Finding Order in Nature: The Naturalist Tradition from Linnaeus to E. O. Wilson (Johns Hopkins Introductory Studies in the History of Science)

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Before the 18th century, scholarly interest in the natural world was largely the province of medical doctors, artists, and alchemists. During that century, however, and for many reasons, the study of nature spread to all sectors of society. As Paul Farber points out in this history, most private libraries contained Buffon's 36-volume encyclopedia of animals, and practical-minded politicians such as Thomas Jefferson urged that the natural world be catalogued with an eye to economic potential and utility, the gods of the Enlightenment. The resulting attention to classification and systematics influenced natural history for generations. This work of sorting remains at the heart of basic science, Farber continues, and if some scholars scorn it as old-fashioned, the need to catalog the world continues to be pressing as the biodiversity crisis mounts. Examining the contributions of thinkers as various as Nicholas Baudin, Julian Huxley, Charles Lucien Bonaparte, Stephen Jay Gould, and Edward O. Wilson, Farber shows that the "naturalist tradition," which seeks to identify the underlying order of nature, is not only of central importance to the life sciences, but also an ideal vehicle for communicating advanced research to the educated public. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

Since emerging as a discipline in the middle of the eighteenth century, natural history has been at the heart of the life sciences. It gave rise to the major organizing theory of life--evolution--and continues to be a vital science with impressive practical value. Central to advanced work in ecology, agriculture, medicine, and environmental science, natural history also attracts enormous popular interest.

In Finding Order in Nature Paul Farber traces the development of the naturalist tradition since the Enlightenment and considers its relationship to other research areas in the life sciences. Written for the general reader and student alike, the volume explores the adventures of early naturalists, the ideas that lay behind classification systems, the development of museums and zoos, and the range of motives that led collectors to collect. Farber also explores the importance of sociocultural contexts, institutional settings, and government funding in the story of this durable discipline.

"The quest for insight into the order of nature leads naturalists beyond classification to the creation of general theories that explain the living world. Those naturalists who focus on the order of nature inquire about the ecological relationships among organisms and also among organisms and their surrounding environments. They ask fundamental questions of evolution, about how change actually occurs over short and long periods of time. Many naturalists are drawn, consequently, to deeper philosophical and ethical issues: What is the extent of our ability to understand nature? And, understanding nature, will we be able to preserve it? Naturalists question the meaning of the order they discover and ponder our moral responsibility for it." -- from the Introduction

The Collectors.(Review): An article from: American Scientist

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The Collectors.(Review): An article from: American Scientist

Manufacturer: Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Nature takes a surprising turn in the heart of Texas. The flat Gulf Coastal Plains, which become the fertile Blackland Prairies in Central Texas, end abruptly at the Balcones Escarpment, one of the state's most dramatic geological features, and the rolling, more sparsely vegetated Hill Country begins. The animal life varies as dramatically as the land. More than 400 species of birds alone, nearly three-fourths of all Texas birds, can be spotted in the region. This handbook offers a concise natural history of Central Texas and a complete checklist of all native and naturalized vertebrate animals, including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, as well as invertebrates that include butterflies and land snails. The listings cite both scientific and common names for each species, relative abundance in the region, and preferred habitats. A distinguishing feature of the handbook is its list of parks and recreational areas in the region, which includes the counties of Bastrop, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Comal, Fayette, Gillespie, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hays, Kendall, Lee, Llano, Milam, Travis, and Williamson. The authors describe the recreational facilities available in each park and list the animal species likely to be encountered there. For birdwatchers, naturalists, visitors, and residents alike, this popular handbook will be the essential "where-to-find-it" reference.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book for a Great Part of Texas.......2003-04-18

Having lived a great part of my life in South Central Texas, I was very happy to stumble upon Birds & Other Wildlife of South Central Texas by Edward A Kutac.
Kutac used extensive research and has drawn from many sources.
Although it might not be everyone's idea of excitement, it is inclusive and goes the extra mile.

