Pets Books

What a great book!! PLEASE parents , get a copy for your kids , this is the most inspiring book ever!

This is truly a wonderful book with incredible wildlife photos accompanied by a simple yet poignant narrative highlighting the need for conservation.

"In the end, we will conserve only what we love and we will love only what we understand." BABA DIOUM

This is a beautifully photographed book and the language that accompanies these images is heartfelt. This is a must have book in every home and classroom.

The combination of breath-taking photography, and insightful and inspiring prose create an awesome yet humbling book. Its appeal is universal--everyone can learn, if we listen to its message.

This book is one of the simplest, yet one of the most inspiring and enjoyable books I have ever read. The photography in it is amazing and Greive deffinately has a way with his words. In addition to this intriging visiual presentation, there is much to learn in this book as well. Learn about endangered and threatened animals thoughout the world while looking at unique images of them. This is a must read for everyone and it should be a required book for schools throughout the world to read instead of many other required books that have no appeal to students.

In addition, on the inside cover it reads, "BTG (author) is donating all his author royalties from the worldwide sales of Priceless to his principal wildlife conservation charity, the Taronga Foundation." Thats gotta say something about the book in itself!!!

It all starts when James and the not so very Sarah, get black lab puppies that look exactly the same, from the same litter. On Pet Day, both James and Sarah bring their Black Labs. They both get loose. This is when it turns into a real puzzle. Finding the puppies leads Mandy Hope (who loves animals) and James (the owner of one Black Lab puppy)to some great adventures. It's a very exciting book. It's one of the very few books I actually enjoyed. I couldn't put it down! I recommend this book for kids 7-11. I suggest you read Puppy Puzzle now and read all the - packed adventures that happen in this awesome book!

Puppy Puzzle is a fun book about a nine-year-old girl named Mandy, and two little puppies, Licorice and Blackie. Mandy is an animal lover, and though she doesn't know everybody in her town, she certainly knows every animal. Both her parents are veterinarians, and they have enough responsibilities with other people's pets. When a litter of puppies arrives in the Hope's animal hospital, Animal Ark, Mandy does not get to keep a single one, but she does keep in touch when two of the puppies end up staying in Welford. Mandy's new friend, James, chooses the runt of the litter, Blackie, and Licorice, the largest puppy, is bought by the snot-nosed Sarah Drummond. As the puppies grow, the three children begin to realize that training puppies is a lot harder than it looks, and, after a catastrophic `Pet Day' at their school, both puppies escape! It is up to Mandy and James to find the puppies, and, of course, tell them apart.


--I have to read 100 childrens books for a class project; this is definitely one of my favorites!

Mandy and James are always bringing animals into Animal Ark, Mandy's parents veterinary office. In this story, James and a girl from school, named Sarah, get matching black lab puppies. Guess what? They get away on "Pet Day" at school! They find one puppy, but which one is it? It is a race against time to find the other puppy before he gets hurt.

This was a good mystery book. Mandy is always trying to help the animals. There are a lot of other interesting characters in it also. There are very nice pictures too. I loved this book!

Welford Elementary School is having a pet show, and James and Sara are both bringing in their new puppies. The only problem is, is that they look exactly the same. Will James and Sara figure out which dog is who's before it's too late?

The text is technical and takes some work to understand but the effort pays off. The pictures are beautiful and flesh out the text. A wonderful aid to getting closer to some amazing creatures.

This guide is more like a textbook in its attention to detail, and I rate it the best raptor guide I have seen and read. The photos are great, showing various poses and the way the birds look as juveniles and as adults of both sexes, and the text covers all the traits, habitat, morphs, etc. to help I.D. and understand the birds.

This book is wonderfull. With dozens of photos for each bird, this REALLY helps an amateur identify a bird. The best in it's class!

This is the most comprehensive guide available. The species discussions include practically everything you need to know (molts, morphs, subspecies, habits, etc), and covers Western variants rarely covered in other works. The range maps by Economidy and Wheeler are the gold standard and will, it is to be hoped, encourage others to produce such extremely precise maps. It is a reference work, too large to fit in a pocket, but is indispensable. Keep this in your vehicle and Clark & Wheeler's Hawks of North America in your pocket, and you've got our western raptors covered.

