Book Description

This behind-the-scenes look at careers in marine mammal care and training addresses questions such as What is it really like to be a trainer? and How can I become one, too? and offers strategies and alternatives to help identify potential career options in this field. It covers a variety of aspects involved in being a trainer, from typical days on the job and training different behaviors to the kind of education needed and the value of swimming and scuba skills. This thorough guide contains a comprehensive bibliography for additional reference and an invaluable resource directory with extensive contact information for more than 150 educational, governmental, and professional sources around the world. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A must read for preparing for this career!!!!
This book is an easy read and gives simple explanations. However, it is packed with valuable tips! I recently had an interview for an internship in marine mammal training and every question that they asked in the interview was on the list of questions that were in this book. It gives great tips on how to prepare for the career and what the employers are REALLY looking for.

A book after my own heart!
Finally! A book that was written after my own heart! I've had the same dream to one day work with marine mammals since I was 7 years old. I'm 18 now, and that dream has still not changed. But because it is such a competative and unique job, it's not every day you run into a dolphin trainer and therefore, it's difficult to get direct information about just how to go about doing this. Of course I've researched many different books about these beautiful animals, but it's not every day that you find a guide on how to actually achieve this dream career! Imagine how thrilled I was to find this book! It's an inside look at working with marine mammals, by a senior trainer himself. Terry gave me tips and suggestions that I would never have thought of, nor realized until it was perhaps too late. Preparing youself with the proper experience is one of the most important things, and with the help of the "aquarium guide" I discovered that there is a small marine aquarium, not 40 minutes from me, where they have volunteer programs that involve the rescue and rehabilitation of dolphins, otters, and sea turtles. Thank you to Terry Samansky for this wonderful book! I'm sure I will be referring to it throughout my continued career search!

To watch trainers in action
Check out the Dolphin Research Center on Grassy Key in Captain Jon Explores the Ocean (also available on Amazon).

Great for beginning to explore animal careers!

As an animal career consultant and author of the on-line Unusual Animal Career Series, I am always on the lookout for career texts for those interested in working with animals... This book serves a specific niche for those who are enamored with the thought of working with marine mammals. It presents a good overview of marine mammals, what the job entails and answers many of the questions most people ask.

The text also includes suggestions as to what type of education is needed, how to plan and research, and what is the proper etiquette to use in contacting people in the industry. It even touches on applications, resumes and interviewing. Finally, the book also includes a resource directory of a variety of facilities and organizations involved with marine mammals.

If you are just starting your quest for a career or are besieged by questions regarding this type of career I highly recommend this book... ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A Great Primitive Living Book
I was very impressed when I read this book. It has great sections on fire, water, shelter, etc. On the other hand, this is not a book for those people who are on the go unless they have mastered the art of survival to the point where they already know how to efficiently gather food and water. On the other hand, if someone does not have the intention of going anywhere and is just waiting to be found, I would be surprised if there was a better book on the market, as this lacks a section on navigation. Also, do not expect to go out in the woods and be able to do everything in this book on the first try, because no book can tell you how to do that. Experience must teach that.

Not very useful!
This book really isn't very useful, especially for anyone living outside the southwestern desert. Mr. Olsen wrote the outdoor survival merit badge requirements for the boy scouts, and this is indicative of how the book reads. Most of the information is nice to know and even interesting at times, but it gets silly at points and is more historical in nature than anything. This book might be a good read for those interested in how people survived off the land in the distant past, but offers nothing in terms of modern survival skills. I believe that anyone interested in actually surviving in the wilderness would be better off looking elsewhere. I was disappointed.

Not a "survive until rescued" book
This book is meant for the survival enthusiest. I.e. someone who likes to go out and intentionally spend weeks at a time living off the land. For them, this is a good book.

It is NOT useful for hikers/backpackers/boaters etc. who are worried that if they get lost or stuck they need survival skills to last until rescued.

It has a information on topics such as building a bow and arrow, setting trap lines of 100-200 traps, making stone tools, and tanning hide (all things that require considerable time, energy, and practice). What it does not have is any information on getting rescued - not even a mention of what makes a good distress signal.

I haven't read many survival books, but if you're looking for a "survive until rescued" book check out The Complete Book of Outdoor Survival by J. Wayne Fears.

Survival skills
I have read many survival books including: Wilderness Survival; the October 1970 edition of the Army Feild Manual; Living off the Country;Tom Brown's Feild Guide to Wilderness Survival;and this one as well as many others. Aside from Tom Brown's feild guide, this book is definately one of the best I have read. I would rate Tom Brown's feild guide higher than this one, but the two together make a great pair. Both cover topics such as the four great needs: shelter, water, fire, and food, as well as weapons, edible plants and animals et cetera, but they both explain different techniques and different ways of doing the above mentioned topics. The back of this book has color photos of many plants that are edible.
I strongly reccommend buying both books, they are very similar yet you can learn more from both than you can from just one.
If you don't wan't both then I reccommend Tom Brown's Guide. Either way you go, try to use your library and the internet in conjunction with the books.

ShortChanged
The book seems to be very good but when I opened the front cover it starts out with Page 31. In other words I was cheated out of the first part up to page 31. ... Read more

Book Description

Susan Chernak McElroy credits her astounding triumph over cancer to the love of the animals in her life. In Animals as Teachers & Healers she shares her remarkable story along with true stories from others who have been touched by the loving energies of animals.

