Endangered Species Books

This book is very useful for children who ask a lot of earth science questions. In fact the whole series of these books is quite nice. I've used them successfully with preschoolers through elementary school age children. The books are not designed as "sit down at group time and read to the class," but in small groups or one-on-one, they work very well.

This book is written for children, I'm 31 and while reading with my son I learned things I didn't know! I recommend it to any parent.

Black-footed ferrets, as some of you will already know, are an *extremely* endangered animal that lives in prairie dog colonies. They were believed extinct until a dog in Meeteetse, Wyoming, killed one who was stealing from his supper dish. Fortunately, that wasn't the last of the ferrets. The Meeteetse community survives, and they have been reintroduced into a few national parks, where they are hanging on. The authors are experts on black-footed ferret biology, and have been active in the recovery programs for this species.

Knowing all this, I expected an interesting but somewhat dry account. Well, I was surprised. The book is remarkably lively, at least for the first two-thirds or so.

Each chapter starts with a story from a ferret's life, such as a prairie dog kill or a mating. One or more of the authors observed each of these events, and they "humanize" the animals considerably. After the story, each chapter moves to a discussion of its theme, such as habitat or predatory behavior. These are written in an easy, almost-conversational style (but with too many scientific passive voices). The authors provide a plausible account of the ferret, filling in gaps with reference to closely-related species such as the Siberian ferret.

Though not organized as such, the book consists of three parts. The first part covers both ferret and prairie dog ecology, interlaced with stories of individual animals. For example, the chapter on ferret hunting techniques begins with a narrative of a ferret killing a prairie dog. This literary device works well to grab your attention and sets the stage for the more scientific material that follows in each chapter. This part is written in a lively style throughout and is accessible to the general reader.

The middle part of the book focuses on the rediscovery of black-footed ferrets outside Meeteetse, Wyoming, in 1981. It also covers the initial recovery effort and captive breeding program, and it relies heavily on the involvement of the authors in these efforts. They are very critical of the state of Wyoming and of the decision by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to delegate authority for ferret recovery to the state. For all its strengths, it is written in a slightly less accessible style.

The third part tries to draw general lessons about endangered-species recovery from these experiences. A single chapter would have sufficed, but the authors drag these issues out over several chapters. They attempt to draw lessons about the politics of endangered species, organizational behavior, and other social-scientific topics, but in the end they do not have sufficient familiarity with these issues to develop much insight into these issues. As a result, too much of this part reads like summaries of a social-scientific literature - - "things we wish we had understood better when we began ferret recovery." The style becomes dry, and the book drags.

I was going to give this book five stars two-thirds of the way through, and it lost that star in these final chapters. The first half or two-thirds is very strong, and an excellent introduction to black-footed ferrets. You'll also learn a lot about black-tailed prairie dogs. If, in the later chapters, your interest wanes - - put the book down. You won't miss anything.

An excellent book, covering everything from the history of this rare species, its decline, the reasons for its near-extinction, its biology, and the ongoing recovery program. I recommend this book to anybody interested in black-footed ferrets or any endangered species recovery. The book is written in layman's terms without being overly simple in explanation with plenty of pictures and drawings to make it more interesting. A great addition to any library!

You might infer from this book's title that it is only be interesting to people who live in the Pacific Northwest. That's not the case. Nelson provides a series of lively essays on major predators - - cougars, lynx and bobcats, coyotes, black bears, grizzly bears, and wolves. Most of each essay discusses that particular animal in general terms. The illustrations of particularly issues tend to come from Washington State, but Nelson places them in a general context. For example, he might discuss Washington's program of lethal control of coyotes, comparing the state's numbers to the national numbers. In short, you don't have to live in Washington to enjoy this book. (I don't.)

The book is very readable and accessible to a wide audience. Nelson keeps the text lively by telling stories of his own interactions with these animals while hiking through the state. At the same time, it's packed with information about these animals and about their interactions with people.

This is a very short book (130 small pages of text), and Nelson could easily have expanded it to encompass other mesocarnivores such as the weasel family (mustelids). Wolverines are extremely rare but reentering the state from Canada, and Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife is preparing a fisher reintroduction plan for the Olympics. Other mustelids are also found in the state. Maybe a second edition?

