Reviews (13)

A Must Have!
I just returned from a 10 day safari in Tanzania. The Safari Companion was informative and enlightening. Our tour guide asked me for my copy when the safarai was over! It seems the book is in such high demand in Africa, it commands nearly double the cover price. I gave her my copy. Because I enjoyed reading it so much on the trip and hope to use it to explain the 500+ pictures I took while there, I ordered another one when I came home!

Great for Amateurs
Most African Mammal guides are designed for people working in that field. Here, we have one specifically designed for the average enthusiast who wants to know a bit more than provided in the also essential Audobon Guide to African Wildlife. Let's face it - while you may get the occasional bird or even reptile enthusiast, it's the mammals that capture the imagination of the average person on the street when it comes to the wildlife of Africa.

You don't have to travel to the Dark Continent to enjoy this one, and - in acknowledgement that people can be interested in wildlife without necessarily being able or willing to go on Safari - it's also designed for use if you're fortunate enough (as I am) to be a regular at a quality zoo or even a regular viewer of "National Geographic" or "Nature".

The book is very easy to use and browse through, explaining habits and noting the best parks and reserves for each animal, as well as the animal's major predators or relationship with other predators. You don't have to look through it long to wish for similar volumes for Asia and North America.

Certainly worthy of being one of the first books on the shelf of anyone who loves African wildlife.

The perfect safari companion
Just returned from a safari to Tanzania. This book, along with the Audubon Field Guide to African Wildlife, made our experience that much better. The information contained in this book embellishes the wildlife viewing experience, by providing fascinating and in-depth information about the animals seen there. The text is organized very well and crammed full with useful information. Highly recommended reading for before a safari, and especially while there.

My most-thumbed book in Botswana
This is the book my tracker had in his jeep on a trip I took to southern Africa (SA, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia). My tracker didn't need it, but I found it fantastic reading during siestas and the longer drives. There are so many behavioural explanations missing from the standard safari guide. What's the difference between a high-horn threat and a low-horn threat in a roan antelope? I could see the different display postures, and this book told me a little more precisely what the display was all about. The only problem with this book is that there is no guide to spoor, so you'll have to get one. There are no colour photos, which is good for identification, because you don't want to get hung up on slight colour variations. Sometimes a roan antelope is about the same colour as a sable antelope. Look at the other identification marks. Anyway, as soon as I found a bookshop, I bought my own copy, and I still refer back to it.

Excellent but illustrated
While I agree with most of the other reviewers comments,I wouldn't agree that it is the only book you need. Descriptions and explanations are exemplary but the book is black/white illustrations with no color and no photographs. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the first comprehensive guide to the unique wildlife of theGalápagos, encompassing the birds, mammals, and reptiles a visitor to theseextraordinary islands might encounter. The innovative, simple-to-use format of thepocket-sized volume will help beginners and experts alike to identify with confidence thestriking and charismatic Galápagos fauna.

Highlighting the differences between similar species, the guide focuses on the keyidentification features of each. Information on the status, habitat preferences, breedingseasons, and significant behavioral characteristics is provided for each species, alongwith 78 distribution maps for all resident species. Fifty-three remarkable color platescompiled from a composite of 500 photographic images and 20 illustrations depictvirtually every bird, mammal, and reptile ever recorded on the Galápagos. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Wonderful Guide
This book is, in the words of my 8-year-old son, "incredible"! The layout is very easy to understand, the photographic plates that show the various species in related groupings are marvelously well-done. The text is informative without being pedantic, and the plethora of full-color photographs and excellent illustrations make the book a joy to use. If you are going to the Galapagos, BUY THIS BOOK! Better yet, buy more than one, because you will wear it out so fast flipping pages and grabbing it out of your travelling companions' greedy hands. If you aren't going, but want to learn about the fauna of this unique archipelago, you will find no better resource.

The best pocket guide to Galápagos land and air critters
Unless you are an advanced nature buff, birder, etc. this book should fulfill the need for travelers to recognize habitats and the land and air critters that inhabit them. Lavishly illustrated, good identification information, and even range maps- all very compact, and accurate. The information is next to the photo, so there's no paging back and forth- a good thing when you have a critter right in front of you. There's even a cross-referenced check-list by habitat! I'll definitely be taking this slender book with its strengthened, plasticized covers on my next trip to the "Islas Encantadas". You'll be glad you got this for your trip.

A Superb Guide for Scientists
A friend bought me this ID guide to take with me on a week-long cruise of the islands. The trip was magical and defies description; this ID guide was very helpful to me. It discusses not only the specific animals but also the ecology of specific vegetation zones of each island and documents sightings of each species. Not strictly for the layperson, because it requires some familiarity with scientific terms. I shared this guide with the National Park guides on our trip and they praised it highly - so I bought them each a copy. How's that for an endorsment? ... Read more

Amazon.com

In his third book, Robert Sullivan leaves the wilds of the (Meadowlands and therough whaling waters ofthe Pacific Northwest to take up rat-watching in the alleys of New YorkCity. Sullivan learned to appreciate the rodents during nocturnalstakeouts; a night-vision scope helped him observe rats without scaringthem. As in his previous books, Sullivan uses pointillist details rather thanbroad portraiture to paint his subject, and the details in Ratsare devilish. There are plenty of facts in the book to make your skincrawl, such as a description of the greasy skids rats leave on the pathsthey frequent, and a list of garbage items they prefer to eat. ButSullivan's style is often less that of a nature writer than a historian.In personable, essayish chapters, New York's history is revealed to beparticularly ratty, with tall tales about the rodents' disgustingaccomplishments going back to the city's founding. Although many peoplehave never seen a rat outside a pet store, Sullivan reminds us that theyare our constant neighbors, staring out from dim corners and messycrevices with beady eyes and twitching whiskers. --Adam Fisher ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Ratty enough for me
While I agree with some of the points made by those critical of this book, I believe they are being unnecessarily harsh.The writing is surprisingly rough and awkward in many places, but there is much good writing as well.It seems to me that what the book needed most of all was a good editor.It presents as if it needs about two more editorial sweeps done to it. Although it does have some good notes, a major annoyance for me was the lack of an index and bibliography.This just seems to be sheer laziness or cheapness.

