Customer Reviews:
Stunning pictures.......2007-05-12
Mike Fay has done it again with this collection of amazing photos. Each picture tells a unique and compelling story that make you feel the real struggles in Gabon.
Great Book.......2007-04-16
Bought this book for my mother-in-law as a birthday present. She has traveled to Africa many times so it was perfect for her. She was thrilled with the book. The book is spectacular. We would recommend highly.
The most Impressive Book in my Library.......2007-03-08
Having been a member of The National Geographic Society since 1952 and with a library accumulated in that time, I have not seen before Last Place on Earth such a fine book so magnificently produced.
Incredible Adventure and Book.......2007-03-08
As a photographer and a journalist who has a passion for intense travel and the natural world, I think this is one of the most amazing books published in the past 20 years. Passionate, heartbreaking, and beautiful the world and work of Nick Nichols and Mike Fay shown in this book was eye opening. Highly reccomend. Only comment that maybe negative is the size a bulk of the book.
Retrospective.......2007-01-27
This is a beautifully bound book covering a wide range of areas in and about the jungles of Africa. The images are possible only for someone who spent as much time there as these two did, and the breathtaking work shows this condition. The mega-transect journal is a very nice companion to the photographs, and really helps to convey a mood and philosophy of their work. There passion is obvious.
Amazon.com
The oceans of the world rank foremost among humankind's last great frontiers, and their climatological and ecological workings remain mysterious to all but specialists. In this lively, well-written survey, marine scientist Carl Safina encourages readers to take a wider interest in the oceans, especially because so much of that great blue expanse is now threatened by human progress. Safina notes, for example, that the North Atlantic's tuna population has fallen by more than 90 percent in just the last few decades. It has gone the way of cod and herring and pilot whales thanks to a combination of changing global temperatures, overfishing, pollution, inland watershed and delta destruction, and other causes--many of them attributable to human activities. Even now, he notes, many Pacific fishing fleets use cyanide to catch fish, a process that destroys sensitive marine ecosystems. Safina's tour of the world's waters may inspire readers to press for changes in the way that fish is brought to their tables, and to take a more careful look at the natural processes that govern this watery planet.
Book Description
Part odyssey, part pilgrimage, this epic personal narrative follows the author's exploration of coasts, islands, reefs, and the sea's abyssal depths. Scientist and fisherman Carl Safina takes readers on a global journey of discovery, probing for truth about the world's changing seas, deftly weaving adventure, science, and political analysis.
Customer Reviews:
Absolute poetry.......2004-08-06
I'm only about halfway through this book, but it's so moving that I decided I needed to rave now. Carl Safina uses an amazing grasp of language to paint mental pictures of what he writes about. I work in the scientific community and have spent a lot of time on that water, and his writings are not only objective and scientifically sound, he constructs them in such a way that they are beautiful. You will have a thirst for each topic and region of which he writes. I borrowed this book from the library and had vowed to buy it before I'd finished the first chapter. It has only improved as I've proceeded.
Beauty beyond compare.......2004-04-29
This is one of the most beautiful, powerful books I have ever read. Safina's journey encompasses the entire world and all points of view. His words have inspired me to pursue my dreams and opened up new worlds of knowledge. Now, every time I hear of politicians doing something stupid to the oceans or rivers, I just shake my head and say "'Song' should be required reading for them before they can draft a piece of legislation dealing with the oceans."
McPhee on Red Bull.......2002-07-01
This book would be twice as good if it were half as long. Evidently the only editors were fawning friends of the author, who must have felt that every observation, no matter how offhand or trivial, needed to be included in the bloated text. This is too bad, because he is a decent writer, knows and cares about fish and fisheries, and the story is compelling. Imagine John McPhee full of Red Bull and vodka and you get the idea.
Also, a book that uses the silly word "waitron" without irony, and "heregia" twice in a hundred pages can be a little precious.
Entertaining Science.......2001-05-10
Is it a novel, a journey through the seas, or a scientific work describing the demise of fishes around the world while offering policy suggestions? It doesn't matter what kind of book it is- it may be all in one. What matters is that Carl Safina has written a book, Song for the Blue Ocean, which tells the story of living oceans; a book that catches your attention through adventure and interesting characters, witty writing, strong emotion, and terse opinions strewn amongst simple science.
In the preface, Safina mentions that he will be our guide and interpreter, but ultimately we have to make our own decisions regarding what the oceans and their inhabitants really mean to us. Nonetheless, I feel quite comfortable following Safina's lead. After receiving his doctorate in ecology and starting a career as an academic, Safina decided that he needed to take a stronger stand on conservation and scientific policy regarding the world's imperiled fish. He founded and now directs the National Audubon Society's Living Oceans Program, and wrote Song for the Blue Ocean merely 10 years after graduate school. Safina has a unique and open perspective on the state of the world's fishes, once as a commercial and sport fisherman, and now as a world-renowned scientist. Personally, I feel quite comfortable allowing Safina's guide and interpretations to influence my own opinions.
Song for the Blue Ocean is split into three distinct sections: the Northeast, the Northwest, and the Far Pacific. In addition, each section focuses on an imperiled species, namely the Giant Bluefin Tuna, pacific Salmon, and coral reefs; nonetheless, Safina is able to depict the bigger picture of the world's fisheries and common problems with these three examples. Not only does the reader get an inside look at fishing culture and the conservationist culture, but we also learn about the bigger picture of fisheries, i.e. externalities of fishing like by-catch, various fishing styles (from spear fishing to cyanide poisoning), the state of these fisheries, and the huge political aspects of fishing. Safina artfully intertwines information about national and international agencies involved in the conservation of fisheries, like CITES and the Endangered Species Act, without it sounding like a lecture. We learn about various species of sponges and coral reef fish, or the difference between steelhead trout and Chinook salmon, during the while we are enchanted by Safina's adventures floating down an icy Northwest river or almost dying of nitrogen narcosis while SCUBA diving 160 feet deep in the Palau islands.
