Reviews (4)

Best guide for identifying shorebirds
This book covers all of the shorebirds of the world with 1700 full-color paintings. There are lots of general tips on identifying shorebirds, and each bird is covered extensively. When I first picked up the book at an ABA Teen Birder convention in Colorado, a birder near me said "You have to buy that! Look at the Dunlin page!" Well, the Dunlin page is indeed a good example of this guide's excellence! There are 28 paintings on the page covering the different plumages of the bird and how it looks in flight and from different positions. The text on the adjacent page gives brief descriptions of the bird in each of those plumages and a world range map. It also redirects you to the all-text section of the book that has extensive information on identification, voice, habits, moments, description, age/sex, races, and measurements of the bird. I definitely recommend this book to any birder interested in the identification of shorebirds!

It's a truly wonderful book
I have purchased this book some five years back in a local book exhibition. Text is accurate especially for one who is interested in bird hunting. But the real feast is the breathtaking illustrations made by thesingle artist himself. His painstaking artwork for eachspecies,male&female, juvenile upperwings, lower wings are really fine.Only minus aspect is if the book would have been little bigger theillustrations would have also become bigger.

It's a truly wonderful book
I have purchased this book some five years back in a local book exhibition. Text is accurate especially for one who is interested in bird hunting. But the real feast is the breathtaking illustrstions made by thesingle artist himself. His painstaking artwork for each species,male&female, juvenile upperwings, lower wings are really fine. Onlyminus aspect is if the book would have been little bigger the illustrationswould have also become bigger. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching    3. Identification    4. Nature / Field Guide Books    5. Ornithology +    6. Shore birds   

Reviews (6)

Water World
I first heard of the late Jacques Mayol from the now classic cult movie "The Big Blue". Judging by this encyclopedic work, the real Jacques Mayol was a more interesting character than his celluloid image. "Homo Delphinus"is clearly a work of love and a beautiful book. It is published in a large glossy format with stunning photos. It is difficult to classify the book as it is a combination of science, semi-science, ecology, philosophy and mysticism. Mr. Mayol is successful in producing a touching work that summarizes his life long romance with the aquatic world and his hopes and visions for the future.
Disappointing
I am a great admirer of Mr. Mayol. Since a child I felt always impressed about his contributions to science and conservationism. However, I just felt so disappointed when I read Homo Delphinus. Through it, he tries to cover many topics, but in such a superficial way that it made me anxious for not getting into any point at all. And his theory about the "homo delphinus" is only a collection of cliches and general thoughts. A MUST
Being a diver and a fan of the sea, having met Jacques Mayol the guru of breath-hold dives in Oct 2001 in Elba and upon learning that this famous book was now available in English, the next day I procured one from this site.Having since learnt of Jacques's passing on the 22nd of Dec 2001 I feel that anyone who dives or simply loves the sea and its creatures should get hold of this very remarkable book - before it goes out of production.Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography/Autobiography    2. Marine Life    3. Photography    4. Sports & Recreation / Water Sports    5. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    6. Subjects & Themes - Travel - World/General    7. Diving    8. Dolphins    9. Mayol, Jacques    10. Reference    11. Spirituality    12. Sports & Recreation    13. Underwater childbirth    14. Yoga   

Reviews (6)

Expert Treatise Worthy of Review by Experts & Attorneys
I particularly recommend this book for it's Chapter 9: Lockwood, Randall, The ethology and epidemiology of canine aggression.
Excellent information painfully presented
[...] The information is wonderful, but can be found in more enjoyable books. If, on the other hand, you enjoy reading professional journals, you will feel right at home with the jargon and format, and may find it worthwhile to have leading thoughts on domestication, genetics, and behavior all in one place.

A Serious Must for Serious Dog People
First published in 1995, nothing else as comprehensive and as carefully researched on canine behavior and development has been published.For the general reader, the writing style may be a bit dry; however, because each chapter has different authors, the writing style, while basically academic and fact driven, varies. Read more

Subjects:  1. Behavior    2. Cognitive Psychology    3. Dogs    4. Dogs - General    5. Human-animal relationships    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Pets    9. Reference    10. Animal behaviour    11. Dogs--Behavior    12. Domestic animals & pets    13. Mammals    14. Science / Zoology   

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - General    2. Allelopathic agents    3. Entomology    4. Insect-plant relationships    5. Insects & Spiders    6. Life Sciences - Zoology - Entomology    7. Literature - Classics / Criticism    8. Nature    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Plant Biochemistry    11. Botany & plant sciences    12. Insects (entomology)    13. Science / Entomology    14. Technology / Agriculture & Animal Husbandry    15. Technology-Agriculture - General   

Reviews (13)

Good houses, could use variety
Maybe I'm too sold on what's marketed as variety.
great tool for any bathouse builder
This is a very concise and thorough book on how to construct a successful bat house.