But there is a lot to like about the book.The author appears to be such a strange man.Likeable but strange.For someone who wants to know rats intimately, he is quite timid.There is a mysterious black hole with steps leading down in the alley where he makes most of his observations.He wonders and speculates about it but never gets upthe guts to go down in it.We never really learn what was down there.And when three noisy young people stumble into the alley the author flees for no apparent reason, and peeks back in to see if the young people are still there.They end up peeking back at him.Why is he so timid?Why not go up to the group and tell them what you are doing and get their reaction, their view of rats?And yet I found his neurotic quirks to be endearing in the end.Sullivan is a nice, eccentric guy who would be fun to know.

Other sections or topics just seem to be incomplete.Sullivan does a good job of exposing the antics of the U.S military during the 1950s when it was surreptitiously testing biological weapons on Americans.But he doesn't follow up, and the reader is left asking questions.What ever happened to those people in Norfolk, Hampton and Newport News?Were the tests benign or did people suffer mysterious illnesses, birth defects, etc?Yet Sullivan does well to point out that the monster behind Japan's wartime human testing and vivisection unit, General Shiro Ishii, lived to a venerable old age because he donated his records to the U.S government in return for immunity.There is a lot of good history in this book, even if it is scattered higgledy-piggledy throughout.

And this book is as much about New York, a topic I never tire of, as it is about rats.From colonial and revolutionary times to the paralysis and paranoia immediately following the World Trade Center attack, the reader is steeped in the history and feel of the most interesting city on earth.So while it is not a definitive rat book by any measure, Rats is a quirky, very readable book that I would not hesitate to recommend.

Disappointing
I have rarely found a more poorly-written book on such an interesting subject. Darn shame, as I (like other reviewers below) really wanted to like this book due to its subject.

The author does not move himself to the background. This book is not about rats so much as the author's adventures as he learns about rats. Rats are interesting, Robert Sullivan is less so.

The book is full of distracting misspellings ('They' for 'The' for example) and nonstandard capitalization ('Edens alley' for 'Edens' Alley' throughout). Each page has a half dozen places that brings the reader out of the story and back into the real world.

Further, the author is unable to write in a linear fashion. His description of of the alley is a jumble. I read the entire book and still cannot make a mental map of the place.

All in all, the subject deserves a better treatment than it receives here. An interesting, readable book on the urban rat remains to be written.

Too Bad
I really wanted to like this book.Unfortunately, the author's writing got in the way of what seems like a fascinating subject.Like other reviewers, I put the book down because I couldn't handle the stilted prose any longer.The book got one and one-half stars because I eventually picked it back up and plodded through because there were just enough interesting anecdotes to make it worth my while.
A prime example of my problem with Sullivan is on page 106.He spends a page talking about travelling with a group of exterminators.He sets up the scenario-this place is filled with rats, monster rats leaving two inch droppings.What's going to happen?Here's the payoff: "Something darted down, raced to the floor, where it stopped and looked right at him.IT WAS A BIG RAT." (Caps mine)That's it.Story over.If my 6th graders wrote a sentence like that, I'd give them the paper back.This is only one of many examples of the cringe-worthy writing encountered in the book.You've got to sort through too many rat droppings to make the experience enjoyable.

Almost perfect
Robert Sullivan relates his experiences as he delves into rats, with the focus being on the role that rats play in history and modern culture rather than dwelling on the nuances of rat behavior. He spends nights in a forgotten alleyway in New York, watching the rats as they emerge from their burrows to take advantage of the local restaurant waste. He spends time with exterminators (or "pest control specialists," as the industry leaders prefer), whether they work for small companies or large ones. And, apparently, he spends time at the library, digging up historical information that is at times so obscure that you wonder how he ever found it as it relates to his subject.

But Sullivan's book, peppered with literary quotes from the likes of Thoreau and Emerson, is ultimately less about rats and more about people. The rats are a fascinating hook, and every time a rodent skitters across the page, Sullivan invites us to squirm along with him. But more often, the reader is treated to quirky episodes in American history, in which the rats play some sort of role.

The black plague, the era of Gangs of New York, the American Revolution, the labor movement, and anti-Chinese sentiments at the turn of the century are just some of the subjects of Sullivan's stories, and he tells them all with a master's flair.

The Good and the Bad:
This is one of the best nonfiction books I've ever read, edging out Hillenbrandt's Seabiscuit, and rivaling Kurlansky's Cod and the works of Bill Bryson. Sullivan knows how to tell an interesting story, and he has chosen a subject which rivets our attention no matter how it is presented. Putting the two elements together leads to a lot of compulsive page-turning.

Sullivan has that rare ability to reach deep into the history books and pull out the most engaging anecdotes, and yet find the connection to his story that merits the inclusion.

He also possesses the rare ability to insert himself into the story without dwelling on himself.While much of the book involves his personal interactions with the world, he never strays into the grandstanding that so many authors seem to find impossible to resist.

The book is mostly tangents, and there are footnotes that lead to tangents from the tangents, and endnotes that add yet another layer of side stories. But that's okay, because this is a journey that is far more pleasurable than any destination could be.

If I had to pick a nit about this one (and I like to present a little criticism on everything I read), I would say that I was surprised that there weren't more personal stories about people who aren't related to the rat industry, and their dealings with rats. He relates the rat story of an acquaintance who finds a rat in his bathroom, and it is one of the most entertaining sections in the book. I can't help but think that there are other stories out there that would have been worthy of inclusion.

Similarly, I would have liked to have learned a little more about the rats themselves, as pertains to their social structure and other areas of interest from a naturalist perspective. For example, he mentions a couple of times that a starving rat colony will begin to cannibalize itself, but there's no in-depth description of this phenomenon.

These are small concerns compared to the overall level of success that the book enjoyed. You know a book is good when you don't think anything should be taken out of it; you just want more and more. I'm definitely going to go look up other works by Sullivan now that I've been introduced to his writing.

Disappointment
I wanted to like this book. Witht so much prepress hype and such an intriguing subject matter, I couldn't wait to scurry home with a copy. What a let down. Three times I tried to engage in the book and three times I put it down.

It's rare indeed that I give up on a book before finishing it, especially when it is about one of my favorite subjects. With Rats: Observations..., however, after struggling through the first two chapters, I closed it for good. I found the writing clumsy and awkward and peppered with the occasional mistake. It is doubtful, for example, that a rat can `repeal' an attack as mentioned on page 9; repel, perhaps, but not repeal.