Birds and other wildlife of south central Texas- Corrie Hern.......2001-09-21

Totally disappointed. there is not a single illustration.

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142 Accessible Viewing Sites Across Texas - Useful Guide

Texas Wildlife Viewing Guide
Gary L. Graham
Manufacturer: Falcon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1560440929

Book Description

Wildlife is nearer than you think. The secret is knowing where and when to look. From Palo Duro State Park and its abundance of western wildlife, to internationally-renowned Arkansas National Wildlife Refuge where dolphins and endangered whooping cranes thrill thousands of visitors each year, the Texas Wildlife Viewing Guide will lead you to 142 premier wildlife viewing locations and will better your chances of seeing wildlife once you get there. Included are detailed descriptions of each viewing site, maps and access information, helpful viewing tips, and ninety color photographs featuring the wildlife and scenic natural areas of this incredibly diverse state. This guide was created through the National Watchable Wildlife Program, a unique partnership initiative coordinated by Defenders of Wildlife. Each site was selected by a panel of wildlife experts from the following organizations and government agencies. These groups also make significant technical contributions to the research and development of this guide: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; Defenders of Wildlife; National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; USDA Forest Service; Texas General Land Office; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Texas Department of Transportation; Lower Colorado River Authority; National Park Service; Bureau of Land Management; The Fanwood Foundation; U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; Texas Nature Conservancy; National Audubon Society; The Favrot Fund; The Brown Foundation; The McAshan Educational and Charitable Trust; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

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142 Accessible Viewing Sites Across Texas - Useful Guide.......2003-11-28

This inexpensive Texas guidebook, like the other state guides in this series, is intended to provide quality wildlife viewing and educational opportunities to the general public without endangering wildlife habitats. This specific Texas guidebook is a joint effort by the Texas Wildlife and Parks Department, Defenders of Wildlife (a non-profit organization), the US Forest Service, the Texas General Land office, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and other conservation agencies.

Each site includes a general description of the wildlife abundance, viewing information, directions, and land ownership. Texas is divided into ten geographical regions; maps illustrate the locations of all sites within each region. A wildlife index helps the reader find sites which have a higher probability for encountering specific mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and even insects. Color photos are located throughout this 160-page guide.

Much of this viewing information can be derived from other sources, but it is not often found in such a handy, convenient format. I keep my copy in our car along with a remarkably detailed Texas atlas, The Roads of Texas. On several occasions this little book has helped us discover fascinating locations that we would have bypassed otherwise. It has paid for itself many times over.

I recommend that you buy a used copy if you can not locate a new one. The viewing information does not become quickly outdated.

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Ruby Tuesday Sweet, 13, was named for the Rolling Stones tune by her rock-and-roll mother and lives happily with her nice dad Hollis. Her brother Jack has just been married in a spectacularly laid-back Laguna wedding on the beach, with the bride in a white lace bikini. In attendance were Ruby's tottering but tough-talking grandmother Nana Sue and her mostly absent, glamorous, cigar-smoking mom Darlene. Ruby and Hollis are content with their passion for the Dodgers and their ongoing monopoly game, although she does wonder occasionally just what he does for a living with all those TV screens and number charts in his office. Events take a sinister turn when Hollis is accused of the murder of his bookie and Ruby and Darlene must flee to Las Vegas to escape a pair of mobsters. There they are taken in by Nana Sue, who lives permanently at the old Fremont Hotel and is a legend on the casino floor; playing shrewd blackjack, limping between the tables trailed by her pet iguana, and wreaking havoc with her cane when she is displeased. She and Darlene set out with Ruby to get to the bottom of the murder, and with the two hard-boozing, chain-smoking women, the teenager gets an insider tour of the backstage world of rock and the seamy inner workings of high-stakes gambling in Sin City. While the Laguna setting is a bit overblown, the Las Vegas milieu is spot on, and the characters are deliciously bizarre but loveable in this unusual first novel by a young new author. (Ages 12 and up) --Patty Campbell

