Customer Reviews:
Returning to Experience.......2001-02-01
We are asked to see things apart from what Evernden sees as socially constructed view of nature. It is this very social construct, he argues, that separates each item in nature as an object. Objectifying beings, effectively removes us from the environment and allows us to evolve a "thick skin." We are aiding this paradigm along, through our formal training. We are asked to explore a Neo-romantic approach to nature. But the central task of the chapters that follow is not so much descriptive as exploratory, and the first step must be an examination of the failure of the environmental movement to achieve its goals. He introduces "numbers" as public enemy no. 1. The system will say all that needs to be said about the mountain - and say it with numbers. By examining nature in terms of numbers, we have effectively "gone over to the other side." Therein lies the fatal weakness of the so-called ecology movement. In seizing arguments that would sound persuasive even to indifferent observers environmentalists have come to adopt the strategy and assumptions of their opponents. He says that beings in nature should not even be seen in terms of dollars and cents. It takes away what is essential in living beings. monetary evaluations distracts us from the fact that the values at issue are not economic in the first place. Below is an articulation of something that I have felt for a long time. It is one thing to say that the environmentalist should not have to justify the existence of each creature in economic terms, but quite another to try to protect wildlife here and now, without using every argument available.
In this chapter, he begins to unftirl a sense of detachment from nature that is playing to our emotions rather that our logic. However, it does strike a cord, perhaps a darker side we are afraid of. The first stage of this process involves the placing of the living world into an academic context, and the labeling of all organisms with intellectually binding, tongue-defting nomenclature. It is more evident though the next set of quotes that the thick skin is now fully developed. If the student has become sufficiently detached, is suitably objective about animals, he will have no difficulty in mastering this final phase. And, of course, there should be no remorse when the animal is killed. He has severed the vocal cords of the world. Some adopted a routine precaution: at the outset of an experiment they would sever the vocal cords of the animal on the table, so that it could not bark or cry out during the operation. Simultaneously doing two other things: he was denying his humanity, and he was affirming it. The denial that the creature is sentient, alive and feeling is illustrated below. The desperate cries of the animal would have told him what he already knew, that it was a sentient, feeling being and not a machine at all. The Objectification of the creature is complete, the next logical step gives us on objectified nature. Learning to work by numbers moves us to see nature as a machine. In learning to use numbers to talk about the world he forgets that his initial revolt was partly precipitated by people using numbers to talk about the world. The ecologist is forced to treat nature as essentially non-living, as a machine to be dissected, interpreted, and manipulated.
Conjuring up machines will take us back to the industrial revolution and the Romantic reaction to it. Before delving into the analysis of the Romantic and his relation to modern concerns, he makes a good point regarding devaluation. In combatting the devaluation of nature they have embraced a method of study which takes such devaluation as its starting point. And in claiming victory through the spread of resourcism they have rejected their own moral position and given support to a cultural imperative that neutralizes and debases life itself. Here is a succinct entry regarding modern environmentalism and its relation to the 'Sublime.' The Romantic was seldom the anti-science or anti-reason fanatic he is accused of being. He could comprehend the usefulness of the physicist's assumptions within the strictly defined boundaries of the science. But he could not accept its projection beyond that realm. He made it his business to understand how a society comes to adopt a particular view of reality, and, as that process became apparent to him, he felt compelled to try to demonstrate the perils of constructing a needlessly restrictive world-view. Also, 'we are here witnessing a conscious reaction to the whole tone of the eighteenth century. That century approached nature with the abstract analysis of science, whereas Wordsworth opposes to the scientific abstraction his full concrete experience. And, But wilderness is almost definable as the absence of social structure; it is the realm of reality that humans have not fully interpreted. It is the unknown, and as such it constituted the best choice for the Romantic experiment. The Romantics were not so much nature poets as reality experimenters working in the environment least hostile to their project. Here is his warning. Instead of accepting beliefs that trivialize the experience of living and assert the reality of a valueless world, the environmentalist is urged to attest to his own experience of a meaningful, valuable, colorful world.
Miguel Llora
This book saved my sanity.......2000-05-07
This is the book that started me on my career as an environmental writer/philosopher. In my late twenties I thought I was going insane because so much around me made so little sense: we're destroying the planet yet people continue with their lives as though nothing is wrong. And then I read The Natural Alien, and I realized that it's the culture that is crazy, not me. This book helped me to see how the insane and destructive actions of our culture spring from how we perceive the world, and revealed the hidden assumptions that guide the destructiveness. I will be forever in debt to Neil Evernden for writing this extraordinary book.
Average customer rating:
- I'll Take a Mass of Snot with a Warm Heart...
- Imaginative stories about the oddest pets
- ENJOYABLE ROMP THROUGH SPACE
- Cute but slight
- An entertaining read
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Alien Pets (Daw Book Collectors)
Manufacturer: DAW
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Animal Care & Pets
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Hoffman, Nina Kiriki
| ( H )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Royo, Luis
| ( R )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Anthologies
| Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Anthologies
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
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Rotten Relations
ASIN: 0886778220 |
Book Description
This collection of stories focuses on the often-overlooked companions who travel the stars with their masters, human or otherwise. Tales of these faithful creatures vary from cuddly animals from Alpha Centauri, to genetically altered Earth animal, accompanying humans to the edge of the galaxy, and alien invaders disguised as loyal housepets.
