Book Description

Combining excellent science with accessible style, the Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals is an indispensable resource on the fascinating warm-blooded creatures of the sea. The contributions of more than 200 leading international authorities have made this single volume the guide for studyig the entire range of marine mammals.

Organized alphabetically, more the 280 articles are devoted to wide range of topics -- from the specific behavior and physiology of cetaceans and pinnipeds, to ecology, population biology, human effects and interaction, and research methodology.

Up-to-date, accessible, and scientifically sound, the Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals will occupy a central place in any marine science library.

KEY FEATURES
*Complete Species List, featuring both living and extinct mammals;
*Comprehensive Glossary with definitions for more than 1,000 specialized terms;
*Extensive cross-referencing between articles;
*Abundant visual resources -- photographs, line drawings, maps, tables, and figures

KEY FEATURES
*Complete Species List, featuring both living and extinct mammals
*Comprehensive Glossary with definitions for more than 1,000 specialized terms
*Extensive cross-referencing between articles
*Abundant visual resources -- photographs, line drawings, maps, tables, and figures ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A must have for every student of marine mammalogy!
This book is easy to use and provides comprehensive information for such a variety of topics that every student of marine mammals should have it in their library. I recommend it to students who are just starting their journey into marine mammal studies! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Best Book on Birds of Alaska!
Robert Armstrong is an incredibly fine and thorough researcher! His books are not only understandably written and informative, but beautiful as well. Every photograph pictures the birds in full color, often showing both the male and female, which adds to the usefulness and value of this book. Definitely a Bible for any nature lover.

GREAT BOOK!
This is *the* book for Alaska birding, and it's well-written enough to serve as pleasure reading even for those outside the state. The birds are organized logically, with detailed descriptions of habitat, similar species, and markings. Each description is accompanied by excellent all-color photos, many showing female and male and sometimes seasonal variations. Unlike other large bird guides, this one's easy to use in the field. ... Read more

Book Description

"A remarkable accomplishment. . . . [This volume] has been and will continue to be a major force advancing freshwater fish parasitology."--Ernest H. Williams Jr., from the Foreword

This thoroughly revised and updated edition of a classic reference work is the definitive guide to the identification of the parasites of freshwater fishes of North America.

The book provides information on public health concerns about fish parasites, the methods used to examine fish for parasites, and those parasites found only in very selective organs or tissues. It lists the known species of each genus, along with reference citations that enable readers to find literature pertinent to species identification, life cycles, and in some cases, control. In the heart of the book, each chapter opens with a description of a phylum and its relevant families and genera, followed by a species list for those genera. Drawings illustrate a representative of each genus, and are supplemented by photographic examples.

Many new parasites of North American freshwater fishes have been discovered since the publication of the first edition thirty years ago. For this new edition, the author has added new species accounts and revised the taxonomy, expanded descriptions and discussion of the most important fish parasites, provided a glossary to aid nonspecialists, and updated the reference list through 1992. The volume features twice as many illustrations as the first edition, including the addition of 33 color photographs. ... Read more

Book Description

Covering all 835 species of birds recorded on the continent, including 116 accidentals, this is the first field guide to North American birds specifically designed to satisfy the interests and needs of the serious birder. Its three volumes contain, in all, 1245 full-color photographs, 193 paintings, 422 drawings, and 650 range maps, while 61 of the nation's top field ornithologists and experts contribute their special knowledge to the 370,000 words of text. Entries are arranged taxonomically according to the new American Ornithologists' Union classification.

This volume contains:

Old World Warblers and Thrushes, Mimic-Thrushes, Accentors, Wagtails and Pipits, Waxwings, Silky-Flycatchers, Shrikes, Starlings, Vireos, Wood Warblers, Bananaquits, Tanagers, Cardinals and Thier Allies, New World Blackbirds and Orioles, Finches, Old World Sparrows

Volume 1 contains:

Loons, Grebes, Albatrosses, Shearwaters and Petrels, Storm-Petrels, Tropicbirds, Boobies and Gannets, Pelicans, Cormorants, Anhingas, Frigatebirds, Herons, Ibises and Spoonbills, Storks, Flamingos, Swans, Geese, and Ducks, New World Vultures, Hawks and Eagles, Falcons, Chachalacas, Pheasants, Grouse, and Quails, Rails, Limpkins, Cranes, Thick-knees, Plovers, Oystercatchers, Stilts and Avocets, Jacanas. Sandpipers

Volume 2 contains:

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers, Auks, Pigeons and Doves, Parrots, Cuckoos, Barn-Owls, Typical Owls, Nightjars, Swifts, Hummingbirds, Trogons, Hoopoes, Kingfishers, Woodpeckers, Tyrant-Flycatchers, Larks, Swallows, Jays and Crows, Titmice, Verdins, Bushtits, Nuthatches, Creepers, Bulbuls, Wrens, Dippers ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Searching for Vol. 2
If you have a copy of Volume 2 (Gulls, Terns and Skimmers) for sale, please notify me.