The book flows very smoothly. Safina builds up the story, grasps ahold of your attention, and then leads you through the steps until he has made his point clear. For instance, Safina talks of the beautiful large and diverse trees in the Pacific Northwest, then introduces the concept of a snag- a tree that has died, but continues to stand upright for many years. Once it finally falls, hundreds of species move in, under, through, and around the fallen log. Finally, we understand that clear cutting and second growth forests near rivers do not provide adequate habitat for spawning salmon, which rely on the deep pool behind the fallen snag to deposit their eggs. All the while, this simple chain of events is presented in a very romantic and mysterious way, and it all seems so important. Safina also captures my attention with the conversations between the amazing characters in his book. They are funny, disturbing, happy, sad- they are martyrs, antagonists and clueless. They provide much of the information in the book, but they also provide relief from the continuous science and bleak outlook on the state of the fisheries.
Truthfully, there is not much about Song for the Blue Ocean that I did not enjoy, but Safina does tend to dwell on the past, with a few too many "back in the good old days" stories. This type of talk can be fun and contagious, nonetheless too much of this babble is unhelpful in the context of conservation. Similarly, Safina slips from time to time with sarcastic remarks. Some may find this witty, but I find it ineffective. Enjoyment of this book also depends on what your expectations are, some may find it too political, or others may not find it scientific enough. Safina approaches his journey with an open mind- and this is also the best way to approach his book.
Safina's unique perspective lends itself to an original story. He is a weary scientist in the middle of a debate over the state of the world's fisheries, who wants to discover the truth for himself. His journey takes him to all corners of the ocean, where he meets and listens to real people whose livelihood depends on the fish. His book therefore portrays all angles of the story, which allows the reader to form her own opinion (as Safina wanted). Safina does distinguish between fact and opinion on a regular basis; nonetheless he is not afraid to express his opinion, sometimes very strongly.
This book is for anyone- scientists and non-scientists. Young and old alike. People who want to learn more about the worlds imperiled fisheries will get their fill. Others who are mildly interested in fish, or fishing, or the world's oceans will be entertained. Even people who just pick up the book without any preface will find the writing, unique characters, and Safina's journeys across the Atlantic and Pacific extremely refreshing. This book really is all-in-one. Safina has mastered the art of hybridization, with perfect proportions of science, policy, and adventure.
Song for the Blue Ocean - a phenomenal book.......2001-02-18
I could not put this book down. It is well written and well- balanced. Dr. Safina describes three different areas of the world, the North Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest and Palau, east of the Phillipines. He describes in detail how intricate ecosystems are, and all the complicated relationships between fish , man and the environment. He describes in wonderful detail the biology of the bluefin tuna and salmon. More importantly, he impressed me with how devastating certain fishing techniques have effected fish. I think this book should be read by everyone who cares about wildlife and the environment.
Average customer rating:
- The Sense of Wonder
- Lovely book
- Beautiful book for anyone who loves children and nature.
- An excellent companion to 'Everyday Wonders' by Barry Evans
- Granpa's view
|
The Sense of Wonder
Rachel Carson
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Popular Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
20th Century
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Conservation
| Environment
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Nature Writing
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Conservation
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Natural History
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Silent Spring
-
The Edge of the Sea
-
The Sea Around Us
-
Under the Sea-Wind (Penguin Classics)
-
Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson
ASIN: 006757520X
Release Date: 1998-04-21 |
Amazon.com
Not long before she died in 1964, the noted environmental writer Rachel Carson wrote an essay for Woman's Home Companion magazine called "Helping Your Child to Wonder." In that essay--reprinted here, with photographs of natural subjects by Nick Kelsh--Carson urged parents to take their children to wild places in order to introduce them to the astonishing variety of life that exists all around us: to study birds, listen to the winds, and observe the stars. Too much of the child's subsequent education, she warns, will be devoted to dimming that "clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring" with which children are born; it is the parent's task to be an adult guide who can in turn rediscover the "excitement and mystery of the world we live in." Carson's words are timely, and this beautifully illustrated edition makes a fine gift for new and prospective mothers and fathers. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
First published more than three decades ago, this reissue of Rachel Carson's award-winning classic brings her unique vision to a new generation of readers. Stunning new photographs by Nick Kelsh beautifully complement Carson's intimate account of adventures with her young nephew, Roger, as they enjoy walks along the rocky coast of Maine and through dense forests and open fields, observing wildlife, strange plants, moonlight and storm clouds, and listening to the "living music" of insects in the underbrush.
"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder." Writes Carson, "he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in." The Sense of Wonder is a refreshing antidote to indifference and a guide to capturing the simple power of discovery that Carson views as essential to life.
In her insightful new introduction, Linda Lear remembers Rachel Carson's groundbreaking achievements in the context of the legendary environmentalist's personal commitment to introducing young and old to the miracles of nature.
Kelsh's lush photographs inspire sensual, tactile reactions: masses of leaves floating in a puddle are just waiting to be scooped up and examined more closely. An image of a narrow path through the trees evokes the earthy scent of the woods after a summer rain. Close-ups of mosses and miniature lichen fantasy-lands will spark innocent'as well as more jaded'imaginations. Like a curious child studying things underfoot and within reach, Kelsh's camera is drawn to patterns in nature that too often elude hurried adults'a stand of beech trees in the springtime, patches of melting snow and the ripples from a pebble tossed into a slow-moving stream.
