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. Butterflies & Moths    3. Costa Rica    4. Insects    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Biological Sciences    8. Insects (entomology)    9. Nature / Butterflies   

Reviews (8)

Great Book, Lots of great information
This book has answered many of my questions I have had about horses.I even learned information I never thought to ask about.
THE BEST!!
I love this book! It has so much info! It tells about lots of breeds, and they're all mixed through the book. I'm glad that it tells about my favorite breeds as well as others that I've never heard of, or I don't know a lot about. This book has over 400 pages, but it dosen't cover horse care. My local librery bought it for $40, but Idon't know how much it costs here (Amazon). Get this awesome book, it covers so much, including the Spanish riding school and a horse called Coogenhogan. This book is high on my wishlist, and it's a wonderful book. I would like to know about the revisesd edition, if there is one. Buy this book, no matter how much it costs!!!!

Torin's Book Review
The New Horse Encyclopedia
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Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Encyclopedias    3. Horse breeds    4. Horsemanship    5. Horses    6. Horses - General    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Pets    10. Reference    11. Nature / Horses   

Reviews (3)

MY ALLTIME FAVORITE!!
This structure book is truly the finest example of what an academic text should be. The content is thorough with no categorical difficiencies. Organization is logical and somewhat unique. However, what makes this work so special is the first author's personal style of creativity. Artwork and the written words are done with a joyful flair. Instead of dry technicalities, students find humor and "common sense" descriptions throughout. How-to descriptions are quite successful. It all goes to show that being a good text author has more to do with conveying the heart of a gifted teacher than with being an "expert". In this particular case, the book is a wonderful product of accomplshed experts who happen to be gifted communicators as well. I wish publishers and aspiring authors would use this text as a model in all subjects.

Good Book for undergrads
This book is one of the complete books in structural geology in the sense that it covers structural geology exhaustively follwed by tectonics which allows you to understand the importance of structural geology in the context of larger scales. Another good quality of the book is that a lot of techniques required for solving practical lab problems are explained lucidly.
great textbook for the student of structural geology
I took structural geology at the University of Washington spring quarter1997. Book was excellent and contributed to a reasonably good grade (3.3)for the course. Recommend for students or professors of structural geology ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - Geology    2. Geology    3. Geology, Structural    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Rocks & Minerals    7. Science    8. Structural Geology    9. Geology & the lithosphere    10. Mathematics for scientists & engineers    11. Science / Earth Sciences   

Reviews (1)

A very indepth technical book on dog develpment .
This is a very in-depth and technical book on the early social development of dogs and the effects of socialization and training. It is a very good book for anyone who is serious about breeding dogs. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animal Behavior (Ethology)    2. Behavior    3. Dogs    4. Dogs - General    5. Genetics    6. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Pets    9. Primate Behavior    10. Science    11. Social behavior in animals    12. Pets / Dogs / General   

Reviews (9)

A 'must' for any who would understand either the turtle or environmental degradation.
VOYAGE OF THE TURTLE: IN PURSUIT OF THE EARTH'S LAST DINOSAUR provides a fine natural history survey of the leatherback turtle and its evolution. Why the leatherback? It represents the single surviving species of its genus, is a reptile that behaves like a warm-blooded dinosaur, and has a complex life cycle which is increasingly threatened by human activities and environmental change. VOYAGE OF THE TURTLE traverses the world in search of nesting grounds and realities and is a 'must' for any who would understand either the turtle or environmental degradation.
Beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.
A must read for anyone that inhabits the earth. Safina has the perfect blend of facts and emotions, and in the perfect balance that neither gets too cloying or despair-inducing.

Informative, artful easy read
Safina's style, the ability to flip between scientist, philosopher and appreciative child is infectious.I really appreciated the in-depth research from scientific and historical perspectives intermingled with stories of his travels.This, and most of his books are must reads for ocean adventurers, conservationists and nature lovers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Leatherback turtle    2. Nature    3. Nature/Ecology    4. Reptiles & Amphibians    5. Nature / Reptiles & Amphibians   

Reviews (8)

Great Content, Terrible Presentation
The single most noticeable thing about this book is how poorly it was manufactured. The spine seems to be made from steel making it impossible to ever fully open the book and an exercise in frustration to read. This problem is greatly exacerbated by the fact that the text runs way down into the deep dark recesses of the crevasse created by the horrible binding. The actaully printing however is very good. The pictures are clear with good color and the paper is of high quality. This makes it even more ofa shame that the binding is so bad.
Terrific information
Well written, good information, well organized. Not a field guide but one of the best reference books I've seen.