Kasieluka@aol.com

Where's volume 1 and 2?
Every serious birder should have the Master Guide. Unforntunately it is out of print and until the publisher decides to release it again so that one can have the complete set of all three volumes, it will leave a void in one's birding library. It might be out of date (1983), but the photographs for the most part as well as the text are extremely helpful when used in conjunction with other field guides. Sometimes it is the guide that will finally answer the question of what bird was that when the other guides have left you guessing. Here's hoping the publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, will release all three volumes again real soon! stormpetrel@msn.com

Once very good, now out of date
Despite the pitfalls of trying to accurately and completely represent abird species using just one or two photographs, the original 3-volumeAudubon Master Guide was a ground-breaking resource for intermediate toadvanced birding, with information on many rare and/or hard-to-identifyspecies. Unfortunately, the guide is really showing its age. I used to useit on every birding trip, but so many new species have been recorded, somany names have changed, and so many new resources have become availablethat the Master Guide has been collecting dust on my bookshelf for severalyears now. I now rely on such specialty guides as A Field Guide to AdvancedBirding, A Guide to the Identification and Natural History of Sparrows ofthe United States and Canada, A Photographic Guide to North AmericanRaptors, and A Field Guide to Warblers. I'm also anxiously awaiting therelease this year of the Audubon Master Guide by David Sibley (whichdespite its name will bear very little resemblance to this 3-volume set)and the forthcoming "back-to-basics" field guide by Ken Kaufman.

Best on the market!
I looked for a long time for the best book with photos not someones idea what the birds look like.Also it gives excellent data on identification, breeding, habitat and comparisons

best of any bird identification book on the market (3 vols)
the best of the best,be sure to get all three volumes, i have found these books to be the most accurate from florida to canada, and new jersey to california ... Read more

Book Description

Detailed descriptions of insect orders, families, and many individual species are illustrated with 1,300 drawings and 142 superb color paintings.Illustrations - which use the unique Peterson Identification System to distinguish one insect from another - include size lines to show the actual length of each insect.A helpful glossary explains the technical terms of insect anatomy. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

This reprint of the 1970 field guide remains one of the best
The guide aims to cover insects in America north of Mexico to family level. Few families are illustrated by more than a single figure of an adult and, while generally a single sex is shown, exceptions are made for some insects, for example in the color plates of damselflies. Where the sexes are very distinct (e.g. tussock moths or butterflies) it would have been helpful to show figures of both sexes. The book is predominantly one designed for identification and while it provides excellent coverage and a wonderful selection of figures, it rarely includes keys to help the novice zero on a particular family. The endpapers provide a quick and helpful guide to the principal insect orders, but once that level is reached, the reader must hunt out the descriptions of each suborder and/or superfamily to determine the appropriate group. The significant criteria that distinguish these suborders/superfamilies would be much easier to learn and compare were their descriptions put together on the same page rather than scattered through the section waiting to be discovered by searching the text or looking up the appropriate page by using the index. There is good chapter on collection methods and a brief introduction to insect structure and growth. Deficiences include the following - The book was originally published in 1970: however, the publisher has not taken the opportunity to update the original bibliography in any of the reprints. Nor have resources like Entomological organizations been listed. While the worldwide web makes it easier to access this new information, it would have been helpful to see the experts' recommendations.

Tougher to use for the casual amateur, but a good book!
Most amateur naturalists tend to expect page after page of photographs or drawings when they purchase a field guide. That is not what you will get in this book.

The authors, Borrer and White, have developed a sort of mini-entomology book for use in the field. The first part of the book contains helpful hints and instructions on how to collect and preserve insects. That section is followed by about 15 pages on the biology and taxonomy of this huge group. Understanding this information is essential if one is put together a useful insect collection. It also helps the insect watcher better understand what they are seeing in the ecology and body plans of these animals. Those sections are followed by over 300 pages of information that will help the determined insect watcher/collecter figure out the kind of animal they are looking at.

You should be advised that this book will NOT help you identify insects to the level of genus and species. The taxonomic information in this book targets primarily the family level (the level above the genus level).

