Planet Earth: As You've Never Seen It Before

Book Description

A visual odyssey that will change the way we see our planet, this remarkable book, companion to the acclaimed Discovery Channel/ BBC series, is an enduring and awe-inspiring record of one of the most ambitious natural history projects ever undertaken. Using the latest aerial surveillance, state-of-the-art cameras, and high definition technology, the creators of Planet Earth have assembled more than 400 stunning photographs of wondrous natural landscapes from around the globe, including incredible footage of the rarely spotted, almost mythical creatures that live in these habitats. Many of the images reveal inaccessible places that few have seen and record animal behavior that has never been filmed or photographed before. With the help of this highly advanced technology and the world's premier wildlife photographers, the book takes us on a spectacular journey from the world's greatest rivers and impressive gorges, to its mightiest mountains, hidden caves and caverns, and vast deserts. Planet Earth captures breathtaking sequences of predators and their prey, lush vistas of forests viewed from the tops of towering trees, the oceans and their mysterious creatures viewed from beneath the surface, and much more--in a magnificent adventure that brings unknown wonders of the natural world into our living rooms.
Copub: BBC Worldwide Americas

Customer Reviews:

Planet Earth........2007-08-14

Wow!!! my 8 year old loves this DVD. Very interesting to watch. Does have some parts that my 8 year old has a trouble watching, this is the section of life and death in the food chain. Otherwise highly recommended, in HD DVD is Awesome....

Planet Earth: As You've Never Seen It Before.......2007-08-10

I have not had a chance to even break the seal on this new book as yet. I skimmed this book at a bookstore, and then decided to buy it. If you saw the mini-series on Discovery or Animal Planet, you will be impressed with this book as well. For those with children, this book is a must.

A Great Coffee Table Book.......2007-08-04

A great companion book to the dvd series.

magnificent.......2007-07-30

Amazing photos and wonderous facts regarding everything imaginable to the unusual. Our family has enjoyed this educational and spellbinding photography.

Glorious.......2007-07-27

Beautifully photographed and informational, this book should be on every nature lover's shelf. The "Planet Earth" series, which I watch weekly on Animal Planet, is even more jaw-dropping. I thank the generous and unbelievably courageous people who have the cojones to make this possible!

Julie Townsend
Metairie, LA

Meltdown: The Predictable Distortion of Global Warming by Scientists, Politicians, and the Media

Average customer rating:

An important book about the "science" of global warming
The reality distortion machine
Meltdown: The Predictable Distortion of Global Warming by Scientists, Politicians, and the Media
Independent Thinkers Beware!
Useful study of the realities of climate change

Meltdown: The Predictable Distortion of Global Warming by Scientists, Politicians, and the Media
Patrick J. Michaels
Manufacturer: Cato Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1930865597

Book Description

An eminently readable and often humorous critique, Meltdown documents hundreds of exaggerations from scientists, politicians and the media, and ties them together with the common thread of rational self-interest.

Customer Reviews:

An important book about the "science" of global warming.......2007-07-08

This book deals with many of the common myths regarding global warming using facts instead of personal attacks in order to deal with the many issues and constituencies who have a stake in the global warming debate. Michaels shows that far from there being a "consensus" about global warming, there is a vast group of special interests who distort facts, ignore real scientific research, and create "facts" out of fiction.
Michaels gives many examples of supposedly scientific conclusions about global warming are really a closed loop of closed minds who exclude any evidence that questions the reasons behind global climate changes.

Are there holes in the Arctic sea ice in the summer.? Yes, but they have always shrunk and expanded over millions of years. Is the Antarctic getting warmer or colder? Yes and no, depending on which part of this vast area you are measuring. Are CO2 levels increasing? Yes, but they are no where close to historical levels reached many times in the past. Polar bears on the verge of extinction? Not when the truth is that there are more of them now than at any other time in history (and eating those cute little fur seals in record numbers, no less.)
The list of currently held myths are dealt with in a very objective fashion, backed up by real research, and showing the earth to be a very complicated system, which is not very well understood. Michaels does a great job of showing that many of the things we think we understand about climate change are really not what you read in the newspapers.

If you are looking for a book that deals with the many arguments used in the global climate change debate in a fair and objective way, this is the best of the lot. But of course Michaels is attacked because he does not rely on tax money for a living, unlike the hundreds of thousands of politicians, bureaucrats, media people and their ilk who flood the world with hysterical stories about the end of the world due to global warming when the evidence is quite to the contrary.

