Book Description

John Pukite went back to the barnyard after the success of A Field Guide to Cows and the result is a one-of-a-kind field guide to the true star of any farmyard-the pig. Although swine have roamed fields and forests for centuries, this guide is the first to offer easy-to-understand descriptions and illustrations of the world's most popular breeds. Whether it is the massive Poland China or the roly-poly Vietnamese Potbelly, A Field Guide to Pigs is the one-stop reference for endless little-known facts, fascinating tidbits about pig behavior, and even etiquette for when you visit the farm. Casual pig watchers and porcinologists alike are sure to learn something new on every page. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Oink!!
This is a book that goes hog-wild with descriptions of twenty-four varieties of domesticated pig and thirteen of their wild relatives. It is larded with many interesting and important facts about the development of today's common breeds. Although the author does ham it up with some of his observations, he has succeeded in fashioning a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Great book for those who admire the noble pig!
This book is delightful...for those of us who are infatuated with these bristly critters, it gives all the loose-end info that the other books don't. From tail-curling descriptions to grunt analysis, this book brings home the bacon. It included pig folk sayings, poems, pig songs, pig superstitions.. and the piggy illustrations were extremely detailed and captivating, if you adore porkers! It's a fun book to page through, and is chock full of obscure piggy facts that you would never find anywhere else, such as pig trails of past times, or the four varieties of spam. I am sure that any pig lover would be perusing through it as fast as I did. ... Read more

Book Description

Man-eating creatures roam, stalk, crouch, wait, leap, slither, swim, crawl, perch, and attack in the pages of this gripping Mammoth Book. Drawn from newspapers and autobiographies, the compelling real-life stories in this volume begin with "Danger in the Home," which includes not only accounts of attacks by domestic pets and farm animals but also shocking tales of cougars invading towns in Montana and polar bears terrorizing Alaskan suburbs. After exploration "Out on the Plains"-with riveting narratives of big cats from nonfiction adventures like Beryl Markham's West With the Night as well as of buffalo, bison, dingos, and rhinos-editor Alex MacCormick, herself the author of Shark Attacks, surveys the perils presented by marine predators like orcas, octopi, jellyfish, and giant clams "Beneath the Waves," including a gory meeting between a shark and a member of the British royal family in the Caribbean. MacCormick then travels "Up the Creek" among alligators and terrifying varieties of river snakes. An extract from David Fletcher's hair-raising tale with a vengeful 1200-pound grizzly in Hunted highlights the treacheries that lie "In the Wilderness," while "Jungle Stories" takes the reader into nail-biting accounts of man meeting man-eating enemies ranging from tigers to soldier ants. ... Read more

Book Description

A complete guide to preventing disease through good nutrition, proper housing, and appropriate care. Third Edition.161,000 copies in print. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent for beginners, but...
I found this book to be an excellent resource for beginning my cattle farm.It spells out a lot of necessary things that must be done in order to care for cattle, and other livestock animals.There is, however, a lotof "higher level" biological dialogue that a novice will need towade through to find the 'just plain english' part.However, don't letthis discourage you.It is a very complete book that answers a lot ofquestions, many, before you even ask. ... Read more

Book Description

In this superb expanded and updated volume, equestrian expert Elwyn Hartley Edwards traces the evolution of the horse, covering every major breed of horse and pony as well as the contribution the horse has made to civilization -- in the wild, at work, at war, and in sport and recreation. Chronicling the history of the horse, The New Encyclopedia of the Horse encompasses the early domestication of the horse. This expanded edition features new information on Western riding as well as classical riding styles, and current international sporting events. There are also completely new chapters on horse management, training, and equipment. Visual Breed Guide: There are more than 150 of the world's major breeds of horse and pony photographed in specially commissioned full-figure portraits as well as hundreds of action shots. The origin, history, and uses of each breed are explained, and each breed is brought to life by historical anecdotes and fascinating, little-known facts. Outstanding specimens of familiar as well as obscure breeds are featured, including Dutch Warmbloods and Camargues, Icelandic and Timor Ponies, Morgans and Shetlands, Andalucian and Lusitano, and the Cutting Horse. Brand New Chapters: The new sections on horse management, training, and equipment explain the basics of the proper care of the horse. Information is also included on farriers, feeding, grooming, horse behavior, training techniques, and which equipment to use, including saddles, bridles, and bits. Truly encyclopedic in scope, this is the essential reference for every horse lover. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Very Well Done
This is a fabulous work. The book is large every page is like 2 pages of a regular size book. Great photos on all of the major breeds. The history section in the front is very informative. I read it cover to cover over time and this is the book I refer to when I want to show a breed to a friend.