The Sense of Wonder is a timeless volume that will be passed on from children to grandchildren, as treasured as the memory of an early-morning walk when the song of a whippoorwill was heard as if for the first time.
Customer Reviews:
The Sense of Wonder.......2007-03-17
Rachel Carson reveals the world through her interactions with her young nephew. Our role as educators, parents and caregivers of the young child is to give the young mind as many quality experiences where both can revisit, relive and relearn the many wonders of the world around us. The photographs in this edition are a wonderful compliment to the message of Carson's writing.
Lovely book.......2007-03-09
This book makes a great gift for any expecting mother--it's illustrated with beautiful nature photographs, and Rachel Carson's historic essay is inspirational. Young parents, you can learn a lot about how to introduce your child to nature.
Beautiful book for anyone who loves children and nature........2007-01-03
This is a wonderful book about children and nature, but more deeply, about maintaining for yourself and the others in your life the delight, suprise and awe one feels when seeing things as a child does for the first time - a sense of wonder. It is written in lovely prose that really creates the feeling that you are being made privy to the spontaneous thoughts of the author as she traversed the natural world with her little nephew. The photographs are beautiful renderings of found still lives and landscapes, well-photographed by Nick Kelsh. I did think that the prints of the photographs were a little lurid in spots, but it doesn't distract too much from the beauty of the overall product. This book was written by Rachel Carson before she died, and never truly finished. There is an older version of this book, again, with photographs that "Rachel Carson would have wanted" and it's interesting to compare the two. I recommend this book highly for anyone who loves children and nature, and values the powers of observation of the world around them.
An excellent companion to 'Everyday Wonders' by Barry Evans.......2006-03-15
In continuation of my relentless search for better understanding of perceptual sensitivity & sensory acuity, I am very glad to be able to lay my hands on this wonderful book.
To me, I have found it to be an excellent companion to another good book - 'Everyday Wonders: Encountering with the Astonishing World Around Us' - which I have reviewed earlier.
Trust me: Once you have read this timeless volume, you will be really inspired, and not only that, you will never be the same again in looking at the world around you.
Granpa's view.......2005-08-28
We live by the sea and I bought this book with my grandsons (eldest 4) in mind. The photos are excellent and the text is inspiring, but written with an adult reader (parents) in mind. The book has inspired us to try and show our grandchildren more of nature's wonders both on the beach and in the woods, fields and our garden. However they will be a little older before they can appreciate the book for themselves.
Average customer rating:
- My view
- A sand county Almanac: and sketches Here And there by Aldo Leopoid
- First Time User
- an excellent edition of an outstanding book
- book revisited
|
Sand County Almanac (Outdoor Essays & Reflections)
Aldo Leopold
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Conservation
| Environment
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Nature Writing
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Conservation
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Mountains
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Natural Resources
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Conservation
| Outdoors & Nature
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Conservation
| Environment
| Outdoors & Nature
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Nature Writing
| Outdoors & Nature
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Reference
| Outdoors & Nature
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Natural Resources
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Silent Spring
-
Desert Solitaire
-
Walden; Or, Life in the Woods (Dover Thrift Editions)
-
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (Harper Perrennial Modern Classics)
-
A Sand County Almanac
ASIN: 0345345053
Release Date: 1986-12-12 |
Amazon.com
Published in 1949, shortly after the author's death, A Sand County Almanac is a classic of nature writing, widely cited as one of the most influential nature books ever published. Writing from the vantage of his summer shack along the banks of the Wisconsin River, Leopold mixes essay, polemic, and memoir in his book's pages. In one famous episode, he writes of killing a female wolf early in his career as a forest ranger, coming upon his victim just as she was dying, "in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes.... I was young then, and full of trigger-itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, no wolves would mean hunters' paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view." Leopold's road-to-Damascus change of view would find its fruit some years later in his so-called land ethic, in which he held that nothing that disturbs the balance of nature is right. Much of Almanac elaborates on this basic premise, as well as on Leopold's view that it is something of a human duty to preserve as much wild land as possible, as a kind of bank for the biological future of all species. Beautifully written, quiet, and elegant, Leopold's book deserves continued study and discussion today. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
"We can place this book on the shelf that holds the writings of Thoreau and John Muir." San Francisco Chronicle
These astonishing portraits of the natural world explore the breathtaking diversity of the unspoiled American landscape -- the mountains and the prairies, the deserts and the coastlines. A stunning tribute to our land and a bold challenge to protect the world we love.
Customer Reviews:
My view.......2007-10-07
Well written book. A. Leopold was an early messenger regarding people`s influence on nature and the risk of damage because of short-sighted politics/business. His description of his surroundings is vivid. One wonders how "his" landscape looks today!
A sand county Almanac: and sketches Here And there by Aldo Leopoid.......2007-02-27
was not a hard covered book recieved a paper back. I kept it only because I wanted to read it. arrived in good condition and in about 10 days
First Time User.......2007-01-16
The whole process went great. It took a few minutes extra at the beginning as it was my first time. Since then, I have bought another book and some other items. It's truly a great way to get a good deal on thing you would never think were available on line. Have plans for many other items that I have been checking out as my budget allows.
an excellent edition of an outstanding book.......2007-01-16
Book worth reading and re-reading for anyone interested in ecology, also professionally, or who has respect for the natural world. In a way it is pity that the book is as vital now as it was. Our undersanding of ecology and needs for looking after our environment increased alongside with the rate of its destruction
book revisited.......2007-01-13
except for about 3 missprinted words in this book,it is just as good a read as it was for me in high school.A true conservation and nature classic.
