Wildlife Books

It looks to be a fabulous book & as I'm nutty about tigers, I'm sure I'll love it. However, a family member has hidden the book as it's for me for Christmas, so I can't really say much about it, but I have typed in 5 stars as I'm sure it will be,as I have read Stephen Mills articles in the BBC Wildlife magazine & they are great.

I received this book as a Christmas gift! It is the most in depth books about tigers that I have ever read! The pictures are great! Well worth the money!

This book tells about tigers like never before, it is full of grand information and colorful, beautiful photographs, nuff said! Buy it.

An entertaining read that reminds me of the style of the Jacques Cousteau books of the same time period. the author makes no pretences to have extensive knowledge of Suriname and writes to what he knows (zoology). He's no armchair anthropologist.
I found this refreshing since most books on Suriname only address cultural aspects.

If you're planning a first trip to Suriname there are probably better resources of information, but if you are interested in the premise alone, or have been to the big lake at Afobaka this is a great book.

A heartwarming true story told the way it happened by the man who lived the event. Sometimes sad, other times humorous, always touching, a book to read over and over again. Conducting a massive animal rescue operation in the middle of a rain forest, John Walsh proved it could be done and in the process taught an unknown concept to the bushnegroes he worked with - That instead of thinking of the capybara or the tapirs as the next meal, it was not time for the animals to die. It was not right to kill them for food now. A book every animal lover should read.

I read this book as a teenager (some 20+ years ago) and it has always stuck with me. John Walsh describes, in great and interesting detail, life in the Amazon Rain Forest as lived by scientists who were sent there to rescue 10,000 animals that live in an area that is being turned in to a lake by the building of a dam. This book is gripping and helps the reader both understand the trials faced by the scientists as well as the urgency of their work in the face of the ever rising water. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys adventure reading. Now that I have a teenager of my own - I have ordered it for him!

I first found this book in the lounge of a game lodge in South Africa, and had quite a time tracking down a copy. To classify this as a children's book, as the bookstore I found it in has, is clearly robbing many adults of the incredible experience of its pages. My three kids all love it, but why should they have all the fun?? The photography is absolutely amazing, just as Tippi's childhood must certainly have been. No one harbouring a love of Africa, it's wildlife, the innocence of childhood or good photography should miss this.

In town today when buying Easter books for the kids I found Tippi in Africa for my 7 years old. I have been to Africa several times, and now wants to bring my family, but they always say no, they don't want to go to Africa where there are dangerous animals, where there is poverty and the water is not clean. So I found this book the perfect present for my daughter.

We read the book right away when we came home, and what a treasure. The book tells about Tippi's childhood. The daughter of French nature photographers she spends most of her childhood in Africa. And growing up against the wild animals she and her surrondings soon discover that she has a very special ability to speak with the animals.

The book is filled with amazing photographs, and anecdotes from Tippi's childhood. Who can resist starting to dream about Africa after reading this book.

Thanks Tippi for sharing your life with us.

Britt Arnhild Lindland

Excellent. I've got the book today from amazon Germany. Now I want to read Tippi's very unique way to express herself in English.120 extrem beautiful photographs,done by her parents Sylvie and Alain Degre, give us an insight of her unusual childhood, grewing up in Africa. A nice gift for children and adults who want to see the world in it's beauty through children's eyes. Tippi lives now in Paris. I hope, she can save her experiences for life she obtained in Africa, for her future.

In this book a little Minstrel Seal who cannot sing (Happy Feet anyone?) sings every day when the sun is at it's highest, and then the other seals go away after he screeches his sourest note. However, everyday 2 seals disappear from the island until it is just him and 2 other seals. He decides to find out what happened to them and he sees a big furry creature carrying the seals under his arms. Then he is all alone. The big furry creature called Muttsok finally comes and takes Trapper away as well. Trapper teaches him that he can enjoy nature including rocks, flowers, the ocean, and songs without collecting them. Finally, the Muttsock lets the seals go free and still enjoys nature.

Overall, it's a cute book that can open a dialogue between children and adults to talk about preserving nature and wildlife without soundy preachy. I really enjoyed the book, and would place the reading level at 2nd grade, although ages 4-6 will enjoy having the book read to them.

