Best Ichthyology
The most comprehensive field guide available to the reptiles and amphibians of North America--a must-have for any enthusiast's day pack or home library--from the go-to reference source for over 18 million nature lovers. "Reptiles & Amphibians, an exciting new Explore Your World(TM) handbook, incorporates the Discovery Channel's unique authoritative approach and acclaimed visuals to answer these and other questions in a captivating blend of information and entertainment. , Practical advice on how to responsibly study reptiles and amphibians in the wild or care for them as pets.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Useful field guide, jam-packed with information to allow you to identify those frogs and snakes and such you find while outside."
"Bought this to ID critters in our yard."
"Would order from vendor again."
"I needed an updated version of my current guide ."
"I was looking for a field guide in a smaller format size."
"I like that the authors use general symbols for quick identification but it certainly doesn't do morphs or anuran calls justice."
"Bought two of these for grandsons for xmas, they are very into all the creepy crawly things."
Having escaped the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs, these ancient reptiles today face new dangers that threaten their survival: pollution, hunting, and the destruction of their nesting grounds. From the Kemp's ridley, which nests on a single beach on Mexico's Gulf Coast, to the nomadic leatherback, which can weigh up to a ton and is in the most imminent danger of extinction, Spotila offers a vivid description of their diets and mating habits, and the conservation efforts being made on their behalf. Each chapter includes tables of data on where the species is found, population estimates of colonies, and, in some cases, a chronology of conservation efforts... Spotila, fittingly, offers vignettes of conservation projects that provide human interest... Spotila's book is recommended for high school, university, and research-level libraries." ( Compendium Newsletter ). "This is a great book." (Larry Evans Charlotte Herald-Tribune ). "It is this mixture of scientific expertise and outright human awe that makes this book such a treasure... A trove of information, a collection of spectacular photos, and an ode to a creature that somehow, years after its birth, is able to navigate back to the precise beach where it was born to lay its own eggs."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Also helps you to understand the possible fate of some of these majestic creatures starting with the egg."
"Excellent used condition, our son loved it!"
"I love everything sea turtle and this is a great addition to my library."
"I read this from cover-to-cover before I left for Costa Rica."
"She made a beautiful powerpoint presentation and Website with quizzes. There was plenty of information about conservation and even though my daughter has always loved turtles now she is an activist and has joined a save the sea turtles foundation."
"The book was an excellent resource and adjunct to the teaching of the sea turtle biologists at the Conservancy."
"Dr. Spotila is continuing his dedication and commitment to the world's sea turtles with his new book, "Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation." I've since bought another copy to give to a teacher who invited me to give a talk on sea turtles to her students, so that I leave the teacher, and her students, with a more permanent "sea turtle presence" in the classroom."
Highlighting breakthrough discoveries from fish enthusiasts and scientists around the world and pondering his own encounters with fishes, Balcombe examines the fascinating means by which fishes gain knowledge of the places they inhabit, from shallow tide pools to the deepest reaches of the ocean. Teeming with insights and exciting discoveries, What a Fish Knows offers a thoughtful appraisal of our relationships with fishes and inspires us to take a more enlightened view of the planet’s increasingly imperiled marine life. What a Fish Knows will forever change how we see our aquatic cousins―the pet goldfish included. “Numerous books have shown me how utterly ignorant I am about most creatures I share this planet with, but none humbled me more than What a Fish Knows by Jonathan Balcombe.” ―Cornelia Funke, The Observer. "We Buddhists consider all animals, including fish, as sentient beings who have feelings of joy and pain just as we humans do. I hope reading it will help people become more aware of the benefits of vegetarianism and the need to treat animals with respect." Jonathan Balcombe delivers a revelation on every page, presenting jaw-dropping studies and stories that should reshape our understanding of, and compassion for, some of the most diverse and successful animals who have ever lived. Writing in a straightforward, somewhat breezy style, he makes his case partly through a compendium of fascinating anecdotes and