Subjects:  1. Coastal ecology    2. Drawing By Individual Artists    3. Estuarine ecology    4. General    5. Natural history    6. Nature / Field Guide Books    7. Nature/Ecology    8. New Jersey    9. Shark River Estuary   

Reviews (1)

A complete and interesting pocketguide
It's a wonderful book for those looking to explore North America seacreatures. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Invertebrates    2. Marine Life    3. Marine biology    4. Nature    5. Nature / Field Guide Books    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Oceans & Seas    8. Seashore    9. Seashore biology    10. United States    11. Nature / Marine Life   

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - Oceanography    2. Marine biology    3. Marine ecology    4. Nature    5. Ocean    6. Oceanography    7. Oceans & Seas    8. Science    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Nature / Oceans & Seas   

Reviews (3)

A Fascinating Introduction to the Wonders of the Sea
Singing Whales and Flying Squid is, in some ways, more like two short books with some overlapping material.The first is a history of marine exploration, with emphasis on marine biology.The second is a survey of what we are still learning about how fragile and endangered marine life is.Both halves are good, but in a work of 288 pages, they leave the reader wanting more of both.
A fine journey through history and natural development
SINGING WHALES AND FLYING SQUID: THE DISCOVERY OF MARINE LIFE examines the history of the discovery of marine biology from the roots of science to modern times. What makes the study of marine life different is its puzzling interrelationships between species and environments. SINGING WHALES AND FLYING SQUID documents the search for marine knowledge, revealing in the process some of these puzzles past and present. A fine journey through history and natural development results.
He's done it again!
Another great book by the master of entertaining books about Marine Biology. If you are a Richard Ellis fan, this is a "must buy". If you are interested in a great history of the mysteries and discoveries of what lies beneath the waves, it is also a "must buy".
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Subjects:  1. History    2. Marine biology    3. Marine organisms    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Oceans & Seas    7. Nature / Oceans & Seas   

Reviews (3)

A Connecticut Yankee in Arizona
Written over 50 years ago, this classic book of nature writing captures the near timelessness of the southern Arizona desert in a series of essays describing the author's fifteen-month sojourn there. While Krutch harks back to Thoreau, his perspective, turns of thought, and style of expression are similar to the reflective essays of E. B. White. They begin with observations of plant and animal life and evolve into ruminations on the nature of human life. romantic to the core
Here is a converted desert romantic with an interest in not only nature but man.Krutch writes and hits the mark like Thoreau and Eiseley and you won't want to miss him or this book if you're looking for a little sanity in a world gone mad.

The most extraordinary insight into the magic of Tucson.
If you have an interest in the desert and why we live here with JOY you must read this book. Krutch was an extraordinary man and he lived an extraordinary life his first year here. This book is the story of why hestayed instead of returning to New York. It is perhaps the most admiredbook about Tucson that has ever been written. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Desert ecology    2. Ecology    3. General    4. Literature - Classics / Criticism    5. Natural History    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Southwest, New   

Editorial Review

The sea contains many mysteries, and among the most enduring of them are giant squids of the genus Read more

Reviews (25)

Nice General Work....but needs updating
My copy of the work is somewhat of a novelty, as I bought it at the giftshop of the Smithsonian literally minutes after viewing their giant squid.The book itself was entertaining and I liked it. Anyone interested in cryptozoology should enjoy this. However the work has one flaw; it constantly refers to the fact that no living giant squid has been seen in its natural habitat. This is no lnger true, as the Japenese have captured the creature, in its natural habitat, on film for all to see. However, since this is a relatively new revelation, it should not be held against Ellis or his work.

Excellent Fact Based Research
Richard Ellis has written several books about "creatures of the deep" and all of them are excellent.He does an amazing job of maintaining the mystery and fascination of these creatures while remaining firmly grounded in the realm of science.Ellis is unlike other authors who some on the one hand sensationalize the subject matter, or on the other hand are too dry and technical.In my opinion, if you are seriously interested in learning the facts about giant squid, you cannot go wrong with this book.