Every horse lover should own this book!
This is a very beautiful book with lovely photos of horses. You can learn soo much from this book and about all different types of horses. This book also tells about horse sports and how they started to give you more of an understanding. Great for horse lovers.

An incredible artist's reference!
As an illustrator, I have to say that if you're looking for a good photo reference for horses this is perhaps the BEST guide you could ever ask for. The breed section alone is well worth the investment, and the photographs provided are just exquisite.
Once again DK publishing has come through with a gorgeous guide book, and I for one am tremendously grateful they did.

Helped me find a horse
I bought this book because I was a beginner ready to buy a second horse and try a new breed. I picked out a fox trotter based on the smooth ride, and went and bought one, so the book worked well for me.

Each breed has a 2 page write-up devoted to it, with a large picture and a couple small ones, plus a map of origin. Almost every picture is color. Interspersed throughout the book are many short articles on a myriad of subjects, with 2 or more color pictures on every page of the book. 450 pages, 9 3/4" x 11 1/2". ... 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

The Natural History of the Salish Sea - Puget Sound and Georgia Strait.

Illustrated with brilliant color photography. One hundred and eighty stunning images from fourteen well-known photographers showcase the scenic wonders and spectacular marine wildlife the region...coupled with a thoroughly researched and readable text. ... 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

A work of astounding scope and originality that provides some of the first evidence of the modern theory of evolution. Wallace, a contemporary of Charles Darwin, spent nearly a decade cataloging the plant and animal species which inhabited the unique geographical area of the Malay Archipelago, and remains to this day one of the most extensive works of natural history ever written. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Great Classic To Be Read With Reservations
This book deserves credit for giving an incredibly detailed account of Indonesia, especially the Moluccas/Maluku, as seen in the 19th century.
As a travelogue it is a fascinating read.
It WAS also a great scientific work at the time it was written.
However some of its conclusions are now understandably a bit dated (though many others are still valid), while description of the local people, viewed from a position of European superiority, certainly wouldn't find acceptance today. Even failed and highly repressive Dutch colonial policies are given a sympathetic treatment by Wallace.
Unfortunately some of the dated conclusions of this book are still being reproduced in books published about this region nearly 150 years later!
So I would say that while this book is certainly worth reading as an account of how things were in Wallace's time, one should never forget when it was written. I gave only 3 stars to remind people of this - otherwise 4 or 5 would be justified.

Hugely entertaining
Although the author himself says he is no writer, he is patently wrong - this book is full of wonderful descriptive, poetic passages, which underline this charming man's love of nature and dedication to the truth of scientific study, as opposed to the accepted 'truths' of the day.

An interesting insight into the groundwork that helped to develop the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection, it also compares the British and the Dutch methods of colonisation, and controversially comes out on the side of the Dutch - against all current (and our received) perceptions of the Dutch as ruthless, money-grubbing opportunists.

Wallace was also unusual in using geographic and geological features combined with population spreads (human & biological) to support the new theories of continental drift and a world older than the Biblical model.

I'm lost in adsmiration for the way he managed to survive depravation, lack of company, housing, support, money and produce the finest collection of birds and insects that the world had ever seen; make comparative studies of the linguistic traits of all the major tribes; keep a detailed diary of all his travels ... all this in a known area of cannibals and head-hunters with only 3 or 4 assistants and he the only white person for hundreds of miles. Compare this to other explorers like Richard Burton who needed an entourage of several hundred for all their 'essentials'.

