Book Description

This Audio CD is designed for anyone who wants to learn how to recognize bird songs. It features the sounds of 189 different bird species found in the Midwest and Northeast States.

Each bird song recording is followed by a short description of the sound along with a common mnemonic used to remember it. Many well-known song mnemonics such as "Who cooks for you?" for the Barred Owl and "Poor Sam Peabody" for the White-throated Sparrow are included. Following the song and mnemonic, the source of the sound is revealed. By naming the bird at the end of each track, the listener is allowed to wonder and guess at the nature of the sound. Active listening, similar to what one experiences in the field while searching for an unknown bird song, is a key to engaging the memory process.

One way to use this CD is to enable the "Random Play" or "Shuffle" option on a home CD player, portable stereo, or personal computer. Although it may be frustrating at first, repetition of this "quiz" game will quickly improve recognition skills. Gaining familiarity with these songs will greatly increase any bird watcher's enjoyment and awareness of birds in their natural habitat.

Features:

- 189 bird species found in the Midwest and Northeast states
- Digital bird song recordings made in Wisconsin
- Brief narration after each song includes descriptive, memorable and often funny mnemonics
- Can be used as a field guide to learn and identify songs or as a recognition quiz game
- Easy to use alphabetical track listing of all birds and their mnemonics
- It is a great gift for any birdwatcher, beginner or advanced.
- Total running time: 60 minutes ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Wish it were more comprehensive
Very good job. Love the mnemonics. I wish it had near the calls that the Stokes and Peterson CD's did. Also, letting us hear the call first, before telling the bird name is great.

excellent learning disk for new birders
Our family has owned a patch of shore/forest land in Wisconsin for 20 years although none have been birders. With this disk we easily learned to identify species and discovered the diversity that we never noticed previously. The call/naming/call format of this disk is excellent for new birders and the numbers of species covered is ideal. I use the Stokes disk set as a reference but the name/call format and large number species covered does not facilitate learning the calls.

A unique and impressive CD audiobook
John Feith's Bird Song Ear Training Guide is a unique and impressive CD audiobook providing instructions on how to recognize songs of birds common to the states of the Midwest and Northeast (including Wisconsin where almost all the bird songs were recorded and the post-production work was done). Each distinctive bird song is followed by a mnemonic or a short description. The bird is identified and a review sound is played again that fixes the song's identity in the mind of the listener. The Bird Song Ear Training Guide is enhanced with a quiz format which will aid the listener to focus on learning how to identify the bird songs. A complete list of bird species and mnemonics is included in an insert. All profits from this enthusiastically recommended CD instructional for birdwatchers will go to the Nature Conservancy and the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology.

Buy it for your cats!
Actually you'll find it useful and accurate too. Fun to use, lots of songs, and my two feline birders went bananas. Who would know better? Good value for the money and the proceeds go to a good cause.

Unbiased Review by the Author
One might call this CD a companion "ear training guide" to the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs. Or maybe a condensed Birding by Ear. It falls between the two in terms of number of birds (189) and amount of narration (about 5 seconds following each bird song). It has the lovely voice of a female narrator (unusual for a bird tape) and the birds have a tinge of a Wisconsin accent.

For some, the main draw of this CD is that one is allowed to guess before being told the name of the bird singing. Others might like the number of memorable mnemonics and brief song descriptions used. For those in the Midwest, the main draw might be that all the birds were recorded in Wisconsin (although most of the birds can be heard over much of the Eastern United States). And finally, the fact that one can review or "take a quiz" on the songs of 189 birds in only 60 minutes is a big advantage over the multi-CD guides.

This is, of course, only the opinion of the unbiased author. ... Read more

Book Description

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill is the inspiring story of how one man found his life’s work—and true love—among a gang of wild parrots roosting in one of America’s most picturesque urban settings.

Mark Bittner was down on his luck. He’d gone to San Francisco at the age of twenty-one to take a stab at a music career, but he hadn’t had much success. After many years as an odd-jobber in the area, he accepted work as a housekeeper for an elderly woman. The gig came with a rent-free studio apartment on the city’s famed Telegraph Hill, which had somehow become home to a flock of brilliantly colored wild parrots.

In this unforgettable story, Bittner recounts how he became fascinated by the birds and made up his mind to get to know them and gain their trust. He succeeds to such a degree that he becomes the local wild parrot expert and a tourist attraction. People can’t help gawking at the man who, during daily feedings, stands with parrots perched along both arms and atop his head.When a documentary filmmaker comes along to capture the phenomenon on film, the story takes a surprising turn, and Bittner’s life truly takes flight. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Inadvertant Memoir
I was attracted to this book because of my long-standing curiosity about the feral parakeets of San Francisco, where I grew up and still live. And it is definitely worth reading on that score -- Mark Bittner has more information to impart on those birds than any other source I've ever found. But the book is fascinating, too, because it is the truthful autobiography of someone who is, frankly, a loser in the lottery of life. Not a big loser -- he manages, barely, to escape from homelessness, and he (pathetically) substitutes relationships with feral parrots for normal human relationships. But he is so clueless in many obvious ways. Too poor to pay for practically anything, but he buys parrot books at the local bookstore, and is amazed at his discovery of the local library, where, gasp, he can read books for FREE. And it is intriguing to read his accounts of his petty descents into the rivalries of these animals, and his adoption of their aims and hostilities, in the absence of a normal human existence. By all means, get this book if you have ever wondered about the weirdo around the corner who can only interact with dogs, cats, birds, or whatever. And get it if you're curious about feral exotic birds -- he documents their lives like nothing I've ever read of before.

Wild magic in the heart of the city
For one or two weeks every two months I live in an apartment at the base of Telegraph Hill, a place of true magic. I could not believe my ears the first time I heard the parrots, or my eyes, the first time I saw them! I soon found Mark Bittner's web site, complete with wonderful photos of the parrots and the story of his connection with them. What a pleasure, then, to find in my local Massachusetts book store, a copy of this wonderful book. Mr. Bittner takes us with him as his relationship with the parrots becomes inextricably woven into his life search for meaning. His study of the parrot's lives, first undertaken by chance, becomes a life's work of real interest to anyone who has an affection for animal life in general, or these amazing birds in particular.

incredible story
I'm only halfway through this book right now, but I can't wait to finish it. It's funny and charming. I only started to read it because someone simply recommended it, I had no idea what to expect, but it really is amusing.

