Biology Books

This book is very well laid out. I am a teacher and would absolutely recommend this as an intro textbook to marine science. It contains all that you would need to know. great as a first year colledge text or even an advanced high school textbook.

Purchase and delivery were right on key. Very pleased with whole process. Item arrived in excellent condition. My daughter received a B+ on her first Oceanography College Exam (just points away from an A). That makes all the difference in the world....................Thanks.

This textbook is very well written. It is ubnderstandible to students and others of all ages and interests. It contains intersting color pictures and graphics about the subject material for each chapter. Each chapter also contains web links to a homepage that accompanies the book. The book is full of intersting personal stories, history, theory, and facts. Dr. Garrison and all who have contributed to this book have set the standard for textbooks and integrated learning for the next decade.

I took Tom Garrison's class at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA. Wonderful class! He taught along with the book and every session was both insightful and interesting. Dr. Garrison is without a match in instructional etiquette and eloquence. Indeed, this book showcases his best work on the subject. Read the book... Be educated by the diagrams and charts... Be taken back at the amazing realms of life under the ocean... And most of all, be in awe of a marvelous earth (or "Oceanus") that is in great need of our consideration right now. Otherwise we end up dead like the aliens... Oops.. I hope I did't give a way the ending! If you have few bucks, come and take the class at OCC. You will be so glad you did. Just don't come in late through one of the side doors, or leave your cell phone on. He can't STAND those things! It drives him CRAZY!

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Human Reproduction. It takes a wonderfully illistrated Anthropological approach in dealing with reproduction in terms of hormones, behavior, maturation, and aging. This book has helped me formulate some great ideas and discussions and has broadened my perspective in Medical Anthropology.

Professor Ellison has written the definitive book on the physiology and life history of a central pillar of human evolution; reproduction. Moreover, this book is unique in it's elegance and treatment of human reproduction. It melds three often elusive topics that beg to be integrated, evolutionary theory, life history theory, and physiology. As a biological anthropologist with expertise in evolutionary and life history theory, endocrinology, and field methods, Professor Ellison has skillfully woven these perspectives into a concise discussion of how human reproductive physiology responds to environmental challenges. Anthropologists and physiologists have often been at odds in explaining variation in human fertility resulting in frustrating discussions involving the false dichotomy between genes and environment. Ellison rejects these simplistic notions and masterfully outlines how human reproduction consists of an interplay between the genotype and environment, resulting in adaptations that involve graded physiologic responses to ecological challenges such as caloric deficiencies and energetic expenditure. Indeed, the ability of human reproductive physiology to respond to environmental challenges seems to have been a key adaptation during human evolution. 'On Fertile Ground' is the product of years of field and laboratory research by both Ellison and his colleagues, the ramifications of which include a reexamination of human physiological variation, the constraints and selection pressures that shaped human evolution, as well as a fresh perspective on the etiology of contemporary health issues such as breast cancer. The writing is superb and the illustrations are outstanding in their detail and clarity. 'On Fertile Ground' is an extremely valuable and important contribution to contemporary biological anthropology and evolutionary biology as a whole. Indeed, 'On Fertile Ground' will be required reading for undergraduate and graduate students studying reproductive ecology in the biological anthropology program at Yale University. Ellison's work is an extraordinary achievement!

