Reviews (1)

Fascinating Look into the World of the Shark
The tales of a shark researcher and his colleagues and friends serve as the vehicle for instructing the reader on the fascinating world of the Shark.This narrative trick works in this book much better than I had anticipated, since the vignettes presented quickly depart from the story of the researchers involved and delve into the secrets of the shark they uncovered instead.And the secrets are fascinating.Shark fossils, shark senses, shark sex, shark behavior, shark attack (of course), threats to sharks and surprising data on shark intelligence are all presented in a book that breezes by too quickly.Well worth the price of admission! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Marine Life    3. Nature    4. Nature / Field Guide Books    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Oceans & Seas    7. Saltwater Fish - Individual Species    8. Sharks    9. Nature / Animals   

Subjects:  1. Fishing - General    2. Nature    3. Nature/Ecology    4. Oceans & Seas    5. Sports & Recreation   

Reviews (7)

Surfers - close and personal
I was greatly impressed by Joel Tudor's visual representation of surfing individuals. His beautiful, emotion charged shots convey a candid essence, so often over-looked in surf literature. You get the feeling that you are privvy to the private inner sanctum of the surf industry's past, present and future greats!
Great Surf Book & Intimate Photography
I have to say that I was initially disappointed that the book did not have as much actual surfing pictures in it.But after looking through it thoroughly, the book's photography and stories give you a view of many people that most of us would never get to know, especially those who do not surf.Luckily, the book is not a self-promoting book Joel Tudor (the author).Although I am a fan of Joel's surfing style, this book is about people and their personalities captured through images and stories.

A great embodiment of what surfing was....
A great embodiment of what surfing was.......Before it became the sold out, glamorous hollywood epic. This book embodies what surfing is about for those of us that skip the glossy advertisement ladened magazines with spoiled white californians selling goods made in sweatshops while they eat in and out burgers in Huntington. I grew up very near where Joel did (P.B.) and while it was twenty years prior still I think I understand his influences a bit and where he may have been heading with this. I would love to see some melancholy black and white surf stuff- lone surfers sitting outside the lineup and empty waves with pelicans reminiscent of Naki meets Skip at Coho- but I have no need to have everything spelled out to me like a little child, the ending wrapped up in a nice easy reader package.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Oceans & Seas    3. Photo Techniques    4. Photoessays & Documentaries    5. Photography    6. Popular Culture - General    7. Water Sports    8. Photographic reportage   

Reviews (5)

Concise information that actually works in practice.
When this "book" (it's more a pamphlet) arrived I was very disappointed. It was so short, just 32 pages, a half dozen or so of them are blank, and another sizable section is a reprint of an email sent to the author, I didn't believe it could possibly be worth the asking price. However, for a small investment of a couple of hours, I was able to read the book, and it's description of how to set up a plenum.
good stuff
Best practical discussion of living sand filtration I've seen.Perhaps one of the best books (on any subject) I've ever read in terms of containing the real "what do I do next Monday morning" specifics.

Keys to Setting up a 21st Century Aquarium
I was hooked on aquariums the minute I saw the ones in the jewelry department Barney's 7th Ave. store in Manhattan, with sapphire earrings and diamond bracelets draped underwater over branches of coral with butterfly and angel fish gliding thru.Years and one B.A. later, I bought a used saltwater tank. Who would have guessed you need a PhD in organic chemistry to understand the balance between pH and salinity and the Nitrogen Cycle. Well, if you want a tank like the one in Barneys, you do. And this is the book to begin with. Sure it looks like a tiny pamphlet, but it is practical, concentrated, wonderfully detailed - one of the very few pieces I've found written by someone who clearly knows what he's talking about. I don't have a chemistry background so when Dr. Goemans says things about "the buffering ions that keep the world's oceans in narrow pH range" I am out of my league. But I prefer that to the "Aquariums for Dummies" (do they have one of those yet?) advice that simplifies this hobby by leaving out anything technical.I've had my used aquarium for 2 years now.Fortunately it was set up by someone who wanted a state-of-the-art tank, one that grows into a stable system and needs minimal attention.And so, despite my initial ignorance, my tank was on autopilot while I learned what to do.It wasn't easy. Not a single book in my local library gives any really current information on this subject; that's a problem because scientists have learned so much in the past 10 years about marine fish and environments.I am starting my daughter's new saltwater tank this month, and we can do it right because we have this book in our home reference library: The best sand to use. How to use the first aquarium to seed the new one. Why a tank won't thrive without anaerobic and anoxic (low level oxygen) areas of the sandbed. All in plain English with some biochemistry thrown in. You may not be familiar with all the terms, but with this handy little booklet you won't make mistakes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aquarium    2. Coral reef biology    3. Marine aquariums   

Reviews (12)

Patrons enjoy reading this series!
As assistant director of the Mathews Memorial Library, I have made sure the Milford-Haven novels have been entered into our collection and they are now circulating.Patrons have enjoyed reading this series and we look forward to Mara Purl's next installment!