Brian Wheeler has created what are likely to be THE standard guides to these taxa for the foreseeable future. Excellent photos, tremendous detail--a heroic effort with incredibly helpful results.
But what is wrong at Princeton UP? First they mess up Olsen's _Gulls_ to the point that the entire edition is pulped; and now Wheeler's text in both books is marred by what you would think would be embarrassing editorial errors. Wheeler's prose, for the most part serviceable, was obviously never read by an editor, and there are entire passages that make no sense (fortunately, they only rarely include identification matters). The very first page of the author's introduction has a shameful printing error, an entire half-line left blank.
This is a great book, I own it, I use it, I recommend it every chance I get; but the editorial and production slips make me wonder if Princeton has given up on its birding program--or whether it maybe ought to.

What a delightful and informative book! As I've been able to do more diving and snorkling in SE Asia the past couple of years, identifying the underwater life has become a hobby as much as my love of birding. But I wanted to know more than just identification. This book is very readable and informative, suitable for adults and older children. The photographs are gorgeous and very clear. I'm reading it cover to cover. Many thanks to the Tacketts!

I have the complete set of books now and I really enjoy having the infromation so when I go diving in Cozumel each year it really helps me identify the different species. This really helps when you are one of the few that does not know it all.

This is a beautiful book with incredible pictures. Additionally it has very informative text. It is a great book for anyone with a serious interest in reefs & reef life.

The Tacketts have achieved something remarkable with this book. Not only is the quality of the photographs consistently high, but the detailed information within the text is logical and accessible to any diver whether they be experts in marine biology or simply curious fish watchers.
This American husband and wife team seem to have lived many divers dream existence. Travelling the Indo Pacific for 13 years, they would camp on a beach with their own compressor and make three dives a day collecting sponge specimens for medical research.
The scientific information is clear and broken down into digestible chunks, enlivened by well annotated pictures - everything from mantis shrimps eating coral shrimps, to frogfish camouflaged against cup corals. Predation, reproduction, camouflage, feeding and mimicry are all wonderfully explained. And, in keeping with the mood of the times there is a final section on reefs in danger - overfishing, cyanide, pollution etc, complete with appropriate photos including a poignant shot of an octopus trying to cover itself with a piece of broken plastic audio-cassette.
A substantial glossary at the end of the book covers everything from allelopathy to zooxanthellae.
The strength and value of this book is that it is not just a collection of good underwater images, I suspect it will become an invaluable primer for any diver who wants to look at reefs in an intelligent way.

I have been waiting for this book! Burt Jones got me focused on the 'one metre' dive a few years back and I've been enjoying macro critters and muck diving ever since. In this awsome new book, the Tacketts bring you their personal experiences with the macro world and incorportate a great deal of useful information which can help all of us better understand the interrelationships amongst all the critters. That understanding is one of the keys to making better images of the critters.

If you are a diver and you really want to get acquainted with the underwater world, stop swimming and start looking. And this book gives you step by step pointers on how to go about looking and helps you understand what you are seeing.

I was highly entertained by some of the facts and descriptions of a few of the horses described as well as circumstances leading up to, during and after the "cure". I am familiar with many of these animals and reading about them brought back many a smile to my face as well as the subsequent PAIN in certain incidences! Although my recollection is a tad different sometimes the end results were accomplished and I was very proud to see that Yvonne had finally published the book she has dreamed of doing perhaps all of her adult-life and a great portion of her childhood!
If I know Yvonne, this will merely be her first book, not hardly her last!
Hip Hip Hoorah to one of my sisters!!!

This was a really fun book to read and I found myself using horses I know and have worked with as examples of the different personalities. Really interesting and entertaining along with some practical info. I highly recommend this book to all

I got this book because of the articles in Dressage Today. I really love the case studies and the training tips. I was quickly able to pick out all three of my own horses and get ideas on how to improve their training. The book is easy to read straight through or once you know your horses type to go straight to the parts that apply to them. I highly recommend it.