An uninteresting search on a remarkable animal
I've always been fascinated by films and narratives of battles between nature's keystone species. A grizzly struggling to take down a moose in North America; a South American jaguar trying to uncoil an anaconda from his body; a pride of lions facing down a pack of hyenas over a kill in Kenya - there is something riveting to me about such animal clashes. One of the most epic battles in the animal kingdom - and certainly the largest* - is between the sperm whale and the giant squid. The sperm whale is the largest toothed whale in the world, with the biggest specimens measuring sixty feet long and weighing approximately 50 tons. The giant squid - known more precisely as architeuthis dux - is, at least in theory, a formidable foe to the sperm whale, which measures over 50 feet long and weighs over a ton.
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Subjects:  1. Giant squids    2. Marine Life    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Oceans & Seas    6. Aquatic creatures    7. Science / Marine Biology   

Subjects:  1. Ecological disturbances    2. Effect of human beings on    3. Life Sciences - Ecology    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Rain Forest Ecology    7. Science    8. Tropics   

Subjects:  1. Desert ecology    2. Ecology    3. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    4. Environmental Studies    5. Essays    6. Ethnic Studies - Native American Studies - Tribes    7. General    8. Indigenous peoples    9. Natural History    10. Nature    11. Nature/Ecology    12. Sonoran Desert    13. Tohono O'Odham Indians   

Reviews (9)

Fantastic Book
Well I have to say after receiving this book yesterday at 6pm I was done reading it by midnight.I just couldn't put the book down.The writing is so good and the flow of the book so steady, that as a reader you can't help but remain on the edge of your seat.The other nice thing about this book is that while the subject matter is complex, it is presented in a way understandable to all.HIGHLY recommended.

fascinating and heartbreaking
I loved this book, and not just because I am a lifelong turtle nut. I couldn't put this book down although at times it made me cry.Great storytelling, intelligent without being dry, and I wanted to tell everyone I know to read it.A must read for anyone into turtles, marine biology and oceanography, ecology, commercial fishing, commercial agriculture, veterinary medicine, and medical research.
An Honest, Inside Account about the Fate of the Sea Turtle
I knew that sea turtles were endangered or threatened but never really investigated the reasons why.I found this book while perusing the book store and it caught my attention so I bought it and read it.Read more

Subjects:  1. Diseases    2. Endangered species    3. Environmental Conservation & Protection - Endangered Species    4. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    5. Environmental Studies    6. Green turtle    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Oceans & Seas    10. Reptiles & Amphibians    11. Oceanography (seas)    12. Sea & seashore life   

Reviews (1)

Tales of the Southwest
An excellent collection of short stories about the Southwest--its history, its fauna and flora, its people, and just a little about where it may be going if suburbia continues to encroach. Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th Century Description And Travel    2. Berger, Bruce    3. Description and travel    4. Desert ecology    5. Earth Sciences - Geography    6. Essays    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Science    10. Southwest, New    11. Travel    12. Journeys   

Reviews (1)

A great wake-up call
Incredibly relevant at this time.Being from Louisiana, I felt it was important for me to read this.And I recommend this as essential reading for anyone affected by Hurricane Katrina.The chapter specifically about New Orleans was so creepy that I re-read it once I was done.The book is written very matter-of-factly and uses so many agency names and acronyms that it sometimes gets bogged down in itself.But it still reads well, and is so well researched, that this is more than compensation.Would love to read a follow-up. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ecology    2. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    3. Environmental Protection    4. Louisiana    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Oceans & Seas    8. Wetland ecology    9. Wetlands    10. Wetlands Ecology    11. History / United States / General   

Reviews (4)

Over promotes Florida Beaches / Wierd selection.
Having shot many of the best beaches in Hawaii, California, Florida, The Bahamas, Virgin Islands and the Caribbean, I have been to most of the beaches on his lists.About half of them deserve the awards, the other half has no reason.For example St. George Island has a brownish beach which turns the greenish water into greenish brown.It's rugged and interesting, but not what you'd imagine a 'best' beach to look like.If you really want to see what the best beaches look and feel like, check out the "Best Beaches" under DVDs here on Amazon.com.

Terrible Dribble!
This is a terrible list of recommendation's "Best Beaches in the US".1. Kaunaoa, Hawaii 2. St Joseph Peninsula State Park, Florida 3. Poipu Beach Park, Hawaii4. Hanalei Beach, Hawaii 5. Kaanapali, Hawaii 6. Caladesi Island State Park, Florida 7. Fort Desoto Park, Florida 8. Hamoa, Hawaii 9. Cape Florida SRA, Florida10. Ocracoke Island, North Carolina 11. St George Island State Park, Florida 12. East Hampton Beach, New York 13. Westhampton Beach, New York No Great Lakes Beaches?Missing Out on Gorgeous Scenes!
I won't recommend this book now because I, too, live among the Great Lakes and just visited two or three beautiful beaches yesterday on Lake Michigan.Guess we'll have to write our own book on these gorgeous works of nature!JP ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beaches    2. Coasts    3. General    4. Guidebooks    5. Oceans & Seas    6. Reference - Guides (General)    7. Travel    8. Travel - United States    9. United States    10. United States - General    11. Travel & holiday guides    12. USA   