Book Description

Plenty of girls have trouble relating to their parents. Few have to turn to a dictionary for help. Ruby Tuesday Sweet keeps a battered webster's by her side -- but when her dad tunes in to eight baseball games at a time on his wall of TVs, his talk of parlays and chalks and spreads keeps Ruby mystified. Then the Dodgers win the World Series, Ruby Tuesday's dad wins a bet, and his bookie is murdered. Ruby finds herself on the run to Las Vegas with her long-lost rock-and-roll mom in a race against the thugs who want Mr. Sweet's winning ticket.

A rare breakthrough novel, Ruby Tuesday is the story of a gambling father, a card-shark grandmother, and a family of women inhabiting a Vegas casino. At the center of it all is the girl who never noticed they were different.

Customer Reviews:

Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-01-30

Growing up, everyone has lessons to learn. As we get older, we start to see that our parents are human beings--men and women--not just dad and mom. Thirteen-year-old Ruby Tuesday Sweet's awakening begins with the wedding of her older brother.

Sports have always been an important part of the Sweet household. Ruby Tuesday's dad, Hollis, is absolutely obsessed with the scores of the game--any game. Little does Ruby Tuesday realize that the reason Hollis is so concerned is not a simple love of competition, but a love of income: the Sweet family income. But during her brother's wedding celebration, a series of events gets the ball of awakening rolling for Ruby Tuesday and, suddenly, she is on the road with her rarely-present mother, Darlene, to hide out in Vegas with Hollis's crotchety old mother, Nana Sue. With her eyes opened wide by these two outspoken, independent women, Ruby Tuesday learns more about life--particularly her own--than she ever knew existed.

Kogler brings excitement and realism to Ruby Tuesday without crossing the line for adolescent readers. There is a lot of gambling slang used throughout the book, and readers may be rather confused by this language, just like their new friend Ruby Tuesday. But Kogler includes a glossary at the back of the book, and this will help readers decipher the "code" of the bookie-gambler world.

Fun and excitement, along with some rough awakenings for the naive-but-feisty heroine, make RUBY TUESDAY a coming-of-age eye-opener for both tweens and teens.

Reviewed by: Mechele R. Dillard

A Crazy Las Vegas Tale.......2006-12-21

Ruby Tuesday Sweet's family has always been a little different from her classmates' families, but she never knew exactly how different. She had only a vague idea of what her father did, but now things are becoming a lot clearer. Ruby Tuesday has always known that her "Uncle" Larry, mother, grandmother, and father weren't like other people, sure, but now she knows that they're more than eccentric; they've been involved in some shady business, and now her father is in trouble following Larry's murder.

Ruby Tuesday and her mother, Daphne, skip town for a little bit until things blow over. Where do they go? To visit Ruby's grandmother, who lives with her pet iguana, 21, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Apparently, a lot of the secrets in Ruby's family go back to Las Vegas--and gambling. It's legal to gamble in Las Vegas, but Ruby's father and Larry were involved in that same business in California. Now, it's gotten them all into some hot water.

Ruby is just one of many fascinating, unusual, and well-written characters in a great novel by debut novelist Jennifer Anne Kogler. I also believe this is the first YA novel I've read taking place in Las Vegas, and that setting gives a lot to this book. Jennifer Anne Kogler has put captivating people in an enthralling location and written a funny, entertaining, original, and absorbing novel about them. It's a page-turner!

Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce
12/20/2006

4.5-BOOKS on WUAT = 5-STARS on Amazon

Ruby Tuesday .......2006-01-15

A very entertaining book.