Although this immediately set a difficult tone, I pressed on, though with grave reservations. A dozen pages later, however, I identified a second problem and one that proved too much: the author confuses his fascination with the subject matter as reason enough for readers to be fascinated. It is a fatal flaw. Rats ARE fascinating, but less fascinating is the author's preoccupation with himself. I wanted to read about rats, not about an author writing about why he writes about rats. And doing it poorly! The truth is, I don't really care how he came to be intrigued; in fact, his nostalgic journeys into the halls of his own memories and the constant reminders to the reader that he was writing about rats fixed him as a looming presence in my mind and blotted out the real subject of the book: RAT! It was so distracting that I couldn't move forward.

When I read books about natural behavior, etc, I look for something like Ravens in Winter, by Heinrich, which separates observer from observed and - drawing upon his expertise, reams of data, and discrete information presented in a thoughtful manner - actually teaches me something and leaves me wanting more. Rat: Observations..., on the other hand, is little more than a rambling diary entry, a rat blog.

Other books I have read about rats have been far more successful. More Cunning Than Man by Hendrickson, for example, while often lurid, is highly entertaining and immensely readable. The Story of Rats, by Barnett and Barnett, a slim volume, is packed with facts and feels like a book.

Rats: Observations... seems like an overly long term paper from a self-infatuated high school student chasing a solid 3.0 grade point.

This book belongs in the dumpster, along with the title rats.
... Read more

Reviews (9)

The best of the best
This book is it! I have been tracking for about a year now and i recently baught this book and it is the best i have seen. it is both handy in the field and at home moreover the personal accounts from mark are fabulous and add an important dimension to tracking that illustrates his thinking that most books leave out. I have been studying deer in my area and this book has been by far the most helpful of all the books i have used. Thanks Mark!

National Outdoor Book Award Winner
I am the author of this book. Just a few comments and news:

Mammal Tracks and Sign is the recipient of a 2003 National Outdoor Book Award: Winner in the Nature Guidebooks competition. NOBA's comments can be read in full at http://www.isu.edu/outdoor/books/ and include:
"Mammal Tracks and Sign is one of the most thorough and complete guides to animal tracking ever published...It's a monumental effort and an invaluable reference for anyone who enjoys tracking and viewing wildlife."

I've awarded the book five stars not for myself-although I'm proud of the achievement-but for Stackpole Books, the publisher. When you hold this book, feel its weight, and flip through the 1058 color photos, over 300 illustrations and close to 800 pages, consider the material costs of such an endeavor-the investment and the risk for a publisher. Stackpole committed to creating the most comprehensive guide to mammal tracking in North America, and possibly the world. I think they've done it. It is beautiful and far exceeds previous publications on tracking; it stands as a testimonial to the importance of saving wildlife tracking skills around the globe. My thanks to Stackpole Books for unending support and enthusiasm.

(Funny enough, 115 pages were cut from the initial layout, to address concerns over the strength of the resulting binding.)

Excellent but with a caveat or two
While I agree with most of the praise that others readers of this book have expressed, there are a few oddities. Most of the tracks, etc. are photographed without a scale to give an immediate impression of relative size. Additionally, some of the schematic drawings are sometimes confusingly labeled, though the meanings of each become clear with a few re-readings. I guess I wish that the author had asked less experienced trackers to review the manuscript, as a lot of these minor details would probably have been cleared up prior to publication. That being said, one of the major strengths of this guide is the section that illustates various gaits and the subsequent trails they potentially leave. Very few, if any, other guides out there give this difficult aspect of tracking the exhaustive treatment that this author does; a much-needed treatise, so thank you!

Best wildlife tracking reference yet!
Mark Elbroch is one of the best trackers I know, and this is by far the best tracking reference for North America you can buy. This book is both accurate and FUN, as Mark shares his stories from the field, wonderful photos and detailed research.

As another reviewer noted, the sheer size and weight of this book make it heavy for field work, but it is definitely a must-have for any wildlife tracker or naturalist. It is more comprehensive than other tracking guides, and well laid out. Great reading, too, for those long,stormy winter days when you can't be out tracking. Well worth the price- don't miss this one!!

A scientifically credible look at tracking
Mark Elbroch's new book is a scientifically credible look at tracking

The tracking world has once again gained a great resource in the new book by Mark Elbroch. "Mammal Tracks and Sign: A Guide to North American Species" fills a gap in the availability of good quality photographic guides to tracks and sign. This is a book for the serious tracker! At 784 pages, it is the most complete guide available today on the subject. The tracking world has long awaited a book to rival Olaus Murie's "A Field Guide to Animal Tracks," which has been the field standard for years. Elbroch's book covers some new ground, bringing together coverage of subjects that previously were found only in specialized, and not widely available, publications. These include: mammal remains, a large section of sign on vegetation, identification of kills, burrows/beds/lays/nests, and a big photographic section on scat and other secretions. The very complete section on gaits will help you identify those difficult trails. Photos, drawings, measurements, and range maps are included for each species. Throughout the text are sidebars with tips to distinguish between easily confused species. This is especially useful if you have ever found yourself struggling with an identification in the field. The appendices list other tracking resources for further study, including schools, books, web sites, tracking teachers, and more.

The book is a little heavy to tote into the field, but it offers so much information that it may be prudent to buy two; one to haul into the field and bang around, and one to keep at home for reference. Its weight is compensated for by the fact that it has information you would find in many different field guides all in one book, so you can leave the others at home and bring this one along. It sets a new standard for tracking as a science and brings it new credibility that may help increase its use as a tool for wildlife management.

The initial price may be discouraging to many trackers, but in the end, I think you will find it is money well spent. There are many books on tracking out there, quite a few with poor drawings, inaccuracies, or errors. Although those books are much less expensive, and are probably better "mass market" sellers, a tracker needs accurate information, and this book provides it. This book is destined to become one of my favorites, and one I will recommend when people ask me which book to purchase.

I think you will agree that Mark's two new books are great additions to the tracking library, and offer the serious tracker valuable resources, although these are not books that will sit on the shelf and gather dust. They are the books that will become worn and dog-eared from being hauled into the field and used. I look forward to using them in years to come as I further my own knowledge of the unlimited field of tracking. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Consider the lynx, a medium-sized cat of boreal regions of North America, "a solitary animal, associated with the opposite sex only during mating." Consider the Oldfield mouse, Peromyscus polionotus, once abundant in abandoned fields and beaches from South Carolina to northern Florida. These are but two of the 390 species covered in this densely informative, well-illustrated guidebook to the mammals of North America, with photographs keyed to textual descriptions that cover a given animal's physical features, range and habitat, breeding characteristics, and behavior (and, helpfully, that list other animals with which it might be confused). This easy-to-use handbook makes a superb addition to any naturalist's library. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The best ..................
These are the BEST field guides we have ever owned. We have the trees, western USA birds, trees and sealife ones and they are a wonderful size and fit easily into a coat pocket or glove compartment of ones car and of course a back pack. They make a GREAT gift and during the Christmas season a great stocking stuffer.