Professor Ellison has written the definitive book on the physiology and life history of a central pillar of human evolution; reproduction. Moreover, this book is unique in it's elegance and treatment of human reproduction. It melds three often elusive topics that beg to be integrated, evolutionary theory, life history theory, and physiology. As a biological anthropologist with expertise in evolutionary and life history theory, endocrinology, and field methods, Professor Ellison has skillfully woven these perspectives into a concise discussion of how human reproductive physiology responds to environmental challenges. Anthropologists and physiologists have often been at odds in explaining variation in human fertility resulting in frustrating discussions that typify the false dichotomy between genes and environment. Ellison avoids these potential pitfalls and masterfully presents a fresh and quantitatively compelling perspective that describes the evolution of human reproduction as an interplay between the genotype and environment, resulting in adaptations that involve graded physiologic responses to ecological challenges such as caloric deficiencies and energetic expenditure. Indeed, the ability of human reproductive physiology to respond to environmental challenges seems to have been a key adaptation during human evolution. 'On Fertile Ground' is the product of years of field and laboratory investigation by both Ellison and his colleagues. The ramifications of this research include both the reexamination of human physiological variation as well as the constraints and selection pressures that shaped human evolution. In addition, this research provides a fresh perspective on the etiology of contemporary health issues such as steroid sensitive cancers. The writing is superb and the illustrations are outstanding in their detail and clarity. 'On Fertile Ground' is an extremely valuable and important contribution to contemporary biological anthropology and evolutionary biology as a whole. Indeed, 'On Fertile Ground' will be required reading for undergraduate and graduate students studying reproductive ecology in the biological anthropology program at Yale University. Ellison's work is an extraordinary achievement!

The is a beautifully crafted and engrossing description of human reproductive physiology and sociology. The non-specialist reader will learn more than he or she ever though possible about the nature of being a human being -- and be continually fascinated along the journey. Allan Watts once complained that no "Owner's Manuals" were issued to human beings. Ellison has certainly made a wonderful contribution to one.

It is an excellent, compact source of most fascinating facts about origins of the Universe, life on Earth and dawn of humans; easy to read in the form of interviews conducted with selected top French scientists/experts in each field. Say, comparable to Fred Adams "Origins of Existence" but lighter.
Other excellent books by Reeves: his classic: "The Hour of Our Delight" where he enlightens and teaches about entropy, and "Latest News From The Cosmos" - nifty plethora of mathematical equations that allow us to grasp history of the Universe.

first and foremost this is the first book that I have read on this topic. only recently have I had the desire to learn about cosmology. it wasn't too complex to grasp so for a first time interest it was good. I definetly plan on reading this occasionally it is just a book that I loved to read and didn't like to put down. I highly recommend it.

Being non-religious, this book is like the "real" Bible. A beautiful and fulfilling explanation on where we come from and our place in the universe to what we know scientifically. I believe this book approaches the true story of our existence, therefore it may be the most important book you read.

Firstly, I should correct the amazon.com Kirkus review because journalist Dominique Simonnet is a man, not a woman (and I think his name is spelled Simonnet, not Simmonet.) Secondly, I didn't really read this particular book, I read the original French version ("La plus belle histoire du monde.") That said, I thought the book was very good. It was not written for the extreme scientifically oriented audience. It was aimed at the average person who is curious about a well reasoned hypothesis for the origins of the universe, life and mankind. This book doesn't answer every one of life's questions - but I didn't expect it to. The authors go out of their way to be sensitive and considerate of other points of view. Where they don't know or can't answer a question, they simply say so. This book is understandable, factual and balanced. I recommend it to anyone interested in an up-to-date scientific perspective regarding life and it's origins.

Excellent overview of where microbial life can go and thrive. Great overview for any microbiologist.

This is the fascinating story of the many improbable conditions in which life not only manages to exist, but flourish: in boiling water and snowfields, in corrosive acids and alkaline lakes, in swamp muds and the inside of rocks.

No special background required.

I found this book very enjoyable. John Postgate does an excellent job of describing the different types of environments that bacteria can occupy, from surviving in the deep-freeze arctic to boiling sulfur springs to mineral deposits buried deep within the earth. I was reminded of Stephen Jay Gould's "Full House", where he says that bacteria probably constitute the majority of the biomass of the earth. There's also an excellent chapter on flagella - and it was quite nice to see a good description at the molecular level of the flagella, along the lines of Michael Behe's description in "Darwin's Black Box".