When I heard that Yvonne was going to write a book, I eagerly awaited its release. I have watched and competed against Yvonne on the Arabian circuit and admired she and Kim's ability to work with the horses under such 'non-traditional'(for the horses anyway) circumstances at Arabian Nights in Orlando. The horses seem very well adjusted to their jobs - and I just LOVE the show!! Aside from her USDF competition achievements mentioned in another review, working with these performance horses gives her more than enough credibility all by itself.
The book is very insightful and, while I feel as if I have been aware of the innate differences in personalities of the horses I have been involved with, this has given me a fun way to categorize them all over again. Considering your horses' personality can be such a tremendous asset to the overall training process that shouldn't be ignored. This is an educational and fun way to think it through!!
I haven't finished the book yet - but, I can't wait to learn and think more about how an INTJ like me can best fit with my seemingly Social/Challenging 1/2 Arab yearling and my Aloof/Social Arab stallion.
Thanks for a great read Yvonne!!

I read this book in one sitting, and refer to it again and again. Yvonne Barteau has written a unique contribution to the equine genre. It helped me understand my mare, whom I have dubbed "social/challenging" under most circumstances and "challenging/social" when she is in heat! Barteau's extensive equine experience as a United States Dressage Federation medalist and competition dressage trainer gives her undisputed credibility. This is the perfect book for equine enthusiasts who believe they already have read everything written about horse training.

I`ve mainly ridden (for a few years) as an adult and have my own horse. It is through my horse that I`ve discovered just how weak my riding truly was. Pretty good on school horses, but with my horse it`s a different story. On one hand my weaknesses are completely pointed out and unforgiven, yet my successes (when they truly are successes) are equally rewarded.

I`ve looked at lots of other methods to achieve riding and partnership success with my horse, including Parelli, yet this is hands down the best approach to riding I`ve found.

I`ve only just begun to practice the methods and exercises in this book and already I`m seeing great results. No question it`s alot of work and coordination, but when you get it right it feels truly wonderful! I already feel much more secure even though I`m far from the ideal as she puts it. I particularly like her references to how great riders seem to be `just sitting there and doing nothing`, when in fact they are doing quite alot, with very high muscle tone and she then explains in detail just how you can do it too. I`ve read other books that are filled with riding jargon but light on specifics - I love this book because of the great detail of specifically describing each aspect then telling you how to achieve it complete with both on and off horse exercises.

My only regret is not finding this book sooner - from the title I had always thought it would be more about riding psycology - it is decidedly NOT, and all about body mechanics, both for you and the horse!

Where Sally Swift, through Centered Riding opened the door to riding in balance with awareness, Mary Wanless leads us through that same door and into the light. She describes how the best riders in the world achieve flawless, brilliant performances from their horses with seemingly little use of their bodies. Many of them don't know or can't tell you how they do it! Mary wanless has come to a total understanding of HOW. But more than that, she serves it up in small, " digestable chunks" that we can easily digest and use in our search for the connection with our horse that will achieve the beauty and lightness and willingness we all desire . Her knowledge of horse and human biomechanics is key. Her ability to teach it goes beyond what "good" riding instructors impart to their students. She is truly gifted in her ability to teach what has taken her a long time to learn. This is the true "Basics" we hear about that we need for the foundation of our riding that must stay with us throughout our riding career no matter what horse sport we choose.

This is the most useful training book (for any subject!) that I have read. Mary Wanless is truely gifted at explaining what common terms actually mean in a physical sense. Since auditing a clinic where I purchased the book, my riding has improved tremendously. I'm still a raw beginner (even though I've been riding for a few years), but am starting to feel secure and effective in the saddle. Its hard work, but I can feel my muscles developing and changing which is very rewarding. Plus my Norwegian Fjord Horses seem happier :-) I recommend this book to everyone!

I have loved and ridden horses all my life. I thought I knew what I was doing. After the first reading of Mary's other book, Ride with Your Mind Masterclass, I realized I have a lot more to learn.

For me, this book, Essentials, is the follow-on to Masterclass. There are several pieces to the puzzle in this book that are not in Masterclass. On the other hand, this book has a pared-down presentation (which you might expect from the title), and in many cases the text and illustrations did not make it clear to me what I was to do or how I was to feel. I was glad to have read Masterclass first. Now that I have, I need this book too, because it goes into much more detail about some aspects of riding.