A woman escapes an abusive relationship by observing how her boyfriend treated her two Arabian horses . . . a German shepherd cocoons its body around a toddler during a house fire . . . a coyote gives a couple wisdom about their rebellious daughter . . . a little three-legged frog imparts a valuable lesson to a frightened nine-year-old girl. Unique and compelling, Animals as Teachers & Healers invites us to reconnect with the boundless gifts of joy, wisdom, and deep healing that flow from our ageless and intimate relationship with the animal kingdom. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Animals as Teachers and Healers
As an avid animal lover, I found Susan Chernok McElroy's book to be none other than touching and heartfelt. The material she used for her writings was a great teacher and healer in of itself for me, the reader. Every story leapt off the page and affected me deeply, evoking any number of a myriad of emotions ... joy, sorrow, relief, suspense, laughter. When I finished the book (which I did quickly), I felt more inspired than I had in a long time to make the earth's animal kingdom a greater and more important part of my life, whether by working for its welfare/well-being, or simply by giving my own pets more of the love they need and deserve! I plan to give this book to every animal lover I know.

This is a book for people facing death or life!
As an RN who has always owned and appreciated animals of all types, I was deeply moved by the documentation of actual events that could not be explained away by coincidence. I now give this book to my patients and their families who are in need of the intuitive wisdom and love that only an animal can provide

A beautiful tribute to animals
Susan McElroy has put together a most memorable book. It expresses the beautiful relationships and experiences people have had with animals in a way that deeply touches the heart. I could not read this book with a dry eye. Having grown up with many animals, I have long been an animal lover. Reading about the moving experiences that others have had with animals confirmed the feeling that I have often had that we are connected with them on a deeper than conscious level. This book accords animals the honor they deserve.

Valuing the Roles of Animals in our Lives
The author, Susan McElroy, uses her successful fight against cancer as the backdrop for this inspirational work. She credits her animal companions for much of the strength and wisdom she needed to be a cancer survivor.

McElroy's way of combining stories and analyzing them makes this more than just a collection of sweet pet stories. It helps you recognize the important role animals play in our lives. The inspiration, hope, love and of course bittersweet emotions we've all felt with our animals are all stirred up when reading this book. She also devotes time to the wild animals that touch our lives, even if just fleetingly.

Animals as Teachers and Healers is highly recommended for everyone who's life has been changed by the love of an animal.

An extremely profound and touching book!
This book really touched me. The stories are profound and touching beyond words. Animals are definitely "man's best friend" and it seems to be proven over and over again in this book, with each tale telling a compelling and poignent story of how an animal touched the life of someone in need. In my own perception of it......animals are true angels, put on this earth to help us and guide us along our own journeys. We should be thankful. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Places and Stories
Basso's writing is extraordinary. This great book consists of engaging articles that merge linguistics with cultural anthropology in an approach called the "ethnography of speaking." Placing this jargon aside, the approach is to demonstrate how Apaches use names, stories, and other ways of speaking to create and maintain their culture. Basso's work provides deep insight into Apache life, and it also serves as a model for ways to understand how language plays an important role in everyday life.

Most enjoyable ethographic study.
Basso explores and explains how the land is an intergral part of the Native American Apache existence. How the Apache views geography very differently from our western ideas of maps because not only do places have functions they also have morals. These morals comes of the situation that happenned at the specific location.

It is a fascinating look at a part of Anthropolgy that is seldom explored. Easy to read, with wonderful personal stories of how the people interact with their land. Although the concepts tackled maybe unfamiliar the way it is written makes is so simple to understand.

Outside it being great book acedemically, the lessons and morals in the book touches one's soul. You learn about life as you learn about these people. Yet it never falls into the trap of new ageness. It stands strongly as a study I must stress.

This is the most enjoyable ethnograpy I have ever read for my BA. Unlike many other books, I kept this one for myself to dip into on a rainly day. Which is a testment on how good writing encourages learning. Should be on the reading list of every anthrpology student, as well as people interested in Native American people and alternative way of seeing the world.

A WONDERFUL INSIGHT INTO THE CULTURE OF THE APACHE PEOPLE
Keith Basso has written a wonderful book about the Western Apache people and their use of place names to tell stories, convey history and enforce cultural norms and taboos. The book is a cross between an anthropoligical study and humorous ancedoteds and the outcome is wonderfully entertaining and educational

the best reading of its type
a wonderful book about a topic which most people would never grasp due to curtural differences. A must read if you care about the native culture.

Great exposition on the importance of place.
Keith Basso weaves together a work of anthropology that thoroughly explores the importance of place-naming in Western Apache culture. He provides the reader with vignettes of his informants that serves his greater thesis quite well. The reader has the sense of the integration of place-naming in the culture through these vignettes. Superb!!! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This is a must have for visiting Lighthouses in Michigan.
If you are planning a trip to visit lighthouses in Michigan and are not familiar with MI do not do it unless you buy this book. I used this book to visit about 50 of the 116 lights. I would have visited more except the rest are out in the water or on islands.
I have the previous edition of this book and it only has a
few color photos. This newer edition may have more. There are several B&W photos in the edition I have.
Laurie Penrose also has these books:
A Traveler's Guide to 100 Eastern Great Lakes Lighthouses
A Traveler's Guide to 116 Western Great Lakes Lighthouses

Great book....
Just this past May (2001), I toured to most of Lower Michigan's lighthouses. Starting in St. Joseph and traveling north to Old Mackinac, then up to Whitefish Point in the UP, then back down in the Lower Peninsula. Once in the Lower Peninsula, we followed Lake Huron south to Marine City and then crossed over into Canada for our trip back to Buffalo. All I can say is...WHAT A GREAT BOOK. The biggest thing that I like about it is it includes directions to each light. What a concept. This book, coupled with my Garmin Streetpilot GPS unit got us everywhere we wanted to go without guessing. All together, we visited about 44 lighthouses and took over 30 rolls of film. ...

