Environment and Nature Books

This book is extrememly important froma social policy and psychological perspective. It demystefies and deconstructs the whole phenomenon of NIBYism by taking out the moral judgementalism which usually goes hand in hand with any discussion about this phenomena. Inhaber makes the seemingly simple yet rarely spoken point that NIMBYs are just acting rationally in situations which threaten them. This book is also important in demonstrating how free market ideas can be deployed to seemingly intractable social conflicts.

"Eric Sterling: Secret Agent" Smugglers on Grizzly Mountain, by Ernest Herndon, is a charming book for children aged 8-12. It is about three pre-teen special agents for Wildlife Special Investigations (WSI), who are assigned a case involving mushroom smugglers. The three children, Eric C., Erik K., and Erik's sister Sharon, are sent off to Alaska where they meet with Martin Bull who shows them what they are to do. After a brief overview of their case, the three are sent to climb Bear Ridge Mountain armed with camping supplies, a telescope, and bear mace. As soon as they reached the summit, the three detectives spotted the mushroom smugglers and radioed down to Mr. Bull. Mr. Bull told Eric to come back down the mountain first thing the next morning. As soon as Eric woke up, he packed up his supplies and headed down the mountain. After his long hike down the mountain, poor, tired Eric was greeted by an unfamiliar man who told him that there was an emergency and that Mr. Bull had to head home. However, Eric smelled something fishy, he knew something was not right. But I won't tell you what it is, you will have to read this book for yourself to know what the exciting ending is to this great book of outdoor expeditions.

For anyone in the Eastern region of the US who enjoys keeping snakes (or anyone who might end up keeping a snake native to this region), this book is a must-have. It gives good solid information for anyone from novice to zoo level of expertise. All the basics are covered (eg housing, choosing, transporting, lighting, feeding, etc. ad infinitum)as well as many specialized topic like making "swamp tea" for keeping crayfish snakes healthy. You can tell when you read the book that much of it is based on personal experience and not just someone regurgitating what they read in other books. I have used this book many times to find information on how to keep the species that I have caught at various times and wanted to keep for a little while. Every time the advice in this book proved helpful, if not indispensable.

If you like snakes and live in the eastern US, buy it. If you like snakes and live in the western US, buy volume II (which seems to be just as good, if not better, but I have not actually tried any of the information in.) If you love snakes and live anywhere in the world, buy both of them.

The Soil and Health is a wonderful book that is equal parts agricultural science and environmental advocacy, with just a dash of kooky Nature worship thrown in. Howard was a conventionally trained agricultural scientist in the late 19th and early to mid 20th century who was employed by the British government to bring modern industrial agriculture, based on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides to Britain's tropical colonies. Soon, though, he realized the value of more traditional agricultural practices from India and China, especially in keeping the microbial, fungal and invertebrate life in the soil healthy.

If you believe in the value of organic agriculture, it is somewhat sad to see how little has changed since 1945. Howard confidently predicts in his book that organic methods based on compost would soon sweep the globe. Things have changed some, though. We can now buy "organic" labeled products in most markets in America, and I believe that more people have an appreciation for the importance of treating the earth well. This book does an excellent job of establishing and reinforcing that appreciation.

I was skeptical about the title of this book, but enchanted with the picture on the cover. In my hands, there was absolutely no marketing hype. This book will capture your heart with Hemanta Mishra's clarity, humanity and commitment.

Mishra has worked in Asia on a number of conservation projects for over 30 years. This book tells the story of efforts to save the greater one-horned Asian rhino from extinction. He calls it "a mystical beast legendary for its power, its sexual energy, its unpredictable temperament, and its prodigious strength." He describes the political violence in Nepal beginning with the massacre of the king's family in 2001 by the eldest son and ending with the Maoist insurgency.

Kings play a key role in the conservation efforts. The murder of the recent king led to its now uncertain future. In the Tarpan ceremony a Nepalese king must hunt and kill a male rhino and offer the beast's blood in a prayer for peace and prosperity.

