Reviews (11)

Compelling observations
Frans de Waal is one of the most prominent primatologists writing about non-human primates today. Unlike Jane Goodall, who studies chimpanzees in the wild, de Waal observes captive chimp behavior at the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center in Georgia. Although de Waal's strength lies in his ability to find echoes of human behavior in chimpanzee interactions (a stance that is still controversial in some circles), he is careful not to read absolutes into his observations. He is keenly aware that the species are not identical, only closely related.

CHIMPANZEE POLITICS begins by introducing the highly individualized personalities of the chimpanzees de Waal studied, and then progresses to specific examples of political behavior: power plays, diplomacy, perks at the various levels of the hierarchy, and the traits that give rise to this complicated chimpanzee social structure. Photographs, both black-and-white and color, serve to further document de Waal's observations. Although many people have made much of how this work illuminates human behavior, it is ultimately about chimps, not people.

This book was written for the layman, and its ease of reading makes it accessible to a wide range of readers. Highly readable and insightful, CHIMPANZEE POLITICS would make a strong addition to the libraries of those interested in the nature of primates, both human and non-human.

a survival guide for corporate america
excellent book. de waal's thesis, as i understand it, is finding and exposing analogies to human behavior among other animals in order to better understand human behavior (a thesis he extends in _good natured_ to show that our "animal" behaviors are also behaviors of kindness and compassion) _chimpanzee politics_ reads like a novel as it follows chronicles the group dynamics of a chimpanzee colony over several years; and in those group dynamics we see enough sex, scheming, and politics to fuel a soap opera or election campaign. the mirror that de waal holds up to us through this book is at once funny, fascinating, and humbling. if one reason you read novels is to appreciate the universality of the human condition (that is, that you like to live vicariously in other times or places to experience conditions as other humans do), then get this book and prepare yourself to appreciate just how universal much of our condition really is. you might be surprised at just how easily you vicariously experience life as chimpanzees do.

Recommended for lovers of nature and politics (human) alike
DeWaal deftly narrates three changes in leadership among the colony of chimps in a zoo in the Netherlands (not Yerkes in GA, as another reviewer claims). Unlike many animals, chimpanzees can not dominate one another by use of brute force. No chimp is so strong that a coalition of two other males (or a coalition of females) can not successfully challenge his dominate position. This means that the dominate (male) chimp can only remain dominate if he succedes in coalition building.

Each of the "coups" DeWaal describes took place either because the dominate male became too greedy, or because another male built a stronger coalition. Similarly, the dominant make needs the cooperation (or at least neutrality) of most of the (more numerous, but weaker individually) females of the colony.

The comparison to human politics is right on the money. While chimpanzee politics does not have the veneer of ideology that covers the nitty gritty of human politics, I strongly suspect that the type of favors, distribution of goodies, and raw sex that DeWaal describes as the "currency" of chimpanzee politics is much closer to the way human politicians actually operate than most of us would like to admit.

If a Martian were to observe the functioning of the U.S. Sentate--without being able to understand a word anyone says, but with the ability to observe every transaction, day and night, over a period of sereral years, I suspect that the Martian's description of our politics would read very similarly to that of DeWaal's. Of course, for all we know, chimps too have a "language" which permits them to cover what appears to us to be raw politics with "political platforms".

One final note--the chimp need for coalitions to maintain primacy has obvious conotations for international relations in our world, where ideology plays less of a role, and coalitions have, at least since the end of WWII, been the key to maintaining a stable heirarchy of nations. Is the US now in danger of becoming the over confident "alpha" male that DeWaals describes?

Reveals how human-like chimp behavior can be
This a a book that has gotten more attention for what people have said about it than for what is actually inside. Though there are some graphs and tables, don't let them scare you away: the text reads like a novel and certainly isn't overly technical or formally scientific. The story is a fascinating recollection principally about the sex and power struggles among a group of chimpanzees that lived in a zoo in the Netherlands in the mid 1970's.

Some have claimed that the author has advocated using the complexities of chimpanzee social structure to shed light on human politics, but, if anything, the exact opposite is true: de Waal says very little abut non-chimpanzee societies until the last chapter and, throughout the book, freely and unapologetically employs human intentions, actions, and emotions to shed light on chimp culture.

If you're prepared to cast aside any preconceived notions you may have, this book makes an enjoyable introduction to pop-sci primatology.

machiavellian intelligence
Chimps, it is said, are not able to perform cognitive tasks that a three-year-old human could master with ease. THis book shows how tricky it is to compare human and chimpanzee intelligence: the machiavellian chimpanzee princes in this gripping saga may not read or write, but appear to grasp the long-term consequences of their day-to-day activities, and plot deviously to gain power in the quicksand of shifting alliances. No three year old child has this kind of concentration and determination, to my knowledge! It makes for gripping reading, and raises fascinating questions about the evolution of our own intelligence, social hierarchies and power-seeking instincts. You'll want to read it again as soon as you've finished... ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region: Mendocino to Montere
This books is essential to botanists in the San Francisco Bay Area! For both the experienced and the amateur, this book is a useful guide to identifying common plant species of the region. Much more concise and specialized than the Jepson Manual, plant identification has gone from a time consuming chore to sheer pleasure. Brilliant color plates add interest and aide in identification. Authors Kozloff and Beidleman have extracted the best aspects of botany texts to create a San Francisco Bay Area biologist's dream! ... Read more

Book Description

Written for earth science teachers, civil engineers, photographers, archaeologists, park rangers, hikers, and nature enthusiasts of all kinds, this comprehensive guide to landforms and landscapes provides rich illustrations and detailed captions of some of the most beautiful places on the planet. Natural features including mountains, volcanoes, rivers, glaciers, plains, plateaus, and deserts are covered, with examples from around the world. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Reading the Earth: Landforms in the Making
Reading the Earth: Landforms in the Making written by Jerome Wyckoff is a richly appointed book with pictures explaining why there are so many different features on the Earth that we tread upon. This book is illustrated with 556 photographs and 75 drawings and has and extensive index of over 6,000 page entries that makes information easy to find.