Some reviewers have commented that the lack of color illustrations renders this book nearly useless. You need to understand that, for the serious collector, there are characteristics much more important in figuring out what they are looking at than color. The book is loaded with the kinds of information used by professional entomologists to identify the animals they study.

You should also be reminded that there are thousands of insect species, and many regional variations of those species, so no single field guide could ever hope to provide a comprehensive treatment of the group.

If you want/need a bounty of color photos to supplement your study, I recommend that you use this book along with a field guide like those available from the Audubon Society (E.g., The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders, which has over 700 photos of these animals).

The Peterson guide relies on illustrations rather than photos (illustrations are, I believe, far superior to photographs for identification work). There are both color and B/W illustrations in the book. There are also many helpful line drawings of body parts important to helping you ID insects.

I give this book 4 stars only because it tends to be a bit tougher for the casual amateur to use, but recommend it highly for the advanced amateur, as well as for general reference for the professional.

Well worth the price -- but not a child's book.

Good luck!

Alan Holyoak, Dept of Biology, Manchester College

In-depth is an insufficient description for this book.
Most who use this book have the same general complaint -- no color. Color, however, can be one of the most useless characteristics in identifying insects (especially if there are multiple color morphs).

Since this is not a guide which was designed to identify every insect species within a given range (which is impossible within the scope of a single tome), it does its job well...and that job is to help narrow the possibilities of identifications for each individual insect. There are specialist books for more specific (excuse the pun) identifications. This book may be used to point toward the specialist books necessary for correct identifications and should be used in that fashion.

There is a lot to be learned from Richard E. White's book, and reading the book from cover to cover is recommended for every insectophile. That's why, in spite of the inability to correctly identify even every insect in my backyard, I give this book 5/5.

Extremely interesting book.
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because of the lack of color photos or plates. I honestly read half the book when I first recieved it. I got it because I was worried that this creature I had found was a mutant or something (turned out it was a velvet ant). It does have quite a bit of information on the different animals that make up the order of insects. It does not though give detail into any peticualar family though. There are after all WAY to many insects out there to fit into just one book. Check out the other field guides for butterflies, moths, or whatever you are into. It can be a little technical for the layman (i.e. me) but will help get you started on your adventures in collecting and learning about insects.

Most Used Insect ID Book
I have used this book for years. It is great for quick and easy insect identification. Good for the entomologist as well as the layman. Few color illustrations (lots of B & W) but since insects are very rarely identified by color, this is practically irrelevant. Highly recommended. ... 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

The first comprehensive field guide to freshwater fishes - covers all 790 species known in the United States and Canada. More than 700 illustrations, most in color, show identifying marks.Also includes 377 distribution maps and additional drawings of key details. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Finishing the Trilogy
It might interest the reader of this review (since your looking at the book) to know that while fresh water only represents about 1% of the available aquatic habitat on earth over half of the known species of fish live in it. I'll leave it up to you to find out why. Peterson Field Guides have a winning formula, find an expert, set them up with a good illustrator and see what comes out. This book finishes the trio that covers all of the fishes likely to be encountered by a North American fisherman, diver or naturalist. Like the Fishes of the Atlantic Coast and the Fishes of the Pacific Coast it is well organized, well written, all inclusive (of species) and as informative as space will allow. If you are curious about fishes in general or encounter fresh water fish with any kind of regularity you owe it to yourself to find out what they are. And, if you live in North America you should have this book.

A Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes
This book has informed me on the many fishes I catch ranging from California to New York. Every year when I go down to Arkansas I alwyas bring it with me on my fishing journeys so that I no whati am catching. It has over 700 illistrations and over 300 maps. In all of my searching for book this has been the most helpful book I have used. I recamend buying it for yourself. It will help you alot.

ID only
Do not expect more than ID from the book. It is excellent at ID but that is all you will get for sure. I bought it for ID and it serves the purpose very well. One must also question the range maps since as explained in the text of the book they are compromised.

The best field guide written for freshwater fishes.
It is by far the best field guide for freshwater fishes in North America. Each description of the fish are accurate and the plate drawings are great.

The definitive guide to freshwater fishes.
This volume by Page and Burr is the definitive guide to freshwater fishes of North America, written by two leading ichthyologists. The illustrations are excellent, the distribution maps are useful, and the data are precise. If you're looking for a fieldguide to freshwater fishes, buy this one before any other. ... Read more

Book Description

530 classic photographs of living specimens and the most current scientific classifications help identify virtually every species of stony coral, gorgonian, fire coral and black coral in the tropical western Atlantic. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Extremely essential!
A field guide to coral, especially by Paul Humann, is essential to your collection of ocean field guides. Hundreds of coral species are listed, including: sea fans, hard corals, soft corals, and mushroom corals. The book also explains the many diseases that possibly afflict many species. The coral entries have excellent, detailed explanations beside them, concerning species depth, range, and abundance. The photograph transfers are above average, showing enough of the coral for identification purposes. The photographs are of course very beautiful, containing various, colorful hues of these animals. Buy the waterproof, annotated version of Reef Coral ID to bring along in the ocean on a scuba diving trip. The book has been updated twice since it was published, with the original print still floating around here on Amazon.com. The second edition is far superior, containing many more listings and more beautiful photos. Completely essential field guide for a private collection.