Giving Danielle Steel a run for her money!
I have just read "What The Heart Knows" with great enjoyment.All Mara Purl's characters are vivid and each one is memorable.Although there are a lot of them, there's no confusing them.She has excellentcontrol of each one and scatters her hints and clues which I look forwardto having explained/ expanded upon as the series continues.This writer iswell on her way to giving Danielle Steel a run for her money!

Draws the reader into the story easily
I read Mara Purl's What The Heart Knows at one sitting, and there appears to be no end to her talent. Her verbal imagery is very effective, and she draws her readers into the story easily. Good work! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction / Romance / Contemporary    3. General    4. California    5. Coastal ecology    6. Coasts    7. Domestic Fiction    8. Man-woman relationships    9. Real estate development    10. Rural life   

Reviews (5)

All Life Springs From The Ocean
Living in Southern California, I've always had a deep appreciation and love for the ocean and all the creatures that inhabit its waters. I'm also fascinated with the vast wonders of timeless space and am in constant awe of the moon and the stars and the clouds and the sun. Oceanic Masterpiece
I love Lassen's work, and this book shows why. He is a master at beautiful scenic paintings. The colors are brilliant and keeps me wondering on how he gets his paintings to look like that. Although I think Wyland is the master when it comes to painting whales, Lassen is the master at painting dolphins. A must have to any art collector who loves oceanic art.

A LIFE OF VISION CONTINUALLY REVEALING!
"LASSEN ISLAND" IS A MUST OWN!It includes "sixty-five ofLassen's most evocative works...[and Lassen] captures the romantic allureof the Hawaiian Islands where he makes his home and pays tribute to thesea's great and endangered mammals."[commentator] His work spans from1983-1997. My (newest) favorites are: "GALAXY OF LIFE","COSMIC VOYAGERS", "WHALE STAR", "OURPLANET", "SERENITY", "SEA OF TRANQUILITY","PARADISE", "ANCIENT MYSTERIES" and "TEMPLE OFLIGHT". (Just to name a few!)Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Individual Artist    4. Individual Painters - Contemporary    5. Oceans & Seas    6. Techniques - Painting    7. Techniques - Painting - Specific Subjects    8. Comics & Graphic Novels / Graphic Novels / Manga   

Reviews (2)

Very Informative...
Great field-guide. One of, if not the best. This along with the Peterson field-guide will have you correctly identifying all sorts of Atlantic and Gulf Coast seashore creatures. Very well written, containing all the facts and info you need to get going, identify, and collect the sea life you've always misidentified, and much more you never knew about.

A font of information.The pix are very good
Terrific for identifying regional plants and animals. Too heavy to carry in the field. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Atlantic Coast (U.S.)    2. Coastal ecology    3. Gulf Coast (U.S.)    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Natural History    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Oceans & Seas    9. Reference    10. Animals    11. Botany    12. Coastal plants    13. Identification    14. Nature / General    15. Zoology   

Subjects:  1. British Columbia    2. Canada - General    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Nature    6. Oceans & Seas    7. Pacific Coast    8. Ships & Shipbuilding - History    9. Ships & Shipbuilding - Shipwrecks    10. Shipwrecks    11. Survival after airplane accidents, shipwrecks, etc   

Features

• Large Print

Subjects:  1. Fishing - Flyfishing    2. Fly casting    3. General    4. Oceans & Seas    5. Saltwater fishing    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Fishing, angling    9. Sports & Recreation / General   

Reviews (1)

Colorful, Informative and Valuable.
The world climate is changing.Water rationing has become common in many cities and states.Though you may not live in an extremely dry environment there are 'common sence' tips through out this book that can benefit any active gardener.
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Subjects:  1. Climatic - Desert    2. Desert Ecology    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Horticulture (General)    7. Regional - General    8. Regional - Southwest (AZ, NM, OK, TX)    9. Gardening / Climatic / Desert   

