Biology Books

It has useful information and pictures. For example, when walking my dog I came across a salamander like I never saw before. I found it in the book, both a picture, and its preferred habitat.

Like many other things about the soil, this book has far more relevance than it first appears. On the surface, it is a fine reference work about the soil and the living things in it. Good soil will have bacteria and fungi by the millions in every square foot, not to mention plant material and worms, insects, spiders, and other critters. Nardi discusses at length what it takes to make a crumbly loam that will soak in water, resist erosion, and provide the nutrients that crops need. If you're interested in studying wildlife without traveling further than your local backyard or park, Nardi also gives the basics of how to study the animals of the soil. He includes a section on soil problems, including preventing erosion and salinization, and how to maximize the benefit of any fertilizer that is applied. He emphasizes that pesticides can often do more harm than good. In a time of rising prices for fertilizer and pesticides, it is good to know that paying attention to your soil can bring dividends that chemicals won't. Highly recommended for gardeners, farmers, and environmentalists.

Nardi is low-key about the economic importance of his work, and says nothing about politics. He's not out to promote a cause; he's explaining what productive soil is, where it comes from, and how to keep it that way. The fact is, though, that soil degradation is a root cause of an astonishing number of conflicts around the world today. Nardi says nothing about Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, Somalia, or Sudan, but all of these countries have extremely degraded soil. I know of no book more important than Nardi's for persons interested in reducing poverty worldwide to have on their bookshelf. Ditto for anyone, whether in the military or not, who wants to promote peace. Studying a bucket of soil from a local farm can tell you more than anything else about why violence erupts again and again in some parts of the world. Solving soil problems before they get to the disaster stage can also play a major role in preventing conflict and upheaval--and the U.S. needs to look at its own soil in this context.

This is a most fascinating and useful book - full of unexpected tidbits - information and explanations which are very well presented, very readable and extremely well Illustrated. I recommend it highly!

Sheila

This book has 425 pages in. It is wonderful and full of energy. It starts with one of Hughes poems and leads you down the ailes. The book is interesting, to the point and gives you enough information to find out more about how great Hughes is. I loved reading it and it gives you so much information to help you fully get to know Mr. Hughes. It is long but worth reading every page of it. I highly recommend reading this book.

Langston Hughes was a Poets Poet.he had words that were uplifting that took you to another time&Place.Arnold Rampersad does a great job of telling the story of Langston Hughes&showcasing the Greatness of His Writings.Langston Hughes was ahead of time&Very Gifted African-American Writer.He left behind Ground-Breaking work that still speaks volumes to this day.

Arnold Rampersad's LIFE OF LANGSTON HUGHES Volume 2 retains much of Hughes' evident black pride that is inescapable no matter the type of biography and critical analysis done on him and his body of work. Hughes wrote about many other things during his lifetime, but he mostly celebrated his African American culture without shame or apology.

Volume 2 picks up where the first left off. Langston Hughes is at the crossroads of a lived life. His career as a writer has stalled a bit, he has becomes disillusioned by the predominantely white left who rufuses to understand fully and acknowledge the plight of the black American, and he is ill. Eventually, his career begins to get back on track and Rampersad takes the reader along with Hughes through the rest of his life to his death in 1967. Langston reaches out to the rest of the world through his love for his fellow black Americans and their stories and concerns. He faces the McCarthy hearings successfully but with a slight change from the politcal rhetoric expressed so openly in the 1930's where he had merged racial pride with a radical socialism to insure that the left could not
exclude blacks from the agenda. He witnesses the rise of a new generation of black writers, some who pleased him and others who did not, some who loved and respected him and others who did not. He challeged them to be proud of their black American heritage in their writing but also to be objective in their evaluations. He felt the sting of some of these young black writers who felt that he was out of touch and not angry enough. And, he witnessed the return of appreciation from the outside world for his body of work and humanity. Despite a general dislike he held for white people, some wasn't as liked by him as they believed themselves to be, it never materialized into open hate as it did with many in the Black Power Movement. Rampersad provides the best example of this by recounting a moment of outright rage in Hughes where he raises his voice to express his frustration and anger toward white folks, "benevolent anger" as opposed to the "malignant anger" of many in the Black Power Movement. Hughe fully understood the error of blanketing all white people as the same in prejudice.