One of the themes I found interesting in the book was that of evolution. He mentions examples of how bacteria might have evolved to digest nasty man-made organic chemicals in the environment, through natural selection of degradation pathways of similar molecules. Also presented is a "time-line", starting with the formation of the Earth and moon, about 4,500,000,000 years ago. Essentially bacteria appeared as soon as fossils could be formed - about 3,500,000,000 years ago, and for the next 2,500,000,000 years it was only bacteria, then a few small multi-cellular organisms, and it's only within the past 500,000,000 years or so that more complex organisms appeared (and really only the last 65,000,000 years saw the development of "modern" plants and animals). So essentially bacteria have "ruled the earth" for most of the history, and still occupy an amazing range of places and, as pointed out in Postgate's last chapter, the bacteria are still necessary for establishing new territory. So, for example, he says that in the future it might be possible to send bacteria to Mars or another planet to start preparing the surface, in terms of generating an atmosphere and also the beginnings of a biological ecosystem, for the eventual habitation of humans.

In summary, I would highly recommend this book!

The author, an English microbiologist, describes the extremely harsh environments in which Earth life (particularly bacteria and archaea) can be found. From this survey, he goes on to examine whether life could exist elsewhere (in the solar system or beyond) and what the minimum requirements for such life would be. Postgate is so determined to make the science accessible that he occasionally slips into a condescending tone. This is a small price to pay for some excellent basic information about bacterial lifestyles. The book could also use a bibliography (more condescension toward the non-specialist reader). In general, a first-rate science book

PCR by McPherson and Moeller, is a great great little book that addresses the practical and theoretical aspects of the polymerase chain reaction. The fundamental aspects of PCR, ranging from reagents and instrumentation, to PCR optimization, to the analysis of genomes, are outlined in each of 10 chapters with companion protocols for each application. Each technique is explained with clarity and numerous illustrations greatly aid in the understanding. I tried personally the "SOEing" method to generate a deletion mutants and it worked to perfection. Another great feature of this book is that it explains many of the potential pitfalls associated with PCR technology in a very comprehensive manner, and gives simple solutions to remedy these problems. PCR has been around for some 15 years, and the many applications of this revolutionary technique have often been overlooked due to the sheer number; PCR takes many of these new applications and makes them simple for the reader, and in that it constitutes one of the more comprehensive educational books on the subject. PCR will surely simplify the task of students and veteran molecular biologists alike, and for these reasons I highly recommend it.

This book is a great practical introduction to PCR. It truly does cover the full spectrum of PCR topics from background to benchtop (real-world) applications. It is very clearly written and easy to understand. I own about 10 books on basic and advanced PCR methods, and this one is by far the best. If you want a clear, concise, comprehensive introduction to PCR, this book is it.

This book explains really good all the basics of the PCR.
For the beginning PhD student, or even before, all you need to know and even more is inside. Some applications are more complicated, but the book is never too difficult to understand.
A must-have!!

This book is ideal for both students and experienced researchers. In addition to covering the basic and theoretical aspects of PCR, the book also describes cutting-edge PCR methods and applications. It's nice to have such a comprehensive, up-to-date book on PCR. The clarity of the text made for enjoyable reading. This is a must for students and any molecular biology laboratory. Happy Reading!

Mr. Grote tells it like it is, and I loved his approach in this book. It's presented in a question & answer format where he presents a question that is just about everyone's mind who conducts performance appraisals for employees, and he answers it with a short answer then a longer and more detailed answer. The best line is when he says, "Supervisors put up with too much [stuff]otherwise writes very well and straightforward, and strongly pushed the responsibility for improvement back to the employee, not the manager. Thank you for liberating me! He spends a good deal of the book on performance planning as well, an often underutilized tool to set an employee up for success.

Although this book was first published in 2002, I only recently read it and, as my rating correctly indicates, I think it is an outstanding piece of work. Performance measurement is one of the most important and yet least understood business subjects and it is certain to become even more important during the next several years as organizations become more "virtual" and many of those involved with them become "free agents" or are at least more independent. Also, on average, people now make 7-9 job changes during a career. The average for those in my generation is half of that, if not less. Grote wrote this book primarily for managers who are responsible for measuring the performance of others.

A relatively recent and (in my opinion) promising trend is that, increasingly, one of the metrics used for evaluating the performance of a manager is how well she or he measures the performance of others. That is the subject for another book which Grote, perhaps, will one day write.

