Park Books

A review of this book has been published in the following journal:

Houle, A. (1999). Book-Review: Foraging for survival: Yearling baboons in Africa. Behavioural Processes. (in press)

This is a story of how eleven juvenile baboons feed themselves. The setting: Amboseli National Park, Kenya. This is, however, much more than a simple story. Throughout, Altmann engages the reader with his elegant analysis - rich with ecological detail - of the costs and benefits primates must negotiate in their daily pursuit of requisite nutrients and energy. Baboons are exemplary eclectic omnivores; still, as Altmann quotes, "there is no such thing as a free lunch." Bearing this in mind, he sets out to evaluate the balancing act baboons must achieve in maximizing nutrient intake, while at the same time minimizing toxic accumulation of plant secondary metabolites.

At the outset, Altmann describes what the baboons ate, how they ate it, and what foods they avoided altogether during the study period (1975-1976). He then identifies what baboons should eat. A foraging strategy is an ultimate endpoint, achieved via an array of potential tactical routes. Altmann evaluates both the feeding tactics and the eclectic foraging strategy of his young baboons by identifying the degree to which they deviate from an optimum model of adaptive feeding traits. The baboons' actual dietary intake is compared to the specifications of adequate and optimal diets; this is done for both an average yearling's diet, as well as on individual variance from the predicted diets.

Deviations from the optimum are viewed as indicators of potential differences in reproductive fitness. Although the feeding data stem from research undertaken in the mid-1970s, Altmann takes advantage of the two succeeding decades to relate differences in juvenile diets to longevity and fitness outcomes later in life. This historical depth is particularly valuable because it tests the model by evaluating whether those baboons that come closer to the optimum as juveniles have higher fitness as adults.

Altmann expands on the extreme selectivity exhibited by baboons, providing details on the toxic load, protein, carbohydrate, water content, and load of various plant species and the manner in which baboons maximize (or minimize) their intake of these food components. Finally, he assesses the anatomical and behavioral attributes that may contribute to making baboons one of the most successful and broadly distributed primate species. To complement the main body of the text, Altmann includes a series of appendices and tables in which he evaluates various methodological and definitional issues relating to calculating feeding bouts and dietary intake. Here, he presents additional detail on diet composition and the nutritional and toxic attributes of plant foods.

The work's emphasis on juvenile feeding behavior is an unusual yet valuable feature. This developmental stage is often overlooked in studies of non-human primate behavior and ecology, despite the fact that this period, and the transition from a milk diet to an adult diet, are undoubtedly critical to our understanding of adult fitness and life history patterns.

However, some caution is warranted: This book was not intended for the casual student of animal feeding behavior, nor for those new to optimal foraging theory. Altmann's models, food intake calculations, and feeding bout formulae are exacting, and quite abstracted from the experience of observing feeding behavior. Before embarking into this volume, non-modelers will have to review the technical terminology that necessarily accompanies Optimization Theory. In addition, I do not view the generalizations (outlined in Chapter Two) based on the relationships among body size, patch size, and dietary selectivity to be particularly illuminating. Too many exceptions to his proposed relationships can be found for such generalizations to be of much explanatory utility.

Nonetheless, this book is destined to become a classic in primate feeding behavior. It is exhaustive in its breadth, a pleasure to read, and sets the standard for amalgamation of modeling theory and ecological observation.

Allison Taylor hit a homerun with her brilliant epic, "The Future of Willow Springs Park." This is a must read for any small child. Taylor is an up and coming children's author with fresh and innovative ideas that will stimulate your child's mind. Hurry up and order this book now while it still lasts and jump on the Allison Taylor train, because it's about to leave the station! Hats off to Ms. Taylor for a fine piece of literary genius.

Allison Taylor is a brilliant author. Her inventive language and vivid imagery make this a must read. Once you start you can't stop. The ending is creative but I'm not going to tell you. You will just have to read it for yourself. Go out and get it today. People are ripping them off the shelves; get it while you still can.

For anyone who wishes to understand the process of news gathering, this book is the best available. I use it in all my international news classes at Scripps School of Journalism. Rosenblum extracts from his lifetime of journalism a clear, logical and comprehensive explanation of how the story you read got there, and what influences affected its selection and presentation at every stage of the process. It's also a fascinating and exciting read, by one of the world's most prolific and professional journalists. He introduces you to individual correspondents, both as individuals and as types. He explains how geography, economics and sheer prejudice can determine what you learn about the world. He tells great bar stories -- the kind of thing journalists tell each other over a beer. And he does it all with skill and style. Worth reading by anyone -- a must for anyone interested in news.

A great book. Even though it focuses primarily on american media, it's lesson can be applied in all parts of the world: We need to start making demands on the media, instead of letting it dictate what we need to know. An eye-opener.

Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, Gardens Adviser to Hampton Court Palace and Vice Chairman of the London Historic Parks and Gardens Trust, and photographer Vivian Russell have combined their considerable talents to offer readers, most especially garden enthusiasts, a stunning journal of the gardens and parks at Hampton Court Palace.

Not only is Hampton Court an historic landscape covering 2,000 acres, bounded on its south and east sides by the River Thames, it is also a site of great antiquity indicating that there were settlements in the site dating back to the Bronze Age. However the estate began to form very much as it is seen today in 1086. It was in 1514 that Hampton Court was leased by Cardinal Wolsey, until he became persona non grata at court and was forced to leave by Henry VIII.