This book is a very readable profile of an enignatic Victorian naturalist at a crucial period in scientific history - would that I could have met him!

a nineteenth century masterpiece
"The Malay Archipelago" is Wallace's most celebrated book. It went through fifteen editions during his own life alone, and has been translated into every major language (and a number of minor ones). It is clearly one of the greatest scientific travel books ever written, both for its well-constructed survey description of the region in question, and for its scientific value to the professional naturalist. Wallace spent eight years in Indonesia as a natural history collector; during this period he collected an incredible 125,000 specimens, carried out the first important field studies on the orangutan and paradise birds, clarified the ethnology of the region, discovered the faunal discontinuity known now as 'Wallace's Line,' was one of the first Europeans to take up residence for an extended period on the island of New Guinea, founded the modern approach to biogeographical analysis, and last but not least arrived upon the theory of natural selection. Today's casual reader will be troubled a little here and there by lists of Latin names of plants and animals, but this is a minor distraction from the telling of one of history's greatest feats of natural history investigation. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Excellent nutrition reference
I've read most of the popular books out there on feeding dogs and cats, and I have to say this book impressed me the most of the lot. The details on how all the different nutrients are metabolized were fascinating, and the precisely calculated recipes put my mind at ease.

I'm not sure what the previous reviewer was talking about when he or she complained about a lack of information on cats. While I bought this book for ideas for my dog, I also own cats and found quite a lot of information for them (more than in most popular pet diet books). There are no fewer than 60 diets for cats (not 4!). The purpose of the ingredients is explained carefully, including the use of clams (a taurine-rich meat).

A wonderful reference for healthy and sick dogs and cats.

Finally, sane nutritional info & recipes for pets!
For those of us who believe in and enjoy feeding our dogs whole foods, enjoy cooking for our dogs, and want to ensure the nutritional content of your home-cooked meals, this book is an answer to a prayer. It's filled with nutritional information and easy to follow recipes. The author has provided a chart for finding out the optium number of calories to feed your dog or cat, based on their weight, and the recipes have the number of calories listed. Very, very few of the commercially pet food labels provide the number of calories in their food. The book will provide you the basics, your own initiative can fill in for a little creativity with the recipes. Most important, you can assure no additives, no preservatives, no sugar, etc. for your pet. And for those of us with pets that tend to be chow hounds, you can monitor the number of calories easily. The author provides recipes for overweight dogs and cats, and for those with various medical problems. The author, Donald R. Strombeck, has been a vet for 40 years, and tells it like it is about most commercially prepared dog food. This book is not for those who advocate a raw meat diet for your dog or cat. The book is a must for those that are serious about home cooking for your pets and want balanced, sane, nutritional information, and to have a guideline to measure against to ensure you are providing what your pet needs.

Easy recipes with explanations for ingredients - CATS & DOGS
I wish I would have had this book 3 years ago when I started going natural with my pets. Strombeck is referenced in The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats by Shawn Messonnier, DVM which I use as a favorite reference. As I have a group of FIP positive cats with the disease localized in different areas, I have had a difficult time trying to find a pet food without preservatives which would further assault their immune systems and Brewers yeast that makes their allergies unbearable. (I will have to substitute my own vitamin mixes for the Brewer's in the recipes where Strombeck does use Brewer's.)
Strombeck gives easy recipes for different health problems as well as why he uses the ingredients he does. My cats love the sardines for B12 and the taurine rich clams with which I have been experimenting added to their food mixes.
I have been using a Strombeck only diet for one of my boys with urinary crystals and Brewers yeast allergies (gives waxy smelly ear discharge). The probiotics I was using to counter his ear problems from the ingredients in commercial urinary food these last years had stopped working. As he is finally happy and doing well, I plan to use Strombecks renal failure diets next and eventually get to the dogs. Useful book!

Excellent, if a bit dry
Of the several resources I looked into, this was the best for implementing a home-cooked diet for my cats. An earlier reviewer was disappointed with the quantity of information available for cats, but I didn't find this to be the case (and I certainly was able to find many diets which didn't contain clams...).

Besides basic healthy diets, the book also covers diets for a variety of medical conditions or food allergies.

"Clear and easy-to-understand" is probably not how I would choose to describe this book, however. The author sometimes uses highly technical terminology without offering any simplified definition (e.g., what the heck is "coprophagy"? Once I found out, I wasn't sure I WANTED to know, but no definition is offered in the book.)

Some readers might take as a negative the fact that he promotes cooking all the meats because of potential health risks such as salmonella. Many now believe that raw meat is healthier for a true carnivore (which cats certainly are) than cooked. The issue of raw vs. cooked isn't given much attention here, so you will have to go to other sources for more information on that.