Great traveling companion
I am a freelance photographer that travels the State of Michigan. This book is by my side when I plan trips and when on the road. It is organized logically in a trip around the state. Each light has a complete and detailed map and distances are almost always correct

This book is a must for visiting Michigan lighthouses.
Prior to a vacation to the great state of Michigan in search of lighthouses, we purchased this book from Amazon. It was THE BEST tour guide! The directions were invaluable and the history behind each of these beautiful lights was a bonus. I would definitely recommend this book if taking a trip to visit the lights of the Great Lakes. ... Read more

Book Description

For much of human evolution, the natural world was one of the most important contexts of childrens maturation. Indeed, the experience of nature was, and still may be, a critical component of human physical, emotional, intellectual, and even moral development. Yet scientific knowledge of the significance of nature during the different stages of childhood is sparse. This book provides scientific investigations and thought-provoking essays on children and nature.

Children and Nature incorporates research from cognitive science, developmental psychology, ecology, education, environmental studies, evolutionary psychology, political science, primatology, psychiatry, and social psychology. The authors examine the evolutionary significance of nature during childhood; the formation of childrens conceptions, values, and sympathies toward the natural world; how contact with nature affects childrens physical and mental development; and the educational and political consequences of the weakened childhood experience of nature in modern society. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The 200,000 or so people who stroll through Tucson's Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum each year bring with them many questions: What is a desert? How is it that gophers and rattlesnakes can live in the same hole? How can I stop Gila woodpeckers from whittling down my house? If I find a desert tortoise, can I make it a pet? David Lazaroff, a biologist and writer, answers these and dozens more questions in this entertaining, intelligent book, which belongs on every Southwesterner's bookshelf.--Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A wonderful book about this beautiful part of the country
This is a great book for anyone that wants to learn about this desert and the plants and animals that live in it. Unlike some of the other books about this topic that are written in an academic/textbook style, this book is written in a lively, question & answer format and is full of interesting and unusual facts. I've lived in this region for over 25 years and I learned quite a bit by reading this book.

just by flipping through it, I wanted to buy it!
I only saw this once in the bookstore, and just by flipping through it, I knew it had to be a part of my book-collection. Just moving to the desert southwest, I have been thirsty for more about my new eco-system and home........I may not have so many dilemmas now on critters and plants.......... ... Read more

Book Description

More than 1,000 illustrations, arranged according to visual similarities, show plant and animal species of the Atlantic Coast from the Bay of Fundy to Cape Hatteras. This guide includes information on how to locate each species by geographic range, tidal range, tidal level, season, topography, and climate. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A great guide, but not what many expect
This book, "A Field Guide to the Atlantic Seashore" is a great field guide. It presents an excellent overview of the life one commonly finds along the Atlantic coast of the USA. The book is arranged taxonomically, and each entry contains a description of characters useful in determining what you are looking at. As a professional biologist, I find this book to be superior in many ways to the Audubon Guides. For example, this Peterson guide includes both common AND scientific names by each entry, the book is arranged taxonomically rather than by other less important characters like color, etc.

This book is not, however, what many casual naturalists are looking for in a field guide. They often look for a book filled by page after page of photographs or illustrations. This book is filled by page after page of information more useful to the more advanced amateur or to the professional. There are several illustrations, many are simple line drawings that show details of important characteristics used to tell one kind of organism from another.

All in all a great field guide for the advanced amateur and professional. This is not, however, a book that is as likely to be embraced by the casual observer.

5 stars for the more professional audience, but 4 stars for the casual observer.

You might be happiest doing what another reviewer suggested... to use this book along with a photo field guide such as an Audubon Field guide to the region.

Happy splashing!

Alan Holyoak, Dept of Biology, Manchester College, IN

For all lovers of the Atlantic coast
saboettger@yahoo.com. The Peterson field identification guide to the Atlantic Seashore by Kenneth L. Gosner is a useful tool in fieldwork. Seaweeds and animals are arranged taxonomically and described in detail regarding their distinguishing characteristics. All weeds and animals are called by both their scientific and common name and are described in an easily understood manner. The plates with drawings of creatures found along the Atlantic seashore are helpful to establish visual identification of seaweeds and animals. It is useful that the book explains different marine habitats that you may encounter as well as going into detail on important physical marine features such as water currents, salinity, tides etc. The details on how to maintain and preserve animals are an additional plus of this book. The Peterson field guide is a good tool for the use in class as well as for you personal exploration of the seashore. I would recommend its use in combination with the Audubon Guide to Shore Animals of North America. These books would complement each other since the Audubon Guide displays a similar identification system but enhances it with pictures of animals rather than drawings. The combined use of these books would increase the accuracy of your identification. ... Read more

Book Description

Magnificent desert landscapes from every part of the globe, together with photographs of their imaginative, adaptable, dignified inhabitants.

Internationally renowned photographer Michael Martin has traveled through every desert on earth, crossing Asia, Australia, the Americas, and Africa, seeking out the most spectacular landscapes, from the Rub al-Khali to the Great Sandy Desert, the Great Basin, and the Kalahari.

Many of these "wastelands" consist of more than just desert sand. Afghanistan's Bamian region is notable for its deep blue-green lakes set in a rocky landscape. The Danakil's unnamed volcanoes glow in the Ethiopian night, while Chile's Atacama region harbors geysers that can erupt at any moment.