Ongoing Research
This Guide is frequently revised utilizilizing information obtained by bat lover volunteers throughBat Conservation International, Inc. A NON PROFIT organization dedicated to preserving the dwindling populations of many bat species. The volunteers are everyday people who have taken the time and made the effort to build bat houses to supplement the threatened natural habitats of bats. They check the houses and report their findings to BatCon. Population, species, type of colony - nursing, bachelor, etc.Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals / Pets    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Mammals    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Woodwork - General    8. Handicrafts    9. Nature / Mammals    10. Wild animals   

Reviews (19)

It makes you LOVE insect
This is an exquisite book in both its photographs and
Love Eisner's Photos!
Anyone paging through this charming book will be captivated by the stellar quality of the photos and by what they show: the essence of discovery. In my case, as a field biologist, they range from fascinating closeups of a group of animals about which I know least, to visual demonstrations of the truth of Eisner's lifelong findings. And what stays with you after reading his often humorous (always engaging and yet self-effacing) accounts of genuine discovery, are those very discoveries: the findings. I can recall, as a grad student in the 1960's, receiving "Science" from my mailbox, and hearing friends call out: "Eisner's got another one". We would then flip through the magazine to the richly illustrated article and devour it with our eyes and curiosity. His reports were thrilling - that anyone could take the mystery of nature and repeatedly send us monthly supplements of such an array of utterly-convincing revelations of evolution's torturous path! Now in color and vivid retrospect, Tom lets us revisit these discoveries, and adds the anecdotal credits of his many friends and collaborators to remind us that no worthy endeavor takes place without the open cooperation of ideas and efforts. Brilliant!

Excellent
VERY interesting to read, does not condescend but at the same time does not leave the layperson baffled.Well done.Enthusiastically written and modular--if you skip chapters no impact.
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Subjects:  1. Insects & Spiders    2. Life Sciences - Zoology - Entomology    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Nature / Insects & Spiders   

Reviews (8)

Breathtaking
The more crowded life gets the more I love to look at these beautiful pictures. Genuine grace at its best. It is one of my most favorite coffee table books. If you love the sea you must have this book.

The Undersea World of Wyland
This is absolutely a "MUST HAVE" book! The dust jacket alone is beautiful, but just wait until you see the artwork inside! "Breathtaking!" Wyland fans, you're really missing out if this book's not in your collection.

Beautiful artwork, thoughful quote, intesting info on artist
This is a wonderful book for anyone who loves dolphins, whales and other sea life. It has lots of beautiful artwork with thoughtful quotes beneath. There is also some interesting information on Wyland. Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Contemporary Art    4. Dolphins in art    5. Fine Arts    6. Individual Artist    7. Marine Life    8. Marine art    9. Special Subjects In Art    10. Techniques - Painting    11. Techniques - Painting - Specific Subjects    12. United States    13. Whales in art    14. Aquatic creatures    15. Themes, motives    16. Wyland   

Reviews (1)

Pippa
This is an excellent book but its only suitable for people who love cheetahs and are over 10 at least. If you love cheetahs like I do your sure to love this, its about this cheetah called Pippa and she has three cubs Tiny, Somba and Big boy, they give Pippa the run around and just love to have fun.This is my faverite story and its very moving, sad, funny and absoutly irrestible! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals / Pets    2. Cats   

Reviews (4)

A Terrific book!
I'll keep this brief. This is a terrific book! It is very readable (on layman's level), and chock full of interesting facts, tidbits and research results. I found myself reading parts of it aloud to my partner. I am involved in songbird rehab, and was amazed to learn that "Woods", a brown thrasher and our latest release, would ultimately develop a song list numbering close to 2,000! (We "talked" in "Robin", since Woods was raised alongside a baby robin).
The tone is easy for non-scientists to absorb, and any with a love of birds will find it most accessible
If you don't want to plough through the latest research on birds to gain insights into what's being discovered about their habits, then SONGBIRD JOURNEYS: FOUR SEASONS IN THE LIVES OF MIGRATORY BIRDS is for you. It comes for a Cornell Lab ornithologist and science writer who surveys songbird migratory habits and winter locations, using the four seasons as a foundation for exploration. While much research is reflected in SONGBIRD JOURNEYS, the tone is easy for non-scientists to absorb, and any with a love of birds will find it most accessible.
Fascinating account of migration!
Miyoko Chu's "Songbird Journeys" is one of the most fascinating accounts of how researchers and birders have been and are studying bird migration.She deftly blends story-telling and science to present snapshots of different species and what we are learning about them.She has the amazing ability of making you feel like you're there, standing shoulder to shoulder with these researchers, as they radio-track thrushes from an old beat up car or a small airplane in rough weather, or standing on an oil rig in the middle of the Gulf as thousands upon thousands of warblers drop, exhausted, on the deck of the rig, or fly by within feet of you only to be blown back out to sea.
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Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Migration    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Ornithology    8. Passeriformes    9. Songbirds    10. Western Hemisphere    11. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (4)

unbeatable and unique book on the Museum
I am not a scientist nor museum professional, simply a museumgoer.This book is a clear and attractive presentation about the dioramas that have helped define this wonderful museum for decades.Anyone who has ever visited the American Museum of Natural History will be captivated by the behind-the-scenes perspective presented. Understanding this background adds depth to our appreciation of the habitats.Quinn must have dug up old diaries, records and I wonder if he even listened in on some conversations as well because he offers little known factoids which are fascinating to read about and which enhance our experience as a museumgoer.I highly recommend this volume to anyone who has visited the museum.For those who have not visited, the book provides a wonderful view of what you've been missing!

What a Gem!
I found this treasure at my local bookstore (could have got it cheaper here!), looked it over, walked away, came back and looked again, walked away again, but couldn't find anything else I wanted as badly. It is an elegant masterpiece. I happen to thrill at anything remotely connected to taxidermy, but this book will also interest those who like nature, museums, or art.
NATURAL WONDERS AND HOW THEY WERE MADE
This is a marvelous and beautiful book.It has great color photos of recreated natural settings--the dioramas that bring nature to life in the museum--and the text is a pleasure to read.The descriptions and additional photos not only tell about the scenes but provide innumerable details and stories about how they were made, and the very human and wonderful museum exhibition people who, with skill and ingenuity, created them--the world behind the scenes. Bravo! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    2. Diorama    3. Ecology    4. Exhibition Catalogs    5. General    6. Habitat (Ecology)    7. Nature    8. Nature Photography    9. New York    10. New York (State)    11. Photo Techniques    12. Photography    13. Science    14. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    15. Wildlife    16. Exhibition catalogues and specific collections    17. Nature / General    18. Nature in art, still life, landscapes & seascapes    19. Painting & paintings   

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Fish    3. Fishes    4. General    5. Ichthyology    6. Identification    7. Ohio    8. Poetry   

Reviews (11)

Good Learning Tool
Carol Gurney's book is an excellent place to start if your goal is to actually gain an ability to communicate with animals. She does a great job of explaining her methods and of giving "for instances" and exercises to build the reader's confidence. Follow this book with Learning Their Language by Marta Williams.
The Language of Animals: 7 steps to Communicating with Anima
Very informational.Her techniques really do help communicate with our companions.

a little too "touchy feely"
What I liked about the book was that it gave me validations on some "communications" I've received from my dogs. Their communication came to me the way she said they could. Their thought or opinion just flashed into my brain from their brain. They don't have to be looking at you; thoughts from them just come, like she says in her book. She says to be "open" to your animal, to let them "say" whatever they want. I did this, and one of my adopted strays brought up things like "I've had a hard life" and "I had to run from cars a lot". When I asked my other dog about her previous life (also a rescue dog) she said "I was bad", meaning she fought w/the other household dogs. Read more

Subjects:  1. Animal communication    2. Animals    3. Communication    4. Extrasensory perception    5. Extrasensory perception in ani    6. Extrasensory perception in animals    7. General    8. Human-animal communication    9. Nature    10. Nature/Ecology    11. Parapsychology - ESP (Clairvoyance, Precognition, Telepathy)    12. Pets    13. Telepathy    14. Pets / General   

Reviews (6)

Awesome
This books is very informational.I have gotten a lot of information from it and the pictures are fabulous!I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Marine Mammals.My daughter wants to be a Marine Biologist/Marine Mammal Trainer and this book gave her all the right information at the right time.

Much more than expected!
Audubon has certainly delivered their best in this marine life field guide! When I bought this, I expected it to be the usual good Audubon repeat of their previous field guides. I was quite impressed by the number of species inserted, and the special illustrations used along with it. There are a surprising number of families and subspecies listed also. Very informative, but a few minor quibbles
I picked this book up at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago (inspired by the walrus exhibit).It is a very informative guide and beautifully illustrated.Read more

Subjects:  1. Identification    2. Mammals    3. Marine Life    4. Marine Mammals    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Marine & freshwater mammals    8. Nature / Marine Life   

Reviews (1)

Interesting themed art book
This book features photos of artworks from many time periods showing dogs.Most of the artworks are realistic in style.Towards the end, there are a few more modern paintings.I wish the author would have included more modern paintings.Anyway, this is a great book to introduce young children to art appreciation. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Art, Modern    4. Dogs in art    5. General    6. History - General    7. Special Subjects In Art    8. Subjects & Themes - General    9. Australia    10. Dogs    11. History of art & design styles: c 1800 to c 1900    12. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    13. Nature / Dogs   

Reviews (4)

Serviceable and Entertaining
My goal in purchasing this book, which pulls together information about birds, shells, dune plants, and fish was to be able to pack one slim volume instead of the bag of field guides I usually took to the Outer Banks. After two trips to North Carolina in the last year, I have found that I still need to carry a couple of other references because this is not comprehensive in any one of its categories--and how could it be at 148 pages? However, Meyer's guide does manage to cover many of the specimens commonly found along the Carolina coast.Furthermore, it is written in a graceful voice that keeps you reading long after you've put a name to the beastie you found on the beach. It is not childish or simple at all, but it can be used by the entire family. It stirs wonder.

Interesting guide...
Being a transplant from Michigan, I had little knowledge of coastal animals and plants. I purchased this book to satisfy my curiosity. I'm not knowledgeable enough as the other reviewer who found the inaccuracies in the book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. The information is presented in a very interesting way and all the photographs are in color. I can't wait to spend more time on the coast and see some of the creatures myself.I'll definitely have this guide on hand. I also enjoyed the respect the author has for nature.

Some SERIOUS problems in the plates, otherwise ok
Overall an ok book for a beginner. If you come into this as a naturalist you will likely be disapointed. There are some otherserious problems that I was able to spot straight out.Read more

Subjects:  1. Coastal animals    2. Coastal ecology    3. General    4. Identification    5. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    6. Nature / Animals    7. Nature / Field Guide Books    8. Nature/Ecology    9. North Carolina    10. South Carolina    11. Travel / United States / South / South Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)    12. Animals    13. Guidebooks    14. Science    15. Travel    16. Wildlife watching   

Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Identification    3. Life Sciences - Zoology - Ornithology    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Parrots    7. Biological Sciences    8. Birds & birdwatching    9. Birds (ornithology)    10. Birds and Natural History    11. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology   

Reviews (1)

Compact, Basic Overview
The good news about this book is that it provides the most extensive coverage of the region, with the birds of all of Mexico and Central America being illustrated in a single volume for the first time. It is also very small, compact and light-weight.
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Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Nature    3. Nature/Ecology    4. Biological Sciences    5. Birds & birdwatching    6. Birds (ornithology)    7. Birds and Natural History    8. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Drawing By Individual Artists    5. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    6. History - Contemporary (1945- )    7. Marine Biology    8. Marine Life    9. Marine mammals in art    10. Marine resources conservation    11. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    12. Art / Subjects & Themes / Plants & Animals   

Subjects:  1. Animals / Pets    2. Equestrian Sports    3. Essays    4. Horsemen and horsewomen    5. Horses    6. Horses - General    7. Human-animal relationships    8. Pets    9. Psychological aspects    10. Psychology    11. Women's Studies - General    12. Horses & ponies