Reviews (2)

All wet and loving it!
Larson presents a grand introduction to forested freshwater wetlands in Florida, where water and trees dominate. He presents a skillful blend of scientific background (including technical references) and personal experiences, particularly in Highland Hammocks State Park and Fakahatchee Strand.He starts with a description and formation of the major areas including depression marshes in Okefenokee and Pinhook swamp basin swamps, and the nearby (to me) Shrub bogs in the prosaically named "Tate's Hell" and flooded river areas as along the Apalachicola, and Strands in South Florida. "Swamp Song" captures the essence of Florida
Ron Larson's "Swamp Song" is an intriguing trip through Florida's back-wood ecosystems.His writing style is descriptive and captivating.He illustrates - both through words and photographs - the unique plants and animals of Florida's swamps and rivers, and demystifies the often bleak outlook of these natural habitats. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ecology    2. Florida    3. General    4. Life Sciences - Ecology    5. Natural History    6. Nature    7. Nature / Field Guide Books    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Swamp animals    10. Swamp ecology    11. Swamp plants    12. Wetlands Ecology    13. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    14. USA   

Editorial Review

Take a pristine coral reef off the mangrove-forested coast of Belize, one that draws a handsome roster of fish and other sea creatures--and, therefore, a complement of scuba divers, sports fishermen, photographers, and other consumers of nature. Add an airstrip to serve these cash customers, then a hotel, then a seawall, then a golf course, then a desalination plant. In no time, thanks to the changes you've wrought on the coastal ecology, you'll have a dead reef in a dead patch of sea.Read more

Reviews (22)

Powerful and Well Written
Wow, on the heals of reading Our Stolen Future, this was a bit of a shock...you know I had no idea the Black Sea was in such bad shape...I guess I really am out of touch with the world these days.Living in my own particular inner bubble, as it were, I seem to have missed out on some doings I used to pay a great deal of attention to.
A Really Good Book
A really good "eye-opener".This is the third copy I've bought. How blissfully unaware most of us are about what is going on around us. This book might encourage the latent environmental leanings in all of us.

Coastal Policy Has Killed the Oceans!
Ocean's End is one of the most compelling examples of how bad Coastal Zone policy has destroyed vast areas of ocean and shore. It is not too strong a point that human beings in recent history have behaved themselves very, very badly as they looted the seas and dumped their waste and industrial toxins down river or directly into the sea. I am using this book in my International Integrated Coastal Zone Management class as the first assigned textbook. (...)Read more

Subjects:  1. Conservation of natural resour    2. Earth Sciences - Oceanography    3. Environmental Science    4. Environmental Studies    5. Marine pollution    6. Marine resources    7. Marine resources conservation    8. Nature    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Oceans & Seas    11. Public Affairs & Administration    12. Management of land & natural resources    13. Pollution of seas & oceans   

Reviews (9)

Excellent reference
This is the best cetacean book that I currently own.In-depth information on each species, excellent photographs, and good topics on observation in the wild.It also covers threats to cetaceans and conservation.The part I love is the section that outlines every coastal region in the world and the species found there, what time of year to go, etc.Very useful, I would definitely recommend!

Learn about whales
Well good book but short information, good for whales amateur, with great pictures inside and pretty explanation in wildlife, if you like sea mammals or thinking a watchwhale tour go outside and buy it

GREAT REFERENCE FOR SEALIFE
WE HAVE BEEN SCUBA DIVING NOW FOR THREE YEARS AND BOTH THE "WHALES & DOLPHINS" & "SHARKS AND RAYS" HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL. WE HAVE LOANED OUR BOOKS SO OFTEN THAT WE ARE ORDERING A THIRD SET FOR A NEIGHBOR WHO IS GOING TO BE A MARINE BIOLOGIST. VERY USEFUL FOR IDENTIFICATION WHILE WHALE WATCHING OR SHARK DIVING. GREAT PICTURES, LOTS OF USEFUL INFORMATION AND HISTORY. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cetacea    2. Dolphins    3. Mammals    4. Marine Life    5. Marine Mammals    6. Nature    7. Nature / Field Guide Books    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Oceans & Seas    10. Whales   

Reviews (7)

Aquagenesis : The Origin and Evolution of Life in the Sea
this is a great book to read about the evolution of sea organisms evolving into land animals. very good black and white drawings by the author.