scientific findings that illustrate the complexity and creativity of fish behavior . "As ethologist Jonathan Balcombe notes in this engrossing study, breakthroughs are revealing sophisticated piscine behaviours. Balcombe glides from perception and cognition to tool use, pausing at marvels such as ocular migration in flounders and the capacity of the frillfin goby ( Bathygobius soporator ) to memorize the topography of the intertidal zone." ―Barbara Kiser, Nature "Balcombe covers the waterfront, so to speak, from fish cognition and perception to their social structures and breeding practices, all the while drawing on a dizzying array of experiments and studies. ―Sarah Murdoch, The Toronto Star "The simple fact that fish live in an alien environment has created an information gap that scientists have been hard-pressed to bridge. Jonathan Balcombe, a professor of animal studies, fills the void in his new book What a Fish Knows , which argues we’re not as different from our water-brethren as you’d think." ―David Profumo, Literary Review "With the vivacious energy of a cracking good storyteller, Balcombe draws deeply from scientific studies and his own experience with fish to introduce readers to them as sentient creatures that live full lives governed by cognition and perception . Balcombe makes a convincing case that fish possess minds and memories, are capable of planning and organizing, and cooperate with one another in webs of social relationships." "[Balcombe] offers an enjoyable, surprising and sometimes gruesome exploration of the world of fish, written with clarity and humor and grounded in many scientific studies . The breadth and depth of his research and his enthusiastic storytelling may permanently alter how [readers] look at a pet goldfish or a can of sardines." "Balcombe's breathtaking book should instill a sense of humility and enormous wonder and awe at the rest of creation." Stunning in the way it reveals so many astonishing things about the fishes who populate planet Earth in their trillions, this book is sure to 'deepen' your appreciation for our fin-bearing co-voyagers, the bright strangers whose world we share." Who knew fishes use tools, appreciate music, fall for the same optical illusions we do, and engage in both cooperative hunting and some very kinky sex? Jonathan Balcombe's lively descriptions of fish behavior are backed by solid science. What Carl Safina’s Beyond Words did for elephants, wolves, and orcas, Balcombe's book does for fishes. You will learn that fishes have distinct personalities, experience a wide range of emotions, form intricate social relationships, and are wonderful parents. Brimming with engrossing anecdotes and humor, Jonathan Balcombe's inspiring treatise takes the reader on a fascinating and deeply moving journey into the lives of fishes. Balcombe's eloquent, persuasive, highly readable tour de force has a single, luminous message: Fishes deserve more respect, care, and protection."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"After all, I was taught to believe that a fish is a fish is a fish is a fish, … just automatons peddling water waiting for food and sex, sex and food, food and sex, until they become food to other fishes. Then his really challenging work begins: fishes’ pain, consciousness, awareness, stress, and joy followed by intelligence, tools, planning, and winning competitions with primates. But no, as a consummate scientist and brilliant writer, Balcombe simply lays out the facts clearly and calmly of how fishes and fish populations are suffering and how current human actions are irreparably damaging Earth’s underwater world."
"If, on the other hand, you like fish because they taste good, or because catching them is good sport, and you don’t want to think about the lives, the uniqueness of the beings that you are taking away from their communities and habitats, you should still read this book. It will help you appreciate the cost of the gift of their lives that you are accepting. They possess the specialized nerve fibers that mammals and birds use to detect noxious stimuli. "This one (fish) seemed to have a destination. Finally, yes, if you’re the kind of person who wants to save lives, conscious lives, who wants to help create a better balance between our ever-growing, all-consuming appetite and the dwindling abundance of ways to satisfy those appetites; if you want to get angry, yes, by all means, read the whole book, every last word."
"Balcombe pads his book with a little too many anecdotes, and the animal-rights focus at the end - while powerful (I'm not going to eat any more commercially caught or raised fish.)."
"Very interesting topic."
"I read this wanting to be updated on what fishes know and some good and ugly about aquaculture and our fisheries."
"Balcombe makes a strong case that we humans have vastly underappreciated and horribly mistreated our underwater cousins The book is written in a style that even a layperson, such as myself, can understand."
