Reviews (3)

Wild Harmonies - Will get into your skin!
Wild Harmonies
emotion is everything
She is looking for the right place in her life. Most of the people are looking for a meaning to live for.
insightful delightful, but not easy to read "Un" autobiography
WILD HARMONIES is an insightful delightful "Un" autobiography that breaks the rules of chronological order most books in that genre follow.Instead, the renowned French pianist is all over the place yet contains enough discipline so that the reader can follow her story.Most interesting is the combining of a love for music with a love for wolves.The music started as an unmanageable and unpredictable child in France while the love of wolves began as an adult in Florida when she met her neighbor's she-wolf.As she did with the piano Helene Grimaud became an obsessed fanatic who has opened up a wolverine conservatory in Upstate New York.
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Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Composers & Musicians - General    5. Genres & Styles - Classical    6. Music/Songbooks    7. Musical Instruments - Construction And Repair    8. Wild Animal And Bird Protection    9. Music / Classical   

Reviews (165)

Real Science from a Sci-Fi Humorist
A book about nature could be boring, but Douglas Adams writes with a humorous, and sometimes touching, attitude.

Don't blink!
Somewhere in the depths of its vast corporate wisdom, the Guardian/Observer news organisation found a pearl of good sense.The pearl hatched a precious jewel of an idea.Send Douglas Adams, creator of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, accompanied by zoologist Mark Carwadine, to seek out some of the Earth's disappearing species.His account is classic Adams, with vivid description, poignant observations and incisive study of the people and places he encountered.The age of this book is of small account, even with the "Mark's Last Word" update segment closing the book.The book remains a pleasure to read.
Looking for rare animals-The Adams Way
With the BBC and zoologist in tow, Douglas Adams visits a number of the world's most out of the way places looking for some of the world's most endangered animals. The travels are a series of comic mishaps, dealing with corrupt officials, obnoxious fellow travelers, and some examples of transportation that would make you swear off travel. These problems do seem a bit too familiar too anyone who has read of travel in the world's harder to reach places, but Adams generally keeps things moving along with his light touch. . When he finally sees these animals in the wild, it has a transformative effect on Adams; he becomes thoughtful and starts to ruminate on the future of these animals and their rightful place in the ever-changing world.
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Subjects:  1. 1952-    2. Adams, Douglas,    3. Endangered species    4. Journeys    5. Life Sciences - Ecology    6. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Reference    10. Nature / Reference   

Reviews (11)

The end of the big game - A book to protect today'swildlife
Published in 1965, the book is the most famous book of Peter Beard.The book is shoking as most photos are pictures of dead animals, it is definitely not a book to look at before your safari.Black and white pictures are excellent.Sadly, the last pages are only photos of elephant's carcasses (too much?).The Beard's touch is a book full of old illustration, tiny pics, small and odd drawings and detailed texts - most of them taken from the British Museum.The book is about the Old Africa and text about Mt Kenya, the Man-eaters of Tsavo, Nairobi and Karen Blixen are not easy and you must have a knowledge of Kenyan history to understand them fully.This book is essential for any African collection as it has shocked and marked history.

Old Africa brought to life
An excellent book for those that can handle the truth. It shows what will happen when nature is left to manage itself and what happens when men don't control themselves. It's about hard times and history-a way of life long forgotten. If you are a product of the spoonfed Disney age, then you'll find this book shocking. It may well be your first taste of truth about wild animals,wild places, and the true spirit of man. This book is about Old Africa and should not be judged with today's politically correct eye. It is an account of things happened in a forgotten time, and a lost way of life.