The irony of course is that many who see a great conspiracy in those who question the reasons behind climate change somehow blame "big oil" for asking questions about a supposedly finished debate. They obviously have failed to notice, as Michaels has, that most advertising by "big oil" today is to embrace the agenda of the Gores of the world so that they can make even more money trading "carbon credits" which do nothing to reduce air pollution, and not have to spend a dime for oil exploration.

The reality distortion machine.......2007-06-26

Global warming alarmists follow the rules set down by Leon Trotsky when he established the Soviet Union's Agitprop program. Lie, lie, lie. Spread false stories over and over again. Helped by sympathizers and left-wing media, the lies will soon become accepted as truth. Over and over again in the 20th Century, we saw the basic concepts of Soviet Agitprop employed.

Patrick Michaels demonstrates how these concepts are being once again deployed by the global warming alarmists. The global warming lobby is not monolithic. Some members are motivated by nothing more than simple greed: academics who must have grant money in order to keep their jobs. They often have no political purposes, just a need for public money to pay their salaries and fringe benefits. Some non-academics are simply cause hustlers: saving the planet is a potent headline for fund-raising solicitations. Others, the real movers and shakers, want to change the world, they want a single world governmenr to rule the lives of everyone. (It is neither accident nor coincidence that Earth Day is also Lenin's birthday.)

Here Michaels dissects the process of distortion engaged in by the various pressure groups and the media. For example, one interesting graph depicts the way UN IPPC projections of temperature change are consistently amplified in the media, regardless of what the IPPC report actually predicts. The pernicious influence of monopolistic government funding producing an echo chamber of politically correct peer-reviewed "studies" is especially interesting. In short, you don't get financed and certainly not published if you don't agree in advance that your findings will support the "consensus" position.

One by one, with ample supporting documentation, Michaels blows apart what amount to media myths about global warming.

This is a must-read book for anyone attempting to get at the truth of global warming.

Jerry

Meltdown: The Predictable Distortion of Global Warming by Scientists, Politicians, and the Media.......2007-06-08

This is a brilliant and witty review of the issues concerning global warming.

Independent Thinkers Beware!.......2007-06-04

Mr. Michaels is a member of no less that 20 institutes, think tanks, and other national groups that receive significant funding from Exxon--places like the Cato Institute, the Heritage Foundation, the George C. Marshall Institute, and the Heartland Institute. He also admits that he has accepted funding from various fossil fuel industry groups. One would have to suspend a lot of disbelief to think that such a well-funded person is not serving as a spokesperson for these industries, or, at least, is badly, badly compromised.

Useful study of the realities of climate change.......2007-06-04

Michaels' very useful book examines the way the media, particularly the liberal press and the BBC, distort the realities of climate change. Yes, the climate is changing, but no, it is not racing to some irreversible tipping point presaging imminent catastrophe. Blair and other practised liars want to alarm us into cutting our living standards and paying out more taxes. Michaels punctures the rhetoric with close reasoning and hard facts.
The scientist who started much of the global warming furore, NASA's James Hansen, now predicts warming by 0.75 degrees Centigrade over the next 50 years, i.e. 0.15 degrees Centigrade a decade. He admitted, "Emphasis on extreme scenarios may have been appropriate at one time, when the public and decision-makers were relatively unaware of the global warming issue. Now, however, the need is for demonstrably objective climate ... scenarios consistent with what is realistic under current conditions."

The New York Times wrote, "Arctic Ice is Melting at Record level, Scientists Say. The melting of Greenland glaciers and Arctic Ocean sea ice this past summer reached levels not seen in decades, scientists reported today." (8 December 2002.) If the NYT's editors cannot see that the second sentence contradicts the first, how reliable is their scientific judgment of anything?

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that sea levels will rise by between 0.2 and 0.6 metres by 2100, i.e. at most, by 60 centimetres in the next 93 years.

Warming will bring warmer winters, more rain and longer growing seasons, thus enabling more food crops to grow. Warmer winters will also reduce the numbers of old people dying from cold - always a far great number than those dying from excessive summer heat.

Average customer rating:

A very easy to read and informative book
This book is very good for any beginner or anyone just interested in beekeeping.
Beekeeping for Dummies is awesome!!
Cannot wait to get started
recommended reading

Beekeeping for Dummies
Howland Blackiston
Manufacturer: For Dummies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0764554190

Book Description

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

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

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

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

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

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

Customer Reviews:

A very easy to read and informative book.......2007-10-09

This is a very good and easy to read book and I believe you will learn a lot and enjoy reading it!

