The Terror: A Novel

Book Description

The bestselling author of Ilium and Olympos transforms thetrue story of a legendary Arctic expedition into a thriller worthy ofStephen King or Patrick O'Brian. Their captain's insane vision of a Northwest Passage has kept the crewmenof The Terror trapped in Arctic ice for two years without a thaw. But thereal threat to their survival isn't the ever-shifting landscape of white,the provisions that have turned to poison before they open them, or theship slowly buckling in the grip of the frozen ocean. The real threat iswhatever is out in the frigid darkness, stalking their ship, snatching oneseaman at a time or whole crews, leaving bodies mangled horribly or missingforever. Captain Crozier takes over the expedition after the creature kills itsoriginal leader, Sir John Franklin. Drawing equally on his own strengths asa seaman and the mystical beliefs of the Eskimo woman he's rescued, Croziersets a course on foot out of the Arctic and away from the insatiable beast.But every day the dwindling crew becomes more deranged and mutinous, untilCrozier begins to fear there is no escape from an ever-more-inconceivablenightmare.

Customer Reviews:

ONE MORE THING..........2007-10-08

I agree 100% with the 5-star reviews already submitted but would like to add one thing that seems to have been played down a bit: this book is bloody TERRIFYING!

Amazingly Detailed.......2007-10-03

You have to admire the sheer amount of research that went into this novel, because after reading this book I guarantee that Dan Simmons knows every bit of maritime trivia, every conceivable thing about living in the arctic, and enough Esquimaux mythology to boggle the mind. The story is that of Captain Crozier, who commands one of two ships on a doomed mission to find the northwest passage. Early in the expedition, the ships become frozen into pack ice, stranding the captain and crew. This leads to many problems, including the inevitable accidents, starvation, disease, mutanies, etc. In and of itself, that would be enough to doom any expedition. However, it gets much worse than that -- there's this monster out there on the ice that has an unstoppable desire to kill Crozier's crew in the most sadistic ways possible. The story isn't so much about the creature as it is about the crew's ability (or inability) to deal with the situation. I have to warn you though, this story is long. There are more than a few times when I was hoping it would simply hurry up and get on with it.

Terrifying (but sometimes tedious).......2007-09-30

I enjoyed both the horror and the historical aspects of this book. Unlike some reviewers, I thought Simmons melded those styles and approaches together well. And there were so many characters, so well developed. Half of the enjoyment here, for me, was in learning about the characters and wondering what they would do next, how they would react in the various situations that confronted them. Also, it was just straight-out terrifying to imagine being in some of those situations.

All of that said, occasionally I thought the writing was a little slow and tedious and I probably even skimmed parts. But then, I'm impatient.

Not Simmons' best.......2007-09-27

After the sun-lit world of Olympos, Simmons plunges his readers into his darkest material at least since Carrion Comfort. That in itself is not necessarily a problem, but there is an issue with the way the novel is being billed.

It is NOT a historical novel with a metaphorical element of horror. It is a HORROR novel that happens to have a historical setting.

Again, not in itself a problem. But Simmons himself seems to have difficulty deciding which kind of a novel he's writing, so the historical elements place constraints on the story that keep it from having a fully satisfying plot, while the horror elements introduce things that are historically ridiculous.

After Olympos, Terror's Hobbesian theme is stunningly bleak. But then, life WOULD be nasty, brutish, short, etc. if one were on an early 19th-century Arctic expedition whose captain made astonishingly bad decisions based on an irrational faith that God would see them through--or if one were an Inuit of that time. So the final Rousseau-like chapters romanticizing the "noble Inuit" are particularly strange. Simmons is inordinately impressed with the only two things the Inuit could do: build igloos, which really isn't that hard (I did it as a boy scout at age thirteen or so, though mine no doubt lacked the mathematical symmetry of those Simmons describes, though it's not as if the Inuit, lacking a system of writing, could actually have grasped the higher mathematics of what they were supposedly doing); and hunting seal, which, well, they'd pretty much HAVE to be good at. (None of this is meant to belittle or morally criticize the Inuit of the time, as given their circumstances, it would have been near impossible for them to advance much beyond that.)

Also, Simmons has already done the "what if their primitive mythology were true?" bit in Fires of Eden, with the much more entertaining Hawaiian mythology, and unhampered by claims of historicity.

Still, Simmons' style here is beautiful, and many of the characters are among the best he's created, so it's certainly worth a read, like everything else he's written.

Absolutely Amazing!.......2007-09-26

Quite honestly, I bought this book as a gift for my son in law, but, being momentarily out of reading material, decided to tackle the volume myself. And I was gob-smacked. The amount of research that had to have gone into this book is simply unimaginable. And, Dan Simmons has somehow managed to turn blank historical figures into real people with real problems. He has breathed life and depth into an expedition that still remains enigmatic. And, boy, did he do his homework. Real history is so much more interesting than fiction. We are talking here about an expedition into the arctic some 160 years ago, fuelled by coal and tinned foods and not much more. These guys definitely didn't know what they were getting into and suffered greatly for that lack of knowledge. I trust Dan Simmons. Well, I've read his other books. I trust that his search for the facts has been rigorous and absolute, and that he has endeavoured, and very successfully, to interweave those facts with the ficticious personas of his characters. In doing this, he has written an absolutely incredible book, extremely readable and continuously fascinating. He has kept, without any judgement, within the mores, the cultural values of that time, and that is also fascinating.
I greatly applaud this book and the man who wrote it. To have been able to create such a tale, interwoven with a cumbersome amount of detail and enhanced true characters is indeed a feat worth applause. And, man, it is just really interesting. Not since The Swarm has a book captivated me to this extent.

