Reviews (1)

Good
Your price on this book ~ The Birds of Africa (Vol 5) ~ is no better than buying it anyplace else including from the publisher.Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Africa - General    3. Birds    4. Birds & Birdwatching - General    5. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    6. Nature    7. Nature / Field Guide Books    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Ornithology    10. Biological Sciences    11. Birds (ornithology)    12. Birds and Natural History    13. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (5)

Adventures through the Pongo on a raft
What I like about Matthiessen's account is that he has no clear destination (e.g, through "some remarkably bad planning, I crossed the Andes nine times in five months")., and hence open to adventure and experience. He writes of what he sees and what affects him. He also is reflective about how he effects the local residents or native Machiguenga guides. I have some sadness that the tribes he encountered (1960's) may no longer be there. He writes honestly, not claiming superiority, for example he takes pistol shots at crocodiles. His adventure down the Urubamba was particularly compelling ... would he find the giant crocodile bones, would he find the lost city ruins? Along the way he manages to accomplish something remarkable (the traverse of the Pongo), and as any proud adventurer, tries to understand if his adventure was historically unique. For bird watchers, there is an added enjoyment of trying to identify some of the birds he describes along the way. This travel journal sets a standard for other adventurers and for my own daily journals.

Adventures through the Pongo on a raft
What I like about Matthiessen's account is that he has no clear destination (e.g, through "some remarkably bad planning, I crossed the Andes nine times in five months")., and hence open to adventure and experience. He writes of what he sees and what affects him. He also is reflective about how he effects the local residents or native Machiguenga guides. I have some sadness that the tribes he encountered (1960's) may no longer be there. He writes honestly, not claiming superiority, for example he takes pistol shots at crocodiles. His adventure down the Urubamba was particularly compelling ... would he find the giant crocodile bones, would he find the lost city ruins? Along the way he manages to accomplish something remarkable (the traverse of the Pongo), and as any proud adventurer, tries to understand if his adventure was historically unique. For bird watchers, there is an added enjoyment of trying to identify some of the birds he describes along the way. This travel journal sets a standard for other adventurers and for my own daily journals.

Eye openning
Matthiessen always teaches,in a quiet sober way.The extent of hisexperience coupled with a wonderful style has always made his subjectfascinating.The Cloud Forest is no exception.Fromornothology,Buddhisum,indigious peoples,spirituality,the environment,to hisfiction... on every subject he gives the reader a clearinsight.Quammen,Lopez,Finnegan,Mcgune,Proulx et al,all in one.Simply the best. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Essays & Travelogues    2. General    3. Nature    4. Nature / Field Guide Books    5. South America    6. Travel    7. Nature / Essays    8. Travel writing   

Reviews (3)

Piggelicious
This book is absolutely delightful! Few of us are aware how rich and varied our farm yard animal's history is. This is a great book for adults and kids alike. It is full of facts and also has small fun tidbits of "useless" (if there is such a thing)information that tickles your funny bone.

Oink!!
This is a book that goes hog-wild with descriptions of twenty-four varieties of domesticated pig and thirteen of their wild relatives. It is larded with many interesting and important facts about the development of today's common breeds. Although the author does ham it up with some of his observations, he has succeeded in fashioning a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Great book for those who admire the noble pig!
This book is delightful...for thoseof us who areinfatuated with these bristly critters, it gives all the loose-endinfo that the other books don't. From tail-curling descriptions to grunt analysis, this book brings home the bacon. It included pig folk sayings, poems, pig songs, pig superstitions.. and the piggy illustrations were extremely detailed and captivating, if you adore porkers! It'sa fun book to page through, and is chock full of obscure piggy facts that you would never find anywhere else, such as pig trails of past times, or the four varieties of spam. I am sure that any pig lover would beperusingthrough it as fast as I did. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. General    3. Identification    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Pets    7. Pictorial works    8. Pigs    9. Swine    10. United States    11. Nature / Mammals   

