Reviews (5)

Delightful
"Leaves in Myth, Magic & Medicine" is a delightful book that will bring readers years of pleasure.Like nature itself, the magestic beauty contained within is revealed slowly in layers.More than just a beautiful picture book, the text for each leaf portrait is rich yet concise."Leaves in Myth, Magic & Myth" is a wonderful monograph to give to naturalists, environmentalists, folklorists, herbalists, family or friends who want to widen their horizons while deepening their appreciation for trees.

Truly unique
This original and unique book was written by an 87 year old retiredlibrarian.Ms. Vitale devoted 30 years to researching and creating thiswonderful portrait of leaves.The 110 leaf specimens are all grown inAmerican soil.The author includes fascinating information on tree lore,medicine, botany and so much more.This book brought me hours of pleasureand is also a great reference book.I highly recommend this book to anyonewho has an interest and love for trees and/or all aspects of nature.

A True Work of Art!
Good Lord, this book is absolutely stunning!What a find!Getting this book as a holiday gift is indeed a good argument for writing an accurate self-description on one's wish list - I said I loved leaves and I got thisamazing book which I never even knew existed.The ink autoprints are sofinely detailed, it's hard to believe they are really printed off livingleaves.Meeting the woman/artist/botanist who so lovingly (obviously) andpainstakingly created these prints would be an honor and truly fascinating. This is a case of art imitating yet surpassing nature by making you reallySEE and understand its wonder. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Folklore    2. Folklore & Mythology - Folklore    3. Herbal Medications    4. Leaves    5. Materia medica    6. Materia medica, Vegetable    7. Nature    8. Nature / Field Guide Books    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Plants - General    11. Trees & Forests - General    12. Mind, body, spirit: disciplines & techniques    13. Myths & mythology    14. Nature / Trees    15. Trees & wildflowers   

Subjects:  1. Engineering - Mechanical    2. Material Science    3. Metallurgy    4. Mining    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Technology    7. Technology & Industrial Arts    8. Geochemistry    9. Mineralogy    10. Mining technology & engineering    11. Rocks, minerals & fossils    12. Technology / Material Science   

Reviews (2)

A fine reference
I am not trained in zoology and approach this subject as a complete amateur and a beginner amateur at that. This book is lavishly illustrated with expert and precise drawings as well as breathtaking photography that is more than adequat in conveying the beauty and complexity of the book's subject matter. A Great Book for anyone, from the ameteur to the expert
Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians, Second Edition gave exellent synopsi on many herpetofauna ranging from the common green tree frog, to the care New Caledonian geckos. This encyclopedia will be enjoyed by anyone who has a genuine interest in reptiles and amphibians. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amphibia    2. Amphibians    3. Encyclopedias    4. Nature    5. Nature / Field Guide Books    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Reference    8. Reptiles    9. Reptiles & Amphibians    10. Zoology    11. Animal behaviour    12. Reference works    13. Wild animals   

Reviews (2)

I use it regularly
Any birder is familiar with the format that even the best guides use to convey the likelihood over time of finding a given species in a particular location.Because of the scope of those guides, they are limited to conveying the timing to seasons and the locations to regions. An outstanding companion to a Peterson field guide
This book is an ideal companion to a field guide to Eastern birds.Primarily designed as a reference guide (it contains no pictures, descriptions, or field marks) it contains a wealth of information on thelikelihood of finding a particular species by county and time of year inWisconsin. Based on at least 15 years of birding reports, the book isorganized in standard order of species with one bird species per page. Each page contains the probability of spotting the species somewhere in thestate in a given year, a map of the frequency of reports by county, a chartof the reporting frequency by week for the year, and a trend line by yearof the total relative number of reports.I would recommend the guideprimarily to the intermediate or advanced birder who is knowledgable abouteach bird species and their likely habitats already, but needs to know whatis likely to be foundin a given part of the state.Read more

Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    5. Geographical distribution    6. Maps    7. Nature    8. Nature / Field Guide Books    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Wisconsin    11. Birds & birdwatching    12. Reference works    13. USA   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (2)

Great Cats
A must for anybody who loves great cats and art: a book full of stories and especially awesome photos, sketches and paintings of these wonderful creatures. The paintings are so incredibly realistic that at times one hasto look closely to make sure it is not just a photo. A definite winner!

