Wildlife Books

Beware, if you have been suppressing a wanderlust be prepared to take a trip. Your office, school, or home will seem like a cage as you read about Dr. Pianka's adventures in the expansive Australian Outback.

Although the book is very readable, I only gave it four stars because at times there is a break down in continuity and he strings into random thoughts with multiple repeats. Maybe it is due to all that solitude.

I am a college student studying organismic biology. I am taking an ecology class this semester and our text is by Eric Pianka. Herpetology is one of my passions so when I found out Pianka was a "lizard man" I did some research and came upon this book. It turned out to be everything I hoped it would be. The book is written in a manner that engages the reader; you will be held captive as he writes about his childhood experiences and methods of lizarding.

I am so glad that I had bought this book from Half prize book store and had a chance to read. It helped me to understand the diversity of the lizards within and between the continents of northern America, Australia, and Africa. It also helped me to understand a lot about lizard natural history. The author of this book deserves a lot of credit for his hard work and dedicated service in bringing up so much knowlede about the lizards to the mankind.

Eric pianka is one of the finest ecologists in the world. His excitement and passion for these animals is evident throughout the book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who i interested in ecology an field biology.

Erik Pianka is one of the worlds finest ecologists. His passion for lizard ecology is infective. By the end of book you will feel like you know and have worked with Pianka. His story shows what field biologists are all about.

Allot a special, private time for yourself with this book! Only by allowing yourself the time to savor each photograph will you go on the special journey Mitsuaki Iwago has in store for you. His play with the contrasts of the light and darks of penguins and and their environment is bliss. I am a penquin afficianado, and was totally thrilled by this sensitive and delightful presentation.

Penguins book by Mitsuaki Iwagos, is considered one of the best photo books of these unique animal that live in Antarctica. Mitsuaki Iwagos in my opinion is considered one of the top nature photographers. He shows us the life of penguins in general their way of life children care and protection, and the defense of severe climatic conditions of Antarctica massive assembling which draws the attention and stir your eyes in addition to summarized notes. It is a book that recounts the life of penguins in elegant and eye- catching manner. In addition the photos included in this book gives you clear significance and meaning of life on Antarctica . So I recommend this book for those who love natural photos and Antarctica in general.

A great way to spend the afternoon. Photographs show all aspects of penguin life. Stunning, interesting. Good commentary as well.

Look through this and imagine what the climate must have been while photographing these animals. Remember that the author didn't just shoot a roll or two of film and head out-this is the result of a great deal of time shooting many, MANY rolls of film in freezing temperatures. The photos are wonderful-I just wish that there had been some informative text on the penguins. Penguin books are not very easy to come by-this one would be a great addition to anybody's library that may be interested in penguins.

Allot a special, private time for yourself with this book! Only by allowing yourself the time to savor each photograph will you go on the special journey Mitsuaki Iwago has in store for you. His play with the contrasts of the light and darks of penguins and and their environment is bliss. I am a penquin afficianado, and was totally thrilled by this sensitive and delightful presentation.

If you're a fan of moose, then this book is perfect for you! Lots of great pictures and the notes are even better!

This excellent work makes you learn about the biggest antler in a entertaining way. The pictures are stunning.
I recommend this book to anyone having a soft spot for the moose and to those wanting to understand the wildlife they share space with during a vacation up north!

I ordered this book for a Christmas present and got more than I bargained for
Beautiful photography and all the facts about Moose that you will ever want to know
A bargain at the price

This is a beautifully photographed book with very good information on the moose.

What a wonderful book this is and the photography is excellent. Contains a wealth of information about our favorite animal - the moose!!

I purchased several copies of this book and sent them to my friends and relatives across the country.

Everybody loved it.

Eric's photography shows his ultimate commitment to artistic perfection. Each photo is a work of art and carefully composed. The essays capture the meaning and beauty of the mountains of Colorado. I am honored to be his uncle.

This is one of the better Colorado photography books out there. While the photos are not consistently great, they are consistently good. Wunrow spent a lot of time hiking to remote areas of Colorado, which is to be commended. I do recommend 'Colorado II' by David Muench over this book, but I have ranked 'Mountains of Colorado' as the third best book on my list of 'Best Colorado Picture Books' (which can be seen by clicking on my name and looking at the Listmania lists).

