Book Description

"Harrowing shoreside reading."­­Booklist

"Should be required reading for all ocean sailors."­­Library Journal

The first book to recount the disastrous events of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race, Fatal Storm is sure to be a popular paperback selection. Rob Mundle takes readers through every white-knuckling hour of the gale that descended in the predawn hours of December 27, stretching over 900 miles from Australia to New Zealand, bringing with it hurricane strength winds and five-story waves. In all, 57 sailors were rescued, plucked from the decks of broken boats or from the sea itself under impossible conditions. Six sailors died.

A Sydney-Hobart Race veteran himself, Rob Mundle had total and unequaled access to the people behind the story. The result is a tale of extreme adventure, extraordinary will, and the overwhelming emotional tales of survivors, rescuers, and the bereaved.

Reviews (16)

Clip on your lifeline!
If you've ever wondered what it's really like to be inside the cabin of a sailboat that has just been flipped by an 80-foot wave and 100 mph winds, read Fatal Storm. Mundle's sailing experience and descriptive prose made this fateful race come alive for me. Long after I had put the book down from a record three-hour reading session, my world was still rocking, I still felt the wind and rain in my face, and I found myself glancing behind, waiting for the next rogue wave to slam me down one more time. Anyone even remotely interested or connected to the world of sailing should not miss this spellbinding tale. Most important, you will remember its important lessons when you leave for an offshore cruise or race of your own.

Stormy, Stormy Night.
This is simply a superb book. Its narrative force practically places you on board a number of the yachts as they head toward Hobart. It is both well researched and written, being based on many interviews with race participants, and does not skimp on the necessary factual information. The text is also well supported by an amazing group of photographs. Those who have read The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger will find this book irresistable. For those who have not, I suggest you buy both!

Great Subject; Well Written
I read this book just before reading Bruce Knecht's version of the 1998 Sydney-Hobart race titled: The Proving Ground. I think Fatal Storm is a better book. It is focused on the facts and personalities that really mattered; and is written in a straight forward style. He does not try and create drama where there is none, nor does he give inordinant attention to flamboyant, prominent people who were not really at the center of the race tragedy. He may have omitted details of interpersonal tension and questions of competency within race teams (such as the Sword of Orion) but he might have been making a prudent judgment call in doing so. (While Bruce Knecht is very direct in describing intra-team problems and discord, one suspects he is blowing tenuous facts out of proportion to create drama.) My one criticism is not unique: the book is organized first by time frame, then by yacht. It's difficult to follow as there is a fair amount of information about other boats between leaving the discussion of one boat, then picking it up again.

Great Read for a long airline flight
I finished this book on a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles...with one disaster after another occurring in this massive storm, the writer keeps the reader actively turning pages throughout the book. You would not believe the bravery of everyone involved, from the actual racing teams to the rescue teams, not one person was left unphased by this experience.

I am not an active sailor now, but with some experience in racing with a crew on sailboats, I found the account of this true story gripping.

Certainly, a fun book to read, even if you are not into sailing. It may even convince you to never go open ocean sailing!

Interesting
A pretty good read. The story jumped around a bit, but you can keep up with it. The map toward the start was a big help in locating where the accidents happened. The pictures could have used a little more explaining. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

The Real Deal
This product is great for anyone interested in getting involved in keeping their enviroment healthy. The products and information contained within the pages of this book will guide the novice to the right product choice for their needs. This book is the stepping-stone for a sustainable life in harmoney with nature. At the least this liturature will be informative and enlighten the reader to one's place on earth.

One of the major areas addressed in this catalog is waste management. The average family consumes more than fifty gallons of water a day in toilet water, which must be recycled either through chemical or natural treatment before it can be used by humans again. Another problem caused by human consumption in normal life is garbage. This book addresses both of these issues rationally and offers suggestions to limit and eliminate some of the causes of this enourmouse amount of consumption.

Out of everything consumed by the human population, what we consume the most is energy; we need energy in one form or another to power our vehicles, homes, and to produce the products we use. This book focuses on products that use renewable energy sources the sun, wind, and water. It also informs people that some apliences, even when off, are still eating energy in the form of phantom loads, this can account for twenty-five percent of an energy bill. Addressing this issue can mean a significant savings. This book also offers products that cut energy consumption in half when in use.

Another catagory is enviromental quality of the home and office, ofering healthy cleansers, an alternative to the heath threatening harsh volitile organic compounds commonly found. Features of these products are recycled material and more biodegradeable components.

This catalog offers a large range of products, from construction material, to household essentials, to resource guides and how-to books. It is a great help for anyone who wants a healthy life for their family.

A fair introduction to Alternative energy sources
Be aware that this product is 25% information and 75% sales catalog. It provides a brief overview of a particular technology and then presents the reader with many pages of products addressing that technology. Whilst this is a useful introduction to (say) wind generators for home use, $... is a lot of money to charge for a catalog. This book/catalog tries to address everything from passive solar to hydro-electric power generation, but doesn't really do a great job on any of it. Not a bad introduction, but certainly not a "must have' kind of book.

Worth every cent in having understanding of alternatives!
At least for anyone looking to cheese off the oil and power companies!! I'm not a bleeding heart, but I do kind of have to live on this planet! If I can do so without mucking it up, well, that's probably a good thing. This book made it easy to clean up at least my own act!

This book has paid for itself a dozen times over in the money I have saved in electrical costs! The tech chapters were over my head, but my electrician understood them and (thank God) was willing to try something new! A fine book!!

A necessary book for all interested in effficient living
From novices to pros, this book explains Renewable energy and efficient building practices. Great reference to start design and cost estimation from each section. One of the best features of this book is the addition of the National Electric Code for RE systems. It's possible to pick a building material to build a house, design a solar electric system, decide on appliances, determine the use of a greywater system, and more from 562 pages. No more looking up pages on the net!