While this book can't be described as perfect, it certainly was very satisfactory. This is the book that I would give my cats' vet for Christmas.

not bad, but i don't agree with the diets
this is a decent book if you are wanting to make home cooked meals for you pet. it gives scientific evidence, backs up what it claims, and sites sources, which a lot of books on this subject fail to do. my problem with the book is opinion based. my opinion is that although it is better to feed your dog a homecooked meal over kibble, it is much better to feed raw over homecooked. and after reading this book i still stand firm in my belief that raw is the better way to go. but, if your a person who feels that homecooked is the way to go, then this is a good book to have. it's very detailed, and explains a lot on how much calories per day a dog/puppy should have, etc. also outlines meals that you can prepare. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

For the
As stated above, this book is outstanding. Weurthner doesn't use schmaltz or gross florid language to help readers better understand the varied CA wilderness areas, and his knowledge is super accurate. GW also doesn't insult readers by giving ridiculous and pedantic trail descriptions (you know who you are Jeff Schaffer and Company!). This book resonates with a lot of dignity and will complement those automatonic guidebooks that you already own.

Howard Craig
I absolutely love this book. The pictures are outstanding. I love his style of writing. He's very matter of fact and tells it like he sees it. Hiking the areas he describes is what I want to do when I retire. Forget the rocking chair. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Textbook!
The best Wildlife and Fisheries book that I have EVER read. A superb resource for the Wildlife professional or student. ... Read more

Book Description

From flying hot-blooded squirrels and diminutive kinglets to sleeping black bears and torpid turtles to frozen insects and frogs, the animal kingdom relies on staggering evolutionary innovations to survive winter. Unlike their human counterparts, who alter the environment to accommodate physical limitations, most animals are adapted to an amazing range of conditions. In Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival, biologist, illustrator, and award-winning author Bernd Heinrich explores his local woods, where he delights in the seemingly infinite feats of animal inventiveness he discovers there.

Because winter drastically affects the most elemental component of all life -- water -- radical changes in a creature's physiology and behavior must take place to match the demands of the environment. Some creatures survive by developing antifreeze; others must remain in constant motion to maintain their high body temperatures. Even if animals can avoid freezing to death, they must still manage to find food in a time of scarcity, or store it from a time of plenty.

Beautifully illustrated throughout with the author's delicate drawings and infused by his inexhaustible enchantment with nature, Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival awakens the wonders and mysteries by which nature sustains herself through winter's harsh, cruel exigencies.

Reviews (6)

Fascinating Animal Adaption
When you ask "what do animals do in winter?" the general answer is "they hibernate." But that is such an inadequate answer as Heinrich shows. The author takes us along into the winter woods of New England as he (and us the reader) discover the survival strategies employed by many inhabitants of the forest. From putting on layers of fat and slowing body functions, to burying in mud or snow, to literally freezing solid and then thawing in the spring, animals have found a much wider range of tactics to survive than we would think.

The writing is very accessible, as if Heinrich is giving us small talks in an informal atmosphere. Full of first person experiences and observations, but solidly grounded in science, he leads us into the winter woods to meet these animals and see them in their everyday winter lives. The observations unfold in a series of discoveries which brings the reader along on the trip and helps make the science understandable. I guarantee that you will learn things you had not known before and probably will be surprised at the ingenuity of animal survival. You will not look at the winter woods in the same way again. An excellent journey of discovery.

Excellent!!
Really great information written in a conversational/relaxed style which makes the information very accessible. (In many sections it feels like you're there with the author as he describes what he saw and conclusions drawn. Wonderful drawings throughout. There are all sorts of topics covered. The chapters are as follows:
- Fire and Ice
- Snow and Subnivian Space
- A late winter walk
- Tracking a weasel
- Nests and Dens
- Flying squirrels in a huddle
- Hibernating squirrels
- The Kinglet's feathers
- The Kinglet's winter fuel
- Hibernating birds
- torpid turtles under ice
- iced-in rodents
- frozen frogs on ice
- Insects: from the diversity to the limits
- Mice in winter
- Supercool(ed) houseguests
- Bats and butterflies
- Aggregating for winter- winter flocks
- berries preserved
- bears in winter
- storing food
- bees' winter gamble
- winter buds
- the kinglet's key?