Customer Reviews:
I'll Take a Mass of Snot with a Warm Heart..........2005-10-29
I regret not discovering this gem earlier...A thoroughly entertaining compendium of intergalactic lifeforms as household sidekicks..."Bongoid" was too frenetic for my taste...Very much like scrambled eggs served with hot sauce--glorious to behold but the tongue will strangle you if you fancy the notion of a forkful!!
Imaginative stories about the oddest pets.......2004-06-30
Alien Pets is a novel about, well, Alien Pets. Contained within are stories that are warm and fuzzy, hilarious and downright heartbreaking (though most are on the lighter side). As is the case with most anthologies, some of the stories just couldn't hold my interest (the more techie sci-fi based ones) but for the most part I thoroughly enjoyed these mini-romps with odd pets of all sorts and sizes.
Starting things off is Nina Kiriki Hoffman's "Objects of Desire" which tells the tale of a youngster named Kirby who wants a "skewlis" so much it hurts. Everyone she knew had one of the weasel-crossed-with-a-cat, lemon and incense smelling critters but her mom was down on her luck and short on cash. A "skewlis", the latest fad of the moment, was completely out of her reach. Kirby's surprised when her grandma gives her one as a gift. Grandma's a bargain hunter so Kirby's skewlis isn't exactly top-of-the-line but Kirby loves her anyway. Of course, the skewlis turns out to be more than it appears and Kirby learns an important lesson about "wanting" stuff.
Other favorites of mine were: "What Fluffy Knew" a creepy little tale about an alien invasion told from the point of view of a spoiled housecat named Fluffy who takes it upon herself to save her family when mini-aliens invade. "Diamonds" by Michelle West is a story of a lonely boy who was always told he "was a mistake". When he discovers a secret hidden away in his parents bedroom he finds a friend, learns the importance of freedom and eventually finds love and acceptance.
"Dog Is My Co-pilot" is one of my favorites of the bunch. It's an often humorous tale about a lonesome pilot named Frank whose company decides to engineer the perfect companion for its employees. They've altered dogs that will live longer lives and speak their minds and ease the loneliness that often overwhelms their employee's. Frank's pal is quite a character who changes his name to suit his many moods. Some days he's the dignified Charles, other days he's simply Charlie or Chuck but whatever he may be calling himself he always remains Frank's best pal. One day the two find themselves stranded without a ship and are "rescued" by a rogue dog who quickly abandons Frank and takes off with Charlie. Stranded and feeling horribly betrayed, Frank is soon taken in by a group of harmless looking aliens. All ends will for Frank and Charlie in this good humored tale.
Other notable stories for me were "In The Storm, In The Stars" which is a different spin on the legendary unicorn. It's a painful read for an animal lover like me and ends on a somewhat bittersweet note. And, "Elmer", a tale of a young boy who finds an amoeba-like creature while investigating what appears to be a crashed meteor. One fateful day he discovers it has miraculous powers. This story is a tad more gruesome than all of the others which tend to be on the tame side and it deals with some weightier subjects like death and grief.
I'd recommend this to any pet lover looking for something out of the ordinary.
ENJOYABLE ROMP THROUGH SPACE.......2002-11-03
Lots of good stories, many with a twist. Very enjoyable for anyone who loves animals and fantasy. The "skewlis" story is one of the best ("Objects of Desire.") "Not Exactly a Dog" is another fetching tale.
Cute but slight.......2000-10-21
A fine book if you're looking for cute, rather mindless entertainment, but nothing particularly noteworthy.
An entertaining read.......2000-01-15
This was an anthology which I found quite entertaining. It centers around the theme of alien companions. I found the vast majority of the stories to focus around the theme of "Lonely Earth child finds strange animal, bonds with him like regular children never did, leaves him with him as a better person. While this may sound like a repettitive formula, the creative subject matter manages to keep it entertaining. While it's not up to the par of other anthologies (Gallery of Horror, Mammoth book of Fantasy) it's still an enjoyable time killer.
Book Description
ENDANGERED SPECIES
When Percy the Mad Poet assigns Ms. Weintraub's class to write poems about their pets, Pleskit decides he should bring his Veeblax to school.
Not a good idea! When the little shapeshifter frightens one of Pleskit's classmates, she freaks out -- and so do the newspapers. As the situation spins out of control, it becomes clear that Pleskit may lose his pet, his teacher may lose her job, and Earth may lose the benefits of the alien connection.
Running away may be the only way for Pleskit to save the Veeblax. But where can you run to when you're the only purple kid on the planet? And what do you do when something very strange starts following you?
Customer Reviews:
A no-put-downer.......2000-06-12
When I started it, I couldn't stop until I finished. The plotkeeps thickening until you can fit an elephant in! It is also veryfunny.