I was in second grade when I fell in love with the series. My friends at school reccomended I should read it. I was (like I am now) smart then, reading eighth grade books. But since the baby seal on the cover lured me in, I had no choice. After ward, I scavenged every where for it. READ IT. IT'S EASY AND WHOLESOME!

This book is adorable and little "Trapper", the seal on the front and other drawings throughout the book adds to the charm of this little book. A great story about seals and also a wonderful lesson - to leave nature alone, to be enjoyed by all. A good book to read to young children - hopefully to learn to appreciate all of god's creatures and nature. Truly a delight!

This book will transcend you to a time and place that makes you feel at peace with nature. Merrick's writing is like poetry in motion. You will wish you could have been there to experience the times when he is at one with the universe. The people and places he is writing about no longer exist, which is the greatest pity of all.

I read some of the previous reviews before getting this and some were positive and some negative...I have to say I was very much pleased with the book, excellent story and tale with local dialogue to add an element of adventure and flair. I just really enjoyed the story and to see the hardships people faced...

A fascinating book! A well written account by a man who traveled extensively in the Canadian North in the 1930s, just as the traditional remoteness that had characterized that world was ending with the introduction of planes and other technologies. Merrick was a keen and sympathetic friend of the North, its history and its Native peoples.

This book is a visual treat-- one of the most stunningly beautiful books I have seen. It arrived shrink-wrapped which was excellent. Thoroughly recommended.

"Tulips" is a dramatically photographed, spectacularly beautiful coffee table book, a gift more unique and special that the publishers photos suggest. The exotic blooms are presented in two-page spreads, always color matched: pinks with pinks, yellows with yellows. Arnold uses a lavish amount of black grounds to showcase his exotic flowers, assorting black and white grounds in one spread, followed by the next two pages in all black ground. Many of the photos "bleed" off the page, for heightened graphic impact. The photos are bold, sophisticated, and full of life. There are no bouquets, no mixtures. Each species dances alone, commanding the viewer's full attention.

I should not admit this fact, but I bought two books, got out my exacto knife and cut the pages of one volume for matting and hanging. The intensely-saturated inks and finest quality, heavy paper gave me art quality, modern, botanical prints at a tiny fraction of their market cost. The book is a fabulous value at its Amazon price.

This is a very amazing book. It features over 60 full page photographs in color... Photographs of tulips! The book includes several pages of introduction by the photographer. He talks about his garden, his tulips and photography, and the history and industory of tulips. Also included is a list of tulip suppliers!

After gazing at the stunning vistas of nature transposed by Blake Gardner,I realized what a meditation these photos became for me. I was immersed in the depths of colors,shapes ,forms and the sensation of being there,standing next to this inspired artist,silent in the wonderment of the beauty and ancient stillnes that has been captured.
Every photograph is a unique tribute to Vermont,our earth and the talent of one who sees.

I'm really impressed by Blake Gardner's new book Untamed Vermont for several reasons. First and foremost, Blake's photos of the Green Mountain State are outstanding. With his large format camera, he captures both grand scenic and intimate landscapes of Vermont's forests, mountains and lakes - everything from fiddleheads pushing themselves up through the oak leaves of a recently thawed ground to the sweeping vista of the Mountain State from atop Camel's Hump which adorns the cover of this book.

The second reason I like this book is that the photos are accompanied by some excellent text. Senator Patrick Leahy himself, whom has been a US Senator from Vermont since 1974, writes the Foreword. He not only takes this opportunity to boast of Vermont's "inspiring colored leaves in autumn, the rivers and lakes that dot the countryside, and the countless hiking trails that weave up and around the Green Mountains." He also takes this opportunity to tell of the importance of protecting Vermont's wilderness areas. "It is important to preserve Vermont's Wilderness for our enjoyment and that of generations to come," he writes. "Vermont's first-rate quality of life is partly due to the accessibility of open lands, mountains, lakes, and rivers. Being surrounded by nature offers a time for solitude and reflection, recreation and quality moments with loved ones." I can't agree more.

Most of the book's text is written by Tom Wessels. Tom is an ecologist, writer, and founding director of the Conservation Biology Program at Antioch New England Graduate School. Of course Tom's going to get points because Antioch is my wife's alma matter, but he also has written a beautiful narrative text which manages to add an additional layer of satisfaction to this great nature photography coffee-table book. The book is full of interesting facts about the Green Mountain State and it's ecology.