Average customer rating:

Good way to introduce the "birds and the bees"
Offers too much detail in my opinion
Covers the embarressing areas
Where Did I Come From?
Just the facts

Where Did I Come From?
Peter Mayle
Manufacturer: Lyle Stuart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0818402539

Customer Reviews:

Good way to introduce the "birds and the bees".......2007-09-01

My son and I had the best laughs reading this book; somewhat embarrasing at time but it was all out there, he was able to ask questions and it was a great way to discuss these things with him as it is with any child. I highly recommend this book for 9 or 10 year olds if your ready to discuss such things with them.

Offers too much detail in my opinion.......2007-08-23

Although I believe this book may be suitable for some kids, I do not believe it is suitable for my son and that is why I did not give it to him. Some pages from the book actually made me turn red! It is my opinion that kids do not need to know all the details provided in this book in order to get the message of where they came from. An edited version would work better for me.

Covers the embarressing areas.......2007-08-23

This book does a great job at explaining why grownups like to have sex. It describes the feelings, without getting lewd.

Where Did I Come From?.......2007-08-09

My son read this in addition to another similar book, and said that this book has less information in it.

Just the facts.......2007-07-13

Great book. I had it when I was a kid and bought it for my niece and nephew. It's just the facts. With all the sex in the media and talk on the playground I think kids deserve to know the truth.

Average customer rating:

Great Book
To be permanently on desk
Well, It has a nice picture on the cover.
Invertebrates - the definitive reference but without molecul
Excellent text on the invertebrates

Invertebrates
Richard C. Brusca , and Gary J. Brusca
Manufacturer: Sinauer Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0878930973

Book Description

Invertebrates, Second Edition presents a modern survey of the 34 animal phyla (plus the Protista) and serves as both a college course text and a reference on invertebrate biology. Thorough and up-to-date, it is organized around the themes of bauplans (body plans) and evolution (phylogenetics). Each phylum is organized in a standardized fashion, treating the systematics, bauplan (support and movement, feeding and digestion, circulation and gas exchange, excretion and osmoregulation, nervous system, reproduction and development), and phylogeny. Detailed classifications, phylogenetic trees, and references for all phyla are provided. Tables summarize each phylum's defining attributes. The text is accompanied by an abundance of detailed line drawings and—new to this edition—color photographs.

Other key changes from the First Edition (1990) include:

* the incorporation of new developments in phylogenetics, developmental biology, and molecular genetics
* major changes at the highest levels among the invertebrates. Three phyla that appeared in the original book—Pentastomida, Pogonophora, and Vestimentifera—no longer exist, and a new phylum, Cycliophora, has been erected. Moreover, this edition discusses recent work in molecular systematics that has shaken classic views on animal classification.
* a large new section on "Kingdom Protista" (replacing "Protozoa") containing new contemporary views of these organisms (arranged in 18 phyla).

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2004-04-24

This is a really good book to have on your shelf. I will not be selling this textbook back!

To be permanently on desk.......2004-02-04

This is a very well organized, beautifully illustrated, comprehensive review of the invertebrates. I wish I had it when I studied biology, but I'm glad I can have it now on my shelf.

Well, It has a nice picture on the cover........2003-03-23

This invertebrate text is a mixed bag. Although the date on the Author's Preface is 2002, very few references more recent than 1997 are cited. The treatment is also very uneven. As expected given the authors' interests, the Arthropod treatment is done pretty well, but pretty much all the other major phyla are poorly treated. For example, reading the mollusk section is like entering a time warp; the gastropod systematic treatment is straight out of 1970s and the minor classes are perhaps worse. Within the molluscan overall framework, seminal works such as the Ponder and Lindberg treatment of gastropods are ignored, and the minor molluscan groups far no better; nothing more recent than references in the 1970s have obviously been consulted for the Scaphopods and although more recent references are listed for the Aplacophora and other minor classes the treatment is equally weak.

Similar problems are apparent within other major taxa as well.

Although the authors have tried to include some modern phylogentic analyses, the more recent data (from say, 1998 through at least 2000) that should have been included are totally absent.

Compared to the first edition, the text has many new illustrations; in fact, that seems to be the major positive addition over the earlier addition.

The book seems to have relatively few typographical errors.

Invertebrates - the definitive reference but without molecul.......2000-11-26

This large, comprehensive book is actually very suitable for the general reader. Concepts are explained well. Excellent line drawings accompany the text. The book starts off with general concepts, then covers the protozoa and then the placazoa (Trichoplax). It is suggested, as others have also speculated, that Trichoplax perhaps represents a surviving descendant of a premetazoan ancestor. The book then goes on to cover the sponges, cnidaria, ctenophora, platyhelminthes, pseudocolelomates, numerous chapters on worms, arthropoda, mollusca, etc, and finishes off with the invertebrate deuterostomes (including echinodermata, hemichordata and chordata). This book lacks recent molecular results, but nonetheless remains an excellent reference on the invertebrates.

Excellent text on the invertebrates.......2000-05-18

Brusca and Brusca's book, INVERTEBRATES, presents a wonderful treatment of this extremely diverse group of animals. The continuous themes of body plan, development, and evolutionary relationships provide a continuous focus for the book.