A super book an art by a talented artist Simon Combes
They say never judge a book by its cover,well friends you can in this case.A beautiful oil painting of a jaguar on its cover says it all, this is a must have book for any animal lovers specially wild cats, art studentsand even professional artists. Book is loaded incredible stories and killerartworks of Simon Combes.I enjoyed it every single page and I did notrealize that I end up reading the entire book in one sitting.I was socaptivated by the stories, and I enjoyed the art work of Simon Combes, wellworth the money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Felidae in art    3. Individual Painters - 20th Century    4. Mammals    5. Natural History Illustration    6. Nature    7. Nature / Field Guide Books    8. Techniques - Painting    9. Wild cats in art    10. Wildlife    11. Wildlife painting    12. Combes, Simon    13. Themes, motives   

Subjects:  1. Congresses    2. Eggs    3. Fish    4. Fish Culture (General)    5. Fishes    6. Ichthyology    7. Lakes & Ponds    8. Larvae    9. Life Sciences - Biology - General    10. Nature    11. Nature / Field Guide Books    12. Nature/Ecology    13. Recruitment (Population biolog    14. Recruitment (Population biology)    15. Nature / Fish    16. Nature / Lakes & Ponds    17. Nature-Lakes & Ponds    18. Science-Life Sciences - Biology - General   

Reviews (10)

Serene, exotic and overwhelmingly beautiful!
Keeping a marine aquarium can be an intensely rewarding experience, especially if you have the right tools. This book, The Captive Marine Aquarium, is one of them!

Great accomplishment
The author might have set a new standard for anyone who is interested in writing or publishing a book about captive marine aquarium.The readers should at least have an opportunity to see how successful the author's own aquarium is.
Two thumbs up!
Finally a marine aquarium book that is full of beautiful photographs all taken from the author's captive systems instead of diving trip.
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Subjects:  1. Curiosities & Wonders    2. Fish    3. General    4. Nature    5. Nature / Field Guide Books    6. Photo Techniques    7. Photography    8. Subjects & Themes - General   

Reviews (1)

Each flower's entry includes a color photograph, text description, information on its bloom season & habitat range, & more
Printed on heavy stock, water-resistant paper and featuring stunning full color photography throughout, East Gulf Coastal Plain Wildflowers is a field guide wildflowers found in a region of the United States including Southwest Georgia, Northwest Florida, Southern Alabama, Southern Mississippi, and parts of Southeastern Louisiana. An introduction and overview offers maps, information about floral diversity, and tips for using the guide, yet the bulk of East Gulf Coastal Plain Wildflowers is devoted to single-column entries of individual blossoms. Each flower's entry includes a color photograph, extensive text description, information on its bloom season and habitat range, and more. A glossary and index round out this superb quick-reference field guide. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Flowers    2. Nature    3. Nature / Field Guide Books    4. Nature/Ecology    5. United States - South - East South Central (General)    6. Nature / Flowers   

Reviews (1)

Simply a wonderful book and invaluable tool
for your next trip to a Lake Michigan beach.As a novice rock collector who was both fascinated and curious as to the identity of the stunningly beautiful stones covering many Lake Michigan Beaches, this book answered countless questions.A large variety of Lake Michigan rocks & fossils are identified and beautifully illustrated, with accompanying information on where they are likely to be found.Following Bruce Mueller & Kevin Gauthier's tips on how, when and where to find rock specimens has astronomically increased my success in rock collecting.The information on the formation, history, preparation [cleaning/grinding/polishing techniques] and craft/jewelry uses of Lake Michigan stones provided in this book are priceless.Humorous and philosophical at times, this wonderful book has what it takes to educate, entertain and reveal the nature of the treasures lying along Lake Michigan's shoreline.
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Subjects:  1. Collection and preservation    2. Guidebooks    3. Michigan, Lake    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Rocks    7. Rocks & Minerals    8. Travel - United States    9. United States - Midwest - Michigan    10. Michigan    11. Rocks, minerals & fossils    12. Travel & holiday guides    13. Travel / United States / Midwest / East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)   

Reviews (3)

Attractive...mildly biased?
This is a highly attractive book; the photographs actually almost made me salivate. The majority of emeralds in the marketplace are reprehensible--the ones pictured here prove that emeralds done right are among the most transcendently lovely objects on earth.
A great introduction to emeralds
This book is a fairly short book on Emeralds.Ward gives the reader a great introduction to the world of emeralds without losing the reader in a bunch of scientific jargon.Though the book is very short for its price,it is full of great color pictures and information.The photography in this book alone makes it a must have for emerald lovers.The only complaint that I have about the photograph is that many of the pictures are taken zoomed in so the reader has a tough time determining the actual size of the subjects.Ward touches on the ancient history of these beautiful gems and explores modern day sources of the world's emeralds.Ward also discusses treatments of emeralds before sale, care of emerald jewlery, and there is a particularly interesting section on the making of synthetic emeralds. I would recomend this book to anyone with an interest in emeralds, but I would not recomend it to those looking for a particularly scientific book or a buyer's guide.This little book is packed with information and photographs that won't let you down.

