Environment and Nature Books

For Texas birders this book is a must. Ranges are much more reliable than any other guide available. Is great for travelling to an area to see what you might be able to see or to back something you have found.

The new TOS Handbook is an indispensable reference to the current status of Texas' avifauna. The range maps are excellent and show seasonal changes in gray scale. Anyone interested in birding in Texas will want a copy of this book. It is not a field guide, but a reference on status and distribution.

Whatever your general guide for the identification of birds is while in Texas you need this this companion book. Current information as to the status of Texas birdlife written by two premier Texas birders. A percentage of the profits are given to the Texas Ornithological Society.

Jack Clinton Eitniear
Editor/Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society
www.Texasbirds.org

If you want to know the current status of any bird in Texas you need this book! Good range maps make it possible look at individual counties.

This is a must read for anyone interested in the future of business.

Upsizing seems more a visionary work to me than one to read to find out the environmental consequences of human industrialization (See review below). Pauli presents a vision for an economically viable world where there's ZERO pollution, and offers a number of real-world experiments that seem so far to have worked. However, the path he encourages won't be an easy one -- it requires systematically rethinking what industry is, how it works, and how it fits into our world. Upsizing begins to construct an argument for why we should do this and shows how the rethought world might look.

Basically, Pauli is making a case for turning all industrial waste toward productive purposes. Our current processes, for instance, to make paper result in a huge loss of productivity when waste wood products -- which could be turned to other uses -- are burned or disposed of such that they are lost forever.

While the ideas in this book are incredibly exciting, the delivery seemed to me a bit rough. While competently presented, as an argument this book seems a little bit disparate and untamed, and its style is a bit flat, if not boring. Still, kudos to Pauli for writing it. His is an exciting vision, and I only hope his projects get the press and consideration they deserve. I'm giving it four stars because of the extraordinary ideas: more people should know about how we can make our waste productive.

Pauli has succeeded in doing a rare thing indeed...that of demonstrating how the environment and the economy can complement each other to create synergies! All this in the context of protecting and preserving our environment for current and future generations.

The book is well written and supported by solid facts and well-developed case studies. It serves as a guide post for people of all walks of life, including CEOs, entrepreneurs, environmentalist and public servants, who want to act or promote action that will help reduce, even eliminate waste, while stimulating economic development. More importantly, this book gives hope that we can adopt ways of doing business that reduce the negative impacts on our environment.

This is an excellent book for anyone who's interested in the environmental consequences of human industrialization and development. I had never heard of the author or his organization (ZERI: Zero Emissions Research Institute), but it's all described in this book, and it's a fascinating proposition.

At first I was a little worried that this book would be a little boring, but it's succinct and well-written. You'll think that the proposals are impossible or unattainable, but the author backs them up at the end with real-world implementations that are successful.

I recommend this book for the CEO of any manufacturing company. The concepts presented in this book will show you how to expand your product offering, minimize environmental impact, and make more money all at the same time.

A wonderful little book for the youngest to the oldest to enjoy -- beautiful information about the rainforest!

A Walk in the Rain Forest is a wonderful introduction to the tropical rain forest- its plants, animals, and people. The book tells the story of XYZ- a small ant- and his journey through the rainforest. The beautiful pictures and simple text appeals to children of all ages. Additional factual information appeals to older children. This is a great book to use in the classroom to help introduce children to the wonders of the rain forest

This is a colorful look at different Rainforest creatures, written by a teenager. It follows a frog introducing animals you might meet in the Rainforest. It is not quite as good as her other book Under the Sea. I would recommend it for 4-8 year olds, it can be wordy.

I found this book in my quest for interesting books for a course I was teaching on the rainforest. At the ripe old age of 15, Kristin Joy Pratt (now Pratt-Serafini) developed this lovely book. Her illustrations take you on the journey through the rainforest with XYZ the ant. As the reader explores the ABC's, s/he also learns about the life within and the biodiversity. Words, facts and colorful illustrations will encourage discussion about this habitat and make learning the ABC's and exciting journey.

this is one of the best books i have ever read and i am a book gobbler this book has a excellent plot and is very inresting just dont read it too often or else you will memorize it and it will lose all feeling

absolutely inspiring for anyone, any age who loves whales and believes we communicate

I haven't read the other books by Katz, but this one was very good. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I was the first to review this book and I hope that I'm not the only one.

I first read this book in 7th grade, and I continue to pick it up and read it even now in College... Katz does an amazing job with her characters in this book, as well as others I've read by her. She captures the essence of the worries and angst a teen goes through. Adding her slant, the depression and isolation that the young girl feels, is her telepathic/empathic connection to a mother whale. This amazing book connects earths pollution problem, teenage life, and the idea of first love in a compelling format! READ THIS BOOK!!!!