Arnold Rampersad depth of exhaustive research is evident in the facts he uncovers in Hughes's complicated character. And, some readers will be surprised by what they will read such as his understanding of the short comings of integration where African Americans would to a large degree abandon their own infrastructure instead of building on it to be more secure without self-segregation and imposed segregation from the outside. Rampersad presents Hughes as the human being with foibles and not just a mythic icon of African American and American literature in general. Perhaps willingly to some degree to keep money in the bank as he "sharecropped" his way through his long career, the reader will definitely come away with the knowledged that Hughes was a famous African American of his day being exploited, again to a degree, by the larger community. This is very evident in some of the working situations Hughes would have outside the black community.

Volume 2 is free of much of the rheteric that came dangerously close to blatent homophobia in Volume 1. Rampersad doesn't come out and declare Hughes as gay, but does make the surprising admission that Hughes had a preference for black men like the late Gilbert Price, and, especially dark skinned black men in his life as well as work. This dissonance between not wanting to identify Hughes as gay and Hughes's very evident preference for black men as discovered by Rampersad during his exhaustive research is pandemic among certain scholars who believe sexuality has no bearing on creativity, at lease when it comes to certain icons as Hughes is to black America. But, Rampersad isn't a homophobe and it is unfair to cast him as one. Rampersad is to be applauded for this admission that he could have conveniently suppressed but chose not to do. Kudos!!!! Rampersad comes across as wanting to declare Hughes as gay, but holds back allowing the reader to read the obvious between the lines by patently stating Hughes primary interest for other black men. Rampersad does make references to the women Hughes was only "friendly" with without the slighthest romantic interest, Hughes even going out of his way make it clear that he was not interested in them romantically. This can be attributed to the condition in the black communty where black gay men are often required to "pass" as straight (as done to the ultimate degree by fellow black gay members of the Harlem Renaissance: Countee Cullen, Wallace Thurman, and Richard Bruce Nugent).

To me, Langston Hughes was and is a hero made to order! Hughes icon status still burns bright, beautifully, and unblemished for me and his other admirers regardless of any shortcomings and prejudices outside the love for his people.

This book is basically an update of their 1997 mongraph. Longitudinal data are important in biostatistics and particularly in the analysis of clinical trials. There are effective methods for handling longitudinal data using linear models with covariance structures that represent the time dependence of the repeated observations. There are many subtle issues in the analysis and many who analyze longitudinal data apply incorrect linear models and are often not aware of the consequences of their decisions. The authors were motivated to provide a reference source to remedy this problem. The book presents the theory and applications and uses SAS Proc Mixed as a vehicle for presenting many of the results in a clear and understandable fashion. An important feature of the book is its emphasis on how best to deal with the problem of missing data. This is covered in chapters 14 - 16. Although SAS is emphasized throughout the book other software tools are also illustrated in Appendix A (including SPlus). SUDAAN is a package produced by the Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina that also handles longitudinal data but is overlooked by the authors. Another great book on longitudinal data analysis is Diggle, Liang and Zeger "Analysis of Longitudinal Data" published in 1994. There have been many advances since 1994 and Verbeke and Molenberghs cover a great deal of it. You can find my review of Diggle, Liang and Zeger on Amazon. An updated second edition of their book is in the works and will probably appear in 2001.

This book is basically an update of their 1997 mongraph. Longitudinal data are important in biostatistics and particularly in the analysis of clinical trials. There are effective methods for handling longitudinal data using linear models with covariance structures that represent the time dependence of the repeated observations. There are many subtle issues in the analysis and many who analyze longitudinal data apply incorrect linear models and are often not aware of the consequences of their decisions. The authors were motivated to provide a reference source to remedy this problem. The book presents the theory and applications and uses SAS Proc Mixed as a vehicle for presenting many of the results in a clear and understandable fashion. An important feature of the book is its emphasis on how best to deal with the problem of missing data. This is covered in chapters 14 - 16. Although SAS is emphasized throughout the book other software tools are also illustrated in Appendix A (including SPlus). SUDAAN is a package produced by the Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina that also handles longitudinal data but is overlooked by the authors. Another great book on longitudinal data analysis is Diggle, Liang and Zeger "Analysis of Longitudinal Data" published in 1994. There have been many advances since 1994 and Verbeke and Molenberghs cover a great deal of it. You can find my review of Diggle, Liang and Zeger on Amazon. An updated second edition of their book has now appeared and is more up-to-date. I find this book by Verbeke and Molenberghs one of the best and most innovative on this topic. Another nice addition is the new book on missing data in clinical studies by Molenberghs and Kennard. I have written an amazon trview on that one also.

