Environment and Nature Books

The book has some good content, but the auther him-haws around. I enjoy a good book that can get to the point and drive it home. This book does not do that. It jumps around a lot and is hard to follow in places. I wouldn't recommend this book to other readers.

..it's a great book. The personal anecdotes will speed you through a book more scholarly than it first appears. With the clean slate that North America presented the world upon it's discovery, it's amazing how well it's held up, considering all the different hands on the chalk!

Every now and then a book comes along that evokes our experience of the landscape, books by authors such as William Least Heat-Moon, John Hanson Mitchell, Donald Meinig, John Stilgoe, or J. B. Jackson. With Visions of Paradise, John Warfield Simpson joins the group and goes beyond. He offers a wide ranging and readable description of the forces that shaped our landscape from conflicts in landscape values to public policy and law. Visions is a wonderful book filled with personal anecdotes that engage. Anyone interested in cities, suburbs and environmental stewardship hould have a copy of this handsome book

Mr. Simpson's book is an unparalleled look at this nation's beginnings, transitions, growing pains, and its current situation. To understand today's problems and land-use ethics, one must read this book. Through elbow grease, endless research and a fascination with the land, Mr. Simpson has created a classic that anyone involved with the land must read. On a personal note, Ohio residents will find this book particularly interesting, the development of Columbus is used as a typical example of settlement and expansion.

I am not a 'landscaper' in the grand or even minimal sense (tending to let my own backyard become overgrown), but I do have a layman's interest in history. Perhaps for those reasons I found 'Visions of Paradise' to be an enthralling introduction to the history of our American landscape. Simpson was able to engage my interest quickly with his obvious feeling for and sensitivity to our culture's rather short-sighted treatment of the natural landscape. As a native midwesterner I was particularly interested in his regional references but really found the entire volume to be captivating. He truly helped me to understand the national landscape as 'ours' in a collective sense. For the first time I have an informed appreciation of our land and believe that I have a role, however small, in its future. I will never be able to take a trip by car or plane in the same way again - Simpson's book has helped me understand the importance of my examining the nuances of all parts of our landscape, and being able to take a stronger position regarding its appropriate uses (even my own yard, which I am now cultivating more carefuly).

Terry Moore's "The Watchers" delivers a wonderful story about kids, summer, the beach, parents, summer friends, mysterious sea creatures, corporate greed, ecology, and nature's delicate balance of all life on earth.
Mr. Moore manages to touch all the bases succinctly in an totally enjoyable "quick read."
The story centers on three children, (two girls, named Timi and Sataki, and their friend Brian) spending the summer vacation at the shore, in a beach town, that we eventually find out has nearly become ruined by corporate pollution. And as the plot thickens, more and more surprising details are revealed. These children are very perceptive and have amazing, insightful things to say. They seem wise beyond their years (eight or nine). Such an interesting bunch, I can picture more adventures coming out of this crew, maybe a movie! The story is almost like a modern day fable, complete with a surprise twist at the end and even a moral to learn from.
A recurring "treat" in this book, is the listing of a "summer pleasure", such as ice cream, amusement park rides, sleep & summer rain, etc., for each of its 15 chapters ... and that might be the best way to describe this read, (which I happened to read during the summer)... "a summer pleasure." Thank you Terry Moore, I'm sending a copy to my great nephew, -- Lou Russo

I found this book to be very well written. Though the book was written for children, as an adult I enjoyed reading this book. Both children and adults can learn something about environmental issues and also how children can work together on an issue. It also brough back my memories of memories of the Jersey Shore. I happen to buy two copies of the book and plan to give one of friends's daughter.

Bravo to the author Terry Moore

I read The Watchers, by Terry Moore. I found the plot intriguing, even though it is meant for a younger reader. It kept me interested and kept me reading on. The story was interwoven with important issues, such as becoming aware of ecology and our interdependence of life forms on each other; the importance of family relationships; loyalty of friends; illness and environmental toxins, and becoming proactive about it all. It was well done and can have a positive impact on these issues.

The Watchers is even better than you might think. The writing is good. The story is surprisingly exciting -- even for an adult -- and the surprise ending is really a surprise and brilliantly executed. If you thought horseshoe crabs would make a nice story for kids, wait until you find out what the author has in store(y) to tell you about them. In an hour you can learn a lot and like what you read -- all at the same time.