Sounds very much like "Elsewhere in the land of Parrots"
"Elsewhere in the land of Parrots" by Jim Paul, which takes place on telegraph hill also. And is also about the wild parrots of San Fran. And is also an excellent read and a very charming book. I'd be interested to know whose came first.

Have not read this yet, so I can't REALLY rate it, this form insists you put a rating. I will be reading it soon though because it sounds like something I will enjoy.

A WONDERFUL ACCOMPLISHMENT
This is a must read for people who love parrots and freedom and love to study the connundrum of jobs/captive life. The author was ultimately "freed" by enslavement by the flock/project. Anybody can find natural and spiritual lessons in this wonderful book. Wild life isn't a picnic, and the quest for "freedom" can imprison the mind.

Even those who live with companion parrots often fail to establish the rapport Mark Bittner achieved with a group of wild parrots. ... Read more

Book Description

Temple Grandin's Animals in Translation speaks in the clear voice of a woman who emerged from the other side of autism, bringing with her an extraordinary message about how animals think and feel.

Temple's professional training as an animal scientist and her history as a person with autism have given her a perspective like that of no other expert in the field. Standing at the intersection of autism and animals, she offers unparalleled observations and groundbreaking ideas about both.

Autistic people can often think the way animals think -- in fact, Grandin and co-author Catherine Johnson see autism as a kind of way station on the road from animals to humans -- putting autistic people in the perfect position to translate "animal talk." Temple is a faithful guide into their world, exploring animal pain, fear, aggression, love, friendship, communication, learning, and, yes, even animal genius. Not only are animals much smarter than anyone ever imagined, in some cases animals are out-and-out brilliant.

The sweep of Animals in Translation is immense, merging an animal scientist's thirty years of study with her keen perceptions as a person with autism -- Temple sees what others cannot.

Among its provocative ideas, the book:

• argues that language is not a requirement for consciousness -- and that animals do have consciousness

• applies the autism theory of "hyper-specificity" to animals, showing that animals and autistic people are so sensitive to detail that they "can't see the forest for the trees" -- a talent as well as a "deficit"

• explores the "interpreter" in the normal human brain that filters out detail, leaving people blind to much of the reality that surrounds them -- a reality animals and autistic people see, sometimes all too clearly

• explains how animals have "superhuman" skills: animals have animal genius

• compares animals to autistic savants, declaring that animals may in fact be autistic savants, with special forms of genius that normal people do not possess and sometimes cannot even see

• examines how humans and animals use their emotions to think, to decide, and even to predict the future

• reveals the remarkable abilities of handicapped people and animals

• maintains that the single worst thing you can do to an animal is to make it feel afraid

Temple Grandin is like no other author on the subject of animals because of her training and because of her autism: understanding animals is in her blood and in her bones. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

From the creator of the seminal field guide, The Sibley Guide toBirds, comes another indispensable book for bird watchers. Thisveritable bible to the world of birds is the collaborative effort of 48expert birders and biologists, who combine scientific accuracy anddetail with an easily readable and well-organized format. How does atiny chickadee survive subzero temperatures? How do flocks of birdssynchronize their flights? How can an albatross cross miles of oceanwithout flapping its wings? Which bird brains are actually intelligent?It's all here in essays giving an overview of avian evolution, biology,and the aerodynamics of flight and in chapters devoted to the 80 birdfamilies of North America, each one detailing taxonomy, habitats,feeding, breeding, vocalizations, migrations, and more. Concerned aboutdeclining populations, Sibley also discusses the conservation status ofeach species and the factors that threaten them. This fascinatingsource of information is destined to be a well-thumbed companion. -- Lesley Reed ... Read more

Reviews (19)

A Must Have for Serious Birders
THE SIBLEY GUIDE TO BIRD LIFE AND BEHAVIOR is the follow up to Sibley's first book on birding. This book has the same sort of illustrations that make his first book so helpful. This book is more in depth and contains articles on bird biology as well as general information on various species. Though the guide bears Sibley's name, he is the illustrator and the text in the book is written by leading ornithologists. It is an excellent book for those who not only want to identify birds, but know a bit more about the birds that are sighted.

This book will be helpful to those who have an idea of the birds likely to be seen on a birding trip. By reading ahead of time, the experience can often be more fruitful, that is if Mother Nature cooperates and supplies the birds one hopes to see.

An outstanding resource for birders of all abilities
It is difficult to imagine a more helpful guide to understanding birds than "The Sibley Guide to Bird Behavior". Illustrated by David Allen Sibley, with contributing text by a host of bird authorities, this work is the ultimate companion to Sibley's field guides. Anyone can gain a greater appreciation for our feathered friends by picking up this book.

Crammed with useful information, the guide opens with an understanding of how birds fly, their anatomy, and intellectual capabilities. There are chapters on origins, classification methods, bird behavior, migration, communication, and breeding. Also included are overviews of habitat distinctions, populations, and conservation.

This general format is carried over into the largest section of the book - a comprehensive look at all the families of North American avians. For instance, each family of birds (e.g. - Hummingbirds, Vireos) will have chapters within the text providing specific analysis of:

*Taxonomy
*Adaptations to Lifestyle
*Habitats
*Food and Foraging
*Breeding
*Vocalizations
*Migration
*Conservation
*Accidental Species

This clear breakdown by sections makes it a simple task to compare the migration strategies of Vireos to that of Hummingbirds, for instance. Given that all these sections exist uniformly for each family, anyone seeking to know more about a particular family of birds can easily find what they are looking for. Even complete families of birds that are merely accidental are listed here (e.g. - Accentors.)

"The Sibley Guide to Bird Behavior" benefits not only from its methodical layout, but also a profusion of David Sibley's artwork. And while some have dubbed his illustrations merely functional, I find them to be very good. The superb quality of the guide itself is also a huge plus, making it a sort of "mini-coffeetable" book. Bright, thick pages with clear text and plenty of open space make the guide very easy to read. Because of the layout, it can be read in small chunks, too, so its hefty 587 pages are easily digestible.
There is something here for any birder, no matter their level of expertise, as well. I've been birding for more than twenty-five years and yet I still picked up plenty of great facts.