If only there were a Ruby for every day of the week...........2005-11-12

Ruby Tuesday is one of those rare books that successfully voices the weirdnesses, funninesses, sadnesses, and revelations of moving from a kid world to an adult one, while managing to throw an iguana-filled Vegas adventure into the bargain. Like Roald Dahl, Jennifer Anne Kogler infuses an alternatively dark and touching humor into her novel that catches hold of both adults and kids- although Kogler's protagonist, being a bit older, speaks more to adolescent confusion than childhood rebellion.

Unlike the worlds of Harry Potter or Lemony Snickett, recent hits that also transcend the kid category, the world of Ruby Tuesday, although decidely wacky, is refreshingly and very recognizably the real world. Although Vegas glitz, grimy casino backrooms, and mafia hitmen aren't exactly part of the normal tween experience, the gritty reality of realizing that parents don't always do or say the right thing, and that sometimes it's the kid that needs to forgive, is. The best parts of the novel plunge you, right along with Ruby, into the dicey contradictions of adult relationships and the tension between doing the right thing for the wrong reasons or the wrong thing for the right ones.

And as anyone who has read the book will tell you, we're all excited to see what Ruby will do next....

Loved it.......2005-09-28

Insightful, hilarious, creative... Ruby Tuesday is impossible to place into a single genre. Its also impossible to put down. Though its hero is a 13 year old girl, her context is decidely unique. A bookie father, a rock-and-roll mother, an iguana-toting grandmother, and an adventure in Las Vegas a normal adolescence does not make. With Janet Evanovich-esque humor, its hard to believe that Miss Kogler pulls off a drama amidst her comedy. I was particularly impressed by how real her characters were even in an atmosphere few of us can relate to. A great adventure, its like Finding Nemo - appeals to all ages, with smart humor and lots of heart.

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Goodbye Ruby Tuesday

Manufacturer: Berkley Medallion Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0425032337

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Painting Ruby Tuesday
Jane Yardley
Manufacturer: Transworld Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0552771015
Release Date: 2004-05-03

Book Description

A ten-year-old girl sabotages a murder enquiry in this blackly comic novel set against the soundtrack of the Sixties.

It is 1965. Annie Cradock is a highly imaginative, precocious only daughter of strict parents in an Essex village. There have been several murders in her village, and when Annie is an inadvertent witness to a horrendous crime she is terrified and tries to put the police off the scent -- with devastating consequences.

Thirty-five years later Annie, a trained musician and teacher, is frustrated in her marriage, having an affair, and has never been quite able to escape her past. Only when she discovers a photograph album in a Manhattan bookshop can she begin to put her ghosts to rest.

The novel is populated with wonderful, vivid characters including the glamorous, piano-playing Mrs. Clitheroe who was Annie’s childhood friend Babette; Ollie the rag-and-bone man; her exciting artist lover plus her American husband Alan, who is far more comfortable with facts than emotions. The most memorable of all is Annie herself -- a bright, funny girl who lives very much in her own head.

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Two for Two!!!
Hawaii Noir
Read It, Loved It

Ruby Tuesday (Mike Travis Series, 2)
Baron Birtcher
Manufacturer: Durban House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Roadhouse Blues (Mike Travis Series)

ASIN: 1930754116

Book Description

People are dying as Mike Travis tracks down a lost studio recording by one of the world's most infamous bands.

Customer Reviews:

Two for Two!!!.......2002-02-18

Baron Birtcher proves with Ruby Tuesday, his second Mike Travis novel, that Roadhouse Blues, his first, was no fluke. We now have a Great New Series Writer amongst us. In this newest adventure, Mike Travis, Ex-L.A. homicide detective, sails his yacht from Southern California to Kona Hawaii, only to find trouble awaits. As was the case with his first novel, this book is very fast paced, with more twists and turns than you'll find on the Saddle road between Kona and Hilo. Having moved from Southern California to Kona himself, Baron not only takes us on a wild ride of emotions, but also adds the natural beauty of the Big Island. As is the case with most excellent reads, the end, although unexpected, comes way too soon. I'm already looking forward to the next Mike Travis novel,and another trip to the Big Island of Hawaii.
I suggest, that as is the case with most series, if possible they should be read in order.