Amazon.com
Born in 1915, the mountaineer and outdoorsman David Brower has arguably been the single most influential American environmentalist in the last half of the 20th century; even his erstwhile foes at the Department of the Interior grudgingly credit him with having nearly single-handedly halted the construction of a dam in the heart of the Grand Canyon, and he has converted thousands, even millions, of his compatriots to the preservationist cause through his work with the Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, and other organizations.
Brower was in the thick of battle when John McPhee profiled him for the New Yorker in a piece that would evolve into Encounters with the Archdruid. McPhee follows Brower into unusually close combat as Brower faces down a geologist who is, it seems, convinced that there is no sight quite so elevating as that of a fully operational mine; a developer who (successfully, it turned out) sought to convert an isolated stretch of the Carolina coast into a resort for the moneyed few--and who provided the title for McPhee's book, wryly opining that conservationists are at heart druids who "sacrifice people and worship trees"; and, most formidable of all, former Interior Secretary Floyd Dominy, who oversaw the construction of a structure that for Brower stands as one of the most hated creations of our time, Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River. McPhee offers up an engaging portrait of Brower, a man unafraid of a good fight in the service of the earth, making Encounters an important contribution to the history of the modern environmental movement. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
The narratives in this book are of journeys made in three wildernesses - on a coastal island, in a Western mountain range, and on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. The four men portrayed here have different relationships to their environment, and they encounter each other on mountain trails, in forests and rapids, sometimes with reserve, sometimes with friendliness, sometimes fighting hard across a philosophical divide.
Customer Reviews:
McPhee's Best Work - Still Relevant Today.......2007-08-15
I read this book for the first time 36 years after it was written, yet it seems like it was written today. The battles now have different names but the perspectives are still the same. My conclusion after reading it is that as a species human's have the capacity to view the same scenery and information and come to radically different conclusions; lets build on it or lets preserve it. The fundamental difference seems to be how an individual views the world around us; our surroundings exist to serve us or we an integral part of the world. This dichotomy in thinking may explain why some of us become engineers and real estate developers and others become artists and conservationists.
McPhee's genius in this book was to get the archetypes of those two positions to spend time together in a proposed open pit copper mine in the Cascades, a potential resort in Cumberland Island off the coast of Georgia, and in and around dams along the Colorado River; recording the dialog while describing the landscape. This book is a paean to conservation and one of McPhee's best.
Encounters with the Archdruid.......2007-01-03
David Brower is a major conservationist who leads many environmental groups. In Encounters with the Archdruid, Brower travels to a mountain, an island, and a river, and has battles with various developers in each of the aareas. In the mountains, he encounters Charles Park, a geologist who is pick-happy. ON the island, he meets Charles Fraser, a developer who wants to build a resort on the island. He also goes fafting with Floyd Dominy, who is bent on building a dam to make a lake out of the end of the river. Brower winds some, and loses some, but for the sake of the enfironment, he never gives up.
Encounters with a bad book.......2007-01-02
This book is not very interesting. It is very jumpy and hard to understand. There are many enviormental issues that are barely if at all touched on by the author. Characters are over developed and there is to much background information on unimportant characters. Brower is just on big whinner. Overall it is not that good of a book.
identity and idealism.......2006-09-15
This is not a hagiography, and readers who think McPhee is portraying David Brower as a hero are not reading deeply enough. McPhee presents Brower as a human with faults. But this too is not his purpose. All ideals need champions, and Brower was the environmental champion of the 1970s. That he was a hypocrite to his own cause bears little relevance to his symbolic importance. McPhee carefully establishes Brower's identity such that the reflective reader can draw parallels to their own self-conception and ideas of perfection. Oh, and it's readable too.
hello.......2006-02-28
Part one is very informative. It talks alot about the characters, their personalities, and their backgrounds. We didn't like the fact taht
copper" and "mine" was in just about every other sentence. IN part, we believe the author was trying to emphasize about the characters' obsession and how strongly each man felt for his argument, however it made the section extreemly boring, long, and hard to read. In the second sectoin, the story line picked upi. We enjoyed how throught the novel, the author would continuely add depth and different demensions to the characters with more background information about each characer. Part three was definatly the most enteretaining out of the three with it's fast paced storyline and action scenes. The beginning of the book was slow but then it picked up and ended well.
Book Description
“There’s a special providence in the fall of a sparrow.” --William Shakespeare,
Hamlet
B fell twenty-five feet from his nest into the life of Chris Chester. The encounter was providential for both of them.
B and Chester spent hours together playing games like bottle-cap fetch or hide-and-seek. They learned “words” in each other’s vocabularies. B developed a fetish for nostrils and a dislike of the color yellow. He grew anxious if Chester came home late from work. At bedtime he would rub his sleepy eyes on Chester’s thumb and settle to sleep in his palm. Chester ended up turning part of his house into an aviary and adjusting his social life to meet B’s demands. This was a small price to pay, though, for the trust and comfort of a twenty-five-gram friend who brought joy and wonder back into his life.
Customer Reviews:
A Love Story.......2007-09-12
I found myself crying several times while reading Providence of a Sparrow, struck by the honesty, humor and insight of Chris's writing. It is not a book about Sparrows; rather what lessons can be learned from nature. A wonderful read for anyone who loves the natural world, has every suffered from depression, or believes that some of the most profound lessons in life can be gleaned from the most unlikely of places.