As winter is almost upon us here, I will be looking back to this book as a neat reference as I wonder about the Great Mystery that keeps life beating on through the cold. Definitely recommend this book.

Fascinating Tour of the Animals of Winter
Anyone who has walked in Thoreau's footprints and who can appreciate clear scientific thought will enjoy this detailed explanation of the fauna of the woods during winter. Heinrich has given us a wonderful tour of animals in wintertime, covering their habitats, physiology and evolutionary adaptations.

A word of caution - this is not a book for people seeking warm fuzzy feelings about cute furry little creatures. It is a book about reality in its full splendor.

A Winter Delight
I loved this book. From the unique cover (the colored images seem to be some sort of stickers or something) to the lovely drawings inside, the book is a sensual delight. I loved curling up in front of the fire with this and marveling at the ways animals have evolved to survive in temperatures that would kill us. An avid bird and animal watcher, I nevertheless surprised myself that I had never thought of some of the more complex anatomical and physiological challenges animals face in the deep winter. And while I was so grateful to be the beneficiary of Dr. Heinrich's knowledge, I was also so charmed to me able to follow a human through the winter woods who is as delighted as I am myself to have the privilege of observing birds and animals in their natural settings. Sometimes I think I'm a little weird for enjoying nature so much, but I've found a kindred soul in the author! Anyone who wonders about the ways of nature and would like a tour of the winter woods with a knowledgeable guide will relish this book.

superb nature writing
If you have enjoyed the nature writing of Farley Mowat or
David Attenborough (The Life of Birds, The Private Life of
Plants), you'll enjoy this wonderful book. There are books
on nature which are dry and distanced: this is just the
opposite. There are also books on nature which are primarily
observational, such as Thoreau's Walden Pond and Annie Dillard's
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. Neither Thoreau nor Annie Dillard
measured the rectal temperature of insects in the winter to
help determine the mechanics of heat regulation. Most of the
mammals, birds, insects, and trees looked at by the author are
his neighbors in the winter woods: the love and enjoyment and
the curiosity about his environment is very evident. He wants
to know what these creatures do to cope and survive the severe
winters where he lives in Maine and Vermont.

Heinrich writes with great warmth and humor throughout the book.
You'll follow his thoughts and discoveries about how the tiny
golden-crowned kinglet survives the winter, when logic seems to
say that it shouldn't even survive a single below-zero night.
On sunny days, even when the temperature is well below freezing,
several dozen honeybees may emerge from the hive and just a few
seconds later will all be lying dead on the snow: this is a
sacrificial testing mechanism by the hive to ensure that when
the first flowers open up that a head start can be obtained for
foraging. There are all kinds of fascinating things that you
could never imagine going on. Most of the nature in the book
centers on Heinrich's own environment, but he also readily and
often talks at length about other species from around the world.
The book is lavishly illustrated with drawings that help make
you feel even more personally acquainted with the subjects.

Heinrich is a scientist with a wonderful breadth of knowledge,
and a superb talent for relating his love for nature, his
appetite for discovery, and his humorous insights in a style
which gives enormous pleasure to the reader. ... Read more