I have been visiting Vermont since the late 60s -- and every arrival is a fresh falling in love with its landscapes. Blake Gardner's new book, "Untamed Vermont," is an extraordinarily powerful evocation of the place at its best. It roams around and finds both the grand vistas and the quiet, small miraculous patches. Gardner's compositions are stunning. One of my favorites is a photo of wild grapes in the Big Branch Wilderness that has the serene lushness of a painted still life. Another one in the same woods: a portrait of a warbler's ground nest, half-hidden by ferns and browned leaves. He captures a forest coated with rime ice in the Camel's Hump area -- a wildly intricate, hypnotic vision. Though it's obvious that Gardner has hiked and climbed to some pretty remote spots to make these photographs, he also shows places that anyone can visit. If you're addicted to Vermont -- or wild lands anywhere -- you'll want to own this book.

Through masterful prose, Michael Engelhard indelibly paints the landscape of the Colorado Plateau on the canvas of our hearts and minds. Those of us who, like him, love the southwestern desert and its magnificent canyons discover that, indeed, there ARE words to describe what we see, what we feel, and what we take with us from our encounters with this land. His descriptions give voice to our speechlessness in the face of the overwhelming beauty of the landscape.

What began as a plan to hike 120 canyons in tribute to those lost to the damming of the Colorado River at Glen Canyon became, as his subtitle says, a "sacred geography." But it is so much more. It is also an adventure, a personal journey, and a love letter to the physical and spiritual forces that carved these canyons and to those in whose footsteps he walks.

As a reader, I hiked beside him and listened to his heart. I paddled down the Green River with him and felt my shoulders ache from the effort. I marveled at the play of light and shadow on canyon walls. I saw again those canyons I knew, but I saw them with new eyes, and I understood more clearly my own fascination with this land.

Even readers who have never set foot on the Colorado Plateau will be touched by the beauty and lyricism of Engelhard's style. They, also, will be drawn onto the rivers or into the Maze, losing themselves, like him, in order to find themselves.

"Where the Rain Children Sleep" has quickly become one of my most cherished desert books. When something as heavy a a hardback makes it into my list of necessary backpacking items, that says something. What I appreciate the most about Englehard's writing is his gift of a new persepctive to the reader. Some of us have frequented these desert places Englehard writes of, but with eloquence and a spiritual connectedness with the land, Englehard insight is like seeing the desert in new colors. To come upon these desert places again, I think of them differently--that is to say, more spiritually aware and culturally informed. This is a real treat for anyone who considers the Colorado Plateau a place of mind, body, and soul.

Engelhard's developed and articulate voice proves to be a thoroughly competent guide for a literary journey to the nooks and crannies of the Four Corners region. He has weaved his interest in anthropology and his zest for adventure into a blend that offers readers a unique perspective on equally unique places. I recommend buying two copies of Where the Rain Children Sleep -- one to keep in good shape on your bookshelf, the other to tote around with you on your own adventures.

This book helped me discover my hidden talent of observation. Though I'd like to say I draw well, it's not exactly true. But thanks to this book, I've been able to refine my drawing skills and better capture the details that catch my eye and are so hard to explain. Being able to communicate the details on paper is fulfilling in a whole new sense!

This wonderfully illustrated book is truly an adventure in the love of nature and all its creatures. The author presents an easy-to-understand approach to journal sketching through the seasons by providing the steps that help you draw what you see and feel. The sketches are based on favorite natural areas in Boulder CO but the drawing techniques are universal and can be used by the young-at-heart from 5 to 95. This delightful book will even encourage the non-artist to pick up a pencil and start sketching and will greatly enhance the way one see's and responds to nature.

This is a great book for people who think they have to be Rembrandt to keep an artistic journal. The author does a great job teaching beginers not to stress about making perfect sketches. The lively fun text puts emphasis on observation and just getting out there and doing it. This would make a great book for schools.