There is ample material in this book for any most groups of invertebrates. This book would work well for an undergraduate or a graduate level course. The line drawings and BW photos are great. The text is well written, and comprehensive taxonomic information is included.

I hope Brusca and Brusca come out with a 2nd edition, since this book was published ten years ago. If they do, it will be a top candidate for my invert zool course in the future.

Amazon.com

Want to learn how to speak the language of critters, large and small? Easy-to-read and understand, Ted Andrews's bestselling Animal Speak shows readers how to identify his or her animal totem and learn how to invoke its energy and use it for personal growth and inner discovery. Nature lovers will love this insightful compendium, chock-full of touching stories about animals, natural history, and animal folklore. Readers will also learn magical animal rites and how to read omens. Animal Speak includes a dictionary of bird, animal, reptile, and insect totems, which describe each creature's meaning. For example, if a person's totem is dragonfly, he or she was most likely excessively emotional and passionate in early years, learning with age to balance it with mental clarity and control. If a dragonfly suddenly shows up in your life, it means you may need to gain a new perspective or make a change. --P. Randall Cohan

Customer Reviews:

Animals do indeed communicate information to us.......2007-10-02

This book was recommended to me several years ago, and since reading it I regularly refer to it as an informational resource. On many occasions I have been amazed at how relevant the information about a particular creature was to what I was experiencing at the time it happened to cross my path. I found Animal Speak to be of such value to me that I chose to include an excerpt from it within my own book. As such, I highly recommend it to any person who has interest in the spiritual path.

Animal Speak by Ted Andrews.......2007-09-26

Animal Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small

Great book, I had seen Ted Andrews in person, what an incredible man. I already had so many books at the time, I did not buy it then and have him sign it. But recently it is the time of skunks and well, I have just seen/smell for several weeks. My friend has the book, and she read me the section about skunks, and it was amazing. how much of what it had to say about skunks, from strength, relationships, boundaries, sensuality, were the things I was looking at in my life. So I decided to buy the book after all, and it is a great thing.

Animal Speak Still Going Strong.......2007-08-11

This purchase was a replacement for an fifteen year old copy that I simply wore out. I bought the first copy when I met Ted Andrews in 1987, I teach neo-shamanism and suggest that all of my students have this book and it's accompaniment "Nature Speak." Ted is a naturalist and knows animals and nature first hand. He combines his knowledge with ancient and modern myth and lore to give us a comprehensive guide to how animals interact in our metaphysical world.

Fascinating Information about animal symbolism.......2007-07-31

"The most common belief in many societies is that spiritual guides often use animals or animal imagery to communicate their purpose and roles to humans." -From the book.

I was drawn to this book several years ago when I had a recurring dream about an animal and felt sure that there was an important message in it for me. I have used it several times since to look up the meaning associated with certain animals that came across my path. We may think that these encounters are random or coincidental, but they're not. Often we don't see signs that are right in front of us. Does it take a billboard to get you to take notice? For me, sometimes it does, but I have tried to slow down and pay attention to these subtle natural nudges because a lot of times, they contain a powerful message or just good advice! Just as symbols, seeing/encountering certain animals may, on the surface have no meaning to us, but our subconcious knows what it means.

There is a HUGE amount of information in this book. It is very interesting to read. In addition to finding out the meanings/messages of animals, it also tells you how to find out what your nature totems are and how to work with that energy.

In chapter 4 'Reading signs and omens in nature' there are charts for the meanings or symbolism of certain trees and flowers and the positive/negative qualities of colors.

Highly interesting book and great to have for reference.

All creatures, great and small . . ........2007-06-29

This was one of my earlier "special" books. My girlfriend, a Reiki Master, looked up spider for me. I think I had a dream about spider. One of those "insightfull" dreams. You know, the dreams that you just know are more than an ordinary dream. The info she gave me from the book really made me appreciate the spider and what it was trying to tell me. I got hooked, on both Ted Andrews' books and understanding about animals. I always liked animals, but I was a little picky on WHICH animals, and creatures, I liked.

Ted Andrews writes really great metaphysical books. He clearly knows what he's talking about and does his darnest to explain it all to you, with all the details, and in an easy to understand fashion. Besides the fact that it's easy to look up an animal in the book, he explains lots of other related stuff.

I use this book whenever an animal or creature seems out of the norm. Examples would be seeing a single crow over and over again, seeing an animal in some really unusual circumstances, dreaming about an animal, especially if the dream is different. You know a "different" dream when you have one. Maybe you are half asleep/half awake and see a wolf looking directly at you and his eyes are glowing and you sense he is telling you something.

The Elephant's Secret Sense: The Hidden Life of the Wild Herds of Africa

Average customer rating:

Not Animals in Translation...
Who Knew Elephants Hear With Their Toes!
A must for animal lovers, host of Animal Tails
An absolute page-turner
An astounding achievement and truly riveting story

The Elephant's Secret Sense: The Hidden Life of the Wild Herds of Africa
Caitlin O'Connell
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743284410

Book Description

While observing a family group of elephants in the wild, Caitlin O'Connell, a young field scientist, noticed a peculiar listening behavior. A matriarch she had been watching for months turned her massive head and lifted her foot off the ground. As she scanned the horizon, the other elephants followed suit, all facing the same direction. O'Connell soon made a groundbreaking discovery: the elephants were "listening through limbs," feeling the ripples of the earth's surface for approaching friends and enemies. Through their feet, toenails, trunks, and other, subtler modes of communication, these enormous animals were communicating to one another, demonstrating the vital importance of social relationships in their lives.

