Book Description

Reviews (9)

Bring this book to the Cape and read it on the beach!
If you really want to know a lot about Cape Cod start here. It is probably the best nature book ever written. Clear and well-thought, it is a journey through a single year in the Cape's history. As I side note: if you are interested in Coast Guard history you will find this book very interesting.

Know Thyself
Henry Beston on the trail of Thoreau's great hike along the cape stays to capture if he can "the very psyche of animals" and rises to metaphysical levels with the greatest command of the English language. Nature exists, he finds, and "creation is here and now." Everything acts, and acts characteristically, and in detailing their interactions he discovers that he is in them also. Outermost house leads inevitably to innermost house.

Thoreau meets Proust on Cape Cod.
I had never heard of Henry Beston until a friend lent me--or, more accurately, pressed on me--his copy of The Outermost House. After reading this book, I understand his sense of urgency: this is a work of unique and lasting beauty, surely one of the greatest nature books ever written. In detailing his year in his cottage at Eastham Beach (now Coast Guard Beach) on the Atlantic side of Cape Cod, Beston combines a Thoreauvian zeal for nature and the examined life with a Proustian ability to record exactly the sight, sound, feel and scent of the world around him. Page after page is filled with unforgettable passages; his descriptions of the markings and songs of the shore birds alone are enough to move you to tears. His story of the plight of a doe caught in an icy flood is almost as suspenseful as a Hitchcock movie; his tribute to the courage of the Coast Guard "surfmen" who rescue shipwrecked sailors is particularly resonant to us who--after Sept. 11, 2001--have learned something about the value of those who safeguard the public. Beston is so quotable a writer that I'm shocked he's not better known. A few quotes should demonstrate:
"Nature is a part of our humanity, and without some awareness and experience of that divine mystery man ceases to be man."
"Man can be either less than man or more than man, and both are monsters, the last more dread."
"Poor body, time and the long years were the first tailors to teach you the merciful use of clothes! Though some scold today because you are too much seen, to my mind, you are not seen fully enough or often enough when you are beautiful."
"Poetry is as necessary to comprehension as science. It is as impossible to live without reverence as it is without joy."
Henry Beston found urban life insupportable in the mid-1920s; who could know the dismay he would feel in 2002, when computers, television and jet planes make the world pass in a blur! Beston is out to teach us how to slow down, to learn to live again according to the patterns and rhythms of nature. For those who are willing to read and understand, The Outermost House remains a haven of peace and beauty.

An American classic
The Outermost House is a classic, not just of natural history literature, but of American literature. If you love the outdoors, or the sea, or prose that flows like poetry, you should keep this small book always nearby. The harried introvert will especially appreciate it: reading even a page or two will transport you to a quiet place where the wind through the dune grass is the only sound that strikes your ear.

In addition to being a great writer, Beston is an acute observer biological phenomena, and not a bad theorist either. His discourse on the relationship other animals bear to us ("They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations...") does more to unlink the Great Chain of Being than any philosophical essay. And Beston's influence has been wide-ranging, not only among natural history writers, but among writers in general: unless I am mistaken, The Outermost House is one of the sources for the "Dry Salvages" section of T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets. (If no one else has noticed that before, I want coauthorship on the paper!)

Some books are so memorable that parts of them become internalized on first reading. The first time I read The Outermost House, its final sentence -- as graceful an example of polysyndeton as you will find in English -- became mine. Now, I pass it on to you: "For the gifts of life are the earth's, and they are given to all, and they are the songs of birds at daybreak, Orion and the Bear, and dawn seen over ocean from the beach."

A wonderful & relaxing book
The Outermost House is one of my favorite books. Henry Beston has a wonderful writing style that produces vivid images of his year spent living in a small house on the dunes of the beach on Cape Cod in 1926. We see through his eyes a year of seasons passing, birds in migration, storms, shipwrecks, and peaceful solitude.

I've read this book several times. Beston's imagery is excellent, making it easy to picture the Cape Cod setting, see what he saw, walk where he walked, and at the same time feel the sea breeze on your face and relax.

Another tribute to this book is that you can literally open it to any page, any paragraph and find fresh and descriptive writing. Here, I'll pick a truely random page now:

"...Streaming over the dunes, the storm howled on west over the moors. The islands of the marsh were brownish black, the channels leaden and whipped up by the wind; and along the shores of the desolate islands, channel waves broke angrily, chiding, tossing heavy ringlets of lifeless white. A scene of incredible desolation and cold. All day long I kept to my house, building up the fire and keeping watch from the windows..."

I highly recommend this book, I know I will read yet again someday. ... Read more

Book Description

Kenny Salwey is a modern-day American hermit who has lived most of his life in the Mississippi river bottoms, coming to know the river ecosystem with an intimacy unavailable to most. Now, Kenny shares his love of, and knowledge about, the mighty river.

"The Last River Rat" is a seasonal look at Kenny's unique life. Each chapter covers a month of Kenny's year and starts by detailing his activities--such as deer hunting, ginseng digging, or mushroom picking--and closes with one of Kenny's own "Rat Tales:" his personal thoughts on various aspects of his way of life, such as the importance of dogs or memories of other river rats with whom he has crossed paths.

Through Kenny--a true naturalist who provides sage advice about living off the land and protecting the river's ecology--and The Last River Rat, readers will gain a greater appreciation for the natural world.

Also recommended: "100 Years of Hunting," "100 Years of Fishing." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Most Honest Accounting of "A River Rat"
I have known Kenny since 1980, although I've only started reading this story I am extremely comfortable with the pace and grace Mr. Bestul uses. Kenny is everything the book says he is a very hard working, deliberate, honest, kind and caring person, without a mean bone in him. I've shared stories and bread with Kenny, and he really is the type of person you would like to know personally. Mary Kay's illustrations are graceful and a pleasure to view alongside this wonderful story.
In my opinion this book is a must for any outdoorsman, or for a quiet read next to a fire. I sincerely hope you enjoy Kenny's story as much as I am. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (59)

Burn the libraries; their worth is in this book.
As Omar said of the Koran, I say of Walden. This is the single greatest book I've ever read, hands down. Words really can't describe how amazing it is, though I doubt that it will affect many people the same way it has me. That said, this edition (the Konemann) is one of the best I've seen. The book itself is helpfully supplied with footnotes (which are something of a necessity for a born quoter like Thoreau), unobtrusively marked by a leaf in the margins of the pages, which refer you to the notes in the back: this is an excellent way to supply these notes without interrupting the flow of the text. There are no elaborate essays on the meaning of Walden, however, so the reader is left to judge the book on its own terms. The book itself is svelte and compact; a perfect backpack-sized vade mecum.