Best Ichthyology
Highlighting breakthrough discoveries from fish enthusiasts and scientists around the world and pondering his own encounters with fishes, Balcombe examines the fascinating means by which fishes gain knowledge of the places they inhabit, from shallow tide pools to the deepest reaches of the ocean. Teeming with insights and exciting discoveries, What a Fish Knows offers a thoughtful appraisal of our relationships with fishes and inspires us to take a more enlightened view of the planet’s increasingly imperiled marine life. What a Fish Knows will forever change how we see our aquatic cousins—the pet goldfish included.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If, on the other hand, you like fish because they taste good, or because catching them is good sport, and you don’t want to think about the lives, the uniqueness of the beings that you are taking away from their communities and habitats, you should still read this book. It will help you appreciate the cost of the gift of their lives that you are accepting. They possess the specialized nerve fibers that mammals and birds use to detect noxious stimuli. "This one (fish) seemed to have a destination. Finally, yes, if you’re the kind of person who wants to save lives, conscious lives, who wants to help create a better balance between our ever-growing, all-consuming appetite and the dwindling abundance of ways to satisfy those appetites; if you want to get angry, yes, by all means, read the whole book, every last word."
"After all, I was taught to believe that a fish is a fish is a fish is a fish, … just automatons peddling water waiting for food and sex, sex and food, food and sex, until they become food to other fishes. Then his really challenging work begins: fishes’ pain, consciousness, awareness, stress, and joy followed by intelligence, tools, planning, and winning competitions with primates. But no, as a consummate scientist and brilliant writer, Balcombe simply lays out the facts clearly and calmly of how fishes and fish populations are suffering and how current human actions are irreparably damaging Earth’s underwater world."
"This book is wonderfully written, full of scientific data, and humanizing anecdotes, all sprinkled with humor and a sense of awe."
"Who knew that fish were so smart?"
"Who knew?"
"Excellent book!"
"Balcombe pads his book with a little too many anecdotes, and the animal-rights focus at the end - while powerful (I'm not going to eat any more commercially caught or raised fish.)."
"Very interesting topic."
Best Biology of Reptiles & Amphibians
Descriptive text includes measurements, diagnostic details, and information on habitat, range, feeding habits, sounds or songs, flight period, web construction, life cycle, behaviors, folklore, and environmental impact.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The pictures are organized by insect biotype and refer to the page number where insect information is. Cons: One thing I wish this book had was more pictures at the front, since there were some insects I had never seen before and couldn't even find something similar in the book."
"This is a fascinating and helpful book!"
"A nice surprise for my husband."
"This has in almost every instance resulted in finding the desired identity.I don't carry it with me, but it looks durable enough to be put in my camera bag and have it survive a lot of handling."
"I have all of these series of field guides and even though they are older (somewhat out of date) these guides are great to me."
"All of the National Audubon books are wonderful and even a 4th or 5th grader can find information in them and understand what they are reading."
"It is hard to beat the Audubon field guides."
"Our family loves these books."
Best Hunting & Fishing Humor
Lange provided what Stern had yet to find all in the same place: a wit quick enough to keep pace with his own, a pathetic self-image to dwarf his own, a personal history both heartbreaking and hilarious, and an ingrained sense of self-sabotage that continually keeps things interesting. A natural storyteller with a bottomless pit of material, Lange grew up in a close-knit, working-class Italian family in Union, New Jersey, a maniacal Yankees fan who pursued the two things his father said he was cut out for—sports and comedy. This debut memoir from the comedian best known as Howard Stern's radio show sidekick is scrappy, funny, tumultuous and profane, just like its author. Lange, a self-proclaimed fat guy with a heroin problem, is difficult to love, but easy to like, his shaggy-dog life story full of derogatory self-awareness and cheerful vulgarity (often in the form of casual profanity and sexism).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Thanks Artie for a great book."
"Despite several stories being retold or similar to ones heard in the other bestseller, there is enough original Artie Lange storytelling here to keep true fans entertained, and should not disappoint fan's of the Stern Show either, as his years at the hit radio show are heavily discussed throughout the book, as well as Artie's earlier life."
"Artie has had a roller-coaster of a life and he pulls no punches even when telling many very embarrassing stories about himself."
"Bought the Audio CD version as I was taking long drives for work and enjoyed him reading his own story."
"I've been a long time listener of the Stern Show and I fully welcomed the replacement of Jackie."