Martin was joined on his five-year motorcycle odyssey by camerawoman Elke Wallner, who has documented the major deserts of the world in a television series. Together they overcame numerous obstacles—political and physical—to accomplish a journey of some 60,000 miles and the first single-volume documentation of earth's breathtaking desert landscapes. 300 color photographs and 23 maps. ... Read more

Book Description

Now available in paperback, the first comprehensive reference on Great White sharks separates fact from fiction and presents real evidence of the ecology and behavior of these remarkable animals. The volume begins with the evolution of the white shark and its relatives and continues with sections on its anatomy, behavior, ecology, distribution, population dynamics, and interactions with humans. Included in the volume are many illustrations, maps, diagrams, graphs and photos.

Key Features
* Covers all biological aspects of Great White sharks
* Includes contributions from an international team of leading authorities
* Heavily illustrated with maps, diagrams, graphs, and photos ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The most thorough book ever about Great Whites
It's absolutely great! You will learn everything about biology, behaviour and social interaction of the Great Whites. This is a MUST have!

shear brilliance
I think this book is great but a bit too expensive for my liking Danielle Mullins

Want to really know everything about the Great White?
In recent years, public opinion on the Great White Shark has turned away from the fierce bloodlust inspired by fiction and returned to the more civilized sense of awe and wonder at the amazing size and ferocity of these giant predators common to the days before Hollywood brought us 'Jaws' in its technicolor (mostly red) splendor. With specials common to PBS and the Discovery Channel, public awareness of the GW is higher now than ever before, making the shark more and more popular to study. The results of this scrutiny are brought to light in 'Great White Sharks : The Biology of Carcharodon carcharias', a collection of scientific papers edited by A. Peter Klimley and David G. Ainley. In this fascinating work, the picture of the GW as bloodthirsty killer is erased and replaced with the image of the predator's role as king of the sea. There are papers dedicated to nearly every scientific aspect of the animal from its ancestry to its behavior to its populations in oceans around the world. Nearly every serious question about the GW is explored, if not answered. The only thing that makes this book a little inaccessible is the fact that is geared for academic use and research. It is not a book written for the masses, such as Ellis and McCosker's 'The Great White Shark', another excellent book on the subject. But if it is depth you are looking for, Klimley and Ainley & Co. provide it. This book is not to missed by serious students of the GW. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (105)

Absolutely fantastic.
Gary Paulsen is a master writer insofar as the young male set goes-he has written a long series of stories that have captured the imagination of young men everywhere, from his fictional wildlife adventure tales like Hatchett to his entertaining Culpeper Adventure series, Paulsen has a knack for connecting with a young male audience.

He was my son's all time favorite author growing up and, last time I visited him at college, noticed he had a copy of Hatchet on his bookshelf at school. I asked him about it and he said something to the effect that his room didn't feel like home without it there. How many writers can affect people like that?

Winterdance is a bit of a departure for Paulsen. As sott of younger male's version of Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air, the book is a memoir telling the story of Paulsen's entry into the Iditarod dog sled race in Alaska. Funny, sad, poignant and riveting, I read it and enjoyed it very much. I also had my son read it and he loved it as well. I rather suspect it's on his shelf next to Hatchett.

You can't really go wrong with Paulsen, but this is one of his very best works, which makes this one of the best works ever for this genre.

Want to help your son, nephew, whomever to love to read while making your son, nephew, whoever very happy? Give them this book.

The fine madness of running the Iditarod
This book packs quite a punch. Each chapter ended with this reader wincing for the author, who had just spent the night stumbling through a Minnesota swamp, his eyes almost swollen shut from mosquito bites, searching for his runaway dog team, or had been blown down an Alaskan mountainside with his team, in the midst of a blinding snowstorm.

Not to mention the five-skunk night.

It takes a great deal of physical as well as mental toughness to train for the Iditarod, much less run a team of half-wild dogs in the actual race.

"Winterdance" reminds me of Algernon Blackwood's "Wendigo:" in both stories men are caught by the spirit of the Great Northern Wilderness, and perish or almost perish. I think the most telling moment in Paulsen's book comes when he runs his team to the end of his trapline---and then keeps on going in the dead of a Minnesota winter, just to see what lies beyond the next hill. His wife's intuition to call out a search team was correct, even though Paulsen eventually did turn back. The 'Wendigo' or wanderlust had almost captured his soul.

It also reminds me of "Call of the Wild." Like Jack London, Paulsen has a laconic, fluid writing style, and both authors include the Wilderness itself as one of their major characters. I won't say that either man subscribed to Blackwood's weird brand of pantheistic mysticism, but read how Paulsen slowly bonds with his dogs--and other wild animals.

This book is also a grand dog story with more pratfalls than a "Three Stooges" movie. The author spent many a night on his backside, being dragged down a dirt road (or worse, through a second-growth forest) by his lusty team. Running the Iditarod takes a very special madness, and Paulsen endured moose attacks, blizzards, dog bites, and too many helpings of moose chili to draw us into his very beautiful and brutal world.

quite fun!
the skunks... the skunks... the skunks!!!!
What a riot!

A Good Adventure Story by a Great Author
I have always been interested in dogs and sports involving them, so I thought this would be a good book. I was right. WINTERDANCE was a humorous, easy-to-read story (Which I finished in two days). The plot is fast-paced, and this is not the kind of story where you get one page into it and quit. It's about a dog musher who decides to run the Iditarod. He doesn't realize what he's getting himself into and what a serious commitment it is. He survives the tough training, but it is nothing compared to the real race.Before he finally crosses the finish line, he has been victim of a moose attack, had hallucinations, fallen off a cliff, gotten lost, and almost frozen to death! It keeps you on the edge of your seat.

