Reviews (37)

I couldn't have lived through this hard time
The author has done a wonderful job of researching the years of the dust bowl. I found this book to be excellent although depressing, if that makes sense.I am in awe that anyone stayed on the prairies and survived at all. Eating pickled tumble weed to your family because nothing else would grow.
Absurd Voice Acting
This book was OK, I suspose I would actually give it 3 and 1/2 stars if I could. It did get a bit boring in my opinion, but then again perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for it at the time. The worst part about it is the guy who reads the audio book version. He tries to come up with a different voice for everyone in the book, and fails. Most of the people protrayed come off sounding like somecrazy old coot from a 1960's Disney movie. Sometimes it's so bad that it's funny. I certainly don't think it's what the author was going for.

An incredible book about a neglected part of American history...
This ranks as one of the best books I've ever read...The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan.It stunned me on a number of levels.
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Subjects:  1. History    2. History - U.S.    3. History: American    4. Natural Disasters    5. U.S. History - Depression And New Deal (1929-1938)    6. United States - 20th Century    7. United States - 20th Century/Depression    8. United States - State & Local - Midwest    9. History / United States / 20th Century   

Editorial Review

More than 10 years in the making, David Sibley's Read more

Reviews (97)

By far the best guide book on North American birds, PERIOD!
Ahh, the book with an identity problem. Is this a coffee table book or is this a field manual? It's far too small to be a coffee table book, yet far too large to be a practical field guide. I think Knopf (the publisher) tried to make it fulfill both roles so they decided to split the difference in sizes and in and so doing, they fulfilled neither role. Regardless, this book is astonishing to behold. It is as much a work of art as anything else. If you can have just one book on birds for the rest of your life, make it this one. I think the author said it took him something like 11 years just to carefully hand paint each of the bird illustrations in this book. Well it definitely shows! When this book was first released, it caused something of an uproar because it was way too large and heavy to carry with you out in the field. Yet, it was way too useful not to. I wrote the author telling him he should come out with a much smaller version of this guide that is more compact and lightweight for field use. Well, he listened to me because he did just that. My only complaint about this book (and the smaller version), is that the illustrations of the birds are just a wee bit smaller than what they should be. And with the target audience of this book being primarily baby boomers, this might not go over too well with their aging eyes. The somewhat smallish illustrations make it far too difficult to effectively identify many birds, especially birds of the sparrow family which are extremely tricky to visually seperate by their field markings. The author told me he did this for artistic reasons (to keep large areas of white page around the birds to visually seperate the illustrations). All fine and good, but you aren't trying to make an art book (at least I didn't think you were), you're trying to make something people can use out in the field (at least I thought you were). Still, this is by far the best identification book on North American birds availible and trust me, I've looked at them all. Go with the smaller version if you plan on carrying it with you out in the field. The large edition, though a bit small for a true coffee table book, will have to sufice in that role until Knopf finally decides to come out with a lager coffee table version of this book. Needless to say, I have them both and love them both.

Sibley Guide
This is the best bird book of its kind on the market.While it is a little too large to be as handy as Peterson's for a field guide (unless you have very large pockets), it is indispensable for the serious birder.The convenience of having all of the information about a particular bird on one page cannot be overstated, and the illustrations are not only accurate but -- like Audubon's -- are works of art.

Birds of My Region
I am using this product as a study guide for a field elective class in college.It has supplied me with great pictures and information for almost every bird I have had to study so far.I love the quizzing feature the most.It has been the highest effective learning tool I've used with this DVD.
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Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    5. Identification    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. North America    9. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (4)

A pre-review
Obnoxious to review a book before even receiving it, but it is a call to arms. So 4 points only because I haven't read it.
eloquently argued
In this very topical book, Olah and his co-authors advocate using methanol to drive a future economy. Olah's authority is impeccable, having won a Nobel for work on hydrocarbon research.
Inspiring book about our current energy challenges and a possible solution
The increasing world population and the declining availability of cheap oil threaten to plunge the world into a global energy crisis. Concerns over our reliance on oil and gas and the impact of fossil fuels on the environment have escalated significantly in recent years. This book explores current energy sources (oil, natural gas, coal, atomic energy) as well as renewable alternative energies (wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, etc), the interrelation of fuels and energy, and the extent of non-renewable fossil fuel resources. Besides the need to find alternates to diminishing fossil fuels, the authors outline the need for hydrocarbons and their products way into the future despite depleting reserves and global warming, and examine the envisioned hydrogen economy and its significant shortcomings.It illustrates how methanol can be used as a convenient liquid fuel and a raw material for hydrocarbons and their products. The needed methanol can be made from a variety of sources including carbon dioxide (the main greenhouse gas). This timely book demonstrates how carbon dioxide from industrial exhausts (and eventually even atmospheric carbon dioxide) can be converted into safe liquid methanol. I thought that it was an insightful and inspiring guide to meeting the world's future energy needs while preserving the environment. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chemistry - General    2. Science    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Fossil fuel technologies    5. Management of land & natural resources    6. Science / Chemistry / General   