"I loved the book."
"I'd like to thank Artie for sharing his story with me...I've been in his shoes plenty of times and I know it can be a real struggle to stay on the right path...good on ya mate!"
"I love Artie like I love my crazy uncle and he doesn't even know me."
Best Ornithology
“Undoubtedly the finest guide to North American birds.”—Guy McCaskie, Birding The publication of The Sibley Guide to Birds, First Edition quickly established David Allen Sibley as the author and illustrator of the nation’s supreme and most comprehensive guide to birds. The Sibley Guide to Birds, second edition, brings the genius of David Allen Sibley to the world once again in a thoroughly updated and expanded volume that every birder must own. Sibley has contributed art and articles to Smithsonian, Science, The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, Birding, and North American Birds, and he wrote and illustrated a syndicated column for The New York Times.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"**UPDATE**. The second printing has been released and should be available at brick & mortar book stores as well as a number of online stores. 2) Go to an alternative online source such as Buteo Books, where the second printing is in stock, available for shipping and it is specified as the second printing. They even have the option to buy the first printing if one is so inclined. I'm looking forward to this second printing! The book betrays itself with statements like "brilliant red" on the scarlet tanager when it's obviously showing dark red; "flaming-orange throat" on the blackburnian when it's dark orange; "bright orange-red bill (never as dark red as many Caspians)" on the royal tern, well it's not bright and when you flip to the Caspian it's almost the same color! Along with the male Scarlet Tanager, I hope Sibley will fix color issues with the following birds: - Eastern and Western Bluebirds (too dark). - Orange-crowned Warbler (too green). - Blackburnian Warbler (make the orange "flaming"). - Baltimore Oriole (brighten the orange). - Lighten some of the birds on which the facial features cannot be discerned. I look forward to the next printing (which should be available this September)and the fixes it will offer."
"The text is a size six font still but it doesn't seem dark enough and it appears to be the same as the second edition first printing. Information of many of the birds were limited because it is a very compact book of many species. It seemed to focused on the more unreliable plumage of birds too much and not enough on the very reliable shape and structure."
"They also show you the range the bird is located, migrates, summer, winter, and year round..."
"In this case, it is the coloration of the birds which struck me right away.Some of the white birds are far too light,and some of the darkest birds are so dark such that it is difficult to see the features of the birds. I have the Sibley Guide to BIrds,Second Edition,Second Printing (July 2014) side by side with the "Sibley Birds East."
"A huge disappointment, as I'd looked forward to Sibley's new plates and the expanded information in the text, but I can't read it without a magnifying glass!"
Best Primatology
World-renowned primatologist, conservationist, and humanitarian Dr. Jane Goodall’s account of her life among the wild chimpanzees of Gombe is one of the most enthralling stories of animal behavior ever written. Today Dr. Goodall spends much of her time lecturing, sharing her message of hope for the future, and encouraging young people to make a difference in their world.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is a stunning book that really helps everyone to understand the importance of protecting other creatures and their habitat, not just for their survival, but for our own."
"This book was a nice exploration into Jane Goodall's research in Gombe."
"Excellent read."
"Great experience, great book !"
"Touching, inspiring, and definitely worth reading."
Best Reptile Zoology
Because of their manageable size, easy-to-meet care requirements, and outgoing personalities, these active lizards are perfect for beginning keepers and experts alike. He was the editor of Reptile and Amphibian Hobbyist magazine and currently edits reptile, amphibian, and bird books at TFH Publications.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I choose this to research bearded dragons and care.The format was clear preset coffee,diet and general husbandry.The author provided a good bibliography for further research."
"Bought for my neighbor boy when he got his first beardie."
"Gift for someone who has one of these."
"Came on time and the book is perfect for my little girl who happens to be getting a dragon for Christmas."
"Thank you for quick delivery."
Best Mammal Zoology
For conservationists and lovers of animals, nature, and especially dogs, this National Geographic book shares the surprising understanding of wild wolves gained over six years the authors spent living intimately with them. — Apogee Photo Magazine "A richly layered work that speaks to the intricate and controversial relationship between wolves and humans." “A richly layered work that speaks to the intricate and controversial relationship between wolves and humans.” --Oregon Live.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Her birthday is in February, falling this year in the deepest frozen tundra of the coldest winter here in New York since 1885."