The world of e-reviewing is a tolerant world, and exaggerations have an easy home there. But measured by the role it has played in people's lives, there is little hyperbole in identifying Peterson and Fisher's "Wild America," precisely fifty years old this year, as among the most important books produced in the twentieth century. In the 1950s and 1960s, the book found its way into school libraries all over America, where it has been read with awe and envy by the last three generations of would-be naturalists--read so intensively that many of us, decades later, can quote great passages by heart.
The book is a collaborative account of the biggest 'big year' up to that point ever undertaken in North America; the trip was planned by none other than Roger Tory Peterson, then (and still today, perhaps) the continent's best-known birder, and was intended as an introduction to America's natural history for James Fisher, an equally prominent British naturalist who had never visited this side of the Atlantic. "Wild America" was the result: a priceless document of the continent's natural riches seen through the eyes, the words and the illustrations of two gifted and interesting observers.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Peterson and Fisher's trip, and the book is certain to be celebrated over and over in the press. Those who have not read it should by all means visit their library to borrow a well-worn copy; and those who have should take it in hand again, and be reminded of how important this text was in the birth of North America's birding culture as we know it today.

Let me just quote my favorite line from the book. It is when James Fisher, an Englishman, first sees the Grand Canyon:

"I went down there a few yards. The world ended; began again eight miles away. Between the ends of the world was a chasm."

Now I have never seen the Grand Canyon, but reading about it with such wonder through Mr. Fisher's eyes was extraordinary. It brought tears to my eyes. It goes to show how truly amazing and beautiful America is. I highly recommend this book, not just for the birds these two men see, but also for all the wonderful sights they come encounter. It made me want to retrace their route.

When I found this book at Third Place Books in Seattle in the summer of 2002, I had never heard of it, but, from the authors' reputation as naturalists and ornithologists, it looked like a good read. I discovered the book at the end of my camping journey to three national parks in Washington state and a one-week cruise to Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park and the main points of interest in beautiful southeastern Alaska. My jaunt to the natural areas of the Pacific Northwest and the Alexander Archipelago would be lame compared to the 20,000+ miles that Roger Peterson and James Fisher logged in on their comprehensive foray to "Wild America".

The authors embarked on their journey following the coast of the US with intermittent forays to the interior and a brief excursion to Mexico a year before the publication of the molecular structure of DNA as double helix. Rapid developments in our understanding of the molecular basis of life ushered in the molecular era of biology, which has ultimately led to the restructuring and overhauling of the way we teach biology and the way we explain, understand, and appreciate the complexities of life. Just when most students in biology these days are honed to the molecular and cellular basis of life--a reductionist view, so to speak--and less to the holistic and more traditional view of biology, what a refreshing change to learn from and be engrossed by the keen observations of two naturalists on the road and be taken back to an era when biology as natural history was respected as an academic field and an engaging pastime as well!

There are tons of information on birds in this book, but the authors also pay attention to mammals and other fauna, and then there is the flora (peculiar landmark plant species of the West stand out, like the agave, saguaro, ocotillo, Joshua Tree, Monterey cypress, coastal redwood, sequoia, sugar pine, lodgepole pine, and Douglas fir). There are also accounts of long-term inhabitants and indigenous peoples, and their culture and history. The illustrations are superb. The most remarkable part of the book, however, are the wholehearted commentaries on the purpose and values of our national parks and monuments. Since 1953, many of the national monuments they visited are now national parks. Roads have been paved, widened, and increased, and so have concessions and amenities, converting park villages into virtual towns and confronting many visitors with the same urban and suburban evils (traffic, congestion, to name a few) from which they try to escape by visiting national park areas. You can try hard to hope that James Fisher criticizes the way national parks are run, but you don't find that in the book. Notwithstanding this, it is amusing that many facts about the national monuments and parks still apply today and that these places can make the same impressions today, mainly because we try hard to keep these natural treasures intact for future generations. The British naturalist's gratitude to Americans for the designation and preservation of national parks and optimism for their stewardship is a sharp contrast to Edward Abbey's cynical attitude towards the National Park Service and disdain for tourists.

The book concludes with a powerful statement that speaks of Fisher's gratitude to Americans and optimism for "Wild America": "And this is what I have tried to do--to tell of Wild America, and say that never have I seen such wonders or met landlords so worthy of their land. They have had, and still have, the power to ravage it; and instead have made it a garden". Certainly the power of his statement would not have been lost on people who deeply appreciate natural America and care to preserve our astounding natural heritage.