On the down side, this book draws a rather abrupt, and not very satisfying conclusion. A few parts are poorly written (Although most of in is well written). It also has profanity. Lots of it. This book is definitely not for very young children. But overall, it is a very satisfying read.

winterdance
Winterdance is filled with adventure and fun. I enjoy novels about sports and animals. Some of my favorite books are The Contender and Where The Red Fern Grows this book is up there with them. I found it very funny. It deals with Gary Pulsen description of preparing and running the Iditarod.
The story starts out with Paulsen and his favorite dog, Cookie. Paulsen describes his search for dogs and training them and himself for the iditarod. Along the way he finds some interesting ways of doing this. Paulsen ends up hitting a lot of tress while being dragged by his dogs, and that's just the beginning. The race tended to be even funnier.

Winterdance kept my interest in different ways. It was hilarious and I always wanted to find out what happened next. Paulsen was in the middle of the race when the snow picked up. The next thing he knew he was in the middle of the snowstorm. He went in his sleeping bag. When he woke up the next morning, Paulsen found out that he was covered in snow. When he stood up to go to the bathroom, he was surprised and you will be too. I think Winterdance would be a good book for anyone into adventure books with lots and lots of laughs. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Interesting page turner with theme: "Don't Be Stupid"
At first glance, it sounds like a morbid book. Two hundred seventy six pages about people who have died in various ways in Yellowstone National Park. In reality, it is a fascinating book with an underlying message of safety and caution in National Parks. You might expect a book which is written by an historian to have an academic tone and be full of footnotes and an extensive bibliography. "Death in Yellowstone" by Yellowstone National Park Historian, Lee H. Whittlesey, does have the footnotes and bibliography. It also reads like a Stephen King novel, drawing the reader to the next page. Whittlesey even used a King technique of quoting song lyrics or some other source to introduce his chapters. Even many of the footnotes and bibliography entries are annotated with additional, interesting information.

The book's subtitle, "Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park", sets the tone. Nearly every chronicled death in the book really is due to carelessness on the part of the deceased; or on the part of someone else.

The historian's perspective gives Whittlesey the opportunity to dig into the archives of Yellowstone as well as newspaper accounts in cities in the area taking him (and the readers) back to the 1800's and the park's earliest deaths. For recent events he often spoke with "primary sources", witnesses and family members.

Each of the 25 chapters takes the reader to a different and bizarre way that death has occurred in Yellowstone National Park. The chapter titles, themselves, often give a light hearted and much needed break from the serious nature of the overall work. Chapter titles include: "I Think I Shall Never See --Yellowstone's Deaths from Falling Trees"; "Malice in Wonderland --Yellowstone Murders"; and "The Gloom of Earthquakes --Shaky Breaky Park".

The opening chapter deals with deaths by falling (or jumping) into hot springs and geysers. The first incident in the book sets the tone and the overall theme....."Don't do stupid things in Yellowstone". It is the 1981 account of David Allen Kirwan, who dove head first into the 202 degree water of Celestine Pool of the Lower Geyser Basin to save a friend's dog that had also jumped into the boiling water <---YOU DID read that correctly --a witness described Kirwan's dive as a flying, swimming pool type dive. Among his final words after his friends were able to pull him from the water....."That was a stupid thing I did".

In most instances, it was s "stupid thing" that caused a death in Yellowstone. Usually, it was because a visitor did not heed a warning, or made a conscious decision to ignore the warning. In "Death in Yellowstone", Whittlesey repeats those warnings...over and over again. He also explains in fairly graphic terms the consequences of ignoring them.

"Death in Yellowstone" may save lives. There are few history books, so entertaining and so engrossing that can claim that.

The Wyoming Companion

Fascinating Historical Account!
Whenever I mention this book to anyone, they are horrified by the title. It is not a "Faces of Death" book of gore. Obviously, the book chronicles deaths within the Park and is therefore not exactly light reading. But, Mr. Whittlesley (the official NPS Yellowstone archivist) tells the stories of the deaths with a historian's tact. There are few - if any - people on earth that know as much about the park as Whittlesley. One version of his "Yellowstone Place Names" (the longer version of the one sold in tourist stores and on Amazon.com)is so comprehensive it is (only?) available on microfiche!

Having lived in the Park, I know it's a very different world. (The story noted by Rhonda, another reviewer, about the bison goring a car - a Lake Lodge employee's Geo Metro in 1991 - is actually quite true.) Many of the deaths are from things you might think of - like climbing falls, eating poisonous plants, and hot pot incidents. Even as I am writing this, another Old Faithful employee died yesterday (8/22/00) in the Park after falling into Cavern Spring in Lower Geyser basin (see Idaho Statesman, 8/23/00, p.2A). But, the book is also full of deaths of the kind you find everywhere else in the world - like heart attacks, suicide, murders (yes, several!), car accidents, plane crashes (six of them - one site of which I've visited - with 20 deaths!), etc. The earliest chronicled deaths are in 1839 and continue through 1994.

Some of the over 300 incidents are briefly related as the facts are slim. Others are told in great detail with quotes, newspaper stories, cemetery inscriptions and exact place names. The simple chronology takes up 5 pages, while the meat of the text takes 198 pages! If you are expecting John Grisham's spellbinding fiction and twists and conspiracy, then this book is not for you. If you want a very well told, fascinating historical look at Yellowstone from a different point of view, then this is the book for you.

this book could save your life

I read this book in a few days this summer while in Yellowstone after a friend picked it up in the bookstore (I pilfered it from him and would not give it back until I was finished, despite his pleading.) Reading this book could absolutely save your life in Yellowstone (and other wilderness situations); as other reviewers have mentioned, some of the possible dangers don't truly seem life-threatening if you haven't thought about them as such.

