Elemental South: An Anthology of Southern Nature Writing

Book Description

Nature writers know that to be fully human is to be engaged with our natural surroundings. Elemental South is a gathering of works by some of the region's best nature writers--people who can coax from words the mysteries of our place in the landscape and the human relationship to wildness.

Arranged by theme according to the basic elements by which many cultures on earth interpret --earth, air, fire, water--the writings consider our actual and assumed connections in the greater scheme of functioning ecosystems. As we read of bears, ancient magnolias, swallow-tail kites, the serenity of a country childhood, the pleasure of eating real food, the remarkable provenance of ancient pottery shards, and much more, these works lure us deep into the southern landscape, away from the constructs of humanity and closer to a recognition of our inextricable ties to the earth.

The writers are all participants in the Southern Nature Project, an ongoing endeavor founded on the conviction that writing like the kind gathered here can help us to lead more human, profound, and courageous lives in terms of how we use our earth. Some of the featured writers are originally from the South, and others migrated here--but all have honed their voices on the region's distinctive landscapes.

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Best Book for the Tropics

Excellent for all orchid growers beginning to advanced.

An excellent introduction to growing orchids in warm climate

Excellent book for beginners to gurus on tropical culture

Well illustrated book of growing tropical orchids.

Orchid Growing in the Tropics

Manufacturer: Times Edition
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Orchids | Flowers | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Tropical | By Climate | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Growing Orchids in Your Garden

Botanica's Orchids: Over 1200 Species (Botanica's Gardening Series) (Botanica's Gardening Series)

Orchid Pests and Diseases

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids

Gardening in the Tropics

ASIN: 9812041087

Book Description

In spite of the title, we have been told by experienced orchid growers in the U.S. that this little handbook is useful for growing orchids indoors anywhere in the world. It is beautifully illustrated and full of practical information on orchid culture and propagation.

Customer Reviews:

Best Book for the Tropics.......2004-02-13

This is the only book I have been able to find that is specific to orchid growing in the tropics.
The kinds of orchids this book gives details on are the ones that grow best in my particular location: tropical Hilo, Hawaii. I'm definitely a hobby orchidist, not into nomenclature, mericloning, or anything fancy like that; I buy plants in flower that I like and always have luck with getting them to grow and bloom again in these ideal conditions. Nonetheless, I do enjoy reading about species, hybrids, and methods of propagation, and this book has a lot of interesting details for more serious or commercial growers. The illustrations are wonderful.

Excellent for all orchid growers beginning to advanced........2000-03-24

Wonderful finally a book that clearly shows disease processes and treatments with excellent photography. The anatomy and growing instructions are complete and easy to understand. It is written so that anyone can grow orchids from terrace to orchid house. I find it exceptional in that it takes into consideration the hot humid condions that exist here in So. Fla. (zone 10).

An excellent introduction to growing orchids in warm climate.......1999-11-01

Intended for beginners or moderately experienced growers, this book is well written with a wealth of photographs and diagrams. It is easy to read and has sections on most topics of interest to the tropical orchid grower.

Excellent book for beginners to gurus on tropical culture.......1997-07-09

I read this book as a novice orchid grower living in sub-tropical conditions. It is well written and has many fantastic pictures to back up the text. I found the book extremely helpful in both orchid identification and as a reference tool for cultural problems. It is easy to read and I would recommend it to anyone growing orchids outdoors

Well illustrated book of growing tropical orchids........1996-01-28

Written by the Orhcid Society of South East Asia,the photographs are outstanding and cultural information relates to the natural habitats of tropical orchids

Foundations of Tropical Forest Biology: Classic Papers with Commentaries

Average customer rating:

Classic of classics

Foundations of Tropical Forest Biology: Classic Papers with Commentaries

Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Forests | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0226102254

Book Description

Foundations of Tropical Forest Biology presents a timely collection of pioneering work in the study of these diverse and fascinating ecosystems. Modeled on the highly successful Foundations of Ecology, this book consists of facsimiles of papers chosen by world experts in tropical biology as the "classics" in the field. The papers are organized into sections on related topics, each introduced with a discussion of their role in triggering subsequent research. Topics covered include ecological and evolutionary perspectives on the origins of tropical diversity; plant-animal interactions; patterns of species diversity and distribution of arthropods, vertebrates, and plants; forest dynamics and ecosystem ecology; conservation biology; and tropical forest management.