Yet this grand revelation about the intelligence of wild animals is also a story of the relationship between humans and elephants as neighbors, vying for the same resources of an increasingly crowded continent. For when O'Connell was first contracted by the Namibian government to develop new methods to deter elephants from raiding villagers' crops, she was unprepared for what she would encounter -- political upheaval, tribal disputes, inhumane poachers, and a fundamentally ineffective approach to wildlife conservation. Despite these setbacks, she came to know and love each of the fascinating, unique elephants under her watchful eye, while at the same time witnessing a change in attitude and policy, providing hope for the elephant's future.

An unforgettable journey of scientific discovery, The Elephant's Secret Sense takes you deep into the wilds of Namibia, from the tops of isolated, desert observation towers to the jaws and claws of ravenous lions to aerial expeditions and dusty highways, where the naturalists do their difficult work in a troubled land threatened by expanding human populations and unstable politics. Resonant with the powerful calls of the mysterious elephant, this is a story about the resilience of nature and the inspiring, astonishing, and often heartbreaking places where humans and wild animals come together.

Customer Reviews:

Not Animals in Translation..........2007-05-20

I was expecting a book similar to Temple Grandin's Animals in Translation. Unfortunately, this book is very much unlike that book. I expected the bulk of this book to focus specifically on elephant communication, but that is not the case. Much time is spent on African conservation in general and the history of certain African areas where she was stationed. When I bought the book, it was not to read about local tribes or their politics, it was to read about elephant communication. Not saying the other topics aren't interesting, but if I wanted to read about those, I would have bought a book specifically on that. Making things worse, her style of writing is very disjointed and skips around.

There are not many books that I don't finish reading, but this was one of them. I was very much looking forward to reading this book based on the reviews. Not sure why there was such a disconnect. Maybe it's expectations. If you are expecting a more in-depth book specifically on elephant communication, with lots of scientific detail, this isn't it.

Who Knew Elephants Hear With Their Toes!.......2007-05-13

Anyone who is interested in African elephants and their rich and amazing lives will find this an interesting read. Caitlin has added hugely to the body of knowledge about Elephant communication. It is part adventure story, as most intrepid young scientists who venture into Africa for their PHD theses discover. It tells of the beauty and terror and difficulties of this most diverse land and her rich wildlife.

Caitlin's book tells of her discoveries, elephant communication research, years of working with people in the Caprivi region to combat Elephant/Human conflict as well as her memorable times in hides stalked by lion and all the other adventures.

The book is well written for the most part, does lose some momentum toward the end of the book but this would appraer to be editing rather than Caitlin's writing. I thoroughly reccomend it.

A must for animal lovers, host of Animal Tails.......2007-04-28

An intricate balance exists between humans and nature that undergirds even the most basic experiences. Ecological researcher, Caitlin O'Connell has spent her professional life exploring the lesser-known aspects of this relationship through her study of elephant behavior in sub-Saharan Africa, shedding light on their value within society and promoting the need for continued conservation and outreach. In THE ELEPHANT'S SECRET SENSE: The Hidden Life of the Wild Herds of Africa , O'Connell uncovers the fascinating and complex communication system of elephants, and conveys the deeper importance of this astounding discovery on modern African society.

An absolute page-turner.......2007-04-06

This book is a fascinating look into the world of elephants and the scientists who study them. I was humbled by Caitlin O'Connell's courageous, intelligent, and compassionate approach to working with these complex animals and the people who must learn to share the land with them.

An astounding achievement and truly riveting story.......2007-03-16

I read this whole book from start to finish on a series of flights that I took recently and I was totally taken with the story and the science behind it. I couldn't put it down and I haven't read a book in 10yrs! From a phenomenal underlying technological journey merges the principles of many scientific disciplines ranging from zoology, biology, acoustics, geophysics, chemistry, mechanics, electronics, mathematics, not to mention anthropology.

As a physicist, I loved the explanation of acoustic coupling and aliasing, a very impressive bridge, making connections between fundamental processes that are essential in tying together a very complex phenomenon.

There were tragic elements to the story that were horrific and left me in tears, but at the same time, a remarkable account of caring and human bonding. Congratulations to the author. I can't wait for her next book!

100 Butterflies and Moths: Portraits from the Tropical Forests of Costa Rica

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100 Butterflies and Moths: Portraits from the Tropical Forests of Costa Rica
Costa Rican Leps

100 Butterflies and Moths: Portraits from the Tropical Forests of Costa Rica
Jeffrey C. Miller , Daniel H. Janzen , and Winifred Hallwachs
Manufacturer: Belknap Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 067402334X

Book Description

Walking a forest trail in Costa Rica, a visitor might be struck by the sight of an iridescent blue morpho butterfly fluttering ahead in the filtered daylight, or an enormous silk moth, as magnificently patterned and subtly colored as a Persian carpet, only emerging to fly at night. Elsewhere, vivid yellow and orange sulphur butterflies flock to puddles to sip the concentrated minerals. Such is the dazzling variety of the butterflies and moths unique to this region.

Gathered by biologists Daniel Janzen and Winifred Hallwachs in the forests of northwestern Costa Rica, 100 tropical butterflies and moths represent the diversity in large-format photographs by Jeffrey Miller that document the dizzying variety of shapes, colors, and markings. The photographs are accompanied by species accounts and images of the corresponding caterpillar. The authors recount these insects' feats of mimicry and migration, lift the veil on their courtship, and show how the new technology of DNA barcoding is changing the picture of Lepidopteran biodiversity.

