Book Description

James and Other Apes is a collection of 50 close-up portraits of gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans and bonobos - man's closest biological relatives. Photographed over a span of four years in seven ape sanctuaries, in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Germany and the USA, they are mainly orphans, victims of the illicit trade in _bushmeat_. Djeke, Fizi, Gregoire, James, Koto and the others are all photographed as unique individuals while representing species whose survival is under threat. With case note biographies, and introduced with a powerful and moving essay by Jane Goodall, this book celebrates the great apes. The faces that look back at us also raise profound moral and scientific questions _ including what it means to define ourselves _human_. ... Read more

Book Description

Using innovative techniques, photographer Karl Blossfeldt produced arresting images of seed pods, buds, stems, and other botanical items. This spectacular collection features scores of his remarkable photographs of plant life, offering artists and craftspeople a treasury of copyright-free pictures and design inspirations. 120 full-page black-and-white plates.
... Read more

Book Description

With 364 range maps and 96 color plates portraying 548 species, this is the classic field guide to European birds. Covering 698 species, the descriptive text includes information on geographical races, vagrants, and introduced species. Confusing species such as waders, raptors, and warblers have additional notes on how to distinguish them. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good book, not the best organization.
I found this book to be informative as a guide to what I would find in Europe, but it received a poor grade in the field due to the poor organization. I had to flip through three sections to find a picture, description, and range-map for each bird. The maps were really too small for a US native to be able to tell which country was which, and the illustrations were consistantly exagerated to the point that you could only identify the so-called important features (which often were the same as important features of other birds) were all you could be certain were accurate to some extent. Even though I don't speak German, I actually found a book in German which was more useful to me than Peterson's. The German book, entitled GU Naturfuhrer "Vogel" (Birds), had accurate photos of every bird I saw on my trip. The maps in Vogel, although lacking lines seperating the countries, were much more identifiable to an American due mainly to size. After identifying the birds by the photos, I compared the scientific names to Peterson's, and was able to identify the birds with their English names (although usually the pictures in Peterson's looked nothing like those in "Vogel"). So as a field guide, Peterson's gets no stars, but for the descriptions and scientific names, it deserves a little credit. ... Read more

Book Description

Dr. Bechtel's book is the first published on the subject of reptile and amphibian variations that occur naturally or through selective breeding.The text contains enough basic biology to help the reader understand the discussion of the various mutations.These animals with conspicuously altered colors and patterns are often quite beautiful.The rarer and more bizarre anomalies and mutations are described in this fascinating book which opens a window on this developing and complex field of inquiry.Profusely illustrated, this book covers an arcane subject from the author's personal perspective. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Bechtel's "Variants" book a must for herpetoculturalists.
Dr. Bechtel provides a great deal of insight on the patterns and colors of herps especially as to the way these characteristics are inhertited. Bechtel's background as a dermatologist and his lifetime of work with his interest in herpetoculture make him uniquely qualified to present a treatment of skin characteristics of reptiles and amphibians. There are sections of the book that provide a background in genetics for the layman and sections discussing the hertability of little known traits in seldom studied organisms. Color plates and diagrams effectively reinforce his text. Dr. Bechtel is known as one of the fathers of herpetoculture and his writings and work with corn snakes are widely regarded as seminal works. I highly recommend this book for serious herp people or anyone interested in the colors and patterns of reptile and amphibians.

Reptiles and The Fascinating Mystery of Genetics...
Today's advancements in herpetoculture have produced captive-bred reptiles of amazingly great beauty. Animals once unobtainable or unimaginable are now available to the scientifically curious and amateur alike. I am still waiting for a two-headed, albino Gila Monster! Roger D. Windsor ( By the way, Komodo Dragons ARE dinosaurs! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (5)

Excellent for learning about Astronomy
If you just want a working knowledge of Astronomy, and you want it quickly and easily, read this book first. I think you'll be impressed with how much information is there, and how understandable it is. I know I am!

If you want comprehensive up-to-date coverage of the meterial, you can find other sources later.

When my children have a question about the sky, this is where we go. We were driving home one night and my son asked me if I had ever seen a shooting star. Actually, I was surprised he HADN'T ever seen one. I explained about Meteor Showers and asked if he wanted to know when the next one was. We got out this book and looked it up. He was so interested he read the entire book, and now I catch him explaining things to his brothers and sisters. This book has a TON of information.

An extremely concise intro to amateur astronomy
I first read this book at the age of 13, just getting into astronomy. I would agree that the book could use a little updating: sections on catadioptrics, newer eyepieces, apochromats, and Dobsonians would be helpful. However, the core of the book -- how to navigate the night sky with a telescope and actually see stuff -- remains a very thorough and classic work. I re-read my dog-eared copy probably twice a year just to review the fundamentals. You really can't find as concise a introductory text to amateur astronomy anywhere.

Dated, but still one of the best beginners guides
I've been a pretty active amateur astronomer for the past 34 years. I would agee with the first reviewer "The Sky Observer's Guide" is dated and in need of new material covering Catadioptric systems (Schmidt-Cassegrain,Maksutov)and the just as popular Dobsonian now so ubiquitous among those who like me build their own systems. This has not occured I believe because possibly all the original authors have passed on. But after saying that, if your just getting into astronomy, this is still one of best guides to getting started with a small telescope around. It tells you what you can observe, how to do it, and what to expect. You could easily buy a dozen other popular guides now on the market that won't cover as much material, as clearly, as the Mayalls, Jerome Wyckoff,and John Polgreen put into the 160 pages of this little book. I still have the 1965 edition I bought when I was 12 in 1966, and though I've gone way past the material covered, I've kept it as a sentimental favorite because I probobly learned as much from it early on as I have from any other single source since then. So Golden Guide, if your looking at these reviews, add something about the two telescope types I've mentioned above and maybe something about CCD cameras too, but please don't drop anything from this still great little book!