The book covers many advanced topics of Longitudinal data with many examples and SAS programs. Congatulations to the authors for this outstanding job.

Savas Papadopoulos

This is a truly wonderful book with a great blend of humor and scientific story-telling. Current issues and historical anecdotes interwine seemlessly as the saga of Lonesome George unfolds. A must for Galapagos travelers past and future.

Lonesome George is not just the last of his sub-species of Galapagos giant tortoise, he is also an icon for animal conservation. In Henry Nicholls' new book, the very first full book on Lonesome George since his chance discovery 1n 1972, we get a crystal clear picture on what it will take to preserve George's race: the Pinta race of giant Galapagos tortoise. And though, the chances for survival seem slim, Nicholls digs up every conceivable speck of hope and lays it out for us in his own quirky style.

When I'd finished reading the book I was left with a feeling that I knew George intimately and that I understood the hurdles biologists, zoologists, conservationists and tortoise lovers are up against in trying to save the Pinta race.

Not to be missed is the part about George's Swedish human 'girlfriend' and their steamy escapades. The book also features extensive examples of other animals in peril and how they've been saved or lost. A joy of a read packed with hard facts, moving passages and important lessons. Go George!

If anyone has been to the Galapagos (or is intending to) this is a must-have. In fact, anyone with an interest in Darwinism and environmentalism should also make sure they have a read. Henry Nicholls has done a great job of adding humour and fascinating anecdotes to some very serious topics, notably the human impact on this sensitive archipelago, and our role in protecting endangered species.

But what really makes this such a special read is the insight it gives to the life of poor Lonesome George. If I had to criticise, it would be that the book fails to consider the pressure that a myriad of scentific observers and visitors is piling on to the poor fellow. Its no surprise he feels shy about reproducing when constantly being reminded that he is an 'icon' and 'last of his species' (although the pretty swiss volunteer clearly tried her best to make him relax).

This has been our baby's favorite book from the age of 6 months on, which is why we are buying another copy, as she has succeeded in ripping the others to shreds. While not Shakespeare, the text has a nice rhythm and offers a nice overview of the activities of babies (including a sequence in which a baby learns to walk, with each image showing the child slightly older) while the art is completely winning, really capturing the expressions and feelings of various children. Charming and fun, I would suggest it highly to small children that get excited when they see other babies.

Filled with the actions and activities that comprise the lives of babies, the text is verb filled, "Stand,wobble. Sway, wobble. Bump! Step, walk, toddle." It also frequently rhymes. The rhythmic prose is scattered across the pages with absolutely charming illustrations of babies and toddlers.


On pastel pages, babies of all sizes, shapes and colors are drawn in soft pencil. Some of the babies reappear in different guises as the pages are turned. Babies are difficult to draw. Just consider the babies
in famous painting across the years. This artist not only knows babies in all their guises, not always happy,he can flat out draw them. In one double-page spread, the naked baby is not only life-size, one wishes to
sweep the baby up.

Babies' bodies do amazing things. In this gorgeous picture book, young children can enjoy exploring a few of these things with their parents. Fingers, toes, hair and nose, there are many ways babies use their bodies. Don't forget the diapers, too!

The sweet illustrations and gentle prose in this book make it a winner. Babies and toddlers will enjoy seeing other babies and toddlers, while preschoolers will love to see what they were like not so long ago. Parents, friends, and relatives who read this book to their warm lap-bundles will smile at the tenderhearted pages as much as their children.

This book is cute, sweet, and sure to be a hit.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
02/02/2007

Maynard Smith is one of the world's leading evolutionary biologists (for instance, he was largely responsible for the application of ideas from game theory to biological contests), and here he gives an excellent account of what he considers the most important transitions in evolutionary biology, including the origin of the genetic code, cellularisation, sociality and language. It's an astonishingly wide-ranging book, and highly recommended for anyone with any interest in any of these subjects in particular or in evolution as a whole. The writing is lucid and entertaining, and although some chapters probably require a familiarity with at least basic biology, Maynard Smith, like Richard Dawkins, can be understood by anyone who's prepared to make an effort.