Hawaii Noir.......2002-01-29

It's a refreshing change to see a tough, hard-bitten detective roaming Hawaii. Florida's had more than its share, and Baron Birtcher has finally brought a great one to polynesia. Great action scenes, and a surprise ending. This one is worth the money.

Read It, Loved It.......2001-12-06

I read this in one sitting, and it really moves. I read a little bit of everything, but keep coming back to mysteries. This one is a standout.

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Ruby Tuesday (SIGNED)
Baron R. Birtcher
Manufacturer: Durban House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GTSTA8

Ruby Tuesday: An Eddie Dancer Mystery (Eddie Dancer Mysteries)

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Ruby Tuesday: An Eddie Dancer Mystery (Eddie Dancer Mysteries)
Mike Harrison
Manufacturer: Ecw Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1550227920

Book Description

Paul Menzies is an out–of–shape, middle–aged advertising executive, who arrives at work one morning to discover he’s lost his job. Downsized. That evening, he stops by a bank machine to check his finances. Ahead of him, a scruffy young couple is arguing about the state of their own finances.

When the muscular husband, Victor Shriver, loses his temper and smacks his wife hard, Paul steps in and hauls the young thug backwards across the lobby.

Which is the only clear image caught by the bank’s security camera.

In the ensuing brawl, Shriver puts Paul in hospital for nearly a week. Despite the severity of his injuries, the cops have little choice but to lay charges against Paul for assault. Victor Shriver has found himself a sharp little lawyer, and between them they smell money, asking for $50,000.

Instead Paul offers to fight Victor, mano a mano, in a boxing ring. Three rounds. If Shriver wins, Paul will pay him and the assault charges will be dropped. If Paul wins, no money changes hands and the assault charges will still be dropped.

When she realizes there’s nothing she can do to dissuade her husband, Paul’s feisty wife, Valerie Menzies, hires Eddie Dancer to stop the fight.

But it’s too little, too late and when the heat of the media spotlight focuses on the “mismatched fight of the year,” even Eddie realizes he’s beaten. As the world’s press and the TV networks pour into town for the main event, Eddie finds himself reliving some unresolved issues of spousal abuse from his own past.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by Thomson Gale on February 15, 2007. The length of the article is 614 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: Gift of new wardrobe puts zing into job search.(Business)(Ruby Tuesday gives a fashionable boost to women about to leave welfare-to-work programs and seek employment)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: February 15, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: B1

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Happy Employees, Contented Customers.(Ruby Tuesday's strategy)(Brief Article): An article from: Bank Marketing

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Happy Employees, Contented Customers.(Ruby Tuesday's strategy)(Brief Article): An article from: Bank Marketing
L. Biff Motley
Manufacturer: Bank Marketing Assn.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Bank Marketing, published by Bank Marketing Assn. on July 1, 2001. The length of the article is 655 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: Happy Employees, Contented Customers.(Ruby Tuesday's strategy)(Brief Article)
Author: L. Biff Motley
Publication: Bank Marketing (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2001
Publisher: Bank Marketing Assn.
Volume: 33 Issue: 6 Page: 93

Article Type: Brief Article

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Kogler, Jennifer Anne. Ruby Tuesday.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review): An article from: Kliatt

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Kogler, Jennifer Anne. Ruby Tuesday.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review): An article from: Kliatt
Claire Rosser
Manufacturer: Kliatt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Kliatt, published by Kliatt on March 1, 2005. The length of the article is 363 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: Kogler, Jennifer Anne. Ruby Tuesday.(Brief Article)(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)
Author: Claire Rosser
Publication: Kliatt (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2005
Publisher: Kliatt
Volume: 39 Issue: 2 Page: 13(1)

Article Type: Young Adult Review, Brief Article, Book Review

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