Tragically, Chris Chester died a horrendous death not too long ago. Although this book is not for everyone it, I can assure you it carries a message that we could all stand to hear.
Book for a Desert Island.......2006-11-11
Here is wisdom, a profound and insightful exposition of the world and its avian and human inhabitants. Chester's depth of spirit, breadth of knowledge, and width of insight are breathtaking. Read this book slowly and lovingly and you will like yourself and your neighbors better.
I'll never forget this book.......2006-10-16
I am so much richer for having read this book. It is lyrical and profound; funny and witty. The intelligence of the writer and of "B" his bird amazed me. I can't look at life the same way I always have, since reading it. Thank you Chris for writing this book.
First Book Review I ever Sent In -- Because this book is special!.......2006-09-04
This is the most interesting book I have ever read (and I belong to 3 Book Clubs), so I read A LOT! I am admittedly a bird lover, but this book struck my heart. I have never written a review to Amazon, but this book is so special that I have to shout READ IT!!!! It will change your life. It blew me away. Amazing! Can't let it go....day after day, it reminds me of what life is all about. Saw Telegraph Hill. Doesn't compare. This is real. Heartrending. Intelligent. This book will keep you spellbound. A sure winner for book clubs, and anyone who wants to read a truly FABULOUS book.
There's something about these birds..........2005-12-20
I came across this book by complete chance- I didn't even know it existed until I found it staring me in the face from an endcap at the local bookstore. I was quite suprised that someone had written a book about raising house sparrows. I found my first house sparrow when I was 12 years old, and then raise 2 more that had been abandoned. My experience with the birds was strikingly similar to Mr. Chester's. He does a wonderful job in illustrating the fact that dogs and cats aren't the only animals that can be intelligent pets with personality. Most people seem to think that anyone who dotes upon a bird is a bit wierd, after all "it's only a bird." "Only", indeed.
Be aware that this book is a memoir, not a textbook. Mr. Chester does talk about himself. A lot. That's what people do in memoirs. But he certainly does include a wealth of information about sparrows in general, and his bird in particular. The reviewers who claim otherwise did not read the book (and admitted this themselves.) The book is about not just a bird and not just a man, but also the relationship between them and how this relationship made the man's life infinitely richer. "Providence of a Sparrow" shows that even "pests" and "junk birds" (as house sparrows are commonly called) have value. I hope that people who have never had a relationship with one of these birds enjoy the book as much as I did.
Book Description
In Earth in Mind, noted environmental educator David W. Orr focuses not on problems in education, but on the problem of education.
Much of what has gone wrong with the world, he argues, is the result of inadequate and misdirected education that: alienates us from life in the name of human domination; causes students to worry about how to make a living before they know who they are; overemphasizes success and careers; separates feeling from intellect and the practical from the theoretical; deadens the sense of wonder for the created world.
The crisis we face, Orr explains, is one of mind, perception, and values. It is, first and foremost, an educational challenge.
The author begins by establishing the grounds for a debate about education and knowledge. He describes the problems of education from an ecological perspective, and challenges the "terrible simplifiers" who wish to substitute numbers for values. He follows with a presentation of principles for re-creating education in the broadest way possible, discussing topics such as biophilia, the disciplinary structure of knowledge, the architecture of educational buildings, and the idea of ecological intelligence. Orr concludes by presenting concrete proposals for reorganizing the curriculum to draw out our affinity for life.
Customer Reviews:
Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect.......2007-01-10
David Orr exquisitely puts into words a need for an environmental ethos in the classroom. As a high school teacher, I have long-intuited his insights about how to bring daily connections to students about the natural world that we inhabit. He is deeply passionate, articulate and practical. I'd love to see school boards, administrations, faculty and students alike be exposed to his clear thinking and real suggestions. He brings urgency without bringing despair.
Everyone should read this book!.......2005-10-04
This is a very important book that should be read by all politicians, educators, and citizens of Earth. David Orr gives clear examples and ideas for making the radical changes we need to undo some of the damage that we have done to the planet. You will be inspired and moved if you read this book.
a great book in all respects.......2005-10-04
first off, as promised by the reseller, the book was in great condition.
as for the contents of the book, it's a fantastic read if you are interested in the root of the sustainability movement. that is to say the foundations and meaning of our educational system which as critical public good, is in dire need of a re-examination.
The Inclusion of Ecology Studies Needed In All Education.......2005-05-12
David W. Orr is chair of the environmental studies program at Oberlin College in Ohio and is most often credited with coining the word "ecoliteracy" (similar to the renown biologist Garrett Hardin's "ecolacy") to describe the very important study and understanding of ecology and natural resource processes. He is also credited with the simple, but profound statement, "When we heal the Earth, we heal ourselves."
No wonder then that Prof. Orr is well suited to write on the importance of ecoliteracy being incorporated into all educational systems for a more balanced perspective of reality.
Contemporary education, Orr says "...emphasizes theories, not values; abstraction rather than consciousness; neat answers instead of questions; and technical efficiency over conscience." (p 8) and, "As a result, after 12 or 16 or 20 years of education, most students graduate without any broad, integrated sense of the unity of things." (p 11)
"This is not an argument against education but rather an argument for the type of education that prepares people for lives and livelihoods suited to a planet with a biosphere that operates by the laws of ecology and thermodynamics." (p 27)
"Intelligence would lead us...to protect biological diversity, but for reasons that go beyond the calculation of self-interest. The surest sign of maturity of intelligence is the evolution of biocentric wisdom, by which I mean the capacity to nurture and shelter life-a fitting standard for a species calling itself homo sapiens." (p52)
"...I propose a different ranking system for colleges based on whether or not the institution and it's graduates move the world in more sustainable directions. Does four years at a particular institution instill knowledge, love, and competence toward the natural world or indifference and ignorance? Are the graduates of this or that college suited for a responsible life on a planet with a biosphere? This is an admittedly difficult, but not impossible, task."