Subjects:  1. Environmental Science    2. Environmental Studies    3. Reference    4. Research   

Reviews (26)

Great resource for newbies.
While there is not piles of detail about each fish, there are important specific descriptions about the different fish within thefamily. (i.e. They don't always say the same thing about all the small angelfish like some websites I have visited.) I really like the rating about how easy or difficult each fish is to keep in captivity.
Don't go Fish shopping without it!
This book and also the 500+ Invertebrates are great books for all reef tank enthusiasts.It is so useful when you go into your LFS and see some gorgeous new fish,as you can determine how suitable it is to you. You know whether they are compatable with other tank occupants, how large they will grow, what kind of food it requires etc. Can help to save you $ in the LFS! I have steered clear of a few species that would not survive with the help of this book.

Marine Fishes: 500+
Great reference for determining which fish will fit well into your aquarium, ease of keeping, feeding, and compatability with others. A must have reference for looking up those fish at the LFS. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fish    2. Fish & Aquariums    3. Marine Life    4. Marine aquarium fishes    5. Marine aquariums    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Pets    9. Fishes & aquaria   

Editorial Review

There are about 100,000 kinds of insects in North America, so obviously they can't have a field guide in the same way the 650 species of birds do: something both portable and complete. The National Audubon Society has produced a remarkably useful compromise. This guide has photographs and descriptions of 550 insect species and 60 kinds of spiders. Most of the families of arthropods on the continent are covered, as are all of the most common species. It's a very useful resource for any North American naturalist, and the best choice for an adult who is not an expert entomologist. Read more

Reviews (33)

Great Guide
This Is a field guide and it is a good one, you may not be able to ID what you are looking at but you can narrow it down for further research. I use this with two other books one on spiders and one on dragonflys and have been able to ID everthing pretty easyly

Fantastic For A "Guide"
I bought this book because I am a photographer with a growing interest in spiders and insects, and I need to know what my subjects are.Before I bought this book, I mostly did Internet research to try to find the exact species.Since I'm not an entomologist or arachnologist, I'm sure you can imagine that my search words often weren't very effective (for example, brown spider in California).Now that I have this book, IDing spiders and insects is much easier.I'm not saying that everything I take a picture of is in here; in fact, the exact species often aren't.But most of the time I can narrow it down to the point where further research is much more successful.This book also explains the correct terminology, which is extremely helpful when searching online or in other books.I know a lot of people out there are disappointed because this book is missing so many species.But honestly, they should have known better than to expect a small FIELD GUIDE to contain so much.If you're looking for a complete encyclopedia of insects or spiders, this book will very disappointing.But if you're looking for a GUIDE (i.e., you're an amateur and you just need to be pointed in the right direction), then you should find this book extremely helpful.

For beginners only
I found this book to be overly broad, which should not have surprised me, given the subject.
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Subjects:  1. Arachnida    2. Entomology    3. Identification    4. Insects    5. Insects & Spiders    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. North America    9. Spiders    10. Animals    11. Nature / Insects & Spiders   

Subjects:  1. Environmental Science    2. Environmental Studies    3. Science    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Science / Environmental Science    6. The Environment   

Reviews (24)

My field guide of choice
At one time I owned nearly every field guide availible on North American birds. I have since gotten rid of all of them and kept only this one because it far exceeds the others. Enough said.

Well worth the bux!
Admittedly I'm an amateur bird watcher, so I don't speak from a great amount of experience, but I did have certain expectations as to the quality and quantity of information to be found in this book.Both have been completely met.The layout is intuitive and the illustrations clear and informative.The size lends itself to slipping in an outside field-jacket pocket and the binding and covers seem rugged enough for many years of use....good show!