Very good astronomy introduction, but now out of date.
We used this book for many years in our college introductory astronomy laboratories. Provides an an excellent introduction to astronomical observing. Well illustrated and includes star maps and positions of objects. However, the book needs updating. The positions are given in 1950 coordinates, planetary positions are listed only for years near the publication date, and no mention is made of Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes that are now popular with amateurs.

Good, small astronomy handbook for young people.
Pictures and graphs on every page. All topics of astronomy presented in a concise, easy-to-understand way for children or adults. Includes a list of dates for repeating meteor showers. Low price. Frequently found in used book stores or thrift stores. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

An ancient mystical experience, the Vision Quest was undertaken by Native Americans as an odyssey of self-knowledge and fulfillment--a spiritual journey into the wilderness and the soul. In this classic account of the relationship between man and nature, America's most famous outdoorsman reveals the secrets of this profoundly moving ritual. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Completely Amazing
This book is simply incredible. Having read "Grandfather" and "The Tracker" before this book, I found myself on an incredible journey through the Vision Quest. I found that it deepened my desire to do as Tom Brown, Jr. has done. The Vision Quest in the cave towards the end was absolutely amazing. It is probably best to read at least "The Tracker" before this one, but it's not totally necessary. A must read at any rate.

Worth Re-reading
I have read this book twice now, I enjoyed and learnt it both times. Better the the previous two books, in 'The Vision' Tom goes deeper into his personal spirituality. The book takes you through many of Tom's life lessons building nicely into where the later books will take you. It is the kind of book where you will find something covered which will add insight to your current life circumstances.

our society
As Mr. Brown teaches, we are a society that kills our children to feed our Grandchildren. This book has many wonderful lessons. Although they take time (alone time)to digest, they are very rich in wisdom and make those who learn their teachings, wealthly beyond compare. I highly recommend his school as well. It will cahnge your life, not to mention your Vision

A unique and scary insight
This book is a unique and scary insight into what we have become and what we might yet become if we don't wake up and start treating the world like a huge landfill. I'm a medical professional (RN) and by no means a granola-eater or tree hugger, but after reading this book, I stopped taking my world for granted and started giving thanks for little things, like the food I eat, the plants that give me oxygen and food, the sun that gives life to all, etc. Pay specific attention to the prophecies toward the end of the book. If they aren't a wake-up call, I don't know what is!

Excellent book, highly recommended, as are any of Tom Brown's books. He's an even more powerful speaker than an author, so if you have an opportunity to see him, do it!

Inspiring book that I will remember forever...
This book was given to me by a woman that was in a botany class I was taking. She had a feeling that I would like it, and I have never forgotten it! Though it is very simply written (it quickly becomes apparent that Mr. Brown is not a professional writer), the message of the book is outstanding! He describes some of the most important lessons he has learned in life and his Vision, which was quite profoundly similar to one I've had myself. One story, the Fisherman, struck me so deeply that I have incorporated its teaching into my life every day. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is keen to Earth and her health. You'll never regret it! ... Read more

Book Description

In November of 2000, after the presidential election but before the results were handed down by the Supreme Court, John Daniel climbed into his pickup, drove to a cabin in the Red River Gorge, and quit civilization for a proscribed time. The strictures set up were severe: no two-way human communications, no radio, no music, no news, no clocks, and no calendars. He left his wife behind and moved into a cabin sure to be snowed-in just after his arrival, where he lived in complete isolation until spring, without even his cat as a companion.

He was intent on not hearing a human voice other than his own for the next six months. Thoreau's Journals were there, of course, for instruction and inspiration. In addition to the physical rigor of working in isolation, Daniel had assumed a hard spiritual task in deciding to live alone: to confront his now dead father. Rogue River Journal is the result, with writing as skilled as Jon Krakauer's—a remarkable memoir of both vivid present and past interwoven. ... Read more

Book Description

What does nature really look like? Today, aided by the wizardry of modern scientific imaging instruments, we are able to see far more of the physical world than we ever dreamed possible. These devices can discern millions of invisible colors, look back in cosmic time some 14 billion years, peer behind and within seemingly opaque borders such as skin and bone, and capture events that last a mere trillionth of a second. Looking through their "eyes," we have acquired powers far more potent than Superman's X-ray vision: the powers of Super Vision.

From microscopes to telescopes, from magnetic-field detectors to chemical mapping probes, today's instruments make possible an entirely new view of nature. Super Vision is a comprehensive showcase of 200 breathtaking scientific images that span the world of phenomena from subatomic particles to the incomprehensibly vast structure of the universe. The accompanying text tells readers what they are looking at and explains the underlying technology. Also included is a huge, groundbreaking chart clearly illustrating the relative sizes of objects covered in the book. At once a primer on the scientific worldview and a reminder of the awesome, multidimensional beauty of nature, Super Vision simultaneously informs and delights. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Spectacular photo book
This is one of the most beautifully illustrated photo books I've ever seen. Ranging from the submicroscopic to the macroscopic and even cosmic in scale, the book presents hundreds of spectacular photos of different aspects of our world and universe. They range from the geometrical perfection of a matrix of metallic crystals, to the delicate tracery of a microbial colony, to amorphous, bloblike, and menacing looking cancer cells, to the graceful symmetry of a galaxy floating in the vastness of space.

Every photographic method you can think of is represented (including many I couldn't have thought of), including ordinary light photography, x-ray, infrared, plane-polarized, electron microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, and a photo of Washington, D.C. using something called Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar.