Mishra's book puts humanity into the Smithsonian's summary of the status of these rhinos: "Greater one-horned Asian rhinoceroses once ranged from Pakistan across northern India to Nepal, Bhutan, and the border with Myanmar (Burma), and perhaps ranged even further, into southern China. Today, they are confined to a few small, protected populations totaling about 2,000 animals. Most live in several parks in India and in Nepal's Royal Chitwan National Park."

Hemanta Mishra worked in the Nepalese wildlife office in the early 1970s and ran the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation. He was awarded the J. Paul Getty Prize for Natural Protection in 1987 for "for his ground breaking biotic studies on Mt. Everest, his development of Nepal's park systems, and his work on implementation of "Operation Tiger," the largest conservation project in Asia."

I agree completely with "Scientific American": "Mishra, a Nepalese wildlife biologist trained in the West, is not a professional writer, but his intelligence and wit make this a mesmerizing account that intertwines politics, conservation and tensions between the traditions of East and West."

You can hear Mishra discuss his book and his conservation efforts on Leonard Lopat Show on the WNYC website. You'll hear his voice for a long time after you read his book.


Robert C. Ross 2007 2008

This is the second volume of the Texas bird song series.

I got this tape together with the first volume a few years ago and listened to it every now and then. When I would drive the little one around I would put in this tape for him to listen to. Now he is old enough to ask for what he wanted to. Very often he asks to listen to the "bird songs" tape. Now at home when he hears birds singing outside he says excitedly, "Shh, quiet. Bird songs." He is even able to pick out a mockingbird song from a bluejay, not bad for a 2 1/2 year old!

I do like the bird songs and they sound fine. but the voice over narration before each song sounds like the guy is in another room as in the first volume. Maybe the should have asked some local mixmaster DJ to dub the voice to where it sounds normal. This is not a condition of the tapes age as I noticed this as soon as I unwrapped the tape and plopped it in the tape player. This is the only flaw on this tape, and not much of one but there you go. The cassette comes with 12 small photos of the birds in question on the tape.

In Vol.2 you get a few more different birds on the tape (16 as opposed to 12) The birds are the: Olive Sparrow, Laughing Gull, Barn Swallow, Bewick's Wren, Indigo Bunting, Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher, Eastern Tufted Titmouse, Chuck-Will's-Widow, Black Necked Stilt, Marsh Wren, Golden-Cheeked Warbler, Blue Jay, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Northern Cardinal, and the White-Eyed Viero.

I delighted in discovering that the Laughing Gull is name of the gull that follows the gulf coast shrimpers. The sound they make is unmistakable.

I just bought this book for my grandchild and was so happy that he enjoyed it as much as myself. I am from South Africa, and was glad to find a book that showed the joy and sweetness of that country. People around the world forget that there are little children that go to sleep everynight all over S.A. and just live simple lives. The pictures were realistic and lovely and made me homesick! I think this gives my grandchild a wonderful view of an incredible country and they have brought back memories for me. Thank You

Someone recommended this book to me when I first moved to Tucson after living "up north" all my life. I had relocated to Arizona for a job and was in somewhat of a state of culture shock at the lack of green grass, no four seasons, etc. This book was a real god-send for me. It breaks the year into 12 months and describes what is happening in the environment in terms of climate, wildlife, plant life, and the constellations. It is filled with fun-facts and things to do and watch for, so adults and children alike will find this book fun and interesting to read. It is fascinating learning about the unique-ness of the Sonoran desert and it made me really appreciate how incredible and diverse it really is! I now recommend this book to everyone (native or newcomer) and buy it regularly as a "welcome" gift to my colleagues that relocate here from other parts of the country. I highly recommend it.

With Global Warming on the minds of all wise people, this book helps to clarify the argument between nature and religion, and supports why caring for our planet is a religious issue, a moral issue and a reason for all earth-loving and earth-living people to stand up, take notice and take action. This book was helpful in clarifying this issue when i had to defend my own gardening and landscaping choices to my local town government. Choosing to care for the earth is a 1st ammendment right and this book helps to prove it. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a really wonderful book, with beautiful photography. The book shares the incredible story of one of our most beautiful national parks. The photography captures the beauty of the park through all of the seasons. You will definitely love it!