder Animal Detective | Crime Scene Forensics When the Killer Isn't Human
2 Breaking in and eating | How to deal with a hungry bear?
The Elephant in the Room | The Killer by Weight
Problem Area 4 | Why Do Leopards Become Man-Eaters?
The Monkey Problem | Birth Control by Marauding Monkeys
6 Swift Cougars | How to count what you can't see?
7 When a Tree Falls | Beware of the Dangerous Tree
8 The Scary Bean | Bean as an Accomplice to Murder
9. Play hard, I'll make more | A futile military campaign against the tide
10 Back on the Road | Animals Javelin
11 How to Scare Away Thieves | The Secret of Exorcism
Seagulls in St. Paul's Square | Vatican authorities try lasers
13 Jesuits and Rats | Wildlife Management Tips from the Pontifical Academy for Life
14 Killing with Kindness | Who Cares About Pests?
15 Disappearing Mice | The Spooky Magic of Gene Drives
Acknowledgements
Resources for Landlords
References
Translator's Note
1 Murder Animal Detective | Crime Scene Forensics When the Killer Isn't Human
2 Breaking in and eating | How to deal with a hungry bear?
The Elephant in the Room | The Killer by Weight
Problem Area 4 | Why Do Leopards Become Man-Eaters?
The Monkey Problem | Birth Control by Marauding Monkeys
6 Swift Cougars | How to count what you can't see?
7 When a Tree Falls | Beware of the Dangerous Tree
8 The Scary Bean | Bean as an Accomplice to Murder
9. Play hard, I'll make more | A futile military campaign against the tide
10 Back on the Road | Animals Javelin
11 How to Scare Away Thieves | The Secret of Exorcism
Seagulls in St. Paul's Square | Vatican authorities try lasers
13 Jesuits and Rats | Wildlife Management Tips from the Pontifical Academy for Life
14 Killing with Kindness | Who Cares About Pests?
15 Disappearing Mice | The Spooky Magic of Gene Drives
Acknowledgements
Resources for Landlords
References
Translator's Note
Detailed image
Into the book
Animals do not follow laws, they follow instincts.
The wild animals featured in this book are, almost without exception, simple animals that behave as they are naturally born to do.
They eat, poop, build nests, and protect themselves and their young.
They just happen to do these things to humans or to human homes or crops.
In any case, the conflict between humans and animals presents a difficult problem for people and cities, and a hardship for wild animals.
--- p.10~11
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Service investigated 66 bears that had been relocated after being fitted with radio collars due to conflicts with humans.
Thirty-three percent of adults returned to their capture sites, but none of the subadults returned.
These sound like pretty optimistic statistics.
But if we define success as surviving a year in a new location rather than not returning, the situation looks less optimistic.
Relocated bears often invade cities near where they were released, causing the same problems.
More than 40 percent of bears relocated to Yellowstone National Park and 66 percent of bears relocated to Montana had another nuisance incident within two years.
Yosemite Rangers attempted to capture the car-destroying bear and relocate it to the other side of the park.
The result was an incident where bears destroyed a car on the other side of the park.
--- p.55
Feeding wild animals is the fastest route to conflict with humans.
Even animals that are usually afraid of people will take risks if they know there is food.
This risk-taking behavior is rewarded, and as a result, they become more and more bold.
Caution is replaced by boldness, and boldness develops into aggression.
If you don't hand over the food you're holding, the monkey will grab it.
Qureshi says that if you hold on tight and don't let go or try to chase the monkey away, the monkey may hit you.
Or bite it.
--- p.127
Whatever Douglas fir does, it does it very slowly.
That includes dying.
Perhaps the least attractive feature of their nine hundred year lifespan is that it took them a century or two to die.
It takes about another century for the body to decay after death.
So trees are rare creatures for whom it is often appropriate to apply the comparative degree of deader.
A recently dead, or “hard and dead” conifer goes through a “hard and dead” state, then becomes a “soft and dead” state where the branches and tops rot and fall off, and then the trunk that was standing until the end begins to shake and enters the final classification stage, “collapsed and dead.”
At some point during this long twilight period, a tree standing near a road, path, or building may enter a new classification stage.
This is the “Danger Tree” stage.
Because if that tree falls, someone will be crushed and die in a very, very short time.