Could any review be without some criticisms? How about a little more character development. And where did those weird kids' names come from? Is anyone really named Timi? (Brian I can believe.) But who cares; this is a wonderful book and here is a surprise for you readers on top of the surprise ending: serious politics abound in this book and yet they are presented in a way that makes it possible for not-too-political folks to absorb them. I wouldn't expect corporate America to lavish much praise on this book, but then I wouldn't expect corporate America to care much about horseshoe crabs or a little girl named Timi who spends her summers at the New Jersey shore or about her friends who have...well, read the book if you want to know.

"The Watchers" will provide a few hours of fun for young readers and adults alike, with an accent on environmental themes. Author Terry Moore proves that you don't have to "dummy down" serious topics for a kid's audience. He artfully weaves important issues about the health of the planet into an interesting plot that unfolds during what should-have-been an idyllic summer vacation at the New Jersey shore. It's a well-written book populated with delightful children, especially young leading lady Timi. You'll come to love horseshoe crabs and care about their future, and you'll be looking forward to more books with this delightful cast.

And from another reader, Feb. 2008:

Beautiful book with important messages for children around eight and for over 65 second-childhood seniors. Also very timely as environmental groups are battling to have a two year-old ban on harvesting horseshoe crabs extended.

I remember seeing hordes of crabs packed on the beaches during egg-laying seasons in years past. The fisherman wanted them for fertilizer and the medical industry used them as blood donors. To their credit, the meds did not kill them. The environmentalists want to protect red knot shorebirds which fly from South America to their nesting grounds in arctic Canada making one stop only in the Delaware Bay area where they feed on the crab eggs. Wow! What an effort. Saving the crabs means saving the red knots. We must work on Corzine to keep the ban in effect. Maybe we should send him a copy of The Watchers.

Once again, as in Smith's WHAT THE PARROT TOLD ALICE, there's plenty of nature, fascinating mind-popping science (including a discussion of the theory of evolution that will knock both Darwinists and Creationists on their ears), finger-pointing at humankind's shortsightedness (as well as a deserved jab at Americans' refusal to embrace other cultures), suggestions that humans would do well to emulate animals, and wondrous encounters with the rainforest. There are plenty of animal characters such as the wise Lorax-like Marco, the Old Man of the Forest, love-monkey Nik, and survivor Jude, whose owner taught her to drink martinis and smoke Marlboros (no joke). There's an international (even extraterrestrial!) perspective, intelligent environmental and scientific discourse, as well as the sense that people are finally lighting candles rather than cursing the darkness.
Teens are fond of the phrase "Get real." In Smith's story, both teens and adults tell the world to get real and listen to WHAT THE ORANGUTAN TOLD ALICE.

If you like fun and adventure, you'll like this story about two teenagers' journey deep into the rain forests of Borneo, in search of Orangutans. An imaginative and captivating tale, it is funny and at the same time poignant. It teaches children about the fragile balance between civilization and nature and the delicate web that binds us all together. It leaves us with an understanding of the plight of the Orangutans, as well as with a sense of hope.
I read this book with my 10 year old daughter and we loved it!

I found this book while looking for a gift for my 15 year old nephew and was amazed by how much I enjoyed reading it myself. This is such a creative way to engage young people in looking at issues of habitat preservation, wildlife exploitation and extinction, conservation, (human) overpopulation and more! What might be difficult and abstract concepts for a young person to understand, are made real and personal through the stories of a young girl and the animals she meets in the rainforest. If we are really going to save the earth and all of it's inhabitants, we will have to get the next generation involved. This book has the power to do that and should be in the hands of children all around the world.

What The Orangutan Told Alice: A Rain Forest Adventure by environments Dale Smith is an engaging, informative, entertaining, environmental novel written for young adults and thoughtful conservationists of all ages. A story that relates human and ape, as much from the orangutan's point of view as that of Alice, What The Orangutan Told Alice is a meaningful story meant to make its reader aware of the importance of the natural world...

I loved this book. Through the eyes of a 14 year old child we look into the world of the orangutan, the gibbon, and other animals of the world's shrinking rain-forest. There is a useful dictionary of rain-forest and animal terms. As a former teacher who now works full-time for primate protection, I think this book is suitable for readers from eleven years old right up to 100! It is really thought-provoking but never leaves one with the feeling of helplessness. Shirley McGreal, Chairwoman, International Primate Protection League

I purchased this book for it's content(penguin info), and the illustrations. It exceeded my expectations.

Very good book, came quickly, faster then was told. I'm looking forward to my next purchase.