John Maynard Smith gets an automatic thumbs-up from me for anything he writes. He is clear, pleasant, creative, unpretentious, authoritative and thoughtful. For this book he has teamed up with what seems to be an up-and-coming molecular biologist cum evolutionist and the team is impressively powerful. The writing is all in Maynard-Smith's style as far as I can tell, so I don't know whether Szathmary is an exceptionally competent anglophone who shares the same style, or whether they split the writing duties to exploit their respective skills. All I can say is that if you want a really rewarding read and you have a sound, not necessarily advanced, understanding of the basics of biochemistry, evolution and cellular physiology, then you cannot do better than this book. It makes no pretence to being comprehensive and gives only the minimum of introductory material to support their views on evolutionary transitions. Even if you are familiar with the field, the book does not lend itself to skimming; it is the distillation of a lot of non-trivial thinking.

An excellent book. Recommended to any professional in the field, to any student of the subject and to laymen with a good background in the subject and who are not intimidated by a challenge and are willing to skip some of the biochemistry. The later chapters are more accessible in that they deal with more difficult subjects, such as speech and culture.

Instead of watering down the content for educated laymen, the authors have published a less technical sequel: "The Origins of Life". This is also available from Amazon and, although it is intended for a wider audience, it is thoroughly rewarding for the professional.

This is arguably John-Maynard Smith's most challenging project in popular science writing. Written along with Eros Szathmary, a chemist, " The Major Transitions in Evolution" is written primarily for biology students, but can be understood by anybody with a solid background in evolutionary theory. How have the ways in which information is transmitted between generations changed through time and what were the crucial transitions that made these changes possible? One early example that illustrates the effect of these transitions is the origin of chromosomes. Nucleic acid strands (genes) capable of independent replication, at some point became linked and thereafter could replicate only as a set of lined genes (chromosomes). A new way of storing information,a new information system had evolved. How was this transition maintained through time? Would'nt unlinked genes which replicate faster be favoured by natural selection over linked genes? In effect, would'nt selection at a lower level disrupt higher level organizatins? This is a common feature of many of the major transitions and forms the fundamental theme of this marvellous book. In a series of chapters the authors discuss the evolutions of various level of complexity. The chapters are arrange in a logical sequence begining with the origin of life and moving on to successive transitions including the origin of the genetic code, the origin of the eucaryotes, the origin of sex, multicellularity, societies and language. The list here is not complete. I read the book from start to finish in a sequence, but readers with a good background in the subject could probably start anywhere depending on their interest. For non-biologist this is not easy reading at all, and I would imagine that even biology students will find portions challenging. An impressive quality of this book is the constant attempt to incorporate the pecularities of a particular system in developing an explanation to explain its origin. A discussion on the origin of the genetic code includes the possibilty that there could be a stero-chemical basis for specific amino acid-codon assigments, rather than it being a 'frozen accident'. Another example is whether there is a causal connection between haplodiploidy and evolution of sociality in eusocial insects. The author warn against making this apparently intuitive connection, and instead seek an explanation in split sex ratios and in some cases the particular features of insect ecology. The highlight of the book for me was the last chapter on the origin of language. From Noam Chomsky's work on the structure of grammer , syntax and language and representation, to an evolutionary explanation for its origin, this was really an informative essay. The ever recurring argument against the evolution of complex adapatations, in this case language, by a series of adaptive intermediate stages, has been dealt with using examples from animal speech, the genetics of language disorders and a section on the transitions from pigdin to creole. The book strikes a good balance between explaining theory and then discussing the experimental evidence available. Wherever possible, new experimental approaches are suggested. Finally, like any really good book on science the authors not only bring you up to date with what has been done, but also stress just how much more needs to be done. It is this feature about the book that leaves a lasting impression.

The Barash team has done an outstanding job of expanding on the basic theme put forth by Desmond Morris in his book, "The Naked Ape" which is a serious anatomical, biological, anthropological and sociological, yet humorous examination of us quirky human beings.

With a sizeable quantity of shared insight, humor and wit, the Barash team has gone way beyond the traditional norms of the study of biology. This book is part biology, ecology, health and nutrition, and sociobiology and yet is an easy, flowing read.