If you are interested in rock formations and tectonic plate activity, volcanoes and mountains, seacoasts and limestone caverns you'll fall in love with the easy prose and well-explained information in this book. There is information on glaciers and deserts, soluble rocks and sculpures by running water. Not to mention, there is extensive information about our changing planet from ancestral earth, inside the earth, crustal plates in motion to regimes of climate, weathering, and gravity movements.

This is an excellent book for high school aged children and older who have an interest about the ground we all walk upon. The prose are engaging and fascinatingly captivating and the author explains the workings of all of the Earth's systems.

I found that I read and reread this book several times and it is a welcome addition to your natural history self in your home library. This book is well worth the money spent as you'll find yourself referencing it many times. For instance there are references for lateral and terminal moraines, drumlins and fluting, and eskers these are explained well with illustrations so you can see what these parts of a glacier activity look like.

This is an excellent book for understanding why the earth is shaped as it is where it is.

An effective literary excursion and a genuine visual treat
Clearly written, richly illustrated.... Diverse examples of landforms derived from a global set.... Technically sound, easy reading.... for home and office, or as a field companion....The complete index (including over 6,000 page entries) provides for easy reference and investigation.... Readily accessible as an upper-level high-school or introductory undergraduate text.... An effective literary excursion and a genuine visual treat, all at an extremely reasonable price. - Kevin M. Schmidt in Journal of Geoscience Education

For people who want to know . . .
about geology, the earth, and why it looks the way it does. This is a good geology book - it covers the standard material, but reads easy and has LOTS of pictures to illustrate the points made. A good value for the price.

Great book !
Jerome Wyckoff is the author of several very successful books on geology, including 'The Story of Geology' and 'Rock, Time and Landforms.' 'Reading the Earth' adds another excellent volume to the collection of books available to people who may have little or no formal training in geology, but who are curious about the landscapes that surround them. Its introduction describes 'Reading the Earth' as a nonspecialist's guide to landforms and one that focuses on specific kinds of landforms rather than on the complex systems that control landform evolution. From there, the reader gets an introduction to geology (timeframe, rock cycle, plate tectonics); petrology (rock types); and weathering -- along with descriptions of the landscapes created by or associated with gravity movements, hillslopes, rivers, igneous activity, structures, mountains, plateaus, plains, glaciers, deserts, karst and coasts. The book's organization is slightly different than the organization geologists usually see in various geomorphology texts, but the structure is, nonetheless, appropriate and effective. Each chapter is a logical progression of ideas and information. The content of the chapter builds on that of the other chapters, or each chapter can stand alone as a source of information on a particular type of landscape. 'Reading the Earth' is accessible to the geologist and non-geologist alike, combining rich illustrations with graceful writing. Technical explanations are balanced with poetic, evocative prose and appropriate metaphors and examples that should hold the reader's interest. Wyckoff explains technical terms well enough that they should not provide barriers to a reader who is not a geologist. Populating the book are 556 photographs and 75 line drawings, all both beautiful and effective, illustrating landforms and landform processes from around the world. Above all, the author's obvious appreciation for landscape will enhance the reader's appreciation. It is accessible to readers interested in geology and landscapes, or to students in an introductory geomorphology or landforms course. 'Reading the Earth' is also useful as a reference; it has a good index with no errors or inaccuracies. The book's format is attractive, and it is a bargain. I have already recommended 'Reading the Earth' to friends who are not geologists but are interested in geology, and I recommend it to any 'Geotimes' reader who is fond of good photography and good prose.

Ellen Wohl

Geotimes Magazine review - July 2000 Wohl teaches in the Department of Earth Resources at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, Colo.

Absolutely Fascinating!
I loved this book! It gave me a whole new look at the wonderful world we live in. I'll never look at rocks or cliffs in quite the same way again. Well researched and beautifully illustrated. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the things around us. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

New Age Plant book with poor illustration value.
This book has SOME good info on some plant species, but it would be nice to know what they look like "in the wilderness." Half the book is just "filler". Tom Brown romanticizes plants, and "oneness" with nature. This book has been my biggest dissapointment.

One of the Best on "KNOWING" plants
This is an excelent book just like all of Tom's books. It takes you past the usual explainations and gives you a chance to really "Know" the plants. It's not meant to take the place of other identification guides, it goes much more in depth, every plant has a fantastic story on it's use and Tom's personal experience with it. I have read most of Tom's books and plan to read them all, this one is no exception it's great.

Want to eat wild stuff? Read this book!
There's an old indian saying that you don't know someone until you've walked a mile in their mocasins. The same is true for plants--you don't know them without personal experience. This book is the next best thing to that personal close-up experience.

Plant information not found elsewhere
In this Tom Brown, Jr. Field Guide, the reader is connected to plants in ways not explored in more scientific field guides. Mr. Brown shares stories, feelings and energies connected to various plants. In addition, there are medicinal and edible uses you WILL NOT find in other guides. These uses come from the Native American traditions so thoroughly explored by Grandfather Stalking Wolf and Tom Brown, Jr. himself. If you are a wild plant enthusiast, add this book to your library. If you have read Tom Brown, don't pass this one up.

the ultimate resource
i read this book after finishing THE TEACHINGS OF DON JUAN (which if you haven't read, you must)and it is delightful in the context of that book as well. Brown's book is the most insightful wilderness guidebook i've ever read. ... Read more

Book Description

A collection of images and impressions captured by those who have listened to the earth with their hearts --- John Muir, Walt Whitman, Annie Dillard, John Burroughs, Rachel Carson, Aldo Leopold, Henry David Thoreau, and more...