Way Over my Head
Even though I hold a masters degree I am not able to follow the techno lingo in this book. It seems its written by engeneers for wanna-be-engeneers. It holds some interesting descriptions on appliances and other solar gadgets but it is certainly not for the everage person intersted in the solar energy field. Is it not possible to write a simple book. This kind of book hurts more then it helps because it dicourages. ... Read more

Book Description

This exceptionally comprehensive, single-source introduction to the art, science, theories, practices, and issues of wildlife management is ideal for the novice in the subject. Features full-chapters on predators, urban wildlife, policy, water, soil, diseases, conservation biology. New, up-to-date issues covered include the removal of dams, global warming, emerging diseases among elk and deer, adaptive harvest management, animal rights groups, women hunters, population data, migratory animals and more. For anyone interested in an exceptionally comprehensive introduction to wildlife management and conservation. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

The new edition of this text has been fully updated throughout and features expanded sections on issues such as global warming, biotechnology, and energy. Global Issuesis an introduction to the nature and background of some of the central issues - economic, social, political, environmental - of modern times. It will provide the basis for a stimulating course for beginning students in departments of geography, politics, sociology and environmental science. The book opens with an overview of the complex political, cultural and natural origins of world problems and of why some nations are rich and some are poor. The author then discusses in depth such issues as population growth, hunger, the extinction of species, global warming and climatic change, ozone depletion, energy conservation, deforestation, and the misuse of technology.The book covers a range of perspectives on a diversity of societies, developed and developing. The author writes clearly, stressing the need, by argument and by exemplification, for informed, critical thinking. Students are shown both the decisions that have been made - and the resulting failures and successes - and the choices that must now be faced if crucial problems are to be solved.The book is extensively illustrated with diagrams and photographs, contains guides to further reading, media, and internetresources, and includes suggestions for discussion and studying the material. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent one volume intro to how all the issues connect.
I used this book as text for high school "Global Studies" courses, and thought it was terrific in its understandable but not watered down treatment of the big issues -- war, hunger, women's rights,population, environment, etc.Shows how these issues relate to each other.It was a stretch for 9th graders, but would be perfect for high schoolseniors or college intro. ... Read more

Book Description

Long overshadowed by his contemporaries Charles Darwin and Thomas H. Huxley, Alfred Russel Wallace was an English naturalist and pioneer evolutionist who researched biological diversity through extensive exploration and travel. Independent of Darwin, Wallace developed a theory of evolution through natural selection, which ultimately spurred Darwin to complete and publish his ownOrigin of Species. Famous for drawing "Wallace's Line," the boundary line separating the Asian and Australian zoological regions, Wallace's studies of the distribution of plants and animals pioneered an evolutionary approach to global and island biogeography.The Alfred Russel Wallace Reader: A Selection of Writings from the Field is the first book to reintroduce Wallace to a general readership beyond the cadre of scientists and historians familiar with his work.

Reviews (2)

Historic Justice for A.R. Wallace
Jane Camerini has performed a great service to all who are
interested in evolutionary theory. Wallace deserves to be
regarded as the co-founder of the modern theory of evolution.
He also wrote on a wide range of scientific and social topics.
Camerini's introductory remarks to each of the essays in this
collection help put them in their context.

a Wallace reader for the layperson
Jane Camerini's slender anthology of Wallace's writings (and writings about him) is intended to provide an introduction to the great naturalist, primarily through his adventures in the field. Camerini has chosen a format for presenting this information very similar to that provided by another Wallace scholar, Barbara Beddall, whose "Wallace and Bates in the Tropics" was published way back in 1969. Camerini supplements excerpts from four books with her own introductory commentaries and a few additional Wallace essays, hoping that this will give the reader unfamiliar with his accomplishments some feel for them. I think she succeeds in this endeavor. The book is well organized and presented, including a number of interesting photos and figures, and Camerini's editorial commentaries are mostly right on target. Yet I cannot help but feel the brevity of the treatment will leave some readers puzzled. I'm not sure that the decision to include several essays of a more technical nature in a 200 page work was well advised; the gap between the fieldwork studies and Wallace's thought is considerable--not unfathomable, but not straightforward either--and the average reader may need more help than Camerini gives to appreciate the transition. Alternately, it might have been interesting to dwell strictly on the field studies--incorporating a greater diversity of excerpts--and then merely to refer to his future philosophical directions in a page or two of editorial comment at the end. Still, an interesting contribution to Wallace studies, and one which is likely to both complement and not duplicate the several others that will be appearing over the next months. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

North America's freshwater habitats and the extraordinary biodiversity they contain are facing unprecedented threats from a range of sources, including flow alteration, habitat fragmentation, introduced species, and overall land use changes. With nearly every freshwater system suffering from some degree of degradation and conservation resources limited, there is an urgent and practical need to set priorities.

As an initial step in identifying those areas where protective and restorative measures should be implemented first, World Wildlife Fund-US assembled a team of leading scientists to conduct a conservation assessment of freshwater ecoregions. Freshwater Ecoregions of North America presents that assessment and outlines measures that must be taken to conserve, and in many cases restore, native biodiversity. The book:

• identifies freshwater ecoregions that support globally outstanding biological diversity
• assesses the types and immediacy of threats to North American ecoregions
• identifies gaps in information that hamper an accurate evaluation of biodiversity
• provides a broad-scale framework for conservation activities

In addition, it offers appendixes that provide detailed descriptions of methodologies, raw scores and statistical analysis of results, and an integrated biological distinctiveness and conservation status index. Also included are 21 full-color maps.

Freshwater Ecoregions of North America is an authoritative reference on a subject of vital importance, and will be an essential tool for scientists, conservation professionals, students, and anyone interested in the conservation of North America's freshwater systems. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Green Lantern...
In the sphere of the social sciences, a long standing bias has existed against the so-called "natural sciences:" the lack of rhetorical power, and more simply, of terminological variability, has turned away sociologists, anthropologists, and historians from the literature of natural science. This bias is evident, but at base, irrational, at least by the uniform standards for scholarship that transcends disciplines. After all, the sociologist cannot simply write-off the work of the economist, just because of language.

This important work, although highly priced, must be read by social scientists as well as by natural scientists. Editor Robin Abell, with her talented staff at WWF-USA, have put together an inherently readable account of what "ecoregions" are threatened, while enumerating the attributes and possible threats to these areas. A reader, like myself, who knows little about such things , is sure to find themself surprisingly drawn to what otherwise seem like trivialities. For example, the consistent format of the volume, from section to section, provides the reader with a template, or general design, by which whole areas of geography can be understood.