The Best Guide Available
This Reef Coral Identification book is THE definitive guide. In brief there is not a better guide out there. It thoroughly covers each type of coral and gives identification information as well as full color photographs. In addition to all the corals it covers other plant life likely to be encountered while snorkeling or diving. These include grasses, weeds, algae and coral diseases. With a plastic cover and the pages treated to resist water it can be taken to the beach or onto the boat without much concern about the water damaging the book. For each item the book also discusses any danger to divers that the particular coral may represent (such as fire coral).

This book can also be purchased as part of a three part set that also includes the Reef Fish Identification and Reef Creature Identification texts, each of which is equally as excellent as the Reef Coral Identification book.

The Coral Reef Bible
Don't take my word for it, go to a handful of dive shops and this author's name will come up more than once. An excellent book, I haven't come across anything I like better. The others in this family are just as good.

WIthout a doubt, the BEST identification book out there.
This is a fantastic book, and along with the other two books by this author you should be able to ID any marine creature you encounter!

The book lists virtually all types of corals including Algae, black corals, brain, lace, cactus, cup, boulder, fire, fleshy, etc.

Each entry has an excellent picture, the name, family, size, depth, and other information.

The pictures alone are worth the cost of the book!

This is definetely the book you want to have with you when you dive or snorkel. Buy it today, you won't be disappointed!

Almost as good as the previous!
This is the 3rd volume in the "Reef Set",Paul Humman`s incredible books on Caribbean marine life. Actually,this was the first volume I bought of them,so I now learned to know how these books were. I later received Reef Fish ID for Christmas. But this one is very beautifull too. It includes almost every coral that is likely to be encountered while diving in the Caribbean. The photos are also quite good for beeing an identification book. Commonly,really striking views of animals only come in art books like "Coral Seas" or "The Maldives" but these pictures are of almost the same quality. The Indo-Pacific corals are often very colourfull,but the Caribbean are more famous for their artistic shapes and forms (some of them looks like trees in the winter). It is not badder than the previous volumes,because this one takes up other animals. All three books are like one big book,because all of them covers different kinds of animals. So my rate of the entire reef set,including this one,is 10 out of 10 or 5 out of 5!If you do own the other volumes,do buy this one. No diver`s,fishwatcher`s or ichtyologist`s library is complete without these books. A must-have! ... Read more

Book Description

In Horses Don’t Lie, Chris Irwin, one of the most successful horse whisperers in North America, shows us that horses have much to teach us about ourselves when we strive to understand their behavior. Based on more than twenty years of working with, training, and observing horses, Irwin explains why trust and honesty are essential elements in building relationships with horses, and why the sensitivity and awareness that characterize a horse’s perception of the world are qualities we can use to enrich our own lives. “A horse knows what you know,” Irwin reminds us, and in Horses Don’t Lie his message is clear: Horses have a great deal to teach us about how to communicate with empathy and patience—not only with them, but also with each other. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

An INsightful Read
I loved this book. I normally don't like these "fluff" kind of books when it comes to horse training but I really gleamed a lot from this one. I loved how Irwin was open to explore why horses really do behave the way they do and their power in affecting us at all levels. There is a little bit of bragging but for the most part simply humble explorations of the horse/human bond. I would suggest Tao of Equus in addition to this because THAT book was simply profound and informative. Do not listen to the reviews about it being anti-male. I am a female but can't stand feminist chauvanism so believe me when I tell you it's fair. She also delves into positive male psychology towards the end. A great complement to this book!

good info and easy read
I purchased this book because I am a horsewoman AND because I had heard that some of the principals of the book were applicable to modifying behavior in other animals - including the human kind. I work with delinquent juveniles and thought it would be fun to read this book and see if it would actually work on both species I'll have to let you know later if they work on kids- not enough data yet There are some good lessons in the book, it's a simple book to read and easy to reread, non-technical for the most part, and full of just good common sense. Worth the price of purchase easily!

airy-fairy meets reality
This book is one I'd consider a 'must read' before deciding to commit to the responsibility of being a horse-owner. It's not like buying a car or a jet-ski. The horse owner must commit to spending quality time to develop not only basic riding skills but rapport with the animal. This book definitely helped me decide I'm not ever going to own a horse. Which saddens me, but ultimately it's better to know before making the mistake than afterwards.