A sense of "biophilia", as the renown sociobiologist, E.O. Wilson has described as that innate feeling of connectedness to a biological world where our roots and sustenance lie, is critical for developing a deep sense of respect and care of our world. Biophilia and it's antithesis, biophobia are well covered in chapter 20.
"We need an ecological concept of citizenship roots in the understanding that activities that erode soils, waste resources, pollute, destroy biological diversity, and degrade the beauty of landscapes are forms of theft from the commonwealth as surely as bank robbery. Ecological vandalism undermines future prosperity and democracy alike." (p 168)
"The first bit of conventional wisdom denies the importance of place and environment in favor of global vandalism masquerading as progress." (p 160)
Indeed, and a deep understanding of natural life-support systems would help mend that twisted perception of reality. David Orr has very well delineated the educational path here to creating graduates with a sense of awe and respect for the fragile, but life-supporting planet they live on.
To change the world, we have to change our minds.......2005-01-31
I once saw a lecture by James Randi, the skeptic and amateur magician who likes to debunk "miracles" and other mumbo jumbo. He was discouraged on this night, and he relayed his thoughts on how to save rationalism in a seeming advancing tide of superstition and magical thinking. He said something along the lines of, 'Forget trying to work with the adults, it's already too late for them. Concentrate on cultivating rational habits of mind among children, for whom there is still hope.'
This book by David Orr reminded me of that advice from Randi. While progressives and environmentalists make worthy efforts to control the worst aspects of industrial civilization through regulation and policy changes, what often gets short shrift is education. What is the use of treading water in the adult world of environmental destruction, if our children are still being taught to contribute to those very processes of civilization that do all of the damage? Orr reminds us that the most difficult change that needs to happen is one of mindset, of formative ideas. There are plenty of appropriate technologies out there to change the world, but we lack the political will and cultural mindset to implement what needs to be done.
The best way to create that ecological mindset, or worldview, is to teach children from the earliest age that they are part of a wonderful but fragile ecosystem, one that needs their help and devotion to survive. If we don't teach our daughters and sons that the earth is their home, and that processes that kill their home are ultimately suicidal, then all of the policy work and regulatory stop-gaps are worthless. This is good stuff, well worth reading.
Amazon.com
In a literal overview of the world, Earth from Above: 365 Days presents a resplendent view of our complex home. Each new day reveals another breathtaking, and sometimes heartbreaking, image from the sky: an endless field of Kenyan flamingos, the crowded streets of Tokyo, the crisscrossing highways of Los Angeles, or a misty blue lagoon in Iceland. Turn the page and find yet another absorbing view. Each of the 365 pictures is monumental and imparts one more mind-blowing facet to our elaborate planet. Every image is accompanied by a brief socially conscious text. Descriptions of nature's bounty and wrath, along with human impact both good and bad, run throughout. From the beauty of the world's largest maze to the destruction of major earthquakes, life seems unpredictable. Whether it's one lone outfielder in Yankee Stadium or the lone penguin on a glacier in Antarctica, the sentiment is very much the same. Against the immensity of life on earth, each of us can sometimes feel so very small. --J.P. Cohen
Book Description
This affordable picture-a-day compilation, based on the hugely successful original edition, is the 2005 edition by renowned aerial photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Reaching across continents, from icebergs of Antarctica to the cotton fields of India to the olive plantations of Spain, the breathtaking full-color photographs are accompanied by informative new captions that illuminate what we see and describe the environmental concerns related to each location.
In addition, all 12 months of the book now open with an insightful introduction by one of several noted authors who address a wide variety of subjects critical to the present and future health of our planet: agriculture, biodiversity, sustainable development, energy, forests, fresh water, seas and oceans, and global warming. Earth From Above: 365 Days offers us a valuable new perspective on our spectacular but fragile environment.
Customer Reviews:
The Best Coffee Table Book.......2006-03-19
This is the best coffee table book I have seen. It captures the interest of all ages and intelects. But there is a message too, we must take care of our planet. !!!
Amazing experience.......2006-03-15
The images and stories that go with them are compelling and informative about the status of this world we live in. They are beautiful and give a powerful perspective on the Earth from a view we can not see as we walk on the ground. Amazing experience to share. I have now given it as gifts to over 10 clients and friends.
Outstanding global view.......2006-03-09
These Earth from Above books are truly an outstanding and breath taking view of the the world. They are educational and beautiful all at the same time. They are great coffee table books as well as great resources to show your children amazing natural and man made sites from all over the globe. Highly recommended.
Sweeeeet!!!.......2006-01-29
An amazing book of beautiful, thought provoking pictures that swirl the mind. No negative critiques other than the fact that the book should have been published in a large "coffee table book" size. I think a huge disservice was done to both the quality and content of these photos to have them published in a 6.5" x 7" format.
Erie coincidence.......2004-10-11
When I turned the page to September 11th just recently, I saw an erie photograph of the destruction of 2 side by side square structures in Florida reminding me of the World Trade Center on that very date. When I checked the copyright and saw that the book was publisher in 2001, I thought it would have to be after September 11th and the author used this photograph intentionally on this date. But by checking the Amazon site I learned the published date was September 1, 2001. Though I know September is hurricane season in Florida, I couldn't help but think this was an erie coincidence.