And this understanding goes past the parochial association of one region with the "political unit" it is found in.

The title of this mini-review was not only meant to be teasing: it is my hope that more writers and editors adopt the style that Abell et al. have established. Perhaps then important subjects like this can climb closer to the center of the public conscience.

Insightful New Approach
The first approach anywhere that looks not only at scale of biodiversity loss and priorities for conservation for our often over-looked freshwater resources. This book is essential for anyone who truly cares about North America's diverse natural habitats.

The maps in the book are wonderful. They effectively convey areas which are spectacular and also the areas that are most threatened. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Perfect Intro to Permaculture
A wonderful introduction to permaculture, by an experienced writer (How to Make a Forest Garden) and practitioner. PN lays out the basic principles of permaculture theory in an easy-to-understand, no-nonsense manner, providing pertinent examples and diagrams for clarity when necessary. For more a more in-depth look at this fascinating, important subject, see Permaculture: A Design Manuel by Bill Mollison or Permaculture: Principles and Pathways by David Holmgren. Finally, a note one Whitefield's statisics. Despite what some have said, they are accurate. Read Natural Capitalism for verification.

Reinventing community
I'm perplexed as to why the Dutch reviewer is so dissatisfied with this little primer on permaculture. From where I sit, Patrick Whitefield has done a marvelous job of introducing the worldview and techniques of permaculture to beginners.

Permaculture is above all a new way of envisioning the world and our (human) relationship to it such that we become sensitive to the vast interconnectedness of species. To live and grow food permaculturally is to work with rather than against nature. The two cardinal principles of permaculture is that work is any need not met by the eco-system in which one dwells, and pollution is any output not absorbable by the eco-system. The permaculturalist seeks to design living and food-producing systems such that both work and pollution are minimalized.

Permaculture, which flows from the deep ecology sensibility that the world's natural resources are limited and in many cases nonrenewable, encourages us to rethink what we mean by community. Community isn't exclusively human, and it isn't a gridwork suburb carved out of the natural terrain. It's instead an environment in which "useful connections between different elements in a system" are recognized and nurtured "so that as many inputs as possible are provided from within the system, and as many of the outputs as possible are used within it." (p. 53) When you think about it, this understanding of community applies to human families, urban neighborhoods, bioregional groupings, and so on. Reenvisioning community in this way leaves a lighter footprint upon the earth and improves the quality of life for all species in the process.

Whitefield's book is a good starting place for anyone who wishes to simplify their life, nurture the good earth, and improve the lot of all species. Give it a read and rediscover what our ancestors knew but we've forgotten: that humans must live in harmony with nature or cease to live.

I wish I could get my money back
60% Propaganda 30% good intentions and 10% technological inexactitude

It is difficult to review a book where the Author is so blatantly biased with out being accused of being biased ones self.

It this book represents permaculture that it is the greatest dis-service permaculture has ever received. I bought the book to find out more, but was left with the impression that is was little more that unrealistic townie clap trap. The examples are incomplete, very short on sound biology, and fall into their own trap by being unsustainable. The book makes wild claims that are easily disproven ( the math's demonstrably wrong). The propaganda is at best thinly disguised and very poorly done, clasic shock tactics with examples taken out of context to prove a point.

I fine it incredible that an Author with so much apparent qualification can fail so miserably and dangerously. Forget this book and read John Seymore's Complete Self Sufficiency ' it has stood the test of time.

I wish I could get my money back

Start here for a sustainable life!
This is an informative, short and cheap general introduction to permaculture, the design of sustainable living. It has been re-issued due to popular demand. Experienced British permaculture designer and teacher Patrick Whitefield explains how permaculture can enrich our lives in the city, on the farm and in the community.

In brief, permaculture focuses on the conscious design of efficient ecological systems.

'Work = any need not met by the system. Pollution = any output not met by the system' (p. 14)

So it is immediately apparent that by careful design both work and pollution can be minimised. Nature, of course, does this without having to think about it, which is why permaculture systems attempt to emulate natural processes.

Though this book is less than a hundred pages long, it has enough detail to get you started on some serious practical projects. The information on 'making a mulch bed' transformed my stony, undiggable back yard into a highly productive vegetable garden in just one growing season, with very little effort (and thankfully no digging!). The book also includes plenty of contact details for taking permaculture further, which, after reading Permaculture in a Nutshell, you will be unable to resist! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Eminently Readable analysis of enviromental concerns
For a throughly researched, densly written , book of facts to be readable is almost a contradiction. Yet this is exactly what J.R. McNeill has accomplished. He is a Historian, most interested in change, objective in his assesment of those changes (Who and What benefits, Who and What doesn't), anthropocentric(a viewpoint too often missing in environmental studies), and broad-minded concerning possible approaches to problems (the shark has done very well for a very long time).

What makes this such an important book aside from its readability and penetrating analysis, is perspective. J.R. McNeill considers history without consideration of the life-support system of Earth or ecology that neglects social forces, incomplete and capable of leading to dangerous conclusions. Further, "Both history and ecology are, as fields of knowledge go, supremely integrative. They merely need to integrate with one another."

Having grown up in Pittsburgh, Pa., I can attest to the author's history of Pittsburgh and to his grasp of the complexity of problems there (for instance: Andrew Carnegie found the level of pollution intolerable, later some unions fought smoke-control). In today's world, no matter where we live or what work we do,environmental issues will arise.

This book by elucidating the processes and trends that underly today's world, gives us a foundation on which to base our opinions and choices, working toward the day when we , in the author's words, "Make our own luck, rather than trusting to luck..."

The 20th Century: Prodigal or Profligate?
"The human race, without intending anything of the sort, has undertaken a gigantic uncontrolled experiment on the earth. In time, I think, this will appear as the most important aspect of twentieth-century history, more so than World War II, the communist enterprise, the rise of mass literacy, the spread of democracy, or the growing emancipation of women." (J. R. McNeill)

Over the past few years there have been a spate of histories of the 20th century. Most of them have been written from traditional, often Eurocentric, historical perspectives that focus upon political history set in the context of socioeconomic development and ideological and military conflict. J. R. McNeill's *Something New Under the Sun* replaces the political narrative, usually found at the center of histories, with an environmental one. It invites readers to reevaluate the legacy of the 20th century.