I must admit that before reading this I was hanging a bit over the hot spring boardwalks to take better pictures (I was *never* dumb or careless enough to actually step off or stick my hand in!!), but after reading the absolutely horrific accounts of death by boiling alive I was almost reluctant to even get out of the car at any springs afterwards! I learned from this book that something as seemingly-innocuous as lip balm can attract bears - I therefore spent a few sleepless nights in my tent listening for bears entering camp and waiting for them to rip into me (melodramatic, perhaps, but quite scary when you're in a tent in the middle of the wilderness.)

Anyway, this book was gripping enough to keep me engrossed for days on end while in the park, and certainly gave me a refresher lesson about respecting mother nature.

hard to rate - but complete, mostly non-fluffy account
If you are interested in the outdoors and camping in parks you will probably find this book interesting. Many typos in my edition. You can read it pretty quickly if you skim some of the sections that seem to be there just to fully document deaths in Yellowstone. Many sections just aren't that interesting, but where else are you going to find this info.

One thing I was surprised to learn from this book, is that grizzlies will actually come attack and eat people. Never knew that. Always thought they just defended.

I am dismayed at how park rangers seem to assume people being at fault in some of these tragedies. It seems very presumptuous. Like the cameraman bear attack, they just state he was probably too close to the bear, with out any REAL proof. Other accounts of other tragedies have this same ranger disposition.

Interesting and exciting
Great book. It has been passed around to many people. I'll make a trip there to find all the cool spots of bear attacks, cooked humans, plane wrecks and other weird deaths. Book is humerous and points out people are far more stupid than you thought. Most of the deaths were from stupidity. You never put your kids on the back of of a wild 2000 lb buffalo. ... Read more

Book Description

The most comprehensive pictorial fish ID guide ever published for these waters. More than 270 superb color photos in the popular quick-reference format. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Resource for Divers
As an avid diver in the Puget Sound, I have found this book to be very useful. It features great photos to help me identify the fishes that I encounter while underwater. The format is easy to use because it is geared toward the underwater naturalist. I recommend it to all my diver friends.

Great Book!
As a freediver along the coast north and south from San Francisco, I frequently refer to this book for reference of the fish I find in the kelp beds. I am able to find every fish I saw in the water in this book. The color photos are great for that purpose. Other books in my collection are sometime visually vague due to the lack of photographic images (paintings and/or black & white sketches). In ths book the text along with the pictures are also informational: distinctive features, description, abundance & distribution, habitat & behavior, reaction to divers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Darwin's Scariest Problem: Origin of the Eyeball
This book is a treasure for anyone with an interest in the puzzle that fascinated and terrified Darwin:- the origins of such an exquisitely-designed and multi-purpose structure as the eye.

In succinct and accessible prose, supplemented by 130 superb graphics and 16 colour plates, these two genius-savants of the world of eyeballs share 60 years of acquired wisdom about the breathtaking diversity of eyes on our planet, where even today new kinds of optical arrangements are being discovered in the eyes of different creatures.

Both authors have made numerous discoveries of new kinds of eyes and came together professionally when they independently discovered an image-forming system that uses mirrors instead lenses. In the book they share their extensive knowledge of eyes in a straight-talking and approachable way without talking down to the reader, yet without using specialist jargon. The clean graphics equal the text in weight and importance if one bears in mind the old adage about pictures being worth thousands of words, .......especially pictures like these, which cannot be drawn without a perfect understanding of the optical world being illustrated. Even if one has little knowledge of optics, the clear diagrams enable one to grasp the essential details of the different eye designs. There are also "boxes" outside the main text for those who would like added details about lens systems and optical design. Engineers may be interested to discover that different animals independently "invented" most of the optical designs currently being used in man-made devices, and that some discoveries, such as the box-mirror design without lenses, have been successfully used in industry after being inspired by the discoveries in animals of these two biologists.

The book sets the diversity of optical design into an evolutionary framework which helps to reduce the immensity of the puzzle with which Darwin originally grappled, while perhaps adding some new aspects. We still have some distance to go to understand the origins of many aspects of the diversity of eye design, particularly how multi-purpose eyes appeared that seem to combine, into the one design, all the specialized solutions seen in different animals . The book highlights such questions, and answers others, in a particularly clear way that may owe something to the authors' expertize with straight-tending paths of light.

The book is also very timely, given the vigorous current debate about the evolution of eyes and the possibility of a single "master gene" (pax6) that initiates the development of all kinds of eyes. This book is essential, fascinating reading for anyone interested in that debate if they are to be aware of the mind-boggling variety of eyes and optical systems involved. Even if that hot debate does not interest you, there is enormous satisfaction to be gained in contemplating these radically different solutions adopted by animals to image their worlds. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An inclusive reference, very well done
This is a quite inclusive book of Chesapeake Bay fish. Many Atlantic species that stray into the mouth of the Bay are also included. Excellent scientific drawings, many color plates, good concise text. It is geared towards reference (not a Sunday read). Very well done. ... Read more

Book Description

A fantastic book!Timothy Egan describes his journeys in the Pacific Northwest through visits to salmon fisheries, redwood forests and the manicured English gardens of Vancouver.Here is a blend of history, anthropology and politics. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Anyone who cares about the Pacific Northwest - read this!
One of the best books I've read. I've lived in the Northwest all my life, but learned more about the region from this one book than from any other source. The book looks at how the Northwest has changed and how we have changed it over the last 150 years. Egan looks at specific places when telling his history like Crater Lake, Olympic National Forest, etc. I was surprised by how the changes in the natural history held my interest as well as the human history. This book led me to take a trip to the beautiful Olympic National Park in Washington and has led to my interest in Jon Krakauer's books. I can't wait to read Egan's new book.