Where Sally Swift, through Centered Riding opened the door to riding in balance with awareness, Mary Wanless leads us through that same door and into the light. She describes how the best riders in the world achieve flawless, brilliant performances from their horses with seemingly little use of their bodies. Many of them don't know or can't tell you how they do it! Mary wanless has come to a total understanding of HOW. But more than that, she serves it up in small, " digestable chunks" that we can easily digest and use in our search for the connection with our horse that will achieve the beauty and lightness and willingness we all desire . Her knowledge of horse and human biomechanics is key. Her ability to teach it goes beyond what "good" riding instructors impart to their students. She is truly gifted in her ability to teach what has taken her a long time to learn. This is the true "Basics" we hear about that we need for the foundation of our riding that must stay with us throughout our riding career no matter what horse sport we choose.

Sadie's adventures and insight provide windows through which we humans can look to examine our own lives. Short, easy to read chapters provide opportunities for reflection.

What's next, Sadie Mae?

Sadie Mae Baird - The Power has intrigued me once again. I sat down and read this book cover to cover in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down. The author does an amazing job of showing why we should be thankful for every day and live life to the fullest. I love the way the author uses Sadie Mae to open the readers eyes and mind to see the beauty of life in both the good and bad times. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone needing joy and inspiration in their life. And lets face it, who doesn't. I cannot wait to read the next book.

The author continues to amaze me at the insightful day to day challenges, goals and views she is able to portray through a wonderful book. It not only changes the way we see things about ourselves but makes you wonder what every other animal or creature is really thinking, and why, at any given time? Life is too short to not see the miracles that surround us each day when you never know if it is your last! Sadie Mae IS definitely a miracle and I would recommend it to EVERYONE!

I have bought a copy for each of my 3 daughters. I want them to read and re-read this book. The author has a powerful, keen insight into what "makes us tick". In her own unique way, she demonstrates that none of us is permanently condemned to view our cup as being half empty. She ably demonstrates that "have a nice day" can be more than just another meaninglesss cliche. Rather, consistently having "good days" is an ordered state, easily within reach of every living, breathing human while dreading tomorrow is a confining, self defeating mindset, which the author points out is a choice, but one which is never mired in concrete.

Very heartwarming, informative, and funny. I loved it. Sadie Mae continues to teach us humans how our lives can be so much better. Can't wait for her next book.

I always get a kick out of reading the Santa Paws series. And this particular book about Santa Paws ranks among my all-time favorites. I love how the author is so descriptive, and I love how the characters, especially Santa Paws, are portrayed. This book isn't too intense for young children, and at the same time it's not a baby book. I'd say this kind of book applies to all ages. If you haven't read this book yet, then you have no idea what you're missing.

It was close to Christmas and with Santa Paws at home it was going to be the first relaxing holiday the Callahans had had in years. Nobody could have known that they were going to have much more than just a white Christmas.
When a huge ice storm takes Oceanport by surprise, an amazing number of accidents happen. Is this storm a disaster not even Santa Paws can face?
But Santa Paws sets out with his new sidekick, mischievous Abigail the cat, to save Christmas once again. He braves everything from falling trees and car crashes to loose cows and a cat stuck in a slippery tree, to make sure everybody has a happy holiday.

It was close to Christmas and with Santa Paws at home it was going to be the first relaxing holiday the Callahans had had in years. Nobody could have known that they were going to have much more than just a white Christmas.
When a huge ice storm takes Oceanport by surprise, an amazing number of accidents happen. Is this storm a disaster not even Santa Paws can face?
But Santa Paws sets out with his new sidekick, mischievous Abigail the cat, to save Christmas once again. He braves everything from falling trees and car crashes to loose cows and a cat stuck in a slippery tree, to make sure everybody has a happy holiday.

The protagonist is Santa Paws.The conflict is there is an ice storm and Santa Paws's family is at stake.Most of Santa Paws family are trapped in an ice storm, can Santa Paws save them? What I like best are the characters because they are funny and weird, because they are animals and talk.