This book is very good for any beginner or anyone just interested in beekeeping........2007-09-30

After you get started you'll soon realize that there is a lot of information not in this book, so I think you'll naturally go out to seek for more knowledge, I know I did! For getting people interested and well informed this is a fantastic resource! Couple this will a membership in a local bee club and a saving account for more books, videos, and magazine subscription and your well on your way in wonderful world of beekeeping!

Beekeeping for Dummies is awesome!!.......2007-07-25

I'm new to the world of beekeeping and this book has got to be one of the best resources available. I would definently recommend it for beekeeper of all experience.

Cannot wait to get started.......2007-07-11

I loved the book and cannot wait to get started. Unfortunately, I will have to wait till Spring 2008. The book is very inspiring.

recommended reading.......2007-07-11

There is not a single "tell all" book for beginner beekeepers, however this is a must in the beginner library. My recommendations are
#1 Beekeeping for Dummies by Howland Blackiston
#2 Beekeeping-A Practical Guide by Richard Bonney
#3 Hive Management by Richard Bonney
in that order.

Last Place on Earth (National Geographic)

Average customer rating:

Stunning pictures
Great Book
The most Impressive Book in my Library
Incredible Adventure and Book
Retrospective

Last Place on Earth (National Geographic)
Mike Fay
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0792238818
Release Date: 2005-09-01

Customer Reviews:

Stunning pictures.......2007-05-12

Mike Fay has done it again with this collection of amazing photos. Each picture tells a unique and compelling story that make you feel the real struggles in Gabon.

Great Book.......2007-04-16

Bought this book for my mother-in-law as a birthday present. She has traveled to Africa many times so it was perfect for her. She was thrilled with the book. The book is spectacular. We would recommend highly.

The most Impressive Book in my Library.......2007-03-08

Having been a member of The National Geographic Society since 1952 and with a library accumulated in that time, I have not seen before Last Place on Earth such a fine book so magnificently produced.

Incredible Adventure and Book.......2007-03-08

As a photographer and a journalist who has a passion for intense travel and the natural world, I think this is one of the most amazing books published in the past 20 years. Passionate, heartbreaking, and beautiful the world and work of Nick Nichols and Mike Fay shown in this book was eye opening. Highly reccomend. Only comment that maybe negative is the size a bulk of the book.

Retrospective.......2007-01-27

This is a beautifully bound book covering a wide range of areas in and about the jungles of Africa. The images are possible only for someone who spent as much time there as these two did, and the breathtaking work shows this condition. The mega-transect journal is a very nice companion to the photographs, and really helps to convey a mood and philosophy of their work. There passion is obvious.

Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity: With a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America

Average customer rating:

Great for Novice and Advanced Entomologists Alike
A top basic reference pick for serious science libraries.
Great Reference
Very Happy Customer
Beautifully Photographed Book

Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity: With a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America
Stephen A. Marshall
Manufacturer: Firefly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1552979008

Book Description

Meticulously researched and illustrated with color photographs, Insects is a landmark reference book that is ideal for any naturalist or entomologist. To enhance exact identification of insects, the photographs in this encyclopedic reference were taken in the field -- and are not pinned specimens.

Insects enables readers to identify most insects quickly and accurately. The more than 50 pages of picture keys lead to the appropriate chapter and specific photos to confirm identification. The keys are surprisingly comprehensive and easy for non-specialists to use.

Insects features:

Detailed chapters covering all insect orders and the insect families of eastern North America
A brief examination of common families of related terrestrial arthropods
4,000 color photographs illustrating typical behaviors and key characteristics
28 picture keys for quick and accurate insect identification
Three indexes -- common family names, photographs, general index
Expert guidance on observing, collecting and photographing insects.

Almost 80 percent of all named animal species are insects and closely related arthropods. This book is required reading for anyone interested in entomology.

Customer Reviews:

Great for Novice and Advanced Entomologists Alike.......2007-09-06

The descriptions of each insect family and the many color photos of representatives of each family are interesting and memorable. This book gave me a fun overview of most insect families, and has a nice picture key that is much easier to use than conventional keys. I am a novice to insects, but as I learn more and more, I have no doubt that I will continue turning back to this book with its wealth of information and photos. This book is truly an intellectual gem - fun to read, and packed with interesting information. A MUST-HAVE for anyone interested in insects.