Old Africa-brought to life
It's a very real look at Old Africa. It shows the truth of man's bad luck, bad descisions, greed, and life filled with hard times. It shows nature in it's true self, not some Disney version of happy animals dancing around. This is an excellent book and should serve as a wake up call for the multitudes of Americans who believe the garbage that is spoon fed to them on their televisions. It may be well more than most readers can handle, because the truth is not sugar coated here. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa, East    2. Big game animals    3. Big game hunting    4. Hunting Sports    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Wild Animal And Bird Protection    7. Africa    8. Hunting or shooting animals & game    9. Juvenile Fiction / General    10. Wild animals   

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   

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   

Reviews (4)

What a story and I am not a nature book reader!
I should preface this by saying that I read voraciously but nearly all my books are international intrigue, mystery and sci fi.Occasionally I will branch out and read something different and usually it is non-fiction.I happened upon a copy of Return of the Condor and was struck by the cover. Having never seen one live and not even really knowing anything about condors, I flipped through the pages and looked at the magnificent color photos.Went back and read the first chapter and I was hooked. Although it is a true story it reads more like a novel with both intrigue and tenderness.I read it in one sitting and found myself wishing it had continued on past its ending.This is an excellent read even for someone who has little or no interest in birds or nature.It is fascinating, extremely well-written and engrossing.

Informative and Entertaining
Condors are North America's largest birds, with wingspans of nearly 10 feet.They are also highly intelligent-and extremely rare.John Moir's passionate writing shows how a team of dedicated scientists pulled this fascinating creature back from the brink of extinction (in 1982 there were only 22 CA condors left in the world).But it wasn't easy, and the process was fraught with bitter controversy between those who wanted to leave the birds alone and let them live "free" versus those who argued in favor of collecting data by radio tagging some birds and capturing others.
A great read
This book is not only a remarkable tribute to the condor and the scientists who have worked to save it, but a captivating story as well.
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Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Wild Animal And Bird Protection    6. Birds & birdwatching    7. Conservation of wildlife & habitats    8. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Subjects:  1. Animal Ecology    2. Animals    3. Bears    4. Description And Travel    5. Endangered species    6. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    7. Essays & Travelogues    8. Human-animal relationships    9. Mammals    10. Nature    11. Travel    12. Nature / Bears   

Editorial Review

In a wonderful weave of science, metaphor, and prose, David Quammen, author of The Flight of the Iguana,applies the lessons of island biogeography - the study of the distribution of species on islands and islandlike patches of landscape - to modern ecosystem decay, offering us insight into the origin and extinction of species, our relationship to nature, and the future of our world. ... Read more

Reviews (62)

Fabulous
Quammen's book is a rare bird--a clearly written science book that doesn't condescend to readers.It's long enough to go fairly deep, and deep enough to be interesting:it's on my short list of favorites.
Plotting the roadmap to species extinction
"Islands are where species go to die." - David Quammen, author of THE SONG OF THE DODO
Comprehensive
Mr Quammen's work is the finest written on the facts of island biogeography.Broad in scope, the writer visited the leks of the birds of paradise and those nasty lizards on Komodo.Other places of interest the book visits are Madagascar and the Galapagos, known for their weird endemic faunas that can only be explained in an evolutionary, and biogeographic manner. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biogeography    2. Biology    3. Ecology    4. Endangered species    5. Environmental Science    6. Environmental Studies    7. General    8. Island ecology    9. Life Sciences - Biology - General    10. Nature    11. Nature/Ecology    12. Applied ecology    13. Biology, Life Sciences    14. Nature / General   

Reviews (7)

Serving the Interests of the Dominant Culture; A critical perspective
As all the other reviews are positive, I will add a much needed critical perspective.
A new view on the bison's demise
Andrew Isenberg, professor of History at Princeton University, has produced a brilliant monograph documenting the relationship between the Plains Indians, whites and the bison that once thrived on the Great Plains. Important contribution to the field of environmental history
Andrew Isenberg's "The Destruction of the Bison" shows that the interaction between ecology, culture and economy contributes the the destruction of bison. Unlike most historians who contributes the environmental degradation to Euro-Americans, Isenberg shows that Native Americans also play a role in modifying the ecology. He is able to show how introduction of horses, made Native Americans became more mobile and therefore were able to hunt the bison while riding their horses.Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - U.S.    3. History: American    4. United States - General    5. Wildlife    6. 20th century    7. American bison    8. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    9. American history: from c 1900 -    10. Endangered species & extinction of species    11. History / United States / General    12. The Americas    13. USA    14. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (2)

OUTSTANDING - a MUST READ for anyone working in the outdoors
As a field geologist, Gulf War veteran and former EMT, I can say that this book is the most comprehensive text I have ever seen regarding outdoor dangers, survival and wilderness medicine.If you work outdoors or spend a lot of time recreating outside, this is a MUST HAVE book!