Polar Bear Puzzle is a great addition to the other Adventures of Riley books. I have had the pleasure of meeting the author and illustrator and am very impressed with the clever illustrations that combine real photos with the drawn characters. Our grandchildren love the book. I especially appreciate the inserts that give facts on each page. The kids all seem enthralled with the story and information. It is a great combo of story and informational text.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

Reviewed by Leslie Granier and Nicholas Lopez (age 5) for Reader Views (12/07)

This book tells the story of how the number of polar bears is decreasing due to increased temperatures on the Earth's surface. Riley, a nine-year-old boy, travels to Canada to visit his uncle who does whatever he can to help the polar bears, including giving them medical checkups. During this trip, Riley learns the importance of people doing whatever they can to stop global warming so as not to endanger polar bears and other species that rely on cold temperatures and ice formation for their survival.

The cover of the book indicates it is suited for age four to eight. Nicholas, who is five-years-old, really did not understand many of the concepts. He could not see how recycling a newspaper can help save the polar bears. He thought it was "scary that Riley got so close to the mean, hungry bear," but "it was nice he wanted to help him find food."

There are many interesting facts presented by scientists and members of ecological groups throughout "Adventures of Riley: Polar Bear Puzzle." I think older children (8-11) will be more interested in this book's content because they have some scientific background and can relate more to cause and effect. They are also better able to organize recycling projects and influence their parents and other adults to change their harmful habits and develop ways that are safer for all life forms. The story has an important message for people of all ages and should be utilized in classrooms to help the next generation become more aware of possible problems that may arise in the future.

With large print and double spacing, "The Amazing Adventures of Annie Adair" is a quick and easy read for any age group. The pictures are an excellent illustration of the imaginative story. There is an informative glossary at the end of the book. It would make a great gift.

I was quite impressed with the book by AA Hartzell, it brought back my own memories of make believe and fun with using my own mind. When I was a kid, there was no TV and so imagination ruled. This book of adventures of Annie Adair, I can relate to. Very well done... and it is a fun read by the little set, and for the tall people.

Enjoy.... Hughes Ragan
Beaverton Oregon

A friend of mine stumbled upon this splendid little book accidentally. What a wonderful surpise! Full of adventure and imagination, it is one of the best children's books I have read in quite sometime. I fully recommend it to anyone who loves an exciting adventure with novel characters!

This book was wonderful for many reasons; the illustrations were fabulous in detail and selection of colors, the story is simple yet touching, but most of all I have a personal connection: I have a granddaughter named Aurora (a name given to her by her mother) and my Aurora was born on the day an aurora borialis shone brightly here in Michigan (November 7, 2005)!
I love the author's use of dancing word pictures, especially between Aurora and the lone caribou, our family is also a "dance" family.
Thank you for this story!

My mom bought me this book when I was younger because my name is Aurora. It is a really good book and the only one I have read where the main character has my name.

It is, in essence, a folk tale of how the aurora borealis came to be. A girl, Aurora, must travel by herself across the Arctic, and so she puts the different colors from the sky in her pocket. Different times of the day have different colors--pink, green, blue, and so on. When she comes to a place where the sun becomes dark blue (as there is no nightfall where she and her family live), she releases the colors so she won't be afraid. The colors help her family find her, and they stayed there and were named after her.
At the end of the book is some simple information about the story and about the aurora borealis.

Every child should read this book--especially if their name is Aurora.

Aurora A Tale of the Northern Lights is a beautifully written and stunningly illustrated original tale of the origin of the Aurora Borealis. The author, Mindy Dwyer has obviously been inspired by the beauty, grandeur, and mystery of her Alaskan environment. Elementary students of all ages will enjoy reading and listening to the descriptive narrative as they admire the colorful, unforgettable watercolor illustrations. Further, the story will inspire students to create their own legends and tales of natural occurrences. In the tale, Aurora, who lives where the sun never sets, longs to see the darkness she has heard about from her Grandmother. A caribou leads her on a long journey. As she is traveling, Aurora collects colors from the daylight sky to help her feel warm and safe. She finally reaches the place where the sun dips below the edge of the earth, and she views the mysterious darkness. Aurora flings the colors she has collected into the dark sky, and as they dance across the sky, she plays with them. The story weaves the spirit of adventure into an appealing tale of courage. Even though Aurora A Tale of the Northern Lights is a fanciful story, the book has a glossary of the very real scientific concepts introduced in the tale. As a teacher, I recommend the book to elementary students and to teachers who want to inspirie their students to read and write.

Excellent narrative that provides the historic context for what is emerging as one of the most difficult and contentious fights between economic and enviromental interests anywhere in the US. The photography is outstanding and Kittredge's discussion of the people and the issues in this beautiful area provide concise insight for anyone interested in understanding the tragedy of US government policies on the management of the land, the people, the fish, and the birds of the Klamath Lake basin. Strongly recommend!!!

This book is an epiphany. Kittredge is the best essayist writing about the American west living today, and the photographs are almost perfect. This book will introduce readers to an area that has remained mostly obscure, an area where huge environmental dramas have long since began, and are still being played out. Many sympathies are presented in this book; lots of heros, too. An amazing read.