"Emeralds, filled with information"
I read Fred Ward's book "Emeralds", a part of his gem series, for an oral report I had to do for school. This book is packed with information on emeralds, from general info, to the cutting process; this book has it all! Not only is Fred Ward a talented author and researcher, but also he takes magnificent photographs. This book has lots of beautiful pictures of emeralds from all over the world. Fred Ward gives you a history of emeralds and their importance with the ancients.And shows and tells you about some of the beautiful jewelry that emeralds are in today, as well in the past. It even has a buying guide that shows what to look for when buying emeralds. I did tons of research for my report, and used a lot of books, but none of them even came close to "Emeralds". ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Emeralds    2. Natural Resources    3. Nature    4. Nature / Field Guide Books    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Precious stone industry    7. Rocks & Minerals   

Reviews (2)

Fun book for the beginning tracker.
I bought this book for my five year old daughter who enjoys hiking with her dad in the forest preserves near our home.She loved it and couldn't wait to go out to the trails.Each page has a life size picture of the animals' footprint which is very helpful because several animals (i.e. wolf and coyote) have similar footprints.Sometimes the difference in size is the only noticiable difference.Each page also has a picture of the animal, so my daughter, who is unable to read, is still able to tell to which animal the footprint belongs.My only complaint is that the book does not show both the front and back footprints of each animal.But the book is small and lightweight, easy to throw in a child's back pack, and clear enough for my five year old to understand on her own.

track pack: animal tracks in full life size
Fun Book to taking camping.We love the full size pictures. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animal tracks    2. Animals    3. Identification    4. Mammals    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. North America    8. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    9. Zoology & animal sciences   

Reviews (6)

Probably the best book available on this topic.
If you are hesitating due to the price of this book don't. Check out the contents page on the 'look inside' facility above.It is well worth the expense. Excellent photos,( I wonder how many hours underwater they spent observing the behaviour captured in these pics?) highly informative text, an absolute mine of interesting facts and observations about a complex subject. Though specific to the Caribbean and Bahamas it can also be used by divers in the Pacific and Indian oceans.Obviously it does not cover all species and unfortunately misses out on some of my personal favourites Morays, Lionfish, Boxfishes, Porcupinefishes and Puffers but at 360 pages it still covers a lot of ground. Enjoy!
Fascinating Reading, Unbelievable Photos
I have owned and loved the three Humann field guides for years - the reef "Fish", "Creature", and "Coral" identification guides respectively, but this book is the best of all, in my opinion. The information which scientists have discovered regarding the inter-relationships of these organisms often yields "fish stories" which rival the inventions of the most imagninative writers of fantasy.In the tropical underwater world, "truth" really is "stranger than fiction," making fascinating and fun reading.And, of course, Humann's splendid photographs on nearly every page greatly enhance the narratives.

Scuba Instructor reviews
My Name is Steve Fox, I am a scuba instructor in Utila, Bay Islands,Honduras I would like to say that in my dive shop and resort we use the whole Paul Humann set of books, they are fantastic, after every dive we sit with customers and go though all the fish,creatures and coral we have seen, they are the divers bible.Read more

Subjects:  1. Fish    2. Nature    3. Nature / Field Guide Books    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Behavior    6. Behavioral sciences    7. Caribbean Area    8. Coral Reefs and Islands    9. Marine Biology    10. Marine Ecology    11. Marine Life    12. Oceans & Seas    13. Science   

Reviews (1)

Tour de force of the fisheries of Alabama
This superb piece of scientific collection reporting is as through as it is attractive. It has the handsome feel of a coffee table book must for any angler, but is pure field biology, down to the nuanced tales of specimencollection and recording. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alabama    2. Animals / Pets    3. Fish    4. Freshwater Fish Anatomy And Physiology    5. Freshwater fishes    6. General    7. Identification    8. Mobile River Watershed    9. Nature    10. Science/Mathematics   

Reviews (1)

Very useful manual for coastal wetland plants:
Sections include:Read more

Subjects:  1. Coastal plants    2. Identification    3. Life Sciences - Botany    4. Nature    5. Nature / Field Guide Books    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Northeastern States    8. Plants - General    9. Reference    10. Wetland plants   

Subjects:  1. Adaptation (Biology)    2. Body size    3. Congresses    4. Evolution    5. Fossils    6. Mammals    7. Mammals, Fossil    8. Nature    9. Nature / Field Guide Books    10. Paleobiology (General)    11. Paleontology    12. Science    13. Science/Mathematics    14. Size    15. Palaeozoology    16. Science / Paleontology   

Subjects:  1. California, Gulf of    2. Identification    3. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    4. Marine animals    5. Mexico    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Pacific Coast (Central America    8. Pacific Coast (Central America)    9. Science    10. Fishes (ichthyology)   

