The dorado catfish (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii), known as the dourada in Brazil and the zúngaro dorado in Colombia and Ecuador, is a goliath among freshwater fish. It commonly reaches 6 feet and 200 pounds.

For more than two centuries, our standard of living, measured by our national income, has been the defining measure of economic success, associated with rising incomes, expanding opportunities, and proliferating comforts.

Across North America, ribbons of crows stretch over highways, rivers, and neighborhoods, converging with uncanny precision on favored roosts. They arrive in waves, first a dozen, then hundreds, then thousands, until entire trees seem to pulse with life. The air fills with a chorus of caws, clicks, and rattling calls.