In addition to size, the time scales range from subatomic particles that only last a few trillionths of a second to photos of distant galaxies whose light has been travelling for 14 billion years to reach earth. The text is also clear and concise and non-obtrusive and doesn't detract from the visual presentation of the photos. Overall a beautifully illustrated photo book just to browse encompassing the many wonders, young and old, big and small, and animate or inanimate, of our world.

Beautiful Science
I can't remember another book combining scientific insight with artistic beauty quite this way. The author has painstakingly selected, arranged, and captioned stunning scientific images. Whether for the coffee table or to actually read and learn something, Super Vision is a winner.

Stunning book about a beautiful world
From protons to parsecs, Ivan Amato's "Super Vision" reveals what many scientists know: the universe is a visually stunning place. This remarkable collection of images, coupled with Amato's compelling captions, shows the art that can be found in science. Thanks to advances in instruments ranging from atom smashers to telescopes, combined with unprecedented computer power, the phenomena of the cosmos can be painted in vivid color. Scientists use these images in their daily effort to understand the universe; we can enjoy them for pure aesthetic pleasure. Covering 42 orders of magnitude (powers of ten), "Super Vision" shows us the abstract swirls of a decaying particle, the eerie machinery of a spider's spinnerets, how zebrafish scales can look like a Balinese hillside, and the tortured faces of distant planets. For a guide to the art in our natural world, this is the book. It's as beautiful as the universe it describes. ... Read more

Book Description

About Eugene Tsui and evolutionary architecture . "Eugene Tsui is a polymath, a kind of genius.. His evolutionary ideas fit my image of a desirable, feasible future. The 21st century needs ideas like his that conserve space, energy, and materials without offending aesthetics." -Dr. Richard MeierProfessor of Architecture, Planning, and Environmental Design University of California, Berkeley "[Tsui's] drawings, models, and buildings look like buildings from a Spielberg film, circa 3000.. Eugene Tsui's designs defy the imagination. He is bringing a different view to architecture." -Rocky Leplin The Associated Press "Welcome to the evolutionary architecture of Eugene Tsui.a place where everything is possible, and the mind is constantly being tested and stimulated to open and explore yet another new opportunity.. Tsui's philosophy of architectural design goes against practically everything people have come to know about architecture." -Beverly R. Picache Asian Week Newspaper ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Brilliant, insightful, inspiring.
Eugene Tsui has added another gospel to his bible for evolutionary architecture. What can't be captured in merely addressing his architecture is the clarity, force and intelligence of his writing. In addition to being one of the few architects who can write coherently, Eugene Tsui has a unique, compelling presence felt throughout the book. When finished, I felt braced, urged on and encouraged in my own life pursuits. This book is worth every cent of its price, and is priceless for its spiritual value.

A great book by an architect destined to become renown
Eugen Tsui is a visionary who sees in the natural world forms and functions that can be used by man in his created environments to the benefit of mind, spirit, ecology and wallet. Innovative and unorthodox building methods and materials; making the most of the vast sea of unapplied knowledge overlooked by most architects is his specialty. Tsui ia a genius who is unlikely to be fully appreciated by his own era. In this book Tsui explains his ideology and presents visuals to stun the mind out of its "stick-built" suburban tract house rut.

Amazing Revolutionary ideas behind architecture
This book is a must have for anyone interested in reinventing their view of how humans can build and design. Includes a detailed analysis of Eugene Tsui's Philosophy of studying nature to help us architect our environments and housing. Showing many re-world examples in nature where animals and creatures create amazingly responsive architecture. The book then takes these principles and shows how this can be translated into helping architects become more innovative both aesthetically and technically. Eugene trancends the typical and primarily aesthetic ideas of Frank Lloyd Wright and other "Organic Architects" showing how nature can help guide us to build more ecologically advanced architecture that is more responsive to the new millinium. ... Read more

Book Description

Second Edition
In this powerful book, a renowned environmental leader warns that despite all the international negotiations of the past two decades, efforts to protect Earth’s environment are not succeeding. He explains why this is so and presents eight specific steps that governments and citizens can take to achieve a sustainable future. For this new paperback edition the author has added an Afterword that brings the narrative up to date.

“Gus Speth brought global environmental concerns to the world’s attention nearly a quarter of a century ago. His extraordinary new book is an impassioned plea to take these issues seriously before it is too late. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to read Red Sky at Morning and take action while we can.”— Jimmy Carter, former President of the United States

“The ultimate insider offers a devastating critique of global environmental efforts.”—Eugene Linden, Time

“A profoundly sobering study . . . of the nation’s failure to address the probability of global warming.”—New York Times Book Review

“Balanced and pragmatic.”—Economist

“A particularly useful summary. . . . Careful and judicious.”—Bill McKibben, New York Review of Books

“‘The Best’ . . . in the tradition of Silent Spring.”—Sky

... Read more

Reviews (5)

A compelling read, with an abundance of citizen resources
To add to the other reviews, I would emphasize that "Red Sky at Morning" is a great read for just about anyone, whether it's your first or your fiftieth book about environmental issues.Speth condenses a great amount of relevant and interesting information, background history, and analysis into this wonderfully readable book.

Furthermore, his resources for citizen action are far more exciting and empowering than the tired old "do your part by recycling" refrain.

Excellent book, but really more a textbook than action guide
For a book whose main chapters comprise little more than 200
pages, "Red Sky At Morning" is amazingly comprehensive. Written by a
high-level environmentalist in the Carter Administration, (perhaps the
last Administration that really cared about such things), the book
covers many aspects of the environmental state/crisis we are in,
in a style that is always concise, usually with the right amount
of detail (at times too much about policies!), and yet engaging at
the same time.