A top basic reference pick for serious science libraries........2007-05-08

Stephen A. Marshall's INSECTS: THEIR NATURAL HISTORY AND DIVERSITY isn't for the general-interest holding so much as the college-level collection catering to entomologists or students of such. Insects of Eastern North America are the focus in a jam-packed colorful reference displaying insects within their order and including notes on their introduction, habitats, coloring and more. It's the professional's solid reference to identification and habits, making it a top basic reference pick for serious science libraries.

Great Reference.......2007-05-07

My wife and I have a landscaping company and teach gardening. I have been looking for a complete book insects, not just the problem ones. This book has great pictures of the life cycle of the insect not just the adult or larve. Another great book is Garden Insects of North America by Whitney Cranshaw.

Very Happy Customer.......2007-01-09

The book arrived in a timely manner, and was in perfect (new) condition. It was purchased for a Christmas gift, the person receiving it was happy, too! It's an excellent book, well worth the price!! Lots of photographs and information to aid in identifying insects. The best part is that Amazon had this book for sale 20 to 30 dollars less than the first place I has seen it for sale.

Beautifully Photographed Book.......2007-01-04

I bought this book for my entomologist husband and was very impressed with the book.

Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival (Survival School Handbooks / Tom Brown, Jr)

Average customer rating:

When civilizaton falls, I'll be ready!
"A Treasure"
Good place to start
Survival at it's best.
Keep this in your pack.

Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival (Survival School Handbooks / Tom Brown, Jr)
Tom Brown
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425105725

Customer Reviews:

When civilizaton falls, I'll be ready!.......2007-07-14

This book is well written, easy to read and full of useful information on how to survive out in the wild places. Anyone planning for the end of civilization (or just a fun weekend camping in the woods) should read this book.

"A Treasure".......2007-04-20

when i say treasure i don't use that term lightly. i originally read this book in it's entirety and really enjoyed it, then put it down for awhile. However, I have spent numerous hours in the outdoors as of late and have found this as a guide to just about anything i want to do in the outdoors.
I have used it to guide me through making baskets and containers in the wilderness, (and an easter basket for my wife), for skinning a wild animal, for making knifes, arrows, etc. from flint and bone, for guiding me to some edible wild treats. I could go on and on about the uses for this book. And even if this book isn't complete on a particular subject it will guide you to a book that does. Whether it's to one of his books or another field guide series.

Good place to start.......2007-02-11

This book is a great place to start if you're interested in learning outdoor survival. Very practical, not just what to do, but how to think when you're if you're stuck in a survival situation. Clear directions, simple illustrations. Not as dry as, say, a Boy Scout manual.

Survival at it's best........2007-01-10

Tom Brown is a mastermind.I got this book read it,then got all of his field guides. Outdoor survival is my love and Tom Brown has taken me to a whole other level. BUY IT!

Keep this in your pack. .......2006-07-26

This book is the best starting place for those wishing to learn about wilderness survival. The book is well organized and a pleasure to read. The subject matter can be dry, but Mr. Brown does a good job of interlacing his personal experiences with the instructional material. There are two reasons I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5. 1) I think it could use more diagrams and pictures. Without an instructor by your side it would be easy to misunderstand some of the more technical skills covered. 2) This book is mainly for temperate regions. While much of the material is useful for any climate, it is missing tropical and artic specific information. Mr. Brown's knowledge of survival and tracking techniques is second to none. His field guides should be on every outdoor enthusiast's book shelf, and this book should be in your pack with you at all times.

The Tree: A Natural History of What Trees Are, How They Live, and Why They Matter

Average customer rating:

Difficult to Read
Fascinating read
Disappointed
Everything you wanted to know about Trees
Arboreal trilogy

The Tree: A Natural History of What Trees Are, How They Live, and Why They Matter
Colin Tudge
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400050367
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Book Description

There are redwoods in California that were ancient by the time Columbus first landed, and pines still alive that germinated around the time humans invented writing. There are Douglas firs as tall as skyscrapers, and a banyan tree in Calcutta as big as a football field.

From the tallest to the smallest, trees inspire wonder in all of us, and in The Tree, Colin Tudge travels around the world—throughout the United States, the Costa Rican rain forest, Panama and Brazil, India, New Zealand, China, and most of Europe—bringing to life stories and facts about the trees around us: how they grow old, how they eat and reproduce, how they talk to one another (and they do), and why they came to exist in the first place. He considers the pitfalls of being tall; the things that trees produce, from nuts and rubber to wood; and even the complicated debt that we as humans owe them.