This book is great when it addresses the authors areas of expertise & personal experience. Where it breaks down is when it gets off into things the author hasn't experienced directly. As an example, he talks about hierarchy among predators and prey, exhorting the reader to develop a horse-like understanding of the world & his/her place within it.

In essence, Irwin seems to say that the tendency towards predator-like competition among humans is what makes the world a bad place. Guess he's never observed or read about packs of dogs or wolves, prides of lions, etc. Relationships among predators are not about live-or-die. The only life-or-death struggle in nature is between predator and prey, not within species. Perhaps he should have suggested that people stop treating one another like prey and that would have been more valid.

When a challenge arises in the pack, as in the herd, the solution is decided upon with minimum of bloodshed and damage to challenger and challenged. As in the herd, the constant pattern of leadership and challenge helps each individual find a place and function within the group. So, I found that comparison to be ill-informed & awkward.

This book does go off into some hippy-dippy touchy-feely moments, but overall it seems to emphasize the hard work one must put in to being a competent horse-person, both with the horse and within oneself. If you aren't willing to do the work and put in the time, you definitely shouldn't inflict yourself on a horse.

Horses don't lie
The book was great, his articles from his web site were a nice supplement to what the book teaches-but his video, "Horse Whispering Demystified" is awsome. I've watched it three times now and put his concepts to work and was amazed at the difference I acheived in communicating with my horses. He is a very good teacher. I just ordered all his other videos and can't wait till they come.

Not impressed.
I expected more from this book and was very disappointed. In fact, I found myself bored while reading and had to re-read several passages as the words all just started to jumble together. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Must have.
This book is an absolute must-have for anyone who wants to draw these birds... or simply appreciates their beauty. These aren't simply glamor-shots, they're close-up detailed images, from a number of different angles. Every one is well lit, in crisp focus, and shows wonderful detail.

Excellent Reference
This wonderfully photographed book is an excellent reference for anyone interested in carving birds of prey. An extremely thorough series of photographs is included for each bird covered in the book. Additionally, patterns and other carving consideration are included for each specimen. The book concludes with a chapter on creating acrylic eyes for carvings, a chapter on carving and painting a kestrel, and a chapter exhibiting some of the authors carvings. Incidentally, the author's carvings are great.

Scholtz's other book, Carving a Red Tailed Hawk, does not do this book justice. This book contains better photographs and better carving.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in carving birds of any type.

Gorgeous photos, facinating ifo
This is a gorgeous book packed with large color photos of many beautiful live birds. Its intended purpose is as a sourcebook for artists, but it will universally appeal to any bird lover.

The introductory chapter illustrates common features of raptor anatomy. Detailed chapters follow on 17 major North American species with numerous color photos and line drawings with dimensions.

A practical application is included with a step-by-step section on carving and painting a finely detailed kestrel in wood. There are even instructions for making remarkable lifelike eyes from acrylic plastic.

The book concludes with a gallery of the author's own fabulous museum quality carvings. This is a great combination of nature photography and fine art.

Terrific resource!
Not only bird artists, but any bird lover would enjoy this book. The pictures are excellent, in focus and from all angles.

This book is often in use at my lab table.

Excellent technique & reference guide.
The book is a nice blend of reference photos & applicable techniques. Mr. Scholz is one of those rare "birds" who is confident enough in his work and in himself to be able to share his secrets freely. His work and his attitude is top notch. The hints and ideas he gives a useful to the beginner as well as the more advanced carver. The book is a joy to read or to use as a reference. The real kicker is the section in the back where some of his work is diplayed with a comment from Mr. Shcolz about each carving. His unpretentiousness combined with the quality of his work can certainly cause the aspiring carver to need a reality check! GREAT BOOK! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