By any measure, the 20th century is, as McNeill characterizes it, "a prodigal century." In terms of growth of population, economic development, and energy production and consumption, it is a case of 'quantity having a quality of its own.' On the one hand, it is a triumph of the human species. (McNeill suggests readers consider that over the past 4 billion years of human history, 20% of all human life-years took place in the 20th century.) On the other hand, this prodigal century - this triumph of human ingenuity - has also exacted an unprecedented environmental cost. It is this trade-off that McNeill's book explores.

McNeill's approach is interdisciplinary, and the book is divided into two sections. The first section is organized around transformations to the lithosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere, and the resulting pollution and resource depletion. Each topic includes a (very) brief conceptual introduction, case studies from around the world, (black and white) photos, maps, and tables. This section also includes the best example of unintentional environmental consequences. McNeill introduces Thomas Midgely, the inventor of leaded gasoline and Freon, "[who] had more impact on the atmosphere than any other organism in earth history."

In the second section, McNeill introduces the 'engines of change" - 1) population growth, migration, and urbanization, 2) energy, technology, and economic growth, and 3) politics and environmental awareness. The pulses of 'coketowns' and 'motowns' take place amidst the tumultuous social, economic, and political events of the 20th century. Environmental awareness doesn't take root until the 70's - a critical period for women as well. (His examples of Rachel Carson and Wangari Maathai were well chosen - and gendered.) In his epilogue (So What?), McNeill's history portends an environmental crunch, a change of circumstances - a dilemma unlike the world has witnessed so far.

"With our new powers we banished some historical constraints on health and population, food production, energy use, and consumption generally. Few who know anything about life with these constraints regret their passing. But in banishing them we invited other constraints in the form of the planet's capacity to absorb wastes, by-products, and impacts of our actions. The latter constraints had pinched occasionally in the past, but only locally. By the end of the twentieth century, they seemed to restrict our options globally. Our negotiations with these constraints will shape the future as our struggles against them shaped our past." (J. R. McNeill)

*Something New Under The Sun* is written in a popular style well suited to both non-fiction readers and students. Readers of environmental historians like William Cronon, William McNeill, or Alfred Crosby will certainly find McNeill's book interesting. Personally I think that McNeill's global perspective of the 20th century will stand the test of time.

So What?
I have a read a few good histories but, in terms of relevance, this one takes the cake. No other single-bound volume (that I know of) captures the sweeping changes humanity has wrought in the physical environment. Indeed, of all other life, homo sapiens alone has distinguished itself as a global geo-physical force. You will also notice that this history is less controversial than most, as J. R. McNeil takes a strictly empirical, scientific approach. Very explicitly, McNeil lays out how humanity's emphasis on unrestrained, fast-paced industrialization has cost millions of lives, driven many species to extinction, and utterly altered the stability of the biosphere. Without a doubt, unless more people gain the kind of perspective this book provides, we will surely witness continued destruction well into this century as well. After reading this book, whatever "So what?" attitude you may have had about the environment will have dissipated completely.

Well-written environmental history
McNeill's basic thesis is that in environmental terms, the 20th century has been unprecedented in human history and planetary history in general. He points out that the impact of humankind's breathtaking technological advancements in the last 100 or so years can be likened to a major cataclysm, like an asteroid hitting the planet. The book provides a wealth of background information on a number of major technical/technological developments, and how they have improved the lives of many people but also damaged or imperiled the air, water and soil that sustain all life. McNeill is hardly a Luddite or a primitivist, but he does make some reasonable calls for restraint and, perhaps, a worldwide assessment of where human economic/industrial/technological activities are taking the planet. Interesting in this vein is his consideration, toward the end of the book, of how the economic thought of the last century, with its adherence to the concept of unlimited growth, has played a key role in preventing such an assessment. As he points out, overcoming this way of thinking represents a daunting task, since these (Anglo-American) economic doctrines have assumed the status of irrefutable dogma - like any system of religious beliefs.

Of rats, sharks, and history
Most science writing nowadays must be interdisciplinary; able to use empirical evidence and relevant concepts, theories, and conclusions from vastly different fields of enquiry. Would you expect the same of a history book? Although this book's publishing category is science/environment it really should be history. The author says as much. This is "a history of - and for - environmentally tumultuous times". And that history is broad. From the ancient days when the book of Ecclesiastes was written to our modern era of Nobel Prize winning physicists, there has been a remarkable common conception of our planet as immutable and infinite. In contrast to the biblical gentleman who said there was nothing new under the sun, or physicist Robert Millikan who saw Earth's vastness as effectively shielding it from real harm from humanity, J R McNeill sees SOMETHING NEW UNDER THE SUN and it's simply that "the place of humankind within the natural world is not what it was."

Can we link man's history with that of the natural or biological world? Many have tried from both sides of the equation. Great historians and thinkers like Kant, Marx and Pierre Tielhard de Chardin have seen a direction and inevitability about history while Berlin and Popper spoke eloquently against historicism. This book doesn't go there nor does it tackle the attempt by some evolutionary biologists to explain all we see in life as determined at the genetic level. Great scientists from Einstein forward have sought some unifying or final theory and it's still going on. Today sociobiologists, quantum physicists and game theorists say they have the answers.