They are so complete as far as information goes, telling the reader what the migration and nesting habits are, where the birds can be found and they have wonderful photographs that are so useful when out on a hike. Our son loved them growing up and with a set of binoculars on a hike a person can find hours passing and not realize it.

The covers on the books (vinyl) make it easy to keep them clean. Buy at least one and I assure you, you will be hooked..........

One of the Best of Its Kind
I have several Audubon field guides, but this is the best of them all in my opinion. In this book, the editors made a wise decision to write more expansive descriptions, including a lot of information about the animal's behavior, eating habits, breeding, migration, and, often, its conservation status. The editors also show a sensitivity to man-made trends. For example, the domstic cat is listed here, as well as wild horses. In the former case, human carelessness has actually created a viable, but problematic, animal species; in the latter, humans intentionally let loose hundreds of horses at the end of the "wild west" days, and the animals have now actually found a niche.

The editors also did an excellent job of including rare species (such as the lynx and bobcat) as well as very common species (such as all the different kinds of squirrels).

It is unlikely that most amateur naturalists would have a chance to actually encounter every mammal in this book, so it is great to have a reference like this. Like other Audubon field guides, just reading the descriptions is fascinating. I would venture to guess that most people will discover species they never knew about, or learn new facts about what they thought were familiar species. Some of my favorites are the wolverine and the wild cats of southern North America.

This book, as well as most of the Audubon field guides, is a terrific resource for igniting children's imaginations. Reading about the animals' lives should help give children insights into the diversity and interconnectedness of species, and spark an appreciation for the beauty inherent in the wild.

excellent field guide
I thoroughly enjoy my Audubon field guides and the Mammals of North America is the most Interesting of the list. It is definitely a must have for anyone interested in animals. With tons of color photos of virtually every species in North america this is a great buy! Descriptions are longer and have more information than the Peterson series but some photographs are hard to see the identifyable traits of the specimen. Perfect size to throw in the pack and head out to the field to spot your favorites. ... Read more

Book Description

Not since the early 1970s has there been an attempt to describe and illustrate the anatomy of the developing mouse embryo. More than ever such material is needed by biologists as they begin to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying development and differentiation. After more than ten years of painstaking work, Matt Kaufman has completed The Atlas of Mouse Development--the definitive account of mouse embryology and development.
For all those researching or studying mammalian development, The Atlas of Mouse Development will be the standard reference work for many years to come.

Key Features
* Provides a comprehensive sequential account of the development of the mouse from pre-implantation to term
* Contains clear and concise descriptions of the anatomical features relevant to each stage of development
* Large format for easy use
* Contains explanatory notes and legends, and more than 180 meticulously labeled plates, 1,300 photographs of individual histological sections, and 200 electron micrographs, illustrating:
* Intermittent serial histological sections through embryos throughout embryogenesis and organogenesis
* Differentiation of specific organs and organ systems, including the spinal cord, eyes, gonads, kidneys, lungs and skeletal system
* External appearance of intact embryos throughout development ... Read more

Book Description

The Behavior Guide to African Mammals is as different from aconventional field guide as motion pictures are from a snapshot. Whether we areable to look at them face to face, on television, or in the hundreds ofillustrations provided here by Daniel Otte, this guide allows us to understandwhat animals do and what their behavior means. Drawing on his own extensive fieldwork and on the research of many otherscientists, Richard Estes describes and explains the behavior of four majorgroups of mammals. Estes's remarkably informative guide is as up-to-date for thezoologist as it is accessible for the interested onlooker. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

For the very keen wildlife watcher
I suspect the book is a little over my head, but it's very thorough & well-reasearched. For a layman like myself, I think I'd like photos - or colour pictures of the animals too - but as the author says, the book goes beyond the normal "field guides" which aim to help with animal identification.

If you want to know things like how the lives of a dikdik & a duiker differ (but you could tell them apart), this is the book for you!

Cant Beat Estes Book
While on a college course in northern Tanzania, I had the great honour of having Dr. Estes as my professor. The book speaks of over 2 decades of knowledge, it is a must have for the travler or researcher. Not only good as a field type guide but wonderfuly done and useful for all topics on african wildlife. I urge all intrested go buy Estes' books.

The Behaviour Guide to African Mammals
I used this book while on a course in Kenya and thought it was great. It describes various mammalian behaviors often seen in the field using plain language. Consequently, even the novice can easily identify a multitude of behavioral patterns. I am purchasing it now so that I can use it to teach volunteers working at a field site in Kenya ... Read more

Amazon.com

Modoc is the joint biography of a man and an elephant born in a small German circus town on the same day in 1896. Bram was the son of an elephant trainer, Modoc the daughter of his prize performer. The boy and animal grew up devoted to each other. When the Wunderzircus was sold to an American, with no provision to take along the human staff, Bram stowed away on the ship to prevent being separated from his beloved Modoc. A shipwreck off the Indian coast and a sojourn with a maharajah were only the beginning of the pair's incredible adventures. They battled bandits, armed revolutionaries, cruel animal trainers, and greedy circus owners in their quest to stay together. They triumphed against the odds and thrilled American circus audiences with Modoc's dazzling solo performances, only to be torn apart with brutal suddenness, seemingly never to meet again. Hollywood animal trainer Ralph Helfer rescued Modoc from ill-treatment and learned her astonishing story when Bram rediscovered her at Helfer's company. His emotional retelling of this true-life adventure epic will make pulses race and bring tears to readers' eyes.--Wendy Smith ... Read more

Reviews (97)

Best show & Elephant on earth - Best book on earth
"Modoc is a love story, a gut wrenching saturday afternoon kind of love story that should not be attempted without a full box if tissues within easy reach."- Detroit free press This quote is on the front cover of Modoc and is definetly true. Modoc is the best yet saddest book i have ever read. i have read a lot of books and Modoc is the only one in which i have actually cried in. This book doesn't even have to be for animal lovers to like. Modoc shows how close animals and people really are and how smart animals really can be. Modoc is a story of a boy named Bram and his elephant Modoc and the journeys he and the boy have together. some sad, some exciting, and some just plain fun. i reccomend this book to anybody of any age i am only 11 years old and still truly enjoyed this book. It is truly the best book i have ever read.

heartwarming, breathtaking, and wonderfully written for all
Modoc has to be the most amazing story ever told about one's love for the animal kingdom. I was astonished with the retold accounts throughout the text........always reading on to find out what happened next to Bram and his beloved Modoc. I can honestly say it is my favorite book of all time for it touched my heart and actually did bring tears to my eyes as I completed it aboard an airline. I've handed it down to my sister to be read to my 6-year-old nephew. He's intrigued with the story and loves hearing it aloud. It's a book for all ages indeed!