Book Description
When Jim Stiles moved west from Kentucky in the 1970s to make Moab, Utah, his home, that corner of the rural West had already endured decades of obscurity, a uranium boom and then a bust, and was facing an identity crisis. What kind of economy would prevent Moab from becoming yet another ghost town? For more than two decades, environmentalists in southeast Utah have had a simple answer to this question: replace extractive industries-mining, timber, and cattle-with an economy catering to "green" tourists with hotels, restaurants, and bars. They feel that if these lands can be spared further degradation by huge industries, the West could begin to thrive on something cleaner and more lucrative. But Stiles sees a downside to this seemingly idyllic vision. Bringing insight based on decades of residence in Moab, he makes a provocative and compelling argument that the economy most environmentalists hail as the solution to the woes of the rural West is in fact creating an unprecedented impact of its own. In recent years, Moab and other rural towns across the West have seen a massive influx of urbanites fleeing crowded cities in search of a simpler life. Yet Stiles also observes that these transplants are often unwilling to accept the isolation and lack of services that characterize genuine rural life. Believing themselves to be liberal, sensitive, enlightened environmentalists, they nevertheless bring with them exactly the type of lifestyle and ecological impact that they sought to leave behind and, in the process, create a community that no longer serves the native inhabitants. With a blend of travelogue, local color, and geography, Stiles engages readers with folksy humor while defending the lifestyle.
Customer Reviews:
Ed Abbey Lives - thanks Jim!.......2007-04-30
I met Jim Stiles years ago, when he was still rangering at Arches. I was one of those Abbey-seekers who had made a pilgrimage to Moab and Arches after reading Desert Solitaire ( this was September 1980, just before Reagan was elected and Everything changed ). I had found the site of Abbey's trailer, and his rusted septic tank and drainfield pipe. I had taken off my clothes and stood atop a rock to salute, as I recall, the spirit of everything Ed had written about. Ranger Jim came across this scene and said, understandably, "What the hell are you doing?". Well he was very civil and decent about it all. He confirmed I had found the sacred trailer site - heck, he even gave me a t-shirt with his infamous "Glen Canyon Damn" picture ( I still have it!).
Over the years I have enjoyed Jim's writings, and it is great to finally see him put it all in a book. Stiles definitely has the burr under his saddle that Abbey had, and it powers his prose better than most other "nature" writers in the 18 years we've been without Ed. I wish he'd write a novel, because I think he could bring the Monkey Wrench Gang into the 21st century, something we badly need.
I was in Moab, like I said, in 1980, and then again in 2003. Both times I ventured there in a VW Squareback ( Tradition!). I will admit that Moab was a LOT different 23 years later, though my teenage son and I still had a great visit. Christ it was hot! ( It was July, after all, with daytime temperatures as high as 116 degrees.) We explored Arches in the early-morning hours, swam and rafted in the hot afternoon ( and if that wasn't Pure Bliss I don't know what is ) and enjoyed good food and drink and an air-conditioned motel room in the evening. Moab is still a great place to visit, even if you are a low-impact non-biking non-jeeping old Abbey fan like me. Even on this second visit in 2003 I visited Ed's trailer site and easily found the septic tank and rusted pipe again, pretty much exactly as I had found it 23 years earlier. This time, however, I didn't take off my clothes, but instead read aloud the first chapter from Desert Solitaire to the land, to the place that inspired Ed to write his great book so long ago. No one was there ( in body at least ) but me. The timeless beauty and power of that place was - and, thankfully, still is - a real presence in the absolute quiet of that early morning.
Thanks for the great book, Jim. I hope it does well. Write on, brother. Write on.
The Future Of The West Is At Stake.......2007-04-20
Anyone who lives in a small, rural Western town, or anyone contemplating moving to, or, worse yet, just buying property in a small, rural Western town, definitely needs to read this book.
Stiles paints an unflinchingly accurate picture of how the tiny town of Moab became a crowded tourist town filled with fast-food joints and chain hotels. Longtime small business owners were forced out by the giant chain stores and T-shirt shops catering to out-of-town mountain bikers, Jeepers and ATVers. Alfalfa fields and orchards were sold to developers, who slapped up condos and luxury homes for mostly absentee owners, and conservative locals swamped by lycra-clad city dwellers. It's a sad and harsh reality, but Stiles manages quite a few laugh-out-loud moments: comedy is usually funny because it is so true.
The reason the book is important is that this phenomenon is repeating itself throughout the Western United States. Often local residents who may only make about $20,000 a year can no longer afford to live in the towns occupied by their families for generations. City dwellers take the equity from their city properties and invest it in rural land, driving prices out of sight, then bring their sharply different lifestyles to rural towns.
Most environmental groups have been completely silent on these issues, even as millions of new hikers trample the scenery into oblivion. Why? Perhaps because those same hikers and even some developers contribute hefty dollars to enviro groups. So while oil and gas companies contribute to the Bush administration, which then allows drilling on sensitive lands, environmental groups are running afoul of the same money trap--an ironic twist.
Of course the agent driving these ever-growing problems is our ever-expanding population, and Stiles is one of the few to tackle this problem publicly. Why can't our leaders even talk about this?
If you live in a small Western town, read this book, discuss it with your neighbors, and work with your local government to try and prevent this from happening to you.
If you are a city dweller contemplating a relocation or second-home purchase in a rural town, read this book and rethink your move. If you must move there, then stay there, work there, live there, don't build a giant mansion, be sensitive to the locals, try to get to know them. If you want their way of life, then LIVE IT, don't push your lifestyle onto them.