I moved to Colorado in 1989. Without fail, when friends and relatives come to visit, they marvel at the beauty of the scenery, awesome landscape and amazing sights nature has handmade in Colorado's mountains. This book has made a perfect holiday gift for all those friends and relatives who only dream of being here in Colorado every day! From winter to summer, the Mountains of Colorado has it all! Without a doubt, the most beautiful photpgraphs I have ever seen!

Catch a glimpse of some of the more rare and overlooked vistas that this amazing state has to offer. Wunrow offers an incredible visual aesthetic in both photography and book design that takes the reader on a voyage to all corners of this wonderfully diverse state. A keen eye for composition, combined with strenuous backcountry hiking to areas unknown to even avid backpackers like myself, the images are striking and sometimes haunting. Former Governor Lamm's essays are engaging and well written, and form a wonderful complement to the photographs. Highly recommended for anyone looking to enjoy the most uniquely magnificent and previously unpublished views of America's most beautiful state.

The only thing wrong with this book is its unavailability. Out of print since 2005, this is quite simply the finest cofee table book on national parks ever made, bar none. Incredible paper and print quality. I have given this book as a gift several times.

Despite the seemingly mediocre title of this book, the pictures are anything but average. Here, you will find landscapes of various different types and beauty, from rugged cliffs to lush forests and waterfalls. The natural beauty of this book will challenge anyone who believes that photography is not an art, as Meunch has an unbelievable talent for it. In fact, while Udall is a good essay writer, I would even go so far as to say that Meunch should be credited as the author here. Not only does he capture breathtaking images, but his perspective is amazing as well, particularly in his forest photos. The forest section of the book perfectly represents the vastness of the trees, making me feel as though I'm a nymph or some other woodland creature marveling at the majesty around me. Whether you are a nature lover or have never appreciated it before, I recommend you get this book now!

This is one helluva book. Thank you Kutti. The photographs would make an nature enthusist drool with sheer glee, the text by Udall brothers is so refreshing, makes you wanna follow their paths. David's large format photographs are guaranteed to take your breath away. It did for me..Amazing..and the book is big and heavy..with the highest quality paper possible. Buy it..I am planning to get some camping equipments really soon...:))

"National Parks of America" is a wonderful collection of photographs from the National Parks in the United States. David Muench does a marvelous job capturing some of the the most beautiful places in the United States. His photographs include the Alaskan National Parks, the Grand Canyon, the giant redwoods in Redwood National Park, the giant sequoias in Sequoia National Park, the natural bridges in the national parks in Utah, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park, Isle Royale in Michigan, and the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee. There is a map of all of the places in the National Park System, and an essay by Stewart L. Udall, former Secretary of the Interior under Kennedy and Johnson, and James R. Udall. I cannot recommend this book enough. You must see it to fully understand what an outstanding book it truly is. It made me want to visit these places as soon as possible!

This is the book with the most beautiful pictures of America's National Parks I have seen so far. The print quality of the photographs is excellent. I have given this book as a gift to many of my friends and relatives!

By far the best guide I've seen for tropical mammals. It includes all information necessary in ID a mammal and understand the ecology of the organism. I met Mark Wainwright and he certainly knows what he's doing. I'm hoping he writes and illustrates a similar book on Costa Rican amphibians.

Most field guides provide very little information other than the features of the animal relevant to identifying it. Wainwright's book, however, contains loads of fascinating natural history information, written in an engaging, sometimes clever but never cute style.

This book is far more than a review of information about mammals in Costa Rica; it is also a good field guide and a useful text on applied conservation. The author is a professional guide in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and as such is knowledgeable about a wide variety of natural history subjects. This book is primarily a review of the literature about mammals in not only Costa Rica, but elsewhere in Central America. It contains information widely applicable to other counties and the suggestions for conservation apply just as widely.

I have a pretty good library on wildlife in Central and South America and this beautifully done book is probably the best, not only about a specific group, but also about general issues. The drawings are excellent, the overall book is well put together and, the writing is clear, simple, accurate, and really first-rate. Buy this book even if you don't plan on traveling to Costa Rica.