What McNeill contributes to this is his view that "in recent millennia, cultural evolution has shaped human affairs more than biological evolution has. Societies...unconsciously pursue survival strategies of adaptability or of supreme adaptation." The entire book is a brilliant exposition on this point. How mankind, like the rat, was a creature that used adaptability to select for fitness for exploitation of new niches created when short term environmental shocks killed off competition. I say "was" because McNeill convincingly argues that in the 20th century we have tended more towards the strategy of supreme adaptation. Best typified by the shark this is fine-tuned specialization that "is rewarded by continuous success only so long as governing conditions stay the same." The stability required for continued success in this system is based on "stable climate, cheap energy and water, and rapid population and economic growth". Through chapters such as "The Atmosphere: Urban History", "The Hydrosphere: Depletions, Dams and Diversions", "More People, Bigger Cities" and "Fuels, Tools and Economics" he uses tables and data and balanced and thoughtful reasoning to show that these conditions are neither static nor stable, and he effectively makes his pont. His point is not that of a Cassandra warning of an impending environmental apocalypse but something more measured. "We might then consciously choose a world that would require only irksome adaptations on our part and avoid traumatic ones." Couched in these terms his message is much more likely to be read, thought about, and most importantly acted upon. If nothing else McNeill would encourage us to act as the very process itself will "distinguish us from rats and sharks." ... Read more

Amazon.com

As the subtitle of David Quammen's Monster of God: The Man-Eating Predator in the Jungles of History and the Mind suggests, his fascination centers on those animals that raise human "awareness of being meat," and he likens the historic impact of these predators to modern-day car accidents: sudden, unexpected, life-changing. While his research is extraordinary--encompassing extensive field work and diverse reading on the science and lore surrounding predatory animals--Quammen's peripatetic mind jumps from history to psychology to ecology and from Africa to Russia to Australia, sometimes leaving his readers without a base camp to recuperate during the breath-taking journey.

His research on the lions of Gir forest in India, on the crocodiles of Northern Australia, on the bears of the Carpathian Mountains in Romania, and on the Siberian tigers of Far East Russia finds animals held in constant tension, encircled by every-expanding human populations. But Quammen doesn't oversimplify the conflicts. Often, in fact, Quammen has so much to say about competing interests that he makes several false starts before finding his true theme. Recalling his reading in the l970s literature on crocodiles in Africa, for example, Quammen abruptly jumps to a failed farming and reintroduction project begun in India before finally settling into the investigation of Northern Australia's Crocodylus Park.

These changes in geography, time, and perspective can be disorienting in a book that is already complicated by its several competing approaches. Adding to the abundance, Quammen explores human population growth projections, images of the Leviathan in the Bible, keystone species theory, the Muskrat hypothesis (the idea that the "wastage parts" of an animal species are the ones most likely to suffer predation), and the 1994 discovery of the Chauvet cave paintings. Yet Quammen, author of The Soing of the Dodo moves with such ease through this wilderness of ideas that even the most difficult material becomes palatable.--Patrick O’Kelley ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Without these monsters, what will happen to life?
Taking the reader on a voyage across the globe, David Quammen tries to distill the essence of man-eating predators down to something that people across the world can appreciate before it is too late.

Quammen focuses on four distinct predators: the asiatic lions of the Gir forest in India, the crocodiles of the Arnhem Land Reserve in Northen Australia, the brown bears of the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, and the tigers of the Sikhote-Alin range in the Russian Far East. It is the predators, people and their interactions that make up most of the book. Sort of a travel narrative that focuses on the people and wildlife. The rest of the book contains Quammen's ruminations on the predator in human culture and literature (Beowulf, Gilgamesh, the Bible, the Alien movies, etc...).

Throughout the book, the reader gets the feeling that things are not going well for the predators and Quammen focuses on that at the end of the book. Predators are slowing going extinct, and due to their nature as "keystone species" (species whose small populations control the populations of other animals and fauna in their respective regions) could have an adverse effect on life across the world if they do disappear.

All around, this is a great book.

Highly Recommended!

Living with Lions
This book is amazing. As in it's predecessor, The Song of the Dodo, David Quammen acheives an amazing feat by combining science, travel stories, literature, history, and philosophy (and a sprinkling of pop culture) into a compelling discussion of the fate of what he calls "alpha predators" in this modern world. Quammen traveled to India to visit people living among lions (yes, lions), Australia to visit people living among crocodiles, Romania to visit people living with brown bears (who knew?), and the Russian Far East to visit people living with tigers. Each of these pieces is a distinct story by itself, with its own set of characters, yet Quammen sews them all together with common concerns about predators, prey, and who pays the price of having these alpha predators around. Sensitive to traditional cultures as he is to natural ecosystems, Quammen is a great writer producing unique literature that is important for our time.

A wonderful read
A very insightful and wonderful account of the relations between man and the man-eaters in both myth, mind and memory. The author tackles several subjects in this hands-on accounts. The author looks at traditional 'man-eaters' although the word itself disturbs him in his politically correct nature, he looks at the Siberian Tigers, the Lions and even the Bears of Rumania. He looks at the myths surrounding the 'man-eaters' and he analyzes the political responses. He tells wonderful tales of the alligators of Australia and weaves a web of intrigue whereby the reader can now distinguish between the truly lethal 'man-eaters' and the skinny snouted harmless critters of the inland streams. Many stories are interwoven including vast accounts of the natives who like always seem to live 'in harmony' with nature. Only when modern man came along with his weapons and his urban development did the truly viscous kings of the animal kingdom disappear. The only shortcoming is the small amount of room devoted to wolves and sharks, but obviously the book is such a wonderful gem to only so much could be covered, especially since the account is part travel writing.

Seth J. Frantzman

Conservation of Animals that can Kill and Eat You
One of the major deficiencies in planning for the conservation of animals is that often the difficulties of local humans are not recognized. It is quite easy to sit in a comfortable office and decree that this organism or that organism be protected, without examining the consequences to the often-poor inhabitants of the land where the said organism lives. This is especially true when the organism is at least an occasional predator of Homo sapiens. In "Monster of God" David Quammen has examined the consequences of the conservation policy for both the target predators and the humans inhabiting the same territory. It is not a totally pretty story, with both animal and local human often on the short end of the stick.

Quammen does not romanticize the predators, but he does make us aware of their importance in the ecosystem as well as the difficulties of the local peoples who have to live with them. Sometimes an accommodation can be worked out and sometimes it is on very shaky ground. It is always a complex interplay between predator and human. Indeed, predators cannot be either over romanticized or demonized if we are to save and stabilize the populations of these magnificent, yet dangerous, animals. Their loss would be regrettable, but their conservation must include adequate respect for the difficulties of people living with a dangerous predator nearby.