--- p.175
The Midway Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between North America and Asia.
So it was strategically important to the United States, and in 1941 the United States built a naval air base there.
Midway was (and still is) an important stopover for over a dozen species of seabirds.
Tens of thousands of Laysan albatrosses and black-footed albatrosses return each year to lay eggs and raise their chicks.
Because the island was originally free of predators, the birds greeted the new inhabitants—human and machine—with a mixture of calm and curiosity, unafraid.
They hovered over the naval runway, ignoring the large, noisy metal birds that shared the air with them.
Thus, the problem of collision, or bird strike, arose.
--- p.222~223
Mammals and birds are clever enough to perceive oncoming cars as predators.
Their avoidance algorithms work well on crowded city streets.
Even if you try to hit a pigeon with a car, the pigeon will almost always dodge.
But on highways or long, straight roads in the countryside, that judgment is wrong.
Because the predator is running at 100 kilometers per hour.
Evolutionarily speaking, cars are new.
Travis says as he lowers the sunshade to block out the setting sun.
“It’s only been a hundred years since fast cars first appeared.
"Evolutionarily speaking, it's a time when nothing happens," Travis speculates, explaining why wild animals are so bafflingly unable to avoid situations that should be easy to avoid.
Because it is a “large, noisy vehicle approaching along a predictable path.”
--- p.240
“I wonder if St. Francis said something about rodents.” I just thought about it in my head, but it came out of my mouth without me realizing it.
"No, there isn't.
But the point is that brotherhood is not just a relationship.
We usually fight with our siblings all the time.
You can't expect your relationship with someone to be idyllic.
Not all relationships between people and the Earth have only positive aspects.
There are also negative aspects.
The important thing is how to deal with those aspects. He is a great person.
--- p.302
One concern with gene drive organisms is that they might spread beyond the area – and population – they are intended to control.
And the individuals living in the places they spread out may not hesitate to breed with them.
Let's say we create a genetic drive population of wild pigs that produces only males, and one of them mates with a domestic pig.
Pig farmers will not be happy.
This is one reason why scientists first try to experiment on physically isolated groups.
Such is the case with invasive rodent species that live on remote, uninhabited islands.
The wild animals featured in this book are, almost without exception, simple animals that behave as they are naturally born to do.
They eat, poop, build nests, and protect themselves and their young.
They just happen to do these things to humans or to human homes or crops.
In any case, the conflict between humans and animals presents a difficult problem for people and cities, and a hardship for wild animals.
--- p.10~11
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Service investigated 66 bears that had been relocated after being fitted with radio collars due to conflicts with humans.
Thirty-three percent of adults returned to their capture sites, but none of the subadults returned.
These sound like pretty optimistic statistics.
But if we define success as surviving a year in a new location rather than not returning, the situation looks less optimistic.
Relocated bears often invade cities near where they were released, causing the same problems.
More than 40 percent of bears relocated to Yellowstone National Park and 66 percent of bears relocated to Montana had another nuisance incident within two years.
Yosemite Rangers attempted to capture the car-destroying bear and relocate it to the other side of the park.
The result was an incident where bears destroyed a car on the other side of the park.
--- p.55
Feeding wild animals is the fastest route to conflict with humans.
Even animals that are usually afraid of people will take risks if they know there is food.
This risk-taking behavior is rewarded, and as a result, they become more and more bold.
Caution is replaced by boldness, and boldness develops into aggression.
If you don't hand over the food you're holding, the monkey will grab it.
Qureshi says that if you hold on tight and don't let go or try to chase the monkey away, the monkey may hit you.
Or bite it.
--- p.127
Whatever Douglas fir does, it does it very slowly.
That includes dying.
Perhaps the least attractive feature of their nine hundred year lifespan is that it took them a century or two to die.
It takes about another century for the body to decay after death.
So trees are rare creatures for whom it is often appropriate to apply the comparative degree of deader.
A recently dead, or “hard and dead” conifer goes through a “hard and dead” state, then becomes a “soft and dead” state where the branches and tops rot and fall off, and then the trunk that was standing until the end begins to shake and enters the final classification stage, “collapsed and dead.”
At some point during this long twilight period, a tree standing near a road, path, or building may enter a new classification stage.
This is the “Danger Tree” stage.
Because if that tree falls, someone will be crushed and die in a very, very short time.
