Reviews (1)

An excellent environmental history.
There are many fine environmental histories of North America but seemingly very few of Europe. Following a brief description of how the end of the Ice Age produced the sodden, water-filled plains of central and northern Germany, this book explores how man created the modern German landscape by straightening the Rhine River and "reclaiming" the southern coast of the North Sea and other watery regions. The maps are useful. Great stuff, I wish there were more books on the transformation of the European environment over the past 12,000 years. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Conservation Of Natural Resources (General)    2. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    3. Europe - Germany    4. Germany    5. Historical Geography    6. History    7. History (General)    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. Hydraulic engineering    11. Planning    12. History / Germany   

Subjects:  1. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    2. Environmental Science    3. Germplasm resources    4. Life Sciences - Ecology    5. Life Sciences - Genetics & Genomics    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Science    9. Conservation of wildlife & habitats    10. Genetics (non-medical)    11. Science / Biology   

Editorial Review

The image of salmon battling upstream through whitewater cataracts to spawn in their birthplace is integral to any happy vision of the Pacific Northwest. Sadly, because they face more insidious obstacles than swift currents, few people today actually witness this remarkable spectacle.Armed with exhaustive research and an ability to synthesize his findings into a concise, readable indictment of the status quo, Jim Lichatowich, a fisheries scientist for 30 years, traces the sudden decline of Northwest salmon populations following the onset of Euro-American settlement. He points a finger at the usual suspects: logging, mining, damming, grazing, irrigation, commercial fishing, and development. Moreover, he cites the political establishment for a failure of nerve. Since the shift from a Native American "gift" economy based on sustainability to a profit economy based on self-interest and short-term financial gain, the historically resilient salmon have met one adversary after another, with little or no help from the legal apparatus charged with their protection. In fact, federal and state governments have responded to the deepening crisis mainly by building fish hatcheries up and down the West Coast. Contrary to the beliefs of entrenched bureaucrats and sport fishermen, says Lichatowich, hatcheries have merely diluted the gene pools of wild stocks while allowing resource extractors to continue their multifarious operations and politicians to shirk their responsibilities. In 1960, for instance, after decades of declining runs, the Washington Department of Fisheries reported, incredibly (and characteristically), that new advanced management techniques would soon result in "salmon without a river"--more welcome news to those who would continue to exploit these iconic fish and their habitat. At the dawn of the 21st century hundreds of hatcheries still operate, yet Northwest salmon populations have decreased 95 percent. Read more

Reviews (10)

Peter Morrison
This is a must read book for anyone interested in salmon, rivers and the ecology and history of the Pacific Northwest.Excellent information and a good read.

Great read
This is an excellent book that documents the history of salmon, how native Americans viewed them and how modern Americans view them.It focuses on why the pacific northwest is facing a salmon crisis, and our failed attempts to replace what we have lost.Great read for anyone who is concerned about environmental issues.

Pacific Northwest Salmon History Book
Salmon Without Rivers is a great book of historical facts. It includes many issues like; original salmon locations/populations, "Economy over Environment" issues, and the ineffectiveness of large decision making commissions/agencies. However, with all his good background information the book does not propose any solutions nor investigates today's coastal human communities as they relate to the salmon and/or habitat. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Americas (North Central South West Indies)    2. Commercial fishing    3. Ecology    4. Environmental Studies    5. Fish    6. Fishery conservation    7. History    8. Nature    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Northwest, Pacific    11. Pacific salmon    12. Rivers    13. United States - State & Local - General    14. Endangered species & extinction of species    15. Environmentalist thought & ideology    16. Management of land & natural resources    17. Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection    18. Pacific Ocean    19. Science / Zoology    20. Western & Pacific Coast states   

Reviews (44)

One Person
'Mom, do you have any good books I can read? Maybe one about animals?' I asked my mom one day when I was bored. When my mom handed me this book, about a year ago, I didn't know what to expect. I read the first chapter and was hooked. The author is so dedicated to animals and has experienced so much, it's hard to put the book down. I think it only took me a few days to read it and I just finished reading it for a second time. Thisis a book that makes you want to go and make a difference in the world. It makes you realize how much the news doesn't talk about animals in a disaster. When I graduate collage, I want to become an animal disaster volunteer. Right now I'm only 14 so I have a few years but, while I wait it's nice to know there are people like Terri Crisp making a difference in the animal world. Before I read this book I didn't think I could make much of a differance, after reading this book, I've learned how much of a difference one person can make.