Best Bird Book Available
In typical National Geographic fashion, this book is excellent.It is extremely comprehensive with outstanding artwork.This is a must have for anyone who enjoys birding.You should also buy the National Geographic Field Guide to Birds of North America as an easy to carry companion. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    5. General    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. North America    9. Birds (ornithology)    10. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (2)

WONDERFUL BOOK
If you didn't want to take the time to read the review by Stan Moore, take my word for it...
The best book on peregrine falcons ever.
There have been many books on peregrine falcons over the years, including some very good ones.I have read most of them.Jim Enderson's new book is probably the best book on peregrines I have ever seen, especially if one includes the peregrine/human interface.Jim Enderson not only knows peregrine falcons intimately, but he is intimately acquainted with most or all of the major peregrine falcon biologists in the world, not to mention falconers who train and fly both wild caught and captive bred peregrines.Many of Enderson's generation of peregrine biologists were and are falconers, and the unique and substantive insights of these people, including Enderson, are what make this book so special.
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Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Naturalists, Gardeners, Environmentalists    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Peregrine falcon    7. Personal Memoirs    8. Birds (ornithology)    9. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (28)

great reference
This book has highly detailed photos,not illustrations, that help to identify any species you might come into contact. The format is very easy to navigate and you can even log the fish that you've I.D.'d in the back. I think all field guides should be built like this one!

Awesome book!
This is a well done book on reef fishes!Beautiful photographs and wonderful descriptions make identifying reef fish easy... I can't wait to take this book to Bonaire in April!

Reef Fish review
Awesome book.Easy to use and look up various species.Great photos.u will like it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fish    2. Nature    3. Nature/Ecology    4. Reference   

Reviews (3)

2nd best mushroom book
The pictures in this guide are not quite as nice as in the audubon version but is still easy to use and a nice handy size for carrying in a pocket

Still a standard field guide to fungi
This field guide is nearly twenty years old, but there are so few field guides to fungi that it still remains a standard reference. Like all Peterson field guides, it is handy and compact and can easily be taken into the field and pored over with the mushrooms in their wild habitat. The text is detailed and accurate and a "similar species" section is very useful. However, this guide uses painted plates whereas amateurs generally find it easier to identify fungi by photographs. I personally find photographs more accurate, but enjoy paintings in their own right. In this case the paintings are pleasing and quite faithful.
mushroom field guide
I found this book to be well illustrated. And although not as comprehensive as i'd hoped, it is still the most complete guide I have found. Overall, I feel it is well above average--and I'm quite hard toplease! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fungi    2. Identification    3. Life Sciences - Bacteriology    4. Mushrooms    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. North America    8. Pictorial works    9. Botany & plant sciences    10. Microbiology (non-medical)    11. Mycology, fungi (non-medical)    12. Nature / Mushrooms    13. Plant life: general    14. Trees & wildflowers   

Reviews (14)

excellent for beginning and intermediate birders
The alphabetical indexing is excellent for those who have not mastered the taxanomic order as found in most lists and books.The presentation of the song before the identification is useful in honing ones ears.Would like it to be longer than the ~110 species presented.

By far the best bird song training & reviewguide
This is an outstanding CD for learning bird songs.Each song starts with the bird song and then the narrator describes the song and provides a short phrase or description that aids you with identifying it, followed again with the essence of the song.This format allows you to quiz yourself.I bought my first copy two years ago and have bought 5 more to give to friends since then.Everyone has commented that its a great guide.I own several other guides including Birding by Ear and More Birding by Ear and this is by far my favorite.

Highly recommended & exactly what I was looking for.
The CD arrived in the mail yesterday, and I've listened to it once all the way through.The bird songs were recorded in Wisconsin and I live in Connecticut, and I recognized most of the songs as ones I had heard near my house, so it seems that birds selected for inclusion on the CD are widespread enough to make the CD useful for most of the eastern US.
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Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Life Sciences - Zoology - Ornithology    3. Nature    4. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Reference    7. Audio Adult: Other    8. Birds & Birdwatching    9. Birdsongs    10. Identification    11. Midwest    12. Nature / Field Guide Books    13. North America    14. Northeastern states   

Reviews (21)

Not ALL the recipes are bad...
I encountered this book in my mom's cookbook collection in the early 80's.I was particularly drawn to the Peanut Butter Balls recipe... I was an experimental young "tween" and decided to try it.Today I got an unbelievable craving for these treats and decided to look online to see if this book still existed so I could find the recipe.I had to laugh at the reviews of this book... that the recipes tasted "earthy" and such.This Peanut Butter Balls recipe is a winner!If you get the book, you must try it!Happy to hear the book had a much larger purpose without me knowing it at the tender age of 13.I'll consider getting a copy as these are issues I'm concerned about today.Don't think I'll be trying the yogurt barley soup recipe, however... ;)