Foundations of Tropical Forest Biology makes essential works in the development of tropical biology available in a convenient form to both senior scholars interested in the roots of their discipline and to students encountering the field for the first time, as well as to everyone concerned with tropical conservation.

Customer Reviews:

Classic of classics.......2005-07-27

This book, as with the rest of this series, contains many fundamental papers and articles. A valuable resource for any ecologist, conservation biologist, or palaeoecologist working in the tropics.

Vegetation of the Tropical Pacific Islands (Ecological Studies, V. 132.)

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Vegetation of the Tropical Pacific Islands (Ecological Studies, V. 132.)
Dieter Mueller-Dombois , and F.R. Fosberg
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

Accessories:

ASIN: 0387983139

Book Description

Written by the leading authorities on the plant diversity and ecology of the Pacific islands, this book is a magisterial synthesis of the vegetation and landscapes of the islands of the Pacific Ocean. It is organized by island group, and includes information on geography, geology, phytogeographic relationships, and human influences on vegetation. Vegetation of the Tropical Pacific Islands features over 400 color photographs, plus dozens of maps and climate diagrams. The authorsâ€™ efforts in assembling the existing information into an integrated, comprehensive book will be welcomed by biogeographers, plant ecologists, conservation biologists, and all scientists with an interest in island biology.

Tropical Fruits and Frugivores: The Search for Strong Interactors

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Tropical Fruits and Frugivores: The Search for Strong Interactors
Dew J.L
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1402038321

Book Description

In this book we undertake one of the first global-scale comparisons of the relationships between tropical plants and frugivorous animal communities, comparing sites within and across continents. In total, 12 primary contributors, including noted plant and animal ecologists, present newly-analyzed long-term datasets on the floristics and phenological rhythms of their study sites, identifying important seed dispersers and key plant taxa that sustain animal communities in Africa, Madagascar, Australasia, and the Neotropics.

Physiological Ecology of Tropical Plants

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Physiological Ecology of Tropical Plants
Ulrich E. Lüttge
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Ecology | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This richly illustrated text covers the ecophysiology of plants of all major tropical ecosystems, from tropical rain forests, epiphytic habitats, mangroves and savannas to salinas, inselbergs and paramos and their ecophysiological adaptation to these different tropical environments. The physiognomy of biotopes and characteristic life forms of plants are depicted with photographs.

The High Frontier: Exploring the Tropical Rainforest Canopy

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solid science, unforgettable images

The High Frontier: Exploring the Tropical Rainforest Canopy
Mark Moffett , and Edward O. Wilson
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Rain Forests | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0674390393

Customer Reviews:

solid science, unforgettable images.......2001-04-19

This is a great popular science book, written by an adventurer/explorer who also has a Harvard PhD in biology. He travels all over the world for National Geographic, taking nature photos as well as reporting on cutting-edge discoveries in the rainforests. As such, he succeeds at mixing art and science in this book, which is somewhat technical, but explained in clear language that laymen can understand. THis book changed the way I saw rainforests: fully 9/10s of their biota are in the canopy, in the leaves high above, which you would never from the ground. And Moffet went up there with camera to photograph it with some of the world's best scientists. The result is masterful.

Book Description

Over the past ten years, the orchid industry is growing at a steady pace in the South East Asia and East Asia regions. In some Asian countries, orchids have become an essential export item. To maintain this progress, there is an urgent need for a book that is relevant to the region orchid growers in improving their cultivation and management skills, and to guide new students in understanding orchid physiology. This book provides a comprehensive account of tropical orchid physiology relevant to commercial growers, research workers and graduate students. An integrated and unifying theme of tropical orchid physiology, with a clearly written factual text and illustration, is presented over nine chapters. Each chapter is designed to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date information on an aspect of orchid physiology. This book complements the existing scientific literature available to improve orchid cultivation and to set new research agenda especially in the tropics.