Yes, despite some nonsense written in the last century, crocodiles will eat people if given the chance. Lions, tigers and bears can and will also eat humans under the right circumstances. The recent death of two grizzly bear activists by the claws of their "gentle" subjects should provide a cautionary tale. These are not totally benign life forms- some sort of living stuffed toy- but neither are they evil.

Quammen's discussion of mythic monsters adds some historical background to the uneasy relationship between man and predator. That humans have a history of fearing the beast beyond the fire and of interpreting fossil skulls wrongly in this light is not surprising. However, Quammen does doubt the existence of a primordial ancestral fear gained from our precursors on the African veldt. Certainly one should avoid man-eating and ultimately frightening creatures. But does that then give us leave to utterly destroy them?

Unless we are able to develop a compromise between the needs of people and the animals involved we may very well see the end of large predators. The complexities of this problem has been well stated by David Quammen. He has written an eye-opening book that should be read by everybody interested in the conservation of these remarkable and frightening animals.

exceptional book on mythology, history, and biology
I really enjoyed this exceptional book on the mythology, culture, history, and biology of man-eaters around the world. Though he primarily focuses on four specific animals - the Asiatic lion in the forest of Gir in India, the saltwater crocodile in northern Australia, the brown bear in the forests and mountains of Romania, and the Siberian (or more properly Amur) tiger of the Russian Far East- author David Quammen discusses other predators as well, such as the African lion, the grizzly of North America, the Nile crocodile, and the leopard as well as some now extinct species.

Quammen does an excellent job of covering just about any aspect you might wish to learn about animals that occasionally dine on man. Aspects of ecology are very well covered, introducing the reader to many key concepts in ecology (particularly as they relate to these creatures), such as the terms alpha predator, keystone species, and trophic cascades, showing that for a healty ecosystem - including healthy plants and prey animals - the presence of a viable population of predator is crucial. The education this book gave me on ecology was quite remarkable, with the author going into very readable detail on many issues and very interestingly their history as well, showing some of the personalities behind their conception. The individual biology and paleontology of each of the focus species in this book are well covered, as well as that of close and more distant relations, covering everything from the rise and fall of sabertooth mammals (feline and otherwise) to the spread of the tiger species throughout Asia (and its later evolution into various subspecies).

Equally interesting - and valuable - in this work Quammen goes into great detail about the interaction between humans and the top predators throughout world history as well as the situation to date. How have large predators - such as perhaps cave bears and cave lions - shaped the evolution (physically and culturally) of ancient peoples? How have such animals shaped the development of human art, literature, mythology, and religion? Quammen brings into this rather engrossing discussion everything from Babylonian epics to Beowulf to Tolkien.

Quammen does not only focus on the animals, but on their sometime victims as well. He looks at how have native peoples dealt with man-eaters in the past and how do traditional peoples deal with them today. Quammen is very sensitive to the lives of those who face (and occassionally feed) these predators, really bringing to life for the reader such diverse groups as the Malhadris of India, the Udege of Russia, and the shepherds of Romania. Quammen vividly contrasts this with looking at how has the coming of colonial enterprises and regimes (such as the British in India and Australia) changed interactions with local alpha predators.

Perhaps most importantly, this book asks what does the future hold for such predators? Will they always have a guaranteed place in the wild, outside of zoos and circuses? How can one make sure that they do? There is quite a debate raging on how to make sure that forests still stalk the snowy forests of the Russian Far East and the billabongs of steamy northern Australia and Quammen provides excellent coverage of all sides.

A very valuable and entertaining book, it has a very extensive bibilography as well. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Book Description

Until we have a firmer idea of the diversity of a wide range of marine habitats and what controls it, we have little hope of conserving biodiversity, or determining the impact of human activities such as mariculture, fishing, dumping of waste and pollution. This book brings together key studies from the deep sea and open ocean, to tropical shores and polar regions, to consider how comparable the patterns and processes underlying diversity are in these different ecosystems. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

I may have contributed but...
Even though I co-authored one of the papers in this book. I can recommend it to anyone who has an interest in Marine Biology or Biodiversity. The papers cover quite a wide range of biodiversity topics and takeperspectives from genetic species analysis through to morphologicaldifference. A good and informative book that will give readers an insightinto the science of biodiversity. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In this companion volume to the BBC/PBS television series, Indian biologist Valmik Thapar, a specialist on tigers, takes a leisurely look at the extraordinary animals that inhabit the subcontinent, among them serpent eagles and kiangs, water monitors and one-horned rhinoceroses, cobras and bustards.Although India and the adjoining countries are crowded with humans, and although wildlife-protection laws are a recent development there, animal life continues to thrive; the diversity of flora and fauna, Thapar writes, are the richest in the world. He attributes this uncommon variety of species to religious beliefs that accord the living world an uncommon respect and reverence.Anyone planning a visit to India will benefit from this lively book, as will those who are merely curious. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A splendid showcase of Indian wildlife
I first saw the television series and then moved on to the book. Both the book as well as the series are a very good showcase of the diversity and beauty of indian wildlife ... the book is not about the tiger, unlike what some might mistake ... its truly about the land of the tiger - its forests, its climate, animals, birds, trees, and people.

The photographs are excellent - this is a good overview for both the tourist as well as the enthusiast.

great with amazing photos
A great book for anyone who loves the wildlife of the indian subcontinent.

The perfect accompaniment to the video.
This book has some of the best photography I have ever seen. It is an in detail look at the various wildlife of India. From the magnificent tiger to the crocodiles and birds that inhabit the vast natural habitats of this wonderous sub-continent. No one would believe that India was so beautiful. But most of all it takes and in depth look at the one true King of the Asian Jungle- the mighty tiger. And who better to write about them than the tiger guru Valmik Thapar. It is WELL worth the read but get the video first.