Given the substance of the material in this book and how Grote wishes to organize and then present it, the Q&A format seems eminently appropriate. He adds a clever variation: The inclusion of "Tell Me More" comments after his initial response to each core question. I greatly appreciate the personal, conversational tone which Grote establishes and then sustain in each of his three books, the other two being Discipline Without Punishment and Forced Ranking. He comes about as close as a business thinker/writer can to seeming to interact directly with his reader.

Obviously, this book will be of primary interest and value to supervisors but I also highly recommend it to those who are supervised. Now more than ever before, it is imperative to make crystal clear what expectations are and how performance relative to those expectations is measured, especially during interviews of candidates and then, once hired, during their orientation...which few organizations do well. (That is another book awaiting someone to produce it.) As Grote would be among the first to point out, the results of countless research studies which examine employee satisfaction concur that feeling appreciated, believing in the value of the work done, and having one's performance evaluated fairly and consistently are among the attributes which participants in the research studies considered to be most important. Also revealing is the fact that, depending upon which results are consulted, compensation was ranked anywhere from #9 and #14 in importance.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Grote's other two as well as Michael Ray's The Highest Goal and The Oz Principle co-authored by Craig Hickman, Tom Smith, and Roger Connors; also Mark Samuel's Creating the Accountable Organization and The Power Of Personal Accountability, co-authored with Sophie Chiche.

I work for a dept. with a state government and Grote's comprehensive performance management system was implemented several years ago. It works! Takes the indecision, inconsistency, and the bias/subjectivity out of perform. mgt. It is systematic. This text is excellent & thorough. Addresses in practical ways MANY of the problems that mgrs. run into when doing performance evals. (your ratings are defensible when you have a difficult employee). I found that it was easy to read and to apply. It gives you knowledge & confidence. I have "highlighted" throughout this book and refer to it often. It is my Performance Eval. "bible". We also use Grote's Discipline Without Punishment (DWOP) system also. I recommend his book of the same title also. Excellent system. Definitely not "wimpy"! Takes the indecision, inconsistency, and the bias/subjectivity out of office discipline. It is systematic and defensible also.

I found the book very easy to follow, and the principles and concepts were down-to-earth. The author gives a no-nonsense approach in performance appraisals, using common-sense and throws out all the other HR mumbo-jumbo. He also lays out a good argument for tying the PA to the company's objectives and missions, ideas on employee motivation (forget the "employee of the month" ideas), how to deal with difficult reviewees (those who just don't understand how their performance is bad), and the best way to handle performance planning meetings at the beginning of the year and the importance of these.

Cavier is the choice of the rich. It is merely the sturgeon's eggs. Sturgeon populations have declined 70% in the last twenty years because of the gluttony of obese, wealthy connoiseurs of fish. It is now becoming a most-endured species.

Harvard grad Richard Carey informs us of the people both profiting from the cavier producing business and shows a high-stakes cocktail of business, crime, diplomacy, technology an dthe problems of conservation. As the public appetites gorw and more people now can afford this staple to their diets which was once a luxury, it soon may become extinct.

Fish has always been my favorite food since the days of cowboys movies around Market Square and the lunch at a diner, always fish. Being a Southerner, I love to eat catfish and hush puppies. Having no way to get to the specialty fish places in East Tennessee, I have to depend on Captain D's and Long John Silver's. Usually I go to the nearest, CD, but today I rode a long bus ride to rach LJS , and it was worth it. CD may produce a larger fish sandwich, but LJS tastes better.

Sturgeon was plentiful in the waters around the Persian Empire 250 million years ago. Today it has declined drastically in the Caspian Sea where it had survived against all odds. The large salaries of 2005 enable more gluttons to afford something which sells for $100 an ounce. It corresponds with sex appeal among the high and mighty.

The sturgean has seen more years when it first spawns than many fish see in a lifetime. In East Tennessee, the carp are enormous, and people don't have the rich tasts -- though you may find it at some of the gatherings of the social groups at KMA.

This was the pap of life, the milk of wonder as the food of the gods. They spawn only in rivers of a world without sin. Soon they will all die out, becaues some people don't practice restraint in their culinary desires. And there is no place on this earth without sin, and the presumptuous who think they know it all. Even though they certainly do not!