It was almost Christmas, and with Santa Paws safe at home it was going to be the first relaxing holiday the Callahans had had in years. Who could have known they were going to have much more than just a white Christmas? When a huge ice storm takes the little town of Oceanport by surprise, countless accidents occur. Too many for even Santa Paws? But the hero dog escapes into the storm with his new sidekick, Abigail the cat, to face his biggest disaster ever. With a number of amazing (and a couple funny) rescues, Santa Paws is saving Christmas again!

Abigail is great, and Santa Paws is as good as ever! But why aren't Gregory and Patricia involved in any of these books anymore? It's really cool to read about Santa Paws and his rescues--especially about Abigail tagging along behind him. But if sometime there could be a book that was a little more like "The Return of Santa Paws" again... Still--a really great book!

Take a bumpy ride on a motorcycle through the Southeast Asian jungles as Sy Montgomery takes you by the hand on another journey to find a bear we normal folk have never heard of before as she and Professor Gary J. Galbreath go in...... Search for The Golden Moon Bear: Science and Adventure in Pursuit of a New Species. Beware of the perils that await you of armed gunmen, if you don't follow the spiritual lemmings into the roadside Temple to pray for your safe passage before entering the jungle...just in case! The most adventurous and spell-binding of any Montgomery titles, it will keep you on the edge of your seat as you follow her and Galbreath through this heart stopping, teeth clenching, anger inducing, wild action adventure with a lot of science, a bit of local flavor, a touch of history and some humor thrown in for good measure as only Montgomery can do. Get your passport out, take your shoes off and be prepared to be searched by airport security, because after you read this book, you will be a Tree Hugger-conservationist for life! Like Journey of the Pink Dolphins: An Amazon Quest and The Good Good Pig:The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood, this is another must have Sy Montgomery book for your library collection!

I would say half of this book is on bears, half on journeys throughout Southeast Asia. This suited me find since I love both topics. Montgomery deals with both well, and explains both the wildlife trade and scientific concepts in clear language. I also like how she does not reveal the conclusion of the search until the end, allowing for a suspensful read. I have to admit, I have read many books about environmental issues in Southeast Asia, but was surprised by a lot in this book (including the extent of keeping bears in hotels in Phnom Penh). A great story of discovery in Southeast Asia.

As a fellow "naturalist-author," I've long been an admirer of Sy Montgomery's work - no matter which jungle this diminutive, intrepid, high-spirited lady is leading a reader through. She's introduced me to great apes in Africa, man-eating tigers in India, pink dolphins in the Amazon. Her latest "Search for the Golden Moon Bear" is, I think, her most ambitious and perilous quest yet.
It's also Sy's most heart-wrenching. For these marvelous, previously-unknown creatures of Southeast Asia are visible, for the most part, only in cages where they've been penned. Sy's pursuit of the golden moon bear is in the company of scientist Gary Galbreath. I don't want to give away her many adventures, but suffice that Cambodia and Laos today remain places not to be visited by the faint of heart.
Which is one thing Sy Montgomery can never be accused of being. Her descriptive prose of animals and landscapes is right up there with the best of contemporary nature writers. Her latest book is also an eloquent plea for conservation of the endangered species whose various organs and body parts are tragically finding their way into dozens of "traditional medicine" marketplaces. As she writes of the golden moon bear, "You look into her eyes as you would look at the stars, their light crossing eons, alien, eternal and mute."
If you read only one wildlife adventure book this season, make it this one!

Sy Montgomery has written another of her enchanting books about animals. Who would ever believe that trying to chase down the geneology of a bear could lead to such excitement? It's trite to say,"It's a thrill a minute!" but that is the feeling as Sy tears across Cambodia where nobody goes because the whole damn place is covered with land mines. One good thing comes from this in that people have stopped denuding the forest in order to keep both legs on their bodies. Sy tells us that one in 236 Cambodians is an amputee from the land mines. If you were fortunate enough to hear Sy review her book at various venues around the country, you got to see fascinating and sometimes gruesome slides as she takes us on her magic carpet. Sy is magical when she starts writing about her beloved natural world, as thousands know from reading her columns in the Boston Globe.

If you didn't make it to Sy's book review, you will be delighted to know that the slides are included in the beautifully illustrated book.