Anyway, it's a great, brief introduction to these animals in North America.

This little book came to my attention as I was perusing the new books in the university library where I work. I have been reading more and more the books on wild animals in our collection. Most are older but still very interesting. Little by little the myths perpetrated by who knows who are being replaced in my mind with actual research being done on predators and prey. This book brought me up to date on the animals of today and in my area! The Pacific Northwest!

The author shows much enthusiasm for his subjects: cougars, lynx, wolves, coyotes, black and grizzly bears. He shows with a methodical logic that everything has a place in the ecosystem. He doesn't excuse the animals - he helps to explain them! He makes me proud once again to be a member of the two legged species known as man!

He has a wonderful sense of adventure and great advise on how to coexist with the wildlife that I am more and more giving respect and gratitude for the beauty they give to our world! I probably will buy a copy of this book even though our library has a copy - for all the information that it has inside the 134 pages! Great book! It was a joy to read!

When the European style of cooking met the plethora of ingredients native to the Americas, a new tradition was born. "Renewing America's Food Traditions: Saving and Savoring the Continent's Most Endangered Foods" is a look at the forgotten foods of the American tradition and countless tips and articles about restoring these foods to prominence. Using the concept of if it's eaten, it will be remembered and recreated, "Renewing America's Food Traditions" is as educational as it is delicious. A top pick for chefs looking for something historical to cook, "Renewing America's Food Traditions" is a must for any American cookbook or history collection.

The book's key focus is summarized on page xi, from a Foreword penned by Deborah Madison: "The Renewing America's Food Traditions (RAFT) collaborative. . .suggests a different scenario, one in which foods that are old might well be new again; these unfamiliar products from our country's regional food traditions can be every bit as compelling as the exotic foods we import from afar." The Introduction laments the disappearance of food traditions--and with them, food sources, some of which have become extinct, others of which have become endangered.

Gary Nabhan, the volume's editor, argues that by renewing these traditions, we might be able to revise endangered or threatened species. He notes what is at stake: much of American cuisine today is close to tasteless. Think tomatoes, for example. Mass produced, bland redness of tomatoes, for instance. Nabhan notes what has happened over time. A century ago, Americans used 15,000 different varieties of apple; today, we only have 1500 varieties. We are impoverishing the supply of food sources, with convenience replacing taste and texture. The book even lays out a "mission statement" of what we should strive for (Page 13).

The organizing structure of the book is the various "food nations," regions of the country with distinct food preferences and cultures. For example, Maple Syrup Nation includes parts of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont to Indiana and Ohio. Clambake Nation runs along the coastal region from Maine to New Jersey and Delaware. As an Illinoisan, I'm interested in Cornbread Nation. Then, Bison Nation, from the Dakotas and Montana to Texas. You get the point.

But, to me, one of the most interesting parts of the book, after understanding its philosophy, is the set of recipes that typify each region. In Bison Nation, there is a recipe entitled Crow Bison Cattail Stew, featuring bison meat, water, cattail stalks (how exotic can you get!), prairie turnips, cornmeal, juniper berries, salt, and pepper. Takes some preparation, but sounds tasty (I've had bison meat, and it is pretty good, if you cook it right and don't overcook it). An accompaniment perhaps? Bison Nation Hominy and Bean Chowder; Baked Sibley Squash. From Cornbread Nation: Smoked and Braised Mulefoot Hog Shoulder with Sweet Peppers, Prosciutto, and Lacinato Kale. Some of these products are hard to get! A basic point with this recipe--mulefoot hogs, apparently, are a lot tastier to eat than the current mass produced version that stocks grocery stores. And that's a thesis of the book. The quality of our food is degraded as more tasty food sources are crowded out by more commercially efficient (but tasteless) replacements. Is the charge accurate? I don't know, but the challenge for me is to locate some mulefoot hog and see.

One nice thing about the book: it provides hints to help you track down some of the food sources (some are so rare that one cannot use them to cook at this time).

Anyhow, an interesting book, looking at what we have lost from our food heritage and how we might recover some of that. The book gets you to thinking and provides some neat recipes--although you are unlikely to be able to make them unless you track down the ingredients!

