Ways of Nature

"Ways of Nature" by John Burroughs is a set of thoughtful essays from the early 1900s that looks closely at how animals act and how much of their behavior is just built-in instincts versus actual smart thinking; it also pushes back against the idea of giving animals too many human-like qualities. The author shares that he decided to write these after getting letters from students wondering about bird intelligence. He then talks about how popular writers often make animals seem too much like people, warning that we shouldn't make their actions seem better or more thoughtful than they really are. With a handful of interesting real-life stories, he thinks about how wild animals use instinct and judgement, highlighting that most of what they do isn't based on reason, but recognizing that sometimes they do things that seem almost intelligent; with this in mind, the collection begins a careful look at nature, mixing observations with deeper questions about the world.