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Elk River Books presents Christopher Preston
November 4 @ 8:00 am - November 30 @ 5:00 pm
Philosopher and author Christopher J. Preston will discuss his book, Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife
Recoveries That Change How We Think about Animals, in which he takes a look at several
animal species that are defying the tendency toward extinction, at Livingston’s Elk River Books
on Thursday, Nov. 30.
The news about wildlife is dire—more than 900 species have been wiped off the planet since
industrialization. Against this bleak backdrop, however, there are glimmers of hope and crucial
lessons to be learned from animals that have defied global trends toward extinction: bears in
Italy, bison in North America, whales in the Atlantic Ocean. These populations are back from the
brink, some of them in numbers unimaginable. How did this happen? What shifts in thinking did
it demand?
Drawing on compelling personal stories from the researchers, Indigenous people, and activists
who know the creatures best, Preston weaves together a gripping narrative of how some species
are taking back vital ecological roles. Each section of the book—farms, prairies, rivers, forests,
oceans—offers a philosophical shift in how humans ought to think about animals, passionately
advocating for the changes in attitude necessary for wildlife recovery.
Preston is an English-born writer and philosophy professor based in Missoula. He has written on
topics related to wildlife, environment, climate, and technology for venues that include The
Atlantic, Orion, Smithsonian, Discover, the BBC, and the Wall Street Journal. His award-
winning book, The Synthetic Age: Outdesigning Evolution, Resurrecting Species, and
Reengineering Our World, has been translated into six languages. In early 2023, he won an
annual award from the International Society for Environmental Ethics for his work as a public
philosopher.
Elk River Books is located at 122 S. 2 nd St. in downtown Livingston. The free event begins at 7
p.m., and a book signing and reception will follow. For more information, send an email to
info@elkriverbooks.com or call (406) 333-2330.