Awesome book!
I normally dont like reading books at all. I always catch myself thinking about different things like whats going on in my life, and not remebering anything that i just read. When i read Modoc, i caught myself thinking about other things, however those other things were everything thats been going on in modoc's life other than my own.

Fascinating Story
This is truely one of the best books I have ever read. It is a touching and poignant story of the relationship between a boy/man and his elephant. No other story that I have read has captured the bond between human and animal as convincingly as this. Other reviewers are too hung up on the accuracy of the author's claim that the story is true. He clearly states at the beginning that there is a certain amount of "hearsay" and poetic license taken with the story. I could not put this book down. It hooked me from the beginning and didn't let go until long after I had read the book. This book begs to be made into a movie. Don't miss it.

AN ENDEARING STORY FOR ALL
This is the most touching and beautiful story I have ever read. I am grateful to Ralph Helfer for telling it. I would recommend the book to everyone. ... Read more

Book Description

Scientists call them Inia geoffrensis, an ancient species of toothed whale whose origin dates back about 15 million years. To the local people of the Amazon, pink river dolphins are "botos," shape shifters that, in the guise of human desire, can claim your soul and take you to the Encante, an enchanted underwater world.

As tributaries braid into a single river, Journey of the Pink Dolphins weaves ancient myth and modern science into one woman's search for these elusive creatures. Over four separate journeys, Sy Montgomery follows the dolphins, tracing their spiritual, historical, and environmental past, present, and future. Ancient legends tell us that dolphins have guided humans for millennia, and in Journey of the Pink Dolphins, Montgomery answers their call, taking us to that perfect place where the Amazon melts into the forest, dolphins swim among treetops, and the twenty-first century dissolves into the beginning of time. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Why haven't we heard this before?
I can't believe how many people (including myself) had never heard of freshwater dolphins before seeing this book. Why isn't there any information out there about these intriguing cousins of the saltwater dolphins that we all know and love? Well, now there is! And Sy Montgomery takes us deep into the habitat of the freshwater dolphins --- the Amazon (where, as she explains, there are trees and ants that can kill you, among many other things). She not only explores the life and biology of these dolphins, but she also explores some of the myths that surround them. She learns that many native Amazon peoples believe that these creatures can take the form of humans in their efforts to seduce women into their underwater world. She relates first hand accounts of these stories and myths. But the author doesn't stop there, she writes extensively about the atmosphere of the Amazon, the people, the ecosystem, the cultures, the tourists, the industries, etc... She provides alot of interesting information about a very unique subject. As I read the book, I felt as if I was being pulled into the Amazon. Her writing is clear and approachable, sometimes poetic, but other times drawn-out. There are some very insightful passages as well. And fascinating photographs are scattered throughout. I recommend this book to anyone interested in animals, conservation, adventure travel, aboriginal/native cultures and all those intrigued by the idea of a freshwater dolphin!

enchanting travelogue and work of natural history
I loved this book! Sy Montgomery is a talented writer, able to put you in exotic places with vivid descriptions, I almost felt I was in the Amazon. She really brought it to life, I look forward to reading another book of hers I have purchased, "Search for the Golden Moon Bear."

The book focuses on the author's quest for the pink dolphin, but really it is a journey to find not one but two dolphins. I don't refer to the other species of dolphin that lives in the Amazon, the tucuxis (one which she also covers in the book), but for two sides of the same animal. On the one hand she searches for the pink dolphin, the bufeo in Spanish or boto in Portguese, a living animal of which little is known about in comparison with many other dolphin species. Living in the most massive river system on earth, one connnected to innumerable lakes in the rainy season, in waters often black as coffee and infested with caimans, piranha, stingrays, and electric eels, in often very remote regions to which there is no reliable transportation to, it is a difficult subject to study. An example of cetaceans from an earlier geologic era, primitive when compared to modern oceanic dolphins, the pink dolphins preserve something from an eariler era, a holdover in the modern world. Montgomery and her various companions in the book struggle to get good observations of the dolphins, to try and track them, to identify individuals, to observe their behavior. The author finds that even experts who have studied the bufeo for years are often perplexed by them. She has many successes, providing much interesting information on them and a fine series of color photographs of the often startingly pink dolphins.

Montgomery though is also questing for the Encante, the mystical shape-shifting dolphin that is very real to many of the peoples who live along the mighty Amazon. Believed to exist in fabulous cities beneath the surface of the river, the locals speak in conspiratorial tones about the dolphins' magic powers and often lust for attractive humans. The natives often worry that their wives, husbands, sons, and daughters will be stolen about by the fabulous Encante, and speak with awe and reverence about the dolphins. Montgomery continually quests for the natives' views of the Encante, for their "true" tales, and for how they protect themselves against their fantastic attention.

Montgomery doesn't exlusively focus on dolphins though. Her book in part is a vivid travelogue of Amazonia, bringing us to many exotic locations. We visit Manaus, the impossible Paris of the Amazon, home to an opera house right out of a fairy tale. Built upon the backs of native jungle peoples by rubber barons, today it is a squalid city trying to embrace change. She takes us to amazing Meeting of the Waters, where for miles two tributies of the Amazon, the black River Negro and the white Solimoes, flow side by side before forming the true Amazon River. We are taken to two different nature reserves, both with differing strategies, Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo and Mamiraua, where some of the rich life and deadly beauty of Amazonia is preserved against an uncertain future. Montgomery takes us to the impossibly clear waters and white sandy beaches of the Tapajos and Arapiuns Rivers, where she actually swims with the dolphins, something not possible elsewhere in the dark and piranha-infested rivers elsewhere. She undertakes a vision quest by taking the hallucigenic Ayahuasca or "Mother of the Vine," something few Westerners have done (and for good reason).