--- p.175
The Midway Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between North America and Asia.
So it was strategically important to the United States, and in 1941 the United States built a naval air base there.
Midway was (and still is) an important stopover for over a dozen species of seabirds.
Tens of thousands of Laysan albatrosses and black-footed albatrosses return each year to lay eggs and raise their chicks.
Because the island was originally free of predators, the birds greeted the new inhabitants—human and machine—with a mixture of calm and curiosity, unafraid.
They hovered over the naval runway, ignoring the large, noisy metal birds that shared the air with them.
Thus, the problem of collision, or bird strike, arose.
--- p.222~223
Mammals and birds are clever enough to perceive oncoming cars as predators.
Their avoidance algorithms work well on crowded city streets.
Even if you try to hit a pigeon with a car, the pigeon will almost always dodge.
But on highways or long, straight roads in the countryside, that judgment is wrong.
Because the predator is running at 100 kilometers per hour.
Evolutionarily speaking, cars are new.
Travis says as he lowers the sunshade to block out the setting sun.
“It’s only been a hundred years since fast cars first appeared.
"Evolutionarily speaking, it's a time when nothing happens," Travis speculates, explaining why wild animals are so bafflingly unable to avoid situations that should be easy to avoid.
Because it is a “large, noisy vehicle approaching along a predictable path.”
--- p.240
“I wonder if St. Francis said something about rodents.” I just thought about it in my head, but it came out of my mouth without me realizing it.
"No, there isn't.
But the point is that brotherhood is not just a relationship.
We usually fight with our siblings all the time.
You can't expect your relationship with someone to be idyllic.
Not all relationships between people and the Earth have only positive aspects.
There are also negative aspects.
The important thing is how to deal with those aspects. He is a great person.
--- p.302
One concern with gene drive organisms is that they might spread beyond the area – and population – they are intended to control.
And the individuals living in the places they spread out may not hesitate to breed with them.
Let's say we create a genetic drive population of wild pigs that produces only males, and one of them mates with a domestic pig.
Pig farmers will not be happy.
This is one reason why scientists first try to experiment on physically isolated groups.
Such is the case with invasive rodent species that live on remote, uninhabited islands.
--- p.346~347
Publisher's Review
★★ A new book by Mary Roach, America's most entertaining science writer.
★★ New York Times bestseller
★★ Los Angeles Times Bestseller
Track the scene where human law and the instincts of plants and animals collide!
Mary Roach, considered one of America's most entertaining science writers, has published her new book, When Nature Breaks the Law.
Drawing on countless research and statistical data, vivid interviews, and meticulous fieldwork, he has unraveled the complex world of science in a unique and humorous way. In this book, he explores the unpredictable world that unfolds between humans, plants, and animals.
From the back alleys of Aspen, Colorado, to a village in the Indian Himalayas, to St. Paul's Square, Roach visits places where human law and plant and animal instincts collide.
Along the way, we meet and talk with experts who manage human-wildlife conflicts, bear managers, tree fellers and blasters, and forensic investigators who investigate predator attacks.
Are the plants and animals that cause such troubles really “nature’s lawbreakers”?
In fact, it is none other than us humans who are causing the real problem.
Fortunately, however, humans can use science to solve this problem.
Each issue, such as “How should we respond to animals crossing the road illegally?”, “How should we manage trees at risk of falling?”, and “How should we control birds that interfere with flight?”, requires careful review and a scientific approach, as it requires consideration of the characteristics of the species, the situation and background, and even the potential for secondary damage.
In this book, Roach offers a fresh exploration of the age-old question of “the coexistence of nature and humanity” with sharp insight, witty humor, and a compassionate gaze.
Problems caused by nature
Animals are creatures that follow instinct, not law.
They just eat, poop, defend their territory and protect their young.
Although they have no intention of harming humans, the moment that simple instinct touches the laws and norms of human society, discord arises.
This book contains a journey that tenaciously explores the very site of that conflict.
Roach investigates a bear rummaging through a trash can.
So-called "relocation"—capturing bears and releasing them elsewhere—seems like an easy solution, but in reality it's simply a way to move the problem to another location.
The author criticizes this method as nothing more than a “tool to manage public anxiety” when public attention is focused on it.
At the same time, it emphasizes the need for thorough efforts to manage trash cans.