This book, with shipping, is less than 10 dollars. It was one of the best purchases I've ever made.

Reflecting Pond
Walden, what is it? Is it a book on nature, a book on ecology, a book on human nature, a prescient description of the struggle between modern civilization and the land that nurtured it, a critique of mankind, a string of quotable gems, an account of a mind, or, like Star Wars, a way of slipping a deep and human spirituality into someone else's mind without their recognizing it? It depends on who is doing the reading and when. Read it for any of these purposes, and it will not disappoint. If you've never read it, read it. If you read it for class years ago and hated it, read it again. This may be the most subtle, multi-layered and carefully worked piece of literature you'll ever find. By keeping the down-to-earth tone (no doubt in reaction to the high-flying prose of his friend, R.W. Emerson) Thoreau pulls a Columbo, and fools us into thinking he's writing simply about observing nature, living in a cabin, or sounding a pond. Somehow by the end of Walden, however, you may find it is your self he has sounded. People have accused Thoreau of despising mankind, but read deeper and you will discover he loved people well enough to chide us, show us our faults (admitting he's as bad as the worst of us), and give to all of us this wonderful gift, a book you could base your life on. There is more day to dawn, he reminds us at the end: the sun is but a morning star.

Reflective, yet limited
Thoreau was a reflective man. He asked pertinent questions, but just didn't go far enough in his search. As a pagan, he was unaware of the realities of Jesus Christ. In spite of his limited vision, he had some profound observations at times. One of my favorites is:

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. It is not important that he should mature as soon as an apple-tree or an oak. Should he turn his spring into summer?"

Incredible!
I had not read this growing up but wish I had. This is such a wonderful book. There are not many pictures in here - just a hand drawn map in one part of the book. Its excerpts from Thoreau's journal over the two year period when he lived on Walden's pond. He did not live like a recluse (he went in to Concord almost every day) so its not a book about living alone per se. Its more about reflecting on life, considering why one "is" and recognizing the beauty and mystery of nature around us every day, everywhere. Thoreau talks of regular daily things too like what it costs him to farm, or having cider, or building a chimney. The writing style is conversational, open, honest. He doesn't try to get tricky with words, he just tells it like he sees it. It's so beautiful. For anyone (like me) who indeed sees nature as their "religion" or sees the Great Spirit in every leaf, tree and bug, this book will be adored. So many wonderful messages, thoughts, woven throughout this book. Its an incredible work.

Just a man trying to shift for himself.
Thoreau went into the Concord woods "to live deliberately" and to try to approach in practice his excellent motto--multum in parvo--much in little. Setting off to transact some business as simply as possible, Thoreau began his famous experiment a happy man. Importantly, he concluded it 26 months later in the same convivial state. After proving to himself it could be done, he saw no point in continuing his experiment in such extreme fashion, becoming once again "a sojourner in civilized life."

Thoreau was certainly not alone in the woods. Apart from the many visitors he welcomed, he took frequent trips "into town," or met woodchoppers and ice cutters during his marathon sojourns through the fields and forests surrounding his wooden castle. While most men, as he famously said, "led lives of quiet desperation," Thoreau seemed to soak up the life and energy of every waking hour, giving him an inexhaustible supply of earthly happiness. There was nothing quiet or desperate about Thoreau.

Classically-educated Thoreau was patently devoted to the writings of ancient authors, but to him the words and pages written by Nature were far more interesting and pleasing than histories in Latin or 2500 year-old Greek sagacity. In fact, Thoreau read very little during a good portion of his Walden experiment. He preferred sometimes just to sit on his doorstep from morning to noon, steeped in the sights and sounds of the abundant nature surrounding him. Of course he also wrote. But the Walden we read today is not simply a collection of his raw, day-to-day diary reflections. In fact, it wasnft until a few years later that he expanded and painstakingly polished the rough journal entries he made during his stay in the woods. Whatever the case, the writing in Walden is brilliant throughout. Foremost, Thoreau was a writerca profoundly masterful one at that.

People read his Walden for a variety of reasons. I read it because it speaks with an immortal voice...and every word, phrase and sentence resounds with transcendent clarity. This simple little book is so full of hope, wisdom and inspiration that one can read it a thousand times and each time discover a new kernel of brilliance or vision.

During his lifetime, traditional success would never be his. But you would have had to argue with him over the definition of success. "The life which men praise and regard as successful is but one kind," the author so wisely said. It is precisely because of such profundity that his "success" is guaranteed for as long as people still read good books.

"Follow your genius closely enough and it will not fail to show you a fresh prospect every hour." --H.D.T. ... Read more

Book Description

Since its inception in 1915, the Best American series has become the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction and nonfiction. For each volume, a series editor reads pieces from hundreds of periodicals, then selects between fifty and a hundred outstanding works. That selection is pared down to the twenty or so very best pieces by a guest editor who is widely recognized as a leading writer in his or her field. This unique system has helped make the Best American series the most respected -- and most popular -- of its kind. The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2004, edited by Steven Pinker, is another "provocative and thoroughly enjoyable [collection] from start to finish" (Publishers Weekly). Here is the best and newest on science and nature: the psychology of suicide terrorism, desperate measures in surgery, the weird world of octopuses, Sex Week at Yale, the linguistics of click languages, the worst news about cloning, and much more. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Longtime animal lover Kobie Krüger got a little more than she bargained for when she married a game warden and moved deep into some of South Africa's wildest country.