South Florida dog mother
Ms. Crisp's dedication to all animals in distress is an inspiration for anyone who cares about the living creatures that share our planet with us.Having survived back to back hurricanes in south Florida; I know that even a small amount of time/money spent helping the often overlooked animal victims is precious and greatly appreciated.Thank you Terry!

Great Book!
I read the book and it has been a favorite of mine.I love the animals in this story.It is a real heart warming story. Kudos to the author. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - Animal Husbandry    2. Animals / Pets    3. Biography    4. Crisp, Terri    5. Disaster Relief & Rescue Operations    6. Essays    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Pets    10. United States    11. Wildlife    12. Wildlife conservation    13. Wildlife rescue    14. Animal welfare    15. Literary Criticism & Collections / General    16. Pets / Essays    17. Political Science-Disaster Relief & Rescue Operations    18. Technology-Agriculture - Animal Husbandry   

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - Meteorology & Climatology    2. Ecology    3. Forest Ecology    4. Forest dynamics    5. Forests & Forestry    6. Lake States Region    7. Life Sciences - Biology - General    8. Life Sciences - Ecology - Forest Ecology    9. Meteorology (Specific Aspects)    10. Nature    11. Nature/Ecology    12. Science    13. Ecological science, the Biosphere    14. Forest ecology--Lake States Region    15. Nature-Ecology    16. Plant ecology    17. Science / Biology    18. Science-Life Sciences - Biology - General   

Reviews (3)

Pleased and alsovery disappointed
I looked forward to receiving this book and the caterpillar photos are beyond compare except for a couple that are too dark. For those who have raised caterpillars and been interested in them these photos are magnificant.
The Beautiful Caterpillars
This book will change the way you feel about caterpillars. It transforms them from ugly pests into objects of beauty and of intellectual fascination. Based on more than twenty-five years of field research in the tropics by Janzen and Hallwachs and their assistants, it contains not only magnificent photos but also a wealth of information on the behavior and ecology of the species represented. It is at the same time a wonderful coffee table book and a great naturaly history read. In sum, I loved this book, and intend to give it as Christmas presents to all of my nature-loving friends.

Don't Forget the Larvae
We don't generally like insects much, remembering how they sting, sicken, or impoverish us, and forgetting that they do us invaluable service in the reproduction of new generations of countless plant species.We do like butterflies because they are so beautiful and harmless, but we do not like caterpillars because they are squirmy and eat our plants.There are countless books featuring pictures of beautiful butterflies and moths, but few featuring the larval forms of the insect.A look at _100 Caterpillars: Portraits from the Tropical Forests of Costa Rica_ (The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press) by Jeffrey C. Miller, Daniel H. Janzen, and Winifred Hallwachs shows that the emphasis on the flying forms may be misplaced.The gorgeous, large-format pictures here show all the colors of which adult butterflies can boast, plus an enormous variation in patterns, spikes, hairs, body plans, and more.Indeed, after the hundred photographs, there is a section of the book devoted to detailed descriptions of the behavior and ecology of each caterpillar, and for each there is a small picture of the adult into which it will grow.Almost all the adults are more drab and less interesting than their larvae.
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Subjects:  1. Butterflies & Moths    2. Caterpillars    3. Costa Rica    4. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    5. Insects & Spiders    6. Nature    7. Nature / Field Guide Books    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Pictorial works    10. Butterflies    11. Insects (entomology)    12. Nature / Butterflies   

Reviews (8)