Subjects:  1. Flowers    2. Life Sciences - Botany    3. Nature    4. Nature / Field Guide Books    5. Nature/Ecology   

Subjects:  1. Africa, East    2. Africa, Eastern    3. Birds    4. Birds & Birdwatching    5. Identification    6. Nature / Field Guide Books   

Reviews (5)

A portrait of landscapes and seasons
Crown Of The Continent: The Last Great Wilderness Of The Rocky Mountains visually showcases the last large and wild ecosystem in the northern Rocky Mountains which ranges from parts of Montana and Alberta, to British Columbia. This is a land of national parks, wilderness areas, ecologically vital private lands, and an impressive array of soaring peaks, primal forests, spectacular waterways, and diverse wildlife. Crown Of The Continent is a portrait of landscapes and seasons, flora and fauna, captured in stunningly beautiful photography enhanced with an informed and informative text. Also available in a paperback format (1931832498, $19.95), Crown Of The Continent is essential reading for anyone with an interest in preserving and enjoying wild lands and pristine landscapes.
Never a better way to see the Crown as it is - awesome
This book literally brings alive the great natural resources of the Crown of the Continent.Author Ralph Waldt brings his passionate love of and commitment to the preservation and perpetuation of this unique and wonderful area.When you read his book, the experiences come alive and you can literally feel that you are by Ralph's side, "tramping" the wild places, seeing the environment with a richness born of personal involvement, a touching and tasting of the natural beauty and diversity of the Crown.If you have any interest level in being more a part of nature, this will help you realize your ambition, and propel you to new heights of engagement with the earth.

Captures the essence of the Rockies
I live in Montana.Ralph Waldt expressed what it's like to live here and walk those trails and see the animals much better than I ever could.Oh, and his photos are just awesome. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Wildlife    2. Nature / Field Guide Books    3. Ecology    4. Nature    5. General    6. United States - South - West South Central (General)    7. Nature/Ecology   

Reviews (3)

A great read. Great photographs.
This is a wonderful book on the magnificent redwoods and is a great read.It covers the ancient history and scientific aspects of the redwood forest as well as the cultural history from the glutinous, pillaging past to the environmental inspiration and discoveries that may help save some small remnant of this tiny but magestic portion of our planet.
Finally a redwood book with facts to match its pictures
Coast redwood is the world's tallest tree. It is also one of the most useful,rapidly producing enormous volumes of high-grade timber that satisfies many of man's structural and esthetic needs. It grows in very wet habitats that support high biodiversity. And the land it grows on is often fragile and easily eroded with disastrous consequences. For these reasons, and some others, the management and conservation of coast redwood has for well over a century been a focus of popular passions and public policies. From the fraudulent land-grabs of the Timber and Stone Act days to the tree-sit of Julia Butterfly Hill, this valuable and beautiful tree has excited those who would destroy it,those who would preserve it, and those who would use it sustainably.Coast redwood is also a botanical curiosity, from its hexaploid genome to its clonal habit; and much has been learned of its paleohistory. Finally, it is probably the tree that is known of by more people than any other, famous almost everywhere in the world. It is not surprising that much ink has been spilled over the years because of this tree. It has probably inspired the writing of more books than any other woody species, and the publication of more pretty pictures. Unfortunately, most of those books were written when little was known of the science of redwood; or when environmental photography had few practitioners; or by authors who knew a good sales opportunity but had little knowledge of their subject. Well, finally a redwood book has emerged that has the facts to match its utterly stunning pictorials. Though team-written by six authors, its expertise is unquestioned, and its smooth editing lets you glide without bumps from one topic to another. And the topics are comprehensive: origins and distribution, life history, ecology, wildlife, harvest and utilization, history of preservation, and conservation and management. Before writing this review I focused mainly on the biology, and found it nearly impeccable, and far more detailed than what is available elsewhere. But I found myself frequently turning pages to admire the color photos, or the nineteenth century black-and-whites, or the fascinating sidebars on a wide variety of subjects. So maybe I missed an overstatement, or even a blunder somewhere. Maybe. But since this is hands-down the most sumptously illustrated, factually rich monograph of any single tree species ever written for a popular and professional readership, I can only recommend you buy it. But only if you have an interest in forestry, botany, the environment, conservation, history, or wildlife. And if you think you can keep friends and family members from snatching it when your back is turned.

A must read for anyone interested in Redwood forests
Novices and academics alike will want copies for their libraries.Read more

Subjects:  1. Coast redwood    2. Ecology    3. Forest conservation    4. Forest ecology    5. Nature    6. Nature / Field Guide Books    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Plants - General    9. Trees & Forests - General