The authors also tell the success story of Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, where the long-term work of Janzen and Hallwachs, a team of caterpillar collectors, and the participation of neighboring farming communities has deepened understanding of Costa Rica's Lepidoptera and has brought about advances in restoration ecology of tropical habitats, biodiversity prospecting, biotechnology, and ecotourism development.

Customer Reviews:

100 Butterflies and Moths: Portraits from the Tropical Forests of Costa Rica.......2007-09-07

Excellent! details in text and photographs. Highly recommended for biologists and folks interested in wild life.

Costa Rican Leps.......2007-05-24

This ia an excellant book that combines coffe-table quality photographs of the butterflies and moths with an excellent text describing interesting aspects of their biology.

For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend

Average customer rating:

Excellent tool
Terrific book - even if you don't have a dog!
Very analytical
Excellent book
So THATs how her brain works

For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend
Patricia B. McConnell
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0345477146
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Book Description

Yes, humans and canines are different species, but current research provides fascinating, irrefutable evidence that what we share with our dogs is greater than how we vary. As behaviorist and zoologist Dr. Patricia McConnell tells us in this remarkable new book about emotions in dogs and in people, more and more scientists accept the premise that dogs have rich emotional lives, exhibiting a wide range of feelings including fear, anger, surprise, sadness, and love.

In For the Love of a Dog, McConnell suggests that one of the reasons we love dogs so much is that they express emotions in ways similar to humans. After all, who can communicate joy better than a puppy? But not all emotional expressions are obvious, and McConnell teaches both beginning dog owners and experienced dog lovers how to read the more subtle expressions hidden behind fuzzy faces and floppy ears.

For those of us who deeply cherish our dogs but are sometimes baffled by their behavior, For the Love of a Dog will come as a revelation–a treasure trove of useful facts, informed speculation, and intriguing accounts of man’s best friend at his worst and at his very best. Readers will discover how fear, anger, and happiness underlie the lives of both people and dogs and, most important, how understanding emotion in both species can improve the relationship between them. Thus McConnell introduces us to the possibility of a richer, more rewarding relationship with our dogs.

While we may never be absolutely certain what our dogs are feeling, with the help of this riveting book we can understand more than we ever thought possible. Those who consider their dogs part of the family will find For the Love of a Dog engaging, enlightening, and utterly engrossing.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent tool.......2007-09-30

This is one of the best tools I've found for helping me understand the world my dog lives in. As a sidebar - there is a series of photos including both humans and canines, showing expressions and pointing out what they mean. Having looked through it thoroughly, I was in hysterics after logging in to a blog and seeing a group of "happy party photos" - once I'd looked at her photos, the *real* message of the party shots was unavoidable, from the smile that said "take one more photo and I'll drown you in the gazpacho" to the frozen, fear-filled shy person, barring her teeth in one of the most uncomfortable smiles I've ever seen. So this is not only good for understanding your dog - but also for paying attention to the real messages on the people faces around you!

Terrific book - even if you don't have a dog!.......2007-09-29

This is a great book! I first purchased it as an audiobook, then purchased the hardcover. Now, I am listening to the audiobook for the second time, and am amazed all over again. If you are interested in the way your brain works, the way dogs learn, the way animals in general learn, this book is fascinating. It is not a how-to book, so you won't be able to train your dog after reading this book. But it will help you understand your dog (and yourself!)

Very analytical.......2007-09-27

I was expecting this audio to be something like a cross between dog psychology and "Marley and Me." It was exclusively the psychology of dog behavior, and is not easy listening.

Excellent book.......2007-09-26

This book gave me a very clear, interesting glimpse into the mind of dogs and enabled me to interpret their body language.

So THATs how her brain works.......2007-09-23

This is a wonderful book providing clear and comprehensible insight into similarities and differences between the way a dog brain and a human brain work. While reading it, I kept thinking "that makes sense...OK...now I get it." I am incorporating newly acquired ideas into my relationship with my dog and we are both better for it.

Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects

Average customer rating:

Great Book
Fantastic insect key
Important for both biologists and non-biologists
Still an essential insect text despite a half-hearted update
An Updated Version of a Great Classic

Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects
Norman F. Johnson , and Charles A. Triplehorn
Manufacturer: Brooks Cole
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0030968356

Book Description

Understand the insect world with BORROR AND DELONG'S INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF INSECTS! Combining current insect identification, insect biology, and insect evolution, this biology text provides you with a comprehensive introduction to the study of insects. Numerous figures, bullets, easily understood diagrams, and numbered lists throughout the text help you grasp the material.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-01-17

An entomologists must have. I have an older edition and bought this for my dad, who is an amateur entomologist.

Fantastic insect key.......2006-03-30

I purchased this book mostly as an insect key. It is organized well, and has a very extensive key, easy to understand, and covers a broad spectrum. If you are interested in insect ID or collection, or just want some information about them, this is a great book to get. Depending on your interests, I would also recommend the "Forest Entomology, Ecology and Management" book written by Coulson & Witter.

Important for both biologists and non-biologists.......2005-08-23

Everything about insects is fascinating, and this book gives a comprehensive overview of their behavior, anatomy, and classification. For non-experts in entomology, such as this reviewer, the book provides the necessary background for further study. Topics such as the molecular genetics of insects and the genetic engineering of insects are not covered, but there are plenty of other books that treat these topics in detail. Only the first four chapters were read by this reviewer, but only chapter four will be discussed here.