A marvellous book, compact enough to be a field guide and yet informative enough to be a valuable reference work at home. As a field guide it is particularly valuable for its superb illustrations and also in showing and discussing things like scats, tracks, dens and sounds for those animals that one would like to see but might not! We'll certainly take it along again on our next trip. As a reference work it is excellent as a clearly and entertainingly written introduction to the natural history and conservation of Costa Rica's many fascinating mammals. It also has a comprehensive list of references to the primary scientific literature.

This book is handy for those who want to identify Costa Rican mammals, but it is especially appropriate for anyone who wishes to go beyond the simple question of "What's that?" It contains a wealth of natural history information on mammals' feeding, defecating, and sexual behavior. The author also describes ecological interactions and conservation issues. Hundreds of superb illustrations depict portraits of the animals as well as behaviors, food plants, and interesting details such as scats and penis bones. While the book focuses on species within Costa Rica, much of the information applies to mammals in Central America in general. The Natural History of Costa Rican Mammals serves as a fine reference book and a fun-to-read book at the same time.

Laura and Bill Riley's book is a unique directory and guide to the best wildlife reserves around the world. It is a tremendous resource for ecologists and orginary tourists like myself. The many photographs are beautiful and the detailed descriptions are suberb. The book is a valuable tool for travelers and fascinating and enjoyable even if you cannot make the trip.

Nature's Strongholds, by Laura Riley and William Riley, is a very important book for the history of life.
It is not really an encyclopedia. Nor a lesson in geography. It is not just a very practical travelog with rich inside information.
It is all of those, but what it really shows is a detailed locator, through all the continents, of the Sacred Places, indeed the Strongholds, where the evolving wildlife is guarded, protected and preserved for now and the future.
The pictures and text are brilliant and flow from their many years of exploration and devotion.

This book is a must for serious travelers who like to include visits to intereesting natural habitats and wildlife--I have given the book to a number of friends and they are all thrilled with it--Bill Etz--wildbilo@aol.com

An indispensable guide if you're thinking of going to any of the great places, but equally wonderful armchair reading if you're staying home. Marvelous photographs.

Nature's Strongholds is one of the most beautiful books I have seen in a long time. The photographs are not only gripping and moving, but also sharp, clear and very carefully printed. The layout makes the wealth of information enticing and accessible, which is a great boon to the armchair traveler as well as to the regular explorer. The information provided for each site is just what the serious traveler, amateur ornithologist, conservationist, or eco-tourist would want, too--a list of significant birds, beasts, and other features not to be missed. Most valuable of all, perhaps, is the inside information on each location that the Rileys, explorers and conservationists of many years experience, provide. Both as a record and as a call to preserve the spectacular refuges described, Nature's Strongholds is a magnificent gift to the world!

I read this book when it came out over 15 years ago or so and it is still the book that I remember when someone asks me to recommend something that explains environmental change issues. He has such a concise and personal way of making you see the living sphere of Earth, all the parts of it, and how they are interconnected. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick but in depth read on the causes and effects of global pollution and degradation.

Although written more than 10 years ago, this book lays out in understandable terms to the non-professional scientist reader the foundation of the current global warming debate. Jonathan Weiner{winner of the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction for "The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time"}, gives compelling evidence that although a complex issue, global warming, climate change, ozone depletion, etc., are very real phenomena.

For those who wish to read more about the policy debate within government, NGO, and business circles; I recommend another Pulitzer Prize winner, Ross Gelbspan's "The Heat is On: The High Stakes Over Earth's Threatened Climate[1997]." I suggest reading Weiner's book first because it helps comprehend the jargon that professional science types tend to use.

Even today this book is the best read on the subject, I found so far. Concise, insightful yet entertaining, as in the hunt for (better: discovery of) the Keiling curve for CO2 concentration in the atmosphere - involving locations around the world and "peaking" in Hawaii. I also found it a fair treatment, giving some of the difficulties that the study of climate change is facing scientifically and politically. The emphasis is on science, thankfully. Jonathan Weiner learnt and teaches a lot through this book. Such as that global warming is a very slow process and manifests itself more in extremes and indeed will take yet another 20, 50 to 100 years until nature will prove the adherents or shock the skeptics of global warming. (Too late then.)
The action film "The Day After Tomorrow" due out in mid 2004 is a simplified, well meant dramatization of this subject. I recommend that you read this book before seeing the film and you will know the facts and then can enjoy the film even more (and smile and shake your head the wiser for it). Will take you a couple of feature film lengths to read this book, and fortunately the book is available via the indirect sellers on amazon.com.