I enjoyed this book for its factual & positive content regarding sea otters. If you are a lover of sea otter, Saving Sea Otters is probably a must. It's not fiction. It's not a compelling story per say, in terms of pure storytelling, but I found it very compelling to understand otters and the people who care for them. The photos are excellent. I'm glad I bought it but then again, I am an otter nut.

"Saving Sea Otters" by Elin kelsey is a book dealing mainly with the plight of the southern sea otter and its dwindling population. The cover shows a furry little sea otter wrapped in a kelp bed.The book shows the behind-the-scenes work that researchers, scientists, veterinarians, volunteers and friends of the sea otter do. There are wonderful,clear pictures throughout the book showing the interaction between the sea otters and the people who care for them. Many times the sea otters are hurt, injured or unable to care for themselves and that's when the caretakers step in to nurse them back to health. Most of the book takes place in the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium and the waters of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary. If one is interested in sea otters, I would definitely recommend this book. Thank you...Don Bieber

This is a fine introduction to the Giant Panda, its patterns of life, the complexities of conservation, and the inevitable politics of a zoo trying to work with both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Chinese Government to bring Pandas to the United States.

Terry Maple's story alone is amazing and will interest anyone who believes that private interests can perform public services better than government. He is a professor of Primate Psychology at Georgia Tech who has been the director of ZooAtlanta since 1984. He saved a zoo that was run by a city government and was on the verge of disaccreditation by transferring management responsibility to a private association. This has allowed him to move the zoo from a poorly run, poorly managed institution that was not the best environment for its animals to one which has an amazing research focus, which has developed a world class gorilla, orangutan and Mandrill program, and allowed him to set his sights on bringing Pandas to Atlanta. In the process he was also a pioneer in privatizing government run zoos as ZooAtlanta has flourished as a privately run institution leased from the city.

Panda ethology is worth studying because it raises troubling questions about lessons we might need to learn about our own species. Consider the implications for overly bureaucratized education for humans while reading the following passages:

"Pandas receiving enrichment were much more active in the presence of the test stimuli, and in many cases stereotyped behavior was reduced or eliminated. Enrichment was a strongly motivating condition in the lives of these animals... enrichment keeps pandas active." (p.76)

"New social opportunities are often powerful motivators"(p.79) "Baby pandas do not show any signs of independence until the fourth month of life, and they may stay with their mothers into a second year." Research has indicated that they stay "together two and a half years, about a year longer than most researchers thought was the norm".

Maple goes on to discuss a variety of lessons being learned about Panda behavior and many of them will stimulate you to think about challenges we face in understanding the best way to raise humans.

This book is also an excellent outline of the relationship between conservation in the wild and conservation in zoos and the degree to which both approaches are necessary if we are going to optimize biodiversity - especially for large vertebrates. It is a worthwhile introduction for anyone who cares about conservation in general, pandas in particular or the method by which two countries can combine government and private activities into effective conservation.

There are not many panda books out there, but this is a great one. There are some wonderful pictures of ZooAtlanta's two bears, as well as other great pictures. It also tells the story of Maple's journey to bring the pandas to Atlanta. In addition, it has some panda facts on it. It would look great on anyone's coffee table.

This book should be read by everyone who cares about animals. It is a sad litany of what humans can do in search of greed. Mowatt has assembled facts and figures that bring to life the slaughter of species that is still going on. One wonders what could have been done and what still can be done to stop more animal slaughter.
SOS is at once depressing and then an awakening to us all.

Passionate, well-written account of what has become of animal life in North America since the arrival of the Europeans in the early 1500's. Amazing. I will never look at the world in the same way. Farley Mowat, focusing on the North-east of North America, paints a vivid picture of what animal life was like from 1500 to the present, frequently quoting those who saw it in its near natural state hundreds of years ago -- the great awk, the white bear, the buffalo, the whales, the dolphins, the seals. The European intruders saw this great abundance of life as an opportunity for profit, saw the millions of whales as so many tons of train oil. From one chapter to the next, the animal "nations" were slaughtered with no thought of the future, until there was no more profit to be made. "Sea of Slaughter", as sad and painful as it is, is a must-read book. A sampling of Farley Mowat's words (I am sure he won't mind):