Because of the author's involvement with environmental
causes from the movement's outset in the late 1960's-early 70's,
the book provides a nice history of the enviromental movement as
well as a deep analysis of problems and solutions that have
worked or not worked. One interesting and obvious point brought out
is that at the beginning the environmental movement could focus on
national issues like pollution and power generation, while inevitably
with globalization the issues have become far more serious, complex,
and contentious. The many successes obtained by the hard-working people
on the national level, aided greatly by the public's outcry for sounder
policies (which today has amazingly deteriorated into widespread apathy),
are much harder to come by on an international level, obviously because
of conflicts with issues like the need for endless economic growth as
well as national sovereignty. And yet we are reminded in the book that
when scientists announced the serious degradation of the ozone layer,
largely by CFC's, the world did unite in the 1980's Montreal Protocol to
relatively quickly take very effective action, such that it appears that
the ozone layer will restore itself by mid-century.

Thus "Red Sky" provides a thorough analysis of the problems we face
today, as well as models and solutions. The author feels that while
there is hope, it is almost too late to effectively resolve the mass of
complex issues of this potentially planetary "holocaust." Yet in the
chapter "Attacking the Root Causes" he provides a very well-thought out
list of eight "transitions to sustainability," such as lowering the
population, reducing poverty by 1/2 by 2015, and creating environmentally
benign technologies. In the chapter entitled "The Most Fundamental
Transition Of All," he discusses what activists like F. Capra wrote
about years ago, the "paradigm shift" to "eco-feminism," working with
and caring for nature rather than conquering it. [I noted my own former
idealism that has turned in part to cynicism as I read this chapter!]

Yet "Red Sky" is really not directed at individuals acting alone
or even in small groups. Its main focus is clearly to reach ingtelligent,
young people who might want to major in environmental studies, and
secondarily open-minded policy makers. Many sections have detailed
policy proposals and guidelines, which is not surprising given the
author's involvement with both governmental departments as well as
NGO's (non-governmental organizations). While I found the many pages
devoted to policy issues very useful in understanding both the way these
organizations work and how intricate the relationships among large-scale
entities must be, I prefer books that are more oriented to individuals and
small organizations, since that is my own orientation. Yet NGO's like WWF
and EDF may be our best hope, and many of them do work on international
issues.

Two areas the author does not cover as well as others are the new fuel
sources like hydrogen (though p. 158 is good), and he also does not mention
organizations like the bioneers whose members have been working on sustainable
solutions since the first warnings about the environment were sounded years
ago, and have devised in many cases very well-thought out (and at deep levels)
solutions to a surprisingly large number of the environmental problems we face
today (he does cite A. Lovins and P. Hawkins, who are assoc. with the group).
And precisely the political process, which the author has been a part of,
has surely been a very strong force against implementing the solutions of
these "anti-establishment" groups, due to obvious money issues.

One book (or at least a web visit) I'd strongly recommend is from p. 160,
the work of Wm. McDonough ("Cradle to Cradle").

The last chapter (available at the book's website for download) is a
mind-boggling compendium of books and web sites (information overload
squared!) which cover the eight transitions to sustainability discussed so
well in the book.

While the author and many reviewers think that it is almost too late
to "save" the environment, I see a lot of positive because of the large
numbers of people and organizations working so diligently to create the
balance we so clearly need between using resources wisely and providing
sustainable lives for the world's enormous population. With public awareness
and a change in politics (when?!), things will improve environmentally.

"We are not powerless . . . "
Readers are often intimidated by the challenges presented by climate change.That's an understandable reaction.The issues are imposing in their scope and complexity, leading us to ask: "What, as an individual, can I do?".That query is substantially answered at the end of this book.There are good reasons to buy this book and turn to the final chapter: "Resources for Citizens".It isn't necessary to read the listings in detail [they're essentially repeated on the website listed on p. 203].A leisurely survey will indicate the extent of the support readers have to use for learning and deciding on issues to pursue.When you've finished glancing at what help is there for you, turn to page one and start learning why the resources are needed.

Over the years, "Gus" Speth has risen from tactician to senior negotiator in the campaign to combat the effects of human-generated environmental crisis.His experience and ability to impart clearly the history, tactics, successes and failures of the environmental movement are brought to bear in explaining what has been achieved, and what remains to be done.Speth is adamant that many tasks confront us and we'd best get started on them.He explains how the early environmental movement overfocussed on specific topics.Victories, such as the ban on PCBs to reduce the "Ozone Hole" are welcome, but leave both participants and the general public unwarrantedly satisfied.Climate change is too great a realm to overcome by a few successful skirmishes.Fundamental changes are needed - starting with cultural outlook - do you believe your current lifestyle will endure?

Climate change, he reminds us, is a global issue.Hence, a stress on international action is fundamental to addressing the problems.Why, he asks, are there United Nations organisations on health [WHO], food [FAO] and labour [ILO], but none on the environment [WEO]?Such an organisation at the highest level is required for studies, planning and administration.The disparity of pollution generation among nations, especially that of the United States, clearly indicates the richest nations must take the lead in curbing emissions while developing environmentally friendly technologies for developing countries.He points out that some nations have already taken steps that are exportable.Denmark's massive development of wind power is being duplicated in Germany and Spain.Each of these countries, with lower population and resources, already has greater wind energy capacity than the United States.

Offering a programme of eight "transitions" that must be undertaken, he lists population control, poverty elimination, improved technologies, realistic pricing [what are the real costs of pollution and who bears them?], learning and research, and proper governance among his goals.All these are achievable - it merely takes an informed public and leaders to implement them.First and foremost, we must shed the dogma Speth calls FROG - "First Raise Our Growth".This mantra drives thinking in industrial nations, and too many developing countries feel they must subscribe to its tenets.Failure to overcome this "business-as-usual" theme will only lead to environmental catastrophe.