Here is a writer who is meticulous in the accuracy of her writing but still thrills us with her enthusiasm for the subject. If you only read one book this year, it has to be SEARCH FOR THE GOLDEN MOON BEAR. It's a shame that I can't give it more than Five Stars. What the heck, I give it Six Stars. So shoot me Amazon.com!

Another great book by Sy Montgomery, a gifted natural history and travel writer. In this work she focuses on her search for a new animal, officially unknown to science, the golden moon bear. Is it a color phase of a known bear, the normally black moon bear? Or perhaps a subspecies of it? Or even a new species altogether, the first new bear species to be described in almost a century? Accompanied by the gifted American biologist Dr. Gary J. Galbreath and Sun Hean, a young and promising Cambodian conservationist, they search throughout Southeast Asia for evidence and accounts of the elusive golden moon bear. Traveling all through Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand, from illegal back alley markets selling endangered species parts to remote forest reserves threatened by encroaching refugees, illegal logging, and poachers to charity-run wildlife rehabiliation centers to dwindling primitive hill tribes vanishing in the face of approaching civilization, their time-honored wisdom of the ways of the forest dying with them, their quest is a long, wild, and sometimes dangerous one. Montgomery and her companions must face all manner of possible threats, from unexploded ordinance from the Vietnam War (Laos being one of the most bombed nations in world history) to concealed land mines deep in the jungle (a legacy of the Khmer Rouge, having left thousands of mines in Cambodia which frequently claim lives and limbs to this day) to warring hill tribes, opium growers, poachers, huge leeches, jungle illnesses; it would seem only their passion and thirst for knowledge kept them going.

This book has been described as a mystery, and rightly so. As they proceed down tangled jungle trails and even more tangled urban ones, the mystery deepens. Is there only one possible new species of bear haunting the rain forests and mountains of Southeast Asia or are there more? Locals in various areas speak of other new bear species, not matching descriptions of the golden moon bear, telling Montgomery and the others of "horse bears," "dog bears," "pig bears," and "man bears." Others speak of "honey bears" or huge compleletly black mountain bears, lacking the distinct markings of moon bears. Are these local variants of the two species of bears known to live in Southeast Asia, the sun bear and the moon bear? Perhaps they are new populations of more distant bear species, such as the brown bear and the sloth bear? Or do they represent altogether new species?
Not daunted by this but becoming even more enthusiastic they do their best to expand the frontiers of zoology and answer these questions.

The book focuses mainly on bears but other wildife is given some attention. Learn about the dholes, wild rare, red Asian dogs once venerated and protected by Laotian hill tribes. The Asian elephant, still revered by many in the region, particularly in Thailand; in Thai newspapers an elephant's age is always mentioned with his name, and honorific titles are bestowed, Pang for lady elephant, Pai for tuskers, and Sidor for tuskless males. The khting vor, an enigmatic animal first described in 1993, originally said to be a new type of wild ox, later a type of wild sheep or goat, an animal about which Montgomery makes some surprising revelations about.

However, more than the natural history of these animals Montgomery brings to readers their plight, that they are in danger of extinction. A rampant black market for animal parts, largely for medicinal purposes, threatens the very existence of some of Southeast Asia's more spectacular wildlife. Bears are captured and savagely and cruely harvested for their paws, made into soups which are more "powerful" if the animal is still alive when the paw is removed. Montgomery describes in heart-rending detail how animals are inhumanely abused and tortured in the region for the supposed exlirs and potions that they can produce, even when substitute are cheaply and easily avaiable through man-made sources.

Perhaps even worse than the market for animal parts is the simple extermination of animals for food. Montgomery describes nearly empty forests in Laos, where virtually every wild animal, from insect to civet to song bird to bat to bear and tiger are collected for the dinner table. Barrels full of smoked bats and empty caves, skewered songbirds and silent sunrises - and worse -are the result in a virtual wildlife holocaust.

As in other books by Sy Montgomery the book is a much a travelogue as a work of natural history. Particularly fascintating were her travels in remote, poorly known Laos, one of the most enigmatic nations in the world. A poor nation but rich in diversity - Laos posseses 240 ethnic groups and four ethnolinguistic families, ethnic minorities making up 70 percent of the population, and over 13,000 genetic varieties of rice are cultivated in the country, with only India, one hundred times the land area, having more - to me the book was worthwhile alone for educating me about this country. The book provides similiar interesting details on Cambodia and Thailand as well.