Five stars... without a doubt! Blake, Blake, and Kitteridge craft a compelling case for stewardship of the ecosystems we inhabit. The story is grounded in the Klamath Basin of Southern Oregon where a complex dance of men and nature is being played out. Historically, the federal government in the form of the Bureau of Reclamation identified the water rich basin as a region to promote for farming. No surprise that today the area is largely given over to farming and ranching. Prior communities consisted of local Native Americans who for the last hundred years or so have been driven out of the basin either by our military or our legal system. And last, but not the least in importance, the bio-diversity that suffers at the hands of lost habit, chemicals used for pesticides, and misguided management by public institutions.

Farmers, the indigenous Klamath people, migrating birds and native fish, all have their claims to the basin. From recalling the basin from his early childhood to driving the dirt roads to meet the 3rd generation farmers and ranchers, William Kitteridge's writing is exceptional at putting real faces and names to this place.

The story is made sublime with some of the most outstanding western wildlife photography you are likely to find. The photographs represent the sacredness of a place that serves as a stop for millions of migrating birds that no words can begin to portray.

A tragic postscript to the publishing of this book was a fish kill of some 30 thousand salmon on their way up the Klamath River to their spawning beds. Its been concluded that in stream flows got drawn down to the point where the migrating salmon stacked up in swallow and warm pools which ultimately depleted the water of oxygen. Only recently have federal wildlife managers admitted that diversion of water to farmers in the basin caused the massive fish kill in the Klamath.

A superb book. Drawing from her life experience, the author gives vivid picture of people's life along China's Yangtze River. The construction of the super-dam will greatly alter people's life there. We should thank the author for recording, thus preserving the past that will be gone forever. Scholars, especially scholars of China Studies would get detailed description of the daily life of Chinese people. Travellers would also find the book useful. The author was among the first group of foreigners who worked and travelled in China after 1976. Thus, her story is really invaluable since not many foreigners had the chance to witness China around 1980. Overall, the book is informative and insightful. Wonderful work.

December, 2, 2002. I just returned from my first trip to China which included 4 days cruising through the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. My good fortune was having this wonderfully and scholarly written book by Ms Chetham.

This book was invaluable to me because it gave me a full perspective of China, it's people, it's culture, and it's economic development. With this book as my traveling companion along with 43 good friends from San Francisco our group visited Beijing, Xian, Chongching,350 miles of the Yangtze River, Wuhan, Shanghai, & Souzhou. In each locale we had english speaking guides who were born and raised in the area. The combination of the local input, our observations, and readings from this book created a "trip of a lifetime" for me.

If you plan to visit China this book is a must.

This book encompasses the history of the Yangtze, as a history major I enjoyed learning about the history pertaining the Yangtze. Moreover, it discusses the political motives behind the construction of the dam. Also, this book addresses the social as well as environmental costs of TGD. It is a great book for students, travelers, environmentalists, historians, and those who have an interest in China.

Billy Dance is an inspirational children's book that has heart and more importantly a message. Too many books and TV shows lack the gift of combining entertainment and education, but B A Noble does this effortlessly. Children love to absorb and investigate human tradition, history, and environment as long as they can put themselves in the adventure and be apart of the ride. Billy Dance is a terrific example. The characters are diverse, engaging and amusing; my own favourite would have to be little Grace (read it and you'll see what I mean).

Billy Dance provides mental stimulation for children about the effect they have on their environment, an issue that I think is always worth reiterating to our future generations. It gives children a taste of Australia's historical traditions (involving the aboriginal community) and a little magic to make the story soar above the clouds. A little fictional fun involving didgeridoo's and children blowing razz-berries will make any child giggle out loud. A must read for the recommended age group.

.
This is the best children's book I've come across all year ... it's the perfect gift for 8-12 year olds.

I loved the way it introduced my children to Australian indigenous myth and increased their appreciation for our natural environment in a fun, up-beat, contemporary tale that's relevant world-wide.

Totally absorbing, highly visual writing. Educational without being didactic. Your children will love it, mine did - aside from their adapting my vacuum cleaner tube into a make-shift "didjeridoo" I still get asked when we can go visit the "cassowaries".

Highly recommended.

This book is published with an uncanny sense of timeliness. After the world shaking event of the tsunami in the Indian ocean - a disaster that spread its influence around the globe - Billy Dance seems to capture all the urgency, scope and hope needed for understanding and braving the odds of a seemingly overwhelming situation.

For children, this is a fine, well-written story that can help with their own understanding of such a disaster.

It combines a reverence for archaic wisdom and traditions, with respect for the earth as a living orgasm as opposed to the greed which defiles ecological sensitivities and balance. Add a dash of the contemporary worldwide web of young people connected in a common cause which makes a difference for the world, for all and we have a recipe for good reading!

I much enjoyed this book. The balance of themes is skillfully achieved without unnecessary complication. The core motifs which lie launch the adventure are recognizable and known to all children. The characters show youthful wisdom and integrity. Most of all, young people pulling together is a most optimistic message for the importance and belonging of the youth in our time.

Barbara Noble has gifted the world of young readers with a real treat. One can only hope she writes more fabulous stories like this one.

If your child, or a child you know in the 8 - 12 age range needs something to help make sense of life, of how they fit in the world, of the importance of their own helpful ingenuity... this is a must have book.

Highly recommended.

Blain Bovee