This is a story about the emperor penguins of Antarctica and it touches on the Weddel seals and the Adélie penguins as well. The first have of this beautifully illustrated book explains how the female emperor lays her egg and how the male tends to it for up to two months while the female is at sea. It's just a fascinating introduction for a child about how different animals can be from us and also, how important they are.

The story also introduces the child to the effects man is having on the lives of the animals that live in the frozen south. Ms. Cowcher's drawings are just so captivating, that your child can't help caring about the animals. It's a good primer for the Greens, for caring, for perhaps a future Rainbow Warrior.

Sophie Cacique Gaul

The first thing that drew me to this nonfiction book was the gorgeous illustrations by Cowcher. They are beautiful. Her use of "cool" colors such as blue, purple, green, and gray add to the wonder of this book. If you are a teacher, this would make a great addition to your personal library to use with units on penguins or Antarctica. It also comes in a "big book" format and is worth the money!

- A feel-good land use/planning guide produced by the Conservation Fund and the Sonoran Institute. Examples show how communities can work together to protect parks and environmental refuges..

As the title suggests, this book addresses the challenges of gateway communities, defined as communities next to a national park, national forest, or national wildlife refuge. These communities are growing very rapidly, which risks damaging the natural resources that attract people there in the first place. The book emphasizes the problems that these communities face, and does not really address the effects on the resources (despite what the title might imply).

The analysis presents pretty standard stuff. They discuss economic growth and the trade-offs with quality of life, as well as the economic problems of a one-dimensional economy built on tourism. More than half the book consists of case studies from around the country. These case studies yield lessons about the importance of involving the local community, developing a vision for the community, getting information about the community's existing resources, building on local assets, and working with the adjacent parks as well as with non-governmental organizations. Conspicuous in their absence are the possibilities of working with business, state government, or adjacent communities.

I'm pretty skeptical of the kinds of solutions offered in this book. For example, the authors believe that community involvement in development is a panacea. I'm sure that it *can* help - - but such proposals can also create a situation in which outsiders (such as our authors) parachute into a community and act as if they know better than the locals. Remember, the growth wouldn't be happening in the first place unless many people in the community wanted it. An outsider trying to encourage community involvement in managing growth will probably have allies, but will also spark opposition from the people making money from growth.

Getting people involved can also surprise you. An urban planner friend of mine working with a depressed town was surprised when the local community wanted strip malls and fast food joints, which was not at all what she had in mind. From the standpoint of protecting natural resources, the community may well be part of the problem.

One might also quibble with the cases. For example, I was surprised to see Boulder presented as a success story, since I would view it as a failure. It's depressingly overdeveloped, looks like Anytown California, and its "successful" restrictions on further growth have simply caused that growth to spill over into its neighbors. This spillover makes existing traffic problems worse, as people drive from place to place.

In fact, the authors prefer to ignore the fact that limiting growth in one community often leads to the same undesirable growth happening next door instead. That may be good for the original community, but it's hardly good policy for a region or state.

Criticisms aside, the book has quite a bit of information about the challenges faced by the communities that they studied. It doesn't have so much information about the challenges in the nation as a whole; this is a book of case studies. It's a decent place to start when thinking about these problems.

National parks and other public lands are big, fragile, economic engines for nearby gateway communities. In this book, communities and near-by public lands sometimes play nice together. The authors conclude: " . . . successful communities have transcended the 'growth versus no-growth' wars that characterize land-use policy in many cities and towns."

Balancing Nature and Commerce in Gateway Communities is a must read for anyone who still believes that environmentalism and economic development are fundamentally opposed propositions. This book of case studies and analysis describes several successful ways in which communities created new jobs and economic opportunities while celebrating and protecting, rather than exploiting, their area's natural resources.

I read this book last summer vactaion after my twelve year old daughter had finished it, and we both enjoyed it. I was particularly drawn in by Mrs. Cole's depiction of the tension-filled friendship between Zac and Trevor which reminded me only too well of my own childhood. I think it is one of the truest descriptions of boy-boy friendship that I have read in a long time. The only put-off in the book was it's slightly moralistic tone...but my daughter doesn't agree with me on that one, so perhaps my age has made me too sensitive.

I read this book this summer along with my daughter who is 12 years old and we both really enjoyed.Mrs. Cole's depiction of the tension-filled friendship between Zac and Trevor, one of the center pieces of the book, was completely convincing. If there is one flaw, it is that the somewhat moralistic overtones at times irritated me. However, since they didn't seem to bother my daughter, I can only assume that is in age problem

I really liked The Canyon. Zachary Barnes is curious, inventive, and persistent, and in the end he makes a difference for his community.