In The Wilderness Family, Krüger recounts adventures and misadventures with the curious menagerie that shared her turf--and sometimes her roof--in the remote Mahlangeni section of Kruger National Park, which lies in the river-laced country between South Africa and Mozambique. Among the animals she encounters in the pages of her memoir are enterprising hyenas who, for whatever reason, pilfer cookware and blankets; a python that crept into bed with the Krügers on their first night in Mahlangeni; Egyptian goslings raised by a proud but broad-minded bantam hen; and the occasional ill-tempered elephant. Most affecting of all her encounters, however, is her long association with an orphaned lion cub named Leo, whom she and her family raised into adulthood. Leo, whose pastimes included alarming unsuspecting visitors and staring at passing birds in the sky, takes center stage for much of this book, and Krüger's loving portrait is a warm rejoinder to Joy Adamson's Born Free.

Readers who come to this memorable study of life in the African outback will be duly entertained, and those who are planning a trip there will learn a thing or two about how to behave around genets, cobras, rhinos--and, yes, lions. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (20)

An unforgettable story
First of all before I write the review, I wrote one using the same e-mail address on October 31, 1999 about "into the heart" by Kenneth Good. I believe it is still on the web. I can't remember what password I used then so I have now written a new one.

Now for the review:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. So much so that I am now reading it the second time! Anyone who has love and compassion for animals will love this marvellously written piece of literature, a personal experience story. The author has a remarkable easy-to read writing style that speaks to the heart of the reader.

She possesses a unique sense of humour and it is difficult to put this book down until it is read from cover to cover. I like to read when I commute by bus, and last week I almost went past my bus stop as I was so deeply immersed in the book. From beginning to end this was a very pleasurable reading experience.

If you can visualize a lion cub living with a human family and a dog, you will see how love can transcend species differences you will see the amazing bonding that had taken place between humans, a lion, and a dog. It is a poignant story of nurturing, caring, and parenting an orphan lion who at times thought he was a dog and acted like one. My only hope is that the author will write a sequel to this book in which she may reveal not only how Leo the lion is doing now with his wives and offspring, but how she, her husband, and families are continuing their lives and what other animals they may have adopted since the departure of Leo.

Book for the whole family, for humans.
Very sensitive and delicate woman beautifully writes The Wilderness Family story.
It was great and refreshing reading because author does not focus on people; bookstores and libraries are full of stories about humans. This book for a change, tells us almost exclusively about animals, leaving humans as a background.
I highly recommend this title to everybody, adults and children.
This type of book, I can imagine, can be read loudly in front of the fireplace to the large family gathering. Kids will learn how to love all creatures: small, large, wild and domestic.
For those adults having a hard time to comprehend how animals can develop and possess awareness of their own existence, Kobie Kruger delivers powerful lesson.

The biggest problem with non-fiction is no sequels.
Probably one of the most touching and stirring non-fiction books I've ever read, I finished it far too quickly. Kobie Kruger is a very talented author, with a natural talent for engendering empathy to her deepest maternal love for both animals and her children.

I found myself in tears at their losses and beaming at their joys, and craving a life in Africa, far from telephones and the other modern annoyances of society.

The Wilderness Family.
I [hve] dreams of visiting Africa. Kobie Kruger's brilliant review of life in the African bush has deeply moved me and made me more serious and determined to travel to Africa's vast Kruger National Park. Her words paint a beautiful picture of Africa and it's animals. I laughed at how she overcame small problems, and cried at the hardest problem of all - giving up their beautiful lion Leo. She writes in a way that makes you want to know more. She tells of the bad points of living in the bush, but the good points outweigh them by far. She talks about their home for years at the Malangheni Ranger Station in the North-West Region of Kruger National Park. Her description of her home is beautiful and makes you wish you could jump into the book to see it for yourself. Her light sense of humour, and her ability to make you feel part of the family are just some of the qualities that make this book the best book I have ever read.

The Widerness Family
The Wilderness Family was a really good book. Kobie Kruger did a great job of painting a picture with her own words. I loved how in every chapter she told a different story. She always loved to write about how Leo, her lion, would always pretend he was a dog. She also would write about her many animals. Some of the animals she owned and fostered were chickens, dogs, lion, badgers, and horses. Overall, I loved this book very much, found it easy to read, and I would reccomend it to people of all ages! ... 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

Reviews (15)

indescribable
As gifted a story teller as he is a veterinarian, James Herriot has the rare ability to bring out every emotion known to the human race with a single magical flick of his pen. Every Living Thing is without a doubt one of the crowning achievements of a master, and is possessed by a single, true trait that is difficult to find in many commercial books- every single tale is told straight from the heart. You will never fail to laugh at the hilarious tales and cry at the most poignant moments. If you're an animal lover, or even just have a passing interest in animals, this is a book you will hold on to and re-read until the end of your days. Kudos, James Herriot, you are very much missed.

Another warm winner from Herriot
James Herriot has an easy-going and warm writing style that is incredibly suited to his stories. He chronicles the animals and people he helps as an active veternarian in Yorkshire, England. As such, the stories are usually more about the people and their attachment to their pets and livestock than they are about the animals themselves. Although the time period is not explicitly mentioned and he jumps around in time a great deal, this book seems to cover the period right after his preceeding book (The Lord God Made Them All), the late 50s and early 60s. Herriot's children are now 6-10 years old and play an increasing role in his practice. He also includes a touching series of stories about his and his wife's attempts to tame some farm cats. Every Living Thing was Herriot's final full-length original book, and it is an excellent end to an excellent series.

More from the Yorkshire veterinarian the world loves
The late Alf Wight aka James Herriot left a legacy of books that excites readers to this day (and I presume will do so for decades more.) His gentle, self-deprecating style of humor and the portraits of the Yorkshire Dales farmers and country people are amusing and interesting.

The four books, named after a hymn "All Creatures Great and Small" are joined by this fifth volume with similar stories. James (as Alf called himself) now has his own practice in Skeldale House, is married with two kids. The stories are very similar to the first four, with goof-ups, miracles, and funny tales. Somehow, these stories are not quite as hilarious as the first set, possibly because Mr. Herriot had written up most of the good stuff, or to represent the seriousness of raising two kids and having his own practice and being a settled man rather than a raw youth just out on his own. Nonetheless, if you lapped up all the "Creature" books, as I did, and you mourn the loss of Dr. Wight, who passed away in the 90's, then you will want to read these stories and vicariously enjoy more of the daily life of a country vet.

Every Living Thing
Every Living Thing is one of my all time favorite books. James Herriot's stories come to life and touch you in a way that no other author can. I share this book with as many people as possible and they all give rave reviews. This is a must for an animal lover!

Laugh out loud
Expect to look like a lunatic if you read this book in public - I was sitting at a picnic table reading it today and kept snickering and smiling to myself at the chapter about the 'funny turns'. His books are always called 'quaint' and I agree, but they are also bold, vividly descriptive and so funnily true to life. All his books are great, this one included. ... Read more

Book Description

Here, in this compelling assembly of writings, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Dillard explores the world of natural facts and human meanings. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Seeing Life With Her Eyes Open
A couple of months ago, I happened upon the wholly enchanting For the Time Being by Annie Dillard. Following up on that, I just read this Teaching a Stone to Talk, and I will certainly be continuing to explore the work of this amazing author.

Teaching a Stone to Talk is a collection of essays that contains some true masterpieces. My personal favorite is the first, "Living Like Weasels," in which Dillard encourages us, and points for us the way, to remember how to live. Others are almost equal. "An Expedition to the Pole" cleverly and poignantly compares the journeys of arctic and antarctic explorers with the goings on in a tiny church congregation searching for God. In "God in the Doorway," Dillard expounds on an encounter with a woman and uses it to illuminate on the nature of God's love.

Teaching a Stone to Talk is a truly amazing work. Whether she is writing about nature, an eclipse, or about a conversation with a small boy, Dillard manages to mesmerize the reader with her words and humor, and she blows the reader away with her wisdom and insight.

Contains some of her finest essays
I remember a paradoxical statement about the Bible that I heard attributed to Karl Barth: "The Bible is not the word of God, but it contains the word of God." Well, TEACHING A STONE TO TALK is not Annie Dillard's finest book (that distinction belongs to either PILGRIM AT TINKERS CREEK or AN AMERICAN CHILDHOOD), but it contains her best work, i.e., some essays that are as good as anything that she has ever written. Almost inevitably, as in most collections, some of the essays aren't nearly as strong as the best, but the good ones make this slender volume essential reading for any fan of Ms. Dillard.

My personal favorite among the fourteen comprising this book is also the longest, "An Expedition to the Pole." I consider myself to be a deeply religious person, but I also find church services to be almost unbearable (much like one of my literary heroes, Samuel Johnson). In this essay, Dillard contrasts her experiences in an utterly dreadful church service with many of the attempts in the nineteenth century to mount expeditions to reach the North Pole. The attempts of those adventurers are simultaneously tragic and laughable, in that their goal was so vastly beyond their means. The implication is that the same is true in worship: we attempt to worship god, but our efforts are clumsy and fall far short of the mark. There is nobility in both, and certainly Dillard doesn't want to imply that worship is futile. But the parallels are there. It is a brilliant essay.

A Luminescent Feast for the Sentient
Her Pilgrim at Tinker Creek won the Pulitzer for non-fiction in 1974, establishing her reputation for magical writing and eyes that see the world in a special way that open ours when she describes what she is seeing. In this 5th book she continues her exploration of the world and translating it into human terms and meanings. Don't dismiss Dillard's narratives as simple excursions into nature with lessons or morals tacked on. Dillard's descriptions are powerful. You not only see the total eclipse she watches from a Washington hillside; you feel its aura, shudder in the morning chill, sense the mixture of awe, wonder and even momentary fear as the crowd screams.

Annie Dillard writes with an eye for splendor and for suffering, with a sense of amazement and of loss. She witnesses events: the sun eclipses, a deer struggles at the end of a rope, a weasel meets her eye. There is a man burnt, a flight of wild swans circling, a young girl who vows never to change, a band of polar explorers who drift on ice floes. Annie Dillard is an explorer, in the world and on the page.

Teaching A Stone To Talk: Expeditions and Encounters is a collection of stunning personal narratives that stretch from eastern woods and farmlands to the Pacific northwest coast, to tropical islands and rivers.

Teaching a Scientist to Write
Albert Einstein himself once said, "The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking." A scientist is not more intelligent than a layperson, but rather thinks differently. A talented scientist thinks of every aspect of life in terms of science and facts and hypotheses and theories. A talented scientific writer thinks of science in terms of people and society and relevance and literature. Annie Dillard, the author of Teaching a Stone to Talk, achieved the status of "talented scientific writer" by infusing each of her words with science, literature, and importance.
After reading only the first few paragraphs of this book, it was evident that Annie Dillard was an excellent writer, regardless of what she was writing about. After reading a few more paragraphs, I realized that this was going to be a good book for more than its literary merits. The science aspect of Teaching a Stone to Talk is written in the form of a concentration, not an overwhelming theme. This book is very effective in that it examines so many areas of long-studied and complicated science and still manages to present each one in simple terms. I am not a scientist by any means and I understood every last scientific reference and technological term. More importantly, I understood them not as pages of facts, but as human-interest stories.
Each of the book's 14 chapters was split into two consecutive sections: one concerning the science and one concerned with the people. For example, the second chapter, "An Expedition to the Pole," takes turns telling about research expeditions to Polar regions and the congregation of the author's church. Although the two topics seem completely unrelated, the author points out that both the members of the expeditions and the members of the congregation are searching blindly for something and are too often concerned with their own petty issues. This organization is well structured and seems a natural progression.
The facts of the book are not presented as theories; they are presented as observations. The previous studies of scientists are cited and discussed in detail, and they are also validated by the author's own experiences. For instance, after the author tells the history of polar expeditions, she tells the story of her own voyage to the Arctic Circle and the occurrences she observed. Dillard describes each detail of her voyage so that the reader may experience second-hand what he or she will most likely never experience first-hand.
I did not learn about science from the book Teaching a Stone to Talk. I learned about the most important, fundamental foundation of science: observation. The author observed nature and its land and creatures, but she also observed people and their habits and expectations. This book is a true reflection of the significance of science in everyday life.

Mesmerizing adventures........
.......as can only be expressed by Annie Dillard.

This collection of Dillard's travels and experiences will simply make you want to go out and experience each for yourself!

You will long to find yourself in the midst of a solar eclipse: "The grasses were wrong; they were platinum. Their every detail of stem, head and blade shone lightness and artificially distinct as an art photographer's platinum print. This color has never been seen on earth. The hues were metallic; their finish was matte. The hillside was a 19th century tinted photograph from which the tints have faded...............The sky was navy blue. My hands were silver." Reading Dillard's words has simply made me promise myself that I will not pass from this life without having witnessed the wonder of a solar eclipse.

The remainder of Dillard's expeditions and encounters are equally amazing. Travel with her words and come to know the terrors of the North Pole, the sheer tenacity of weasels, the natural wonders of the Galapagos Islands, the journeys of mangrove islands, fantasic mirages over Puget Sound and much more. Dillard brings each to full life through her descriptions and her thoughts on each. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a sense of curiosity and adventure! You'll love it! ... Read more

Book Description

“Delightful . . . Easy to understand and hard to resist, it’s sex education at its prime—accurate, comprehensive, and hilarious.” —Newsweek

An uproarious and authoritative natural history in the form of letters to and answers from the preeminent sexpert in all creation, this bestselling guidebook to sex reveals, for example, when necrophilia is acceptable, how to have a virgin birth, and when to eat your lover. It also advises on more mundane matters—such as male pregnancy and the joys of a detachable penis.

At once entertaining and wise, Dr. Tatiana (a.k.a. Olivia Judson) fuses natural history with advice to the lovelorn, blends wit and rigor, and reassures her anxious correspondents that although the acts they describe might sound appalling and unnatural, they are all perfectly normal—so long as you are not a human. In the process, she explains the science behind it all, from Darwin’s theory of sexual selection to why sexual reproduction exists at all. By applying human standards to the natural world, in the end she reveals the wonders of both.
... Read more

Reviews (15)

A VERY Distorted Mirror. A Mirror Nonetheless.
This extraordinary book can be read at many levels: humor, sexology, general science, evolutionary biology, and it is amazingly successful in all its various layers; some of the information it imparts is so fantastic that it will strain one's sense of reality. Can a mammal be born through the clitoris of the mother? UH?? Well, YES, it can. The spotted hyena delivers its pups through her clitoris (leading to the frequent mortality of the pups or the hyena moms). Read all about it.

Or consider the well known fate of the male praying mantis, whose head keeps his sexual urges in check until this organ is devoured by the amorous female: the the male's sexual inhibitory mechanisms (residing in the head) are removed, and he becomes a veritable sexual athlete while in the throes of death. Adds Dr. Judson: "Something analogous even happens in humans: Throttle a man and like as not he'll get an erection, not from erotic pleasure in dying, but because 'Down, boy' signals from the brain stop coming."

The variety of sexual behavior among the critters that populate planet earth is so extraordinary that after reading this book it will be unlikely that the extremely narrow band of sexual "deviance" among humans will have much of an impact on the reader. Sexual bondage? Pschaw! Consider the sagebrush cricket(Cyphoderis strepitans), who carries a gin trap with open jaws on his back. Those teeth clamp on the female's belly when she approaches the male (the female preference is to be on top) and immobilizes her so that the male can have his way, whether she wants to or not. Incest, cannibalism, rape, masturbation, homosexuality, they all flower in incredible variety among the users of this planet.

The book is written with scientific seriousness and literary humor. Its author has the steady hand of those who dominate their field, and at the same time she displays the joy and impudence of someone who loves the theme of sexual behavior. A good index and plenty of citations round out the excellence of this work. This is a book to keep as a reference for those protracted arguments about sexuality in which humans so often engage.

Thoroughly Fascinating, it was hard to put down!
Unable to read through the book in one setting, I found myself desperately trying to find ways to get back to it as soon as possible. Who would have thought that you could take the subject of sexual reproduction and evolutionary biology and made it into such a thoroughly entertaining read?

The author chose an advice column format with letters supposedly from crickets, stick bugs, stickleback fish and dozens of other creatures asking advice about their sexual situation. Needless to say most of it is fascinating and highly unnatural - for a human that is, but perfectly normal for them. Some of the situations she describes are so bizarre as to be beyond what one would expect from even the best science-fiction writers.

Olivia Judson is to be applauded for writing an educational book that is so thoroughly entertaining that it does not seem like you are actually being taught in the process. But you will learn and you will walk away with a completely different view of nature and reproduction. I was so thoroughly fascinated with the book that all I can say at this point is "Encore, encore".

Be prepared for bugs, lots of bugs
This book is fairly easy to read and imparts a lot of trivial knowledge in a fun format.

I was a little disappointed on two points. First, that almost all of the subjects in the book are bugs. I'm sure mammals and reptiles have interesting sex lives, habits, and behaviors so let's hear about them. It's hard to tell if the research was focused on bugs, or if bugs are that much more interesting than the rest of us animals.

Secondly, each section seems to follow a familiar pattern as far as writing style: light, medium, and extremely dense. Once the author makes her point (answering the question) the writing gets rather dense and it's difficult to finish the topic completely.

Otherwise the book delivers as it promises.

Loads of info bundled into fun reading
Since there have been so many extremely well written and elaborate reviews posted already, I'll keep mine short and sweet: this book is a riot. If you've every wondered just "how do they do it, and why do they do it they way they do it?", and I don't mean your neighbors, then this is a must read. Sure, there are oodles of subject-specific text books on the market, some of which require a masters degree in English to understand, but every so often there comes along a true gem such as this little book. Combining in-depth knowledge with entertaining and original writing is an art, and Olivia Judson is a master in both fields. Enjoy!

never mind the cloth, feel the width
A fine read on evolutionary biology.
That Judson has used the macro mechanics of sex to both illustrate some of the more current hows of the theory of natural selection and to give rein to a delightful style is the reader's jackpot.
For those whose interest is awakened by the chapters in agony aunt style, the detailed Notes are a gratifying bonus.
The index is better than most in popular science writing these days and I hope that enough readers still in the dismal creationist camp are at least stimulated to follow up on the clearly outlined evolutionary lines of inquiry.
If just one creationist realises there is more to biology than slick biblical revisionism, Judson has done good work indeed. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1975 Annie Dillard took up residence on an island in Puget Sound in a wooded room furnished with "one enormous window, one cat, one spider and one person." For the next two years she asked herself questions about time, reality, sacrifice death, and the will of God. In Holy the Firm she writes about a moth consumed in a candle flame, about a seven-year-old girl burned in an airplane accident, about a baptism on a cold beach. But behind the moving curtain of what she calls "the hard things -- rock mountain and salt sea," she sees, sometimes far off and sometimes as close by as a veil or air, the power play of holy fire.

This is a profound book about the natural world -- both its beauty and its cruelty -- the Pulitzer Prize-winning Dillard knows so well. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Stunning
This is definitely not work that I would usually read for pleasure. However, it was entirely pleasurable. Beautiful images, words, skill, observation, and construction. I both laughed and, unexpectedly, cried. Perfect contemplative reading.

Perhaps the perfect essay
I don't like using words like "perfect" but I think it is warranted here. This is an incredibly literate piece of work, in which not one single word has been wasted. Each time I read it I come away exhililrated & humbled by Dillard's mastery of language & the enormous depth of scholarship that lies behind every line and every metaphor. This is writing by someone drunk on language & learning, try not to stuff it into any pre-conceived notions of literature -this is music. Dillard has crafted a classical symphony for us in which certain movements come back over and over in variations of harmony and melody that will sweep you away. Now, that being said, I must also say that it seems that half my best students love Dillard & half hate her. Very little in between. Yesterday one of my brightest (who loves Dillard) threw up her hands and said "Now I hate her, I will have to spend seven years reading to know what she is saying". Yes, of course! but the joy of Dillard's immersion in Anglo-American theology and literature is that she draws you along -it isn't name dropping, thesefolks have been useful to her & she wants us to come too. Read Holy The Firm with Eliot's Four Quartets in the other hand, then you can have a go at Johnson, Martin Luther.... AND YOU WILL!

A book that saved my sanity
Annie Dillard is one of those writers who is all or nothing. Many people don't "get" her and find her bewildering. But to some of us, she speaks to some unspoken hunger in our souls that we never knew we had. The year after a personal tragedy I read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and Holy the Firm incessantly, finding in Dillard's thoughts and imagery a necessary verbalization of my pain and spiritual confusion. She is able to capture in one short phrase the complex muddle of emotions found at certain times in one's life and the reader knows that she's been there. To filch a line from another book: "When one walks in the shadow of insanity, the finding of another footstep on the sand is something close to a blessed event." I do not exaggerate when I say Holy the Firm saved my mind.

This is not to say that Dillard is all gloom-and-doom. Many of her lines are extremely witty and can make you burst out laughing with her insight and sardonic humor.

Either she clicks with you or she doesn't. But for those of us with whom she does, Dillard is wonderful.

stunning and profound
Someone has compared Dillard to Thoreau. They were right. The way this author fashions her words leaves me wordless. Poetic, poignant, evocative, smelling of life and love and tragedy... just buy it and see for yourself.

Raving for Dillard's Holy the Firm
Pulitzer-Prize winning author Annie Dillard's Holy the Firm transcends the genres of poetry and essay as fluidly as it does the disciplines of philosophy and religion. Her writing is lucid and inspiring and this tiny volume contains more insight and wisdom than virtually any other modern text I've encountered. I'd highly recommend this book to any reader, in hopes that Dillard's unique writing style and her spirited intellect can bring to others the same inspiration they have brought me. ... Read more

Book Description

In Mind of the Raven, Bernd Heinrich, award - winning naturalist, finds himself dreaming of ravens and decides he must get to the truth about this animal reputed to be so intelligent.

Much like a sleuth, Heinrich involves us in his quest, letting one clue lead to the next. But as animals can only be spied on by getting quite close Heinrich adopts ravens, thereby becoming a "raven father," as well as observing them in their natural habitat, studying their daily routines, and in the process painting a vivid picture of the world as lived by the ravens. At the heart of this book are Heinrich's love and respect for these complex and engaging creatures, and through his keen observation andanalysis, we become their intimates too.

Throughout history there has existed an extraordinary relationship between humans and ravens. Ravens, like early humans, are scavengers on the kills of great carnivores. As scavengers, ravens were associated with hunters they found in the north: wolves and, later, men. The trinity of wolf, man, and raven in the hunt is an extremely ancient one. In considering the appeal of the raven, Bernd Heinrich suspects that a meeting of the minds might reside in that hunting trinity.

Heinrich's passion for ravens has led him around the world in his research. Mind of the Raven takes you on an exotic journey--from New England to Germany, Montana to Baffin Island in the high Arctic--offering dazzling accounts of how science works in the field, filtered through the eyes of a passionate observer of nature.

Heinrich has a true gift; through his stories, his beautiful writing, illustrations, and photography, the ravens come alive. Each new discovery and insight into their behavior is thrilling to read. just as the title promises, the reader is given a rare glimpse into the mind of these wonderful creatures.

Reviews (19)

Mind of the Raven" is thought-provoking, comfortable reading
To compare this book to Heinrich's "A Year in the Maine Woods", is to compare apples to oranges. "Mind of the Raven" is more, a continuation of the thought-provoking analysis the author began in his earlier work, "Ravens in Winter". "Mind of the Raven" carries us many steps farther in understanding, as an intriguing account of the on-going evaluation of these impressive birds' mental agility and singular place in nature. Heinrich takes us not only to the woods of Maine, but to Germany, California, the Artic, and Yellowstone Park, while he examines those qualities which define Ravens as a unique but adaptive species in a changing environment. Heinrich shares with us the scientific and personal experiences which reveal Ravens both as individuals, and as members of a complex but flexible social order scientists are only begining to understand. "Mind of the Raven" is not a dry, technical journal, and while not "light" reading, it is certainly comfortable reading. Heinrich's writing style is refreshingly "open". The book is, in the end, as revealing about the process of scientific fieldwork, success and failure, and the perserverance of an inquisitive mind as it is about Ravens. I would recommend "Mind of the Raven" to anyone interested in the continuing studies of animal intellect and behavior. Additionally, I heartily recommend it to mature young adults with an exceptional interest in these study areas. Heinrich's book reveals that while travel, and many hours of observation in "tight places" may be required to answer particular questions within a given field of science, a great deal may also be learned in our own backyards, with patience and an eye for detail.

an artful piece on the science of ravens
Heinrich has managed a comprehensive and entertaining book on the behavior, biology and indeed, mind of the raven.

His book expresses his struggles as a scientist to have what evidence he has abt the behaviour of these "wolf birds", accepted by the scientific community which continues to be conservative.

Expect to learn all and more you ever dared to ask about ravens. Heinrich's studies of ravens are long term and an accumulation of information fed from individuals who are simply curious about the birds to those who've spent their academic lives researching them the world over.

Additionally, Mind of the Raven allows a personal take and comment on the birds, some with names, others named in realtion to their tags. Otherwise, you will find that Henrich has very beautifully incorporated a reflection of the human behaviour and the misgivings of our existing scientific community whilst studying his feathered subjects.

I've never had contact with a raven. Heinrich's book is certainly motivating me to meet one soon. You'd want to read this whether or not you're into birds.

Intriguing Investigations into the Lives and Minds of Ravens
In "Mind of the Raven", biologist Bernd Heinrich delves into the behavior of ravens as individuals who might have a conscious choice, as opposed to taking a strictly behavioral ecologist perspective of those behaviors as being simply the results of evolutionary necessity. Heinrich strives to share the insight into the world of ravens which he gained over the course of nearly a decade of studying and interacting with ravens, both wild and captive, at his Vermont and Maine homes. "Mind of the Raven" isn't confined to the birds' intelligence or consciousness, although chapters on these fascinating and controversial subjects are included. The "mind" of the book's title encompasses all behavior and experience in these birds' lives. Heinrich details innumerable observations and experiments which he conducted on the subjects of raven feeding and educating their young, cooperation, hunting, adoption, dominance, sensory perception, individual recognition, communication, fears, interaction with other animals, caching, deception, play, intelligence, and emotions. Heinrich seems to possess an insatiable -and infectious- curiosity about these magnificent birds, which is demonstrated in his exhausting and endlessly inventive experiments. Heinrich's studies are as controlled and straightforward as possible. And although they sometimes raise more questions than they answer, they never fail to entertain or to impress the reader with the complexity and variety of raven personalities. It's nice to read a book by a scientist who has such an enthusiasm for his field of study, as well as genuine affection for his subjects. "Mind of the Raven" is a very readable broad account of the lives and minds of these large, clever corvids that have so populated human folklore and experience for thousands of years. I recommend it to any bird-lover, and those who have occasion to observe ravens will find Bernd Heinrich's insights especially interesting.

Fascinating insights into the life and mind of ravens
This is an amazing book. It's not an exaggeration to say that this is the most fascinating book I've ever read. I've always marveled at the idiosyncratic behavior of ravens, the sense of play that seems to pervade so much of what they do, and at their inventiveness. Reading this book takes me back the times I've sat in the mountains watching ravens. What an easy way to travel so far. And finally, after reading this book, I feel that I have at least a little insight into these incredible birds. I can't recommend this book too highly.

Corvid capers
Why do they hang from one foot, cavorting with a stick? Why are Maine ravens hesitant with a carcass while their western cousins gorge without fear beside wolves, coyotes or even eagles? Do they actually warn humans about predators, or are they opportunists awaiting the kill they hope to share? These mysterious birds, appearing in myths, legends, and, of course, Poe's lasting image, are Corvus corax - the Common Raven. Heinrich, who has studied these enigmatic avians for many years, shares his thoughts, achievements, frustrations and observations in this compelling narrative. In a series of invaluable accounts, crossing many countries and meeting many people, he shows us how much we have learned and need to study about these fascinating birds. No matter how strange reported raven behaviour may sound, he reminds us, "some raven, somewhere, actually did that".

Heinrich combines studies in the field with "experiments" performed in large aviaries. Although an avid runner, he loathes climbing trees. Of course, that's where ravens roost and nest. He climbs. He photographs. He steals eggs [to record parental response before restoring the eggs to the nest]. All of which provide him with more information on how ravens live. And think. Universally acknowledged as the most intelligent birds, ravens have demonstrated to Heinrich how little we understand that cognitive ability. This book's title is indicative of their behavioural variety. Chapter titles, ""Social Webs", "Vocal Communications", "Prestige", "Morality, Tolerance and cooperation" and "Play" [yes, ravens play, apparently for their own entertainment] speak volumes about how much has been learned about these amazing creatures. The text within them reveals we've only begun the quest for understanding. Whatever else may be derived from this informative book, Heinrich's plea for more studies is earnest and compelling. He is open with his admiration for the talents of his student assistants, but, clearly, there aren't enough of them.

Heinrich's study area reaches from Maine to anywhere. If you've ever watched a raven tearing at a trash bin, you'll understand Heinrich's hesitation at visiting "Jakob's" home in Germany. He was amazed to enter a neat, well-kept apartment instead of a scene of chaos. Jakob was as fastidious as his doctor owner. He even restricted his paper diet to junk mail. Among the wealth of accounts in this book, the most intriguing remains the relationship of ravens and wolves. It seems logical that ravens have learned to follow wolves. Evolution has taught them the advantages of following an effective predator. Heinrich, however, proposes this interaction works two ways with ravens guiding wolves to prey. He suggests that early humans, still killing quietly, may have cooperated with ravens in a similar way.

Offsetting Heinrich's wealth of information is the style he uses to present it. While no-one should object to his highly personalised account of his research and interests, some of the details might have been shaded or omitted. It's fascinating to accompany his waiting for local ravens to descend on his prepared bait [a quarter of a dead calf or road kill groundhogs]. That the sequence began at 05:29 on the morning of 08 May is less compelling. Especially when that type of detail is repeated frequently. This lapse of interest-garnering is wholly overshadowed by the variety of experiences in many places Heinrich recounts. Additionally, his photographs and drawings illuminate further what he relates in the text. With an excellent bibliography to further anyone's reading, this is a treasure of a book.
[stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada] ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Recommend reading for intelligent animal lovers
I picked this book up in the gift shop of the San Diego Zoo, one of the few of substance they had. Even for me, a casual, but intelligent zoo visitor, this was worth $30.00. There is much more to animal captivity than I realized. Every zoo has two sides: the happy, visitor side, and the business/breeding side. Everyone knows about the happy side of a zoo. This helps lift the curtain on the other side of animal management and makes me even more appreciative of the huge expense and efforts of countless thousands of dedicated people who toil in the background. Articles on anesthesia of large animals, ethics of zoos, breeding, all are informative, basic information that the informed animal lover should know about. Although this is written for other zoo professionals, I recommend it to the average Amazon browser who wants to dig a little deeper into life and its mysteries. Because these are articles from technical journals, they can be read in any order and used as a reference book. There is an excellent bibliography after each chapter, although for the layman it is doubtful if they would be read. At any rate, I'm glad I bought this book.

Updates Crandall's "Management of Wild Mammals in Captivity"
This long awaited volume updates Crandall's long standing and now out-of-print classic "Management of Wild Mammals in Captivity." Contains a total of 48 separate contributions from 76 different authors covering a huge variety of topics including: Basic Husbandry; Feeding and Nutrition of Herbivores, Carnivores, and Omnivores; Exhibition Techniques; Behavior; Reproduction; and more. An essential reference for anyone maintaining mammals in captivity. Illustrated with some b/w photos & drawings, numerous graphs and tables, and five appendices. This book comes in a paperback as well as a hardcover edition. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Taking both a scientific and philosophical approach to water in its myriad forms, this collection covers everything from resource management and protection to the profound mysteries of life's liquid. Writing on Water is part of the Terra Nova series of books, which is devoted to showing "that environmental issues are cultural and artistic as well as practical and political." True to that aim, the essays, stories, poems, and photographs in this enlightened and entertaining compendium cover a wide range of waterborne topics. In his essay "The Rarest Element," physicist Sidney Perkowitz explains that despite thousands of years of scientific advancement, our understanding of water "fails just as the questions get truly interesting.... [M]any of the most basic and familiar properties of water remain tantalizingly, and frustratingly, unexplained." In an excellent piece on the endlessly complicated world of water rights, Peter Warshall, editor of Whole Earth magazine, notes that for effective watershed governance, "you need the discipline of working rules and a good sense of humor. Admire humans and their leaky canteen-like bodies, and gently, firmly cover their greedy mouths before an insatiable thirst destroys the town." In "Rain," poet Joseph Bruchac celebrates water as the alpha and omega of life on earth: "Long before we / who walk, swim or fly / arrived / this pond was singing."

This impressive collection also features the writings of Bob Braine, Anne Collet, Robert Grudin, David Morse, Eva Salzman, and Octavio Paz, as well as the photographs of Adam David Clayman, Helen M. Ellis, Sally Gall, Margaret McCarthy, and Jerry Uelsmann, among others. Rich in scope and consistently rewarding, this book will be of interest both to those studying water issues and to those content to sit and watch the river flow. --Shawn Carkonen ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (75)

Excellent....
I picked this book up one day with no clue as to what it was. After having read it I've concluded that it's the best story that I've read concerning animals (excluding animal farm). It also helped me understand life as a veternarian (at least some fifty years ago!) I've also come to the conclusion that Herriot has created a brilliant novel in his first try that have taken so many others years to complete. Synopsis: A heart-warming true tale of a veternarian named Dr. James Herriot in the late 30s in Yorkshire, England.

classic works!
James Herriot's books stand out in modern writing as absolute classics, evocative of an earlier, more innocent time, and more wonderously, by the skill with which these deceptively simple, entertaining, moving stories are written. Beneath the entertaining text and characters lies absolutely beautiful, artful writing, with craft and skill that ties all these chapters and stories together in a pattern of one country vet's life in England in the 1930's and 40's. These are so much more than animal stories. I am biased; these are my favorite all-time books, read and re-read since my youth. Increasing age has not diminished their charm. History will write James Herriot's name large. If you haven't read these books yet, you owe it to yourself to start with "All Creatures Great and Small". Whether or not you care for animals, you will fall in love with a gentler time, the escapades of a trio of young men, and the laugh-out-loud as well as very tearful events this author writes about so beautifully. Absolutely timeless and a classic.

Best Listening Book Experience Ever!!
James Herriot is a wonderfully gifted writer. The way he can describe a scene with the exact perfect wording and phrase is simply uncanny.

You are THERE on the Yorkshire dales living the lowly daily life of a young vet.

Add to that Christopher Timothy's truly masterful performance and this audio book should be in the hall of fame. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

A breath of fresh air. Genuinely hilarious, heart warming, uplifting.

Give yourself the best gift ever. Listen to this book.

The beginning of magic
This is where it all started with James Herriott for me - a paperback tucked in with 3 or 4 other books I received for my birthday a long time ago. I couldn't tell you what the other books were, but this book, and its sequels, have become dear friends. I can tell you the stories from memory (and from my heart) and I have read the paperbacks so often I've had to replace them with hardbacks just so they'll last longer.
James Herriott was a vet practicing in Yorkshire (England) from the end of the Depression until about 20 years ago.
The stories are charming, happy, glorious, tragic and tear-jerking. It was a wonderful but brutal time to be practicing veterinary medicine. It was before many of the surgeries we have now and Herriott was there for the introduction of antibiotics and many other medicines. Think about it - how often have you had your cat or dog treated for infections - 60 years ago there was nothing to kill the bacteria that brought death to so many. How impossibly hard it must have been for him to lose so many of the animals he treated, and how wonderful when he knew he saved them either for the farmers who needed their stock or the families who loved their pets. And the people he writes about! What characters!
I have pets and love to read the stories about cats and dogs and horses. I teach medical students and use more than a few examples from these books about the PROCESS of thinking which is so essential to any practice of medicine. His stories here and in later books about diagnosing hoof and mouth disease or husk or heatstroke or nettlerash are fascinating reading about the mind of a physician as it works while the seconds of life tick away.
This book is great, the series of books is great - curl up somewhere and get to know them.

A great book
You have to be dead not to enjoy this book. I just wanted to register my five stars. ... Read more