Lastly, a word on the conservation sections of the book: they are both heartening and disheartening in their factualness about the survivability of different bird families. Yes, Man has harmed some avian families, but many others have been aided by our encroachments. The guide is balanced in its view, too, that some species of North American birds that are extinct (or close to it) were never that populous to begin with and may have been doomed over time anyway, no matter what Man did to their habitats. Still, it does not shrink from blaming us for devastating some species - the passenger pigeon, for instance - nor does it excuse us from continuing to work to better the plight of all bird species around the world.

Absolutely deserving of a five star rating, "The Sibley Guide to Bird Behavior" is a superb book on its own, and even better with the Sibley Field Guide series. Highly recommended to all, particularly bird lovers.

GREAT REFERENCE
Very well organized, comprehensive information. It's very useful and actually quite engrossing. I knew nothing about birds and am doing research for a novel. I first encountered this book in the public library and decided to buy myself a copy of this one among all the other bird books I borrowed. I am not a bird watcher and I don't think I'll take it up as a real hobby, but this book has given me a great appreciation of birds. They are fascinating and truly remarkable creatures.

Excellent reference!!!
I LOVE this book! It has terrific drawings wit great colors for one thing but even more important is the great writing, which is easy to get into, and incredibly informative. The level of detail is at the family level - e.g. "woodpeckers" or "flycatchers" But within the section, individual species are discussed. The level of detail is perfect and subfamilies are addressed. Foraging habits (with drawings in some cases) are discussed, habitat that the birds live in, variations in colors, breeding, vocalizations, the whole nine yards! Its fantastic. I started this review by mentioning the drawings because they really are the icing on the cake - an example is the face of a flycatcher drawn to show the bristles around its mouth. Terrific! I like the Stokes books on bird behavior too but this is one big complete reference!

Beautiful and Informative
This is a wonderful book. I wish I would have bought it when it came out. I might not have bought so many other bird books. This book breaks down the birds into groups and then talks about that group. I have learned so much from it (and I'm not even through reading it). The illustrations are meticulous, and the book setup is much like that of a field guide (content order wise). A must have for anyone interested in birds. ... Read more

Book Description

Reef Fish3rd Edition,Reef Creature 2nd Edition and Reef Coral 2nd Edition Identification books packaged in a beautifully printed Shelf Case. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Does exactly what it says on the tin!
I'm sorry that Vincent in Singapore didn't find these books useful, but they don't pretend to be books for those wanting to keep fish in small tanks - they are terrific field identification guides (as per the titles), with excellent photos and details of colour variations, locations, etc. Beautifully presented, and very comprehensive. Brilliant!

NOT FOR MARINE AQUARIUM HOBBYIST
As a marine aquarium hobbyist I was disappointed with this set of books. It doesn't tell you much on the behaviour and characteristic of the fishes, invertebrates and corals. The most disappointed and surprised was the book on reef fish, such a thick book but only a few species were introduce.

Absolutely the best set available
If there is one set of reef identification books to own then this one is it. A set of three of the best books available, it contains Reef Fish Identification, Reef Creature Identification and Reef Coral Identification. Throughout the Florida, Caribbean and Bahamas areas there are no better books available. Each fish, creature, coral, grass or algae has it's own full color picture along with a line drawing that points out the defining characteristics of that particular species. 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.

Each entry has complete information on the fish, creature or coral from size, depth, range and habitat to the level of concern that a diver should have for their safety around it. If you snorkel, dive or just have an interest in identification of the various things that you find on a reef then this set will give you everything you need to identify anything you find. Highly recommended.

The Reef Set
We have used the Reef Identification series for years and this new update is a great addition -- many more fish are identified. The writeups about each fish are very detailed and explain behaviours and various color shadings well. The photos are excellent, and we have always been impressed by the amount of work and care that have gone into the series. This is the first time we have had the Reef Coral book and are as pleased with it as with the quality of the other two books.

You must have this book!
If you need information on Carribean Reef Creatures/Fish/Coral, this is the only book you need.
As an underwater photographer, I am constantly using my set to identify fish and corals. There is no other set of books like this. Now, Paul, when are you doing a Pacific Set???? ... Read more

Book Description

A delightful romp through history with all its economic forces laid bare, Cod is the biography of a single species of fish, but it may as well be a world history with this humble fish as its recurring main character. Cod, it turns out, is the reason Europeans set sail across the Atlantic, and it is the only reason they could. What did the Vikings eat in icy Greenland and on the five expeditions to America recorded in the Icelandic sagas? Cod--frozen and dried in the frosty air, then broken into pieces and eaten like hardtack.What was the staple of the medieval diet? Cod again, sold salted by the Basques, an enigmatic people with a mysterious, unlimited supply of cod.As we make our way through the centuries of cod history, we also find a delicious legacy of recipes, and the tragic story of environmental failure, of depleted fishing stocks where once their numbers were te fate of the universe. Here--for scientist and layperson alike, for philosopher, science-fiction reader, biologist, and computer expert--is a startlingly complete and rational synthesis of disciplines, and a new, optimistic message about existence. ... Read more

Reviews (76)

A bitter ecological tale for our time
This is a fascinating book.

It's also very sad, because it illustrates the ability of modern people to almost unconsciously wipe out the natural resources of our planet. Codfish were once the "buffalo" of the oceans -- big, fat, useful and dumb. As one early explorer wrote, to catch cod all you need do is lower and bucket into the water and haul it back up full of fish. Sorta like buffalo in the days when passengers could shoot them from the windows of passing trains as a harmless sport intended solely to break the boredom of the trip.

Yes, this book is a bitter ecological tale for our time.

It is also a wonderful history of a marvelous fish. Kurlansky obviously had fun writing it, and his love of cod shows in the comfortable style of his writing. He delves into word origins for the different ways used to describe cod, and he plays with the history of a dozen or so nations to illustrate the impact one fish had on entire peoples. Plus, he includes dozens of recipes by which cod was cooked for generations.

But he also explains why such an international treasure has almost vanished.

"Whatever steps are taken, one of the greatest obstacles to restoring cod stocks off Newfoundland is an almost pathological collective denial of what has happened," Kurlansky writes near the end of the book. "Newfoundlanders seem prepared to believe anything other than they have killed off nature's bounty."