Book Description

In the Company of Animals is an original and very readable study of human attitudes to the natural world. It contrasts the way we love some animals while ruthlessly exploiting others; it provides a detailed and fascinating account of ways in which animal companionship can influence our health; and it provides a key to understanding the moral contradictions inherent in our treatment of animals and nature. Its scope encompasses history, anthropology, and animal and human psychology. Along the way, the author uncovers a fascinating trail of insights and myths about our relationship with the species with which we share the planet. James Serpell is the editor of The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behavior and Interactions With People (CUP, 1995). ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The best introduction to human-animal studies
In the Company of Animals is the single best introduction to anthrozoology - the study of human-animal interactions. A woman once told me about her experience on reading it. She said simply, "That book changed my life." Serpell is a both a powerful writer and a leading scholar in this field. The first half of In the Company of Animals is largely concerned with the who, what, and why of maintaining non-human animals as companions. In the breadth of his coverage, Serpell displays an impressive command of psychology, ethology, history, cultural anthropology, and behavioral medicine. A brief sampling of a few representative topics illustrates the span of Serpell's intellectual vision: the role of pets in sixteenth century witchcraft, the effects of watching aquarium fish on blood pressure, bestiality, social parasitism, and why dogs rather than pigs became companion animals. Serpell argues that individuals who keep pets have often been viewed with scorn, suspicion, and pity. At times, pet owners have been subjected to persecution and even death. Thus, this part of the book is essentially a defense of companion animals. Serpell reviews recent studies documenting the benefits of pets to human health, psychological well-being, and the amelioration of loneliness. He concludes that the company of animals serves to buffer their owners from the interpersonal isolation all too common in modern industrial societies.
The second half of In the Company of Animals focuses on the darker side of human-animal interactions. Serpell is particularly adept at describing paradoxes inherent if our interactions with other species. Among my favorites are the dual roles of puppies in Southeast Asian households (pets and dinner), Adolf Hitler's commitment to animal welfare, and the love people have for dogs coupled with an equally passionate loathing for their immediate progenitor, the wolf. Serpell, however, goes further than listing the foibles that characterize human-animal relationships. He develops an explanation, suggesting that these paradoxes ultimately reflect the evolutionary processes which have shaped the human mind.
Serpell believes that moral conflict that emerges in our relationships with animals stems from a tendency we inherited from our hunter-gatherer forbearers -- the penchant for meat. By nature we are exploiters of animals. But unlike tigers and wolves and boa constrictors, we are carnivores with a sense of guilt. As a result we have developed psychological mechanisms that allow us to maintain the "myth of human supremacy." He believes this is an illusion which developed as cultures shifted from hunter-gatherer economies to those based on the slaughter of domestic animals. This hypothesis provides a powerful perspective on the contradictions seen in human-animal relationships.
While readers may not agree with all of Serpell's ideas, they will find that In the Company of Animals is a beautifully written book that is rich in both facts and provocative ideas. It will appeal to both animal lovers and the scholars who study them.

A Classic by a Highly Esteemed Scholar
As a professor of anthropology who teaches a course on Anthrozoology at Western Illinois University, I highly recommend In the Company of Animals. Anthrozoology (the scientific study of human-animal interaction) is a dynamic new area of study and Dr Serpell is one of the founders. This book is required reading for my course, and students love it! Serpell's work explores the phenomena of domestication and pet keeping, or companion animals (as we prefer to call them now), from a cross-cultural and evolutionary perspective that is highly anthropological. Shame on us! An Anthropologist should have written this book! I highly recommend this work.

Extremely disappointing.
Although claiming to be a study of human-animal relationships, this book offers an endless recital of man's inhumanity to man, to support the book's theme that man's history with animals has been even worse. Very poorly thought out and extremely long-winded, this book reads like an overblown Usenet message--"those other people are all so horrible, but we animal lovers are OK, aren't we?" Oddly, Serpell seems so rooted in the very "human supremacist" philosophy that he rails against, that he ends up reinforcing that very philosophy. Not enlightening at all; I feel like a pall has been cast over my relationships with both people and animals. You would learn far more by taking the money and time you might waste on this book, and spending them on your own dog or cat or whatever animal you please.

Human-Animal relationships explained!!
An excellent book exploring every possible angle of the human-animal bond. Why we love and need animals, what we do to them, and everything in between! Very well written and understandable. After reading many books on this subject, this was my favorite! Everyone who reads this book will have a greater understanding and love of animals. Animals are good for our health, physically and mentally. Serpell also makes us realize what the human race is doing to animals, such as testing on them or eating them!! This is a must read for any animal lover who is truly bonded to their pet or pets like I am! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Great Book - wonderful pictures
Great book, facts are to the point and useful.

This book exceeds in high quality and eye-appealing pictures
I recomend this book to anyone who has an interest in rainforest wildlife. This book with its mix of great graphic details and pleasent pictures for younger kids who's attenion isn't captured by long dreadful words. With details and pictures intertwined this makes an enjoyful books to read and to learn. ... Read more

Book Description

It's a jungle out there. And survival is never a given. Somehow, a blind, defenseless tiger kitten must evolve into a deadly, efficient predator; a chimp must learn to distinguish edible plants from lethal poisons; a baby buffalo must be able to pick its mother out of a herd of hundreds. Contrary to common belief, not everything is "hardwired" -- or instinctual -- in the animal kingdom. Many skills a wild animal needs to thrive, to grow, to be what nature intended, must be developed through play, painstaking teaching, and often treacherous trial and error. The coming-of-age processes of the myriad creatures of plain, forest, ocean, and jungle are truly fascinating and often astonishing natural events.