Tudge takes us to the Amazon in flood, when the water is deep enough to submerge the forest entirely and fish feed on fruit while river dolphins race through the canopy. He explains the “memory” of a tree: how those that have been shaken by wind grow thicker and sturdier, while those attacked by pests grow smaller leaves the following year; and reveals how it is that the same trees found in the United States are also native to China (but not Europe).

From tiny saplings to centuries-old redwoods and desert palms, from the backyards of the American heartland to the rain forests of the Amazon and the bamboo forests, Colin Tudge takes the reader on a journey through history and illuminates our ever-present but often ignored companions. A blend of history, science, philosophy, and environmentalism, The Tree is an engaging and elegant look at the life of the tree and what modern research tells us about their future.

Customer Reviews:

Difficult to Read.......2007-08-09

As a layperson, interested in learning about the biology of the life forms around me, I bought this book with high hopes only to find it essentialy useless and unreadable.I didn't expect a tree ID guide, but this book doesn't tell the story of trees well. It's not a smooth narrative. It's 400 pages full of technical sounding Latin names and totally lacking pictures.In short, it's just not a good basic intro to trees or a good read.

Fascinating read.......2007-05-31

I've been sort of collecting books on trees the last few months. Though still an amateur on the subject, this book is a winner from where I sit. An I-can't-put-it-down book that makes me happy I'm only half way through right now.

If you are interested in understanding the flora around you and you aren't already degreed in botany but kinda would like to be, this book is for you!

Disappointed.......2007-05-13

Mr. Tudge is obviously very well educated on trees, but he gets a bit dry and lost in the details from time to time.

Everything you wanted to know about Trees .......2006-10-15

One of the most beloved and memorable of all popular poems is Joyce Kilmer's 'Trees' " I think that I shall never see/ a poem as lovely as a tree'/ A tree whose hungry mouth is prest/ against the earth's sweet flowing breast/.
The sheer wonder, delight, and inspiration 'Trees' give to our poetic nature is only one side of what they are.
In this learned and detailed study of Trees,Colin Tudge tells us more about them than we might ever have wanted to know. He describes the different species, provides a survival guide to the way Trees manage in often challenging environments, considers the special qualities of different kinds of trees, helps us understand how Trees are a benefit not only to the 'natural world' but to human civilization and society.
He does this as he also points out the new dangers facing various species from global- warming. And he has specific recommendations on how we can better create an environment more beneficial to the natural world as a whole.
The book is disappointingly poor in one element most of its readers will certainly want to have, good illustrations of Trees. But it nonetheless is an overall encyclopediac treasure for those for whom one of the natural world's great stars are an ongoing source of interest and attraction.

Arboreal trilogy.......2006-05-11

"I never met a Tudge I didn't like" is a fitting adage for this wide-ranging author. Having written an "unauthorised biography" of life, the impact of agriculture on human development and other works, Tudge has created a masterpiece of science writing. No longer can we claim that we can't "see the woods for the trees" since he has detailed the mechanics of both in exquisite detail. At) least so far as we know now. If nothing else is clear from this book, what we don't know about the mechanisms of trees far exceeds what we've learned. Trees, so ubiquitous in their presence and so meaningful in our lives, remain a great mystery to be solved. In three almost independent segments, he spells out what is known and what needs to be revealed.

He opens with one of the most understated definitions in science writing: "a tree is a big plant with a stick up the middle". From this simplistic opening, he then develops an image of how complex that "stick" and "plant" combination is in the final product. This complexity didn't appear from nowhere - the author explains how evolution built it from simple beginnings. Most readers will be familiar with the fact that 46 chromosome are needed to make a human. Trees, through various mechanisms, may develop hundreds of chromosomes depending on conditions. The structure of a single tree almost pales against the variety of trees growing around our planet. Tall trees, spreading ones, trees that we often call "shrubs" - which are merely superbly adapted to their local environment - all reflect the immense diversity trees have developed over the ages. Although generally divided into but two forms, conifers and "flowering" trees, they comprise thousands of species, many probably still unknown.