Dated But Still Useful
This book provides a lot of important fundamental information about the food industry and how our greedy lifestyle negatively affects people around the world and even in our own backyards. There is a good dose of statistics and information here and a lot of it is very interesting but you can't help but wonder what kinds of changes have come across in the 20 or so years since these stats were published. The author seems to make a lot of clarifications and alterations to her original publishing, which makes this book seem a little pointless at times. I guess this book made a big impact in the food industry and to public awareness so it's worth reading about reactions to the book and stories from the author's own experience and how the book changed her life as well, but for someone who wants to get a better idea of how the world is working right now and wants more up to date information, I'm sure there are better resources out there now.
a wake up call which endures
I first picked up this book in a second-hand store in 1985...it was the 1975 edition, which I still have, even though I bought the edition Ms. Lappe put out in 1985 sometime later. When I began reading, I was astonished at all that I didn't know, and, unlike some other reviewers here, I found it interesting, even compelling and certainly consciousness-raising. My husband and I had spent the first six years of our marriage eating anything and everything, getting fat and feeling lousy. Something had to give. Once I understood the theory of protein complementarity, which I subsequently learned not to take deadly seriously,and then had acquired some very large glass jars and visited my first natural foods co-op, our lives changed dramatically. Being a gourmet cook, I did have to make some adjustments, as Ms. Lappe uses an extremely light hand with seasonings, but her research was sound and her recipes gave me the "push" I needed to change the way I shopped and cooked and the way we and our toddlers were eating. Twenty years later, I still use the book, as well as another classic, Laurel's Kitchen, and our family consists of four healthy, lean lacto-ovo vegetarian adults. I still have a fond recollection of my early days with my now tattered, rubber-banded copy of Diet for a Small Planet and a sense of gratitude for Ms. Lappe's wake up call which endures today. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking / Wine    2. General    3. Health & Healing - General    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Nutrition    7. Proteins in human nutrition    8. Vegetarian - General    9. Vegetarian cookery    10. Vegetarianism    11. Cooking / Health    12. General cookery   

Reviews (8)

Well-organized
Our local farmer recommended this book & I've really enjoyed it.Good for beginners.

Very Helpful
I am new to bee keeping, my first hive didn't make it through Ohio's winter, when I picked up a new package to repopulate the hive, the owner of the apiary, Queens Right Colonies, recommended this book.Each time I get into my hive I look through the book to learn what I have seen. Has been very helpful. Great book!

Good Introduction, But Lacking
This is a fine book, but there are many basic concepts missing, and it is a little pricey considering what it lacks. But adding it to your library will be a good move if it's complemented by other authors. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Apiculture    2. Bee culture    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Insects & Spiders    5. Life Sciences - Zoology - Entomology    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Reference    9. Apiculture (beekeeping)    10. Insects as pets   

Editorial Review

Over 2,000 species, from the tiny spider mite to the massive blue whale, are profiled in DK's astonishingly wonderful Read more

Reviews (35)

A wondeful compendium
This book is really a good buy. My kids love it,
The animal world
I bought for my daughter of 16 years and she loved, it is well ilustrated and with lots of information and I considered cheap for the information inside.

Wow! Spellbinding!!
I ordered this book at the insistence of my eleven-year old son, studying in Singapore. I do not know how he got to know about it: but enough to understand that good work spreads. Having bought it, I must say that this amazing book is one of the finest investments that I made for my son. Ever since I got it for him, he is hooked to it. The presentation and the approach is stunning, to say the least. It helps in his various school projects. It also encourages him to understand why we must love the animals and protect them. We, as parents, are also charmed by the newfound knowledge that we are gaining. Simply put, this investment gives you more than the bang for the buck. It is a must for every home. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Science    6. Wildlife    7. Zoology    8. Nature / Wildlife   

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Dictionaries    4. Encyclopedias    5. Nature/Ecology    6. North America    7. Ornithology    8. Sale Adult - Nature / Guide Books    9. Non-Classifiable    10. Sale Books   

Subjects:  1. Bears    2. Individual Species Of Mammals    3. Mammals    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    7. Nature / Bears    8. Polar bear    9. Polar bear - Pictorial works   

Reviews (1)

Permaculture Tour-de-force!
If you are a home gardener who has ever stopped to wonder whether permaculture was useful to you, you need to read these books. If you are an intermediate to advanced permaculturist, you will revel in these books. If you want to understand how a single individual with a garden can make the world a better place, you need to read these books.
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Subjects:  1. Climatic - Temperate    2. Ecology    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Plants - General    7. Techniques    8. Trees & Forests - General   

Reviews (25)

The Canabible is dank
If you love nugget then this is the book for you.It has every thing you'll ever need to know about earths sweetest plat, cannabis. If you need to learn more about how to grow weed or even how to smoke or what to smoke out of then you need this book.But if you're just some one who loves chronic like me you will probly just sit there somkeing a blunt reading about the dankest plants on the earth for hours. Happy burning!