Speth isn't urging strong governmental action "from above".Quite the reverse.He examines the mechanisms that have been tried through this method and finds them too rigid.Instead, he proposes more flexible and more local initiatives must be encouraged.He applies the term JAZZ, reflecting the innovative and unstructured methods of that music form.Contributions are encouraged from many sources, applying many styles, producing a variety of results.Those that can be successfully applied elsewhere will be adopted.In his scenario Speth leaves no doubt that individuals play the most significant role.As a builder rather than destroyer, Speth is a voice to be heeded - now!
[stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

More JAZZ...
You may wonder what jazz could possibly have to do with "The Global Crisis of the Environment"!Speth introduces a new term, "JAZZ", to explain one of three possible scenarios for environmental governance frameworks. The concept, developed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, describes an approach to solving global environmental challenges.Like musical jazz, it uses a multitude of diverse and "unscripted" initiatives, based on creativity, flexibility and involving a wide range of players.The good news, Speth insists, is that, increasingly, JAZZ is being played around the world - decentralized and voluntary. Activities are being driven by environmental and consumer and other citizens' groups, supported or at least "facilitated" by governments. Businesses, recognizing advantages in these developments, now participate in growing numbers and developing new partnerships. Expanding and multiplying JAZZ is one of the promising trends that can move us towards an "environmental revolution". Nothing short of it, Speth is convinced, will save our planet.

In recent years, scientists, environmentalists and policy makers have learned that, solving the problems of the planet in a sustainable way requires an integrated - "ecosystem" - approach. Results have been slow and efforts must dramatically accelerate.Steps to reduce our ecological human footprint have to be augmented by the adoption of "ecological economics".A long term goal will see the economy serve primarily the advancement of human development and environmental sustainability.It will no longer remain an end in itself. New "compacts" with all sectors of society and the governments in the North and in the South will be struck.

Speth does not come to his somewhat optimistic outlook lightly and he remains cautious as to its success.Based on decades of experience in the environmental field, both in the US and as part of the UN system, he submits one of the most comprehensive analyses of the environmental challenges and dangers one can find today.Filled with facts, figures, and carefully sourced, he paints a devastating picture of the state of the earth's environment. He urges us to face up to "ten drivers of environmental degradation".Added to the environmental impact of population size, affluence and technology (IPAT) are such fundamental problems as poverty, market and political failures. Complementing this examination is his excellent analysis of the inadequate international governmental efforts so far to reach global agreements on environmental protection.He exposes the weaknesses of such compromise treaties as the UN Convention on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Desertification that lack "teeth" in terms of binding protocols.He deplores the withdrawal of the current US administration from international agreements, particularly the Kyoto Protocol.He acknowledges the European leadership at this time in environmental protection and challenges America to take back the role of leader that it had earlier.

For each of the environmental degradation drivers he suggests concrete transition strategies.The most fundamental of the transitions required, he stresses, and probably the most difficult to achieve fast, is the shift in our consciousness. He commends steps already under way in some of the areas, such as slowing population growth, or reducing the use of pollutants, such as DDT and PCBs.While these are vital steps, Speth cautions that they will be far from sufficient. Hence the call for an environmental revolution and the establishment of a new institution with the mandate to "manage the global environment".
In his recommendations for future strategies, he argues that an institutional approach based on international environmental law- the second scenario - GEOpolity - might work in combination with JAZZ, and if enforced by binding international treaties. The third scenario - FROG, [First Raise Our Growth] - he completely discards as not only ineffectual but also endangering our future. This scenario will lead, he contends, to wrecking our environment and our global society.After having followed his in-depth review of the impacts of current laissez-faire attitudes, you will probably agree with him.

While he addresses economic globalization's impact on the environment, he avoids challenging the role of the big transnational corporations.The food and pharmaceutical sectors could well represent major stumbling blocks. He deliberately remains within the market economy, convinced that the changes needed can be realized within the current systems.

Speth's RED SKY AT MORNING is a vital book. His style is clear and personable. The book is well structured and indexed so that readers can find specific topics easily. While at times focusing heavily on the American audience, the book is important for readers from around the world. His resource guide for citizens underlines his conviction that progress will rely heavily on environmental and consumer groups, scientists, the media and enlightened business people - all part of civil society. [Friederike Knabe, Ottawa Canada]

Ms. Carson, meet Mr. Speth
This book deserves ten stars.
It is more important than the sacrosanct Silent Spring. It is impossible to overstate this book's importance. Heard about any melting polar ice lately? I wish the author had published initially in both hardcover and paperback to get it more widely disseminated. ... Read more

Book Description

0n May 24, 1869, a one-armed Civil War veteran named John Wesley Powell and a ragtag band of nine mountain men embarked on the last great quest in the American West. No one had ever explored the fabled Grand Canyon; to adventurers of that era it was a region almost as mysterious as Atlantis -- and as perilous.

The ten men set out down the mighty Colorado River in wooden rowboats. Six survived. Drawing on rarely examined diaries and journals, Down the Great Unknown is the first book to tell the full, true story.

Reviews (20)

Down the Great Unknown
I have never been down the Green River, the Colorado River or even to the Grand Canyon. Having read Dolnick's book about John Wesley Powell's first expedition, I definitely want to go there and read more about this. Dolnick's writing is so vivid, and clear that you almost feel like you are on the expedition too. It would be hard to write a fictional account of an adventure that would be more exciting than Powell's expedition. Every day there was some thing more awful or wonderful than the day before. Real unexplored territory! Looking at the bibliography and chapter notes, it is obvious that Dolnick did a great deal of research before he wrote this book. The use of the primary sources, especially diaries of men on the expedition, add a great deal to the delight of reading this book. You get to know some of the "characters" quite well. A highly recommended read.