Average customer rating:
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The Alien Agenda
Clifford Wilson
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Animal Care & Pets
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| New Age
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Occult
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0451163958 |
Average customer rating:
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Could You Ever Meet an Alien? (Could You Ever Series)
David J. Darling
Manufacturer: Dillon Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
Pets
| Animals
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
| Fiction
| Nonfiction
Astronomy
| Astronomy & Space
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 9-12
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
History of Technology
| Technology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0875184472 |
Product Description
Strangely, the praying mantids make great pets in addition to being highly used for biological pest control. They are neat, clean, are friendly and react well to handling. This book provides detailed information on mantis biology, mating, care of life stages, food and the mantis garden. Illustrated with b/w photographs.
Customer Reviews:
Very helpful for amateur mantis breeder.......2007-05-27
Despite being a mere 40 pages, this book is packed with everything an amateur mantis breeder would need to know about anything. It tells you about how they mate, about the ootheca, making a mantis garden, food, nymph care, and many common species. One of the most useful features is that for each common food, it gives pros, cons, and how to rear/raise/culture them. In the species section, it gives identification help (of the mantis and the ootheca), and specific care requirements. I reccomend this book to anyone who is interested in mantises.
Not so much a book.......2007-03-31
As a pamphlet. While there was lots of useful information, the pages are all in black and white and there are no brilliant color photos as shown on the cover. The book was rather small with information crowded among the pages. It almost looked homemade.
Average customer rating:
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Hockey Cards: 1st edition
James Beckett
Manufacturer: House of Collectibles
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0876378661
Release Date: 1991-10-23 |
Book Description
The revised and updated edition of a groundbreaking special-needs activity guide
This revised edition of the companion volume to The Out-of-Sync Child includes new activities that parents of kids with Sensory Processing Disorder can do at home with their child, along with updated information on which activities are most appropriate for children with coexisting conditions such as Asperger's, autism, and more.
Customer Reviews:
Easy and fun activities .......2007-10-05
While this book is especially helpful for families with children with sensory processing disorder (SPD), all children will enjoy these creative ideas. The summary of different types of SPD at the beginning is useful to show other family members and friends who want to understand your child better.
Fun activities for each sense.......2007-08-21
This book has great activities for kids! It was helpful to find information and ideas to help my kids. You just look up the sense and go have some fun.Meghan's World: The Story of One Girl's Triumph over Sensory Processing Disorder
Great book so far.......2007-07-20
I am just starting to read this book but so far, I love it. I love reading the mother's and therapist's notes. I think they give you such good ideas that come from experience. The activities are clear and resources are always offered.
Great Resource for Parents and Teachers.......2007-05-29
The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun is a great resource for parents and teachers. As a teacher of special needs kids, I'm always looking for materials to share with parents, and this one is really meeting the need. Ms. Kranowitz knows her topic. Her ideas for simple, fun activities that teach are easy to follow. This is a book I will use over and over again.
review.......2007-05-13
This book is a must have to go along with The Out of Sync Child. It gives you some ideas on how to help your child be a kid despite having sensory issues. Good book for parents of autistic children.
Book Description
This companion volume to The Out-of-Sync Child presents activities that parents of kids with Sensory Integration Dysfunction can do at home with their child to strengthen their child's abilities-and have some fun together along the way.
Customer Reviews:
helpful, but..........2007-04-25
I highly recommend the book "The Highly Sensitive Child" by Elaine Aron to get a different perspective (more positive) on the out of sync child.
The Out of Sync Child has fun.......2006-11-03
This is an excellent book for teachers and parents! It provides useful and very important information to work and deal with kids with sensory integration disorder
Very useful book.......2006-08-08
As a teacher I found that this book had many fun and functional activities. I do wish this book had more activities for older (teenage) students with moderate to severe disabilities; but, a great book overall.
Best Book for Sensory Integration out there!!.......2006-03-10
I *LOVED* this book. It was such a quick read that I got through it in two days, *with* two kids underfoot, but there certainly was no lack in valuable content to read. This has transformed the way that I understand and work with my daughter, and she has had a diagnosis for sensory integration disorder for years! I reccommend this to *any* parent, even those without sensory kids....
Best resource for activities I've found!.......2006-03-03
I found this book very helpful for use in my field as a social worker who works with children and adolescents, not just with sensory issues, but across a wide spectrum of issues. This book offers MANY activities targeting children of all ages and with diverse interests, and I have also found it helpful to recommend to parents as options for activities to entertain their kids with!
Books:
- The New Complete Lhasa Apso
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- The Pawprints of History: Dogs and the Course of Human Events
- The Pond Owner's Problem Solver: Practical and Expert Advice on Designing, Stocking and Managing Ponds
- THE REFORMATION Material or Spiritual? Problems in European Civilization
- THE SHAR PEI TODAY (Book of the Breed)
- The Tetra Encyclopedia of Freshwater Tropical Aquarium Fishes
- The Whelping and Rearing of Puppies: A Complete and Practical Guide
- The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: The Essential Yoga Texts for Spiritual Enlightenment (Sacred Wisdom)
Books Index
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