Perfect coffee table book.
What a great book. Very informative with excellant photography. Highly recommended!

Outstanding!
This author deserves at least five stars for his unparalleled effort!The Cannabible is a monumental work that will form the base of marijuana identification in the future.King has dedicated his life to writing about and photographing cannabis.His passion permeates every page of the book.We need more dedicated author/photographers like him.Traveling the world collecting information about an illegal plant is difficult and dangerous.King has risen to the occasion and provided great photographs and engaging text on my favorite plant.This connoisseur-quality book is a welcome addition to my library.My Cannabible II is on the way now! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cannabis    2. Gardening    3. Gardening/Plants    4. General    5. Marijuana    6. Nature    7. Plants - General    8. Popular Culture - Counter Culture    9. Reference    10. Cultural studies    11. Drug addiction & substance abuse    12. General cookery    13. Plant life: general   

Reviews (4)

the one
No mere Peterson field guide, this scholarly work is a concise encyclopedia of all the trees native to the northeastern United States, with descriptions that can truly be used to tell them apart (a unique feat). Belongs in the backpack of any hiker who wants to learn trees.Fits in a half-gallon Ziploc.Remember you need a magnifying glass and a sharp knife to use the book properly.

Best for field work
As a wetland delineator in PA, this book proves invaluable for field identification of trees, shrubs, and vines.Especially useful is are the keys for identification of these plants in winter when leaves and fruiting bodies are non-existant.I have several other tree books for reference, but they rarely are worth carting along in the field now that I have this book.I highly recommend it.

Worthy of the Name
Follows the fine tradition of Peterson Field Guides.Enough said. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Canada    2. Identification    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Shrubs    6. Trees    7. Trees & Forests - General    8. United States    9. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    10. Nature / Trees   

Reviews (2)

Best beginners' guide
I have quite a few `bug' guides and the Peterson guides are always my favorite. The drawings are excellent, the writing is clear, and I like the behavioral and collecting notes added. There are more flashy guides with more pictures but they tend to be more limited - you can only put so many pictures in a book. They also usually cost much more. This is the book I would buy for someone wanting to learn more about the entire insect world and begin identifying the bugs they find. If their interest grows I would simply move up the full version of the same book.

Perhaps the best field guide to the insects of North America
This is a great book for both the beginner as well as those who are at the intermediate level of their study of insects.
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Subjects:  1. Canada    2. Identification    3. Insects    4. Insects & Spiders    5. Life Sciences - Zoology - Entomology    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. United States    9. Nature / Insects & Spiders    10. Zoology & animal sciences   

Reviews (165)

Real Science from a Sci-Fi Humorist
A book about nature could be boring, but Douglas Adams writes with a humorous, and sometimes touching, attitude.

Don't blink!
Somewhere in the depths of its vast corporate wisdom, the Guardian/Observer news organisation found a pearl of good sense.The pearl hatched a precious jewel of an idea.Send Douglas Adams, creator of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, accompanied by zoologist Mark Carwadine, to seek out some of the Earth's disappearing species.His account is classic Adams, with vivid description, poignant observations and incisive study of the people and places he encountered.The age of this book is of small account, even with the "Mark's Last Word" update segment closing the book.The book remains a pleasure to read.
Looking for rare animals-The Adams Way
With the BBC and zoologist in tow, Douglas Adams visits a number of the world's most out of the way places looking for some of the world's most endangered animals. The travels are a series of comic mishaps, dealing with corrupt officials, obnoxious fellow travelers, and some examples of transportation that would make you swear off travel. These problems do seem a bit too familiar too anyone who has read of travel in the world's harder to reach places, but Adams generally keeps things moving along with his light touch. . When he finally sees these animals in the wild, it has a transformative effect on Adams; he becomes thoughtful and starts to ruminate on the future of these animals and their rightful place in the ever-changing world.
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Subjects:  1. 1952-    2. Adams, Douglas,    3. Endangered species    4. Journeys    5. Life Sciences - Ecology    6. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Reference    10. Nature / Reference