In Becoming a Tiger, Susan McCarthy, co-author of the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller When Elephants Weep, offers readers an in-depth look into the amazing ways baby animals learn not only about themselves, but about their world and ours -- and how to survive in both. Based on extensive scientific research done in the lab, in controlled "natural" settings, as well as in the wild, her findings provide stunning new insights into the lives and development of Earth's nonhuman inhabitants -- not only tigers, but lions, bears, bats, rats, birds, dolphins, whales, apes, elephants, and dozens of other species.

Sharing stories and discoveries at once captivating, funny, breathtaking, provocative, and heartwarming, Susan McCarthy carries us on a remarkable journey into untamed places, immersing us in the fascinating, complex, and hitherto unimagined societies and cultures of the beasts and birds. Along the way she shines a brilliant new light on subjects scientists, biologists, and zoologists have only begun to explore, revealing startling truths about the behavior, and sometimes humanlike foibles, of creatures great and small.

Warm, informative, and beautifully written, Becoming a Tiger is an enthralling reading experience for animal lovers everywhere. In the transformation tales of playful pups, big-footed cubs, and scrawny chicks becoming deadly hunters, able foragers, and deft nest-builders are valuable and enriching life lessons for members of our own inquisitive, ever-developing species.

Book Description

Voted Best Book on Prehistoric Animals of 1997 by the readers of Prehistoric Times In this beautifully illustrated natural history that links extinct larger feline species with those still in existence, collaborators Alan Turner and Mauricio Antón weave together the evidence of modern feline behavior with that of the fossil record. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Evolution AND anatomy in one book!
One of few books to discuss fossil mammals in relation to their modern-day counterparts, and the only one I've found that discusses functional anatomy. Easy to read for the beginner, with beautiful illustrations. I began knowing almost nothing about the large cats, and ended knowing not only about the family tree, but also the history of the evolution of morphology. I've now read it three times, and am planning on going through it again.

Good reference work
The Big Cats by Alan Turner is a very thorough discussion of the cat family, past and present. It also sports illustrator Mauricio Anton's splendid sketches and paintings of various members of the family. Those of extinct cats bring them to life in a way that the usual drawings of the skull and skeletal remains cannot. There is a thorough discussion of taxonomy in general and of classification of cats in particular. Unfortunately while the drawings are wonderful and the information dense, the book is not light reading. It might be useful to the professional paleontologist or zooarchaeologist looking for a good overview of cat remains or possibly appeal to the dedicated cat lover, but I can't imagine settling in by the fire on a quiet evening with the book. Its most appropriate place might be in a school library for reference use by students doing classroom projects on cats, paleontology, biology, ecology, etc.

a must read
This is an outstanding book, hands down the best book of its kind I've seen. The text is very well organized and readable, both for the layperson and those with science backgrounds. It goes into enough detail to be comprehensive, yet in such a way as to make the material easily understandable and enjoyably read.

The illustrations are what really makes this book stand out above the crowd: they are always well drawn and detailed and pretty to look at, both functional and artistic. It really brings the subject matter to life, sort of like if you were able to examine the museum collection yourself, and then go on a prehistoric safari. If you have any more than a passing interest in cat biology, natural history, or paleontology, this book is a definite must have.

Worth the Money!!
Anyone interested in Big Cats or Prehistoric cats should have this book as a great reference. It also shows readers how the extinct and living cats are classified. Provides information on individual speicies and has tons of pictures (colored and pencil) that are beautifully illustrated. This is definitly worth the time and money....so hurry and buy it now!