Reviews (5)

celebration and medicine
Craig's work is filled with grace, both inner and outer. In this book, he gives us his willingness to leap away from the standard "I wenthere, I went there,I had an epiphany" of too many of the wilderness boy writers; his profound love for both the land and his companions; the tenderness and courage he brings to fresh language about ancient rock and light.For those of us blessed to have walked on, over and deep in the ground he cherishes, there need be no further explanation of "outer grace."
For the Adventurous Spirit
I have a long-standing interest in the desert, having lived there for years and having done some explorations of my own. But never did I dream of taking the kind of trips Craig Childs recounts in his books. After reading The Secret Knowledge of Water, I eagerly dove into Soul of Nowhere expecting more spellbinding tales of survival on the margins of life.
Fascinating, Absorbing, Well Written
I read a lot of outdoor books, and I have to say this is one of the best that I have read in ages. Craig Childs lives, breaths, eats "wild." He writes with a clarity that makes me feel like I am alongside him -- and with a passion that is contagious. I am already planning a trip to visit some of the places he writes about. In the meantime, I'll nurse my desires by trying some of his other books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Desert Ecology    2. Essays    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Nature / Essays   

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - Geography    2. Essays    3. Life Sciences - Ecology    4. Middle West    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Real Estate - General    8. Science    9. Wetlands    10. Wetlands Ecology    11. Central government policies    12. Environmental economics    13. Geology & the lithosphere    14. Management of land & natural resources    15. Science / Geography    16. USA   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (3)

The Heart of the Earth
"The greatest waves in the world are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun. These twice-daily global oscillations are called the tides." ~ pg. 18
Kampion Strikes Again
Drew Kampion was the first great surf journalist, back in the fledgling days of Surfer Magazine. He changed the way we thought about surfing and the things that mattered in Hawaii. This latest work, a remarkable combination of choice photos and intriguing illustrations (by Jeff Peterson) serves as the essential primer for understanding waves. I was particularly struck by some of the photographs -- Terry Wade bodysurfing the Wedge, a three-man outrigger canoe taking on big Hawaii, Mike Parsons on a bomb at Jaws -- and, naturally, by Kampion's clear-headed writing. As he once inscribed, "Life is a wave. Your attitude is your surfboard. Stay stoked and aim for the light." -- Bruce Jenkins

wave cool
Very interactive illustrations, and gorgeous graphics. New and interestingly presented info. Great for kids. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    2. Earth Sciences - Oceanography    3. Juvenile Nonfiction    4. Juvenile literature    5. Ocean waves    6. Oceans & Seas    7. Science    8. Science & Nature - Earth Sciences - Water (Oceans, Lakes, Etc.)    9. Surfing    10. Wave mechanics    11. Juvenile Nonfiction / Nature / Water (oceans, lakes, etc.)   

Editorial Review

You probably enjoy eating codfish, but reading about them? Mark Kurlansky has written a fabulous book--well worth your time--about a fish that probably has mattered more in human history than any other. The cod helped inspire the discovery and exploration of North America. It had a profound impact upon the economic development of New England and eastern Canada from the earliest times. Today, however, overfishing is a constant threat. Kurlansky sprinkles his well-written and occasionally humorous history with interesting asides on the possible origin of the word codpiece and dozens of fish recipes.Sometimes a book on an offbeat or neglected subject really makes the grade. This is one of them. ... Read more

Features

• Audiobook
• Unabridged

Reviews (88)

Cod, who would have thunk it?
This book was utterly full of suprises.Man, how one little fish has altered and played a role in so much political and economic attitudes towards the sea and its treasures.The book also stands as a cautionary tale of what can happen when a natural resource such as cod are recklessly exploited to the point of having the inability to recover their numbers.As a marine biology teacher I was faascinated with this book and plan on having my classes read it to see how the ocean world affects life on land.

A real keeper!!
I just finished reading a borrowed autographed copy of Kurlansky's Cod and decided that this is a book that I must have in my shelf to read it over again. I like fish and I like history. This book has the perfect match to gain my favor. I purchased my own copy.
Cod
This book is better than great. The older I get, it never ceases to amaze me how little I know and how much I have to learn.
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Subjects:  1. Audio - Nonfiction (Unabridged)    2. Civilization    3. Fish    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Oceans & Seas    7. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    8. Audiobooks    9. Cod fisheries    10. Codfish    11. Fisheries    12. History    13. History/Civilization    14. Nature / Fish    15. Nature/Oceans & Seas    16. Nature/Wildlife    17. Unabridged Audio / Misc.Nonfiction   