The book format was intentionally crafted for general audience appeal and does not overwhelm with too much technical jargon and yet, does not skimp on important details of biological importance. Indeed, the Barash's have met their desire to help the reader become "bioliterate" and it starts with advice on human biology education with such lines as: "...if you want to see a perfectly good mammal, look in the mirror" and, "Like Immanuel Kant, we can all dare to know". Hence, the title of this educational and entertaining book: "Mammal in the Mirror". So look in this "mirror" and know thyself!

Previous reviews have done a fine job of covering the contents chapter by chapter, so I will just point out some of the many gems I found in this fine book:

The Barash's proffer for our consideration, the importance of knowing something about our biology in: "Anyone inclined to look further, into evolutionary biology--or indeed any area of biology--cannot help being overwhelmed by the truth and beauty of the human interconnectedness to the rest of life". (p 280)

On our continuing human dilemma of creating problems for ourselves, yet showing how unique we are as a species in our abilities to expand our awareness of biology and life itself by finding causation and answers to problems--such as the discovery of and vaccine for the smallpox disease, there is: "In an age of misery--much of it human-caused--the triumph over smallpox is a matter for rejoicing." (p 47).

["Descartes is also the author of what is probably the most famous sentence in Western thought--"Cognito ergo sum": "I think, therefore I am"--which he proposed as the cornerstone of a philosophy to be founded on incontrovertible truth. (Ambrose Bierce modified this to "Cognito cognito ergo cognito sum": "I think I think, therefore I think I am"--adding that this was as close to certainty as philosophy seems likely to get.)]. (p 141-2).

On human sexuality: "Fortunately, abstinence is not the only way of preventing reproduction. We have already discussed abortion, albeit briefly. Most people--whether pro-life or pro-choice--agree that recourse to abortion is, in a sense, an indication of failure. Far better to prevent unwanted pregnancies in the first place." (p 187-8) Indeed!

On matters of ecology, I found this to be a good one: ["If you are a poet," writes Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, "you will see that there is a cloud in this sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be no rain; without rain the trees cannot grow; and without trees, we cannot make paper."...] and [If you too, can see the cloud in this sheet of paper, then maybe you are also a poet, a Zen master--or an ecologist. The cornerstone ecological concept is easy to grasp although often difficult to act upon. It is also remarkably similar to the fundamental insight of Eastern mysticism: the interconnectedness of all things."]
(p 239)

The last chapter, "Evolution: The Road Stretches Out", was the most intriguing to me in that it hits upon such matters such as biological and/or evolutionary ethics. References to such luminaries of biology as E. O. Wilson, who has expanded on and promoted sociobiology as a guideline for human relationships with all other life forms, is well covered. Indeed, ethics derived from the biological processes of life itself, seems to be a logical basis on which to found human conduct codes. In consideration of how we humans are environmentally and therefore, biologically, trashing the life-sustaining attributes of our shared ecology, a call for biologically based ethics seems to be in order.

I thank and commend the Barash father/daughter team for this outstanding book!

In the authors' words. "We aren't speaking here of existential angst, metaphysical speculation, or religious doctrine, but rather, of the nuts and bolts of everyone's shared biology...What we propose is to offer enough information, keeping it accurate and yet accessible, to enable every reader, regardless of background, to become bioliterate." In this, I think they succeed with the following caveat: Those who are not already bioliterate might find some of the reading a bit tedious.

About Small Things:

Chapter 1: "Humans share about 90% of their DNA with the rest of the living world." This is an excellent 37 page essay summarizing the subject of DNA.

Chapter 2: Virology and more with emphasis on those diseases so much in the news - HIV, ebola, influenza, herpes, prions (mad cow disease), etc.

Chapter 3: All about cells, their organelles, their reproduction, their biochemistry, their immunology, cell-signalling, and a large section on cancer. "It appears that many debilitating diseases whose courses had long been unknown are actually examples of pathological friendly fire." This is from an immune system with no parasites to combat.

About Larger Things:

Chapter 4: The Brain and Behavior..."You, your joys and your sorrows, your memories and your ambitions, your sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules." - Francis Crick..."The human mind, in short, is the result of nerve cells doing their thing, oozing miniscule droplets of chemicals and flashing tiny sparklets of electricity, prodding and tickling other nerve cells into similar action and in the process somehow generating thought and consciousness. We agree with this astonishing hypothesis, and we think that by the time you've finished this chapter, you will, too."

Chapter 5: All about sex from relevant evolutionary psychology findings to textbook explanations about the menstrual cycle.