"Wonderful book!"
"This book is on my coffee table & it does catch everyone's eyes as they reach for this book to scan the photos."
""The Hidden Life of Wolves" is an excellent book!!!!"
"Amazing photos reveal the authors concerns and devotion to this complex and majestic wild american symbol."
"I've loved wolves since I was a kid and this book is filled with lots of great pics of the wolves along with the sawtooth scenery."
"Stunning pictures, perfect if your an artist."
"Wonderful and very informative book on these beautiful creatures that are being destroyed by total ignorance."
Best Invertebrates Zoology
Sy Montgomery’s popular 2011 Orion magazine piece, “Deep Intellect,” about her friendship with a sensitive, sweet-natured octopus named Athena and the grief she felt at her death, went viral, indicating the widespread fascination with these mysterious, almost alien-like creatures. Since then Sy has practiced true immersion journalism, from New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, pursuing these wild, solitary shape-shifters. Octopuses have varied personalities and intelligence they show in myriad ways: endless trickery to escape enclosures and get food; jetting water playfully to bounce objects like balls; and evading caretakers by using a scoop net as a trampoline and running around the floor on eight arms. Experience a real intelligence based on a sense of touch that humans can barely imagine.” (Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation). "Renowned author Sy Montgomery's latest gem is a must read for those who want to dissolve the human-constructed borders between "them" (other animals) and us. In this beautifully written book, she brings empathy, insight, and an enchanting sense of wonderment to the bonds we inherently share with other beings—even those seeming far different from us." Sy Montgomery faces these questions head-on in her engaging new book as she explores the world of octopuses, making friends with several and finding heartbreak when they die. " The Soul of an Octopus is one of those works that makes you hope we can save the planet if for no other reason than to preserve the wondrous beasts we are fortunate enough to share it with." "Sweet moments are at the heart of Montgomery's compassionate, wise and tender new book... Only a writer of her talent could make readers care about octopuses as individuals...
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I once kept an octopus in a sea water aquarium. She had so much impact on me that by the end of the week I knew I had to put her back in the ocean."
"I would probably not have given this book a second glance except that just days before it was offered to me for review I had read Turtle Reef, an Australian contemporary romance novel, in which the heroine, working at a marine park, befriended an octopus. It offers a very readable and rather unique blend of personal experience, scientific knowledge and philosophical opinion about what is understood, and unknown, about the nature of octopuses. During her time spent at the New England Aquarium she befriended several individual octopuses including Athena, who was the subject of a popular 2011 Orion magazine piece, "Deep Intellect" which went viral and was the inspiration for this book, Octavia, Kali and Karma."
"Perhaps so, perhaps not - she offers little to support this beyond the sensation of suckers winding up her arms, and what may have just as likely been the animals' desperate attempts to find relief from such close boring confines. If as seems the case that the author and aquarium staff care so deeply for these creatures, how can they then reconcile confining - alone - in a small dark boring pickle barrel for months at a time, animals captured in young and mid-life from their wild free oceanic homes. One can reasonably argue the value, plusses and minuses of zoos and aquarium in general, but capturing and tightly confining smart, free, wild animals for eventual display - and losing some in this process as the price of doing business - does have implications that are an inherent yet all but unacknowledged under-theme of this book."
Best Amphibian Zoology
Accessibly written by expert Tim Halliday and containing the most up-to-date information, The Book of Frogs will captivate both veteran researchers and amateur herpetologists. As frogs increasingly make headlines for their troubling worldwide decline, the importance of these fascinating creatures to their ecosystems remains underappreciated. From poisonous frogs to tiny toenail-sized frogs, whistlers, “explosive breeders,” endangered frogs, and recently discovered frogs, author and one of the world’s leading frog experts Tim Halliday covers an exhaustive gamut of frog species from around the planet. ( Boing Boing ). "A huge, beautiful compendium of 600 frogs from around the world, from the famed poison-arrow variety on up to the intriguingly named plaintive rain frog. It’s a stunning cavalcade, ranging from dull and knobby toads to tree frogs of almost translucent beauty….It’s a joyous experience to savor the unbridled strangeness, the bursting profusion in The Book of Frogs .”. The Book of Frogs does a splendid job of showing the diversity of frogs and toads." ( Ecology ). "Halliday has compiled an extensive compendium of frogs, and presents a wide array of fascinating facts in rich prose....The real selling point is the full-color photos, showing the actual size of each frog. ( Conservation Biology ). "This book will be a wonderful source of basic information for any young person who has become fascinated with frogs, or anyone unfamiliar with frogs who has a desire to learn more about their diversity and biology."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Big, beautiful photos of frogs and lots of interesting tidbits of information."