The Earth Speaks can be read by individuals in moments of solitude, shared among friends around a trailside campfire, and used by leaders to help their learners develop a love for life and the systems of the earth that sustain it.

Brought to life by the beautiful block prints of Gwen Frostic, this book contains the writings of naturalists and natives, poets and philosophers, plus ordinary people who were able to capture in words some of the magic and meaning of the earth's marvels. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Awesome peaceful beautiful book
I remember at camp our councelors read this a bedtime, and i used sit there and think about what was read. Then at closing ceremony they read a paragraph, this book has a tremendus effect on the way you think about life and the earth when your done reading it. I would recomend this to anyone not just environmentalists.

Lovely, peaceful little book....
I first bought this book a few years ago when, by good fortune, I was in the middle of Denali National Park in Alaska in cabins with nothing around us for about 100 miles - true wilderness as I have never experienced it before or since. And, to me, this book brings me back to that peaceful, transcendent, truly wild place. I use it as a meditation book in the early morning. I have five that I read - the first four are about peace for me, human person, and they certainly have their place. But this little book I read last because it puts things in perspective and reminds me that I am not the center of anything at all. I buy them in quantity and give them away. It is such a beautiful book. The quotes are outstanding and are from some of our most eloquent naturalists, et al, and the peace that emanates from every reading can only be experienced, not described. It's wonderful.

An inspirational must for any kind of environmentalist!
This book contains many inspirational verses to stimulate thought and discussion. I find myself turning the pages over and over again. I love it!

It gives ideas, ideals, and brings you to new places.
This book is what to read when you have run out of steam, and just don't know what to do with yourself anymore. It brings the best of your outdoors side out and lets you not forget the most peaceful places on earth. It also has stories and quotations that one would want to live by. It is amazing how it can make you feel, I do not know quite how to explain it. All in all, it gives motivation, reason to be, and expresses nature in ways not seen everyday. And the best part about it is, it is a collection of the most wonderual writers one could find! It is enjoyable for everyone with a sense of adventure, love, and nature. ... Read more

Book Description

In its first three editions, edited by Robert and Nancy Dorfman, Economics of the Environment gained a tremendous readership in courses offered at hundreds of colleges and universities around the world. Now under the editorship of Robert N. Stavins, this Fourth Edition extends the tradition of excellence achieved by its predecessors, offering a new generation of students the strongest possible grounding in the primary literature. The readings in this volume, selected for their accessibility, coverage, and currency, span the full scope of environmental economics, and their authors comprise a veritable Who's Who of the field. ... Read more

Book Description

Like the highest mountain peaks, deserts are environments that can be inhospitable even to the most seasoned explorers. As Craig Childs makes clear in this highly praised book, there are two easy ways to die in the desert: thirst or drowning. His extraordinary treks through arid lands in search of water - mysterious solitary water holes, a network of streams that flow only at night, a gushing fountain that conceals a hidden lake, serene and otherworldy - are an astonshing revelation of the natural world at its most extreme. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A wonderful guide to the desert
What John McPhee did for North American geology in "Annals of the Former World", Craig Childs does for the deserts of the southwestern U.S. in "The Secret Knowledge of Water". Childs does it better, however: he writes as a son of the desert, one whose intimate knowledge and love of the land and its ways percolate up through these pages like the waters of a favorite desert spring. And he shares his admiration and respect for the desert in a lyric prose that delights as much as it informs.

Childs has worked as a guide and teacher in this area of the country. That he wrote a book based on his knowledge of the terrain is not all that surprising, but his ability to provide a guided tour on paper and to paint word pictures of desert scenes like a novelist would is extraordinary. The successive sections of the book stand on their own as introductions to the desert world and, particularly, to the nature and role of water in the desert. But they also peel away a layer at a time, revealing more and more fascinations as he leads through the book. So we are treated at the start to an account of what John Wesley Powell called the "Thousand Wells" area of the Arizona-Utah border, a collection of potholes, or "waterpockets", each containing hundreds (or thousands) of gallons of water and found sitting on the surface of the land in one of the least likely places on the planet for water to be. But from there we are treated to more delights: underground reservoirs that bubble up to the surface in springs or spout out from a rock face in a waterfall; arroyos that carve the desert into creeks and then disappear; canyons that channel even modest rainfall into floods that are as fierce as they are fickle. Childs' prose is full of wonder and an eye for detail; he can get new-agey at times, though, especially in how often and how strongly he personifies water, and the account he tells of child sacrifice to stop a flood can be either poignant or horrifying, depending on one's point of view. So the accounts hit some bumps here and there, but nothing hard enough to make the jeep he's taking us around in bend an axle.

I have been to, or near, some of the places Childs describes in Secret Knowledge and, as a lifelong resident of the well-watered east, naturally missed every single feature he wrote about. So next time I go, I will be sure to bring this book along to point the way to some of the hidden gems of the desert. It's like having the best tour guide ever lead you around personally, but on the cheap.

A Pleasurable and Informative Read!
"The Secret Knowledge of Water" is prose poetry, without a single word wasted. Three or four months after reading it, many of the images are still in my head: images of ancient trails to waterholes; large, unexpected swimming holes, microbes so hardy their environment can go dry and they just curl up and wait...

This book will become even more valuable and compelling as drinking water supplies diminish in quality and quantity. Childs leads us with great flair to a subject of unparalleled importance. His musings blend with touches of humor, history and fascinating naturalism. "Secret Knowledge" should be on every nightstand and in every science (and literature) classroom. It's truly a work of art!