Chapter 6: The best essay on nutrition you'll ever read - short on elaborate dietary schemes, long on facts, leptins, and concrete science.

About perspectives:

Chapter 7: You're in Sunday school for a well-done overview on ecology.

Chapter 8: "The theory of evolution is not in doubt; it is the bedrock upon which all of modern biology is based; the grand unifying theory of life, confirmed again and again by nearly every biological fact that is uncovered...Evolution by natural selection is an elegantly simple solution to the question of why life is as it is, with the added advantage of being right. But please don't look to it for ethical guidance."

Chapter 9: Sociobiology (more often called evolutionary psychology)..."even the Catholic Church has made its peace with evolution, including human evolution." Barash includes occasional entertaining scientific anecdotes such as this one about the "Coolidge Effect." The story goes that President Calvin Coolidge and his wife were separately touring a model farm. When Coolidge was shown the chickens, the guide mentioned, "Mrs. Coolidge wants you to be told that this rooster mates many times each day."
"Always with the same hen?" asked Cal.
"No, sir!" replied the guide.
"Please tell Mrs. Coolidge THAT," said the president.
The Coolidge effect then, refers to the fact that even the most jaded male sexual appetite tends to perk up at the prospect of a new sexual partner. This has been confirmed for nearly all mammals, including humans. Nothing comparable applies to female mammals, including women. More ludicrously said, "hogomous higgamous, men are polygamous, higgamous hogomous, girls are monogamous."

As Gilbert and Sullivan put it, "Darwinian man, though well-behaved, at best is only a monkey shaved." A number of respected, well-recognized authors are listed in "recommended readings." Without a doubt, the reader of this book will achieve greater bioliteracy. Highly recommended!

The Barash team builds bodies. They aren't on an exercise regime. Instead, they reveal the ancient and simple roots upon which our bodies and personalities rest. Their aim is to make you "bioliterate" - to gain the ability to understand why there is unity in all life, including ourselves. Their technique examines the mechanisms of DNA, the ubiquitous molecule that extends across the living community. The authors show how DNA's working portions, the genes, act to build organisms, from the minuscule not-quite-alive viruses to complex creatures like us. They structure their presentation into three views "close up, at midrange and from a distance". Each view is dependent on understanding the earlier picture as complexity of the organisms described increases. The Barash father-daughter pair present a highly descriptive and readable account of life's processes and why it's important to us to understand them. They stress that many of the topics reviewed here remain obscure, needing readers to continue the quest they've charted.

Opening their account with a detailed examination of DNA's mechanism for making proteins, the basic process of an organism's structure and life operations. They show how understanding genes provides information on a wide variety of subjects. They examine such diverse topics as DNA "fingerprinting", growth and development and how errant patterns can result in various afflictions - such as "mad cow" disease. They move to the world of viruses, how they are built and propagate - and how the same molecule that allows virus replication to also mount defenses against them. In their discussion, they raise questions about the body's reaction to viral infection - is sneezing or coughing a mechanism these tiny organisms imparted to us in order to help them spread?

From the "recipe for life" molecule of DNA, the Barashes reveal the world of the cell. Where did it come from? Why are there parts of the cell that seem to lead an almost independent existence, while operating within the cell? The authors show how cells have programmed life cycles of their own. They remind us that the cell is "born", goes through a series of steps at varying paces, then "dies". How are cells chosen to build particular parts of the body, giving us individuality while following a basic "standard pattern".? All members of a species look generally alike, yet each is an individual. These minor differences reflect how evolution has tailored life to adapt to change. They remind us that only one type of cell in the body never replicates itself. Muscle cells can shrink or enlarge, but new ones aren't made.

Without doubt, the most informative chapter in the book is on the brain and nervous system. This section emphasises how many of our emotions and other behaviour traits are rooted in the mass of nerve cells within the brain and connecting to the remainder of the body. Unlike the lumpy body cell, the neurons are lengthy whip-like structures designed for rapid interaction with other neurons. Almost like the muscle cell, brain cells rarely replicate. What you attain during the first years of living and developing the brain will remain with you for life. Unlike muscle cells, the brain's neuronal net don't enlarge or contract. Instead, new information may displace or divert older data stored in the neurons. And the brain, of course, is constantly acquiring new information.