Not Just for Lovers of Pacific NW!
I'm now a confirmed Timothy Egan fan. What a wonderful book! (And thoughtful, evocative writer.) He so skillfully brings together the multiple strands of this book -- human, natural, written, and personal histories -- that you feel physically drawn into the events and locations he describes. This is not a book just for lovers of the Pacific Northwest; anyone who is interested in people, politics, history, nature, or travel will be held captive by Egan's words. As someone born and raised in the Northwest (Pacific and Inland), I was astounded by his insight. Once again, he delves deep into the heart of our communal history to bring up forgotten (or unnoticed) truths.

Needs polishing
A very well researched book. I found the facts well looked into. Mr. Egan's style is a little off for me though. It seems to be poorly written when put alongside the research.

I also found it humorous that he writes for a newspaper, and publishes a book, but hammers on the timber industry though out said book.

This isn't just history; this is important art.
This book is so richly textured, I read it in small sections, so I could savor the paragraphs a little at a time. Mr Egan's style of writing is vivid and beautiful, without being overly wordy. A lot of the history in this book, I already knew, but discovered anew; and some I did not know, and am thrilled to learn. My grandparents were immigrants to Seattle in 1906 from Poland, and I feel such a sense of belonging here, that it is wonderful to view the Northwest with someone else's eyes. I count myself as a fan of Mr Egan. I am recommending this book to many friends and family, as it was recommended to me.

Not for beer-chugging good ol' boys
Egan's book offers a balanced account of major issues and historical events in the Pacific Northwest. The foci of chapters are evenly balanced between urban and rural issues and the coastal versus interior geographies.

Although Egan's essays are colored by Egan's opinions (what else would one expect?), he offers surprisingly fair appraisals of the complex conflicts in this region. For example, resource extraction efforts are not uniformly depicted as wicked. His simple main point is apolitical: mining, fishing, and timber industries have radically changed the face of Northwest ecologies and economies. As another example, the native american tribal leader charged with child molestation is depicted as just that, without apologies. Still, Egan's fairly even appraisal of political and economic issues in the Northwest is unlikely to please those with knee-jerk tendencies to dismiss anything leaning, even slightly, to the left. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best of class!
Third Edition: A thorough compendium on feeding most types of livestock. Nutrient needs of most classes of farm livestock can be found in many sources, but I bought the book especially because of the information dealing with feeding dogs, cats and rabbits.

I recommend the book to anybody interested in producing domestic stock or wanting to understand nutritional needs of their pet dog or cat.

I hope a future edition will include game and exotic stock, such as elk, deer, reindeer, mink, ostrich and emu.

Great book to supplement lectures
Truly helpful in clarifying points in the lecture of a feeds and feeding class. Could, however, use examples of ration formulations. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If you're going to Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, or Colorado (or live there already), chances are you have an affinity for nature, in which case the National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Rocky Mountain States is a book you'll want to keep close at all times. A durable book meant to be consulted in the field and on the mountain, it starts off with a map of the region, and then launches into an overview of the topography and geology, the habitats and ecology, the weather patterns and cloud formations common to the Rocky Mountain region.

Part Two is the field guide proper, with brilliant photographs and pithily informative descriptions of over 1,000 of the flora and fauna to be found there, covering lichens and conifers, wildflowers and ferns, spiders and insects, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. There are vivid pictures of feral horses and mule deer, an elk cow nuzzling her calf and a male elk strutting with his antlers, and there are photos and write-ups for wolverines and mountain lions, moose, caribou, and bison. There are also wonderful pages full of whirligig beetles and margined burying beetles, hairy rove beetles and spotted tiger beetles, not to mention the jagged ambush bug and meadow spittlebug. The flora section is appealing, as well, with delicate western bog laurel and orange honeysuckle close-ups, cliff fendlerbush flowers and Pacific red elderberry, water smartweed and purple western monkshood. There's also an appendix of parks and preserves, and pages full of the constellations you can see at night with no city lights to mar the view. With a century of nature preservation under its belt, Audubon does justice to the field-guide genre.--Stephanie Gold ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Very pretty, but kinda useless
First, the positive: this is a very complete and very pretty-looking guidebook. It does cover just about everything from the night sky to lichens and rocks. I can imagine an eastern tourist leafing through, anticipating all the wonderful things they'll see on their trip through Rocky Mountain National or Glacier park.

However, in the field, the guide is next to useless, as there are no keys, no list of the details and differences that make, for example, one tree a Ponderosa and another a Lodgepole pine. The only way to disern what exactly you are look through the book randomly until you happen upon a photo (generally too small to supply necessary detail) that looks kinda similar to whatever it is you are trying to identify.

This book is best at capturing the endless possibilities of our Rocky Mountains, a compendium of all the wonderful things you may run across. It won't however help you actually find them.

Audubon's Rocky Mt. States Field Guide: A great buy
As with all of the National Audubon Society's field guides, the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Rocky Mountain States" is a most worthwhile purchase, perfect as a gift or for your own collection. The guide is durable and very portable, which makes it well suited for use in the outdoors. More importantly, it has excellent content. Despite its small size, the field guide contains a wealth of information. In addition to the usual focus on flora and fauna species, there is information on constellations, parks, ecosystems, and more. While the depth and detail of the information in the various sections is not vast, the breadth of subject matter more than makes up for this; the information presented is ideal for a general field guide. Moreover, the book is beautiful, filled with gorgeous color photographs. Residents of the Rocky Mountain states and non-residents will both love it. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Excited About Nature
We purchased this book for our two little ones and have enjoyed running to get the book when we see unusual and interesting bugs, leaves, etc. outside in our natural wonderland of a back yard! We even keep the book on the bookshelves in the kitchen for fast reference! I have noticed that not everything we have wanted to look up is in the book but not everything can be and we are very pleased with the book as a whole. I do wish there were colored pictures to help me identify certain creatures when I'm not 100% sure "that is it".

