Galapagos: A Natural History

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Outstanding Resource

A wonderful introduction to the life of this fantastic place

The Guide's bible on the Galapagos

The one book needed when travelling to the galapagos

Undoubtedly the best overview of "Darwin's Islands".

Galapagos: A Natural History
Michael H. Jackson
Manufacturer: Michigan State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Birds, Mammals, and Reptiles of the Galapagos Islands: An Identification Guide, 2nd Edition

The Voyage of the Beagle: Charles Darwin's Journal of Researches (Penguin Classics)

Galapagos Wildlife, 2nd: A Visitor's Guide (Bradt Travel Guide)

Wildlife of the Galapagos (Princeton Illustrated Checklists)

Galapagos: World's End

ASIN: 1895176409

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding Resource.......2007-07-16

I would imagine that most visitors to the Galapaos are not naturalists. For those without a strong background in natural sciences, I would highly recommend this book. The book is easy and fun to read, detailed without being tedious. The photos are amazing and the author's passion for the islands is evident. If you only have time to read one book, this is one I would advise a Galapagos visitor to read in advance of their trip.

A wonderful introduction to the life of this fantastic place.......2006-04-29

My wife and I bought Jackson's book in preparation for a trip to the Galapagos. The book served us well; when we arrived at the islands we felt that we were almost on a first-name basis with all the fantastic creatures and plants that make the Galapagos such a fascinating place. The book is considerably more than just a field guide; it includes information on the islands' history, their environmental and ecological setting, and the conservation efforts being made to preserve this truly unique place. And, as the title indicates, the book provides a lot of natural history, not just a brief summary of bare facts about each animal or plant. Not only is it a fine guide, it is a most enjoyable read.

The Guide's bible on the Galapagos.......2004-08-11

Every naturalist guide in the Galapagos has this book. They also sell this book at the Charles Darwin Center in Santa Cruz, and it is a must read. It explains how the islands came about and what makes them so unique. I highly recommend this book!

The one book needed when travelling to the galapagos.......2000-08-15

I just recently returned from the Galapagos Islands, and the book that guided me throughout my journey was this book by M.H. Jackson. Very easy to find the animal you are looking, and also helps to discover more creatures to look for. Helped explain things further from what the guides had said. Also helped me in answering many people's questions about different creatures. A Great book! A must for all travelers to the galapagos in search of unique wildlife.

Undoubtedly the best overview of "Darwin's Islands"........1998-05-21

I am a biologist that has been working in the Galapagos as a Naturalist leading tours there for the last 6 years. Michael Jackson's book is the "Bible" for the beginning naturalist and certainly more than adequate for the casual "ecotourist". Jackson covers all major aspects of the history, geology, ecology, and biology of the islands. In the "biology" section, he gives a clear, concise, but thorough group-by-group treatment of all major taxa including plants, reptiles, land and sea birds, mammals, and a brief section covering marine life. While there are other guidebooks available, none come close to the accuracy, clarity of presentation, and logical format of this book. Of particular usefulness are the many photos, tables, and graphs which provide a visual representation of many of the topics discussed and a synthesis of large amounts of data.

Average customer rating:

Galápagos on your coffee table
Visually stunning, comprehensively informative.

Spectacular Galapagos (Spectacular)
Tui De Roy
Manufacturer: Universe
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0883638479
Release Date: 1999-09-28

Book Description

Over millions of years the story of the Galapagos has been one of birth, death, and rebirth, as volcanoes rise above the "hot spot" only to crumble back into the sea and be replaced by new ones. This cycle has given way to a "magic web" where antediluvian dragons sleep alongside gull chicks and, in the sun-baked interiors, gigantic cacti become the only source of moisture for birds and animals. These islands inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution when he explored them aboard the HMS Beagle in 1835.

A pairing of spectacular photographs and insightful text by the award-winning author explores this unique island setting, a collection of animals and an environment unparalleled anywhere on earth.

Customer Reviews:

Galápagos on your coffee table.......2000-08-31

I treasure the time I spent in Ecuadór's Galápagos Islands, "Las Islas Encantadas". Tui De Roy has managed to capture the essence of these wondrous islands as much as can be done photographically and make them accessible to everyone. A wonderful gift for those who love nature, or those who have been there.

