I found this book fascinating. So much interesting information about cities and the way they are changing things to help prevent as much damage from pollution and climate change.

Reading Wilson's books, I always learn about things I didn't expect to and Urban Jungle is no exception.

Covering parks and their history to trees and water to urban animals, this book takes you on a worldwide journey to learn about the interaction between nature and the city.

As is his style, I have added several new words to my vocabulary and learnt about plant and animal species I never knew about (bats with metre long wingspans?).

I didn't quite enjoy it as much as Metropolis, perhaps because I am more of a history lover or due to some repetitive vocabulary at points (notably when discussing sewage systems), but I am very glad I read it and shall be recommending it to friends.

I love Ben Wilson: reading his books has taught me more about urban life, past, present and future, than living in London and Liverpool, and enjoying an excellent education ever did. His skill lies in being able to present all the dry and dusty (and often depressing!) facts in a punchy, engrossing style. He makes it possible for me to share in his passion for his subject matter without expending any effort whatsoever.
This book is chock full of eye-opening detail about nature's ability to fight for survival amidst the man-made concrete jungles we have littered across the globe and the insects, birds and animals that now call our cities home.
Anyone looking for a bit of an academic fix about wildlife in our urban fortresses won't find a better book than this.

Thought this was brilliant. The only thing I didn't like was that some of the sections seemed to ramble and didn't fit in with the rest of the text, but it was all interesting.

I read and enjoyed Ben Wilson’s previous book, Metropolis, so felt sure I was in safe hands with Urban Jungle. And so it proved; what could have been a plain regurgitation of disturbing facts and figures is saved by his always clear, never dull writing. This time he set himself the task of writing about the ‘wild side of cities’, including the water, plants and animals that survive and sometimes thrive alongside the built environment. In setting out the reasons for changes in urban ecology, it provides a social history too.
One thing that surprised me was the sheer diversity of species in urban settings, even greater than in places we might think of as ‘nature’, but often at the expense of native species. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though: choosing those species that can thrive needs to be offset against preserving what has gone before.
It’s always a good sign when a description in a book sends me scurrying to an atlas or Google Street View. The sections on New York alone made me realise how little I know about its history, never mind its natural history and geology. And I don’t need much of an excuse to fancy visiting Paris but I now have a new place to interest me there – Nature Urbaine, the world’s largest rooftop farm.
At times it is pretty bleak reading about what has gone wrong and been lost but for each tale of impending doom there’s a happier one. Cities have been reclaimed by nature and subject to climate catastrophe before. Post-war Berlin and many places mid-pandemic have shown us the speed with which plants and animals can become established in undisturbed areas. There is room for hope. We might, with more knowledge, do better next time around.

"Urban Jungle" is a non-fiction book by Ben Wilson that explores the relationship between cities and nature. Wilson examines how cities have evolved over time to incorporate green spaces, from public parks to rooftop gardens, and how these spaces have shaped urban life and culture.

The book is a fascinating exploration of the history and ecology of cities, and Wilson's writing is both informative and engaging. He draws on a wide range of sources, from urban planning documents to scientific studies, to offer a comprehensive look at the ways in which cities and nature have interacted throughout history.

One of the strengths of "Urban Jungle" is its focus on the social and cultural significance of urban green spaces. Wilson discusses how parks and gardens have been used as sites for public gatherings and protests, as well as places for rest and relaxation. He also examines how the presence of nature in cities can have positive impacts on mental health and well-being.

Overall, "Urban Jungle" is a thought-provoking and well-researched book that offers a fresh perspective on the relationship between cities and nature. It is a must-read for anyone interested in urban ecology, urban planning, or the history of cities, and for anyone who wants to better understand the complex relationship between human society and the natural world.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, and no significant gaps between words, and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I really liked Metropolis by Ben Wilson which I thought was an open-minded and eclectic bounce between history, geography, and futurology. Urban Jungle, a book about cities and nature, has a similar tone but feels very much like an addendum. The big theme of biodiversity within cities could have been another chapter in Metropolis, and so while this is more detailed than that would be, a chapter of plants, a chapter on animals, and a chapter on urban farming seem like overkill.

Much like in Metropolis, Wilson wants to dispel the idea that cities are bad. Here that cities are bad for nature. He admits pollution and the destruction of natural habitats but spends much of the time marveling at how nature endures through it. Trees that grow off of brick walls, the weeds that spring from the cracks. Biodiversity numbers are often to be queried, there might be 300 separate species on a bomb site but how sustainable are those species in the long run (not least if the city then paves them over), but he does a good job of cataloging cities which have accepted this transient form of nature. He is also good at showing how rewilding is actually protection from some of the harsher effects of climate change, and the cities that have particularly destroyed their local environments are in more trouble.

Its a good, swift read, and as per Metropolis full of excellent tidbits of information, and namedrops the places you know (so the wilds of Hackney and the River Lea Wetlands centre get a tick, as does the canopies of Shanghai's French Concession). It does feel like it is not a subject that close to his heart though, he loves cities, and he loves nature in cities but only in as much as they are part of the cities. There is notably no manifesto here, no real suggestions of what cities should do (he was equally unprescriptive in Metropolis though it felt the weight of case studies there suggested pathways). Partially this is because his theme is that nature will out whatever we do. Whether we will out with it is the question he seems surprisingly ambivalent on.

This is the perfect book If you are a gardener aor interested in how the nature is reconquering spaces in our cities.
There's a lot to do, a lot of food for thought and the author did an excellent job in keeping the attention alive.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I have been aware of the Wood Wide Web and the surprising connection between various fungi growing many miles apart, this book takes things to a whole new level in as much as, amongst many things, it explains how the average back-gardener is keeping alive many species from around the world. In reality more species from around the world than native species. This symbiosis works very well as long as things are kept with bounds.

Overall, Urban Jungle is an easy read and Ben Wilson does a great job of educating the reader into the convolutions of the "plant" world when it comes to the (sub)urban world we live in. There is hope!

Wish I could do a better job of outlining the many benefits to be gained from reading this book. Please do read it as it is fascinating, surprising and educating book.

I really liked Ben Wilson's last book Metropolis, and was looking forward to reading this one. At first "Urban Jungle" appeared quite daunting as it looked at the history of nature in our cities whilst including, among many topics, climate change, pandemics and their impact on our surroundings. Whilst these subjects are enormous in scope it was the small details that stood out as he gave us an unusual insight into the everyday things we take for granted in our cities. A great reminder to us all to reflect more on what we see around us and nuggets of facts to recount to friends and family.
As with Metropolis the structure of the book allowed me to handle the considerable depth of content into manageable parts whilst maintaining a consistent thread. Overall a fascinating and timely read as we all deal with environmental pressures both locally and potentially catastrophic ones globally.
Thank you to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book

An unusual insight into the rare rural areas within our modern cities. It looks at climate change, pandemics and the modern world that is ever changing. A modern look at an old world.