Great Book for Beginners
Unlike a lot of 'beginner guides,' this book shows very accurately what birds actually look like - from multiple points of view.The drawings are exquisite, and are more accurate than photos - a photo shows only 1 bird at one point in time; a drawing allows an artist to convey the total bird, eccentuating some features and dulling others for more easy identification. Additionally, descriptions are great, detailing habitat, range, commonality, nesting habits, and more. This fairly small book can be brought on day hikes, and also on some backpacking trips, depending on conditions.Realistically the best and only guide most people in the east will need. ... 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   

Reviews (60)

Fascinating and life saving
Couldn't put this book down!Instructive and illuminating!Tales and advice can apply to any hiking and biking trips that our family takes in the future.

Mostly good
I was afraid that this book would be a boring, thorough, and complete list of Grand Canyon deaths.It isn't -- except for Chapter 4.With that exception, this book is a complete page-turner, well-written and informative.
Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon
It is a most interesting and informative book.It should be read by anyone who has or wants to hike the Grand Canyon.It relates individual stories of people that have died in the Canyon and what they did wrong that caused or contributed to their death.It weaves many of these stories together to create an excellent book that was hard to put down.
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Subjects:  1. Accidents    2. Anecdotes    3. Arizona    4. Grand Canyon    5. Grand Canyon (Ariz.)    6. History    7. Social Science / Death & Dying    8. Travel    9. Travel / Parks & Campgrounds    10. Violent deaths    11. Death    12. Death & Dying    13. Parks & Campgrounds    14. Social Science    15. United States - State & Local   

Reviews (10)

Endearing Ocean Story
What an endearing story about the ocean.As an avid SCUBA diver, I loved the idea of a baby whale following a swimmer along the coast because it lost its mother.
A book for everyone
This is a great book.Easy to read and it paints a beautiful story of one woman's experience.I could not put it down and wanted to read the end first to see what happened.I passed it on to my husband, 11 year old son and 14 year old daughter.It is a nice book with a nice story.Not too many of those books out there now.Will make a great gift for anyone who loves to read.

Take a pass on this one
The idea behind this book was a good one and the reason that I purchased it in the first place.The opportunity to swim with a baby whale in the wild is something many of us only dream about, yet Ms. Cox got to experience it firsthand and it makes sense that she would want to share that story.Unfortunately, this book does not get the job done.It is so poorly written that I had to force myself to keep turning the pages.I kept hoping that maybe I just needed to get used to her writing style, but there is no style... it's just written badly.The narration is often choppy, the paragraphs don't flow, and much of the detail about the ocean seems a bit over the top.As one other reviewer put it, it's as if every detail of her every swim in the ocean was combined into that one day.Not very realistic. If you are going to enjoy this book at all, perhaps a little suspension of disbelief is in order.Whole sections are just plain boring, and to add insult to injury, the illustration on the front of the book is not that of a gray whale (the species that Cox swims with in the book).It's a sperm whale.A small thing, yes, and a decision made probably more for marketing purposes than out of ignorance, but it still serves to make the overall package even less honest or appealing. After plodding through about half the book, I finally quit and returned it for a full refund.Save your money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1957-    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. California    4. Cox, Lynne,    5. Fishes    6. Marine Life    7. Marine Mammals    8. Nature    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Personal Memoirs    11. Santa Catalina Island    12. Swimming    13. Women    14. Nature / General   

Subjects:  1. Fish    2. Fishing - General    3. Fishing Sports    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Fishing, angling    7. Sports & Recreation / Fishing   

Reviews (2)

An antidote to muddled thinking
Ortega y Gasset brings philosophical rigor and logic to the consideration of hunting.In a powerful counterblast to muddled, emotion-driven, anthropomorphic, confused, sentimental arguments - one can't call them "ideas" - OyG clarifies the core questions and quandaries, and gives a sound philosophical foundation for the defense - indeed, the celebration -of the hunting imperative that 21st century urban man sublimates or ignores at his environmental and spiritual peril.