Mr. Carey paints an interesting and informative portrait of the rich, sordid world of caviar production and of the sturgeon itself.

You don't have to be a lover of caviar to enjoy this book, but if you are it makes you more appreciative of the noble egg. I recommend the book highly and suggest Robbing the Bees as an additional title to check into if you like this one!

In THE PHILOSOPHER FISH, Richard Adams Carey has written an epic chronicle of the sturgeon--a fish species rapidly approaching extinction wherever it swims--as well as of its precious product, caviar. Selling for as much as one hundred dollars an ounce, caviar has become an icon of status and success, and as such, it has led to the inevitable decline of that curious and prehistoric fish: the sturgeon.

Carey exams both the fish as a species as well as the industry that seeks to exploit it. The fascinating and ancient phylogeny of the sturgeon notwithstanding, this fish is clearly in trouble. In the last two decades, sturgeon populations have shrunk to less than one third of what they were. Much of U.S. trade in caviar, as elsewhere, is illegal, but up until now, those who are working to save the sturgeon are largely ineffective. As in the drug trade, the potential rewards to be reaped by the caviar industry have led to energetic smuggling operations, the mislabeling of sturgeon species on caviar tins, as well as other shenanigans. Among the many storylines covered in THE PHILOSOPHER FISH, Carey follows the efforts of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to stymie the illegal trade in caviar, though as a result of 9/11, their resources have largely been diverted elsewhere.

Carey also follows several of the sturgeons' champions in this world as they seek to improve the fish's plight. There is some slight hope in the efforts of those that hatchery-spawn sturgeon species for aquacultural purposes and possibly for future restocking projects. In his search for every sturgeon-related experience he could find, Carey even ice-fishes for sturgeon in Lake Winnebago, one of the few places in the world where this can be done (strict quotas make the season as short as only 2 days a year), but he clearly feels conflicted about it (he didn't catch anything). He drinks vodka along the shores of the Volga River as he observes the trade, both legal and illegal, of the world's most famous caviar locales.

THE PHILOSOPHER FISH takes the reader around the world, from Sacramento to the shores of the Caspian Sea. Many of the stories involve intrigue and espionage of the highest order. Others are humorous or bitter-sweet. Still others offer hope. All are intensely interesting. I enjoy reading books that tell me more than I ever wanted to know about one circumscribed subject. THE PHILOSOPHER FISH is such a book, and I give it my highest recommendation.

Jeremy W. Forstadt

The sturgeon has been associated with the luxury food caviar since the days of the Persian Empire, with both wealth and sex appeal associated to its ingestion over the centuries - but today it's a fast-vanishing fish, threatening to take with it the people who depend on it for a living. Sturgeon natural history is examined by Carey, who journeys around the world to uncover its habits, habitat, and those profiting from it. Anticipate more than a natural history alone though: international politics, economics, and world diplomacy are all deftly examined with the sturgeon at the heart of all issues.

The late Carl Sagan thought that science should be "user-friendly," presented not in jargon but in regular English. He believed that the general public could -- and should -- have access to the latest scientific discoveries.

Sagan would be proud of _Planet Ocean._ The central theme of the book is stated clearly on page 1: "Nature is a workshop, not a temple." Matsen spends the rest of the book supporting this concept, explaining that life is not a stately, well-executed design where species climb a ladder of progress; rather, evolution is an inescapable and completely random condition. Animals and plants breed, have offspring that are slightly different, and continue to become slightly more different with each successive generation until the distant grandkids look nothing like the original parent. In addition, through totally weird, sometimes avoidable and sometimes unavoidable circumstances, the species as a whole will either do very well, or get pushed out of the scene. The environment works like the stock market -- fortunes are made, and fortunes are lost. (The metaphor of "rolling the dice" comes up more than once.)