Exciting, but Flawed, Historical Account
If author Edward Dolnick had been content to provide a straightforwrd account of John Wesley Powell's historic exploration of the Grand Canyon, then "Down the Great Unknown" would be a timeless adventure classic. Dolnick is a gifted writer with a great flair for enticing details. Unfortunately, he continually gets sidetracked with stories having little or nothing to do with expedition, and often goes, if you'll pardon the pun, overboard with his cutesy metaphors. The end result is an informative book that is almost as exhausting to read as the expedition itself was to endure.

The tale of the Powell expedition hardly needs embellishing. He set out with nine men down the Green and Colorado rivers through what at the time was virtually unknown territory in wooden boats battling some of the most forbidding whitewater in the world. That his party survied at all is remarkable. That they did so without any deaths or serious injury (at least from accident or mishap), is astounding.

Dolnick's problem as a narrator presents itself early on when he detours from the trip for two full chapters describing Powell's losing his arm at the Battle of Shiloh. Certainly, the injury is an important part of Powell's story, but a complete retelling of the history of battle itself is unnecessary. As the book progresses, Dolnick gets distracted with other Grand Canyon anecdotes, and often spends time describing in the second person what it is like to go rafting in the area today. One or two such descriptions would have sufficed, but the author keeps going back to them again and again.

Overall, "Down the Great Unknown" covers a fascinating subject, but is a widely uneven reading experience.

Good subject, terrible writing
I finished this book because the subject matter was so interesting, when all the while the narrative style was killing me!
The author really beats a dead horse trying to drive home how dangerous, fast, and powerful the river is. I felt like screaming "enough already"!
However, some images from the book still haunt me. And I did finish it cover to cover, staying up late at night, despite the annoying author!

The True Story Behind the Powell Expedition
There are several epic sagas of exploration in the present-day "lower 48" United States. Chronologically, the first was Cabeza de Vaca's 1527-35 trek from Florida through the American Southwest and into Mexico. Then there was the journey of Lewis and Clark in 1803. Finally, there was that insane one-armed army major who with nine companions floated down the unmapped Green and Colorado rivers.

Having read and enjoyed John Wesley Powell's own book about his 1869 expedition, I was shocked to hear that is was written decades after the events had taken place. Time had added an optimistic, even roseate glow to what was actually one hundred days of hell on earth with a crew that was grumbling and even mutinous at times. Instead of basing his book exclusively on Powell's book, he used the actual diaries written by Powell, Bradley, and others at the time to round out his tale.

No doubt, you know that thousands of people of floated down the Colorado in recent years. But Powell and his men used keeled rowboats in which the men with their oars faced the rapids with their BACKS. In other words, they were facing the wrong direction most of the time. When they undertook the journey, they had no way of knowing whether there were waterfalls that would plunge them to their deaths. (There is one such waterfall on the Little Colorado, which feeds into the Colorado proper south of Lee's Ferry.) As it was, irrespective of how much they grumbled, Powell saw all his men landed safely, except for the three who abandoned the party at Sepration Canyon and were mysteriously murdered by Indians or (possibly) paranoid Mormons who disbelieved their story of running the Colorado.

Dolnick's descriptions of the perils of white-water running rival Krakauer's descriptions of climbing Everest in INTO THIN AIR or the tempest in Sebastian Junger's THE PERFECT STORM. The author's attention to detail and apparent knowledge of his subject made DOWN THE GREAT UNKNOWN a joy to read.

My only real complaint is that Dolnick interrupts the journey with a multi-chapter flashback of Powell's experiences at the battle of Shiloh, where he lost his arm. The matter, however interesting in itself, should have been introduced earlier, along with more background information about his crew, rather than interrupting the main narrative. My only other complaint is that I would have preferred standard superscripted numerical endnotes to the phrase cues he uses; and I would have preferred a better map of the entire expedition that appears on the endpapers of the hardback version.

Still and all, this is a superlative page-turner that I would recommend to anyone with an interest in American history or even tales of adventure.

By far the best JWP book I have bought
This excellent book is a combination of facts, suspense, humor, and social and political background that will keep you interested throughout the book and hoping it will not end. The author has the ability to keep your interest and bring the entire journey to life. I found reading it along with the photos of "In the Footsteps of JWP: An Album of Comparative Photographs" helped me experience the beauty as well as the dangers of Wesley's adventure. I have only two regrets-First that Edward Dolnick has not written more books and Second that books like this were not around when I snoozed my way through my history and life science courses in high school! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

Arctic Ecotour guide's life-line
I worked for four years in a remote, eco-lodge and used to carry at least five books for the guest who wanted to know everything. When I found this book, it remidied the necessity to carry so many books. This book covers enough topics to be useful in almost every situation. It is well written and clear. This book was my life-line and I recommend it to everyone who is travelling north of the tree-line.

a book to be read again and again
I have backpacked on the arctic plain on numerous occasions. Having this book along helps one appreciate the beauty and inter-related nature of the terrain. This is a book to be read more than once; read it on the flight to Alaska. Reading about how the insects torment the caribou makes one appreciate that one has repellants along, and a tent to be inside of. Of the various guides I have been with, this is almost a standard reference book to have with them.