In closing I recommend this book highly. Does Montgomery get her bear(s)? Find out by reading the book. As often in science, the answers often lead to still more questions, and the book admitedly does not have a final, definitive answer on all the qestions raised. However, I think you will be greatly satisfied upon reading this great book.

This book presents itself as a history of Yellowstone. However, it's also an extended reflection on the park by someone who loves it dearly, someone who has worked for the National Park Service in Yellowstone for years and is very knowledgeable about the park. Schullery writes very well, and the book is a pleasure to read.

The most striking characteristic of this book, in comparison with others, is how remarkably even-handed it is. Schullery takes controversial issues such as fire management, elk shooting, wolf reintroduction, and brucellosis-infected bison and presents them in an even-handed way, sympathetic to both sides. He recognizes that most people go to Yellowstone to see Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon, eat, and go shopping; that's not what he likes to do, but he isn't critical. Yet, somehow, he manages to cock an eyebrow here and there and make you rethink a position that you had previously held quite firmly.

This would be a great book to read before a visit to Yellowstone, or as something to put in your pack while you're there. Highly recommended.

Combine history, scholarship, and a survey of nature and ecological issues and you have an uncommon history of Yellowstone that examines the political and cultural influences on the park's development and management over the decades. SEARCHING FOR YELLOWSTONE: ECOLOGY AND WONDER IN THE LAST WILDERNESS offers up chapters packed with true stories of environmental encounters and wonders. Readers with affection for Yellowstone will find these early encounters riveting.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is a review of Yellowstone history from a system-wide and ecological perspective. It is well written and provides a great deal of factual information. It presents well thought out conclusions. It is balanced; not overly slanted toward the National Park Service, but not overly critical. The book is extremely well researched. The stories of historical characters and events add much to the book. The universe of Yellowstone experts hold several differing views on the proper wildlife numbers that should be allowed in Yellowstone. Schullery fits into the group that favors using historical stocking as a baseline. Those inclined to an agronomy baseline will question some of the conclusions drawn. One of the other reviewers called this book an "easy pre-read." I disagree; it is not difficult to read, but it does deserve study.

I read this book in a week and was quite impressed with the breadth of history covered in 260 something pages, not counting notes. I was glad to see that this historical account began with an "anthropological" perspective by recounting the known presence of Native American tribes prior to the EuroAmerican "discovery" of the place and the manner in which they were extricated from the ecosystem. I was also impressed with the historical information relating the misuse, management practices and policies that affected the life of the park once it was established and what changes have been implemented in recent years. The notes following the text were very helpful in leading me to other books and records that I would like to examine. A fine book that I purchased after reading the library copy!

`Highly recommended reading for anyone interested in knowing the "Yellowstone story" at a deeper level than the interpretive signs or tourist pamphlets. This would be excellent (and easy) "pre-reading" for anyone contemplating a first trip to Yellowstone....but it is also a fascinating and sometimes surprising eye-opener for someone (like me) who was somewhat familiar with Yellowstone already. From the perspective only a former Yellowstone employee and prolific writer/researcher could bring, Schullery persuasively argues-not unlike the "new western historians" in their iconoclastic reassessment of the American west and its history)-that Yellowstone is not so much a place as a process...a process of how we as Americans define a national park. Schullery's measured tour through this process provides a sobering reminder to inveterate tree-huggers like me that a national park is not a wilderness area, as much as I might like it to be in terms of "hands off" preservation. Schullery's approach is matter-of-fact, methodically researched (I actually enjoyed reading the copious "notes" section separately after having finished the book) and myth-busting at times (e.g. that surprisingly, the total number of developed acres in Yellowstone has actually decreased during the last 40 years rather than increased). He doesn't even spare himself, needling enthusiastic fly-fishers like himself with the sad-but-true fact that if we treated the ungulates of Yellowstone the same way fishermen do a Yellowstone trout (which was probably introduced in the first place rather than native), we would be cited for abusing the wildlife. A very readable and important book.