In another scene, we see how the kindness of feeding animals leads to disaster.
For example, if the act of feeding monkeys is repeated, they become accustomed to human food and become bolder and eventually aggressive.
It is important to avoid allowing wild animals to perceive urban areas or human settlements as food sources.
People have no qualms about poisoning birds or harassing them with noise, lasers, or explosives to preserve farmland or prevent bird strikes.
However, the author believes that this appears closer to an act of revenge than an act of extermination.
In fact, it is difficult to find successful cases, as most of them do not achieve meaningful results.
This raises the question of how little humans understand the nature of nature.
Things are not much different in the plant world.
For example, old trees are classified as “dangerous trees” and removed because they are at risk of falling.
However, it is important to remember that rotting trees provide habitat for countless wild animals.
Ways humans solve problems
The problem of animal collisions on the road is closely related to our daily lives.
Mammals and birds perceive oncoming cars as predators, but they are unfamiliar with the car and its speed is too fast for them to avoid it.
This is why pigeons in the city center are relatively good at avoiding accidents, but accidents are frequent on highways.
The author covers a variety of real-world experiments and trials, including ecological corridors, warning signs, and microwave detectors, demonstrating that a scientific approach can provide sound solutions.
The common view among the experts Roach met was clear.
"Prevention is better than punishment." However, humans sometimes misunderstand the complex order of nature and focus on simple, immediate solutions.
In particular, various animal contraceptive methods, including immunological contraception implemented for population management, carry the risk of side effects as well as ethical controversies.
Moreover, even though it takes years for the effects to appear, people usually expect immediate changes as soon as they put measures in place.
The same goes for gene drive technology, which is covered in the latter part of the book.
While this technique of spreading specific genes throughout a population may seem efficient on the surface, it should not be overlooked that it can have ecological ramifications that are difficult to predict.
Because the balance of an ecosystem is maintained not by a single species, but by a complex network of relationships.
Throughout the book, Roach constantly poses provocative questions.
We express our anger at animals and plants, but aren't these problems actually caused by human ignorance?
Through the voices of those working at the boundary between humans and nature, these conflicts reveal that they are not simply ecological issues, but complex social phenomena intertwined with policy, economics, culture, and emotions.
For both humans and nature to remain safe, we must keep an appropriate distance from each other and respect each other's territories.
Nature is not subject to control, and true coexistence can only begin with scientific understanding and empathy.
A exquisite blend of modern science, history, and his signature unabashed humor.
This book provides both pleasure and knowledge.
― Science News
Mary Roach is the only author who handles weird science so well.
― Wired
He poses mind-blowing questions that others would never dare ask, whether they are out of the blue or too obvious.
― The New York Times Book Review
Roach excels at capturing the landscape of the “foreign country” that is science.
It moves freely between the unique norms and novelties of the place, the eccentric personalities of the researchers, and the difficult language, and it is written beautifully.
― The Los Angeles Times
One of the bravest and most empathetic writers of our time, Roach's book is a mix of anecdote, research, and reflection.
― The Boston Globe
★★ New York Times bestseller
★★ Los Angeles Times Bestseller
Track the scene where human law and the instincts of plants and animals collide!
Mary Roach, considered one of America's most entertaining science writers, has published her new book, When Nature Breaks the Law.
Drawing on countless research and statistical data, vivid interviews, and meticulous fieldwork, he has unraveled the complex world of science in a unique and humorous way. In this book, he explores the unpredictable world that unfolds between humans, plants, and animals.
From the back alleys of Aspen, Colorado, to a village in the Indian Himalayas, to St. Paul's Square, Roach visits places where human law and plant and animal instincts collide.
Along the way, we meet and talk with experts who manage human-wildlife conflicts, bear managers, tree fellers and blasters, and forensic investigators who investigate predator attacks.
Are the plants and animals that cause such troubles really “nature’s lawbreakers”?
In fact, it is none other than us humans who are causing the real problem.
Fortunately, however, humans can use science to solve this problem.
Each issue, such as “How should we respond to animals crossing the road illegally?”, “How should we manage trees at risk of falling?”, and “How should we control birds that interfere with flight?”, requires careful review and a scientific approach, as it requires consideration of the characteristics of the species, the situation and background, and even the potential for secondary damage.