Still in the "middle view", the authors examine that great mystery - sex. They explain how the mechanism of reproducing ourselves reaches back to that DNA of the early chapters. "Gene shuffling" has numerous long-term advantages to any species utilising it. This process of mixing genes from two parents provides unique individual offspring - just what natural selection needs to select from. It also contributes to the body's mechanisms for combating infection. In effect, when an egg is fertilised, part of the on-going process is to reprogramme the immune system almost from scratch. The high speed adaptability of infective agents such as viruses is countered by our individuality. It's more than just brown eyes or blue! Finally, the authors look at how the body acquires and utilises energy to keep these processes functioning. Successful energy conversion provides the framework for successful reproduction.

In the final segment, the authors place the human species firmly within the panorama of all Nature. They stress the interconnectedness of all living things. The sharing of DNA is the signal that our role cannot be separated from the remainder of life. The planet runs on an "energy budget" of which we are a significant part. They describe how "food webs" are composed of "trophic levels" - in plain, but undescriptive language - the "food chain". There is, they remind us, much more to food webs than who consumes what. Energy material must be processed through cyclical steps. Interrupting those processes, such as by modifying gas content of the atmosphere or raising ambient temperatures, is dangerous to our species and others. "Everything Touches Everything Else", they remind us. The lesson is that if we don't start to understand life, we won't have it to enjoy. "Dare to know" where you fit in the natural world and understand what roles you may enjoy and which may need to avoid. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

This is a wondeful book on all things mammoth. With both a fact-filled and readable text and a wealth of excellent illustrations, it is a great resource for young and old. Though the main star of the book is the famous woolly mammoth, other mammoths are covered, such as the dwarf mammoths of Wrangel Island, the California Channel Islands, and of Malta and Sicily; the Columbian Mammoth; the Steppe Mammoth; and the ancestral mammoth, Mammuthus meridionalis.

All aspects of mammoths are covered, anything you could ever want to know about them (that is known to scientists I should say). Mammoth evolution is covered, with discussions and illustrations showing the relationship between the various types of mammoths as well as mastodons and elephants. The entire Proboscidean family tree is detailed, tracing back the evolution of the group to trunk-less Moerithierum over 40 million years ago. The history of mammoth discoveries in Siberia is discussed with many great illustrations, showing many of the famous finds such as the Beresovka Mammoth and baby mammoth Dima, both well preserved frozen mammoths. The mammoths (Columbian Mammoths) that were trapped in the infamous La Brea tar pits of modern Los Angeles are reviewed, with an illustration of a typical scene at the tar pits and discussion of paleontology there. All aspects of mammoth natural history are delved into; what they ate, what preyed upon them, how they aged, the nature of their hairy covering, what habitats they favored, along with detailed discussions of mammoth anatomy and physiology, even analysis of mammoth molars and how they chewed and electron microscope images of mammoth blood cells. Mammoths and human culture is well covered, with ample illustrations of cave paintings and carvings of mammoths, early man hunting and eating mammoths, mammoth bone tools, even mammoth bone huts! The final section of the book is devoted to mammoth extinction and the various causes, primarily climatic and human hunting. Also included are a useful glossary, an appendix discussing how what is known about mammoths came to light, several maps detailing mammoth finds around the world, and a bibliography.

Great popular science writing and lavishly illustrated, this all one could ever want on mammoths.

I have studied Mammoths for a long time now and this book was the best source of information I have seen in a long time. It is soo good I built a web site dedicated to the book and it's authors. Check it out at http://www.angelfire.com/tn/mamoths/index.html

This book captivated both me and my 12-year-old. It has a million years of mammoth history. The photos of fossil bones and frozen preserved mammoths are excellent. I had not realized mammoth fossils were so common, and that they existed throughout the U.S. If all you know about are the frozen wooly mammoths of Siberia, then you must read this book to get the whole story. The book clearly covers the different types of mammoths, including the dwarf mammoths that survived until only 4000 years ago! Now I want to know where I can find info on what's been learned since this book was published in 1994.