A Fascinating Read!
I've lived in the desert, I've hiked in the desert, I've camped in the desert and I've cursed the desert but nothing I have read before made me understand and love the desert like The Secret Knowledge of Water does.
Until I read Craig Childs' essay, I never gave much thought to water in the desert except that without it you die. Childs paints a vivid picture of the juxtaposition of desert and water in all of its manifestations. I can still picture the pools of water in the tinajas of the barren, sun-baked Cabeza Prieta and the thunderstorm-fed floods on the Arizona Strip. I can feel the terror he must have felt squatting on a ledge in a feeder canyon of the Grand Canyon as flood waters rose and swirled around him and his relief as they receded, leaving behind tons of debris. I can also feel his awe at the power and majesty of nature at the same time. I can feel his exhilaration as he bathes in a deep, cool waterpocket after a long day's hike. And I can sense his deep respect for the original peoples of the desert and how they have adapted to its caprice.
It is obvious from his style that Childs has an abiding love for the desert. If you know and love the desert, you will find The Secret Knowledge of Water a fascinating read and come away with new respect for the desert and for the waters which both nurture and shape it.

Vicarious desert travel
For desert hikers, the only substitute for "being there" is to be there through someone else's eyes. Childs has opted for a life that few can or will choose...although many of us may wish we had. His experiences are uncommon enough that a simple telling would be sufficient to keep the reader engaged. I could actually feel fear myself during his description of entry into a canyon-side spring against the flow...40 stories up. This book will keep me going a while longer while I wait to get back to this landscape again.

Close to Land, Close to Water
In the southwest, as one strives to get closer to the land it becomes necessary to get ever closer to the knowledge of water that Childs writes of here. Thirst in the desert without this knowledge of water will fan a killing panic long before any real threat of deadly dehydration. Beyond survival though, Childs shares beauty, science, historical anecdote and research in a nice balance.

Every few generations, Childs tells us, civilization sends someone into the desert to gain and map the knowledge of water. In this generation, we are grateful Childs was chosen. Facsinating. ... Read more

Book Description

The ultimate quest for the world's most mysterious creatures

The Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman -- these are the names of the elusive beasts that have caught the eye and captured the imaginations of people around the world for centuries. Recently, tales of these "monsters" have been corroborated by an increase in sightings, and out of these legends a new science has been born: cryptozoology -- the study of hidden animals.

Cryptozoology A to Z, the first encyclopedia of its kind, contains nearly two hundred entries, including cryptids (the name given to these unusual beasts), new animal finds, and the explorers and scientists who search for them. Loren Coleman, one of the world's leading cryptozoologists, teams up with Jerome Clark, editor and author of several encyclopedias, to provide these definitive descriptions and many never-before-published drawings and photographs from eyewitnesses' detailed accounts. Full of insights into the methods of these scientists, exciting tales of discovery, and the history and evolution of this field, Cryptozoology A to Z is the most complete reference ever of the newest zoological science. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

too many personalities
While I've been appreciative of Coleman and Clark's older works, I felt this book dwelled too much on the personalities involved in the field of cryptozoology. Seriously how many works in similar fields devote so much space to the people active in their fields? Do you open an encyclopedia of meteorology and read about famous (and non-famous) meteorologists? No.

Too much of the book is devoted to cryptozoologists, both famous and rather obscure. There are pictures of virtual unknowns in the book who have virtually no serious scholarly work on cryptids and whose only virtue is having operated a web site and interviewed a few local yokels. These people compare with individuals such as Sanderson and Heuvelmans? No and they don't deserve to share the space.

It's my feeling that a lot of the name dropping in this book is nothing but that, and while the part of the book actually devoted to cryptozoological mysteries is worthwhile, it's sometimes spoiled by the frequent references to Mr. and Mrs. Joe Nobody.

Great find
This book is an incredible read, offering valuable insight on a lesser-known science. Loren Coleman is a fantastic chronicler of "cryptids", the names given to these scarce and unusual beasts. Beasts such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, the giant anaconda of the Amazon jungles, the giant octopus, the Kraken, Ogopogo, Champ, the Jersey Devil, the Thunderbird, megamouth shark, the Nandi Bear, the megaladon shark, and el Chupacabra. Cryptozoology is the study of hidden animals, and recently I have taken a big interest in it upon a sighting of Bigfoot in New Mexico's mountains (no joke).

This science should not be considered very low, and stereotyped as studied by clueless men and women, because it is not. It is a very intelligent science, offering one of the most intriguing searches--that being, the search for the unknown. Albert Einstein once said that the biggest adventure lies in finding things unknown. Hominology is also featured in this book, which is the study of humankind's closest relatives (Bigfoot, Yeti, Abdominable Snowman), besides apes. Hominology is the bridge between anthropology and zoology. This book will startle you with true accounts of some encounters, short bios of the people who are cryptozoologists, and cryptozoology organizations such as the International Society of Cryptozoology, and, of course, the cryptids themselves. Dig in.

Great crypto reference - fun read!
This really is a great book spanning many different crypto subjects and critters. Being in Colorado, I'm always interested in what I might run into out in the mountains!

You can't go wrong with this book. Buy it and enjoy!
Andy - CritterZone.com Nature Stock Photography
http://www.critterzone.com

Let's be Objective!
The primary hurdle that Cryptozoologists have to face is that of potential ridicule. To suggest that large creatures previously unknown to science exist in this world requires--whether you like it or not--a greater deal of dicipline and scientific fact to back it up.
With that said, one must take an even greater step back to look at the facts. This book does not. Rather, this book argues minute details and tried to propegate, for the most part, the existance of the "legendary" beasts by refuting scientific evidence (not to mention COMMON SENSE).
The Minnesota Iceman is a case in point. Here we have a farmer with a rubber monkey frozen in ice displayed as a real "missing link". Mr. Coleman goes to great--and invalid--lengths to "prove" that this was a real cryptid. Even after the "original" disappeared and was replaced by a "replica", Mr. Coleman argues that the "original" creature was no doubt buried in an unmarked grave--humanity having lost its chance forever to discover a new creature. Bottom line is we had a farmer who wanted to make a couple extra bucks and concocted a sceme to do so. When the pressure got hot, the farmer ditched the frozen ape and made all sorts of excuses as to why the original was not still on display.
Before you rip me a new one for questioning the validity of undiscovered animals, know that I have investigated the subject extensively--and I believe they are out there. My concern is that if books like this continue to be published, the subject will never be taken seriously.