Decent overview of most marine animal evolution
Author Richard Ellis in _Aquagenesis_ originally sought out to document in a popular science format how the ancestors of marine mammals, reptiles, and birds returned to the sea. In the process of researching the book Ellis became intrigued with the phenomenon of life in the water, from the origin of life itself - which likely took place in water - to the evolution of marine invertebrates and fish. As result, the scope of the book widened considerably.
Very well done!
I have a copy of this book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to know more about animal history, before, during and after life emerged from the ocean. As a simple lay person without a biology degree, this book has been a great asset to me personally when seeking answers about primitive creatures. This book introduced me to many creatures I'd never heard of, and indepth information on ones I had. It's one of my favorite books and much treasured. -Sharon Mooney, NC, USA ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Evolution    2. Life    3. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    4. Life Sciences - Evolution    5. Marine Biology    6. Marine animals    7. Oceans & Seas    8. Organic Evolution    9. Origin    10. Science    11. Science/Mathematics    12. Science / General   

Subjects:  1. Desert Ecology    2. Desert plants    3. Flowers    4. Identification    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. North America    8. Pictorial works    9. Plants - General    10. Wild flowers    11. Wildflowers   

Subjects:  1. Alaska    2. Environmental Science    3. Environmental Studies    4. Forest policy    5. Life Sciences - Ecology    6. Logging    7. Management    8. Natural Resources    9. Photo Essays    10. Pictorial works    11. Rain Forest Ecology    12. Timber    13. Tongass National Forest    14. Tongass National Forest (Alask    15. Applied ecology    16. Biogeography    17. Deforestation    18. Forests, rainforests    19. Management of land & natural resources    20. Photography / Nature & Wildlife   

Reviews (4)

Excellent read...
Weaving the history of the Black Mtns with the author's personal diary made this book exceptional. I particularly enjoyed the theory on how mountain balds were formed and how native americans survived and made most of the land. I recommend this book to anyone who hikes or camps and appreciates the mountains.

Mount Mitchell
What an excellent book!Timothy Silver has given us a two fold view of Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains of North Carolina.A combination of the natural history of the area, and man's exploration/exploitation of these lofty peaks.I think what I enjoyed most about the book, were the short "interludes" where the writer inserts his many experiences of car camping, hiking/backpacking, trout fishing, or just marveling at nature while sitting at some well known spot, or some "hidey-hole" known only to people who frequent the area.These personal thoughts heightened my reading pleasure, because like the writer, I have spent a great deal of time in the Blacks and know of what he speaks.
The Black Mountains and Nature's Inherent Complexity
Timothy Silver has given us an excellent history of Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains.
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Subjects:  1. Black Mountains    2. Ecology    3. Environmental Science    4. History    5. Human ecology    6. Mount Mitchell (Mountain)    7. Mountain ecology    8. Mountains    9. Nature    10. Nature/Ecology    11. North Carolina    12. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    13. Historical geology    14. Mount Mitchell; Black Mountains; southern Appalachians; Mount Mitchell State Park; Mount Mitchell Game Refuge; environmental history; forest history; forestry; Pisgah culture; Cherokees; Hernando de Soto; Andre Michaux; Elisha Mitchell; Thomas Clingman; Big Tom Wilson; Locke Craig; John Simcox Holmes; balsam woolly adelgid; acid deposition; spruce-fir forests; natural history of North Carolina; Blue Ridge Parkway; automobile tourism; camping; backpacking; hiking; flyfishing    15. Nature / Ecology    16. Places & peoples: general interest   

Reviews (4)

Sensuous detail and immediacy
The question is not whether Muir is a terrific writer-but how he got that way, and secondarily, why it is important.The Mountains of California was his first book, published n 1894, and was an instant success. This book contains not just some of the best nature writing, but for its vividness, immediacy and vision some of the best writing in English in any genre. Modern Library's edition is quite special with its introduction to Muir by Bill McKibbon and about 50 illustrations, though I wished there were better maps for following the footsteps of Muir's many greatnarratives among the fabulous natural wonders of the Sierras.
What inspiration...
As a Birder, I spend a lot of time travelling outdoors.I also have a large collection of Bird and Nature books and spend a great amount of time in them.For pure enjoyment;I found this one of the finest.Muir was as one of America,s greatest partakers in and writers of Nature and Enviroment and was in every wayas much a giant as the Sequois and Mountains he wrore about.I read this Classic a short time before I visited Yosemite National Park and having done so,encreased my enjoyment and appreciation immeasurably. Muir, from Shasta to San Diego, but mostly in the Sierras.
Some say this is Muir's finest work. As the only other Muir book I've read (at this writing) is Travels in Alaska, I cannot comment on this, other than to say that I enjoyed this book a great deal. Read more