"So ends the story of how the Sea of Whales became a Sea of Slaughter as, one by one, from the greatest to the least, each in turn according to its monetary worth, the several cetacean nations perished in a roaring holocaust fuelled by human avarice.
Now that there are no longer enough of them remaining to be of any significant commercial value, the fires that consumed their kinds are burning down. But it is unlikely -- our instincts being what they are -- that even the far flung scattering of survivors will ever be secure from our rapacity unless, and until, they receive worldwide protection.
Surely this is the least we can do to make atonement for the evil we have done to them. And it WAS evil -- of that, make no mistake."

I've read Bergman's book twice over the past decade. It is beautifully written, and demonstrates detailed research as well as a real love of the environment and animals. Anyone who cares about nature should read this book. Bergman was ahead of his time when he wrote it.

I'm not sure exactly how to rate this one - I've been hedging between a 3.5 and a four, but I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt and going with a four. For the time it was published (originally in 1990), it's probably a four-star book. What Bergman has done here is compiled his personal experiences with nine different endangered species (all North American). He's devoted a chapter to each: the wolf, the dusky seaside sparrow (now extinct), the California condor, the Florida Panther, the manatee, the Puerto Rican parrot, the black-footed ferret, the North Atlantic right whale, and the ivory-billed woodpecker (possibly extinct in North America). In each chapter Bergman gives us both a personal account (he has seen all of the above listed species in the wild except the dusky seaside sparrow, the last individuals of which were in captivity at the time, and have since died), and then explains both the history and current status of the species and what, if anything, is currently being done to help save it.

However, having been written in 1990, much of the "current" information is vastly outdated (particularly on the wolf and condor), so if you want the latest news, you'd be better off looking elsewhere. Steve Grooms's "Return of the Wolf" is an excellent and comprehensive text on wolves, and while it too is a bit outdated, having been written in 1999, it is more recent than "Wild Echoes" by far, and much more factual. Lots of the information on wolves that Bergman provides here is either no longer true, or wasn't true at the time and has since been proven false (and, ironically, Bergman concentrates almost entirely on wolves in Alaska - the only place in America where wolves are NOT endangered). However, the historical background provided for each animal is very good (and quite interesting!), making this book more suited for historical study than as a reference on current events.

One other thing that concerns me is the philosophical side of Bergman's writing. He often writes in circles, and while I can understand and empathize with the gut responses he has to certain animals' situations, in the text he frequently contradicts himself. He says that when humans talk of "saving endangered species," it separates humans from other animals and gives us power over them, and he rails against this mentality, and yet he still emphasizes most strongly that we need to save them. He both rails against biologists, and alternately praises them hightly. Bergman also argues that starting captive breeding programs for severely endangered species is just another power-trip for humans, but does (almost grudgingly) admit that they do some good. And the most contradictory, he says: "I don't want more commonness. I want more of the rare" (pg. 240). He does not seem to recognize the fact that, once we have more of the species that are now rare, they will no longer be rare and will then be "common" themselves. Bergman also states in one chapter that today's culture is responsible for all endangered species. I understand what he meant, but it was poorly stated, considering that many, many species went extinct for various reasons before humans even existed.

But as I said before, outdatedness and philosophical loops aside, this is still a very worthwhile read for anyone interested in the history of these endangered species. Bergman has obviously done a great deal of research. The author's personal encounter stories are also interesting. The book is well-written and easy to read, with vivid and touching imagery (though I must admit I found Bergman's description of the right whale's body shape as "unavoidably phallic" (pg. 216) to be a less-than-attractive analogy, though he seems to have meant it as a compliment). The book also includes black-and-white photos of some of the species discussed, an appendix listing extinct species of the United States, and a second appendix with contact information for many wildlife advocacy groups. Though this is certainly not a definitive work on endangered species, it is nonetheless informative, interesting, and well worth the read.