Early on in chapter four, the authors dispel the prejudice that since insects have small nervous systems and have short life spans, they are not automatons and can exhibit a remarkable degree of spontaneity. Insects can adjust to the circumstances of their environment and the organization of their activities can be extremely complex. What is most interesting about their discussion of insect behavior is the emphasis on how it depends on the internal state of the insect, and not only its nervous system but also its internal organs.

The authors view the basic unit of behavior in an insect as being a `reflex'. A receptor that is stimulated will cause a particular group of insects to contract, which is observed as a body movement of the insect. A `releaser' is the stimulus that actually triggers a specific collection of movements. This results in what is called a `fixed-action pattern', which, as the name implies, occurs the same way every time it occurs. To be contrasted with these are the `modal-action patterns' that adapt to changes in the body position of the insect relative to external objects. A `central pattern generator' the authors write, is responsible for the leg and wing movements of insects, and allows them to navigate in noisy environments. All of these considerations of insect behavior are interesting in themselves, but even more so considering that they are being applied to unexpected fields such as artificial intelligence. Indeed, the learning abilities of insects are being emulated in various machines in the last few years, with good success. And even, a new area of artificial intelligence called `swarm intelligence' has arisen that is based on the behavior of ants.

Along these same lines, the authors discuss four categories that he believes are useful in characterizing insect behavior. These categories clarify to a large extent the difference between `preprogrammed' and modified behaviors. The first of these are called `closed instincts', which are fixed programs. The second is more flexible and are called `open instincts', where experience feeds back and changes the program. The third consists of `restricted learning' and is the analog of classical conditioning. The last one is `flexible learning', wherein experience can result in significant changes in the behavior pattern. All of these categories have found expression in machines, as well as the types of learning that the authors believe exists in insects: habituation, and associative, latent, and insight learning. The authors admit though that insight learning, where familiarity with relationships among (neutral) stimuli is obtained, has not been established without controversy in insects. Honey bees though they quote as examples of insects that can engage in insight learning. Very interesting also in this discussion of the behavior of insects is the use of mathematical models. As expected intuitively, these models involve control theory, but even more "exotic" approaches such as optimality theory and dynamic stochastic modeling. Optimality theory is used with the assumption that insects evaluate their state variables and engage in decision-making that optimizes their gain according to some criterion.

Needless to say the learning abilities and behavior of insects is fascinating, and no doubt there are many surprises waiting for future entomologists. Their research efforts will not only assist in the better understanding of the most important representatives of the animal kingdom but they will be immediately used by those who are attempting to emulate this "primitive" intelligence of insects in machines.

Still an essential insect text despite a half-hearted update.......2004-08-06

Borror and Delong's weighty "Introduction to the Study of Insects" enters its 7th edition as the standard text for students of North American insect taxonomy. This latest edition is brought up to date by Charles Triplehorn and Norman Johnson after a 15 year gap.

As in earlier editions, Borror and DeLong is a comprehensive survey of North American insect diversity, containing identification keys for the insects and other arthropods along with brief overviews of each family and tips for collection and specimen preparation. Keys are mostly at the order and family levels of the Linnean hierarchy, with subfamily keys presented for select groups. This text is not a field guide; many groups are not illustrated, or are represented only by line drawings of particular parts of their anatomy. Rather, it is best used as a laboratory reference, a single-volume source for identifying insects and spiders to family. No other single reference has the breadth of this text, so Borror and DeLong should retain its place on the shelf of any serious entomologist.

"Introduction to the Study of Insects" also contains chapters on insect ecology, physiology, and systematics, but these are brief. More appropriate texts for these areas are available elsewhere (for instance, Gullan and Cranston's "An Outline of Entomology".)

The 7th edition has been sorely needed. A recent wealth of DNA sequence data and rapid advances in the methodology and philosophy of systematics have produced a flowering of research on insect relationships. As taxonomic improvements accumulated, the 6th edition- the only resource of its kind- had grown increasingly out of touch with the state of the field. So it should come as no surprise that the most noticeable changes in the new edition (aside from the leafy green cover and smaller font size of the text) are in the classifications. Gone is the order Homoptera, sunk at long last into Hempitera. A number of families have disappeared into synonymy (e.g., Anthophoridae into Apidae), while others have been split out (e.g., Stenopelmatidae from Gryllacrididae). Other changes include a completely new beetle key, a considerably improved treatment of spiders, and the inclusion of a newly-discovered order of African insects, Mantophasmatodea.

Triplehorn and Johnson unfortunately are uneven in adopting taxonomic updates across groups. For instance, the wasp family Sphecidae is retained in spite of a long-standing consensus among Hymenopterists that it does not represent a natural group, while other groups like the calyptrate fly family Fanniidae are split out in spite of a lack of consensus among Dipterists over its status. The authors also mix Linnean ranked categories (Family, Order, etc.) with non-ranked clades in several places, with confusing results. Given the extraordinarily dynamic state of the field, however, the authors can be forgiven for some of their decisions.