As soon as the estate was under his care Henry began a 20 year building, the like of which had not been seen. Since that time various royals have left their marks upon the estate as it has been used as a guest house. Queen Victoria declared that the palace "should be thrown open to all her subjects without restriction, and without fee or gratuity of any kind.." While this order was not deemed wise by many, the palace did become a popular vacation resort.

The gardens were neglected during World War I, but by 1919 improvements were being overseen by a committee of horticultural and landscape garden experts. Since the early 1990s major restoration work has taken place within the palace which has been coordinated with landscape improvements. Today, the estate stands as a "great emblem and monument of English history," and attracts over a million visitors every year.

Thanks to Longstaffe-Gowan and Russell for making it also available to armchair travelers.

- Gail Cooke

A well organised and attractively produced book giving a scholarly account of the history of these magnificent and much loved Gardens. Hampton Court Palace is the finest of English Renaissance gardens and of great importance to any student of horticulture and garden or landscape history.
The avenues and the venerable ancient trees of the parks along with the even older pruned and pleached trees of the formal gardens are among the treasures of the gardens. Along with the newly restored privy garden, the statuary and the architecture these are well illustrated with photos and drawings ancient and modern

When Emmit Smith was a baby, he wached football because his dad wached it all the time and got him into it. That is why he is so good at running back. First when he got drafted to the cowboys no one knew how good he was. Emmitt talked to the coach and asked if he could play more than he already was. He led the cowboys to 5 super bowls in a row, that shows how good he was. I think kids that are starting football should read this book. That is how you can become a very good football player.

When Emmit Smith was a baby, he wached football because his dad wached it all the time and got him into it. That is why he is so good at running back. First when he got drafted to the cowboys no one knew how good he was. Emmitt talked to the coach and asked if he could play more than he already was. He led the cowboys to 5 super bowls in a row, that shows how good he was. I think kids that are starting football should read this book. That is how you can become a very good football player.

This is a great book for anyone who climbs or backpacks in Yosemite or the high Sierra. If you've ever looked at the knobs on Cathedral Peak, the dikes at Lover's Leap, the domes around Tuolumne, or the cirques and jagged peaks in the high Sierra and wondered what caused them to form, read this book. It gives a great background on the geology of the Sierra, specifically focusing on Yosemite. It is accessible to someone without a background in geology without being dumbed down.

Huber has done a terrific job! Don't go to Yosemite without acquiring this book first. Short, clear, and without a peer as a pocket guide for the layman and rusty professional. Use this book for Yosemite and also get James Moore's wonderful book "Exploring the Highest Sierra" (Kings Canyon and Sequioa parks)for a greatly enriched tour of the Sierra Nevada.

This is a must have if you're using the Waltz and Park textbook. But I recommend it no matter what textbook you have. The outline is very clear, very thorough, and lays out both Cal and Fed rules of evidence.

Great summary. It's better if you read the FRE before and use the book to make sure you understand everything. No need to make a summary of your own with this book

It was one of her best. I couldn't put the book down it was so intresting. It gives you a real sence of the girls persanalities. It is like you get suked into it. You should defenetaly read it. i did it for a book reaport and it was the only book reaport i injoyed doing, i got an A+ on it.

This book was my favorite out of all three. It was scarier, and since the characters were alrady known well, it went by faster. You can tell who is the suspect, but I had a hard time figuring out what they were doing. I was also more concerned in this book. I am an animal lover, so this book really intrigued me, with the mystery of the seals.

This book is thoroughly enjoyable from the first page. Local hero George Ostrom and his trailblazing geezer friends "the Over-the-hill gang", hike to incredibly beautiful places that most of us will never see.

In this first volume of "Glaciers Secrets", George Ostrum delights readers with humor, excellent photography, and some very intriguing insight into one of the most beautiful places in the world; Glacier National Park- which he has hiked and explored his entire life. One becomes aware upon reading this book, that there is an emotional connection between the author and his special place. It produces some fun reading, and the adventurous will be prompted to explore the trails of the "Crown of the Continent" for themselves.

A simple, beautiful and useful bit of science, history, background, photography and guide. My fiance and I found this book indispensible as we drove, basically lost, south from Ulaanbaatar in search of this park - the name translates into "three beauties". We spent five wonderful days mountain biking, hiking, camping, (and searching for gas for our truck) in and around the mountain range that forms the backbone of the park. If you are one of those people who make lists of things you want to do before your time is up, add the Gobi to your list, and get this book before you arrive.

I enjoy this book because it is enthusiastic, well-researched, thorough, compassionate and, to top it off, wonderful to look at. Like the editorial review says, the Gobi is not all sand and camels, though those were a ball too. The Gobi is ice and mountain and shaggy yak/cow/things and people and children and horses and felt comforters and fermented mare's milk and dinosaur bones and so much more. This little book captures all of that and more in 64 well organized pages.

I have a soft spot for this book, too, because I bought it from the author, Bernd Steinhauer-Burkart, in the Juulchin Gobi ger camp near the Gurvansaikhan National Park where I had seen so many of the things his book describes. He winced "too many photos", meaning that this detailed work had too much cost in photos for the pricing, but I don't think he would have considered his job complete with any fewer of these glimpses into an amazing culture. Truly familiar with his subject, he took over one hundred of the photos in the book. The reader gains immeasurably and the author has done this guidebook right for the both the traveler who walks the blue ice in the green valleys, and for someone who only dreams of it.