Gorgeous and Informative
Valmik Thapar, one of the foremost authorities on tigers, proves that he knows more than just tigers. The photographs in this books are breathtaking and unusual. Read about the animals of the subcontinent, and their lore and history. Beautifully made, you won't regret spending money on this. My children and I love it! ... Read more

Book Description

The eloquent voice of Rick Bass has been raised often in celebration and defense of America's surviving wilderness and the big wild animals that live there, in acclaimed books such as Wild to the Heart, The Ninemile Wolves, and The Lost Grizzlies. Now, in Caribou Rising, he journeys from his beloved Yaak Valley in Montana to Alaska, to witness firsthand one of the sole remaining landscapes on Earth where the wild is entirely untrammeled-America's Serengeti, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It is a place where great caribou herds gather, calve, and migrate as they did in the Pleistocene, and where the ancient bond between animals and human hunters still informs daily life.Bass's avid desire to meet this landscape and its native people, the Gwich- in, had several sources. A hunter himself since his Mississippi childhood, he now pursues game with a primal passion coupled with an environmentalist's conscience, providing nearly all the meat his family consumes. He hoped to kill one caribou and bring home its meat. But the deeper intent of that act was to enter, even briefly, the experience of the Gwich- in, who have been following, relying on, and praying to the caribou for 10,000 years, in a relationship parallel to that of the Plains tribes and the buffalo. The more urgent impulse for his journey was that the Refuge, along with the caribou and the Gwich- in, faces ruin if the oil industry and its minions in government get their way. Rather than fight for it in the abstract, Bass wanted to find out for himself-and share with readers-what we really stand to lose if the Arctic Refuge is opened to drilling.Bass's Arctic sojourn brings surprises and unexpected rewards. The caribou's late arrival gives him some downtime in remote Arctic Village, the Gwich- in's home at the base of the Brooks Range. Waiting to travel upriver, Bass walks the land, talks to villagers about their lives, and interviews their leaders. Through him we meet Sarah James, a matriarch wise in the ways of Beltway politics; Trimble Gilbert, an Episcopal priest who kills a caribou for a village-wide barbecue while Bass is in town; and the mysterious Jimi, designated the village's chief hunter. Bass ponders the profound differences between this culture and ours: "the gunmetal hardness of their lives," their casual acceptance of physical risk, and their visceral knowledge that none can exist outside the community. And he reflects on the timeless dance of human, caribou, and land in this place. While a great many Americans are concerned about assaults on the Arctic National wildlife Refuge, not all are aware that a culture is at risk along with the 129,000 caribou of the Porcupine herd-so, as Bass observes, "the caribou. . . will either save the the Gwich- in one last time, or not." Those who read his extraordinary testament to the place, its animals, and its people will understand the interconnectedness of the three and will have all the more reason to make a stand with conviction. "It is here that we are being challenged," Bass writes, "with the responsibility of imagination and of discipline, attributes we as a country once had in spades. . . . It is not the caribou, nor the Gwich- in, who are being given one more chance. It is we who are being given one more chance." Illustrations: 2 b/w illustrations ... Read more

Book Description

Some parks, preserves, and other natural areas serve people well; others are disappointing. Successful design and management requires knowledge of both people and environments.

With People in Mind explores how to design and manage areas of "everyday nature"-parks and open spaces, corporate grounds, vacant lots and backyard gardens, fields and forests-in ways that are beneficial to and appreciated by humans. Rachel Kaplan and Stephen Kaplan, leading researchers in the field of environmental psychology, along with Robert Ryan, a landscape architect and urban planner, provide a conceptual framework for considering the human dimensions of natural areas and offer a fresh perspective on the subject. The authors examine.

Book Description

THE DIRTY TRUTH unmasks a presidential hopeful who fails to walk his talk of "local control," "partnership," and"personal responsibility."It documents the abysmal environmental record of Texas Governor George W. Bush and reveals a controversial ‘back room’ style of governing that grants special access and consideration to big business polluters and campaign contributors.THE DIRTY TRUTH follows their money to show how they were allowed to shape public policy and reap benefits at the expense of Texans and the environment. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A great book that neads proofreading...
As a previous reviewer stated, if edited correctly, this book would have gotten the highest rating possible, and even more. The author successfully shows how GW is an oil-addicted, old-time republican, sort of a fox let loose in the chicken coop. Anyone who doubts that this administration is corrupt should this book. Anybody who does will see through the evil Bush Empire.

What a Joke nicknamed a book
Can people really be that misinformed about reality and what really matters? Why waste your time even reading these reviews. This is a Joke, nicknamed a book.

Seek the truth in all matters, not the perception of the truth...this is very likely only someone's false perception of the truth.

Let's roll with the Truth
If you have any doubts about Bush's attitude toward the environment this book will eliminate them once and for all. It never ceases to amaze me, a book written factually with supporting evidence is always maligned as the commie, pinko, or liberal media by corportists, incidentally defined by Mussolini as fascists . I give the book five stars for anyone wanting a clue about who and what is running the country, and the ground they are running it into.

The irony of a President who believes in maintaining a healthy body but has no regard for maintaing the health of our living planet earth is beyond comprehension. We overpopulate the earth, strip and mine out the land, suck the oil up from the ground, only to spew it back into the atmosphere increasing the hole in the ozone, thereby raising the temperature of the planet. We contaminate our water supply and soil by dumping toxic chemicals and nuclear waste. Deforesting the Amazon decreases the earth's ability to produce vital oxygen we need to breathe. I don't exactly see the correlation between exercise and a healthy body as long if we continue to pollute the earth as we do.

A healthy body needs fresh clean air, water, and a proper atmosphere that will effectively filter out harmful radiation from the sun in order to live. Our planet is no different than our bodies. Global warming is akin to a human running a fever, a sign that we are not living on a healthy planet.

Money can't buy a new body anymore than it can buy a new earth to live on. It's probably time to put homo sapiens on the endangered species list. It may just be that the earth we live on will begin to consider man a virus and start fighting to eliminate the virus in order to ensure it's survival as any living organism does. Mother Nature can pack a powerful punch, something to ruminate on.

What tripe!
This is a hatchet job... nothing more and nothing less, by the far left wing of the Texas Democratic Party. The editorial comments from such leftie luminaries as Jim "Pinko" Hightower were as bad.

As for the reader comments, I noted that not one actually LIVES in Texas.