An absolute necessity for the animal rights debate.
Ortega delves into the art of hunting, and gets to the root of the matter. Both the nature of human, and of animal are examined. Be forewarned, this is heavy duty philosophy, not just an article on where to hang a tree stand. Ortega wrote in the early twentieth century, and so some will think his ideas are dated, and that we know much better now. This gives rise to the thought that humans change rapidly. Ortega's work stands because we do not substantially change over just a hundred or even a thousand years. This is why Shakespear and the Bible are still applicable, and why Ortega's Meditations On Hunting still stands.The act of hunting has changed over the centuries, to evolve into sport. Ortega delves into this also, and his answer to our inner questions, and the current questions of animal rightists is so clear and distilled that it shines in one's brain. It is rare to find one so clear in academia. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Hunting    2. Hunting - General    3. Spain    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation   

Subjects:  1. Equipment & Supplies    2. Guns/Rifles For Hunting    3. Hunting - General    4. Hunting Sports    5. Hunting rifles    6. Shooting    7. Sports    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Sports & Recreation / General   

Reviews (2)

Comprehensive and thorough
Comprehensive and thorough, clear and understanable even for youth. Ilustrations contribute a lot to the overall picture.

Pretty good overview of environmental science
I took a class which used this textbook at the University of California, Santa Barbara, which was co-taught by one of the authors, Ed Keller. This is an introductory book that provides a decent overview of the problems we are currently facing in regard to the environment, what we can do to solve those problems, and other opportunities that our environment can give us. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Environmental Science    2. Environmental Studies    3. General    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Earth Sciences    7. Science / General    8. The Environment   

Reviews (8)

Remarkable... both a pragmatic AND scientific treatment
I have to admit, I did not know Paul Stamets was this generation's premier mycologist.After reading this volume, there is no doubt of it.He is objective, a true mycologist of the highest order, and a down-to-earth pragmatic steward of the environment.I have learned a lifetime of valuable information...both scientific as well as practical know-how from this book, (a rare feat).Not only does Stamets enthuse the reader with the miracle of possibilities in cultivating mushrooms for the environment, nutrition, (yes nutrition), and health benefits of Reishi and other mushrooms, he details how it is to be done, (by individual cultivators and/or commercial operations alike).
Wonderful Book - Mainly Steered Toward Growing With A Business Perspective
Wonderful Book - Mainly Steered Toward Growing With A Business Perspective.
A definite how-to encyclopedia for all backround readers
THis book will take from start to finish on the following subjects: Growing methods for each mushroom, growing media preparation, nutritional information, consumption information, purchasing sources, club sources, etc.A definite must read.Highly recomend it. Black and white pictures. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. General    5. Mushroom culture    6. Techniques    7. Cookery by ingredient    8. Mycology, fungi (non-medical)    9. Specialized gardening methods   

Reviews (5)

Excellent, Mind and Eye-opening book
Just like the author, I've always been fascinated by clouds. I find myself constantly looking up at them. I don't know about other people, but they seem just as beautiful as they always have, even the ones that will pour down. When people come across new knowledge, it usually comes with new appreciation.
More Heads in the Clouds, Please
"Blue skies, smiling at me," goes the Irving Berlin song, "Nothing but blue skies do I see."Berlin thought that was a good thing, but Gavin Pretor-Pinney would not.For him, clouds are there to be enjoyed, and they make that blue more beautiful by its being in the background.He does not feel there is anything depressing about having "a cloud on the horizon" and he sees no reason that we should link clouds with catastrophe, as in "clouds of doom", or with ill-will as in "clouds of suspicion".He feels clouds are underappreciated, and so a couple of years ago, he founded the Cloud Appreciation Society, complete with badges.As he says, "Of course, an organization only exists when it has a website," and indeed the CAS has one, full of photographs and poems by members, a picture of the Cloud of the Month, and chat rooms, with this stated purpose: "If you've got something to tell us, we'd love to hear it. But only if it is about clouds. Otherwise we're not interested."Pretor-Pinney would like us all to be cloudspotters, and has produced _The Cloudspotter's Guide: The Science, History, and Culture of Clouds_ (Perigee), a witty and informative volume for those who want to take an educated view of his favorite subject.He emphatically agrees with John Constable, who could paint clouds like no one else: "We see nothing truly until we understand it."The book cannot fail in its mission of increasing both understanding and seeing.
Cloud-lovers delight
This is a terrific book for anyone who likes clouds, the sky -- the outdoors, really. It's a delightful, readable combination of basic information (on cloud types, for example) and interesting, cloud- and weather-related anectdotes and stories. The humor can be corny, but there is plenty of it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Clouds    2. Earth Sciences - Meteorology & Climatology    3. Meteorology (Specific Aspects)    4. Nature    5. Observer's manuals    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Weather    9. Nature / General   