This book is one of the best to understand what it takes to be a field biologist--an often overlooked detail. But most importantly, I found the topic to be akin to a novel, though it is clearly simply the reduction of many years of hard work into a few hours' worth of reading. Each monkey has a personality that the authors were able to capture and present in such a pleasant way that one could feel attached to some monkeys and clearly dislike the personalities of others. What captured me the most, and what most literature does not talk about, is that monkeys' social structure is a baseline that several modern human social structures are built upon. Their hierarchical nature is akin to the type of fiefdoms that can be found today in many developing nations (and in some extremely rich and famous nations of the world that need not be mentioned in specific). Though the authors do not suggest that monkeys are able to foresee and be goal-oriented, as these are thought to be exclusively human traits, I argue that some of the monkey behaviors portrayed in this book provide a hint otherwise. As a Neuroeconomist, I enjoy learning about the decision-making processes of non-human primates and other non-human animals. This book is exemplary in its deliverance and is very entertaining to read. I highly recommend it at all levels.

Readers will likely agree with Susan Perry that capuchins are the most intelligent and fascinating of the New World monkeys. This fine book, in the tradition of Jane Goodall's "In the Shadow of Man" (1971), mixes rich descriptions of the personal lives of primates (in Goodall's case, chimpanzees) and of the primatologists. Perry and her husband, Joe Manson, and their coworkers, during nearly two decades of on-going study at a site in Costa Rica, rise at 3 AM to follow the capuchins, machete-cutting through the entangling forest, suffering ticks, wasps, snakes, fungal infections, frequent hospital visits, and maniac drivers when back on the road. For my own brief "study" of capuchins, I sat at a comfortable restaurant and bar on the beach near Manuel Antonio National Park, cold drink in hand, watching these little animals in the surrounding trees, but that hardly counts as primatology.
Like Goodall and subsequent primatologists whom she inspired, Perry offers anthropocentric interpretations of her subjects' behaviors, less objective that one would find in a research journal but certainly permissible in this accessible account, which is further enlivened by the author's wit and her obvious love for the arduous work. I suspect that many young readers will contact Susan Perry about signing on for a year as research assistant. I know one who has already.

This book gives you and amazing and in depth look into the lives of these highly social, complex monkeys. Primatology has often been dominated by studies on apes, but the Lomas Barbudal project has brought us leaps closer to understanding primate behavior by dedicating decades of intense research to this species of new world monkey. Reading about some of the daily family, political, and terretorial dramas of the white-faced capuchins, you cannot help but see just how similar they are to us. These are some remarkable and intelligent capuchins just bursting with personality. They are problem-solvers, drama queens, pranksters, lovers and fighters. I highly recommend this book to any primatologist or person interested in social behavior!!! This book has some wonderful photos and gives you glimpses into what it is like to be a primatologist in the field. It is a great resource!!!

"The editors have successfully defined and filled this niche. The book has two distinctive viewpoints. First, all of the chapters focus on issues relating to conservation. For example, sensory systems are covered because such knowledge is relevant for the later chapters to deal with net entanglement and noise pollution...this provides an often subtle, but refreshing alternative viewpoint to most other recent books on marine mammals."

"This book is generally of high editorial standard... I intend to recommend the book as background reading for my course and to use some chapters as the basis for restructuring some of my lectures... If you are interested in marine mammals this book will certainly be a very useful addition to your library."- by Helen Marsh, James Cook University

"Let's cut to the chase, this book is simply an outstanding read regarding the evolution, behavior, health, and conservation of marine mammals... the following five topics are covered in a very complete fashion: (1) life history and ecology; (2) sensory systems; (3) survey and study techniques; (4) health, parasites, and pathogens; and (5) conservation and management. No one of these sections in necessarily better than the other, as they are all provide excellent summaries of the available literature. The text is written in a style appropriate for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. One of the things I found particularly appealing about the book is that the editors clearly emphasized to each of the contributing authors that they should include some of the cutting edge questions, where future research needs to be directed to move the various fields forward. Therefore, the text is replete with ideas and suggestions for Masters and Ph.D. level research. In addition, I think the editors, who obviously worked closely with the authors of each chapter, found the right balance between emphasizing the underlying discipline...and the wonderment of knowledge about marine mammals... this is a textbook that belongs in the bookshelves of practicing marine mammal biologists and academics interested in vertebrate biology. In addition, I highly recommend this book to graduate students interested in applying the tools of a particular discipline to a specific hypothesis that can be tested using marine mammal data. As far as textbooks go, this text has "legs" and I would venture to guess that its useful shelf-life will exceed 10 years in most disciplines covered." - Douglas P. DeMaster, National Marine Mammal Laboratory