Reviews (3)

fun
I have nothing else to compare this plainesphere with as this is my first one.This is a very fun and quick way to learn the constellations as well as the most popular Messier objects.On the back of this chart, there are tables and other information.The author explains which objects are visable with the naked eye, binoculars or telescopes.
a very decent jumbo planisphere
Pros: A Great Way to Learn the Nighttime Sky
For the beginning amateur astronomer there is no better aid to learning the stars and constellations than a planisphere - and I think David Levy's new rendition of this old device is as good as they come.Read more

Subjects:  1. Nature    2. Nature / Star Observation    3. Nature/Ecology    4. Star Observation    5. Astronomy - Star Guides    6. Nature / Field Guide Books   

Subjects:  1. Cookery (Fish)    2. Cookery (Shellfish)    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Fishes    6. Identification    7. Reference    8. Specific Ingredients - Seafood    9. Cookery by ingredient    10. Cooking / General   

Features

• Illustrated

Subjects:  1. Applied Sciences    2. Earth Sciences - General    3. Earth Sciences - Geology    4. Geology    5. Nature    6. Nature / Field Guide Books    7. Petroleum    8. Rocks & Minerals    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Sedimentary basins    12. Geology & the lithosphere    13. PETROLEUM_GEOLOGY    14. Technology / Petroleum   

Reviews (3)

Awesome
This is a very informative book.I would have preferred more pictures and less artists renditions, but one can't be too picky.

Brilliant Book
This book is a great reference for any ichthyologists or anyone who loves fishes and art.It contains a lot of information and citations for each species.

Amazing illusrations, packed with information
This is an excellent reference book.Joe Tomelleri is a remarkable artist with a talent I have never seen before.His illustrations are so close to looking at the fish in a stream.He is a master at capturing life.The information in this book is very complete and concise.A great buy for the money and just a beautiful book to look at even if you are not extremely interested in fish. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alabama    2. Classification    3. Fish    4. Fish Anatomy And Physiology    5. Fishes    6. General    7. Identification    8. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    9. Nature    10. Nature/Ecology    11. Fishes (ichthyology)   

Editorial Review

If you're looking to add an Andean gull, Dalmatian pelican, Indian skimmer, or Fiji petrel to your life list, you'll want to have this beautifully illustrated photographic guide, with more than 740 plates, close to hand. Each of the 325-odd seabird species is described with a range map indicating principal breeding grounds, along with informative identification notes distinguishing seasonal coloration and commenting on characteristic behavior (such as the white-chinned petrel's penchant for trailing after ships in mid-ocean). The tubenose identification keys at the end of the book are notably well made, and the index contains a handy checklist for the dedicated spotter. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

One of the most complete guides of seabirds
This is one of the most complete guides to identifying seabirds. This book makes it easy to identify each species by providing photos, descriptions, illustrations & a helpful index of English names. Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    3. Identification    4. Nature    5. Nature / Field Guide Books    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Ornithology    8. Pictorial works    9. Sea birds    10. Biological Sciences    11. Biology, Life Sciences    12. Birds and Natural History    13. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (5)

Secret Lives of Hummingbirds
A very nice look at the smallest, but most colorful and energetic, member of the family of birds.

Wonderful Book that Ends All Too Soon
The book is very readable and has lots of interesting information about hummingbirds.Makes me want to visit the museum now for a photo tour.The book is only 22 pages long, however, so be aware of that in ordering.

Jewel's Of The Air!!!
A fantastic insight into the amazing world of the Hummer! As a Southern California native, we have many species of Hummingbirds and this book gives a great basic overview of the little jewel's of the air! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    3. Nature    4. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching    5. Nature / Field Guide Books    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Reference    8. Arizona    9. Birds    10. Birds & Birdwatching    11. Desert animals    12. Individual Species Of Birds    13. North America    14. Sonoran Desert   

Reviews (10)

Buy it at amazon.co.uk, save big!
I bought the hardcover 931 page 2001 edition that is no longer avail. from Barnes and Nobel on the UK website for 55 USD with shipping included. this is Tons less than the 2001 edition is selling for used or on ebay for that matter!