Y'all need to get over it. Gore lost. He's not coming back. Liberalism/socialism has gone the way of the dinosaur, except for those who haven't realized that they're already dead. I'm so glad I got this from the library. I wouldn't buy this used from a Poteet garage sale!

Should Have Been 9 or 10 Stars!
If only this book had been proofread before printing, it would deserve the top rating. (I know there is no 10-star rating available here, but it could be established.)

Anyone who doubts that the current President-appointee is a disgrace to the Oval Office should read this detailed account of his shameful performance as governor of Texas.

As governor, Dubya consistently did everything he could to protect the interests of companies which polluted the air and water of Texas; he demonstrated that he cared nothing for the rights of the poor or the middle classes. He championed legislation to protect wealthy polluters from being required to pay for cleaning up their messes, leaving toxic wastes to be cleaned up at taxpayers' expense or left to poison those living in the neighborhood where the waste was dumped.

Shrub even fought to have toxic and radioactive wastes from other states brought to Texas, and dumped near the Mexican border, where people of little political clout (Hispanics and Afro-Americans, mostly, and certainly none of the wealthy) are living.

He even had the gall to deny Texans their constitutional right to protest peacefully on the public sidewalk against his outrageous misconduct as governor. Texans who were violating no law, but who were publicly protesting Shrub's wrongdoing, were arrested, strip-searched, and held overnight in jail.

Little wonder that Shrub has pretty well established himself as the worst President in our nation's history. And most likely, the worst is yet to come. If only the facts cited in this book had been widely publicized before and during the election campaign, we might now have a decent President who would not be so eager to lead us into an unwinnable war for the benefit of "defense" contractors that contributed generously to his campaign. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The striking common sense of the author's perspective on design and the building process is based on millennia of use of earth-sheltered homes by animals and humans, using the earth to warm in winter and cool in summer. A cartoon on the book jacket summarizes Wells's perspective. One panel is called "20th Century," and has four steps of traditional building: love nature, kill it, build building, plant grass. The second panel, called "21st Century," says: love nature, leave it alone, find ruined land, build underground, restore natural habitat.

Wells's remarkable and imaginative architectural drawings, sketches, and landscaping and structural design plans are surrounded by his handwritten commentary about Earth-friendly building and design, cryptic remarks and humorous asides that make this book a pleasure to browse or read cover to cover. He offers a breathtaking assortment of some of the most creative and unusual home and building designs ever assembled in one book; site-appropriate structures for both urban and rural settings; and delightfully imaginative, dramatic, simple, and highly complex buildings for all purposes. Some are fully underground structures, some partially earth-sheltered, but all make the best use of light sources, designed to benefit from the sun and seasonal changes, and to protect or restore the natural habitat around and above them.

Wells's designs seem almost fanciful, but are indeed based on practical considerations and currently usable techniques and materials, helping open up a whole new concept of building based on one of the oldest known: caves and burrows. These are "caves and burrows" of soaring imagination and creative, 21st century brilliance. --Mark A. Hetts ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Inspiring Book
From an architects point of view, I found this book to be very intersting in that it proposes design concepts rarely considered in a world where everyone wants a stainless steel refrigerator and granite countertops. It certainly isn't meant as a "how to" book for the weekend warrior who wants to save a few bucks on his electricity bill. I found it to be a resource for opening minds, not just opening the ground.

hard to read
As others have pointed out none of the plans shown in the book seem to have been built. Every single one looks to have been cancelled because of budget problems. Which makes you wonder, if people with enough money to go to a professional architect find an earth-sheltered house too expensive to build, what hope do the rest of us have of building one in our lifetimes? Lots of interesting ideas but not much practical application that I can see.

However my biggest gripe is the font used in the book: a script font that is an attempt to make the book look like a hand written journal. I just found it very hard to read large amount of text with that font. They should have stuck with a normal typeface instead of trying to get cute.

Hard to recommend unless you can handle the typeface and don't mind that the book has no real practical information. (Although lots of interesting IDEAS.)

Design Failures
This book should be called "Mostly useless sketches of houses that were never built". As far as I can tell there is only one sketch of a house that was even attempted. While full of architectual "ideas" there is almost nothing of value for someone who wants to build their own earth sheltered home. You get the feeling he wrote this book because so many of his designs were not accepted that he just needed the money. Very disappointing.

Try Before You Buy
If you are interested in building an earth-shelter/underground home look elsewhere. This is not the book for you. I found nothing really compelling in this book and regret buying it. If you live in an area with hot summers, cold winters and no fire ants then I suggest buying "The Complete Book of Underground Houses" by, no kidding, Rob Roy. Rob claims that you can build the structure of a 40'x40' house for around 10,000 dollars. I learned from Rob that my area is probably not prime for an underground house because with the blazingly hot summers and very mild winters I won't be able to store up enough "capacitance" in the soil to give me extra "cooleth" in the summer, the time I really need it. Still, Rob Roy's book was very informative and I'm glad I bought it.

Interesting, but not the first book to read on the subject
Having read the earlier reviews, I had an idea about what to expect from this unusual book. The number of incomplete projects presented was disappointing; the ideas look cool. Some of the buildings are not residences but planned commercial buildings. The book might be interesting as an idea book for an architect. A propsective home-buyer/builder might want to consider other books on the subject as starting points. ... Read more

Book Description

Sustainability may seem like one more buzzword and cities and towns like the last places to change, but The Natural Step for Communities provides inspiring examples of communities that have made dramatic changes toward sustainability and explains how others can emulate their success.

Chronicled in the book are towns like Övertorneå, whose government operations recently became 100 percent fossil fuel-free, demonstrating that unsustainable municipal practices really can be overhauled. Arguing that the process of introducing change-whether converting to renewable energy or designing compact development-is critical to success, the authors outline why well-intentioned proposals often fail to win community approval and why an integrated approach-not "single-issue" initiatives-can surmount challenges of conflicting priorities, scarce resources and turf battles.

The book first clarifies the concept of sustainability, offering guiding principles-the Natural Step framework-that help identify sustainable action in any area. It then introduces the 60+ eco-municipalities of Sweden that have adopted changes to sustainable practices throughout municipal