Beautifully illustrated, elegantly written
This book is a "must have" for the advanced undergraduate, beginning grad student, or serious amateur naturalist interested in the North. While a combination of other books may be more comprehensive, if I had to trek north to the Yukon, this is what I would throw in my backpack. Pielou's knowledge and love of the high latitudes bursts through every page, and the pen and ink illustrations convey a real sense of both fauna and flora. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Colin Fletcher is a self-described "compulsive walker." It is not unusual for him to pick up a map, drive to an area that intrigues him, and then start walking. It should come as no surprise then that a detour from U.S. 66 to visit the Grand Canyon on a June morning in 1963 inspired Fletcher to walk the length of the Canyon below the rim. In The Man Who Walked Through Time Fletcher recounts his amazing journey. For two months Fletcher struggled against heat and cold, lack of water and dwindling supplies. The terrain was, at times, nearly impassible, yet despite the physical hardships, Fletcher came away from his experience with a new awareness of how humans fit into the vast scheme of things. He writes, for example, of meeting a rattlesnake on Beaver Sand Bar: "Now I am no rattlesnake aficionado. The first rattler I met scared me purple, and killing it seemed a human duty.... Yet by the end of that California summer I no longer felt an unreasoning fear of rattlers.... Instead, I accepted them as organisms with a niche in the web of life. Accepted them, that is, as fellow creatures."

The Man Who Walked Through Time is a remarkable account of a journey both physical and spiritual. It is also a record of the Grand Canyon as it was before the massive influx of tourism. Fletcher's descriptions of the spectacular geography, the wildlife, and the remnants of much older cultures serve to remind us that the Grand Canyon has been around longer than humankind and may well outlast us. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Wonderful Tale of Mind and Spirit
I've never seen the Grand Canyon, but after reading Fletcher's book I feel that I've already been there. Colin's trek through the canyon in the early 1960's is a wonderful example of descriptive writing and attention to detail. One can almost visualize the immense passages of time as they unfolded before his eyes during his solitary walk through the heart of the canyon. Those of you looking for adventure and action need to look elsewhere, though. This book is about reflection and introspection, one man's thoughts about his (and mankind's) place and role on this planet. As Colin himself says the book and hike is meant to be more like a pilgrimage to a strange and wonderful place than a mere journal of collected thoughts. This inspiring book has me adding 'hike the Grand Canyon' on my life's 'to do' list, and it will be on yours, too!

Seems forced
Fletcher, supposedly the first man to walk the length of the Grand Canyon, below the Rim (seems unlikely), wrote a book about it. I must say I'm sorely disappointed in the result. It's horribly repetitive and boring, to begin with (he repeats his descriptions of how the Canyon formed again and again, for example). But my main objection is that Fletcher was determined before the trip began to have some sort of "break" with his old self, to become a new man, to have new heights of understanding. So every time he had some new impression of the Canyon, he would go on and on about how "now I had finally escaped the trivia of everyday life. Now at last I no longer needed to scrutinize the wildlife; I had become part of it," and so forth. And each time he would then begin to scrutinize the Canyon and have another grand Moment, and repeat himself about escaping the trivia again. All very tiresome; still there are some good scenes here, and his final chapter, consisting of his ruminations on Man, is pretty interesting. I just wish we had more of a memoir of what it was like to walk and live in the Canyon, not a diary of forced mystical epiphanies.

The Man Who Walked Through Time
The Man Who Walked Through Time, Colin Fletcher, United States: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., January 15, 1968. 247pg.

The book, "The Man Who Walked Through time" by Colin Fletcher is an amazing book about how Colin Fletcher himself attempts to be the first person to walk the length of the canyon. Colin Fletcher really goes into detail about what he was thinking and feeling along the way. Not to say that he never talks about what he actually does, he just includes more about what his mindset was. You would think that a book about a man and his journey's would start out as the boring day 1, day 2, day 3 and day 4, then day 5, but Colin Fletcher throws away this idea and beautify pieces together a flowing natural story. He never bores you with every single detail, but instead talks about the most exiting things. The book "The Man Who Walked Though Time" is meant for any reader interested in the canyon or anyone that would want to follow in Colin's footsteps.

I myself live at the canyon, and when reading about how Colin Fletcher walked the length of the canyons National Park I was awe struck. Later I was relieved to find out that the Grand Canyon National Park boundary was a lot shorter. It was also nerve racking to thinks of how he is going to lug his food around for 3 months, but I was soon to read that he was going to have airplanes drop his food off at certain locations. "That's crazy" I though, "you would have to spend millions of dollars to be able to do that". That is when I learned that Colin Fletcher had walked that canyon in the 60's and back then it must have been inexpensive to have an airplane drop off your food or you had connections.

While I was reading the book, Colin Fletcher was talking about the Rhythm of the rocks and how he needed to connect with the beaver, and "be the beaver" and be one with all of the animals. I literally thought that he was going crazy, that he has been in the canyon way to long and has gone nuts, but then I started to realize what type of mindset he is in. He has been alone for so long in such a beautiful and amazing place. When I start to think about what Colin Fletcher was saying about the rhythm of the rocks and how our time and the canyons time is way different I really admired the way Colin put his thoughts together. It was just beautiful writing, that is all there is to it.

I personally thought that the book was amazingly well written, and like I had said before, the way Colin doesn't use the writing format of what he did every single day. He just points out the main facts about his journey.

The book really inspired me to just go out and walk the Grand Canyons length myself. Since Colin explained that he wasn't the fittest guy in the world it really showed that if you worked hard enough you yourself could walk the Grand Canyon. I can't think of anything that Colin Fletcher left out in his book. I mean sure he left out all the little details, which is good otherwise it would have been horribly slow and dreadful. I have never really read any other books about the canyon so I don't have anything to compare this book to. Don't worry though; I still thought that the book was great.

I have walked in and around the canyon a lot but not for very long periods of time. Colin Fletcher, in the book was talking about how Beaver Sandbar (a place in the canyon) really affected him and moved him. I thought that to be a little odd, but since I wasn't walking in his shoes I pass to much judgment. Other that that little oddity the book "The Man Who Walked Through Time" was brilliant. Go read it!