At Last I Get It
This book is an exploration into what's right and what's wrong with the planet and our relationship with it.It was written as a sequel to an earlier book by McKibben, "The End of Nature."In this book, McKibben starts by identifying some areas where there is hope for improvement in the environment in the future.The book is arranged in four parts.In the first part, McKibben considers examples of environmental recovery in his own region.He then turns to two parts of the world with very different local solutions to global problems.The first of these is Curataiba, Brazil, a city made famously livable by some very forward-thinking city planners.He then turns to Kerala, India, noting that a relatively high quality of life can be achieved with extremely limited resources, provided one addresses the key structural problems of society first.In the last section of the book, he reflects on his observations from the three regions.
Up from poverty
Bill McKibben offers a more hopeful set of scenarios in this book, pointing to cities like Curitiba and regions like Kerala as examples of how communities can achieve sustainability and raise standards of living without big money projects.Closer to home, McKibben shows how forests are being regenerated in the Northeast allowing wolves, moose and other wild species to reinhabit this region.But, something seemed to be missing in this volume.It lacked the focus of The End of Nature and didn't seem to go very far beyond surface observations.Nonetheless, I am thankful to McKibben for drawing attention to Curitiba and Kerala, showing that in many ways the so-called Third World has achieved greater sustainability than many parts of the so-called First World, leading him to make the salient observation that maybe we should re-examine our priorities here in the United States.

The End of Nature's Sequel
Hope, Human and Wild is a kind of sequel to The End of Nature in which Bill McKibben highlights some positive, hopeful examples of sustainable human activity. He quotes Al Gore as saying, essentially, that our environmental problems now exceed our political ability to solve them. This is a deeply disturbing statement, so McKibben profiles a pair of cities in Brazil and India where sustainability and quality of life movements have taken hold and are actually succeeding. The implications are obvious: if two Third World cities can pull this off despite long odds, both political and environmental, then why can't we?
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Subjects:  1. Ecology    2. Effect of human beings on    3. Environmental Conservation & Protection    4. Environmental Science    5. Environmental Studies    6. Environmental degradation    7. Environmental health    8. Essays    9. Human Ecology    10. Nature    11. Nature/Ecology   

Reviews (4)

A balm for painful truth
Merkel is a gentle soul whose moment of truth came when he saw the Exxon Valdez disaster on TV. Realizing his lifestyle contributed directly to this sort of environmental destruction and a host of other world problems, he set out to do something about it. Travels in Kerala (in India) and among the Chumash taught him how to live a simpler life with less waste, fewer things, and greater connections to the land and people. As he reduced the environmental stress that his life caused, he also found that his life became less stressed.
Very inspiring, but gets too technical
I would give five stars to the first 5 or so chapters without question. Merkel provides a very inspiring background to his topic and some great examples. The thing I didn't like about the book was that once you get into the more technical aspects, it loses its energizing quality a bit and gets slightly confusing. I would have enjoyed the book better if the beginning was expanded to provide more examples and maybe the rest of it was offered as a seperate workbook. However, even if you read only the beginning, this is a great book to get you started on living more sustainably

Closer to the Bone
"The year 1978" says author Jim Merkel, "was a special year in both Earth's history and human history, and it passed without notice. It was the year humans claimed the entire sustainable yield of Earth." Since that time, the stakes have only risen. Humanity now gobbles up some 20 percent more than of the earth's bioproductivity. "Why, then, hasn't the system begun to collapse?" you ask.
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Subjects:  1. Education    2. Effect of human beings on    3. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    4. Environmental Science    5. Environmental Studies    6. General    7. Human ecology    8. Multicultural Education    9. Nature    10. Sustainable development    11. Education / Multicultural Education    12. Sustainability   

Subjects:  1. African elephant    2. Asiatic elephant    3. General    4. Mammals    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Pets    8. Wildlife conservation    9. ASIA    10. Africa    11. Evolution    12. History of specific subjects    13. Life Sciences | Vertebrate Zoology | Mammalogy    14. Nature / Mammals    15. Wild animals   

Reviews (4)

gorgeous illustrations, info. you won't find anywhere else
This has got to be the single best guide to Antarctica's unusual wildlife. Everything is covered here, from Gentoo Penguins to Crab-Eater Seals (which don't actually eat crabs). Beautiful illustrations make it easy to identify birds & other animals while your out on the ice. If you're going to the White Continent, you'll want to stash this little book in your daypack. This book was useful when my husband & I visited the Antarctic peninsula, which we chronicle in our DVD "T&T's Real Travels in Antarctica" (also available on amazon.com).