A good guide for beginners.
This was either the first or second guide that I started out with when I was very young. I will always have respect for it. It contains full-color drawings of the most common birds that a person is likely to see. A total of 129 of the most common American birds is included. Text and range maps are also included in this pocket-sized guide. The drawings display spring plumages of adult male birds, and normally females or young if they are very different. The text is good and gives the common name, length, description, behavior, verbal descriptions of vocalizations, and sometimes abundance. The text also points out the differences between males and females, and related birds that are similar. This guide contains some nice introductory information. Some of the information deals with how to use the guide, how to identify birds, equipment, where to look, bird classification, and attracting birds. There are also two illustrations that detail the parts of a bird. I find all of the drawings throughout this guide to be pretty good. Most of the drawings share the same page as the text and range map, but a few of the drawings are on the right page, while the text and range maps are on the left page. This guide has some very useful information that is located in the back. For each bird that is illustrated, there is information dealing with migration, eggs, nests, and feeding habits. The back of the guide also contains a listing of scientific names for the birds illustrated and an index. I used to take this guide out with me when I first started birdwatching. I still have the older and also the newer edition. Whenever I would identify a particular species of bird, I would write all of the important information about it on the page. Even though I don't take this guide into the field anymore, it's not because I don't like it. I feel confident with the organization, drawings, and information; however, this guide does not contain all of the birds of North America--only the common ones. That aside, I still think that this guide is a good choice and starting point for beginners.

A great guide for beginning birders and children
This was either the first or second bird guide I ever owned. It's a birding guide that contains the most common species of birds that you'll see. The maps are good, the drawings are excellent, and the information on each bird is great. Greater starter guide for beginners and children. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Pocket Guide to the Birds of Britain and North-west Europe.
I checked this book out of the library prior to a trip to London, and now I'm going to buy a copy for my library.This is such a well laid out book, and the perfect size for the field.The information on the covers is particularly nice, with black and white illustrations of members of all the families so that you can quickly determine where in the guide to look for details.This is very helpful because there are many unfamiliar birds there that don't fit into the categories of birds we're used to in the states.And right inside the front cover is a color-coded index to help you quickly get to the section you need.I also liked the interesting facts about the birds that you don't see in many field guides.If you need a guide to birds for this area, this is definitely the one to have!

Pocket Guide to the Birds of Britain and North-West Europe
I ordered this book for a trip to Northern Germany and really lucked out.I read previous reviews, liked the format and size and gave it a shot.It was perfect for my needs. I recommend it highly.

Please let them publish one for North America!
Before our vacation in Denmark this month, I purchased this guideand based my selection on the 2 previous reviews and its small size. Boy, did I get lucky! This is one great field guide! Not only is all the pertinent information for each species located on one page, but that one page is also full of all sorts of interesting items (such as behaviors and flight patterns), written and/or pictured. If the authors would compile a similar guide for our North American species, it would surely replace my almost-worn-out National Geographic (my previous favorite)!

an excellent field guide
This is a very intelligently laid out guide for the field.Pictures, copy and maps are all on the one page; no thumbing from picture to map to copy, as with Peterson's field guide.No space is wasted, even the inside coversare full of information, and there is a color code index.This wasdesigned by persons who know what it is to hurry, in wind, rain or badlight, to identify a bird.

Haven't personally tried, but ranked very high on Usenet.
Visit rec.birds newsgroup and ask for the UK Field Guide FAQ.This is one of the winners out of many guides available. ... Read more

Book Description

In the most exquisitely photographed, informative, and comprehensive book yet published on the subject, author and herpetologist Chris Mattison provides details and descriptions of snakes rarely available to lay readers. Magnificent color photographs accompany a well-organized, readable text containing rare material culled from scientific journals and herpetology society publications from around the world. Encyclopedia of Snakes encompasses the complete array of snake shapes, patterns, sizes, and behaviorall presented with an evolutionary perspective fittingly applied to this mysterious species. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

encyclopedia of snakes
I am not reviewing this book just can find no where to write a review of the site. in the memory you use to put the larger photos on you could put the table of contents and samples in the book. i see no virtual review of the book, nothing about it, no number of pages, no table of contents nothing. so therefore i will not buy from this site. i dont buy what i cant see or have no clue what the contents of the book is. this book is only a book of snakes not sure if it contains what i want or not. all i have a title that is all. titles dont sale books unless one is looking for a specific title.

The Encyclopedia of Snakes
This is a great book. Instaed of the usual individual synopsis of each species, it has a more general approach. The sections on taxonomy and classification were especially useful to me.

Excellent general introduction to herpetology
This books provides great info for snakes and their physiology, as well as taxonomy/classification. The main thing I found lacking was information on specific species; though it cover family/genus info fairly well, I felt it forsook the "trees for the forest." But overall very good.

Useful for the amateur to intermediate
Although not quite a good reference work for the true professional, The Encyclopedia of Snakes covers a wide array of topics and goes through the classification of the snakes in a comprehensible family by family format. The quality of the photographs is quite excellent, and, coupled with the extensive tidbits on habits, anatomy, classification, and range makes a wonderful and compelling read.