What happened? Kurlansky writes that "One Canadian journalist published an article pointing out that the cod disappeared from Newfoundland at about the same time that stocks started rebuilding in Norway.

"Clearly the northern stock had packed up and migrated to Norway," he adds. If this is the Canadian attitude, in one of the self-proclaimed best educated and wealthiest of nations, it's not hard to understand why and how Third World nations have environmental problems. My personal experience with a similar depletion is in the Sea of Cortez, where Mexican fishermen have taken about 20 years to just about exterminate the sharks.

Shrimp boats, based in Puerto Penasco, have likewise decimated the shrimp. Who's to blame? The United States, of course, because the Americans built dams on the Colorado River which prevents the river water from reaching the sea.

There's always someone else to blame.

As I said earlier, it's a sad book. Yet, it is an excellent one and perhaps one of the most appropriate to read in terms of what is fast happening to our marine life. Cod are invisible, not like cute furry little baby seals which so excited Europeans a few years ago when they saw how Canadians clubbed them to death to avoid marking the fur. If the future of our world depends on cute pictures on TV, then our future is truly in deplorable shape.

But, the fact this book exists and is written with elegance, style, wit and great insight, may persuade thick-headed politicians that even "invisible" wildlife deserves protection from our greed and ignorance. If not, and having known many politicians for many years I'm not optimistic, it is a beautiful elegy to a noble fish.

What happens when a native species disappears? Well, two centuries ago the US Southwest had some of the world's finest grasslands. Then came the Russian Thistle, an almost useless weed that choked out the grass. Now we celebrate this import in song, "See them tumbling along . . . . . the tumbling tumbleweeds."

It happens.

hungry for a lost fish
A purse-sized history of the cod fishery, from the Basques & vikings to the fishes' modern decimation by large scale bottom-dragging. The social & historical ramifications spawned (no pun intended) by the international quest for this fish are incredible. Kurlansky's book weaves historical accounts in choronological order with hundreds of years of recipes for preparing cod. Though the book was well-written, concise, and highly interesting, I found it oddly incongruous to read about the vast decimation of this species yet find myself hungry for the very same fish after reading the next page's recipe for it.

Perfect For Detail Junkies
Cod is not for every reader, reflecting as it does the author's deep interest in history, and how individual foods relate to history. What the book gives to thoughtful readers is true context along with its detail. Kurlansky drives home a real point: you cannot separate the fish from the men who risk and lose their lives to extract it from the sea, nor can the food be divorced from the dollars it represents. In culinary terms, I was inspired to start cooking with dried cod; it's the kind of thing you don't notice in your supermarket until something--this book in my case--sticks it into your consciousness with no going back. As a real "foodie" and an incurable history buff, I am thankful that writers like Kurlansky go to the trouble of applying their talents to subjects like this.

Food writer Elliot Essman's other reviews and food articles are available at www.stylegourmet.com

Interesting and informative , but ...
This book is another interesting and informative, but narrow subject history book of the type this author prefers to write. In some sections it poses as a cookbook. I was irritated by the amount of text actually devoted to Codfish recipes, when what I purchased was a historical type book . The author has a very good writing style. The book covers the early history of some cultures that took advantage of this bottom dwelling fish prized for its unique white meat. The Codfish affected these early cultures as it still does today, where regional and national economies are suffering from the impact of worldwide diminishing Codfish stocks in spite of some sporadic conservation measures.
This reader recommends ignoring the all too frequent codfish recipes interspersed with the good historical information. This book makes for a fine compact interesting history of man's relationship with the Codfish. Ignore the historical section and I suppose it would be a passable Codfish cookbook.

A Cod piece
Overall, I thought Cod to be an "ok" read. It's strongest points were the inclusion of historic references to cod, images, and recipes - a novel approach for a non-fiction work. I also found the stories of contemporary cod fishermen (who aren't allowed to fish!) quite compassionate and the history of Basque fishers-of-cod both enlightening and surprising.

However, Kurlansky was often repetitive with his cod anecdotes, and I found his writing style to be a bit cumbersome and slow. I'm a big fan of John McPhee's work, which exemplifies the essay as poetry, and I had hoped that Kurlansky might offer a new, strong voice in the non-fiction, natural history essay. I was a bit disappointed that the central text read much like an undergrad research paper. I do plan to read his recent book Salt because I find the subject premise intriguing.

If you like eating fish or fishing, are interested in how natural and human history intertwine, or are simply a fan of nature writing, I would recommend giving Cod a try. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"How does a dinosaur say good night when Papa comes in to turn off the light? Does a dinosaur slam his tail and pout? Does he throw his teddy bear all about? Does a dinosaur stomp his feet on the floor and shout: 'I want to hear one book more!'? DOES A DINOSAUR ROAR?" Most certainly not. Dinosaurs give their mommies and daddies big hugs and kisses, tuck their tales in, and whisper "Good night!"

Every sleepy little dinosaur will recognize the tricks of the trade in these bedtime shenanigans. The chuckle factor is sky-high here, with giant, full-page pictures of cleverly identified Tyrannosaurus rexes, triceratopses, and Pteranodons. A variety of human mothers and fathers trying to put their dinosaur children to bed will bring the point home that the story may have something to do with human kid behavior as well. This good-natured nighttime book is sure to be a winner (even though it might inspire a few noisy dinosaur antics), especially as it's written by Jane Yolen, prolific Caldecott Medalist author of Owl Moon. Yolen and Mark Teague have teamed up to create a fun, silly, playful read-aloud. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (60)

A book to make bedtime a little easier.
This book is now a favorite of my two and half year old daughter. She asks me to read it to her at least once a day. The premise of the story is to show the proper way to say goodnight. The first half of the book shows dinosaurs acting up at bedtime (hmm kind of reminds me of my daughter) and the second part shows dinosaurs saying goodnight nicely. The pictures of the dinosaurs really crack her up. She loves the opening picture of the dinosaur in the tub and the one of the dinosaur holding a toy train. The pictures are so charming that I am sure they will have adults smiling too. The text is simple enough for a small child to memorize and the names of the dinosaurs are included on the page with their picture to provide even more learning oppurtunities. This book has made my daughter so crazy for dinosaurs that I intend to take her to a dinosaur exhibit at our local science museum. The best part of this book is that it has actually made my daughter go to bed with less resistance. When she starts to act up I just quote a line or two from the book and she settles right down. Last night she told me "goodnight mama dinosaur." We love this book.