Tudge dedicates the second part of his book to descriptions of those variations. It is a catalogue of wonders as he depicts the oaks, beeches and other "common" types along with palms, celery pines and fruit trees. He begins with the ancient conifers, trees with a lineage stretching back nearly three hundred million years. That heritage shows in the varieties the conifers incorporate. From stately pines to humble ground-huggers, the conifers even include a parasitic member among their ranks. Angiosperms, the "flowering" trees, have surpassed the conifers in species number. The author lists each Order, with a list of the families and species. He explains why the numbers of species are in flux as new information about relationships comes to light. Tree habitats are also described with indications of where to find typical specimens.

In last third of the book: "How Trees Live", Tudge demonstrates why he's one of today's leading science writers. He has accumlated a vast repetoire of information, and presents it with almost passionate style. Seemingly static from our viewpoint, trees have much to do in the course of their lives. They must keep the sun in view, and many forests are competitive arenas to lift leaves into the light. There are seasons to keep track of, predators to discourage and to entice and employ helpers in the process of reproduction. Lacking brains, or other "intelligent" means, trees cannot manufacture devices for these needs. All must be accomplished with chemistry. Much of "the secret life of trees" is hidden here. With but five hormones and a handful of pigments to achieve their tasks, they have built up forms and methods to accomplish it all with an astounding degree of success.

Tudge's adulation of trees goes beyond being simply informative. In his conclusion, he both endorses our need to increase our knowledge of trees and warns of the effects of our failure to do so. We may view trees as aesthetically pleasing or as a source of lumber or paper. Either way, we must deal with them properly. Hewing down vast forests does far more than leave a barren landscape. Trees are the source of the oxygen we breathe. They take up the carbon dioxide our society produces in such imposing quantities. Their capacity for that role has likely been exceeded at this point. Trees matter, he argues, and we need to know why and how. This book is an excellent starting point to find the answers to that learning quest. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific

Average customer rating:

Needs reformatting
Good and complete birding book
The indispensible Tropical Pacific field guide.

A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific
H. Douglas Pratt , Phillip L. Bruner , and Delwyn G. Berrett
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0691023999

Customer Reviews:

Needs reformatting.......2007-01-11

This field guide has excellent sketches of birds but the layout is quite awkward. This guide like most if not all guides breaks down the birds by family groups. This works well for most areas but not Hawaii. As an example, on the first page for Crows and Honeycreepers there are six birds listed, three are extinct, the other three birds all exist on seperate islands, so if I am birding on Kauai and I look on this particular page there is only one bird I would have any chance of seeing but I still have five other birds on the page as a distraction. On the other pages there are on average 8-10 birds per page but once again some are extinct (and not boldly labled as such) while there may only be one or two birds from each island on the pages. My recommendation to make it easier to ID birds in the field would be to put all the extinct Hawai'ian endemic birds on two or more pages (since there are so many of them) for emphasis and then have seperate pages for each island. Since there are so few birds to be found on each of the Hawaiian islands versus say the tropical forests of Costa Rica, I beleive my recommended format would be much less frustrating than the current format of the book to use in the field.

Good and complete birding book.......2007-01-10

If ou go to Hawaii and you want to go birding, I can recommend this book. It is a comprehensive guide, with clear and accurate drawings, and checklists for each island. The only thing missing is a list of buirding sites.

The indispensible Tropical Pacific field guide........1999-07-11

Pratt, Bruner, and Dickinson have produced a superb field guide completely covering all the islands of the tropical Pacific from Hawai'i west through Micronesia. This is a true field guide: it gives the field marks of every species, notes problems in identification with special emphasis on distinguishing similar species, and wastes no space on matters not related to identification. (The exception is that Pratt, a significant ornithologist as well as an expert in identification, summarizes controversies in classification whre appropriate.)

The text is organized by order and family, not by region, so the flycatchers of Tahiti appear next to the flycatchers of Palau rather than near other Tahitian birds. But the illustrations are grouped by region: Samoan land birds appear together, regardless of relationships. This greatly facilitates use in the field.

The illustrations are paintings, not photographs, which allows the authors to show similar birds in identical poses as well as eliminating the accidental marks which appear in even the best photographs and can confuse the user.

The authors have chosen to include the extinct birds of the region as well as the living ones. This puts a certain amount of "deadwood" on the illustration pages, which may be detrimental. But, considering that more than one "extinct" bird has been found after being missing for nearly a hundred years, it is probably worth the minor inconvenience.