Masterpiece!
I strongly recommend this book for any student of mammology or paleontology.The text is very informative and easy reading. The illustrations are so good and elaborate that I suggest art students working in pencil buy this volume. Unlike some books showing only static lateral views, the illustrator has shown these creatures going about their daily lives. Hunting methods are dealt with in great detail.
For book collectors looking for something different, this is it! For biology students and profs, what are you waiting for!?? ... Read more

Book Description

In its first edition, The Holocene provided undergraduates with a much-needed coherent scientific account of the great transformation of nature that had taken place during the Holocene, the last 10,000 years in the history of the planet and the period in which we are all now living.This period has included major shifts in climate and human culture, and in the natural environment at every level.Completely revised and updated to take full account of the most recent advances, the new edition of this established text includes substantial material on scientific progress in the understanding of climate change and abrupt climatic events, of disturbance effects on the landscape, and of ice core records.Not only have improved dating methods, such as luminescence, been included but also the timescale for the book has been moved to calendar (i.e. real) years.Coverage and supporting case study material have also been broadened and extended. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Very Interesting
I am by no means an expert on climatology or paleoclimatology.An actuary by trade, I enjoy reading books about evolution and prehistory.When I saw this book, I figured it would be good for a type of background reading to help me more fully understand what went on during the Holocene and how it affected humans.

While it did not really make that connection, I did find it pretty interesting.He explains the different techniques of dating and why you would use them.It is facinating that the experts can determine so much information about the local environment over, say, a meter long core sample from the bottom of a lake.It didn't get too technical until the last chapter where he was discussing the impact of pollution on the environment.

The last chapter sums up nicely the major developments of the last 11,000 years and also discusses why viewing nature as a static entity is not the proper way for conservationalists to look at it.All and all a good read for those interested in weather and the transformation of the earth.

Lucid, clear, a textbook for all audiences
Most advances in human understanding currently come from a conjunction of specialisms: archaeology uses nuclear physics. This textbook is built on clear accounts of the joints between geology and palaeontology,humananthropology and global climate change - and much more. But it is more thanthat. Roberts has crafted a textbook to be used by any entrant to thefield. Heis lucid. He offers logical cause and effect yet is clearabout contradiction.Anyone interested in the era will enjoythecontributions from many disciplinesintegrated in an enthusiasticwhole.If you are interested, go for it.

Superb basic introduction to paleo- and human ecology
As an undergraduate student at prescott College, I conducted an independent study in QuaternaryEcology in general and of the American Southwest in particular. I came across this book while browsing the shelvesat another college library. I was looking for a few texts to give me a goodbasic background on paleoecology, and after scanning this one, requestedthat our school library purchase it. When it arrived, I was informed, and Iimmediately appropriated it for my exclusive use. This book, together withDelcourt's and Delcourt's book, Quaternary Ecology: a paleoecologicalperspective would make a good text for a college environmental studiescourse. That is how I used it. Now I want to own a copy. ... Read more

Book Description

In Dancing with the Dark Horse, Chris Irwin, world-renowned as one of the most successful horse whisperers in North America, further explores the intriguing spiritual connection he has discovered between human and equine nature. Based on his more than twenty years of working with, training, and observing horses, Irwin explains how the characteristics necessary to building good relationships with horses can in turn be used to establish a positive balance between mind, body, and spirit in our own lives. Dancing with the Dark Horse will help readers see that horses have a great deal to teach us about how to live happier, healthier, and more balanced lives. ... Read more

Book Description

A combination of illustrated field guide, fact book, and folklore collection, "Squirrels" is a new kind of wildlife book. This concise, illustrated handbook presents an accurate, informative portrait of squirrels in their natural habitat, along with an examination of their relationship to man.

Most Americans live in cities. The closest many get to wildlife is observing animals in parks and yards—the favorite habitat of the tree squirrel. Yet for all of the frequency with which they are observed, squirrels and their behavior are little understood. What do squirrels eat? How do they keep their food caches from spoiling? What is the most aggressive squirrel? Are there any squirrel-proof bird feeders? What role did squirrels play in ancient mythology?

From social interactions with early American cultures—both Native Americans and European settlers—to their role in local ecosystems, "Squirrels" provides animal lovers with the complete picture. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

squirrels are our friends
My husband just gave me this book after I talked about how much I enjoy watching squirrels in our neighborhood and that I wanted to learn more about them. I haven't read the entire book yet, but so far it is very interesting. Sometimes the everyday things in our world can be the most fascinating.

A good squirrely book
This book is useful as a reference work for the backyard wildlife enthusiast. I maintain a web site about squirrels, and I often refer to my copy to answer online questions from people around the world. My only criticism is that some of the artwork is not entirely realistic. Some of the drawings have the squirrels' heads shaped more like a seal than a rodent. ... Read more