Many of the revisions appear hasty, as though the book were primarily product of a publisher's deadline. For example, the utility of Michael Ivie's improved beetle key is marred by its incongruous insertion into the largely unaltered text of the previous edition. The chapter introduction treats the user to explanations of 6th edition characters that no longer appear in the new key, while scores of new and often complex characters are not explained in the text, do not appear in the glossary, and are not illustrated. I had to refer to Arnett's American Beetles numerous times to make sense of the new characters. In fact, with few exceptions (like Trichoptera), the figures have not been updated for several editions and users are left to puzzle over scores of unexplained couplets. Microsetose antennal grooves in Coleoptera? Dorsal versus ventral abdominal spiracles in Lygaeoid bugs? Adequate explanations will not be found in the text.

The editing is sloppy. The formatting of taxonomic synopses appears not to have been checked as there are errors in indentation (e.g., the Calyptrate muscoid fly families are indented equal to their header). Page headers for keys persist well beyond the keys themselves. For instance, scale insect descriptions (pg. 324-328) are found on pages labeled, oddly enough, "Key to the Subfamilies of Cicadellidae." The index is conspicuously error-laden (e.g., the beetle family Ciidae is nowhere to be found, but appears erroneously as "Cidae" and "Cilidae". And who knew that "Cermanbycidae"(sic) were long-horned beetles?). Some figure references in the keys have not caught up to the new arrangement of the illustrations; couplet 53 in the fly key points to an illustration that has since moved elsewhere.

Distressingly, a few errors from the previous edition are left uncorrected, and new errors have been introduced. For example, couplet 11 of the Hymenoptera key still asks users to decide if certain wing crossveins are "present" or "present" (11' should read "absent"). Couplet 14 shunts wingless wasps to couplet 16 (the Apoidea) instead of couplet 106. Most moths in the common family Noctuidae will be incorrectly identified as Pantheidae because of a text error at couplet 59 in the Lepidoptera key.

The family descriptions that follow the keys in each chapter are a mixed bag. Usually they are succinct and accurate, but some of the assessments of North American species numbers are dated. There are occasional taxonomic errors that result from outdated text carried uncritically over from older editions. For example, our Nearctic army ants have been classified in the genus Neivamyrmex since the 1950s, yet the text several editions later still refers to them as Eciton.

The Borror and DeLong text remains without an equal as an all-in-one volume for the identification of North American insect families. As such, it is a shame that my impression of the 7th edition is one of missed opportunity. 15 years since the 6th edition should be plenty of time to draw up new figures to keep pace with taxonomic advances and illustrate the updated keys, and certainly enough time to put the text through the rigorous proof-reading that it apparently never received.

(note: the reviewer uses this text in teaching a field entomology class at the University of California at Davis)

An Updated Version of a Great Classic.......2004-07-05

This is the book on insect taxonomy that most entomologists had as their text in introductory courses. The current (7th) edition is revised to fit recent changes in classification and certainly continues the standard set by Borror and DeLong many years ago. It was never intended to be a text in physiology, behavior or ecology. There are texts for these subjects available and just covering the systematic aspects of insects thoroughly is enough of a task.

My only quibbles have to do with some changes in arrangement of orders that I am not sure of (such as the union of Hemiptera and Homoptera, and Anoplura and Mallophaga - the latter was also true of the 6th ed.) and the fact that scorpion taxonomy was apparently not revised at all, despite numerous changes in the last several years.

However, that said, this edition is a continued improvement of a great classic of entomology. Among highlights are Jeremy Miller's and Darrell Ubick's excellent revision of the spider section and the new format for keys to the insects making them easier to use.

Book Description

This long-awaited revision to Ruppert/Barnes' best-selling introduction to the biology of invertebrates is highly regarded for its accuracy and strong research base. This thorough revision provides a survey by groups, emphasizing adaptive morphology and physiology, while covering anatomical ground plans and basic developmental patterns. New co-author Richard Fox brings to the revision his expertise as an ecologist, offering a good balance to Ruppert's background as a functional morphologist. Rich illustrations and extensive citations make the book extremely valuable as a teaching tool and reference source.

Customer Reviews:

An Outstanding Textbook and Reference.......2006-12-29

This is the best invertebrate zoology textbook on the market, perhaps the best ever written. The authors are not content to merely present in fine detail the classification, anatomy, physiology, behavior, and ecology of invertebrates, they present alternative interpretations and controversial opinions where these topics are concerned. In that way, invertebrate zoology comes alive as an active, important, and relevant field of study for understanding the ecology and evolutionary relationships of these organisms in a global setting. I highly recommend this book for a course of study or as a reference for Earth Science instructors who wish to solidify and deepend their knowledge and understanding of invertebrates.

The best invert book on the planet.......2004-01-30

This text is the most comprehensive yet easy to read book on invertebrates out there. Using an evolutionary approach, it begins with the simplest organisms and ends with the most complex. Reproduction, organ systems, and lifestyle are discussed in detail giving the reader a functional view of a continuum of simple to complex nervous systems, digestive systems and locomotive and reproductive life styles. This book explains invertebrate zoology using techniques and concepts that can be used to study most biology topics in a systematic fashion. It is a must own for any undergraduate or post graduate!!!

The ""Bible" of Invertebrate Zoology.......2001-07-12

A modern replacement of Libby Hyman's classic series, but, even so, is now beoming out of date because of the rapid advances in molecular biology. Dr. Barnes is deceased and I understand that Dr. Ruppert has no plans to update the book, a horrendous undertaking. Nevertheless, I know of no substitute for this fine text. Readers should also refer to Margulis & Schwartz "Five Kingdoms".

Sets the standard for Invertebrate Zoology texts.......2000-05-04

Ruppert and Barnes' text, now in its 6th edition sets the standard for invertebrate zoology texts. The authors provide adequate depth for undergraduate courses in invertebrate zoology, and good fodder for graduate students starting in the discipline as well.