"My daughter loves this book ."
"It would be hard to believethat there is a book out there with more frog information than this."
"Well, it's a book filled with gorgeous frogs."
"I bought for my frog loving wife."
"Delivers precisely what it promises - a lot of frogs, with great photos and some interesting essays."
Best Animal Psychology Science in Zoology
“Beautifully written, A Wolf Called Romeo is a thoughtful and moving story about one of nature’s most evocative animals.” —Patricia McConnell, author of The Other End of the Leash “Jans is a perfect narrator for this story. For six years, this friendly wolf graced the Juneau wilderness, accompanying people on hikes and interacting with their dogs.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Lived in the Anchorage area years back and have a soft spot about animal stories."
"My favorite, all-time man-dog book is Merle’s Door: Lessons from a Free-thinking Dog by Ted Kerasote. Jans uses his life experience as an author, naturalist, experienced outdoorsman, investigative journalist and photographer to weave a wonderful story. The essence of the book (for me) is characterized in the following excerpt: “Running a Darwinian gauntlet that demanded constant adaptation and complex responses, with scant margin for error, he had accomplished what few large predators ever had, or will: he lived near, even among, thousands of humans over most of his life – not just a shadowed presence or camp follower,, but as an independent, socially interactive creature whose territory overlapped our own – without the benefit of a large-scale preserve. Through this time among us, he remained his own gatekeeper, his comings and goings defining the ever-shifting boundary between worlds, rendering our own surveys and markers meaningless.” (excerpt from page 185). When it comes to understanding the wolf ( I hike in northeastern Oregon - Eagle Cap Wilderness - where wolves are now becoming re-established ) hikers, civilians, researchers, ranchers, naturalists and environmentalists would ALL be well-served by consuming this work."
"A dog and wildlife lover, I LOVED this book!"
"An excellent, heart-warming story that may leave you in tears."
"I just read about this wonderful story about Romeo the wolf."
"Mr. Jans tells an incredible true story about an Alaskan wolf."
"Super service."
"Great read!"
Best Animal Behavior & Communication
In this, his latest book, Peter Wohlleben follows the hugely successful The Hidden Life of Trees with insightful stories into the emotions, feelings, and intelligence of animals around us. ...Wohlleben’s words are bound to touch even the animal-emotion skeptic". — Washington Post , Jennifer S. Holland, author of Unlikely Friendships. "With the same charm and clarity that drew so many readers to The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben has produced another gem . I found delight on every page, thanks to the author’s rare skill at blending scientific discoveries with his own wealth of insightful personal experiences . Surprising, humbling, and filled with delight , this book shows us that animals think, feel and know in much the same way as we doand that their lives are, to them, as precious as ours are to us."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The novelty of the Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben's last book, was the author's ability to combine scientific discoveries with personal insight and anecdote to describe how truly animate trees actually are. While always hewing to a necessary humility about the limits of our scientific knowledge of animals, Wohlleben weaves the best of scientific findings with personal anecdotes of the animals in his forest which illustrate and develop what otherwise could be cold and esoteric research. We are story-telling creatures after all and Wohlleben has discovered a formula for writing scientific books that are both popular and informative."
"Sure to be a best seller, his first book written about trees sold 320,000 copies before being translated into English, The Inner LIfe of Animals leaves the reader with a clear understanding that animals share many psychological and social characteristics with people. Buy the book and enjoy a heckeva good read."
"I was delighted to discover that there was a follow-up to "The Hidden Life of Trees.""