Very Nice work
Although now with the sudden "death of bigfoot" some of the information is a bit outdated this book is still a must have for anyone interested in crypto-zoology. It is organized very well even though a few of the entries are incomplete and some show downright biased opinions. Most of the book however is a shining gem that sparkles a life into your imagination. Especially when you realize that most of these reported sighting and creatures may well exist in our world. All and all this book may well turn into a classic for the readers of unexplained phenomena. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Culture as an escape from animality
We tend to think of the way we live as "reality". Yet all human culture - from the smallest object to the grandest ideological-religious system - is a form of escape. Indeed, argues Tuan, it may well be the defining feature of humans, as a species, that we have this capacity to imagine and implement transformative projects; that we can turn the world to our will (or try to), rather than remaining the victim of Nature or of our own natures. "Escape" or "the imagination" is value-neutral, argues Tuan, as he explores the methods by which we attempt to escape from animality, and how it can lead us into both the grotesque and the sublime. What's incredibly satisfying about this book is that Tuan approaches his topic not from the position of philosopher or psychologist, but from the perspective of "human geography" which, in practice, becomes a helpful blend of sociology and anthropology grounded in history and science, but with enough gaps to allow for fruitful speculation. My only complaint is that the sheer breadth of Yi-Fu Tuan's knowledge leaves you feeling slightly dissatisfied, as if this book is only scratching the surface of an immense topic - which, of course, it necessarily is. So I suppose my dissatisfaction is only with myself. Thankfully, Tuan provides detailed notes and an excellent bibliography to point the way forward.

Cure for a figurative head cold
Yi-Fu Tuan says that "a human being is an animal who is congenitally indisposed to accept reality as it is." He says ESCAPISM is the strategy we employ to rid ourselves of the humdrum of daily life which he likens to suffering a head cold. The book itself is a good head-clearing remedy. Tuan covers a wide range of topics in human cultural history and gives us a lot to think about.

He gives an "unusual" perspective on nature and culture, looking at the very meaning of reality and exploring why, traditionally, "myths", "daydreaming", and "fantasy" have such negative connotations. This is especially puzzling he says in light of escapism being not only a historical human impulse but also a universal one. He shows this with examples from Eastern and Western culture. Another puzzle is why, if it's so intrinsic to our nature, do we choose to make some explorations of it so painful? His chapter on "Hell" looks at the less-than-pleasant escapes that we have inflicted on ourselves.

Tuan is a geographer of some repute and he exhibits his masterly command of exploration of unknown spaces and places with this fascinating journey through our imagination, culture, and psyche.
He is occasionally humorous and writes in a spare, straightforward style. Reading this book is escapism itself as it will make you think, and in a final bit of perceptive wisdom Tuan has this to say: "Even in modern America, thinking is suspect. It is something done by the idly curious or by discontented people." If that's true then I endorse being idly curious and recommend escaping for a while with this book. ... Read more

Book Description

As anyone who has been captivated by the sounds of an evening outdoors knows, the nightly music of the woods can be a lovely but bewildering mix of hoots, croaks, howls, and grunts. This handy collection of field recordings and species descriptions helps you to identify the various members of the nocturnal chorus, from crickets and owls to otters, porcupines, and alligators. Illustrated with gorgeous pencil drawings and full-color photographs, it's the perfect complement to the sounds of the night. Includes an hour-long audio CD of the nighttime sounds of 60 animals. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Soothing and informative
I love Lang Elliott's voice. It is very soothing and doesn't detract from the bird, reptile and insect sounds. I was able to identify a Horned Owl from the CD, so it is informative, too. The sounds are grouped on different tracks so it's easy to find the category you want, much better than a cassette tape.

Unique and wonderful nature guide by Lang Elliott
This is a truly special release from Lang Elliott, the author of numerous nature CDs and books (including the splendid "Music of the Birds" and "Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs.") On this compact disc (or cassette) and its accompanying booklet, he introduces the sounds of common North American night animals. To my knowledge, no one else has compiled a field guide to the sounds of night animals with sounds from many groups of creatures all in one place (i.e., birds, mammals, amphibians, etc.)

The recording is a constant delight and will probably make you aware of the source of many sounds you have heard but not identified before. Don't be surprised to say, "So THAT'S what that is" many times while listening to the tape or CD. Also be prepared for surprises. Think you hear cats fighting outside your window at night? They may be cats, but they also could be raccoons, which often sound remarkably like angry felines. That strange, ghostly hiss or scream you may have heard at night in the country? An angry cat perhaps, but it might be a barn owl. And there are many other special sounds identified here: the rhythmic calls of nightjars like the whippoorwill, the trills and croaks of amphibians, the surprisingly snort of the white-tailed deer.

If you spend a lot of time outdoors, you must have this guide. Take it on a camping trip with you, if you have a portable CD player or cassette player. Those night woods will not seem so forbidding anymore once you know that most of the time, the strange and fascinating sounds you hear are made by completely harmless creatures. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If you're under the impression that the Northeast's natural beauty has given way to high-rises, condominiums, and suburban sprawl, this volume will certainly change your mind. In actuality, the area comprising Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont--New England, in short--is home to an abundance of flora and fauna, whether it be marine life below sea level or alpine meadows above the tree line. In fact, New England is nothing less than a naturalist's paradise. Much of the area has been scoured by glacial ice, leaving behind cirques, arêtes, and a fjord, all of which are featured in a geology section. Fossils are highlighted too, alerting readers to the presence of dinosaur footprints in both Hadley, Massachusetts and Rocky Hill, Connecticut. In addition, an easy-to-use field guide assists readers in the identification of 1,000 of the area's current inhabitants, including giant puffball mushrooms, a healthy sampling of conifers and hardwoods, and five species of shark. Field trip ideas, from secluded Baxter State Park (no paved roads, no hook-ups, no gas or groceries) to popular Acadia National Park in Maine, complete the picture. All this is compiled in a single volume that's perfect for both armchair naturalists and those planning actual trips to the area. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

An excellent concise and compact field guide to New England.
I've been searching for a book like this for the past two years. It contains information on the different types of habitats, birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, trees, lichen, wildflowers, mammals (...the list goes on) found in the New England area. It even has a collection of star maps for people who are also interested in the New England night sky. The information is well laid out and easy to read and is accompanied by detailed color diagrams and photos. What I like best about this book though is I no longer have to carry around 5 different field guides when I go out hiking now. I only need to carry this one.