This book can provoke a lot of thought and discussion about what in the environment is worth going to bat for. This is a well-written book than any sixth grade teacher can use to stimulate class discussion around the environment, friendship, guilt, economics and moral dilemmas. As someone who works with children and cares about the environment, I found this was a first class read that should provoke great discussions.

Full disclosure: I am a student of the author. This is a graduate level intro textbook that braids together the several disciplines of environmental engineering, e.g. chemistry, hydrology, and biology, and gives an accessible quantitative treatment of the processes involved. I find this text generally useful for solving problems in environmental engineering because the central issues have been carefully distilled and the most relevant equations are easy to find and apply. This book is not a replacement for textbooks in chemistry or hydrology, but it ties everything together well for the environmental engineer...when you want to cut straight to the crux of the matter its the book you'll reach for first.

Overall I would say this is a well written and useful text. I used this text for a Graduate Level Civil Engineering class while working on my Masters. This is a good introductory text for understanding the basic concepts of advective and fickian transport of contaminants of concern. The concepts presented can be applied to pretty much any chemical. The text covers basic concepts, chemical distribution of phases, mechanisms responsible for physical transport, air-water exchange modeling, Redox reactions, dissolved oxygen modeling,determining partitioning coefficients among phases, transport within the subsurface enviornmental and processess within the atmosphere. I found that the section on Bio Accumlation Factor (BAF), Bio Concentration Factor (BCF), and determining the increasing concentration within each trophic level within the food chain of the system to be weak. Each chapter within the text is full of problem sets but there is no solution guide which would be helpful. I would recommend this text, however, I would also supplement certain sections with additional reading as required.

While there is no doubt that the author is highly proficient in the subject matter the book was a difficult read. Terms and theories were explained clearly however this is not an introductory level chemistry book. This book is written for chemical or environmental engineering students. Illustrations and tables are also inserted at points where you are engrossed in some pretty heady material so it gave the impression of jumping around. I say this b/c illustrations and tables had a lot of information included. The formulas were high level mathematical computations that I found bewildering. I am not Einstein but I also have 10 years of in the trenches environmental chemistry and field management. There were excellent problems to work at the end of each chapter but the answers were not to be found in the book. I have no idea if I worked the problems correctly which defeats the point of working them in the first place. I would not recommend this book as a "beginner level" chemistry book. This is more appropriate for a graduate school level which may have been the intended audience. If you are looking for a book packed with theory and formulas then this is the book for you. I had expected a book that was a little more general in nature.

This is a reasonably priced textbook for advanced undergrad & grads studying the environmental sciences in Engineering, Hydrology, and Chemistry. Environmental consultants in the private sector could also employ this textbook as a reference. Harry Hemond (of MIT) and Liz Fechner-Levy (consultant in Bethesda, MD) deliver a quantitative treatment of processes. Battle-tested at MIT for many years, this volume features time-saving exercises at the end of each chapter and an accompanying solutions manual.

This book is cool. I'm trying to teach my son to be responsible for the environment and this is an awesome book for getting those ideas across without being preachy, just fun. So happy I bought it.

My nephew immediately loved seeing the babies and recognizable shapes on the pages (diapers, strawberries, turning off the lamp to go to sleep). It has replaced Goodnight Moon (!) to become his new bedtime book.

Okay, up front I will admit that I am not known for my PC speech or thought. I usually say what I mean, regardless of what others think. Hey, I don't have an ulcer. That said, I admire much of what Tricycle Press publishes and I will admit that Michelle Sinclair Colman's Eco Babies Wear Green is a cute baby board book.

But something inside of me just doesn't want to go green with the reading I do with my grandchildren. I hold that for our everyday life through example.

I want to read them wonderful, exciting stories about adventurous kids, dragons, fairy princesses (yes, I said fairy princesses--so there!) pigeons that shouldn't drive a bus and when they're older, I want them to cut their teeth on that young Brit kid who saves the world and conquers `the name that will not be spoken.'

Oh well, maybe talking with my 6-month-old granddaughter, Greer, about eco babies wearing green isn't so bad. And she already loves nature, her mother carpools, we ride bikes, buy from the local farmer's market, save water, turn off the lights and recycle, so we're doing pretty well. We just need to focus on the page that talks about composting.

Armchair Interviews says: Following the `green' wave - cute.

Our family has really enjoyed this book as we continue to collect the series. The Illustrations are fantastic and the writing still has such great double meaning. I love how accurate the kids version of "green" is!