Beautifully Illustrated
The first thing that comes to mind when I look at this book is how beautifully illustrated it is. The images are rich, engaging and a delight to absorb.

The book covers ten dinosaurs -- Allosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Apatosaurus, Corythosaurus, Dimetrodon, Pteranodon, Stegosaurus, Trachodon, Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex. All of them appear so friendly that your child just might invite them for a sleepover. Moreover, they are anatomically correct, insofar as they can be for cartoon like illustrations.

One of the most interactive pieces of the book is that each illustration has hidden within it the name of the dinosaur. Everytime my son and I read this book he seeks out the dinosaur's name. It's a dino I Spy game for him.

He's also fascinated with the fact that he can match the dinosaurs from the inside covers (front and back) with those within the story.

Of course, beautiful illustrations are important, but so is the story line. This one is done well. The illustrations show the dinosaurs engaging in all sorts of antics to avoid going to sleep. However, the point of this is to question whether or not dinosaurs show "naughty" bedtime behavior. They do not. In the end, dinosaurs "tuck in their tails" and "whisper, 'Good night!'

Overally, I would highly recommend this book for dinosaur loving preschoolers! It is beautiful, interactive and well written.

Dinosaurs act up at bedtime too!
This imaginative book features a large cast of "real" dinosaurs acting as naughty as real kids do when it's bedtime. I loved the pictures of exasperated parents as a huge brontosaurus throws covers on the floor or a tyrannasaurus rex runs around the room. My second grade niece, a good reader, handles the text with ease but isn't too old to be tickled by the concept. Younger siblings like this one too. Inside the front cover is a chart with small drawings of the characters and their scientific names--an educational bonus!

How do you think?
I'm always pleased when an author and an illustrator of equal talents are placed together by a clever editor so as to produce a wonderful piece of picture book art. Jane Yolen is the author of, honest to goodness, more than two hundred books for both children and adults. Just pause a while and marvel at her consistency, if you will. Mark Teague may not have that many works under his belt, but what he lacks in proliferation he makes up for in downright fabulous illustrating. If you've read his charming "Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters From Obedience School" then you are aware of how amazingly adept this man is. Taking those monstrous creatures co-opted by children as their favorite animals, Yolen and Teague have created a book that proves what we've suspected all along. Your children are merely little dinosaurs in disguise.

The premise of this book is simple. Sleepy dinosaurs do NOT want to go to bed at night. The book ponders just how exactly these dinos do say their goodnights to their parents. The parents in this book, by the way, are always human while their dinosaur offspring fill their bedrooms from ceiling to floor. So how do dinosaurs say good night? Well, they can insist on reading one more book. They can fall onto their beds in tears. They can slam their tails about and pout too. But no, my friends. In the end, dinosaurs do none of these things. Instead, they give their parents a big kiss and a hug, tuck their tales into their beds, and say good night. Just like a good little dinosaur should.

The hope after reading this tale is that kids will understand that all the naughty behavior exhibited by the dinosaurs in the early parts of the book will be negated by the good behavior exhibited at the end. How well this works, I do not know. One thing is for certain, however. Mark Teague is a genius. Oh, I'm sure Jane Yolen put a lot of work into this puppy as well. Yes yes. But Mark Teague... now there's a man who knows how children react at nighttime. These pictures are just a scream. Each father or mother than enters the dinosaur's room is usually accompanied by some cowering pet, either a dog or a cat. The dinosaur's rooms are outfitted as a child's would be too. Teague has helpfully included each animal's name (from the roaring Triceratops to the piggy back begging Ankylosaurus) somewhere in the picture too. I was also well pleased with the parents in this book. A good multi-racial cast, they don't give an inch to these plying crying dinos. And you haven't lived until you've seen a Tyranosaurus Rex kissing his Donna Reed look-alike mother. More recently popular dinosaurs, like the Velociraptor, do not appear in this tale. Probably a good idea in retrospect.

All in all, this is one of the most successful new bedtime books to come around the pike. For those kids bored to tears by the far calmer "Goodnight Moon", this will be just the exciting bedtime tale to get them tucked away for the night. A fabulous creation that fully lives up to its popularity.

You think it is difficult to put kids to bed? Try a dinosaur
I noticed that there are editions of "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" in Spanish and French, which is not surprising because the art of Mark Teague certainly translates into any language. Author Jane Yolen poses the questions regarding what happens when Papa or Mama comes to turn off the lights and send their dinosaurs to bed, and Teague comes up with the utterly charming images that will delight readers of any age. Part of the fun is that Papa and Mama are regular human beings, so when Papa shows up and points to his watch to a Tyrannosaurus Rex that takes up an entire page as a way of suggesting it is time to put away his toy train and go to bed, you just have to smile (note the family dog is about the size of one of the T Rex's toes). From the Stegosaurus that slams his tail and pouts to the Ankylosaurus that demands a piggyback ride, each of these two-page spreads will make parents happy that they just have regular human kids and not dinosaurs.

For children the fun will be in answering the question of the title and discovering that dinosaurs and little kids have a lot in common when it comes to resisting being put into bed. There is a slight risk that your kids might find a new way of prolonging the inevitable and find themselves imitation the Corythosaurus and falling on top of their covers and crying or stomping their feet on the floor and shouting they want to have another book read to them. But then "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" really covers all of the basic delaying tactics of children. Besides, it is clearly indicated that these tactics are a bit silly, even if you are a sulking Allosaurus or roaring Triceratops.