Fantastic Book - Hard To Find Under $100
"The Encyclopedia Of Mammals" is a wonderful book. BN offered a one-volume edition with over 930 pages until sometime in 2003 for under $50. The book covers all the mammals in the world in full color with comprehensive text and weighs about 12 lbs. The current offering is a 3-volume edition by Facts On File Natural Science Library at about $300.
must own
this is an excellent book in all manners, be it for a school report or for fun it contains much information on all mammals!
Read more

Subjects:  1. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    2. Mammals    3. Nature    4. Nature / Field Guide Books    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Reference   

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Charts, diagrams, etc    3. Climate    4. Climatology    5. Earth Sciences - Meteorology & Climatology    6. Meteorology (General)    7. Nature    8. Nature / Field Guide Books    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Tropics    12. Weather    13. Science / Meteorology    14. Sub-Saharan Africa    15. meteorology and tropics   

Subjects:  1. Fish    2. Ichthyology    3. Nature / Field Guide Books   

Subjects:  1. Africa, East    2. Amphibians    3. Fish    4. Nature    5. Nature / Field Guide Books    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Reptiles & Amphibians   

Reviews (2)

Every Fox Can Be Found Between These Covers!
Combine stunning photographs with beautifully written, well researched and concise text and you have The World of the Fox; this book is a MUST HAVE for any fox enthusiast, artist or admirer.For as much information on foxes as I have gathered over the years, this is by far and away my absolute favorite resource for practical information on specifics of the various vulpine (and alopex) spiecies.

An entertaining look at a creature often forgotten
Being somewhat of a fox afficianado myself, I've found how difficult it is to get any decent reference materials on these creatures.It seems that their slyness in nature has also led to their escaping the eye of the literary world, except as characters in children's books.(An alternate theory, which I firmly believe in, is that it's all just a conspiracy by the wolves.)This book, however, succeeds in capturing much of the beauty of these animals while also explaining much of the rigorous work that goes into their day to day lives.For anyone who is truly interested in the wonders of this oft-neglected creature, this is one of the best books for a general overview of their lives ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dogs    2. Foxes    3. Individual Species Of Mammals    4. Mammals    5. Nature    6. Nature / Field Guide Books    7. Nature/Ecology   

Reviews (3)

Disappointed As Well
I have to concur with the first reviewer, this book was a big disappointment.I was looking for a resource that would allow me to identify mammals in the field.This book does not do that.If you have even the most rudimentary knowledge of animals (e.g. you can identify an elephant) then you can probably get by without this book.
Quite Disappointed
I found this book to be overall pretty disappointing.First off, the illustrations are horrible.They look like children's cartoon drawings.Why don't the editors of mammal-books hire the same artists who do bird guides?The latter are generally really good. Good field guide - bad entertainment
This book covers the land mammals of the Indian Subregion or in other words it cover: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. However, it also does exclude the smaller and often inconspicious mammals like baths, schrews, and most rodents. A number of small but often conspicious mammals are included. For instance both squirrels and pikas are included. In total it depicts and describes 106 species in deatail. It starts in the typical manner with an introduction to the region, mammals, and mammal observing. This section is highly usefull to the unexperienced reader, but will probably seem quite borring to most, as it is short and only mentiones the most bassal things. The next fourty pages is devoted to the mammal species themselves. This means that there is 2-3 species per page. About each species the book descibes identification, habitat, range (no range maps!), behavior, diet, breeding, status, and similar species. The text is not for pleasure reading, but it is highly usefull in the field. A thing to remember - not mentioned in the book - is that the status refers to subregion only, not the intire world. An example is the Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) which is described as endangered. The next pages are assigned to 12 colour plates with drawings of the mammals. The drawings are not especialy beautiful, but all the important details usefull in identification are remembered. The next 12 plates are devoted to animal tracks. The last third of the book describes 23 national parks/reserves in the region including the famous Chitwan NP and Sunderbars NP. These pages are the highlight of the book. In this part there is a map of each park and a quite thorrow descibtion of acces, accomodation facilities, season to go there, larger mammals of the area etc. Sadly similar chapters in other books have been shown to go quickly out of date. At the end of the book there is a chapter called "futher reading" which obviously seems equal to bibliograpy. Read more