Not just a field guide
My wife and I both really enjoy the descriptions of New England habitats, geology and other natural phenomena, and the information about parks at the end.

We take many drives to different parts of New England, and go exploring. Often we see something and wonder what it is. Now we keep this book in the car. It has greatly increased our knowledge and appreciation of our new England home.

Since reading this one, we have bought others of the series on the strength of the habitat and other "natural history" information. The authors' writing is clear and engaging and makes the material accessible to the tenderest of tenderfeet.

If it's out there, it's in here!
Simply an AMAZING book! there's a little bit about a lot of things! Weather, geology, flora and fauna, star charts, sea shells! While you'll need a more specific field guide for your particular interest, this is the one book to have from the beach to the mountains.
Probably an adequate bird guide for hikers, and an adequate hiking guide for birders.

Extremely useful!
First of all, I can't believe that there are color pictures of every tree, plant, bird, reptile, insect and animal listed in this book. That is SO helpful. There is information on geography, geology, tides, National Parks, weather patterns, patterns of the stars in the night sky for every season, and so on and so on. How could they fit all this info in this tiny book??? It is bound wonderfully and doesn't exactly fit into a jean's back pocket (comes close though!).

Unfortunatley there are just too many birds in nature that look the same, so I can't tell by the book's brief descriptions and photos which bird I see. But generally I can narrow it down to at least 3.

I LOVE the ink/shadow drawings of the different trees "skeletons"! Obviously it is hard to see a tree's outline in the summer with all the leaves, but all winter I would match up the bare trees to their corresponding drawings in the book! I am becoming quite an expert now.

This book is TOPS in my ever expanding library. I bring it with me everywhere I travel in New England...because you just never know when you may need it for reference. If you live in New England, you NEED to buy this!

The one guide you need.
This is not exhaustive but it has most of what you need and you don't need to have 8 other guides each mostly filled with stuff from other parts of the country. This is perfect for your backyard, the mountains or the beach. This is great for teacher's and parents who like to spend time outdoors. ... Read more

Book Description

Human beings have always looked at the heavens and asked: Are we alone? Is there life elsewhere in the universe? What is that life like? Unfortunately, people can"t actually travel to other solar systems. Even the closest stars are too far away to visit.
Today, astrophysicists such as Jill Tarter are looking for other ways to search for extraterrestrial life. Jill is the director of Project Phoenix at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California.SETI stands for "Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence." Twice a year, Jill and her team travel to the mountains of Puerto Rico where they use the world"s largest radio telescope to examine nearby stars. They search the sky, listening for radio signals that, if found and verified, would provide strong evidence that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe.

Author Ellen Jackson and photographer Nic Bishop introduce us to a dedicated scientist and her thrilling, rigorous, and awe-inspiring work in the field. ... Read more

Book Description

From exploring the basic principles of geology to starting a rock and mineral collection, The Practical Geologist is the perfect introduction to the world of earth science.

Beginning with a history of the earth's formation and development, this book explores the substances that compose the planet, movements within the earth, the surface effects of weather and water, and underground landscapes.

It shows you how to search for, identify, and extract samples of various rocks and minerals, and for each rock and mineral type there is a brief mineralogy and explanation of its locations. There are also sections on mapping, preparing, and curating specimens, and geological sites on the six continents.

Packed with more than 200 full-color illustrations, this comprehensive guide is the essential practical companion for natural science enthusiasts everywhere. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Nice book for the beginner
I have the habit of buying anything with geology, paleontology, history, etc. in the title, sometimes without thought to where I'm at with my knowledge base. This was one of those times! The book is a lovely, well illustrated, practical guide to geology for the beginner. Much of what the authors dedicate a single paragraph or page to I have had whole courses in already, so needless to say, I was not quite as enthused over the material as a new comer to the field might be. Certainly for the beginner, especially the Junior High natural science enthusiast, this would be a wonderful gift. It might even make a good text for a high school natual science course, as it covers considerable information on the earth sciences. I plan on giving my copy to a close friend with children interested in these subjects.

Great book. Good for beginners.
Today we were at 12000 feet looking into the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and we decided we needed a book. Any book. A good book. A book that keeps you reading. The Practical Geologist was just the book! We read all night, and the night's not over yet! We learned about geology, and also came a little closer to God. I highly recommend it! p.s. I used to work for Borders.

essential
I use it to introduce students to basic physical geology. It is written at a basic level but the concepts are not oversimplified. The diagrams and text provide just the right amount of information- non- major students are informed but not overwhelmed. The Practical Geologist is a perfect supplement to the historical geology texts, and can serve as an informal and affordably priced lab manual. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good ideas on how to survive in the Big City
Where to get food, water, shelter in the city? What happens when there's a disaster? This book is a decent start. Lots of helpful chapters on how to get the essentials, as well as what common edible plants grow in the city.

Another food-for-thought thing you can read is the chapter in Way of the Scout (also by Brown) on his first solo trip to New York City.