The West Under Seige.......2007-03-23
This is a GREAT book.
Tracing the growth of Moab, Jim Stiles has the huevos to take a long, cold look at what is happening in the Great American West. He has watched Moab (and, by extension, many other small Western towns) sucumb to carpet baggers, dirt pimps, speculators and, the cruelest irony of all, hoardes of nature-loving tourists encouraged by the "amenities economy".
Stiles takes on his friends as well as his enemies, and accuses enviromental groups of rolling over and playing dead while thousands of mountain bikers ride over their limp, unprotesting bodies on the way to Adventure Paradise. Stiles is neither a whiner nor a lamenter, and he shakes his fist at what he calls "enviropreneurs" out to make big bucks off public land. Commercialized nature theme parks are the future of the West, Stiles claims, reminding us of the debt we owe Edward Abbey when he coined the phrase "industrial tourism". Abbey was Stiles' mentor and friend.
Jim Stiles is a lively, accomplished writer, so this bitter pill is not too hard to swallow. Just be careful you don't choke while laughing out loud. Stiles is a very funny man and that's a good thing in these circumstances.
Average customer rating:
- Good on details
- Simply Beautiful
- Informative as a textbook, entertainment like a novel
- A Book written By Rachel Carson
|
The Edge of the Sea
Rachel Carson
Manufacturer: Mariner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Microscopes & Microsocopy
| Experiments, Instruments & Measurement
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Oceans & Seas
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Natural History
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Ecology
| Marine Biology
| Biology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Marine Biology
| Biology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ecology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Conservation
| Environment
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Nature Writing
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Conservation
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Ecology
| Biological Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Sea Around Us
-
Under the Sea-Wind (Penguin Classics)
-
Silent Spring
-
The Sense of Wonder
-
Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson
ASIN: 0395924960 |
Book Description
"The edge of the sea is a strange and beautiful place." A book to be read for pleasure as well as a practical identification guide, The Edge of the Sea introduces a world of teeming life where the sea meets the land. A new generation of readers is discovering why Rachel Carson's books have become cornerstones of the environmental and conservation movements. New introduction by Sue Hubbell. (A Mariner Reissue)
Customer Reviews:
Good on details.......2006-12-10
Carson takes a more detailed look at life on the edge of the sea. Having been near one of the areas she mentnioned helped make the subject matter more personal. However, she didn't drag me into this book like I was when I read some of her other works. I felt it to be a little dull in places, even though the the information was interesting throughout the book. Certainly worth reading if you're looking for an introduction to life on the edge of the ocean.
Simply Beautiful.......2004-05-07
Having never heard of Rachel Carson except in relation to "Silent Spring", I was pleasantly surprised on first reading her writing in this book by the masterly and near-poetic elegance of her prose. Written in the 1950s, before nature documentaries allowed most of us to see the wonders of marine life with our own eyes, Carson's ability to introduce those wonders to us through evocatively-written description alone (with occasional illustrations) remains truly amazing. The problem is that a generation raised on visual stimuli would probably find it quite difficult to sustain enough patience to go through the whole book, since it does make substantial demands on one's sense of imagination. I found myself struggling by the time I had finished two chapters - even though each chapter is generally about a different kind of seashore (rock, sand, or coral reef), trying to visualise one fascinating organism after another just got rather tedious and confusing. My recommendation to other readers would be to maximise your enjoyment of this book by reading it at the seaside, or in conjunction with a relevant documentary on the Discovery Channel.
Informative as a textbook, entertainment like a novel.......2002-03-09
I just finished this and I can't wait to read the rest of the author's work. Carson has a gift for describing the world around her and a command of the language that few seem to appreciate today. This is basically a natural history book written as if it where a novel. In "Edge of the Sea" she describes seashores, the environment and how it defines the animals and plants that a visitor will see. She concentrates on America's East Coast. The text left me with a longing to be there. Where modern writers would use pictures, Carson uses words. This book would be good (4 stars) for anyone who enjoys written imagery. If you already love the sea then it deserves 5.
A Book written By Rachel Carson.......2000-05-30
I thought this book was very mature and detailed. She is an excellent writer and I am doing a report on her! She was a wonderful person. And I enjoyed this very much.
Books:
- Leroy Grannis: Surf Photography of the 1960s and 1970s
- Losing It All to Sprawl: How Progress Ate My Cracker Landscape (Florida History and Culture)
- Management Of Uncertainty: Learning From Chernobyl (INTERNATIONAL STUDIES IN GLOBAL CHANGE)
- Marine Conservation Biology: The Science of Maintaining the Sea's Biodiversity
- Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Encyclopedia of Invertebrates, Seaweeds And Selected Fishes
- MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294): Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements, Second Edition
- Modern Roses: The World Encyclopedia of Roses
- Natural Hormone Balance for Women: Look Younger, Feel Stronger, and Live Life with Exuberance
- Nature Girl
- Nature Spirits & Elemental Beings
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- My Woman His Wife
- Hachiko Waits
- Dying to Please
- History: Fiction or Science
- Hammer Films: The Bray Studio Years
- Introduction to Electrodynamics
- Freshwater Ecology: Concepts & Environmental Applications
- The Globalized Woman: Reports from a Future of Inequality
- Downshifting: Reinventing Success on a Slower Track
- Stockwell of Minneapolis: A Pioneer of Social and Political Conscience
Through the Eyes of the Gods: An Aerial Vision of Africa
On This Earth: Photographs from East Africa
Africa
Life: A Journey Through Time
Archipelago: Portraits of Life in the World's Most Remote Island Sanctuary