Wilderness Medicine
As an RN,Trauma Nurse Specialist, I found this book to be well written and highly informative. With the speed of modern travel it's also a great reference to have for injuries and illnesses that can occur in far away places that one doesn't see often, or ever in your "home" ED. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Allied Health Services - Emergency Medical Services    2. Emergencies    3. Emergency Medicine    4. Environmentally induced diseas    5. Environmentally induced diseases    6. Medical    7. Medical / Nursing    8. Mountaineering injuries    9. Outdoor medical emergencies    10. Recreation    11. Wild Animal And Bird Protection    12. Wildlife    13. Accident & emergency medicine    14. Medical / Emergency Medicine    15. Outdoor survival skills    16. Personal & public health   

Reviews (2)

Not the only African Wild Dog book
No, this is NOT the only book on the African Wild Dog, although yes it is a good one and well worth the money.I'd have to also recommend the one by McNutt, I believe it's called Dispelling the Myths of the African Wild Dog.McNutt has been studying these misunderstood dogs for many many years, and is one of the leading researchers.His book has lots of information about a particular pack he was studying, plus lots of info on the dogs in general, and has GREAT photos...some of the best AWD pictures I've seen.

This is THE book on wild dogs.
That's not just a compliment. It's a literal fact. There is no other book dedicated to wild dogs. Not in print. Probably not at all. And if we're to be "stuck" with just one publication, it is sheer pleasure to be stuck with this one. Highly readable, engaging, informative... robust science, excellent documentation, interesting and mind-expanding explanations and statistics... There's no other book out there, but even if there were, it would be hard pressed to meet this publication for quality and readability. Five stars. Worth every penny. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. African wild dog    2. Animal Ecology    3. Dogs    4. Life Sciences - Ecology    5. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    6. Mammalian Behavior    7. Mammals    8. Nature    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Animal behaviour    12. Biological Sciences    13. Endangered species & extinction of species    14. Science / Biology   

Reviews (4)

Nobody's Horses:A Phenomenal Story for Everyone!
Nobody's Horses is a beautifully written, heartwarming story by a cowboy veterinarian dedicated to his Oath. You will feel as though you are there in the midst of American history, danger, excitement and range of emotions experienced by Dr. Hoglund as he sets forth to rescue these magnificent horses. Nobody's Horses is a fascinating tale about passion for horses, the West and their interwoven past, present and future. A real page-turner that keeps you riveted with interest every step of the way. Indeed, Nobody's Horses is a phenomenal story for everyone!

Nobody's Horses
The horse has been a part of the very fabric of our American tradition.There are many who would raise the consciousness of the sorry fate of some of our equine friends.
Kevin Maher, President, GlobalVetLink
Dr. Hoglund did a superb job capturing my attention from beginning to end of a fascinating wild horse capture.The personal sacrifice and dedication created a powerful visual of the great care and genuine concern he and others had for the wild horses and foals' safety.An added bonus was the historical references in the development of the west that illustrates the great importance of horses' dramatic influence in the development of our culture.
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Subjects:  1. Animal Rights    2. Animals    3. Horses    4. Individual Species Of Mammals    5. National Wild Horse Prison Inmate Program (U.S.)    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. New Mexico    9. White Sands Missile Range    10. Wild Animal And Bird Protection    11. Wild horse adoption    12. Wild horses    13. Wildlife    14. Nature / Horses   

Reviews (1)