Great book for beginning herpers
I loved this book. It provided some natural history, but the meat of the book was the snakes' habits and lifestyles which is what most people starting in herpetology want. All in all it is a great book. ... Read more

Book Description

A delightful small-format book that will appeal to butterfly enthusiasts young and old, with vivid images by the leading butterfly photographer and texts by preeminent writers in the field. ... Read more

Book Description

Draw into the lives of wolves through the experience of Jim and Jamie Dutcher and the wolf pack they lived with for six years. ... Read more

Book Description

At first sight just a small brown bird, the dunnock's unobtrusive appearance belies its extraordinary behavior and mating patterns. This book gives a full account of the mating systems of the dunnock or hedge sparrow, Prunella modularis, which include pairs, a male with two females, two males with one female, and several males with several females. Detailed observations, elegant field experiments, and DNA fingerprinting are combined to show how this variable social organization arises from selfish individuals competing to maximize their own reproductive success.Further experiments reveal how the cuckoo may thwart the dunnock's parental efforts.David Quinn's exquisite drawings provide a visual summary of the bird's behavior.All students of ecology, evolution, and animal behavior will want to be familiar with this work, which addresses the wider issues of the influence of ecology on mating systems and the evolutionary significance of conflict within and between species. This is the third volume in the Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution, and the first in this series to address behavioral ecology. ... Read more

Book Description

A Step-by-Step Program for Communicating With Your Animals

The humananimal spiritual connection is a powerful one. In this astounding guide, renowned animal communicator Carol Gurney draws upon fifteen years of successful communication with animals to offer animal lovers what they’ve always longed for: a simple, effective method for “listening to” and communicating with their animals.

Based on her successful 7-step HeartTalk ProgramSM, which has already helped thousands of people understand their basic telepathic connection with animals, Gurney outlines the principles of “heart-to-heart” communication, showing you how to open your heart to a more meaningful connection with the animals you love. Learn how to:

* Understand your animal’s needs, feelings, and innermost thoughts so you can discover who he or she really is

* Develop long-distance communication skills to locate lost or stolen animals

* Understand animals’ physical feelings so you can help comfort them when they are sick or injured

* Emotionally prepare yourself for the death of your beloved animal

* Discover how animals can be your best teachers in helping you to love yourself

* Actually communicate telepathically with the loving beings that share your world!

Animals are not only our loyal companions; they are our guides, our healers, our link to the simple wisdom of the natural world. Filled with amazing real-life stories of humananimal communication, The Language of Animals is a must for every animal enthusiast–and a loving gift to the engaging, expressive animals who have so much to share.

... Read more

Reviews (10)

a little too "touchy feely"
What I liked about the book was that it gave me validations on some "communications" I've received from my dogs. Their communication came to me the way she said they could. Their thought or opinion just flashed into my brain from their brain. They don't have to be looking at you; thoughts from them just come, like she says in her book. She says to be "open" to your animal, to let them "say" whatever they want. I did this, and one of my adopted strays brought up things like "I've had a hard life" and "I had to run from cars a lot". When I asked my other dog about her previous life (also a rescue dog) she said "I was bad", meaning she fought w/the other household dogs.
Now, my husband would say that I picked up these things because of prior information I may have already known about them, or was obvious. But after reading her book, I don't think so...
I also liked how she taught us how to communicate with our minds to our animals, explaining things clearly to them. The dogs act like they aren't paying attention, but they are-- just like she says in her book.
I don't have the time or patience to "meditate" for long periods, as she recommends, in order to reach your "center" where you can communicate w/animals. That part seemed a little too touchy feely.
I am glad I read this book, and glad that I have it on my bookshelf. It had some helpful "tidbits" and the examples of what SHE did were interesting to read but don't think it is practical enough to recommend. I certainly don't feel like I can go out and understand the thoughts of animals because I read this book, but maybe it's because I'm not willing to put in all the "touchy feely" time that may be needed to do it. However, it did give me a few tips for communicating w/my own dogs.

Connecting To Your Animal's Heart And Soul
Gifted Animal Communicator Carol Gurney has written an easy to read book which covers all aspects of learning to communicate with your pet. It also explains to the reader from a spiritual aspect why your pet is in your life and how they teach us important life lessons, especially about love. The book also covers many aspects of pet ownership including specific help with lost animals, issues surrounding death and dying and solving behavior problems.
I found it to be a sensitive, compassionate book with many anecdotal stories from Carol's years as a professional Animal Communicator. No one will ever look at an animal again and not see the wisdom and love that resides in each animal and how they enrich our lives.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a deeper, more personal relationship with their animal. A must read!