I read this wonderful book in one very long sitting; I really could not stop once I started. Having grown up surrounded, in my immediate family, by the 1950's acute nature-awareness of the early Soil Association days of Bob Waller and Harold Horne et al, it was like deja vu to me.
The authors have been very disciplined in producing a really worthwhile book; it is almost perfectly objective, and therefore above cheap criticism. They have worked immensely hard to source a huge amount of sound material, and they have taken the trouble to understand it thoroughly before using it in their book. And the mystery at issue is no less than how terrifyingly detached from truth we are becoming, and how little we now understand our own misery and poverty of life in the midst of all our illusion of ease; how deprived of reality we have already become.
Read it! In the morning, the evening, on the train, in the bath, but read it. It is more real than most other stuff you will find on printed paper or glowing on a monitor any day of the year.

Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum are two British reporters and amateur bee-keepers. Benjamin works for the British daily paper The Guardian. Their book "A world without bees" was published earlier this year, and deals with the mysterious mass deaths of honeybees all around the world, the so-called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). While some people belive that CCD doesn't really exist, for instance the current Wikipedia writer on the subject, others consider it a serious, global threat to bee-keeping. Benjamin and McCallum certainly belong to the latter camp, claiming that one third of US beehives and two-thirds of those in France have been wiped out by this mysterious condition. Most scientists seem to agree that CCD does exist, but so far no good explanation have been offered, at least none everyone agrees with. The two authors have interviewed researchers who blame pesticides, fungicides, the varroa mite, climate change, new viruses, or even mobile phones (that's a fringe position). Indeed, CCD could be a combination of several different factors. Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV for short) is a prime suspect, but correlation is not necessarily the same thing as causation. Perhaps something in the environment is causing bees to loose their resistance to killer viruses?

The authors own position isn't entirely clear-cut, but their favorite hypothesis seem to be loss of genetic diversity. Most honeybees around the world apparently belong to the same group of Mediterranean subspecies, and the same goes for feral honeybees. These have interbred with wild honeybees, creating a situation in which the honeybee gene pool is virtually the same the world over. When the varroa mite struck, and developed resistance to pesticides, millions of honeybees quickly succumbed - their gene pool was too narrow to develop defenses against the parasite. Benjamin and McCallum therefore strongly supports conservation efforts aimed at preserving local subspecies of wild honeybees. They mention a particular attempt in Denmark, and describe the conflicts this has created between different factions of bee-keepers (the local bees are less productive than the Mediterranean breeds).

The bee-keeping industry seems to take the opposite position from that of the authors: the industry wants to genetically engineer a resilient, resistant and high-productive superbee. The authors fear that this will narrow the gene pool even more. What happens if (or when) the superbee is challenged by an equally resilient superbug?

The book then describes the chilling effects of a world without honeybees. If you think only the honey would disappear, think again! Many important crops are dependent on honeybees for pollination, including alfalfa, apples, almonds, cotton, citrus, soya beans, onions, broccoli, carrots, sunflowers, melons, blueberries, cherries and pumpkins. A world without bees would be a world without fruit, vegetables, juice, health food (the soya) or clothes (the cotton). Alfalfa is used as cattle feed, so a world without bees would also be a world without meat! To drive home the point, the two authors have visited California, where the highly profitable almond orchards are pollinated by honeybees from all over the United States, driven there on enormous trucks. If the honeybees would be wiped out by CCD, an entire industry would be gone. Already today, food prices are going up, due to ethanol production and other factors. CCD doesn't exactly help...

One solution to the crisis mentioned in the book is to use other insects as pollinators, including solitary bees and bumblebees. There are several research projects to that effect in the US. Meanwhile, habitat change have driven bumblebees to near-extinction in some areas, and other insects live too far away from agricultural land to be of much use. Once again, the authors feel that a more environmental-friendly policy is the bottom line.

Is the author's alarmist perspective true? No idea. Until I picked up this book, mostly by chance, I never even heard of CCD. (Of course, I have heard of the varroa mite.) However, Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum have written an easy-to-read introduction to the issue, after talking to both scientists, migratory bee-keepers, almond growers, and even conspiracy theorists. I recommend the book, and call on everyone to continue researching the topic.

Clive Barker is unlike any other author I read. In this one he branches out to touch on some contemporary issues. I found it very entertaining.