Book Description

First published in 1949 and praised in The New York Times Book Review as "a trenchant book, full of vigor and bite," A Sand County Almanac combines some of the finest nature writing since Thoreau with an outspoken and highly ethical regard for America's relationship to the land. Written with an unparalleled understanding of the ways of nature, the book includes a section on the monthly changes of the Wisconsin countryside; another part that gathers informal pieces written by Leopold over a forty-year period as he traveled through the woodlands of Wisconsin, Iowa, Arizona, Sonora, Oregon, Manitoba, and elsewhere; and a final section in which Leopold addresses the philosophical issues involved in wildlife conservation. As the forerunner of such important books as Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire, and Robert Finch's The Primal Place, this classic work remains as relevant today as it was forty years ago.

Customer Reviews:

5 Stars Indeed.......2007-08-20

I knew I would enjoy this book right from the start, when I found the following passages in the Foreward: "There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot..." and "For us of the minority, the opportunity to see geese is more important than television..."

If you can relate to those statements, you will love this book. Guaranteed. Aldo Leopold was a conservationist, but he was so much more. He was a visionary. Read those statements again, and when you realize that he wrote them back in 1948, you might be amazed. But as you read the book, you will come to understand how special he was. Facts or knowledge that we take for granted today (e.g., predators play an important role in a healthy ecosystem), Leopold was talking about them over 50 years ago. Time and again I found myself checking the copyright because I could not believe someone was actually thinking this way so long ago.

However, it's not just the ideas of Leopold that made him special. The way he wrote was special, too. His talent drew you in, even though he was writing about something that, by the sound of it, might be kind of dry. For example, in a section called "Good Oak," he connects the passage of years to the rings of a fallen tree that he is cutting for firewood. Starting with the 1940s he relates one environmental tidbit after another for decades or years: "Now our saw bites into the 1890s...when the last passenger pigeon collided with a charge of shot near Babcock." By the time Leopold is done cutting the fallen tree, the reader has received a fascinating and sobering account of what had transpired to the environment in the area of this oak tree for the previous 80 years. The way he used the backdrop of cutting the tree rings as "markers" of environmental mishaps was masterful. It is Leopold at his best, but fortunately, the book is full of writing like this.

It is divided into three sections. The first one follows a calendar year on his farm in Wisconsin, with Leopold relating little vignettes about chickadees, skunks, flowers, or whatever else he comes across. It is probably the most charming part of the book. Part two ("Sketches Here and There") contains short remembrances of Leopold's travels to different parts of North America. Unfortunately, the story usually has a "bad" ending - at least, for the environment or for a species (like the now-extinct passenger pigeon). But Leopold had a reason for that. He moves to part three, "The Upshot," where he spells out his ideas for saving the land and the wild things that live there. It is too much to discuss here, but Leopold again hits the mark. His goal was to try and change how Americans think about the use (and abuse) of our environment. Pehaps his biggest lament then, and mine now, is that not enough people care about what we are doing to the land.

That's why this book was published. The hope of this book was to change the hearts of the average American. It still is. Over fifty years later, it's still in print, and it's still relevant.

Five stars. Absolutely the best nature/environment book I've ever read.

A Breath of Fresh Air.......2007-02-20

Life got you down? Live in a big city? Take a refreshing break and escape to the Wisconsin countryside in this beautifully written little book about the land and the plants and animals that live and grow there. Aldo Leopold's writing is more compelling than John Muir's,and more knowledgeable than Thoreau's. In a series of short sketches you follow the cycle of the land from January to December. Along the way you learn about history, meet amazing plants and animals, and experience the drama of both the destruction and the rebirth of our land.

A sublime experience, but not for everyone.......2004-12-21

I keep this book on my nightstand and read an essay or two after my pj's are on and before going to bed. My bookmark is a pencil for making notes in the margin when particularly wonderful passages are encountered. The margins are very full.

Aldo opens our eyes to worlds in our own backyards which have always existed but which have remained undiscovered due to our own dull-sightedness. I considered myself an avid nature-watcher, but the extent to which Mr. Leopold carries this hobby is humbling. He inspires any true fan to learn the names and habits of every tree, shrub, weed, thistle, bird, insect, and critter native to one's home county, and to hone one's journaling skills and master the talent of imagery and metaphor.

But, this book is not for everyone. I've read favorite passages to friends only to watch their eyes glaze with disinterest. If you're the outgoing, life-of-the-party, must-always-be the-center-of-attention type, then perhaps The DaVinci Code would be of interest. But if you enjoy solitary walks in the woods, canoe paddles on distant foggy lakes, or reading prose with your pj's on, then this is required reading.