Jonathan Weiner's book concerning the Earth and its biosphere and what is imperiled by the major increases in the burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of natural resources is one of the most important books for Ecologists, Environmentalists and leaders from all walks of life to read. This book allows the layman with a rudimentary science background to grasp the fundamental scientific facts supporting global warming. It tries to cover many different indications of global warming, from air bubbles frozen for thousands of years in Antartica to ocean temperatures, ground temperatures, carbon monitoring, and many other points of evidence. It introduces one to the history of the exploration of this phenomenon, giving a kind of personal tour of each major discovery and what its implications are. It incorporates actual weather disasters such as the drought of 1988 and how it affected farmers, people, politicians and news reporting. It takes you on the scene to the places where atmospheric composition is being carefully monitored. It covers the full range of toxic gases and what their build up could mean in the future. Most importantly, it describes the interelationship between toxic gases and air polution. In general, it seems to have a more detailed view of global warming than other books on the same topic.
Finally, it leaves you with little doubt that time is running out, and something must be done, sooner rather than later. This book should not become out of print, and should be read by leaders the world over. It resolves the ambiguities surrounding the global warming controversy.

Although nearly 10 years old this book is a very readable popular science assessment of the plight of our planet. It provides a provocative view of the forces that will shape our environment in the 21st century. I was inspired to begin collecting information on climate change that might one day form the basis of book of my own.

we loved this book!! a sweet and simple story with a compelling social justice message. Was perfect for our elementary schooler.

Oliver and the Oil Spill is indeed a timeless tale of environmental awareness and protection. It is definitely a book that I recommend purchasing for your children and young students. The astounding fact is that such a literary work can be produced by Ms. Chandrasekhar at the age of 9! I guarantee that readers young and old will find it a worthwhile read.

Really recommend this book for teaching kids about the environment, social responsibility, life and death issues, etc.

What a touching and sensitive book! Teaches young children the importance of conserving our environment in a readable and emotionally-sensitive format.

This book is the sensitive, thoughtfully-told tale of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, narrated from the point of view of a baby otter who loses his mother in the tragedy. It is an excellent introduction to environmental issues for youngsters as well as a primer on grieving and loss for youth. A must-read for every child

Dear Grandpa,
Ollie the Otter is about an otter who lived in the ocean before he got captured by a fisherman named Red Beard. Red Beard gave the otter to Kris,she works at an aquarium with otters,a sea turtle, and one bird named Bingo. The otters names are Sadie, Ollie, Fuzzy, and Browner and they also have one walrus named Fnadago. One day the animals set off to the deep dark sea along the way they met a swordfish, two jellyfish, and one great white shark named Tooth. Will the animals survive against the shark, the jellyfish and the swordfish? I don't know you'll have to find out for yourself.I certainly think that Ollie the Otter is the best book I've ever read.

Love,
Brianna
Brianna is my Granddaughter age 9

I read this book on advice from a friend. Then I read it to my 7 year old son. He loved the book and Ollie. We talked about Ollie and his love of life and what that meant for my son and I personally. It was a great couple of hours. Thank you Mr. Williamson.

Gordon Wolf PhD

My 6 year-old son really enjoyed this book and now says it is his favorite! I enjoyed reading it to him. Ollie is a teenage otter with attitude. He doesn't always listen and this gets him into an adventure with his other animal friends. The book may be for ages 8 and up, the it reaches a broader age range.

Ollie is a wonderfully uplifting and positive character that I found to be great for kids. His adventures are truly original and the friends he makes along the way are very memorable. This book is exciting, funny, informative and fast moving. Dive in and hang on for a good long swim.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! My primary goal in reading Ollie the Otter was to review and approve its content for my young son. I soon found myself in tears of laughter in several very colorful scenes. The animals in the story have rambunctious and vivid personalities which stand in stark contrast to the animal stories that I read as a child 30 years ago. I had a series of pink books (don't recall the author) that contained individual adventures (volumes) of a bear, squirrel, muskrat, and field mouse, but none compare to Ollie! I have taken the liberty of sending copies to my friends for their children to enjoy.