This Clive Barker effort begins promisingly, but fails to deliver substantial incentive to reward the reader. Will Rabjohns, photographer and British expatriate, suffers a coma which leads him to re-explore the pains of his extraordinary early life. The childhood flashbacks are easily the strongest points of the novel. Though haunting and bleak, this subplot is full of magical wonder, drawing the reader into the finely-rendered boyhood psyche of young Will. However, these childhood flashbacks are marred by the eventual introduction of gratuitous sexuality, though I admit this is my subjective reaction. Despite other reviewers' objections, the homosexual subtext is truly inoffensive, but what is offensive is the mundane storytelling of the adult Will's daily routine after awaking from the coma. The remainder of the novel is written without much soul. Had Barker reimagined Sacrament as a childhood story, it surely would have been a winner.

Although when i finished the book ..i felt i knew what Will (the main character) was gonna lead me to think and feel ...i really needed that kind of a wake up call...
Life is beautiful, but we only need to appreciate it and embrace whatever it throws on us..
God, Earth and Nature are parts of us as much as we are part of them...
I really did enjoy the book tremendously..the only reason i gave it 4 stars instead of 5, is that he was a little too graphical for my taste a couple of times...

Seamlessly blending the 'Supernatural Horror' elements that populate much of Barker's other written/filmed work ["The Damnation Game"/"Hellraiser"/etc.] with the 'Real-Life' horrors of the world today, including the envirornmental catastrophe/mass extinction currently happening on a daily basis and the AIDS epidemic, I think "Sacrament" may have trumped "Weaveworld" as Clive's best novel. It's scary as hell and yet resonating with the beauty and wonder of the world (now largely being decimated), and one of the best treatments of love and friendship in the face of a tight-knit community being eroded away by outside forces (AIDS in this case). The vivid writing immediately transports you to the scene itself, the fierce snowstorm or long grasses blowing soundfully in the wind, and the book has an ideal protagonist in the form of a wildlife photographer who chronicles the fate of endangered and moribund species, and chillingly appropriate villains in the form of a pair who hunts down the last survivors of near-extinct species for the express purpose of personally ending their kind's existance. Also mixing in a healthy dose of spiritualism, "Sacrament" is great on so many levels, but be forewarned: Barker outdoes himself on a couple of the grotesqueries, excluding of course "The Great And Secret Show", which got a bit too vile for my tastes. Unlike Secret Show, however, which was far more cynical and nastier than even the most violent and bizarre of Barker's movies, the depravities and crudities of certain villains in "Sacrament" compliments the story well instead of choking it in nihilism.

An excellent piece of literature both as a great horror/fantasy hybrid and as a look at non-fictional trends in the world today (extinctions, intolerance, AIDs, etc.) that threaten to crush us all.

I WOULD LIKE TO DEDICATE THIS REVIEW TO "YOU",THE READER.

This book is totally good.I am a bit disturbed to know that alot of people abstained from reading this book because the main character was gay.But I will tell you something.Although the main character is gay,the book isn't.The story line does not concentrate on anything gay.This is one of the best books I have ever read.It is not a horror novel as much as a fantasy novel.The ending part of this book gets a bit confusing,but it is nevertheless properly written.This book is totally successful as far as I am concerned.
You see,the thing about Mr Barker is that he writes what other writers wouldn't not dare to write.He takes a lot of chances and,quite frankly,I think that is the only way to be successful.
Some writers out there have a tendency to "recycle" their stories,which completely sucks...
The book,though thoroughly developed,feels quite unfinished at the ending,forcing me to give it four stars.
The plot is as follows:Mr Will Rabjohns is a great photographer.He deals mainly with taking pictures of wild animals.
And what is truly fascinating is that he takes a lot of chances,risking his life to get his job done.
While taking the picture of a bear,he becomes the victim of an accident.He goes into a coma.During his coma he relives his childhood,realizing that there is something important from his past that has come to "haunt" him.(two strange people who changed his life in ways he never thought possible).
He soon wakes from his coma and goes on the journey of a life time,trying to confront and conquer this force before it conquers him...
(IN this review I tried not to give away too much of the story.Because it would kill the suspense.)
I just wanted to give you a brief outline of the plot.
This book is a fantasy/drama/suspense....

Enjoy.................this review was written by Nigel.