This book fits very nicely into my interests. An academic river ecologist writing about his life and experiences, the species and environments he studies, and the challenges he faced. It was so interesting reading about what it is like doing fieldwork and academia, in an honest and heartfelt way. It was also really interesting actually learning about the species he was working with and their specific ecology and interactions. 

Elegy for a River is very factual, but also a joy to read for the writing style. Which, despite dealing with important issues (and Moorhouse doesn't diminish their importance in his style), is fun and readable. There are rarely large stretches of dull descriptions or writings. Moorhouse clearly demonstrates his love for the animals and the world he works in by the way he beautifully writes about them. 

This passion is obvious from his descriptions, but also from the intense emotion that he injects into his writing, especially the anguish he feels in his personal lack of quantifiable impact and people in power's lack of action. This comes through particularly in the last chapter, which I found genuinely moving.

I think, because I have a particular academic interest in this field, at times I would have liked Moorhouse to go into slightly more detail or take a more academic approach to explaining his study animals and areas, as he clearly has a lot he could say. Also, occasionally, I would have liked more in-depth thoughts and descriptions about his life in academia at the university and not just doing fieldwork. However, I realize these passages would appeal to a relatively niche audience. I understand, in the name of popular science, Moorhouse wrote how and what he did, and he did that well.

Overall, Elegy for a River is a delightful book that conveys so much feeling but simultaneously is so informative. Moorhouse juggles this well, but it really is an Elegy. A book in which Moorhouse truly shows his love for environments and species that are dying or dead, and there is an element of despair as Moorhouse feels he cannot stop it, no matter how much of his life he dedicates to it. Despite this, he also inspires the reader with his 'wild hope.' His partial optimism in the face of all odds is so very important, or else we and all of nature ('we' and 'nature' maybe should not be separated into individual words like that) are fucked.