For those who are going there, add Michael Jackson's book on the natural history, Paul Humann's book on the underwater and Barry Boyce's guide book. Tui De Roy's book will whet their appetite and serve as a vivid reminder after the trip is over.

Visually stunning, comprehensively informative........2000-02-03

The author moved to the Galapagos Islands at the age of two and spent over thirty years exploring their natural wonders: Spectacular Galapagos is an oversized presentation pairing a natural history text with spectacular full-page color photos of the Galapagos creatures, blending a coffee table presentation with scientific facts. Highly recommended: Spectacular Galapagos is an astonishing visual wonder in and of itself.

Wild Rivers: Discovering the Natural History of the Central South Island

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A beautiful and fascinating book

Wild Rivers: Discovering the Natural History of the Central South Island
Neville Peat
Manufacturer: Univ of Otago Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1877276154

Customer Reviews:

A beautiful and fascinating book.......2002-05-07

Wild Rivers: Discovering The Natural History Of The Central South Island by Dimedin-based New Zealand guidebook writer and nature photographer Neville Peat and Brian Patrick (entomologist, botanist, and Otago Museum general manager) is a gorgeous, 142 page volume filled from cover to cover with full-color nature photography showcasing the Central South Island of New Zealand. The informative and reader friendly text reveals a wondrous journey through the history of rock, unique ecosystems, and illustrates wide variety of natural settings from coast to icy mountaintops. Wild Rivers is a beautiful and fascinating book, and as close as any reader can get to the natural wonder of New Zealand short of actually going there!

The Galapagos Islands (Odyssey Illustrated Guides)

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The Best Galapagos Guide Out There!
A disappointing guide
Excellent book

The Galapagos Islands (Odyssey Illustrated Guides)
Pierre Constant
Manufacturer: Odyssey Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9622175805

Book Description

The wildlife paradise of the Galapagos Islands, long regarded as a mysterious and desolate spot, is a showcase of evolution in action. A spawning ground for Charles Darwin's famous theory, the islands have become a National Park dedicated to the conservation of many unique species threatened with extinction. Pierre Constant provides detailed descriptions of the geology and natural history of the archipelago, the visitor's sites, as well as the spectacular sea and land birds, peculiar reptiles, playful mammals and amazing marine life that make their homes there.

* Written by a recognized expert on the Galapagos Islands
* Fascinating scientific and historical background to the islands
* Meticulous descriptions of the flora and fauna
* Extensive coverage of the 19 largest islands in the archipelago
* Detailed discussion of scuba diving, including a list of 52 dive sites
* Full of maps, plates and well-researched information
* Superb color photography
* Includes a glossary and bibliography

Customer Reviews:

The Best Galapagos Guide Out There!.......2005-02-15

If you are planning a trip to the Galapagos, this book is a must have. It covers everything. It begins with the historic and scientific background including Darwin, the ocean currents and arrival of various flora and fauna. Part Two describes all of the various wildlife on the islands. Part Three desribes in detail all of the islands. There are wonderful maps showing the details of anything you can think of looking for on each island. Part Four is dedicated to the Galapagos National Park. There are also sections on diving, practical information, chronology of the islands, appendices, etc.

This book is well written, the photos are great and as I said before, the maps are fantastic.

A disappointing guide.......2000-07-27

I bought this book due to the somewhat glowing reviews. I usually don't complain about that, but in this case I feel compelled to post a warning: if you are thinking of buying this book as a travel guide, don't! It has very little information about how to travel in the Galapagos, in fact I don't think the author really wants you to go to the Islands because he complains throughout the book about the impact of tourism.

The book is poorly edited with numerous mistakes. For example, Constant attributes "survival of the fittest" to Charles Darwin in the very weak section on evolution. In fact that phrase belongs to Herbert Spencer writing about evolution. In another area the author states there are two species of snakes on the islands, then goes on to describe eight species. One pet peeve, he calls Gulls, "seagulls" throughout the book, a very common, but galling mistake. I believe that English is not the author's first language and this shows throughout. In one area there is a reference to "black men" which doesn't seem to relate to anything else in the paragraph. This should have been noticed by the editors.