Matsen's prose is engaging, entertaining, and extremely informative. In one of my favorite sections, he describes the success of the trilobites (who survived for 300 million years in Earth's oceans):

"They would eat anything and breed anywhere, and they made themselves as unattractive to predators as possible. We all have relatives like them. From [trilobites] and their success and longevity, an evolutionary rule of thumb has emerged: 'The more specialized a species, the less able to cope with change it will be once the inevitable happens and old habitats change beyond the point of recognition' [...]. In other words, generalists usually outlast specialists, and evolutionary progress is not necessarily a matter of refinement. [...] Ninety percent of success is just showing up. Ask an arthropod, like a trilobite or a cockroach. [...] Generalism won't get you to Carnegie Hall with your cello, but a cockroach doesn't need a cello." (p. 14).

This conversational tone is used throughout the book, and it really works. Matsen's prose reminds one of an after-class discussion with a very generous, patient biology teacher -- the kind you always wished you had, and didn't. Matsen takes otherwise very difficult subject matter and explains it in understandable terms that don't insult the intelligence of the reader. He even suggests amusing mnemonics to remember the order of epochs in the Palaezoic and Mesozoic eras ("Crying over sleeping dragons may puzzle people, terrify, (or) joyfully convert") as well as for the Cenozoic era ("Palaeontologists eat only murky plankton porridge hot").

Interwoven with the education that Matsen offers is the story of his and artist Ray Troll's voyage of discovery. Brad and Ray actually travelled to many of the sites discussed in the book, and the little personal touches -- Brad's vision of the Cretacious sea as they drove across Kansas, Ray's discovery and naming of a totally new species of pterasaur, and the fishing trips enjoyed by both -- really draw in the reader. One becomes intimate with the friendly voice, the casual, personal stories, and history of life on Earth.

Not to be missed, of course, is the wonderful art. Ray Troll is a meticulous artist, and his offbeat sense of humor is perfectly in place with the spirit of the book. For example, his illustration of a lungfish's hesitant voyage out of water is captioned, "Out of the ooze and born to cruise." Not to be missed are his "ads" for a wrist watch that measures geologic time; Burgess Brand Primordial Soup; and that great French wine, Chateau Mosasaur. Doodles, sketches, and highly detailed pastel paintings are strewn throughout, and they are worth the price of the book by themselves. (Interested readers can preview some of Ray's art at his homepage, www.trollart.com)

This book is an excellent introduction to evolution, palaeontology, marine biology, and/or marine science. Alternately light and serious, one is sorry to finish the book. It -- like the 650 million year history it encapsulates -- is such a joy to experience. Highly recommended.

Brad Matsen and Ray Troll's "Planet Ocean" is a lively swim through the fossil record, beginning at the beginning 650 million years ago in the watery depths.

Troll's whimsical illustrations accompany Matsen's humorously accessible explanations of what we've learned - and think we've learned - from the earliest fossils. Matsen traces evolution from the primordial soup to the first colonies of multicellular organisms to the ubiquitous trilobytes - "the most diverse and successful animals on Planet Ocean until the Permian extinction claimed the last of them."

He discusses the engineering that went into chambers (the nautilus) and hard shells and the arrival of backbones and speculates (with the experts) on the role of extinctions in evolution, including our own.

Although he sometimes demolishes or supports theories without sufficient scientific explanation, Matsen's watery perspective is well-organized and refreshing and Troll's drawings and paintings are as likely to be detailed and informative as they are fanciful and quirky.

I bought this book essentially to serve as additional curriculum support to my 'Science & The Art of Discovery' workshop designed for kids, 8-12. I have kept it in the office library where the kids can have ready access.

Participating kids often like to take out the book to browse. I often find them transfixed with awe.

The book is a wonderful visual & intellectual treat. The printed text integrates natural history, paleontology, geology, & biology into a wholistic narrative about the origins of all life on earth.

I like to conclude this review with a quotation from the book: "We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started. And know the place for the first time. (T S Elliot, 'Four Quartets')"

I would enthusiastically recommend this entertaining book to your kids, particularly when they have an interest in science.

This book was a pleasure to read- even though it was mostly facts (and this is coming from a teenager)! Sure, I love learning about evolution and fossils, but I rarely sit down to read long, boring books about it. But this book is fresh, colorful, full of information, and INTERESTING!!! I congratulate the author and illustrator for putting out such a masterpiece! It is sure to recruit paleontologists for the next generation!