All of the illustrations in this book are a joy, including those inside the front cover where Teague shows all of these dinosaurs sitting atop their beds doing things like blowing bubbles or quietly reading a good book (okay, the Ankylosaurus is jumping on the bed, but clearly he is the high energy one of the group). "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" is the first in a series of similar collaborations between Yolen and Teague that includes "How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?" "How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon?" and "How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Room?" That last one is definitely the one I want to check out next, because I shudder to think what Yolen and Teague will come up for in those situations. You think getting a Dinosaur to say goodnight is difficult? That is nothing compared to getting them to clean their rooms. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (20)

This is the BEST bird book out there!!
The Golden Guide to Field Indentifcation of Birds of North America is a handy, not to mention effective, guide to the birds. Accidentals, rarities, stragglers, and casuals are all covered, along with the common birds. This guide includes full color illustrations of birds were and how they are most often spotted, whether gliding over the ocean or perching in dense underbrush, as well as winter, summer, eclipse, immature, chick, juvenile, adult, male, female, breeding, non-breeding, molting, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd winter plumages, if need be. Any bird spotted can quickly be indentified quickly and easily with this guide.

The definitive North American Bird Guide
I first purchased this guide as a 13 year old back in 1971, graduating from the introductory Zim/Gabrielson "Golden Guide" and the Chester A. Reed classic on eastern birds. This book became my birding companion for years to come, and successive copies became dog-eared and worn out with extensive use. As a teenager growing up in southern Ontario, I used to marvel at the "Carolinian" species - those species which reached the very northern limit of their distributions in the area I grew up - on the pages of this wonderful book. Singer's renditions of Orchard Orioles, Carolina Wrens, Cerulean and Blue-Winged Warblers, amongst the other 700+ species illustrated with such precision and described in exquisite detail by Bruun, Robbins and Zim are painstakingly accurate, and not only defined my youthful birdwatching days but evoke many memories of growing up in the Canadian countryside. I have lived in Europe since 1983, but this guide accompanies me on every return trip I make to North America.

great buy
This guide is wonderful. The pictures are very descriptive and make it easy to identify different birds.

One of the best
I actually have the 1983 expanded, revised edition. I like photos more than a book with drawings but these drawings are almost photo quality. What I like about this book is that simular birds are pictured together on one page. Diane

Absolutely Great Book but this Edition Needs Improvement
No one has captured the real look of birds the way Singer has. Singer's paintings are really a major creative event.
HOWEVER, St. Martin's doesn't seem to have the reverence for these illustrations that it should. Instead of remastering the originals and providing the book with the best reproduction of the paintings, St. Martin's has cheaply reproduced them in such a way that colors are noticeably faded and washed out -- to the point of possibly affecting identification in a few places. Also, terns and other white birds often seem to vanish into the page.
When the original edition came out many years ago, it changed the look of all field guides for the better. People were also impressed with the value they got. Even the cover was not some rehashed illustration from the interior of the text, but a specially-painted scene of three buntings. That piece of art has now been tossed out entirely and replaced with a rather dreary and photographic-like illustration of two bald eagles perched together with an immature -- obviously their offspring (except that they are both males).
My copy has the birds' wing tips, tails, feet, and sonagrams cut off at the bottom of many pages. This is very annoying.
Also, the broad-billed hummingbird is mistakenly labeled "broad-bellied" on page 191. I spotted the broad-billed the other day and couldn't figure out what was going on in the text!
Where are the check boxes in the index? That's a huge omission!
I still highly recommend this book. No other captures the look of birds in the field as well.
St. Martin's would be well advised to never throw out any of Singer's art. That's kind of a crime and they need to appreciate that fact before they diddle with this great book anymore! The publisher needs to lose the current cover and replace it with the old -- or a redesigned cover with the original art. The edition should be redone with improved reproductions of Singer's fabulous paintings.
If you don't have this book, buy it anyway! It's great and the price has always made the book a steal. ... Read more

Book Description

The Sibley Guide to Birds has quickly become the new standard of excellence in bird identification guides, covering more than 810 North American birds in amazing detail. Now comes a new portable guide from David Sibley that every birder will want to carry into the field. Compact and comprehensive, this new guide features 703 bird species plus regional populations found west of the Rocky Mountains. Accounts include stunningly accurate illustrations—more than 4,600 in total—with descriptive caption text pointing out the most important field marks. Each entry contains new text concerning frequency, nesting, behavior, food and feeding, voice description, and key identification features. Accounts also include brand-new maps created from information contributed by 110 regional experts across the continent.

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America is an indispensable resource for all birders seeking an authoritative and portable guide to the birds of the West. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Exceptional
The larger Sibley field guide caused quite a stir but it was also a bit of a bear, in terms of size. The smaller guides that focus on east and west, are much easier to carry. Everything about them is, really, as good as it gets: the paintings, the maps, the descriptions - a top quality product.

An excellent followup to the Sibley Guide to Birds
My main problem with the original Sibley Guide to Birds has been its size. While it is an excellent and comprehensive reference, it is just too bulky to carry in the field. Sibley found the answer in coming out with separate guides for East and West. The new western guide, a wonderful addition to the Sibley family, contains updated nomenclature and range maps. Also, it contains only western birds and those eastern birds that have have shown up in the west as accidentals. It leaves out the eastern birds that have never been seen in the west before, thus saving time when using the book to ID a bird in the field. The biggest advantage is the smaller size which actually makes it feasible to carry in the field without nearly as much difficulty. Although there is a loss of detail compared to the original Sibley guide, this is a small price to pay for the portability of the smaller size. For the serious birder I would recommend getting both this book (for the field) and the originaly Sibley Guide to Birds (for a reference), but otherwise this book (or its eastern counterpart depending on where you live) is definitely the way to go for a comprehensive, portable field guide.

Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western NA
Overall a very good book. Species maps are on the same pages as the species accounts so there is no extra flipping to find the map. However, I have noticed that many colors in this guide are very muted. I work at several bird-banding stations and have held live birds up to the color pictures and notice quite a difference. Sibley's colors are not nearly as vibrant as the reall thing, giving an inaccurate impression of some of the colors.

Finally a pocket sized Sibley
This guide is well layed out,provides excellent pictures and text and is the perfect in the field answer to The Sibley Guide To Birds.

Not Quite Peterson!
Sibley has done a great job of putting pictures, text and maps together in this guide. Regrettably, though, all that info. on 1/2 a page (2 species per page) makes it difficult to see/read; especially with older eyes.

In addition, I still think Peterson's paintings are the best in presenting the birds in a manner closest to how they look in the field. Sibley's paintings are a bit stark compared to the real thing. On a recent trip to Madera Canyon, I noted this when looking, in particular, at a Lazuli Bunting, and a Rufous-Winged Sparrow.