Further, while the bufeo or boto is the star of the book, many other animals form a rich supporting cast. The odd hoatzin, a bird with claws, seemingly someting out of the Mesozoic. Electric eels, extremely common and suprisingly complex. Caimans, another seemingly prehistoric species. Amazonian manatees, gentle vegetarians that are much more intelligent than often given credit for. The weird side-necked turtle. All manner of insects, including ants. And more are given space.

Some have said that she rhapsodizes too much in the book, but I disagree. She has done her research, the book is filled with interviews with experts, and there is a nice bibliography at the end. She has skillfully combined hard science with poetry, and the effort is very worthwhile. I highly recommend it.

Fascinating but Frustrating
As someone who's interested in the Amazon, its people, culture, geography, fauna, flora and other subjects, I read this book for its fascinating topic. However, this is a very mixed bag. There are moving sections, as when she describes the genocide perpetrated against the native peoples by Europeans (you would not believe the atrocities and torture they visited the Indians, whom they considered lower than animals - much worse in its ferocity than the Holocaust of WWII). The writing can be quite bad at times (at one point, her powers of description comes up with a fruit she tried, "bitter as semen"). But the worse is, she seems to be a very bad science writer and researcher. Who edited this book? Certainly not people versed in science or Portuguese. She gets everything in Portuguese wrong. The scientific names and terms are often misspelled. Proceed with caution.

Amazonian vacation
This is one of those books to read when you don't have the money and/or time to actually travel the planet. I enjoyed that Sy both had a grasp of biology and is a truly talented author. She also obviously cares about the socioeconomic situation of the peoples who live in the area that her biological studies took her. This book transports you into a magical world in which pink dolphins inhabit rivers in a mystical jungle. Sometimes the truth is better than fiction.

This book corks my blowhole
To the author: Let me get this straight: You applied with a flimsy pretext to go observe dolphins, to "find the soul" of the Amazon. (Funny how no one writes about the search for the soul of New Jersey. It's always someplace that increases the aspirant's status as interpreter. The Amazon has been prostituted since its discovery, even BEFORE its discovery --in myth; why you suppose your frothy rehash is anything but the same extractivist, exoticizing discourse the West uses to plunder the source-country Americas, is a mystery.) Where was I? Oh, yes. Then you repeat your tourist guides by rote -The rubber barons sent their laundry to Europe, the Meeting of the Waters, so many football fields destroyed, blah blah blah, we know already. Then, not knowing an iota of Portuguese (or lingua geral, better still), you take on underlings to ferry you around and see to your comfort. So there's garbage in the ports? --Any idea where that comes from?
Then, do you acknowledge your privileged vantage? -in one line, yes, you note that tourists can do harm to the very area they wish to see. Would that that stopped you! Then you take Ayahuasca, the cosmological and neurological Virgil of the indigenes and caboclos, and this is the unreal part, you do it to summon dolphin spirits! Sacred vine as recreational trophy for bourgeois day-trippers. Then, as a capper, you relate a slumber party of your half-researched blatherings --endless second- and third-hand accounts of fables, offering no links, context, etymologies, insights to speak of (for example, at one point you tell us the Iquitos prostitutes used to file their teeth like piranhas', but then you don't SPECULATE or reflect critically at all on why that is. Does it have to do with the degradation of women in Latin America or some of kind of reversal of the dynamics of erotic conquests (a topic apropos of your ladykiller/dolphin)? What is the relationship and affective connection of the animal kingdom in general to the Amazonians? Do THEY care about dolphins? (Why not, if not?) Does that effect their ecology? Should WE care about them, besides for the fact they're pretty? What link are they in the river food chain? What of a discussion --in passing at least-- of the complicated politics of First-World ideas of conservation vs. their making a living? Too many things are given unproblematically or unreflectively in this book. And by the way, speaking English deliberately in front of Amazonian river people is RUDE, not to mention paternalistic.
To the editor: Many books about the Amazon are hyperinflated, breathless, and rhetorical by far. They should be purged of HALF of their adjectives. And virtually ALL their adverbs (e.g. here, "dazzingly" , "unimaginably" and for God's sake, "unfathomably".) Where is your blue pencil on sentences like "[We] wanted the same thing: to save this toweringly cruel and nourishing dawn world from fading to twilight." (p. 245)?
Also, virtually all the Portuguese in the book is wrong, save one or two phrases.
To the bookseller: File this under "d" for "dilletanterie".
To the reader: Go find Candace Slater's Dance of the Dolphin instead, which offers real field research.
To Oprah's Book Club: You gotta get this book! ... Read more

Book Description

More popular than ever, Tom Brown, Jr.'s unique approach to inner growth through outer awareness has gained a wide audience, ranging from weekend campers and nature lovers, to serious survivalists and college students.The Science and Art of Tracking expands upon Tom Brown's most enduring subject: the important life lessons to be learned through tracking skills. Tom Brown was taught the ancient skills of survival by a Native American he called Grandfather. His most advanced lessons were those of the scouts, members of a secret society who were highly attuned to nature. The scouts refined tracking to a disciplined science and art form. With these physical skills came enhanced perception and true enlightment. "Tracking was their doorway to the universe," Tom Brown writes, "where they could know all things through the tracks..."Now Tom Brown, Jr. shares generations of wisdom through one of the most rewarding pursuits to be found in nature. Tracking lets us unlock the secrets of each animal we follow, and in turn, to become more aware of our own place in nature and the world. It is a journey of discovery that engages the senses, awakens the spirit, and enlightens the soul. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

TRY IT FOR YOURSELF-NO TALL TALES HERE
THIS BOOK TEACHES THE BARE MINIMUM YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT TRACKING. BASICALLY, EVERYTHING YOU LEARN IN TOM'S STANDARD ON TRACKING IS OUTLINED VERY NICELY IN THIS BOOK. THIS BOOK WILL NOT ONLY HELP IN YOUR AWARENESS OF ANIMAL TRACKS BUT ALSO OF EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE. IT TEACHES YOU TO LOOK CAREFULLY AT EVEN THE SMALLEST DETAILS. THIS IS THE ONLY COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO TRACKING ON THE MARKET THAT I KNOW OF. IF YOU SEE ANOTHER BOOK REFERING TO "PRESSURE RELEASES," YOU KNOW IT CAME FROM TOM BROWN JR.. SOME PEOPLE SEEM TO THINK THAT THE DETAILS IN THIS BOOK ARE JUST TALL TALES. DO A QUICK EXPERIMENT IN YOUR GARAGE. CHECK OUT THE DUST ON THE FLOOR IN THE MORNING GET DOWN CLOSE TO THE GROUND , USE A FLASHLIGHT TO GET THE FLOOR BETWEEN YOU AND THE LIGHTSOURCE. IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU WILL EASILY SEE THE TRACKS OF ALL THE LITTLE CRITTERS THAT HAVE BEEN ROAMING YOUR GARAGE AT NIGHT:MICE, BUGS,CATS ETC. MY GOODNESS, YOU'VE JUST TRACKED AN ANIMAL ACROSS SOLID ROCK. JUST ONE OF THE SIMPLE THINGS REVEALED IN A CONCISE MANNER IN THIS BOOK. NO TALL TALES HERE BELIEVE ME