In this book, Roach offers a fresh exploration of the age-old question of “the coexistence of nature and humanity” with sharp insight, witty humor, and a compassionate gaze.
Problems caused by nature
Animals are creatures that follow instinct, not law.
They just eat, poop, defend their territory and protect their young.
Although they have no intention of harming humans, the moment that simple instinct touches the laws and norms of human society, discord arises.
This book contains a journey that tenaciously explores the very site of that conflict.
Roach investigates a bear rummaging through a trash can.
So-called "relocation"—capturing bears and releasing them elsewhere—seems like an easy solution, but in reality it's simply a way to move the problem to another location.
The author criticizes this method as nothing more than a “tool to manage public anxiety” when public attention is focused on it.
At the same time, it emphasizes the need for thorough efforts to manage trash cans.
In another scene, we see how the kindness of feeding animals leads to disaster.
For example, if the act of feeding monkeys is repeated, they become accustomed to human food and become bolder and eventually aggressive.
It is important to avoid allowing wild animals to perceive urban areas or human settlements as food sources.
People have no qualms about poisoning birds or harassing them with noise, lasers, or explosives to preserve farmland or prevent bird strikes.
However, the author believes that this appears closer to an act of revenge than an act of extermination.
In fact, it is difficult to find successful cases, as most of them do not achieve meaningful results.
This raises the question of how little humans understand the nature of nature.
Things are not much different in the plant world.
For example, old trees are classified as “dangerous trees” and removed because they are at risk of falling.
However, it is important to remember that rotting trees provide habitat for countless wild animals.
Ways humans solve problems
The problem of animal collisions on the road is closely related to our daily lives.
Mammals and birds perceive oncoming cars as predators, but they are unfamiliar with the car and its speed is too fast for them to avoid it.
This is why pigeons in the city center are relatively good at avoiding accidents, but accidents are frequent on highways.
The author covers a variety of real-world experiments and trials, including ecological corridors, warning signs, and microwave detectors, demonstrating that a scientific approach can provide sound solutions.
The common view among the experts Roach met was clear.
"Prevention is better than punishment." However, humans sometimes misunderstand the complex order of nature and focus on simple, immediate solutions.
In particular, various animal contraceptive methods, including immunological contraception implemented for population management, carry the risk of side effects as well as ethical controversies.
Moreover, even though it takes years for the effects to appear, people usually expect immediate changes as soon as they put measures in place.
The same goes for gene drive technology, which is covered in the latter part of the book.
While this technique of spreading specific genes throughout a population may seem efficient on the surface, it should not be overlooked that it can have ecological ramifications that are difficult to predict.
Because the balance of an ecosystem is maintained not by a single species, but by a complex network of relationships.
Throughout the book, Roach constantly poses provocative questions.
We express our anger at animals and plants, but aren't these problems actually caused by human ignorance?
Through the voices of those working at the boundary between humans and nature, these conflicts reveal that they are not simply ecological issues, but complex social phenomena intertwined with policy, economics, culture, and emotions.
For both humans and nature to remain safe, we must keep an appropriate distance from each other and respect each other's territories.
Nature is not subject to control, and true coexistence can only begin with scientific understanding and empathy.
A exquisite blend of modern science, history, and his signature unabashed humor.
This book provides both pleasure and knowledge.
― Science News
Mary Roach is the only author who handles weird science so well.
― Wired
He poses mind-blowing questions that others would never dare ask, whether they are out of the blue or too obvious.
― The New York Times Book Review
Roach excels at capturing the landscape of the “foreign country” that is science.
It moves freely between the unique norms and novelties of the place, the eccentric personalities of the researchers, and the difficult language, and it is written beautifully.
― The Los Angeles Times
One of the bravest and most empathetic writers of our time, Roach's book is a mix of anecdote, research, and reflection.
― The Boston Globe
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: November 20, 2025
- Page count, weight, size: 392 pages | 550g | 143*217*23mm
- ISBN13: 9788932925462
- ISBN10: 8932925461
You may also like
카테고리
korean
korean
![ELLE 엘르 스페셜 에디션 A형 : 12월 [2025]](http://librairie.coreenne.fr/cdn/shop/files/b8e27a3de6c9538896439686c6b0e8fb.jpg?v=1766436872&width=3840)