Sibley's new guide is very good, but I still keep "Roger" in the fanny pack, and Sibley back in the car as reference.

Good birding. ... Read more

Book Description

---Comprehensive: 500+ species photographs, covering all popular and commonly available aquarium species ---Authoritative: expert advice on feeding and captive care ---Informative: aquarium suitability ratings for every species ---Easy to use: complete species name and common name indexes ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Really Great Reference.
I love this book. So far it contained all the fishes that I have seen at my local fish store and the best feature of the book is that it rates each fish from 1 to 5 where 5 indicates that it is an easy fish to keep alive in the aquarium, and 1 means it is hard to keep alive in an aquarium... This is great for me because I don't have the best track record with keep my fish alive and want to only buy fish which are easy to keep. The notes about each fish are really good to. It is like having 20 aquarium guru's giving you their experiences with each fish. Also, if you have a reef setup, it tells you if each fish is reef safe.

Value for your aquarium dollar
Interested in setting up a Fish Only Marine aquarium? Concerned about fish that will be compatible with the invertebrates in your Reef aquarium? Want to expand your knowledge beyond the 10 basic marine fish that your local aquarium store has in stock? Then this is a good book to consider. Loaded with full color pictures (on glossy paper)of marine fish, the book gives a concise summary of hundreds of these salt water inhabitants. The book itself is easier to handle than the smaller dimension Baensch Atlas and the print is larger. And the price is good value for your aquarium dollar. Bring this book with you to the aquarium store, and when you see that incredibly beautiful marine fish that you have never seen before, a quick read in this book will give you some of the information you will need to make an informed decision as to whether this fish will fare well in your aquarium at home.

The Picky Specifics Need Work
This book has some very good features and will almost certainly be useful to beginning and even intermediate marine aquarists. It has entries on most of the fishes likely to be found in the average aquarium retail shop accompanied by truly excellent photos for each species. The book's best feature is its reef compatibility entry which details which fishes are totally reef safe, which will eat soft corals or Large Polyped Stony corals but not Small Polyped Stony corals, and which will simply devour every invertebrate in the tank. I also like the rating (from 1 to 5) of each species' ease of maintenance in the captive environment, though the reader must always keep in mind that this is a general rating and that numerous variables (collection methods, shipping speed, water quality and live food availability, etc., etc.) can alter such a rating considerably. As a marine hobbyist, I would say this is a good book. As a marine biologist, however, I would caution the reader to beware of some misspelling of scientific names (the genus Macolor is listed as Malcolor, and there are a few others), the fact that the "maximum lengths" listed for many of the species are rather small according to other sources (also keep in mind that healthy fishes never truly stop growing), and the very general home range listed for each species (the "Indo-Pacific" is rather vague, to my mind). That said, I have gotten much use out of this book, and find it a good reference when the cautions mentioned above are held in mind.

Start here!
This book is a great start when trying to decide what marine fish to buy. It is handy to take with you to the fish store. There are certainly other great sources of more comprehensive & definitive information about specific fish, but anyone looking to buy saltwater fish should start here.

The author, Scott W. Michael, is a renowned expert in this field. He has more than 25 years experience as an aquarist and diver. He has written several other books and contributes regularly to Aquarium Fish Magazine.

I'm sure lokking forward to Ron Shimek's invetebrate guide. It should be a great companion to this one, having also been written by an expert on that topic. Unfortunately, it has been "coming soon" for more than a year.

Keep in mind it is a pocket guide.
As long as you keep in mind that the book is under the PocketExpert Guide series then you will know what you are getting. The book does have over 500 + popular marine species but doesnt give more than very general information about each species. There are also some listings with no other information than it's photo, scientific name and its tank suitablity rank. In conclusion, its a good general book but I'll probably look for another fish book. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

OUTSTANDING - a MUST READ for anyone working in the outdoors
As a field geologist, Gulf War veteran and former EMT, I can say that this book is the most comprehensive text I have ever seen regarding outdoor dangers, survival and wilderness medicine. If you work outdoors or spend a lot of time recreating outside, this is a MUST HAVE book!

Wilderness Medicine
As an RN,Trauma Nurse Specialist, I found this book to be well written and highly informative. With the speed of modern travel it's also a great reference to have for injuries and illnesses that can occur in far away places that one doesn't see often, or ever in your "home" ED. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is the "bible" on the subject of Reef Aquarium keeping, covering the biology of coral reefs and relating it to the biological, chemical, and physical parameters considered when creating a reef aquarium. The book details how to successfully cultivate corals in captivity and also features the identification and care of numerous coral and giant clam species. Diseases and parasites, and methods for controlling algae are also featured. The book finishes with an exciting section of photographs demonstrating successful reef aquariums. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

The Best Reef Reference Book there is!
As a reef aquarist I am always looking for good resources on how to be successful in this rewarding and very challenging hobby. This book covers all of the methods of reef keeping and allows the reader to decide which method is best for them. It also contains extensive chapters on the care and propogation of stony corals as well as giant clams. This is the best single resource a reef aquarist can add to their aquatic library. The authors have a tremendous amount of experience as reef keepers and both contribute regularly to such magazines as Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine, and Aquarium Fish Magazine. It's an expensive book, but it's well worth the price. Reviewed by Brian Fox

The Reef Aquarium Vol. 1
I keep a 30 gallon reef aquarium in my apartment and I am blessed with having a considerable amount of success for my first attempt at the hobby. I have purchased a couple of clams in the past, both of which turned out to be failures. Through word of mouth this book was recommended to me for the animals that I currently keep and the animals I would like to keep (SPS corals and clams). This book is full of information ranging from algea control to water quality to even identifying different species of SPS corals and clams. My only dissappointment was that I was hoping for a very detailed list of compatible organisms. I understand that certain corals tend to send out stinging tenticles that can harm recessive corals. Although this phenomenon is mentioned in the book it fails to give the specific list that I was hoping for. But don't let this negativity dissuade you from this purchase. There is so much other information in it I feel that it is critical for everyone who is new to the hobby to regard this book as their bible. Even the experienced may have something to learn from this literature.

Helpful books
In some reviews the two volumes of "The Reef Aquarium" have been named "the bible of reef aquarists". This makes you expect a lot, but my expectations have not been disappointed in any way. Describing the natural habit at in the coral reef, explaining the established reef aquarium systems or introducing the suitable aquarium inhabitants - in these two books I found it all. Even here in Germany those two books are known as a German translation, and they're successful.