As a city dweller, I find this book very informative.
This book is a valuable resource of information for city and suburban dwellers, considering the impending Y2K situation at hand. Although the information in this book is important to know in any situation, I purchased it with the intention that it would help my family and I to cope with any Y2K related problems. The book helps to remove a fear of the unknown by explaining how household systems work, as well as how we are all connected to our ecological systems. When you realize that your basic needs for survival are: shelter, water, fire and food, in that order, you can live without all the other "wants". After reading Tom Brown's book, I feel better prepared to handle any emergency.

A "MUST-READ" to prepare for Y2K Transition!
Wow...if you had to pick any one book to have by your side during an emergency, this is it! Brown includes tons of practical advice especially relavant for getting prepared for the Year 2000 time change and probable temporary utility breakdowns, not to mention longer term survival techniques. Gets you thinking, that's for sure!

Neat book, good ideas by someone who has lived the skills
Keen book. Brown has lived the skills, and it shows.

Great boook full of usefull information
Was not based on a survival aspect as much as a preparation aspect, but was still good anyway. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Dragonfly, Beetle, Butterfly, Bee is naturalist painter Maryjo Koch's second book in this lovely series to be honored as a Scientific American Book of the Year. Beautiful full-color illustrations are devoted to each of the insects named in the title, illuminating the wide variety of creatures within each species. Take a close-up look at the eyespots of moths and butterflies, delicate drawings of wings, and the circles of insects dubbed "good bugs" and "bad bugs." Though not specifically geared toward children, this title has more of a childlike theme running through it than any of the other books in this wonderful series. "Ladybird, ladybird, fly away, do! Fly to the mountain to feed upon dew. Feed upon dew, and when you are through, ladybird, ladybird, fly home again, do!" This traditional Chinese nursery rhyme accompanies a beautiful page full of tiny flying ladybirds. Do you wonder how these familiar little insects got their name? The answer and other little nuggets of information are included in the informative, charming, and meticulously hand-lettered text. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An Absolutely Fabulous Book
This book is one of the best recent examples of naturalistic painting that I have seen in a while. Her use of texture and keen eye for detail make this book a beautiful work. It is absolutely fabulous.

Absolutely adorable, a marvelous book.
I was delighted and amazed with this charming book on insects. I picked it up as a coffee table book, but it soon became one of my favorites. Koch's illustrations are unique and eye catching, and her text is informative and fun. This book is a well loved member of my library, not to mention my coffee table... ... Read more

Amazon.com

Science museums can be illuminating, exciting, and disturbing--just like the collectors that make them possible. Scholar Stephen T. Asma turned his professional curiosity about preserving bodies into an engrossing, wide-ranging exploration of the nature of these places and their curators.Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads: The Culture and Evolution of Natural History Museums brings a refreshing vitality to a subject usually thought boring, if not morbid. Asma's writing ranges from expositive to chatty, and it occasionally feels like a travelogue or memoir, as he investigates the American Museum of Natural History, the Galerie d'anatomie comparée, and other collections in the U.S. and Europe. This informality keeps the reader engaged throughout. Referring to the process of skeletonizing specimens--while maintaining his hold on all but the most sensitive--he writes:

I stepped into the foulest, most pestiferous stench you can imagine.... Inside each tank were thousands of dermestid beetles, otherwise known as flesh-eating beetles, blissfully chewing the meaty chunks and strands off the bones. Each bug was no bigger than a watermelon seed, but en masse they could strip a skeleton clean in two short days.

To Asma's credit, the bulk of the text is less a gross-out fest than a consideration of the hard, sometimes obsessive work of the men and women behind the displays. He examines the role of museums and collectors in the great evolutionary debates of the 19th and 20th centuries, and the future of these institutions as they come more and more to depend on corporate largesse. Equally enlightening and entertaining, Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads is a perfectly exhibited specimen. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Bizarre and Brilliant!
This is an excellent and provocative book. Asma ranges widely, but also deeply, over the relatively uncharted territory of museum practices and theories --some mainstream and others quirky and idiosyncratic. One of the great virtues of the book is that it consciously avoids the typical postmodern cultural studies lingo that most of the other recent museum books invoke. This is clear and thoughtful analysis of the tradition of natural history collecting --analysis that brings us face to face with oddball curators like Peale and Hunter. But it also connects the older forms of edutainment (early taxidermy, etc.) with the more contemporary and controversial forms (Hollywood-type displays of dinosaurs, etc.). Two other important aspects of the book are scarcely mentioned in the promo blurbs, but they make for fascinating reading. One, is a fresh, if ocassionally dense, tour of European scientific classification theory --a philosophically important and often ignored area. And two, a powerful argument for evolution theory as against creationism and the increasingly popular "intelligent design" theory. Great writing and very intelligent!

The evolution of natural history museums around the world
Stephen Asthma's Stuffed Animals And Pickled Heads surveys the presence and evolution of natural history museums around the world, interviewing curators, scientists and exhibit designers and providing many observations of the history of these museums and how their contents and approaches have evolved. The result is an excellent and intriguing story of the evolution of natural history collections.

Mummies, Museums, and Metaphysics
If you do not want to know the nuts and bolts (or rather, the knives and molds) of the craft of taxidermy, but you want to know about why people might be interested in such an activity, what happens to their exhibits in museums, how museums express cultural and scientific philosophy, and how we come to categorize the biology that fills our world, then Stephen T. Asma's _Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads: The Culture and Evolution of Natural History Museums_ (Oxford University Press) will do nicely. It is an amusing ramble through museums, but since Asma is a professor of philosophy, it veers through much larger ideas.

Asma obviously likes museums, and he has gained entrance to the back rooms denied to other mortals. He is delighted to report his findings, such as the dermestid beetle room at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. These beetles, held in a stinky sealed room that has a door like a submarine hatch, swarm over the skinned bodies of specimens, literally gnawing them to the bone in a couple of days. He has interviewed curators and exhibition designers, and has them explain what they are trying to accomplish in their exhibits. But they may not know; how a display is arranged depends on scientific and social philosophy which varies from time to time and from nation to nation, and may be covert. Louis Agassiz displayed human racial artifacts at Harvard to emphasize that races were different, having been separately and specially created, rather than showing the continuity of human descent. The natural history museum in England have exhibits that emphasize Darwin, but the French hardly mention him. The Americans will have the most modern philosophy of taxonomy.