The Language of Animals: 7 steps to Communicating with Anima
Very informational. Her techniques really do help communicate with our companions.

Outstanding communication guide
Outstanding guide for communicating with the heart, soul and mind of your beloved pet. Gives deep insight into the workings of an animal's thoughts and feelings. You will never look at your dog or cat the same way again! Arlene Millman, author of BOOMERANG - A MIRACLE TRILOGY (The tale of a remarkable Boston Terrier).

the best animal communication book on the market
This book was highly recommended by my dog's animal communicator. I found it easy to use and just plain fun. Even sceptics could enjoy the exercises presented. ... Read more

Book Description

Whether soaring or perched, diurnal birds of prey often present challenging identification problems for the bird enthusiast. Variable plumage, color morphs, and unique individual characteristics are just some of the factors bird watchers must consider when identifying the different species. In this authoritative reference, two of the world's top experts on raptors provide an essential guide to the variations in the species, allowing for easier recognition of key identification points. All the distinguishing marks described have been exhaustively tested in a wide range of field conditions by the authors as well as the colleagues and students who have learned from them.

Key Features:

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The only complete photographic guide to North American diurnal birds of prey
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Includes all species, common and rare
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Written by well-known experts
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Contains 365 photographs, each with an explanatory caption and supporting text describing all 43 species of diurnal raptors found in North America
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Features 14 discussions of specific problems in practical identification
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Complete set showing every plumage
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Raptor I.D. problem section showing similar species side by side

Species List:
Turkey Vulture. Black Vulture. California Condor. Osprey. Hook-billed Kite. Swallow-tailed Kite. White-tailed Kite. Snail Kite. Mississippi Kite. Bald Eagle. North Harrier. Sharp-skinned Hawk. Cooper's Hawk. Northern Goshark. Common Black Hawk. Harris' Hawk. Gray Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk. Broad-winged Hawk. Short-tailed Hawk. Swainson's Hawk. White-tailed Hawk. Zone-tailed Hawk. Red-tailed Hawk. Ferruginous Hawk. Rough-legged Hawk. Golden Eagle. Crested Caracara. American Kestrel. Merlin. Aplomado Falcon. Gyrfalcon. Peregrine. Prairie Falcon. Crane Hawk. Roadside Hawk. Hawaiian Hawk. Red-backed Hawk. Steller's Sea Eagle. White-tailed Eagle. Collared Forest Falcon. Northern Hobby. Common Kestrel. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors
This is the best photographic guide to north american raptors available. The photos are very clear so you can see details on plumage. It also includes multiple photos of the species that have morphs, which is very helpful in the field. This is not a book I would recommend if you are using it for written reference. But I give it 5 stars for a field reference guide!

Useful field guide, shows variability of morphs
This is simply the best field guide for North American diurnal raptors that I have seen. Unlike some other photgraphic guides, it provides several images of each species in poses that one is likely to see in the field: perched and soaring from above and the side (showing field marks of top of wing and tail). It shows several examples of different morphs and ages for most birds. This is critical in understanding the variability in markings within a species. In addition, it has a section on field identification problems, detailing differences between similar looking birds. To my knowledge, there is no substitute.

However, the paperback version is somewhat cheaply produced. The publisher should improve the binding and the quality of paper for this book. Try not to get it wet.

Great place to start with raptor identification.
A good book to start your field and in hand bird identification specialty book shelf.

The pictures of birds flying over head are much improved over the paperback Peterson series book "Hawks" by Clark and Wheeler. ... Read more

Book Description

Birds of Southern Africa is the best and most authoritative guide to the birds of one of the world's most fertile birding regions. Two hundred color plates comprising over 4,000 expert illustrations help birders to distinguish all of southern Africa's approximately 950 bird species. The illustrations have labels highlighting diagnostic features, and many birds are depicted in flight as well as still. Special attention is given to plumage variation by age, sex, and season.

The informative text, written by eminent ornithologists, is fully integrated with the color plates to facilitate use in the field. Detailed species accounts emphasize the essential characteristics of each bird, including information on behavior, calls, and habitat preferences.

All species names and divisions are in line with the latest recommendations of the International Ornithological Committee, while well-known and local common names are also included. Both beginners and advanced birders will appreciate the regional checklist, quick reference guides, and excellent family summaries. Up-to-date distribution maps feature dual shading to indicate areas of low and high abundance, while cross-referencing is made easy with color coding and a simple numbering system.

Absolutely up-to-date and both beautifully and comprehensively illustrated, this field guide is a terrific reference as well as a superb visual record of the rich variety of a region that is home to one-tenth of all bird species.

... Read more