Subjects:  1. California    2. Ecology    3. Essays    4. Mountain ecology    5. Mountains    6. Muir, John,    7. Natural History    8. Nature    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Neva    11. Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nevada)    12. Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection    13. Travel writing    14. Reading Group Guide   

Editorial Review

This essential guidebook to the North American deserts, one in a distinguished Audubon Society series devoted to continental biomes, contains in outline just about all the natural-history information a desert rat will need in the field. Drawing on the expertise of ornithologists, botanists, mammalogists, herpetologists, and other scientists across the country, editor James MacMahon offers an account of desert ecology, followed by life histories of characteristic flora and fauna, range maps, and illustrations. Of particular interest are MacMahon's notes on Native American uses of indigenous plants and animals. Read more

Reviews (10)

So-so, pretty circumscribed
I saw a pair of American avocets in Death Valley in March, 2006. With the help of a ranger at Furnace Creek, I was able to identify them from a National Geographic guide.
Beautiful pictures
Not many field guides for deserts out there. This one has great pictures.

The Audubon Society Nature Guides - Deserts
A must have book for anyone hiking in the desert and anyone even just interested in the desert. Packed full of info about "everything" you will find in the desert . ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Desert ecology    2. General    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Natural History    5. Nature    6. Nature / Field Guide Books    7. Nature/Ecology    8. West (U.S.)    9. Zoology    10. Biology, life sciences    11. Nature / General   

Reviews (3)

A Detailed History
This is a fun book! But it is not an adventure story of the like of Robinson Caruso. When one thinks of islands, the most likely image is of a romantic, heroic struggle against, and with nature. Well, some of the narrative is that, but there is much more, perhaps too much. It is a political, social, economic, cultural, geographic and geological history book. If you have a degree in history (as I do) it will probably be more pleasurable reading. Without a background in historical terms and events, it might be confusing at several points.
Poor execution of an interesting concept
Sable Island is undoubtably a fascinating subject, and so it must take an exceptional talent to write such a uniformly dull book about it.I bought this book on a whim hoping it would live up to the mild acclaim paraded on the cover, but I've had to force myself to finish it over the last few days.The previous reviewer is spot-on regarding the topics covered, but he fails to mention that De Villiers managed to leach almost every ounce of interest from them.The only spark of vitality comes from other writers who De Villiers quotes extensively and to his own detriment.The book also lacks any sense of organization and I found myself repeatedly puzzled over how the chapters, not to mention the contents of the chapters, were supposed to be tied together.

Excellent human and natural history of a fascinating island
Authors Marq de Villiers and Sheila Hirtle have produced an interesting book on the history of the Canadian island known as Sable Island. One could be forgiven I believe for thinking the place uninteresting and unworthy of a nearly 250 page book, the island described by some as a "desolate and barren and storm-swept sandbank in the North Atlantic." A crescent shaped island, with arms at east and west reaching to the north, the center bulging towards the south, it is the last lonely outpost of land between Canada and Europe (or Bermuda). Located a hundred miles south of Nova Scotia, it is a mere thirty miles long and at its widest less than a mile wide. A treeless place, it is an island of dunes - some bald, most covered in vegetation - and small ponds. Not a particularly high island, on the north beach dunes reach 85 feet in height, but on the south beach they are rarely more than 8 feet high, considerably shorter than some of the waves that occur during the many gales and storms of the region (though waves that rarely reach the island directly - at least at that height - owing to numerous sand bars miles out to sea around the island). What fame the island has is generally not from it scenery; located on major shipping lands, in an area that is frequently prone to storms and fog, and often not very visible far out to sea, the island has been described as the deadliest piece of real estate in Canada, with hundreds of wrecks having taking place in its waters, fully ten wrecks for every mile of coastline. An additional dangerous feature of the island are its spits located out to the east and west (washed over too often for much in the way of vegetation) which extend between four and nine miles out, as well as the submerged east and west bars, which extend out to eighteen miles - though a massive storm can radically change the size of the spits and bars overnight.
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Subjects:  1. Canada - General    2. Ecology    3. History    4. History - General History    5. Natural history    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Nova Scotia    9. Oceans & Seas    10. Sable Island    11. Sable Island (N.S.)    12. Weather    13. Nature / General