Reviews (1)

Good reference
If your writing a paper on rain forest desforestation this book give great details and also statistics. This book has approximetly 22 pages designated to graphs and statistics on the world's decreasing rainforests. It gives effects of the destruction of not only to animal and plant life but also to Indigenous people. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    2. Handbooks & Manuals    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Rain Forest Ecology    6. Rain forest conservation    7. Rain forests    8. Trees & Forests - Rainforests    9. Applied ecology    10. Biogeography    11. Conservation of the environment    12. Reference works   

Subjects:  1. Coastal Ecology    2. Environmental Science    3. Environmental Studies    4. Marine Ecology    5. Marine Life    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Applied ecology    9. Australia    10. Ecological science, the Biosphere    11. Oceanography (seas)   

Reviews (5)

My 2 cents
I did enjoy this book, though I felt it was sloww getting started. I agree with another reviewer, that while reading the last 80 to 100 pages, the book was very hard to put down.

An amazing book
My naval career was a very modest one, but my impression is that this book exudes authenticity for the Navy of its time-period, and echoes of it still exist in the Navy I remember of 1951-1953.Some of the account, when not much was going on in Phillipines (where the Delilah was), were not overly exciting, but the book in its last 70 pages or so is unputdownable. A unique and vital book, and lives up to Good Reading's tout of it as the "One of the most powerful American sea Stories since Moby Dick."

Delilah and its bizarre aftermath
Someone, somewhere ought to do justice to Marcus Goodrich and write a biography. The Columbia educated runaway from San Antonio eventually wrote the original treatment (not the screenplay) for "It's a Wonderful Life". (I believe it was his sister, Francis, who actually co-wrote the screenplay with her husband, Albert Hackett.) Before that, he had served in both World Wars, his experience in the first, aboard the sunken destroyer U.S.S. Chauncey, having formed the basis for "Delilah", published in January, 1941 to good reviews and high sales among men bound for the Navy. He was married to Olivia DeHavilland for five years, from 1947-1952, before a stormy divorce. That, a harsh experience in World War II, and bitter disillusionment toward Hollywood's insistence on artistic control of screenwriters, led him at the age of 55 to retire to obscurity in Richmond where he eventually died on October 20, 1991 in what once was the Confederate Soldiers' Convalescent Hospital; he was 93. According to the strangest preface ever composed, in the 1965 re-print of "Delilah", despite writing incessantly and finishing the second half of "Delilah", "but not quite", it would likely never be published. (And, indeed, neither it nor his other two incomplete manuscripts, ever have been. The published part ends at the declaration of war by the United States on Germany in April, 1917.) In 1965, Goodrich said: "If I cannot get back to [the second half of "Delilah"] and complete it, I shall probably burn it. I live under pressure." There is more to the book than meets the eye, it being helpful to know some detailed history of the world wars to get the best from it. (Remembering when this book was published, note how Goodrich refers in hostile terms to the Japanese Fleet, an ally in World War I.) Worth a read, especially if you are interested in warships at sea and the first or second world wars. Also check out the glowing review given the book by W.J. Cash, (! author of "The Mind of the South", published in February, 1941), at the very beginning of his commencement address to the University of Texas graduating class on June 2, 1941, (reprinted in "W.J. Cash: Southern Prophet", by Joseph L. Morrison, Knopf, 1967, p. 295). (Cash died strangely a month later in Mexico City and "Delilah" was the last book known to have been read by him.) "Delilah" is a strange, ghostly ride with meandering, gothic prose (or "Henry Jamesian" as one contemporary reviewer put it in 1941), supplying an ample feeling of an oily cacophony of machinery fused with sweat and boiling anger characteristic among sardine-like submariners cramped at sea for weeks; the whole effect is somehow worth it in the end and one questions whether "Delilah" is a ship, a destructive woman, or a violent, crowded age. Read the preface to the 1965 edition slowly, once before and once after reading this curious book. Then, as Goodrich said of his writing, "put it away in the icebox and let it cool awhile", take it out and read parts of "Delilah" again. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Destroyers (Warships)    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. History    5. History, Naval    6. History: World    7. Military - General    8. Naval operations, American    9. Pacific Ocean    10. United States    11. War & Military    12. World War, 1914-1918    13. American English    14. Modern fiction    15. Nature / Oceans & Seas    16. Warfare & Defence   

Subjects:  1. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    2. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    3. Marine biodiversity conservation    4. Marine biological diversity co    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Oceans & Seas    8. Science    9. Conservation of wildlife & habitats    10. Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection    11. Science / Marine Biology