Charlatan
Brown's revelation of pressure releases is nothing new. Any tracker worth his or her salt knows Brown's new revelation is just common sense. Trackers have been using this technique for centuries. Brown's "adventures" with grandfather are fiction. Brown is a charlatan who couldn't track a muddy-footed elephant down a dry sidewalk.

Bummer!
I'm very disappointed! Having read this book, I couldn't track an elephant across a mud flat in broad daylight. I think the problem is all the psycho-babble pop philosophy this book is crammed with. It gets in the way of communicating any real information to the reader. That plus I found myself wondering how "Grandfather" could see his own feet at the age of 92, much less see ant tracks on solid rock. It's probably just me.

Try it for yourself!
This is a great book for beginning trackers and nature lovers. The book shows how anyone willing to put forth a little effort to go out and practice and get some "dirt time" can learn to follow even the tiniest tracks across the most difficult surfaces. Tom uses a common sense method of tracking that examines a track in terms of "pressure releases." For example: a heavy foot displaces more "dirt" than a lighter foot, a foot traveling fast will displace more "dirt" to the rear of the foot than a foot moving slowly. By measuring the size of these pressure releases one can tell a myriad of things about the creature one is tracking: its size, its direction of travel, its speed of travel and its head position. Eventually, by studying micro-pressure releases inside the track one will also be able to tell whether the animal has a full stomach, whether it is male or female and dozens of other cool details about the animal. Tom will teach you how to see the animal as you track it. Some people seem to doubt whether the stories Tom tells are real or not. Kevin below states that there are no oak trees in Montana. This is false. The bur oak is abundant in the state of Montana and it grows up to 70 feet high sometimes. The best use of this book I feel is to use it in your everyday life. It teaches one to look at the details of life one might miss.

Is he for real?
All of Tom's books have been very interesting and inspiring, but there is something that makes me wonder if he is for real. However, the science and art of tracking was very good and I have had success with most of his concepts. He has a lot to share, I'm sure, but I don't know if I would take all he says for 100% true. For instance, In The Search, "weathering out a bad storm in the top of a giant oak tree in a national park in Montana." In Montana!!?? I live in Montana and there is not one single oak tree in the whole state. Tom is obviously fudging here for sake of and interesting story. I would recommend all of Tom's books and the morals and principals he expresses in them, and his wilderness guides are very well done, but just be aware. Kevin ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Written with clarity and wit by two top scientists, North American Tree Squirrels illuminates the everyday lives of gray and fox squirrels, the two most dominant types of tree squirrels of the eastern United States.Drawing on more than twenty years of research, Michael A. Steele and John L. Koprowski detail the behavior, reproduction, diet, physiology, and habitat use of these engaging rodents, as well as their complex interdependent relationships with seed-producing trees. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

I'm Nuts........... About Squirrels!
In terms of books on squirrel field research I believe this to be one of the best in print. It is both a concise yet through volume. It is my personal opinion that a person will only appreciate the value of this book and it's research if they admire the animal itself and do not view it as a pest.

I am very fond of the squirrels that visit my bird feeder and windowsill. Thanks to this book I was better able to understand their world and lifecycle. ... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive book is a collective response to thousands of letters and phone calls received annually by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.Students, teachers, and scientists all have amazingly varied questions about whales and dolphins, and the most revealing inquiries are presented here with detailed answers. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A good reference book
This is an interesting and helpful reference book if simple answers are all that are needed. References to other literature for each topic would be helfpul since the answers are sometimes so general and brief. Also, I had hoped that it would contain more information about perhaps the most important question we could ask about these animals ... how can we protect them?

Fascinating information about wild whales and dolphins
Collaboratively written by James G. Mead (Curator of Marine Mammals, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History) and Joy P. Gold (Technical Information Specialist, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History), Whales And Dolphins In Question: The Smithsonian Answer Book is a gorgeously illustrated book filled with beautiful color photography by Flip Nicklin and showcases fascinating information about wild whales and dolphins. The first section presents basic facts in question-and-answer format; the second addresses these wondrous creatures species by species, offering amazing trivia and insight into the natural world. A superb giftbook for dolphin and whale enthusiasts, Whales And Dolphins In Questions is strongly recommended for school and community library wildlife and marine life reference collections. ... Read more

Book Description

With detailed information drawn from hundreds of scientific publications and more than 400 spectacular illustrations, The Natural History of Costa Rican Mammals describes all of Costa Rica?s readily identifiable terrestrial and freshwater mammals.

The clear and entertaining text provides a wealth of information for researchers, students, and naturalist guides, as well as for first-time visitors to the American tropics who simply have an interest in wildlife. The book?s compact, sturdy design makes it easy to carry along on any field trip.

The illustration show not only the mammals themselves, but also their tracks, scats, dens, and anatomical details. Also included are illustrations of numerous other animals and plants with which the mammals have formed close ecological links.

The mammal descriptions include key identification features, range maps, vocalizations, derivations of common and scientific names, evolutionary history, local folklore and mythology, and extensive information about natural history and conservation. The book also describes some of the fascinating challenges faced by researchers and points out numerous questions that remain unanswered. By presenting mammals in a broader context, The Natural History of Costa Rican Mammals provides and entry point into a general study of tropical ecology and conservation.

With a preface by Oscar Arias
Former president of Costa Rica
1987 Nobel Peace Laureate ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Much More Than Meets the Eye
This book is far more than a review of information about mammals in Costa Rica; it is also a good field guide and a useful text on applied conservation. The author is a professional guide in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and as such is knowledgeable about a wide variety of natural history subjects. This book is primarily a review of the literature about mammals in not only Costa Rica, but elsewhere in Central America. It contains information widely applicable to other counties and the suggestions for conservation apply just as widely.