I bought this for a friend's child who is on a higher reading level than most his age, he LOVES this book! It's so interesting! This child particularly loves science in general and is a great book who's mind is like a sponge. Other books this child loves are Magic School bus and anything that has to do with Marine life.

I got so tired of my 5 year old saying "poop". And giggling with her friends about "poop".

Then I found this book at the library. It was fun and educational.... did I mention fun? Anyway, now that my little one knows all about animals and poop... she finds the science of poop so interesting... that the giggling about poop is gone! (For now at least!)

The book is really intersting and engaging. I loved it too!

As did my Mom... who teaches 5th grade... she had me buy the book for school!

My three boy's ( 10,11,14) are no eager readers. So I'm in constant search for the unusual, different. We'll this is one of those booklets not to much to read and it is full of amazing information we never had thought about it,but worthy to know.

In Poop: A Natural History of the Unmentionables (Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2004), author Nicola Davies and illustrator Neal Layton explore the scientific wonders of feces-from their biological functions to the many different shapes and forms of excrement. Most of the subjects are animals, with a few references to human defecation.

Davies, who holds a degree in zoology, successfully tackles the arcane and often hush-hush topic with a mixture of humor and straightforward biology. For example, the appearance of whale poop is explained plainly: it looks like "giant blobs of strawberry ice cream breaking up in the water." The glossary at the end, though, offers vague definitions, at best. With that said, Davies has an ability for seamlessly combining the scientific terminology with colloquialisms. The words poop and feces are used interchangeably.

The book's second person "you" point-of-view speaks directly and gently to the audience. However, Davies may assume too much about her audience. She disregards non-Christian readers in describing the mistletoe "we use to decorate our homes at Christmas."

The product of many unconventional artistic mediums-including an old toothbrush and a cake-icing bag-Neal Layton's hilarious illustrations will stir up giggles from children and adults alike. Especially funny are the personifications of animals, with thought bubbles above their heads. Some actual photographs of some of the subjects would be helpful (their outward appearance, not their waste).

Obvious comparisons can be drawn between this and Susan Goodman's The Truth About Poop, illustrated by Elwood H. Smith, and The Scoop on Poop by Wayne Lynch.

Poop: A Natural History of the Unmentionables is not a book for every youngster. The faint of heart or queasy of stomach need not read. Otherwise, this is a great book for a second to fifth grader interested in learning more about the brown stuff.

In my opinion, this is the best book I have come acrorss in terms of "PRINCIPLES" The book focuses on general principles, not specific therapeutic areas. Topics covered range from drug discovery and development to individualization and quality assessment of drug therapy. This is an excellent resource for those in post-graduate Clinical Pharmacology training or who are working in this area. Readers will,
however, need a basic knowledge of pharmacology as this book is not suitable as the first and only Clinical Pharmacology textbook for medical or undergraduate students.

In my opinion, this is the best book I have come acrorss in terms of "PRINCIPLES" The book focuses on general principles, not specific therapeutic areas. Topics covered range from drug discovery and development to individualization and quality assessment of drug therapy. This is an excellent resource for those in post-graduate Clinical Pharmacology training or who are working in this area. Readers will,
however, need a basic knowledge of pharmacology as this book is not suitable as the first and only Clinical Pharmacology textbook for medical or undergraduate students.

I think this is the best book so far when it comes to "PRINCIPLES". The book focused on general principles, not any particular therapeutic areas. It covers from drug discovery and development to individualization and quality assessment of drug therapy. Excellent resource for people in post-graduate Clinical Pharmacology training or working in this area. However, readers will need basic knowledge of pharmacology from other sources. This is not suitable to be the first and only Clinical Pharmacology textbook for medical students or undergraduate students.

In my opinion, this is the best book on general principles without going into detail on specific therapeutic areas. I would consider it a must-read for those in clinical pharmacology post-graduate training or those working in clin pharm. However, previous knowledge of pharmacology is needed, as this book is not suitable as a first primer for medical and undergrad students.