Overhyped but generally interesting
First off, let me start by saying that I envy Colin Fletcher, who walked the entire length of the Grand Canyon, walked from Mexico to Oregon and rafted the entire length of the Colorado River from source to sea at the age of 67, and each journey generated a book.

This is the second Fletcher book I have read (the first being "River"). I found this one to be better written -- less wordy and more to the point. However, I think the description on the back cover of this book overhyped this journey. I am not saying this two-month journey is not an amazing feat, but he certainly planned this trip well in advance, arranged 3 airdrops and several caches of water and food, so throughout the book there was no indication *whatsoever* of "lack of water" or "dwindling supplies" of any sort.

In "River" Fletcher said that this book is sometimes reviewed "in tandem" with Edward Abbey's "Desert Solitaire". Besides the fact that both books were published at roughly the same time and that both are about the desert Southwest (and written by opinionated lonesome men), I really don't see much similarity. Abbey is a much better writer, the desert -- the mesas, the canyons, the rivers -- jump out the pages and have a 3-dimensional quality. Both are loners, but Abbey, at least when he writes, is first and foremost a writer. Fletcher, on the other hand, is more of a backpack guru, sometimes too self conscious, too contemplative that he goes on and on about his thoughts and forgets about writing about what is happening around him. On the other hand, while Abbey is even more of an extremist, his comments are more an integral part of his writing about the environment. And it is obvious that Fletcher also lacks knowledge about wildlife (especially insects, besides a sandfly, he could not even name many other insects he saw in the Canyon).

Overall, though, despite its blemishes, since I plan on taking a Rim-to-rim hike in the Grand Canyon, I found this book to be pretty informative and reasonably interesting.

None better than Colin Fletcher
After reading his fourth edition of "The Complete Walker", I went out and purposefully searched for more books by Fletcher. His writing always portays the most comprehensive language ever imagine. His attention to detail is astounding. This book contains some flowerdy prose, but is still a must read. ... Read more

Book Description

From the very earliest time, people have watched the moon's mysterious and fascinating nocturnal sky show with amazement and intrigue. Even in today's modern, busy world there are many of us who have taken a step back, looked upward, and wondered: What is it made of? How was it formed? What does it look like up close? In The Moon Watcher's Companion, urban shaman, writer, and teacher Donna Henes enlivens the imaginations of those who have contemplated the moon by providing poems, drawings, stories, ancient wisdom, and scientific findings from a diverse blend of people and cultures throughout the world. Bringing together a wide range of writings about the moon, from Mother Goose to Joseph Campbell, Galileo to Audre Lorde, Sappho to Black Elk, as well as providing a comprehensive encyclopedia of lunar terminology, a timeline of lunar explorations, and three sections that detail the moon's faces, phases, and known facts, author Hene has created a fascinating compendium of lunar science, myth, folklore, poetry, curious facts, and old wives' wisdom culled from cultures throughout the ages. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

LUNAR GAZING AROUND THE WORLD
Donna Henes, New York City's Urban Shaman, has made an important contribution to the literature of the night skies with her "Moon Watcher's Companion." This beautifully-designed gem of a book is a visual delight that will be enjoyed by children of all ages as well as curious adults. In it, Henes effortlessly weaves scientific, mythological, and poetic information in an easy-to-read format that is chock-a-block with fascinating facts and stories. Buy this book and share it with your friends and family!

An absolute charmer of a book
Who knew that we have had such a long and wonderful relationship with the Moon? This delightful and beautifully produced book is full of information about the Moon in science, myth, and legend -- from cultures all around the world. I got the book as a gift and it's a great idea for a birthday, a ritual, or a celebration of "lunacy". You will never think of the Moon in the same way again. ... Read more

Book Description

Nature is full of fascinating stories, stories that attract our attention at a young age and keep us amazed throughout our entire lives. The need to understand nature draws us back to its simple beauty again and again, yet underneath this simplicity lies a complex web of associations and patterns. The Nature Handbook does what no other field guide does: explores and explains nature through these connecting patterns, revealing them to the many different types of nature lovers. All naturalists-- from birders to gardeners, hikers to environmentalists, wildflower enthusiasts to butterfliers-- will appreciate the different approach of the Handbook, even those whose interest in the natural world is just beginning to develop. Naturalists who are already well versed in one group of organisms--birders, for example--will find new explanations and patterns for their favorite group, as well as new patterns all around them that they had previously overlooked. Observations in the Handbook are arranged in the three main sections of plants, animals, and habitats. These sections are then connected through discussions of the relationship of size and shape, adaptations, distribution patterns, behavior, and diversity of life. Since the emphasis is on patterns rather than individual species, each chapter has cross-references to related topics. For example, tree-related topics such as leaf shape, treelines, and fall colors, are all discussed in different chapters even though they are related. Leaf shape is associated with trees as organisms, and therefore is in Chapter 2: Trees; treelines are most associated with mountains, so their description is in Chapter 8: Mountains; fall colors apply more broadly to forests than to individual trees, and they are discussed in Chapter 9,Forests. Approximately 500 color photographs help make the more than 200 patterns apparent and recognizable for readers, and each pattern is accompanied by a detailed description and a brief list of sources. The book is designed to invite browsing, and readers will gain a rich ecological perspective and insight. Curiosity about the world around us is a basis for human learning; The Nature Handbook serves to aid all nature lovers in their quest for understanding the many stories that our living world provides. ... Read more

Book Description

Month by month, the images in Audubon Wildflowers capture the exuberance of North America’s wild flowering plants. Marsh marigolds wet with dew; a field of paintbrush and arnica vying for attention; prickly pear cactus blooming in the desert; a lone lily silhouetted against the setting sun. These blossoms shine in close-ups and burst forth in fields and forests, revealing a profusion of color, shape, and texture. ... Read more