A handbook essential for any Antarctica-bound traveler
The price tag may seem steep for the fourth edition of this 144-page paperback - but where else are you going to find details on the wildlife of Antarctica, tailored as a take-along tote for the Antarctica-bound traveler? Color drawings by Dafila Scott accompany nature history descriptions of each creature and discussions of identification specific to Antarctica, from contending with visibility factors to seasonal identification features. Antarctica: A Guide To The Wildlife is a unique and strongly recommended "take-along" handbook essential for any Antarctica-bound traveler.
Great, portable guide
I bought this book in preparation for a trip 'South' in December 1999/January 2000 and it was an extremely useful guide to wildlife in general but especially good for penguin information. The drawings by an ancestor of Robert F. Scott's are lifelike, and engaging art as well.The brief summaries of natural and exploration history are accessible and informative. If you are looking for a portable guide to peninsular wildlife get the book--you won't regret it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia & Oceania - General    2. Polar Regions    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Travel - General    6. Travel Guides    7. Wildlife    8. Wildlife Conservation    9. Antarctica    10. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    11. Travel / Polar Regions   

Reviews (4)

Excellent Introduction to EE concepts
Tietenberg is a big player in evironmental economics, and clearly lays out the fundamentals of environmental and natural resources economics accessible to those without significant economics training.

Out of Date
The book is hopelessly out of date. Although it carries a 2003 publication date, it still refers to the USSR and Czechoslovakia in the present tense. It consistently refers to studies done in the 1980s as recent and less than 25% of the examples, charts. etc. use data from 1990 or later. For example, only 5 out of 37 references in the chapter on Economic Justice are more recent than 1990, and the most recent is 1994. This is typical of just about every chapter. One gets the feeling that the publisher never reviewed this revided edition.

Good for Graduate School
I used this book for graduate school.Its a textbook and little more.But, it is a well written textbook. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Development - Sustainable Development    3. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    4. Environmental Economics    5. Environmental policy    6. Government policy    7. Natural resources    8. Nature    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Public Policy - Environmental Policy    11. Business & Economics / Economics / General   

Reviews (11)

best book on animal liberation
After anyone reads this book they will look at radicals with logic, reason, and a compassionate heart. This book, more then any other animal rights book from Animal Liberation by Singer or The Case for Animal Rights by Regan, stands far above them all. While at the same time all of those books are outstanding and must be read. The anthology approach of gathering many people together to write on an important topic should be done on all critical topics, bravo Best and Nocella. I now know so much more about different viewpoints and a strong stance to debate the use of direct action.

Superb!
Terrorists or Freedom Fighters is a revolutionary conglomeration of individual viewpoints regarding the Animal Liberation Front. The book is not only thorough in its historical coverage, it includes the voices of many individuals, female and male, academics and activists, young and old.
Outstanding Philosophy Book
With more than 20 authors from around the world, this book examines, theorizes, and professes, an outstanding concept, animal liberation in action. From academics to activists finally a book about the Animal Liberation Front - ALF. The ALF is an international nonviolent underground organization that has been around since 1976. This book should be a recommended read for every environmental and philosophy class. It is well edited and organized. If you enjoy stories, theory, philosophy, animal advocacy, or revolutionary struggles, you must read this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animal Liberation Front    2. Animal Rights    3. Animal experimentation    4. Animal rights movement    5. Animals    6. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Terrorism    10. United States   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Development - Sustainable Development    5. Environmental aspects    6. Industrial management    7. Social responsibility of busin    8. Social responsibility of business    9. Business & Economics / Sustainable Development    10. Environmentalist thought & ideology    11. Management & management techniques    12. Sustainability   

Reviews (2)

Very good book on vernal pools.
This is a very good book on vernal pools ecology.I have studied vernal pools in the university a few years ago and it's a shame that this book wasn't there at that time. A compendium of superbly organized information
A "vernal pool" is a small, transient, biologically dynamic pond that appears in low-lying areas (especially in spring) and then typically dries up as the seasons of the year progress. The focus of Vernal Pools: Natural History And Conservation by aquatic ecologist Elizabeth A. Colburn (formerly with the Massachusetts Audubon for 18 years and currently a staff member of Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts) is upon the formerly glaciated region of eastern North American, but the detailed information is applicable to vernal pools and ponds anywhere else they appear in North America. A compendium of superbly organized information about vernal pools and their habitats, and their role as freshwater resources and in the promotional support for biological diversity, Vernal Pools is a core addition to academic library Environmental Studies reference collections, and especially commended to the attention of land owners, conservationists, land-use policy makers, and environmental protection activists.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Life Sciences - Ecology    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Science    6. Vernal pool ecology    7. Vernal pools    8. Ecological science, the Biosphere   