Beth Kephart is a remarkable writer and poet. Writing the history of the river from the point of view of the river is not only creative but ingenius. It is so much more than just history; it is inspirational.

I think that The Philadelphia City Paper best described FLOW when it wrote:

"Kephart's well-researched essays provide historical nuance...a prescient contemporary account of the city's history. But it is the narrative poetry, in the taut female voice of the river, which makes this a book to descend into, slowly, with all senses at the ready....Kephart is a master not only of descriptive memory, but of constructing an existential vocabulary."

I would have given it six stars if I could!

Having lived most of my life in the Philadelphia area,I really enjoyed this book about the Schuylkill River.It read like a poem for me and I enjoyed the river's "talking".I thought the historical moments were well chosen .A short but enjoyable read.

I'm lucky enough to spend a lot of time on rivers--fishing, hiking, watching the currents. But I've never read a more original or interesting portrait of any place (water or land) than FLOW. The short sections (written from the point of view of the Schuylkill)are so detailed they function like stories or lyric essays. This is a book that made me really *feel* the Schuylkill, and I also got to bask in the history of the region, which just made reading the book that much more enjoyable. I think Beth Kephart may have invented her own genre here: the river autobiography. FLOW is a book that will influence outdoor/nature writers for a long time to come.

Reading this book was a great advantage for me being a student. The amount of research that was put in was astonishing. The book provided many figures and showed a great deal of understanding of how our streams and rivers work. The work by Anatoliy I. Fisenko is a great investment for high school and university students. Although they are not able to make these proposals come true at this time, I am more than certain that in the future if they intend to go into environmental sciences the ideas outlined in this reading could definitely be a big adavantage for them and for their work. This book for me came in handy even in high school for a biology research paper, and after reading it I would strongly recommend for universities and schools to have this book on their library book shelves. Overall I would recommend this book to everyone because it is a very informative and interesting read. In the near future i would like to see these cleanup procedures being done on all our streams and rivers as well as larger water bodies, because we depend on water for survival so we should help and get it to the best standard possible. I believe that the proposal outlined in this book is practical and should be brought to action.

109 Pauline Avenue,
Toronto, On.
M2H 1M7

August 12, 2004

Regarding The Future for Our Small Streams and Rivers, Protea Publishing, Atlanta 2004.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Recently I have examined the new environmental book listed above. It seems to me a very worthwhile study showing that one's knowledge of a natural process can give us insight into which human interventions are the most desirable.

In this case, the author's survey of the natural purification of a creek, supplemented by extensive literature about other places, reveals the fundamental role of the natural purification process. On our part, we can hasten the concentration of pollutants in the foam for subsequent removal. Thus, we will not only improve the water quality, but also restrict the flow of pollution into a larger drainage system such as the Great Lakes.

As an engineer, I am interested in the description of the equipment named collectors to be used in a stream. As the authors themselves state, other procedures must later be utilized to remove the pollutants from the water surface.

I am recommending this book as a very useful instance of popular science with certain innovative ideas.

Sincerely yours,

Chuan Long Zhang

(Graduate Design Engineer)

I am advising the managements of our bookstores and libraries to stock this small but weighty volume.It is perhaps unique in combining succinctly so many aspects: science theory, visual observations, precise laboiratory analysis, and a practical policy proposal.
Personally, as a physician, I have always approached the issue of environmental pollution from the viewpoint of health. Why should our children risk their well-being while seeking wholesome recreation in otherwise safe streams? Yes, the authors were absolutely right in raising the alarm when a serious toxic spill occurred.By their own example, they showed the usefulness of frequent monitoring of the recreational waters. Their analyses were a steppingstone to action. In my opinion, a clean-up of the sort that the authors propose, that is regular though incomplete, is better than a once-a-year crisis intervention.
Risto Delev,M.D.

I strongly recommend The Future for Our Small Streams and Rivers to all the readers. What a fascinating book!

Frankly, when I picked up this work, I was initially attracted by its colorful cover pages, but did not expect to find so much exciting reading as I soon discovered. The vital point is the development of the scientific findings in a very readable and easy to understand way. With the help of the glossary at the back, I had no trouble following the ingeniously presented facts describing the natural self-purification of rivers. For example, to read Chapter 2 with its many illustrations is like following a story in a film.

While entertaining myself, I believe that also learnt a great deal of ecology. This book would be a useful supplement to the regular curricular materials in environmental science courses.

Finally,I hope you will stock this inexpensive but wonderful book on your shelves.

Kathleen