The Remarkable Life of William Beebe: Explorer and Naturalist (QSI Series)

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Vibrant and exciting biography of an amazing man

One of the most remarkable biographies I've read

Memorable, entertaining, and highly recommended biography

A Naturalist Worth Remembering

What a great man - and brilliant book

The Remarkable Life of William Beebe: Explorer and Naturalist (QSI Series)
Carol Grant Gould
Manufacturer: Island Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

Vibrant and exciting biography of an amazing man.......2005-10-09

I read the editorial review above for this book and almost didn't read it. I have to say I disagree with it. The biography does not necessarily focus on all his Beebe's personal issues, but it is a vibrant and gripping read about a very unique man. I thought it was extremely well done.

Born in the last quarter of the nineteenth century in Brooklyn, it was still a world of forests and wildlife nearby for him to explore. This love of nature, and comfort away from the trappings of civilisation stayed with him all his life. But he also had this almost supernatural ability to dissociate himself from his possible fate - or even his reality and instead go beyond that to look at what was happening around him. So his observations were extraodinary.

He was the first person to be travel down to 2000ft in the ocean in a small metal capsule. The enormous pressures could have caved in the tiny craft - it did even start leaking at some stage. Yet he broadcast live from it, and managed to make some ground breaking observations about his time there and the strange animals which dwelt there - some of which have never been seen since.

Gould has divided this biography into four distinct sections which followed his life, Naturalist, Ornithologist, Marine Biologist and Tropical Ecologist.

this is illustrated throughout with printed pictures on each page, the only drawback is that these pictures are all of poor to fair quality - a problem of matt paper combined with size of pictures and that they are all in black and white.

Beebe's life is worth reading about and I think Gould's biography is an excellent reference, readable and engaging.

One of the most remarkable biographies I've read.......2005-05-31

This is one of the most remarkable and enticing biographies I've ever read. I am a professional biologist and have always wanted to be able to express my enthusiasm for my work in words than transcend the sterility of "modern" science and politics. This work does this and I could only hope to express my own work in such an elegant way. I think Carol Grant Gould has done an exceptional job. Despite the restictions imposed upon her, I am mystified how she managed to pierce the veil that clouds the achievements of many scientists behind veils of scientific and religious intolerance. A remarkable work.

Memorable, entertaining, and highly recommended biography.......2005-04-10

Adventure travelers interested in both nature and action will relish biographer Carol Grant Gould's Remarkable Life Of William Beebe: Explorer And Naturalist, an armchair biography which tells of one William Beebe, who became the first to see the ocean depths in a bathysphere, trekked the Himalayas and Malaysia in the early 1900s to study ecology, and brainstormed with Roosevelt and other naturalists of his times. A remarkable life and a series of remarkable contributions comes vividly to life in this memorable, entertaining, and highly recommended biography.

A Naturalist Worth Remembering.......2005-03-29

William Beebe was at one time as famous as any naturalist can be, and justly so. Today, few have heard of him. It is no surprise that fame is fickle, and that a latter generation forgets the heroes of the former, but Beebe's is an extreme example. In _The Remarkable Life of William Beebe, Explorer and Naturalist_ (Island Press), Carol Grant Gould has given a full, big biography of one of the most amazing men who ever lived. Beebe worked in zoos. He took expeditions to identify and capture specimens from Indonesia, South America, and China. He broke records in deep sea diving in the bathysphere that was designed for him. He wrote two dozen books that were best sellers, widely appreciated by the public and by professional scientists who shared his realm of study. He was so famous that in the original play of _The Man Who Came to Dinner_, the hot-tempered protagonist receives an octopus shipped from Beebe, and audiences immediately understood the joke, as they do not, now, when they see the play in revival. If time has passed Beebe by, his influence is still substantial, and Gould has performed a useful service in bringing him back for us to wonder at.

Beebe was born in Brooklyn in 1877, when his neighborhood had wild woods that he could explore. He was a prodigy. Many kids set out to collect things, but the young Beebe kept snakes, learned taxidermy to keep snake and bird specimens, bought or traded for exotic specimens, and camped and hiked to get more. School was a breeze for him, but he loved being out in the field. In a final entry in an 1893 journal, he wrote, "To be a Naturalist is better than to be a King." The exuberance which this youthful manifesto exemplifies never left him. He became Assistant Curator of Birds at the new Bronx Zoological Park, but his career of exploring for the sake of discoveries in natural history took off when he left with his wife for an official exploit to Mexico. The press and public were enthusiastic about his account of the trip, the first of his bestsellers. Sometimes being a popularizer detracted from appreciation of his scientific work, but there was plenty of both. His voyages made him fascinated with sea life, and he became an adept diver, applying the same principles of studying a broad, three dimensional swath rather than individual inhabitants. In 1930, he and his engineer were "sealed in a spherical steel coffin and thrown into the ocean." Especially on initial dives, as the readings approached 800 feet, he had to be scared; he wrote, "Only dead men have sunk below this." Eventually, he was to broadcast his observations live from such a descent, a radio event that caused a sensation.

Beebe died in 1962, always grabbing as much of life and learning as he could. He was an entertaining friend, and among the visitors to these pages are Noël Coward, Gertrude Lawrence, Rebecca West, and especially Teddy Roosevelt. More important, he inspired biologists such as Rachel Carson, Ernst Mayr, and Edward O. Wilson. His emphasis on studying an ecosystem as a whole was original and vastly influential. Gould obviously admires his popular writings, many of which are quoted here, but shows that his scientific work is monumental. Calling his a remarkable life is indeed an understatement.