Reviews (1)

Ecotoxicology Text
I received the text book very quickly and the book was in mint condition.The service was perfect. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - General    2. Effect of human beings on    3. Environmental Science    4. Environmental Studies    5. Environmental aspects    6. Environmental toxicology    7. Life Sciences - Ecology    8. Nature    9. Pollution    10. Science    11. Science/Mathematics    12. Toxicology    13. Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection    14. Toxicology (non-medical)   

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - Forestry    2. Forests and forestry    3. Mensuration    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Technology    8. Trees & Forests - General    9. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    10. Technology / Agriculture / Forestry   

Reviews (5)

HOW WONDERFUL ELEPHANTS ARE
IT IS AMAZING TO ME THAT MAN DOESNT KNOW OR CHOOSES NOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW INTELLEGENT AND WONDERFUL THESE BEAUTIFUL CREATURES OF GOD ARE AND THIS BOOK MAKES IT REAL CLEAR.

The lives of elephants revealed
This is a wonderful book. Cynthia Moss takes the reader deep into the intricate social lives of Africa elephans in Amboseli National Park (Kenya), and leaves a profound impression. How very sensitive these animals are, and how endearing. It is entirely clear how these creatures have suffered at the hands of humans, but also nobody can read this book and not feel the urge to conserve this fantastic species. Also it may inspire some to travel to Amboseli to see the elephants 'in person' - an experience that you will never forget!

Intriguing
This is an excellent book. At first, the book seems confusing as the author continuously refers to the individual elephants on a first name basis when one has no idea of who these "people" are. As the names become more familiar and the individual stories develop, the strange names develop into a wonderful, although at times anthropomorphic story on the natural history of these gentle animals. As she warns us, the author takes the liberty of adding unwitnessed, fictional pieces to most stories, which can be confusing and at times blur the objective observations that she makes with subjective, although probably real, assumptions. Read more

Subjects:  1. African elephant    2. Amboseli National Park    3. Amboseli National Park (Kenya)    4. Individual Species Of Mammals    5. Kenya    6. Mammals    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Conservation of wildlife & habitats    10. Nature / Mammals   

Subjects:  1. Ecology    2. Life Sciences - Biological Diversity    3. Life Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems    4. Monitoring    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Rare animals    8. Rare plants    9. Sampling (Statistics)    10. Science    11. Wildlife    12. Endangered species & extinction of species    13. Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection    14. Science / Life Sciences / Biological Diversity   

Subjects:  1. Environmental Science    2. Environmental Studies    3. General    4. Philosophy    5. Environmentalist thought & ideology    6. Ethical issues & debates    7. Ethics & moral philosophy    8. Philosophy / General   

Reviews (1)

A type of 'new biology' in which human systems and machines meld to form new possibilities
Can genes challenge machines? Author Robert Frenay is a former contributing editor of Audubon magazine and in PULSE: THE COMING OF AGE OF SYSTEMS AND MACHINES INSPIRED BY LIVING THINGS, he charts the shift from machines to biology bolstered by computers: a type of 'new biology' in which human systems and machines meld to form new possibilities. From robotics to materials science he considers industrial ecosystems in which waste products from manufacturing become the new materials for another endeavor, considering the changing relationships between mechanism and biology in the process. Supporting these observations and contentions is a history of such relationships and their changes, areas in which biology can be seen at work, interviews with scientists and researchers, and observations of mechanisms actually produced which support his positive visions of future industrial endeavors. His single idea comes from a researcher's perspective and reflects on the cultural philosophy and pressures shaping technological change.
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Subjects:  1. Bioengineering    2. Bionics    3. Biotechnology    4. Engineering - General    5. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    6. General    7. Human-machine systems    8. Nature    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Social Aspects    12. Technology & Industrial Arts    13. Technology And Society    14. Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection