Reviews (3)

Stunning Photos!
Of course, everyone loves the feisty, peppy hummingbird with it's glorious colors.This book shows details that the average birdwatcher never sees.The close up photos, some in action sequence, are a delight and there are pictures even showing the nests made of cobwebs, feathers and lichens.
Unbelievable photography
This book conains the most amazing photography imaginable (the authors' companion book Hummingbirds of the Caribbean is just as wonderful).Dazzling colors and awesome stopped-action shots. I can't imagine how it was done.

Highest praise
The wife and husband team of Esther and Robert Tyrrell logged over 30,000 miles of travel to photograph and document the 16 species of North American hummingbirds.Using his own special high-speed strobe techniques, Roberthas photographed the tiny colorful birds in a variety of activities flying,perching, and nesting.The book contains over 200 amazing photographs,reproduced in dazzling color.In her text, Esther has culled informationfrom hundreds of sources and provides a comprehensive and well-writtenoverview of the birds' anatomy and behaviors.A must for any bird lover! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Hummingbirds    4. Individual Species Of Birds    5. Nature / Field Guide Books    6. Nature/Ecology    7. North America    8. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (21)

I never knew...
I have this romantic notion that one day I will retire from the Army, settle down somewhere nice, and tend my bee hives filled with gentle bees, reaping in gallons of sweet, liquid gold.Like I said, it's a romantic notion.What this book clearly states is that there is more to successfully operating an apiary than harvesting the honey a few times a year.It's science and agriculture.It's care and preservation.It's timing and careful planning.But this book didn't scare me away from my notions, rather it provided me with the critical information I'll need to successfully care for my own colony of bees.I get excited just thinking about the possibilities.The book is clearly laid out, informative, and comprehensive in scope.I recommend it for a beginner, like me, or someone who wants a good, well-rounded resource guide on beekeeping.

Pretty good resource, but not the bee all, end all...
I used this book as my only reference for starting my career as a backyard beekeeper. I find it very helpful and it is a good reference but it's also rather incomplete.I got my bees in Nucs not boxes and there wasn't much that a beginner needed to understand the differences. Also, when I checked my hives for the first time, I realized that this book is lacking a lot of what looks normal and what doesn't; there are only a few photos, mostly not very useful.Why doesn't the book tell you to smoke yourself and the bees to help prevent stings? Why isn't there info about using sugar water in addition to smoke to help you when in the hive? Now that I'm started I wish that there was a volume II with more detail to help me at the next level.
Great beginners book
This is a great "first" book. It is excellent for explaining the parts of a hive, terminology, etc., in a very readable manner, and I love the cartoons. But you must also read other books as well. The more you read, the more you'll be able to separate "opinion" from "hard fact." "The New Starting Right with Bees" etc. are excellent first-year companions to "Beekeeping for Dummies." If you start with this book, you'll be on your way; if you stop with it, you will be in a sorry state. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - General    2. Apiculture    3. Bee culture    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Insects & Spiders    6. Life Sciences - Zoology - Entomology    7. Nature    8. Technology & Industrial Arts    9. Apiculture (beekeeping)    10. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    11. Pets / General   

Reviews (22)

A nice guide for oregon
My last bird book was a petersons from 25 years ago. Amazingly it has worked well for a causal birder. Recently we felt like up grading. I bought three books, the sibley has range maps right with the bird , which the petersons does not have any more. ( my old copy does have that feature.) This was a good buy, My mother likes the small Oregon Birds , its pocket sized ,and color oreinted. I use the petersons because once I narrow my choices, Petersons has more options.
Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America
I have found this book to be well done and put together. I started using it about two weeks ago and have found it easy to use and I like the pictures and imformation on the birds that is given.

Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America
Excellent book and about time.Sibley's orginal book was just too large to carry around so we used Kauffman as a field guide.While his book is also good, Sibley manages to give you pictures of the same bird in its juvenile plumage, males and females, morphs, flying and other variations.You can really get a more positive ID on your birds with this book.I also have the one for Eastern North America for visiting friends in Texas and beyond.The more books the better, but Sibley's divided versions of his big book is a must. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    4. Identification    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. North America    8. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Editorial Review

Rosemary and Peter Grant and those assisting them have spend twenty years on Daphne Major, an island in the Galapagos studying natural selection.They recognize each individual bird on the island, when there are four hundred at the time of the author's visit, or when there are over a thousand.They have observed about twenty generations of finches -- continuously.Read more

Reviews (61)

Thinking About Life
I have been raised in a highly fundamentalist environment, and had little idea what evolution or natural selection actually was before I read this book. It could not have been explained to me in a simpler or more understandable way. I was even more astonished to discover that evolution by means of natural selection is happening right now, not only to finches or guppies or soapberry bugs, but to every living thing around me. I am always seeking books that will make me think about the world in which I live. This is such a book.

A Wonderful Introduction to Evolution
As a biology major I consider myself well versed in the principles and concepts of evolutionary theory.I have read innumerous books on the subject, both popular and technical.Given this background I would have to say that The Beak of the Finch is easily one of the best introductions an individual can get on the subjects of natural selection, evolution, and speciation.Jonathan Weiner's smooth prose makes the reading both easy (relatively) and enjoyable.That being said this is by no means a "simple" introduction to evolution. The book delves deeply into the intricacies of natural selection as addressed by the Grants and numerous other researchers.
...
This book was very good in showing how natural selection takes place. It was a very informative novel, and it gives the reader a very good understanding of evolution.However the book was very repetitive and the chapters did now flow well together. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1936-    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Evolution    4. Finches    5. Galapagos Islands    6. Grant, Peter R.,    7. Life Sciences - Evolution    8. Research    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Science / Evolution   

Reviews (14)

A must read!
Good for bringing new dogs into your family. A must to read!

Getting ready for baby
This book was recommended at a veterinary conference in Kansas City ... I work at a small animal hospital, and I was looking for a book to recommend to our clients when they are preparing for a new baby.I was hoping for more information, however, about problems that parents should expect between their child and the dog as the child grows up.This book presents realistic training ideas and other options (rehoming, euthanasia) for dogs that just should not be around kids, and also suggests when the owner should seek professional help.

Very good book!
We bought this to help us train our two newly rescued rat terriers to accept our grandchildren.They had some very good advice on introducing dogs to children, etc. that we have already used. Hopefully, by the time they visit, they will be more socialized to children.
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Subjects:  1. Children and animals    2. Dogs    3. Dogs - Training    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Pets    7. Social aspects    8. Training    9. Nature / Dogs   

Editorial Review

Covering 508 bird species found east of the Rocky Mountains, the revised second edition takes into account changes in taxonomy and uses improved photography. At the heart of the guide is a set of 646 well-made color photographs whose subjects are organized by easily discerned characteristics (e.g., "chicken-like marsh birds," such as the clapper rail; "gull-like birds," such as the kittiwake; and "upright-perching water birds," such as the common murre). The photographs are then keyed to textual descriptions of the birds' appearance, range and habitat, nesting characteristics, and behavior. Easy to use and handsomely produced, this belongs in every eastern birdwatcher's collection. Read more

Reviews (27)

Not a true field guide
This guide was not designed for field birding.
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Eastern Region - Revised Edition
Excellent book for every bird watcher.

Handy Guide
Great pictures Would have liked pictures of the male, the female and the juvenal printed next to each other. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    4. Identification    5. Individual Species Of Birds    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. North America    9. Birds & birdwatching    10. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (9)

Best in the market
Its definitely one of the best books on reptile surgery in the market if you're into real herping

Excellent Reference for anyone with a reptile/amphibian collection
I have a small reptile collection from which I refer to this book exclusively if any of the herps get sick or appear to be ill.Not all veterinarians know about reptile medicine and surgery so this is a great book for veterinarians broadening their field in animal medicine as well as, those of us who love reptiles.Mader also expresses to veterinarians cost for reptile patients (10% more than for dogs and cats, Dr. Mader states).The photos are in black and white with heavy duty pages that have photos and information based on every order of reptiles and amphibians with basic information about care requirements and do's and don'ts.I highly recommend this book for beginners to advanced collectors as well as, graduate students in veterinary medicine to include veterinarians.It is highly recommended that veterinarians increase their market to herps because herp sales will increase to 400% in the next 2 years.

SERIOUS HERPETOLOGISTS ONLY
I won't recapitulate what you find in the description. Simply put, as a herpetologist who works with, and rescues, crocodilians, venomous snakes, wide varieties of turtles, lizards and snakes I can't do with out this book. Actually I have two copies, one is downstairs with the animals where it has been dropped into turtle tanks and has some very interesting stains on it and the other is in my library. My point is that this book is too useful not to have on hand. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Medical    2. Medical / Nursing    3. Reptiles & Amphibians    4. Veterinary Medicine - General    5. Veterinary Medicine - Small Animal    6. Medical / Veterinary Medicine / General    7. Veterinary science: exotic & zoo animals    8. Veterinary surgery   

Reviews (3)

Spectacular
This book is spectacular.The images are breathtaking, and the quality of their presentation is nothing short of superb.Wow!!!

Why reorganize a symphony?
Let me qualify my remarks by first saying that I have not even seen this version. I have no doubt that the printing is of the highest quality, but I have a serious reservation about the organization of this book.Audubon deliberately mixed his birds in a non-taxonomic order to maintain a freshness and an element of suprise.I recently acquired a large format copy published by Welcome Rain, which follows Audubon's original order.The effect is a delightful romp through nature, full of suprises, drama and movement.He never intended it to be a catalog with all his ducks in a row, it was to be an experience.I have seen an abridged, small format edition of his paintings arranged in the standard, dull taxonomic order of a typical field guide and the effect is nothing like seeing them in the order Audubon intended.Rearranging the plates for convenience of listers diminishes this work, and to a certain extent, is a disservice to the artist.While I am happy to see that his work remains in print and is being reproduced at very high standards, I would hope that it would be viewed as a symphony, not as a random collection of notes needing to be organized alphabetically.

Beautiful volume of audubon
If you are a birder and you collect all the great bird books, your collection is not complete until you get this. A beautiful book, contained in a hard case, with excellent printing. A steal at $250 at its original price, now knocked down between $125 to $185. Get this book! A great tribute to Peterson and Audubon. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art & Art Instruction    2. Artists    3. Biography    4. Birds    5. Individual Artist    6. Nature/Ecology    7. North America    8. Ornithologists    9. Ornithology    10. Techniques - Painting - Specific Subjects    11. United States    12. Birds (ornithology)   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (115)

Modoc the Elephant and the Boy who Loved Her
Before there was Dumbo, before but not quite before there was Toomai of the Elephants, there was Modoc and there was Bram, the boy who loved her. Boy and elephant, born on the same day, in the same hour, two souls intertwined throughout a lifetime.
Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived
This is by far one of the best animal stories I have read. It is moving, heart-felt, entertaining, touching and funny all at once.
Great, great book
I ordered 2 more copies of Modoc so I could pass it out to friends.I LOVED the book.It emcompassed the qualities that I hold most dear:love, compassion, commitment, loyalty, determination, understanding and perseverance.It engulfed for me - I couldn't put it down.And was glad no one was home as I finished it - I was sobbing.Many of my friends have read it - all liked it, only a few were as passionate as I was about the book.....but I would still highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Circus    4. Circus animals    5. Essays    6. Mammals    7. Modoc (Elephant)    8. Nature    9. Biography: general    10. Domestic animals & pets    11. Nature / Animals   

Reviews (14)

out of this world!
One can only think the amount of knowledge Don has on bird sounds is in a different scale to the rest. But then he finds the way to transmit a good portion of it with simple and very easy to read stories and that becomes even more incredible. A very beautiful book in all senses.

Book is fascinating but CD is confusing
Criticism of the CD:What I wanted was a CD where the type of bird would be announced on the CD before or after the song, so that I could listen to the CD without having to read along in the book.(I wanted to learn bird songs during my commuting time, which precludes reading along.)Also, even when using the book, I had a great deal of trouble telling when one track had ended and another had begun, so I was usually lost and confused.This is not the right CD for me.

Wow - my ears are opened!

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Subjects:  1. Bird Behavior    2. Bird Watching    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Birdsongs    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (23)

Birds Field Guide review
The pictures were what I was interested in.They are clear and very accurate.I would liked to have had more detail on the history of each bird but over all, it has helped me a great deal.

Great book
Love the illustrations.Much more realistic than any we have seen.We are lovers of wildlife and a grateful for such a wonderful reference.

A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America
This is a fantastic book.It came in perfect condition. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. North America    7. Birds & birdwatching    8. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (67)

Comedian As Scientist Entertains As He Informs
I picked this book up recently for the first time since high-school, some 15-plus (!) years ago.Maybe it was Steve Irwin's death, or a viewing of the documentary Grizzly Man, that got me to thinking about it- either way, I'm glad I did.I'd forgotten what a wacky character Farley Mowat was, and how much more there is to this quick read than dry scientific reporting.
"Wolves, please don't cry."
NEVER CRY WOLF is Farley Mowat's first-person reminiscence of his time spent studying wolves in the Canadian arctic. NEVER CRY WOLF, first published in 1963, was one of the earliest, most widely-read, and most effective conservation narratives ever penned. It's Russian edition (the title of which, literally translated back into English, is WOLVES, PLEASE DON'T CRY) was responsible for a Soviet ban on wolf hunting that spared the animals in their natural habitat and gained Mr. Mowat a notorious reputation at the U.S. State Department, which banned his subsequent entry into the United States.
Three Stars for Entertainment, Zero for veracity
I can't believe all the reviewers gushing about this book. It is propaganda, propaganda for a good cause. But, like all propaganda, it is not bound by truth or even by facts.
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Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Essays    3. General    4. Habits and behavior    5. Juvenile literature    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Wildlife    9. Wolves    10. Marriage, family & other relationships    11. Nature / Wildlife    12. Popular psychology   

Editorial Review

Considered the definitive raptor identification guide for North America, this essential resourcefor birders includes photos and text for distinguishing between hawks, falcons, eagles, and vultures in thefield, paying careful attention to plumage variations in juveniles and adults. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Hawks and Birds of Prey
This is by far the very best book I have ever seen. The photos and details are just Great. I would advise anyone that watchs for these beautiful birds to have this as a guide!!

A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors
This is the best photographic guide to north american raptors available.The photos are very clear so you can see details on plumage.It also includes multiple photos of the species that have morphs, which is very helpful in the field.This is not a book I would recommend if you are using it for written reference.But I give it 5 stars for a field reference guide!

Useful field guide, shows variability of morphs
This is simply the best field guide for North American diurnal raptors that I have seen.Unlike some other photgraphic guides, it provides several images of each species in poses that one is likely to see in the field: perched and soaring from above and the side (showing field marks of top of wing and tail).It shows several examples of different morphs and ages for most birds.This is critical in understanding the variability in markings within a species.In addition, it has a section on field identification problems, detailing differences between similar looking birds.To my knowledge, there is no substitute.Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Biological Sciences    6. Birds & birdwatching    7. Birds and Natural History    8. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (12)

A delightful memoir
This was a book I hated to see end.The descriptions of Corfu, family members and residents of the island, and wildlife were lyrical and loving.The author was a keen observer of his environment and was able to share his observations vividly with the reader.His humorous anecdotes were of laugh-aloud variety.
A pleasant summer read!
My Family and Other Animals is about a ten-year-old boy named Gerald who moves to the sun-soaked island Corfu, Greece with his family to escape the dreary and gloomy climate in London. There, he encounters many different animals and people. I absolutely loved this book because it was really funny. There was a lot of action in this book. Durrell lovingly described each and every animal that he owned. He also told every detail of the settings, so I felt like I was really in Corfu!
My Family and Other Animals
Charming and delightful. A true story which made me want to pack and return to Corfu again. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Corfu Island    3. Corfu Island (Greece)    4. Description And Travel    5. Europe - Greece    6. General    7. Greece    8. Natural History    9. Nature    10. Nature/Ecology    11. Personal Memoirs    12. Travel - Foreign    13. Travel - General    14. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Reviews (13)

Good for quick reference
If you already know a bit about corals, this is a nice book to have around for quick reference.I especially like that it lists similar corals and gives some basic information on how to tell them apart.It can be deceptive, though.The information it gives on the specific corals is very general, and should not be considered a good source for research on a coral you're planning to actually buy.Don't get me wrong, though.I'm happy I have this book, but I'd suggest supplementing it with a text such as Eric Bourneman's "Aquarium Corals: Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History".This text will actually give you much more specific information on requirements to care for the corals, as well as some better techniques to identify certain corals, since many look very similar, and there's no way any book could show every possible shape and color for many species.

good picture book
Book has lots of good pictures to help you identify corals.IN this manner it can be used as a min-coral atlas.
Good First Reference Text, pity about poor quality binding and packaging
A wonderful first reference text from Julian Sprung. The necessary information is well presented and communicated in a clear manner. A word of advice, don't get the hardcover version as it looses pages through poor binding and Amazon's inability to package adequately results in the corners being damaged in transit. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Coral reef animals    2. Earth Sciences - Oceanography    3. Identification    4. Marine Life    5. Marine invertebrates    6. Nature    7. Oceans & Seas    8. Reference    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics   

Reviews (4)

Timberly Wannamaker, Speech Pathology Graduate Student
Great reference item. the book is well written and easy to follow. Highly recommended.

One of the best A&P books for SLPs!
This book was required reading in my graduate program and I am thrilledthat it was! I have worked in both acute care as well as school settingsand have found this book to be extremely helpful from both ends of thespectrum. An absolutely fantastic desk reference, especially in the acutecare setting!

A good friend
I knew Mr. Zemlin personally when he lived in Brimson Minnesota. I saw thefirst edition when he first got it off the press and I was very impressed.Sorry to say that Mr. Zemlin has since passed away in 1998. His knowledgeof a&p was far greater than any other person I have ever known. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Hearing    4. Human Services    5. Life Sciences - Anatomy & Physiology    6. Physiology    7. Physiology Of Speech    8. Science    9. Sensory Neurophysiology    10. Special Education - General    11. Speech    12. Animal physiology    13. Medical / Audiology & Speech Pathology    14. Phonetics, phonology, prosody (speech)   

Reviews (8)

sizes missing
Does not contain more than photos and a small text box per creature. There is no mention of sizes, something of great importance when stocking an aquarium. For me, it is too quick of a reference quide. The information (and much beyond that) contained here can be found in Nilsen's "Reef Secrets".

Good reference text, pity about poor packaging
This is a wonderful first reference text from Julian Sprung. Well set out and communicates the necessary information in an undestandable way. A word of advice, don't get this text in a hardcover version as the pages are poorly bound and Amazon's inability to adequate package the book results in damaged corners. Why pay more to get damaged goods and the Amazon run-around?

Invertebrates: A Quick Reference Guide
After 30+ years as a salt water enthusiast, I can easily say thAt this book answers the majority of questions about the proper ways to keep inverts alive and well in a home aquarium setting.
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Subjects:  1. Marine Life    2. Nature    3. Nature / Field Guide Books    4. Science/Mathematics   

Subjects:  1. Life Sciences - Biology - General    2. Life Sciences - Botany    3. Life Sciences - Zoology - Entomology    4. Reference    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Insects (entomology)    8. Plant reproduction & propagation    9. Reference works    10. Science / Life Sciences / Zoology / Invertebrates   

Reviews (3)

The book all aquatic chemists should keep on reading
Stumm and Morgan remains the best aquatic chemical book ever written. Reference Yes, Teaching Text, No
This book is an excellent reference text for people who already know something about aquatic chemistry. It contains more material and covers more topics than any other book in the field. As a teaching text, however, it is severely lacking. Excellent reference book for chem. & physics of nat. systems
This book is an excellent reference. It presents a thorough discussion ofa complex topic. The authors provide many worked examples, with allrequired numeric inputs and resutls, that permit the reader to quicklyverify his or her understanding of the material. The consistent and properuse of units throughout the book is refreshing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chemistry - General    2. Chemistry - Organic    3. Fish    4. Marine Life    5. Military Science    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Water chemistry    9. Environmental science    10. Hydrology (freshwater)    11. Pollution of rivers & water supplies    12. Sanitary & municipal engineering    13. Technology / Military Science   

Subjects:  1. Fossils    2. Nature / Field Guide Books    3. Palaeozoology    4. Vertebrates