The first of its kind, and still the best.......2004-09-05

"Thus always does history, whether of marsh or market place, end in paradox. The ultimate value in these marshes is wildness, and the crane is wildness incarnate. But all conservation of wildness is self-defeating, for to cherish we must see and fondle, and when enough have seen and fondled, there is no wilderness left to cherish." (from "Marshland Elegy")

"It must be poor life that achieves freedom from fear." This, from reflections on being caught on horseback during a lightning storm, is a comment on the "civilized" mindset that wanted all to be safe, and so feared and destroyed wildness.

These essays were written mostly in the 1940's, although some of them are about earlier times in the author's life. In a way, reading Aldo Leopold is like watching Humphrey Bogart in those old movies, with his smoking and tough-guy sexism. We understand these as disreputable today, but can put them in context. Likewise, Aldo Leopold was in many ways a typical countryman of his time and place. He loved to hunt and fish, and even reflexively shot wolves, like everyone else. He came to regret that, and in fact to realize that in the new era, where hunting and fishing have become mass recreations, that the old ways just don't work anymore. But they did in his day, and he does not retrospectively apologize for having been, in a sense, just another predator.

But he was also a college professor, and an expert naturalist and ecologist. In this book he is a poetic writer about nature and a loving reporter of all things wild. No matter where I lived I would love this book, but having lived not too far from his sand counties and walked his restored prairies makes it the sweeter.

Wonderful.......2004-03-25

Read Walden, then read Sand County Almanac. They might just change the way you think about the world.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful book...
Love this book!!!
Gerald Durrell at his funniest
An amazing work of art!
A Good Animal Lover Novel

My Family and Other Animals
Gerald Durrell
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142004413
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Book Description

When the unconventional Durrell family can no longer endure the damp, gray English climate, they do what any sensible family would do: sell their house and relocate to the sunny Greek isle of Corfu. My Family and Other Animals was intended to embrace the natural history of the island but ended up as a delightful account of Durrell's family's experiences, from the many eccentric hangers-on to the ceaseless procession of puppies, toads, scorpions, geckoes, ladybugs, glowworms, octopuses, bats, and butterflies into their home.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful book..........2007-09-21

This is a fantastically written book that anyone who appreciates literature can love. The immagery rich and deatiled, the charccters are wonderfully brought to life by some witty dialogue, and the charm is undeniable. It also arrived on time and in perfect shape. Reccomended.

Love this book!!!.......2007-09-03

I picked this up when I was in Spain because it was one of the only books I could easily find that was written in English. I loved it!!! Durrell's amazing depiction of Corfu made me really want to go and explore the magical island that he brings to life. Almost twenty years later, this is still one of my favorite books of all time.

Gerald Durrell at his funniest.......2007-07-11

This book is captivating and plain funny. Whether you're an adult or a teenager, you will be consumed by Durrell's great description of his family life in Greece. You'll see the sights, hear the sounds and experience the smells through his teenage eyes. From the mystery of the rose-beetle man, to his distracted mother, and the various friends he makes in Greece, you'll love it ALL.

When I first read this book, I couldn't put it down until the very end. And it introduced me to a whole new world of writing. Durrell's other books are lightweight (but just as amusing) compared to this one. It's a classic and deserves to be on every bookshelf.

An amazing work of art!.......2007-06-21

Wow! This is an amazing book. It has made me want to go to corfu! The book is the true story about gerry durrel and his stay on the greek island of corfu. Gerry has an extreme intrest in nature, (Much to the anoyance of his writer brother, Larry, lover of things hunting, Lesly, and his sister with an acny problem, Margo.) The story takes many twists and turns, in which he comes across many different animals including Dodo the dog, the maggenpyes, and Geronamo the gecko. Five star!

A Good Animal Lover Novel.......2007-05-27

The book My Family and other Animals is most definitely a different book. It is about a young boy, the author, who moves to a small island with his large and diverse family. Gerald is very interested in animals and such. So when they move to the island he likes to just wander around and look at the species and try to capture them. There are really two types of writing going on in the novel, a story part and an informational part. It is very interesting during the more story part, for me, since something is actually happening. However, I do no necessarily like the informational part since it is about animals. I do like animals, but I think it is a bore to read about them like it was a text book. Overall, this is a really good book and it keeps you on the edge of your seat, and it makes you laugh when the whole family gets together with all their differences. I recommend it highly to all the animal lovers out there

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