Reviews (8)

Kid's Review
I actually give this book four and half stars. I liked it a lot and it had lots of good advice about how to be a good friend.It described how I feel when I feel shy. I am five and almost three quarters and my sister who is two liked it also.
Autism Spectrum lifesaver..
.. and should be listed as such.My daughter loves this book, she is very intent as we read it, which means she is taking it in.She has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, which is a high-functioning form of autism.These kids have difficulty with social situations, and they are visual learners, so this is awesome.

great for girls
With caddiness starting at even earlier ages these days, I bought this book to help my 6 year old daughter understand that not everyone demostrates good friendship. She's so sensitive and doesn't understand why others don't respect her feelings. This book reiterates how to be a good friend and how not to be. It praises being kind and caring so it reinforced what she knew to be correct behavior. The illustrations she recognized immediately to be Marc Brown's adorable and colorful characters. I highly recommend this to any child who's learning to deal with bullies and pushy kids in school. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Nonfiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Friendship    5. Friendship in children    6. Juvenile Nonfiction    7. Juvenile literature    8. Social Issues - Friendship    9. Juvenile Nonfiction / Social Situations / Friendship   

Reviews (6)

A lot of text but many unanswered questions
I take no issue with Christian Ratsch. He is a prolific writer and someone with influence in the world of ethnobotany. However, I want to write a valuable and honest review here. This book is enormous. I know of no other book worth buying that contains as many plants as this one (in relation to a mind enhancing context). In this regard, the book is highly valuable. There are also plenty of photos which give it an artistic quality.
All in one place.
Save time and research.This book is huge and packed.Has information on just about any natural drug source legal or not.This book is so big and packed full of information it would be hard to ever get tired of thumbing through this book.

Perfect
This book is absolutely essential for anyone interested in the topic of entheogens and their use/history. Buy it now! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Body, Mind & Spirit    3. Encyclopedias    4. Ethopharmacology    5. Healing - General    6. Herbal Medications    7. Life Sciences - Botany    8. Medical Anthropology    9. Nature    10. New Age    11. Pharmacodynamics    12. Plants - General    13. Psychiatry - Psychopharmacology    14. Psychotropic plants    15. Botany & plant sciences    16. Drug-induced states    17. Medical / Drug Guides    18. Pharmacology    19. Reference works   

Subjects:  1. Calendar    2. Calendars - Nature and Science    3. Calendars - Photography    4. Non-Classifiable    5. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    6. Wildlife    7. Photography / Nature & Wildlife   

Reviews (2)

Outstanding guide to natural history and identification!
I can only echo Piotr Naskrecki's review. When this book arrived my first thought was "Wow! This is the insect book I've been waiting for!" The illustrated flowchart keys to insect orders and families are outstanding and will be more easily used than the conventional keys in standard texts. I've been interested in insects most of my life (over 50 years) and this is the most incredible introduction to the subject I've seen. The only quibble I have is that the butterflies and moths don't have an illustrated flow chart key to their families. But don't let that keep you from getting this wonderful book.

At last!
At last we receive a well-written, comprehensive, and gorgeously illustrated guide to insects of eastern North America, a book that has been badly needed for many, many years. Stephen Marshall did a splendid job of combining in a single volume information on biology and identification of most families of insects found in this region, and did it in a way that is both pleasing to the eye, and truly educational. Lavishly illustrated with literally thousands of color photos, this book is an encyclopedia of North American insects, and a fantastic invitation to the exploration of our insect fauna. It includes overviews of all orders of insects found in N. America, and provides user-friendly flowchart keys to their identification (down to the family level) that are short on technical jargon but rich in illustrations. The book also has chapters on collecting and photographing insects and other small critters. I am sure that this volume will influence many budding naturalists, and quickly become the resource of choice for entomology teachers and students. An absolute must in the library of anybody with an interest in natural history as well as a useful reference for gardeners. I simply cannot recommend it enough. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arthropoda    2. Insects & Spiders    3. Life Sciences - Zoology - Entomology    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Reference    7. Insects - North America    8. Nature / Insects & Spiders