The most detailed nature handbook available.
This handbook was written for school-aged children by a professor at Cornell University in New York. The plant and animal life represented is therefore specific to the New York area, but most of these animals can also be found across the northern continental US and southern Canada. There are some useful sections that would apply to Hawaii, but I agree that they are few. For example, it includes Astronomy and Geology. Finally, this book excludes oceanographic studies, so to round off your child's nature studies, you will need to purchase a separate book, such as "The Edge of the Sea," by Rachel Carson. Of course, if you are really serious about nature study, you will probably have several good books on related topics.

Good book depending on your location
I checked this book out of our local library because it was recommended for homeschoolers and because of the reviews here at Amazon.com. I do agree this is an excellent book BUT not very useful when you live in Hawaii. Seems the animals and plants the writer focusses on are mostly common to the eastcoast of the US. If you live in Hawaii, and possibly other places on the mainland, this book in not very helpful in studying our daily environment.

GREAT BOOK!!!!
This is a wonderful book for studying ANY aspect of nature (except ocean life.) Thoroughly discusses all details of any living thing that you could dream of...want to know where a cricket's ears are located? How to tell if you have a male/female? What should you feed your cricket? Ever wondered why a lightning bug "lights up"? How can you tell if you have a male or female? Covers birds, fish, reptiles, wild animals, farm animals, pets, trees, flowers, rocks, weather, stars, etc, ETC!!! Many labled diagrams. A GREAT book, and written to fit in wonderfully with a Charlotte Mason philosophy. Geared towards elementary grades and complete with lessons, questions, projects, etc. Over 800 pages of easily understood information. As the original was published in 1911, be aware that the photos are not in color, nor as clear as modern nature guides, but the book MORE than makes up for this in so many ways! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Impresively Comprehensive
While I do not agree with everything the author asserts about teaching methodology, I doubt there is any other book on the market that is as comprehensive as this one. What other textbook can be used with equal effectiveness in both kindergarten and high school? Lessons are short and easy to follow. It covers almost everything including agriculture, wildlife, geology, astronomy, etc. Marine life and oceanography are not included. Some minor flaws. For example, the author confuses selective breeding with evolution theory. However, such flaws can be overlooked and they do not detract from the value of the lessons. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Engaging exploration of relationship between man and the sea
As a recovering 20th-century American lit major, regrettably my reading list (beyond Melville's classic and a certain Hemingway novella) lacked a certain maritime flavor in deference to social issues, the human experience, and anything that could somehow be interpreted as sublime or lead to a seriously insightful opium habit. Having said this, I encourage everyone to read William W. Warner's 'Beautiful Swimmers: Waterman, Crabs and the Chesapeake Bay'. In terms of exploring the relationship between humanity and the sea, I have never read anything more eloquent. Its prose is refreshingly simple, but very engaging, with detailed sketches to enhance the authenticity. I've read several books twice, a handful three times. As of last night, 'Beautiful Swimmers' is the only one I've read for a fourth time. Many books (Moby Dick for example) merit more than a single reading mostly because they are too dense to "get" on a first run. It is the rare book that begs for multiple sittings simply because it's a joy to go back to the same words again and again. I'm a voracious reader, read my first novel (Jack London's 'Call of the Wild') when I was seven and have been buried in some book ever since; in my experience, 'Beautiful Swimmers' is one of about six or seven books that fit this "joy to read" category.

This is a book to share...
I discovered this book on my brothers bookshelf while visiting the Eastern shore, and read it in two sittings. An absolutely fascinating book on the Bay, the Eastern shore, the blue crab and more. William W. Warner's gifted prose depicts the watermen and their life in a way that is both honest,sympathetic and informative. As a non-native Washingtonian, this book finally explains so many of the mysteries of the bay -- from soft shell crab and how/why they get that way --to Tangier Island and how/why it became so popular. It is the kind of book you immediately want to share with your friends... your family... your lunch bunch... the guy sitting next to you on the subway..

A lyrical work of art
This book is a technical wonder of writing. The lyrical beauty of the prose gives it the flow and cadence of poetry but with the straightforward phrasing of journalism. It should be required reading for college literature majors everywhere. I was first exposed to Beautiful Swimmers when it showed up on my son's 9th grade English summer reading list. What a fortunate assignment for mom.

I am in awe of Mr. Warner's skill in crafting spare yet well-thought phrasing that carefully blends the unique local language with technical terminology. You read this book and forget that it is non-fiction, nature writing. It draws you in like a compelling fictional account. Therein lies the success of the book.

Beautiful Swimmers covers the crabbing industry and the impact of this lovely crustacean on the Bay and its economy - a worthy journalistic endeavor. But for me, the real beauty is in the joy of just reading this charming work.

A must read for all "chicken neckers"
A wonderfull read of life on the Chesapeake. My next charter will be to explore all the historic towns brought to life in this facinating book.

Made a difference
This is a the book that made a difference in my lfe. Because of it, I spent vacation time on the Eastern Shore and even made a pilgrimage to Tangier Island. I have become fond of the little critters and am really fascinated by their life cycle and habits. I wish the author would write more books like this. I can't understand the one negative review in this series unless the reviewer has a hidden agenda. ... Read more