Contents:
Articles and essays from different people like philosophers, biologists, activists and lobbyists. Here you learn first hand accounts of the stories that have made headlines around the world...the plight of the Silver Spring laboratory monkeys, the freeing of the Island of the Dragon dolphins, the successful campaigns against the Draize and LD50 tests, extinctions of species, and confinement of animals in farm factories and zoos. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animal Rights    2. Animal rights movement    3. Animal welfare    4. Ethics & Moral Philosophy    5. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    6. Moral and ethical aspects    7. Philosophy    8. ENDANGERED SPECIES    9. NATURE CONSERVATION    10. Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection    11. Practical & applied ethics   

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Balog, James    3. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    4. Endangered species    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Photography    7. Photography Of Specific Subjects    8. Photography of animals    9. Pictorial works    10. Wildlife Conservation    11. Wildlife photography    12. Photographs: collections    13. Wild animals   

Editorial Review

The eminent Harvard naturalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Wilsonmarshals all the prodigious powers of his intellect and imagination in thisimpassioned call to ensure the future of life. Opening with an imaginedconversation with Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond, he writes that he has come"to explain to you, and in reality to others and not least to myself, what hashappened to the world we both have loved." Based on a love affair with thenatural world that spans 70 years, Wilson combines lyrical descriptions withdire warnings and remarkable stories of flora and fauna on the edge ofextinction with hard economics. How many species are we really losing? Isenvironmentalism truly contrary to economic development? And how can we save theplanet? Wilson has penned an eloquent plea for the need for a global land ethicand offers the strategies necessary to ensure life on earth based on foresight,moral courage, and the best tools that science and technology can provide. Read more

Reviews (55)

How to preserve ecosystems and species' of our world
I found the heart of this book to be in Wilson's recommendations on how to preserve the ecosystems and species of the world.
Very Informative
The Future of Life by Edward O. Wilson provided a great deal of information regarding the current state of the environment. Wilson makes many good points but overall he is far too pessimistic. This book should be read by anyone who enjoys reading about the environment or is interested in learning more about conservation.

The Future of Life, boring yet informative
Overal the author made several important points. He believes the biodiviersy of earth is decreasing and htis is having an important impact on hte environment. THe population is growing at expodential rate and eventually the worlds recources are running out. Although htis book is boring, somthing does need to be done to save our environment.I recoment htis book to all who have any feelings for the earth itself. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Endangered species    2. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    3. Environmental Science    4. Environmental Studies    5. Environmental degradation    6. Life Sciences - General    7. Nature conservation    8. Science    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Science / General    11. Reading Group Guide   

Subjects:  1. Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice    2. Education    3. Endangered Species Act of 1973    4. Endangered species    5. General    6. Law and legislation    7. Legal Reference / Law Profession    8. United States    9. United States.   

Reviews (1)

First Rate Summary of Planetary Biodiversity and How to Go About Saving It
It isn't often that a sumptuous coffee table book is both visually appealing and scientifically packed with well-researched data. Hotspots Revisited hits the mark on both scores. This updated revision of the 1999 edition of Hotspots expands the number of planetary hotspots to 35. This is an information-packed compendium on those areas of our planet that are species-rich and home to the highest levels of species endemism. The book acknowledges that all biodiversity is important and that all nations and communities must do everything possible to protect our planet's rich biological heritage. Life, however, is not evenly distributed around the world and because of this fact, this volume presents a convincing and forceful rationale for adopting the hotspot strategy for prioritizing areas for biological conservation. This is done by summarizing the distributions of plants and vertebrate animals in a way that is both comprehensive and intelligible to even the lay reader who does not have an extensive background in the biological sciences. This volume is both a visual feast and a celebration of life. It is hard to set it aside once you have opened it. Without a doubt, it is one of the best bargains of any book offered by Amazon.com and should be required reading for all governmental and private organizations charged with saving our natural resources at a time when the fabric of life on planet Earth is being threatened by overexploitation, environmental destruction, violent conflict, and countless other factors. Buy it, read it thoroughly, learnmore stunning facts about planetary geography and biodiversity than you have probably ever been exposed to at one sitting, and by all means loan it to a friend once you have immersed yourself in this model expose of our planet's extraordinary biodiversity. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ecology    2. Nature    3. Nature / Field Guide Books    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Wildlife    6. Applied ecology    7. Endangered species & extinction of species    8. Nature / Wildlife    9. Pollution & threats to the environment    10. Reference works   