I have a pretty good library on wildlife in Central and South America and this beautifully done book is probably the best, not only about a specific group, but also about general issues. The drawings are excellent, the overall book is well put together and, the writing is clear, simple, accurate, and really first-rate. Buy this book even if you don't plan on traveling to Costa Rica.

Fantastic!
A marvellous book, compact enough to be a field guide and yet informative enough to be a valuable reference work at home. As a field guide it is particularly valuable for its superb illustrations and also in showing and discussing things like scats, tracks, dens and sounds for those animals that one would like to see but might not! We'll certainly take it along again on our next trip. As a reference work it is excellent as a clearly and entertainingly written introduction to the natural history and conservation of Costa Rica's many fascinating mammals. It also has a comprehensive list of references to the primary scientific literature.

From the publisher
Most field guides provide very little information other than the features of the animal relevant to identifying it. Wainwright's book, however, contains loads of fascinating natural history information, written in an engaging, sometimes clever but never cute style.

Goes beyond 5 stars!
This book is handy for those who want to identify Costa Rican mammals, but it is especially appropriate for anyone who wishes to go beyond the simple question of "What's that?" It contains a wealth of natural history information on mammals' feeding, defecating, and sexual behavior. The author also describes ecological interactions and conservation issues. Hundreds of superb illustrations depict portraits of the animals as well as behaviors, food plants, and interesting details such as scats and penis bones. While the book focuses on species within Costa Rica, much of the information applies to mammals in Central America in general. The Natural History of Costa Rican Mammals serves as a fine reference book and a fun-to-read book at the same time. ... Read more

Book Description

Descriptions of 380 species include size, weight, color, markings, number of teeth, habitat, habits, and comparisons with similar species.Superb color illustrations and line drawings show 230 animals.Range maps as well as photos of skulls and drawings of animal tracks, dens, nests, and burrows round out the wealth of information given in "the best general guide to all of North America" (Peter Warshall, Whole Earth Review). ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Out of date
Unfortunately this book has not been updated in over 25 years. Taxonomic changes in some groups of mammals have left this rather inadequate. The illustrations aren't bad except for sea mammals which have black and white sketches for illustrations. It may have been a decent guide when it came out, but I don't see the point in publishing a book which may not have the animal you're looking at in it! This book needs a revision.

Beware!
This book was issued in 1976 not in 1998 as I was led to believe...... I just received my copy and it is a 3rd edition, clearly copyrighted in 1976. Apparently it was reprinted recently, but not updated. Who knows how much has changed on our knowledge of mammals over the past 25 years? Also, the binding on this paperback has left little space for the inside margin which will make this a little difficult to use and probably shortern its lifespan. RK

Great Field guide
Peterson's field guide to mammals is one of my standard references as a mammology student. I constantly use the range maps,color identification plates, and animal descriptions. The book provides you with good identification characteristics indicated by arrows on the illustrations of each animal and a brief life history of every species north of the border. There are skull plates at the back of the book that are good for comparing different families but do not include every species and in some cases are poor positions to see defining attributes. The color plates for the most part have good illustrations but a few look hoaky like the Mountain Lion. Nevertheless, they all still provide good size comparisons and coloration of the animals. Consistant with other Peterson guides. ... Read more

Book Description

In A Field Guide to Cows, John Pukite provides all the facts--so even the novice can identify and get to know America's fifty-two breeds of cattle. Every entry in this entertaining yet completely usable book features an illustration that highlights each breed's most easily identifiable traits, such as coloration pattern and body shape. The book includes a checklist of breeds so the die-hard cow watcher can keep track of sightings, a list of essential garb and gear for cow watching, a glossary of terms, a listing of breeder associations, and more. Fascinating cow trivia is interspersed throughout.Informative, amazing, and amusing, A Field Guide to Cows is the indispensable companion for would-be cow tippers, farmers, city folk, agriculturalists, interstate drivers, 4-H'ers, vacationing families, and everyone who likes to moo at cows.
Cow Facts
*There are approximately 350 squirts in a gallon of milk
* Old cows in India have their own nursing homes
* From 1866 to 1895 cowboys drove about 10,000,000 cattle out of Texas ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Ok...
I have cows and live on a farm that was once a dairy farm. I purchased this book because I thought it might have some good pictures and information. I was 50% right. The information is very good. Each specific breed has it's own two pages to strut it's stuff. On the bottom of the page there is extra "did you know..." information. That is all really helpful. But the pictures. The pictures are all black and white. Even though it tells you what color the cow is, there should really be at least a couple real photographs. Other than the pictures, this is a really good book! Go for it!!

When you can't go home to the range, you can read this book!
I love cows. Whenever life takes a turn for the worse, I soothe myself by driving out to the country to watch our bovine friends. I wish I could share my life with a cow, but my 5,000 square foot lot makes it impossible. So, when I can't visit Bossie, I reach over to my beside table, pick up A Field Guide to Cows and immerse myself in bovine dreams. Calmed, contented and amused, I can drift into peaceful sleep. Better than a drive to Vermont!

Big Disappointment
If you are looking for a cutesy book you won't be disappointed. If you are looking for information on identifying cattle of various breeds accurately - keep looking. This book has a cut out mask that you can hold in front of your face so you can moo at cows over the fence. There are no photographs of cows or anything else. Black and white sketches only. Buyer beware!!!

Light-hearted approach to bovine identification
Finding this book has rekindled my interest in the bovine species, and has allowed me to develop a better general understanding of bovine behaviour and the origins and development of the species common to North America. The light-hearted approach makes the book all the more fun and accessable. My only complaint is that the book consists of illustrations; although they are undeniably good, I would have much preferred color photos. Nevertheless a great book for a child with a budding interest in cattle, or the city slicker who wants to know what that cow that doesn't look like a Holstein is called.

Cute book for learning the basics
I bought this book because I've always had a "thing" for cows. My kitchen used to be decorated in cows. I'm one of those people that used to yell "MOOOOO" out of car windows, every time I would pass a field of cows.

This book isn't exactly what I thought it would be, but I still recommend it. I was hoping for pictures, but there are only hand drawn illustrations. The illustrations are good...but I really wished for color photographs.

There are fun facts on every page, which I enjoy being able to spout off. There are charts in the back of the book about milk production and beef production. My pre-teen daughter found enough information in this book to do a report on cows, even thought it's thin...she also found it to be a fast read.

I'd recommend this book to someone curious about cows. It's a good starting-off point. ... Read more