The Questions Are Answered
This book should be an example by which all other marine and reef aquarium books follow. Current and relavant information from cover to cover. This is the stuff you need to know if you are serious about being successful in this hobby. Great book but a great group of people.

A Must
This book is a must if you are serious about doing it right. Full of excellent, hard to find information. It is heavy reading, but even the beginner can benefit from the tank set-up instructions that will help you do it right the first time. ... Read more

Book Description

Successful horsepeople know the secrets of the horse's mind. All horses share 10 common character traits that affect every move they make. These traits are embedded deep within the horse's DNA and are shared by every horse. Dr. Miller explains how to predict what your horse will do, get the proper response and fix unwanted behavior. He shows how you can unknowingly teach your horse how to misbehave. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Better than the flashy title
I found this book to be much better than its flashy, "whisperer-trendy" title would indicate. It is a well-written, logically built collection of key "psychological" characteristics of horses. Not directly useful as a problem-solving guide, but still a must-read, because it explains quite clearly what every horse lover should deeply absorb.

Considering Ancient Secrets of the Horses Mind.
While this book contains valuable information, it is not by any means a thorough text on the horses mind. It contains some controversial advice. Too many stories and too much personal information for my taste. The Ancient Secrets of the Horses Mind is big on promises but falls short on delivery. Recommended as a training supplement only, not as the only book you get on training the horse.

Ancient Secrets of the Horses's Mind
This book is so good I have already sent 3 copies as gifts to friends. What more can I say. It is the best book about basic horse instints I have ever read. If one wants to understand why horses do what they do, then read this book. ... Read more

Book Description

This updated and expanded edition offers current knowledge of nutrient metabolism and the formulation of diets from an array of available feedstuffs. Discusses animals' role in ecological balance, environmental stability and sustainable agriculture and food production. A new section on life-cycle feeding of individual animal classes features chapters contributed by authorities in their respective fields of animal nutrition. These new chapters include cattle, poultry, rabbits, sheep, swine, horses, cats, fish and exotic animals. ... Read more

Book Description

Believe it or not, bees are one of the oldest species of domesticated animals. Archeologists have found evidence of beekeeping, or apiculture, in the Middle East dating back more than five thousand years. If you’ve ever tasted good clover honey, it’s not hard to understand why. But it’s not just for the honey that more than 125,000 people (and growing) in the United States, alone, keep hives. Anyone interested in nature can’t help but be fascinated by those buzzing yellow bundles of energy and the exotic world they inhabit, with all its weird rituals and incredible efficiency. Also, dedicated gardeners appreciate the extra bounty that pollinating bees bring to their fruits, flowers, and vegetable gardens.

In this easy-to-follow guide, Howland Blackiston, one of the nation’s most respected authorities on the subject, takes the mystery (and the sting) out of beekeeping. Taking a step-by-step approach to successful backyard beekeeping, he gets you up and running with all the information you need to:

• Build a hive
• Establish your first colony
• Inspect your hives with confidence
• Maintain healthy colonies
• Deal with pests and fix common problems
• Harvest and enjoy fresh homemade honey
• Bottle and market your honey

Howland Blackiston covers all the bases, from bee anatomy, society, and behavior, to identifying and healing common illnesses afflicting bees. He also offers inventive solutions to most common and many uncommon problems you’re likely to run into. Among other things, you’ll discover:

• Where to put your hive, basic equipment you’ll need, and how to assemble a hive
• The best and safest way to inspect and enjoy your bees
• Year-round tasks a beekeeper must perform to maintain a healthy colony
• How to recognize and deal with common problems with brood production and the precious queen
• How to harvest honey and decide what kind of honey you’d like to make
• Making products from beeswax and propolis

For both fun and profit, beekeeping has become a booming enterprise. A real honey of a book, Beekeeping For Dummies gets you on the road to enjoying this ancient, highly-rewarding, and oh-so-tasty hobby. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A good read for the new or beginning beekeeper
I would highly recommend this book to the new or beginning beekeeper. It is a very good read and is not nearly as dry or flowerly as several of the books out there on the subject. It does an excellent job of walking you thru the basics of setting up a bee hive and what to look for once your bee hive is populated. It lost a star in my veiw because it does not cover well everything that an experienced beekeeper needs to know and, if you are really a "dummy" beekeeping is not for you.

Simple, Educational and Entertaining ....PERFECT!
I have been contimplating starting bees as a hobby. I ordered the book and couldn't put it down. The author shares his facination with bees and gives straight forward help on all the questions you have. He even addresses things like fear of bees and how to "sell" your neighbors. I loved it! I ordered a hive, equipment, and bees yesterday and I can't wait until they arrive.

Good for Dummies
Keep in mind this book has a "dummies" slant. It's a great beginner book and I own a copy. I recommend it. Lots of conversational plain english, funny cartoons, photographs, etc. But, buy another book as well to round out your knowledge. For example, Howland doesn't explain *why* you need an inner cover... just says it's part of the hive. He only provides *one* technique for queen introduction (a good one), when there are several others. Then he perpetuates the myth that you should scrape a bee's stinger away rather than pinch it away (Discover magazine, et. al., now dispute this), and when discussing *moving* a hive, he leaves out the "3 mile rule" and the "1 foot per day" approach, etc. He suggests using motor oil moats to prevent ants (works great), but doesn't mention that vegetable oil works great also, without being as noxious. Like I say, great book, buy it, but get some others too.

The Best for Beginners
Being a complete dummie about Bees I was looking for the basics in a how-to book. I have not always been pleased with previous "For Dummies" books but this one is good. It is complete with advice for what you need to start, what is really necessary and what is optional, and how to decide. I am up and running with my bees and owe a lot to this book. When I went to the supplier I knew enough to make educated decisions on what to buy. I bought two other books and they were a waste of time.

A Golden Start
A well-written practical book for the novice beekeeper and for those whishing to recheck their habits, good or bad. It is an easy book to read, the tips are practical, informed and work. I still have not yet found the courage to not use gloves! I would recommend this informative book to all who wish to enter the wonderful world of bee keeping. ... Read more