I think the sections on geology and history are probably very good, but the section on evolution is rife with mistakes. I won't detail them here, but if you want to know about Darwin and the influence of the Galapagos on the development of the theory of evolution, go somewhere else; this book will seriously mislead you.

The strong point of the book, the the only reason I gave it three instead of two stars, is the photographs. This are by the author and are outstanding, especially the underwater photos. The species lists seem very good and this book, if used with a good travel guide, would probably enhance a trip to the Galapagos.

Excellent book.......1999-12-13

Pierre Constant has created an exceptional book for anyone with interest in the Galapagos Islands. He describes their origin and natural history, as well as details of the flora and fauna on land and in the sea. Lovely color photographs and many diagrams help make this book indispensable for anyone studying or visiting the Galapagos.

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Barbados, Our Island Home
F.A. Hoyos
Manufacturer: Macmillan Caribbean
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0333516125

Discovering Fire Island: The Young Naturalist's Guide To The World Of The Barrier Beach

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Discovering Fire Island: The Young Naturalist's Guide To The World Of The Barrier Beach
Bill Perry
Manufacturer: University Press of the Pacific
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1410217795

ISLAND LIFE. A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS OF THE WORLD.

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ISLAND LIFE. A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS OF THE WORLD.
S. Carlquist
Manufacturer: Natural History Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WQ9IVE

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Island life;: A natural history of the islands of the world
Sherwin John Carlquist
Manufacturer: Published for the American Museum of Natural History [by] the Natural History Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006BN172

Average customer rating:

fascinating review of islands
Don't bother

Islands: Portraits of Miniature Worlds
Louise B. Young
Manufacturer: VHPS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Amazon.com

Louise Young, a geophysical scientist, is a lover of islands. Faced with a life-threatening illness 35 years ago, she vowed to throw herself into far-flung travels, to collect exotic places that still "retain a distinctive personality or whose story illuminates a significant aspect of man's relationship with nature."

The fruit of those travels is this fine book of essays, part memoir, part travelogue, part natural-history commentary. Young opens with an overview of island geography, noting the ways in which islands form in geological time and how the mere fact of isolation has both spawned wondrous life forms and inflicted "the unfavorable results of genetic inbreeding," one of the factors responsible for species extinction. She travels to places such as Easter Island, a study in what happens when humans too vigorously disturb ecological balances, in this case through deforestation that resulted in soil erosion and changed climatic conditions; the gold- and spice-rich islands of Indonesia; Mauritius and the Seychelles, the former habitat of the unfortunate dodo and fabulously rare sea coconut tree, which produces the heaviest seeds of any plant in the world; and the Bahamas. Her book, a must for fellow island lovers, closes with a careful examination of the myth of Atlantis, and with a call for humans to be more watchful of sensitive ecosystems everywhere on island Earth. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

"Once you have slept on an island, you'll never be quite the same," begins an old verse. Places of dreams and desires, islands have long held a primal sway over our hearts and imaginations.

Islands is a series of beautifully written and illustrated essays that explore some of the most fascinating of these isolated landscapes, particularly those whose stories address the delicate balance that exists between the land, the people, and other living beings. An environmentalist and geophysicist, Louise Young describes the unique history and personality of each island-its birth and evolution, geological makeup, flora and fauna, and human inhabitants.

From the volcanic origins of Sri Lanka's spectacular jewel mines and the remarkable plant and animal life of Madagascar to the mysterious statues on Easter Island and the earth-splitting geology of Iceland, Islands takes readers on a breathtaking journey to some of the smallest, yet most impressive, places on the planet.

The stories behind these miniature worlds are as varied as their exotic landscapes, some are tragic, others are hopeful, but they all reveal important messages about preserving ecological balance and the consequences of how we exploit or nurture the larger island of Earth itself.

Customer Reviews:

fascinating review of islands.......2000-12-07

The book gives a great overview of a variety of islands, their habitats and wildlife, and the challenges facing them.

Don't bother.......2000-07-26

Actually, 1.5 stars is probably more appropriate because (a) the book does contain some interesting natural history factoids and (b) it is not as bad as "Paradise for Sale", another recent book about Islands.

The book consists of a series of travelogues full of the author's random observations about a number of islands: Iceland, Bermuda, Crete, Bali, Lombok, Madagascar, etc. As a clue to where the book is headed, the last chapter is about "earth". Yes, as you might guess from that fact, a principal theme is all the terrible things people (western people, mainly) are doing to the earth, as is evidenced by developments in individual island communities.

As mentioned above, there is some interesting canned natural history type information interspersed throughout the book, but there is very little structure - mostly whatever happened to strike the author at the time of her visit, or whatever random information she had about the destination that she assumes readers will not have. The chapter on iceland swings between recent volcanic activity and the fact that there used to be european colonies in Greenland and Leif Erikson discovered North America (i.e., rather than Columbus or the people who already lived there).

Her observations about the societies in the islands she visits are worthless and are almost a parody of well meaning but condescending and clueless western intellectual attitudes to non-western societies. One island has experienced improved economic development "because women have entered the work force and been freed of never ending childbirth and virtual slavery at home". As with most of this book, this is an unsupported assertion. Then, in Sri Lanka she is pleased by the sight of women laboring in the tea plantations "in their brightly colored sari", while the men do the "fun" jobs of fishing and digging for valuable stones (covered in mud in deep pits; sounds like fun, hey guys?). Bali and Lombok have happy, multicultural societies (laughable, given recent events in Indonesia). Ancient Minoan aristocrats led elegant lives, wore nice clothes and lived in nice houses (this is far enough in the past that the slavery, etc. part of that culture gets filtered out). Some statements are just plain idiotic: the people of Bali live "pleasant and enjoyable lives" - is the author giving up her culture to join them? I bet many of them would gladly trade places with her. "Simple devices made of aluminum foil can be used to cook food using sunlight instead of cutting down trees for wood". Is the author using this device every day at home? At night? On rainy days?

Even the environmental analysis is spotty and judgment-laden: slash and burn agriculture by substinence farmers is bad, land that has been cleared for tea plantations in Sri Lanka or terraced for mono-culture rice farming in Bali seems okay because they make the scenery pretty. Animals which float to islands on natural rafts in storms and adapt to the new environment are okay, but dogs brought by westerners and adapt by wiping out indigent species are bad.

The ironic thing is that in one of the last chapters about coral atolls, she notes that coral is already growing around the sunken ships in the Bikini atoll despite the area having been NUKED repeatedly. So much for the rest of her statements about all the terrible things western culture is supposedly doing to the "fragile" environment.

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

More than the typical shoujo manga
Not what you would expect...

Forbidden Dance, Book 1
Hinako Ashihara , Takae Brewer , and Tisha Ford
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1591823455

Customer Reviews:

More than the typical shoujo manga.......2004-02-22

Forbidden Dance, orginally published as "Tenshi no Kisu"(Angel's Kiss) in Japanese, is more than your typical shoujo manga. The book focuses on ballet dancing, but you don't actually have to like ballet to enjoy this series. The story has a very good balance of love and drama, and focuses on themes other than first love, such as jealousy, rivalry, and working toward your dreams. The artwork is a little different from what most readers are probably used to. I would compare it to Kare Kano, only a bit more simplistic. However, the story more than overcompensates for the simplicity of the artwork. This is a title that is impossible to put down and will leave you wanting more. I have read the first three volumes of this series (there are only 4 in all) and would recommend it to all fans of shoujo manga, and everyone else who enjoys a good drama.

Not what you would expect..........2003-11-10

Truly I don't know why I picked up this manga; it was about a ballet dancer, which no offense to those who take the dance, is not that interesting of a topic in my opinion. But once you start, you really can't put this one down. The storyline is very interesting, and the surprise ending threw me for a loop, but in a good way. As for the art, it's decent enough, except I have some qualms about disaportionate bodies; sometimes it looks like they have huge thighs with uber tiny lower legs. If you look past these discrepancies, I'm sure this will be a very enjoyable read.

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