There are outstanding collections of line drawings in the text -- a method of illustration I prefer to photographs for most instructional purposes.

There is good coverage of invertebrate animal groups, but, since it's published in 1994, there are a few places where the book is becoming dated. There is, for example, no information about the Cycliophora, the latest invertebrate phyla to be proposed.

I hope that there will continue to be new editions of this text produced. I cut my teeth on the 3rd edition, and other editions have figured prominently as I have worked through my graduate and professional careers.

Top-notch material. If you are considering which text to select for an invertebrate zoology course, I urge you to give this book a look.

"quite simply the best book on invertebrate zoology".......1999-05-09

This book covers all the major taxa of invertebrate fauna and is surprisingly comprehensive for such a diverse topic.

Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior

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Fascinating and practical.
Excellent Book for Pet Owners
Animals in Translation
Informative and intuitive
Must read

Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior
Temple Grandin , and Catherine Johnson
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Cognitive Psychology | Behavioral Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0156031442

Book Description

I don't know if people will ever be able to talk to animals the way Doctor Doolittle could, or whether animals will be able to talk back. Maybe science will have something to say about that. But I do know people can learn to "talk" to animals, and to hear what animals have to say, better than they do now. --From Animals in Translation

Why would a cow lick a tractor? Why are collies getting dumber? Why do dolphins sometimes kill for fun? How can a parrot learn to spell? How did wolves teach man to evolve? Temple Grandin draws upon a long, distinguished career as an animal scientist and her own experiences with autism to deliver an extraordinary message about how animals act, think, and feel. She has a perspective like that of no other expert in the field, which allows her to offer unparalleled observations and groundbreaking ideas.

People with autism can often think the way animals think, putting them in the perfect position to translate "animal talk." Grandin is a faithful guide into their world, exploring animal pain, fear, aggression, love, friendship, communication, learning, and, yes, even animal genius. The sweep of Animals in Translation is immense and will forever change the way we think about animals.

*includes a Behavior and Training Troubleshooting Guide

Among its provocative ideas, the book:

argues that language is not a requirement for consciousness--and that animals do have consciousness applies the autism theory of "hyper-specificity" to animals, showing that animals and autistic people are so sensitive to detail that they "can't see the forest for the trees"--a talent as well as a "deficit" explores the "interpreter" in the normal human brain that filters out detail, leaving people blind to much of the reality that surrounds them--a reality animals and autistic people see, sometimes all too clearlyexplains how animals have "superhuman" skills: animals have animal geniuscompares animals to autistic savants, declaring that animals may in fact be autistic savants, with special forms of genius that normal people do not possess and sometimes cannot even see examines how humans and animals use their emotions to think, to decide, and even to predict the future reveals the remarkable abilities of handicapped people and animals maintains that the single worst thing you can do to an animal is to make it feel afraid

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating and practical........2007-08-24

I am a one-to-one teacher for a teenager with Aspergers and my husband and I are also farmers. I have learned more about how it must feel to live with Aspergers from this book than any text book I have previously read. This book has had a profound impact on my understanding and empathy as a teacher and friend.

I have also been fascinated with the reasoning behind animal behaviors within their own environment. This book has given me concrete information that I can use and helped to explain why my gut feeling in certain instances with animals actually has a factual basis.

The "light-bulb" moments in this book have been continual from cover to cover. This book will stay in my personal library permanently.

Excellent Book for Pet Owners.......2007-08-14

I started reading this book out of curiosity, but it turned out to be serendipitous. Our older dog had recently died at 14, and we didn't realize that our younger dog had concluded that she was now the alpha dog until I started seeing her newly problematic behaviors (including lots of growling at people, which she never did before) on the pages of this book. I used the theories I read about to demonstrate to her that I was the dominant one, and within a few weeks, the problem was gone.

Aside from this practical use, I found the book extremely interesting and often funny.

Animals in Translation.......2007-07-16

Animals in Translation is an amazing book. This book states that by looking at human autism, we can better under animals, the way they think, the way they behave, and how they see the world. The author is an animal scientist who works primarily with slaughter houses. She is also autistic.

Before reading this book, I had very little comprehension about the way that autistic people see the world. I simply had no idea that seeing the world in a visual way was that much different than the way that I think. I now see that this different way of thinking has a lot of really interesting benefits, particularly when it comes to understanding other visual thinkers like the animals around us. As I read this book, I started to comprehend how much detail in life we normally ignore. So much of what we need to understand animals is simply looking at life from their perspective, both literally and figuratively speaking.

Informative and intuitive.......2007-07-03

I picked up this book for two reasons: I am a health care professional who deals extensively with children on the autistic spectrum, and at the same time a boggled owner of a very fearful pekingese mix whom I had adopted from a rescue shelter. Who would've known there was a great overlap in understanding both populations? This was a wonderful, enlightening book that I couldn't put down once I started reading. It was thoroughly engrossing, understanding animals and sensory-processing challenged children from the view who has intimate knowledge of their plight. This is an informative, intuitive book that analyzes behaviors in animals and people with autism, gives meaning to them, and makes them understandable to us.

This is a great read for people who deal with persons with autism behaviors, for people who love animals, and for all who would like to delve deeper in to our human - and animal, and autistic-like - natures.

Must read.......2007-05-30

Lots of information about human and animal emotions and behavior. Easy to read.

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