Reviews (2)

A great book
I absolutely enjoyed this book along with the great photographs and illustrations. It is hard to imagine that the great bear once roamed so much of California, especially in the modern day concrete jungles that sprouted from such pristine wildlife habitat. Ms. Snyder did a great job of putting together and telling the stories of this facsinating animal. Can you imagine, hiking Malibu beach and seeing grizzlies feasting on a beached whale? I was born 100 years too late. If you love grizzlies, or California history, buy this book!!!

A National Monument
While this book is as hefty as a grizzly, and costs as much as a concert ticket (granted, only an upper mezzanine seat), Bear In Mind is *the* book for my coffee table: I want to read it luxuriously, I want to pore over every written word, every detail of art and artifact in its pages. I want my Californian friends to see it. I want to get copies for their homes.This book reclaims the legacy of the grizzly, and ought to replace the bear flag as the symbol of state and national pride and humility. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Art    3. Bears    4. California    5. Environmental Conservation & Protection - Endangered Species    6. Grizzly bear    7. History    8. Nature    9. Pictorial works    10. Sources   

Reviews (4)

A rare bird who managed to keep its nesting place undetected for nearly two centuries
If you haven't heard of the marbled murrelet, even if you're an avid birder, don't be surprised: it's a rare bird who managed to keep its nesting place undetected for nearly two centuries: one explored in depth in Rare Bird: Pursuing The Mystery Of The Marbled Murrelet. Like the more famous ivory-billed woodpecker, the marbled murrelet is an elusive bird which has chosen exclusively a limited territory depleted trough logging. Though not on the edge of extinction, the many human threats to its habitat are reducing its numbers, and naturalist author Maria Mudd Ruth here explores these influences - and her discoveries about an amazing bird.
A Page Turner!
This is a wonderful book! An interesting read for both the avid bird watcher or the casual observer. I loved this book!

Coaxing a non-birder into the old growth forest
What is remarkable about Rare Bird is how accessible and interesting it is for a non-scientist and non-birder. Maria Ruth Mudd's ability to draw the reader close to this fascinating, endangered and shy sea bird that nests in old growth forests comes in part from her own outsider perspective-she calls herself an "accidental naturalist"-as well as her lively explanations detailing how scientists began to learn about and understand this odd creature.
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Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Environmental Conservation & Protection - Endangered Species    3. Marbled murrelet    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (9)

Great report for a great project.
I enjoyed "Decade of the Wolf" both for the information given on the reintroduction of gray wolves to Yellowstone as for the manner in which it is written. The first-person delivery of the tale is quite engaging and readable. However I would have liked to see more hard data, especially on the dramatic changes brought to Yellowstone ecosystems as a result of the reintroduction of the wolf.

Decade of the Wolf
Having taken my family to view the wolves on a -22 degree day in the Lamar Valley, reading the book by Smith and Ferguson was like putting all the pieces together in being able to better understand what the introduction of the Yellowstone Wolves have meant. If one gets the chance to hear either of the authors in person, be sure and make the time. For their knowledge and frankness will remain in your mind forever, and impact how we all think about these past 10 years! Its a must read for adults and kids......not to mention the trip in Yellowstone!

Realistic View of the Life of a Reintroduced Wolf
I have followed the wolf reintroduction project with great interest since the very beginning.After many trips to Yellowstone and time spent hiking and camping in the backcountry of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem since the wolf reintroduction; I have yet to see a wolf in the wild.However, hearing them howl in the woods at night is enough to give a person goosebumps.Just knowing they are out there is enough for me.
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Subjects:  1. Animal Ecology    2. Dogs    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Reintroduction    6. Wildlife    7. Wolves    8. Yellowstone National Park    9. Endangered species & extinction of species    10. Mammals    11. Nature / Wildlife    12. Wyoming