Comfortable with including Plato, James, Wittgenstein and others from his own field, Asma gives a wide-ranging discussion of epistemological issues that is academic but is never stuffy and never loses its sense of fun. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

Wolf Bible
If David L Mech's original book "the Wolf"(1970) has been known by wolf students and admirers as the 'Bible', then this new text must be known as the new testament. With contributions by the cream of the wolf biology world, including familiar names, Fred H Harrington, Rolf O Peterson, Ronald M Nowak, Ludwig N Carbyn, Douglas W Smith, Michael K Phillips and Steven H Fritts to name a few, Dr Mech (the Wolfman) and his European counterpart Luigi Boitani have put together 344 pages (plus 104 pages of index and references) of superbly researched material about Canis Lupus, the most misunderstood creature on the planet earth.

This detailed text is supplimented with numerous graphs, line drawings and photographs. But be aware, this is not a pretty picture book for your coffee table, the photographs here are included to Illustrate the behaviour and life cycle of a complex, social, carnivorous predator, whose brutal environment is matched only by their sometimes brutal survival behaviour.

Dr's Mech and Boitani must be applauded for the presentation of their material in a very readable style, scientific but not so complicated that the average reader or wolf enthusiast cannot make sense of the information provided. Yet for a wolf biology student the inclusion of the graphs and scientific data makes this a priceless piece of work, with numerous references to other available field data.

Until Dr David L Mech writes his next Wolf book (which is always an event in itself) THIS is the only book on wolves that anyone needs in their collection. Support David L Mech, support Wolf research, buy this book.

A Must Have For Wolf Lovers
This is probably the most detailed book on wolves out there. Very research and scientifically based, and also mentions areas where more research is needed, which is excellent for university students like me, wanting to know which area of research they can focus their studies on. Anybody who loves wolves and wants to really know pretty much all there is to know about them would love this book.

Great Book, Great Research
This is the Book of all Wolf Books, it has alot of research data, this book is a must for all wolf lovers or it is excellent for people like me studying Wolves ... Read more

Amazon.com

Intent on preserving threatened bird species, George Bird Grinnell (that being his given name, and no reflection of his interests) first formed the Audubon Society in 1886. It disbanded in 1888, re-emerged in Massachusetts in 1896, and by 1905 the various fledgling state societies coalesced into the National Association of Audubon Societies for the Protection of Wild Birds and Animals. As it has more than 100 years of experience cataloguing and protecting United States wildlife, it's no shock that its field guides are so superb.

The Field Guide to the Mid-Atlantic States, covering the flora and fauna of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland, as well as Delaware, West Virginia, and Virginia, contains concise and informative descriptions alongside beautiful photographs identifying over 1,000 of the region's wildflowers and trees, mushrooms and algae, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, insects, and mammals. There's also a natural-history overview, explaining relevant geology and ecology, wildlife habitats and rock varieties, weather patterns and the night sky to be seen in each season. From Saltmarsh Cordgrass and Purple Sea Urchins to White-Winged Scoters and Meadow Voles, the field guide beautifully catalogues the various existent species, as well as introducing more than 50 of the region's parks, reserves, beaches, forests, and wildlife sanctuaries in which to explore, Audubon field guide at the ready. --Stephanie Gold ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A decent - albeit basic - field guide
This book is a good introductory field guide to the region. As expected from an Audobon Society book, the photographs are top-notch. Sections on topography, habitats, the night sky, and area parks and preserves are particularly helpful. The flora and fauna identification sections don't go into a lot of detail, but will allow you to identify most common plants and animals. I can see where this would be helpful to scouts and young adults in particular.

However, I was disappointed that the book wasn't a bit more comprehensive. Obviously, as a portable field guide, it can't cover every single species. But in our area (northern Virginia) we have so many more butterflies and other insects that this book simply does not include. In some cases, I had to refer to the Audobon Field Guide for *Florida* to find a particular species. And with crayfish all over the creekbeds of this area, their omission under the crustacean section just seems strange.

That said, I would still recommend this book as a basic field guide. It does provide good background information on the area, and the photos are spectacular. Just don't expect to identify everything you see with it -- you'll need to do further research on your own.

Flora and Fauna Detailed in Rich Field Guide
I bought this book to take on family hikes. Whether your interests are as general as that, or whether you are inclined toward serious plant/animal identification, this book should be helpful.

It is oriented toward quick identification. The pictures are clear, colorful, and though small, should enable many matches out in the field. Although the write-ups are brief, and don't go much further beyond identification and some basic facts like location, there are occasionally some additional helpful information. For example, the section on mushrooms clearly identifies which ones are poisonous and deadly poisonous.

The book has some additional chapters on parks in the region. It is well organized. I would imagine that for weekend walkers, this field guide might be the only one you'll ever need.

The one book to carry in the woods.
This series has answered a long outstanding need ... an one volume field guide that you can actually carry into the field. As a birder, I still carry a more detailed bird guide such as National Geographic or Peterson's. But I'm always running across a flower or tree or animal I'm curious about. This guide is the ideal second volume carry with you since it explains the the most common things you'll run across in areas other than your primary interest. Another valuable use is for leaders of youth groups, such as Scout leaders. As a Scout leader myself, I'm always being asked by the boys to help them identify a salamander or other animal. This guide allows you to do this in the field wihhout having to carry a whole library of field guides in your pack. In addition, by being regional guides they eliminate the things you won't find in an area, such as saguarro cactus in New Jersey. In sum, the appropriate book from this series is a good reference to carry with you as you explore the outdoors in your part of the USA. ... Read more