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Identification    3. Mammals    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. South Asia    7. Wildlife    8. Wildlife viewing sites    9. Wildlife watching    10. Bangladesh    11. Bhutan    12. Biological Sciences    13. Birds and Natural History    14. India    15. Nature / Mammals    16. Nepal    17. Pakistan    18. Sri Lanka    19. Wild animals    20. Zoos & wildlife parks   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Individual Species Of Mammals    3. Mammals    4. Nature    5. Nature / Field Guide Books    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Spring    8. White-tailed deer   

Reviews (6)

The Butterflies of Costa Rica
After traveling different countries and using various field guides, I can say that this one needs a lot of improvement. This book only covers a small section of species.The specimens that are used are tattered and some are difficult to use for ID purposes. In most guides, the photo description on the left usually include the page number for the text, this one doesn't. So, you have to check the name and look to the index to cross over to the text page.Speaking of names, they are only called by the Latin scientific name.This is probably not a big issue since most do not have one.
A wonderful book
The diversity of life in the tropics is such that a tome like this covers just three of families of butterflies, not the whole lepidopteran fauna as other reviewers have pointed out. Nevertheless, these three are both important and conspicuous, including some of the most beautiful and sought after of tropical butterflies such as the Morphos, Owl Butterflies and Heliconiids. And, because of the paucity of literature for this region, this guide will prove useful well beyond the frontiers of Costa Rica where many of the same genera and even species occur - I use it all the time in Venezuela for example.
butterly museum
This book along with the photo essay book "Costa Rica : The Last Country the Gods Made" should be owned by anyone who loves Costa Rica, even if they think they despise nature studies as dry and limited. Buy it just for the color plates. This book's spirit is undeniable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Butterflies    2. Costa Rica    3. Insects    4. Lepidoptera    5. Nature / Field Guide Books    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Insects & spiders    8. Insects (entomology)   

Reviews (2)

An essential buy
No mineral engineer should be without this classic text book

It's a good book for mineral dressing
I want to know,how much is it? There's no price My name is Lorena Rodr�guez ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Material Science    2. Metallurgy    3. Minerals    4. Mining    5. Ore Processing    6. Ore-dressing    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Technology    9. Technology & Industrial Arts    10. Geochemistry    11. Mineralogy    12. Mining technology & engineering    13. Rocks, minerals & fossils    14. Technology / Material Science   

Reviews (1)

Any who love birds will find it most accessible
Birding Across North America: A Naturalist's Observations could be called a memoir of birding years, but it also holds plenty of practical details unique to the field guide, and description common to the travelogue. It may be hard to properly categorize this title, but any who love birds will find it most accessible. Individual chapters cover migration, reflections on domestic cats and wild birds, and basic elements of birdwatching in the East. A fascinating, revealing guide. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bird watching    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Essays    4. General    5. Nature    6. Nature / Field Guide Books    7. Nature/Ecology    8. North America    9. Birds & birdwatching    10. Nature / General    11. Other prose: from c 1900 -   

Reviews (1)

What? You don't already have this book???
Read more

Subjects:  1. Amber    2. Amber art objects    3. Amber fossils    4. Gems    5. Jewelry    6. Lapidary    7. Nature    8. Nature / Field Guide Books    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Rocks & Minerals    11. Economic geology    12. Geochemistry    13. Gold & silversmithing    14. Jewellery & jewellery-making    15. Mineralogy