What a great man - and brilliant book.......2004-12-22

This is a wonderful book - a really engrossing story about an amazing man who was both an explorer and a scientist during the last century. If they made a movie about him, he'd probably be styled as an Indiana Jones type character, as he really did look death in the eye a few times in his lifetime - particularly during the dives he made in `the bathysphere' off Bermuda in the 1930s (the bathysphere being a sort of cast iron bubble with tiny windows, which was winched off the side of a boat, and dropped down to a depth of half a mile underwater). But in my mind's eye Beebe was more like a David Niven sort of person, because as well as having a passionate interest in exploring the natural world, he was a really gifted writer, had an enormous sense of humour, and was quite dapper and a great believer in cocktails all round in the late afternoon! And when he wasn't travelling the world, he was feted in New York society circles by people like Katherine Hepburn, Noel Coward and Rudyard Kipling. The book is really enjoyable and easy to read, and quite inspiring too - transporting you back to a bygone age. And it has LOADS of pictures, which bring it to life all the more. Lovely - good antidote to grim winter weather!

The Remarkable Life of William Beebe: Explorer and Naturalist.(Book Review) : An article from: Wilson Bulletin

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The Remarkable Life of William Beebe: Explorer and Naturalist.(Book Review) : An article from: Wilson Bulletin
William E., Jr. Davis
Manufacturer: Wilson Ornithological Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B000E8U2GK
Release Date: 2006-01-25

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Wilson Bulletin, published by Wilson Ornithological Society on December 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1023 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Remarkable Life of William Beebe: Explorer and Naturalist.(Book Review)
Author: William E., Jr. Davis
Publication: Wilson Bulletin (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2005
Publisher: Wilson Ornithological Society
Volume: 117 Issue: 4 Page: 421(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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The Remarkable Life of William Beebe Explorer and Naturalist

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The Remarkable Life of William Beebe Explorer and Naturalist
Beebe William
Manufacturer: Island Press/ Shearwater
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UIG4FW

Book Description

DAY HIKES IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK is a concise guide to 54 of the best day hikes in this magnificent park. The hikes include thundering waterfalls, geysers, hot springs, high mountain lakes, cascading rivers, meadows and panoramic views. These day hikes will take you to incredible scenery and natural features found nowhere else on earth. The hikes are easy to moderately strenuous, accommodating every level of hiking experience.

Customer Reviews:

A Little Disappointing.......2001-02-11

This is useful book but it could have been a lot better. It includes a good selection of short hikes and the maps are adequate but given the size of the book it could have included a lot more detail. The trail descriptions are brief and dry and don't tell you much about the areas you will be going through or what you are likly to see. Contrast this with Day Hiking Yellowstone by Tom Carter which includes much more interesting detail about plants, animals, geology and history in a much smaller book. Still, Stone's book is well worth getting because it includes a few hikes I haven't seen elsewhere. Example: A trail with a good chance of seeing Moose in the wild within easy walking distance of the motels of West Yellowstone.

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Reflecting on the daily life of people in history, this series examines the culture of ancient civilizations and their time in history. They provide the reader with a glimpse of how each culture lived, worked, related to one another, and worshipped, as well as the eccentricities and peculiarities for which they are well known.

Reflejando la vida cotidiana de la gente común, esta colección examina las culturas civilizaciones antiguas y su lugar en la historia. Ofrecen un
compendio sobre las tareas diarias, la organización familiar y la práctica de la religión, así como las excentricidades y peculiaridades por las cuales fueron conocidas.

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Moneda y circulacion monetaria en el Pais Vasco durante la antiguedad (siglos II a.C.-v d.C.): Memoria final del proyecto de investigacion becado por la ... (Biblioteca de historia del pueblo vasco)
Juan Jose Cepeda Ocampo
Manufacturer: Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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Pueblos del Caribe y Amazonia (Vida y costumbres en la antiguedad)
Alvaro Cruz Garcia
Manufacturer: Edimat Libros
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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En el origen del Escudo Nacional, la cultura Chalchihuites, con mil 200 años de antiguedad. (análisis sobre el emblema más importante de México)(TT: The ... important symbol): An article from: Proceso

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En el origen del Escudo Nacional, la cultura Chalchihuites, con mil 200 años de antiguedad. (análisis sobre el emblema más importante de México)(TT: The ... important symbol): An article from: Proceso
Ana Cecilia Terrazas
Manufacturer: CISA Comunicacion e Informacion, S.A. de C.V.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00097P0OU
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Proceso, published by CISA Comunicacion e Informacion, S.A. de C.V. on July 13, 1997. The length of the article is 933 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: En el origen del Escudo Nacional, la cultura Chalchihuites, con mil 200 años de antiguedad. (análisis sobre el emblema más importante de México)(TT: The origin of the National Coat of Arms, the Chalchihuites culture, more than 200 thousand centuries old) (TA: analysis of Mexico's most important symbol)
Author: Ana Cecilia Terrazas
Publication: Proceso (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 13, 1997
Publisher: CISA Comunicacion e Informacion, S.A. de C.V.
Issue: n1080 Page: p70(1)

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Los Pueblos De Espana Y El Mediterraneo En La Antiguedad (Historia Serie Menor)
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Manufacturer: Universidad de Alcala de Henares, Servicio de Publicaciones
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