Customer Reviews:

A MUST for Researchers and Professional Growers.......2005-01-05

This book is a wonderful reference. It summarizes many of the great research papers not written in English and can be very hard to get a hold of even in a university setting. This book will be a challenge to the beginning and average orchid growers, but a great tool for those in need of scientific information

Animals Of The Tropical Sea (Awesome Oceans)

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Animals Of The Tropical Sea (Awesome Oceans)
Michael Bright
Manufacturer: Copper Beech
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Zoology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Below-Ground Interactions in Tropical Agro-ecosystems: Concepts and Models with Multiple Plant Components (Cabi Publishing)

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Below-Ground Interactions in Tropical Agro-ecosystems: Concepts and Models with Multiple Plant Components (Cabi Publishing)
C. K. Ong
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Soil Science | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Agronomy | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Crop Science | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0851996736

Book Description

This book provides a synthesis of plant-soil-plant interactions in agroforestry, intercropping and grass-legume interactions. It focuses on the process level, which is relevant to many types of multi-species agro-ecosystems. It also links basic research to practical applications in a wide range of systems with or without trees, and considers effects of global change on below-ground interactions.

Book Description

Take the work out of planning any trip with DK's Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides. Branded with DK's trusted and familiar "Eyewitness" style, these compact guides make finding the best every destination has to offer easier than ever before! Perfect for both business travel and vacations, whether you're looking for the finest cuisine or the least expensive places to eat, the most luxurious hotels or the best deals on places to stay, the best family destination or the hottest nightspot, Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides provide current, useful information based on the insight of local experts to find the best of everything at each destination.

Customer Reviews:

Handy little book!.......2007-07-29

I recently purchased this book for a quick trip to Europe. We were staying in Amsterdam for only 4 days so we wanted to hit the highlights. The size is perfect to carry around and the color maps were great (including street index).

I used this book for only 2 days - and then I accidentally left it at a restaurant. I couldn't get back there to find it (long story). I was so bummed - I really liked this little book. The book has a "Top 10" theme throughout. "Top 10 Artists" "Top 10 Museums" "Top 10 Moments in Amsterdam History" etc. They also have Hotel recommendations and well as general travel tips.

There is a phrase list in the back for Dutch. DK gives you a couple one-day iteneraries in case you would like guidance. The pictures are also superb - that is one thing I love about DK Eyewitness books.

I also have the Top 10 Brussels/Bruges/Antwerp/Ghent book - so I wouldn't hesitate to get another "Top 10" book if I wanted a quick-read travel guide.

Great book for travel.......2007-05-28

Great book for travelling. Small in size so fits in a backpack or purse easily without much weight.

Never looked at it after the first time.......2006-05-05

I just returned from amsterdam and I brought some internet materials that I printed out (different articles) and two guide books, I never looked at this one while I was there. I dont think it has a lot of really useful information, there just arent a lot of details provided - it feels like it tries to cover too much.
My advice would be to decide on what you are interested in doing there: walking, museums, biking... and find for a book that is more directly related to what you are looking for. I feel I wasted my money on this book.

Amsterdam travel guide.......2006-03-12

We have been very pleased with all of the Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides that we have purchased for cities we were visiting. The guides are concise, listing the 10 most popular sites to see under a variety of categories. The Amsterdam guide is exactly what we need to carry with us so we will have it as an easy reference. I expecially like the colored pictures along with the text.

Not Quite the Only Book You Need .......2006-01-18

I have used the "Top 10" travel guides on several trips to Europe. They are small and thin enough to fit in a purse, have great maps and are usually all you need. The "Top 10 Amsterdam" guide is somewhat deficient, however.

There is very little information on the famous Red Light District: There is just one short paragraph on the Red Light District on page 77 and a brief mention under "A Day in the Oude Zijde" on page 79. As far as the famous "Smoking Coffeeshops" (where marijuana is served) are concerned, there is just one sentence on them on page 51.

Aside from that, the guide is very good. There are lists of Amsterdam's top ten sights, top ten museums, top ten Churches, top ten bars, top ten clubs, etc. The maps of Amsterdam are very useful, as are the diagrams of the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, showing where the most famous works of art are located. There are also top ten lists for different geographic areas of the city.

There are several lists of hotels, including "Top 10 Budget Hotels," and top ten lists of things like "Shopping Tips," "Arriving in Amsterdam," and "Getting Around."

I would recommend this book for those who have no interest in Amsterdam's sleazy side. For the rest, I would recommend the Frommer's guide instead (although, unlike the Top 10 guide, Frommer's does not have many photographs).

I would add that the list of "Top 10 Restaurants" does not include the historic and opulent Cafe Americain, where Mata Hari had her wedding reception. I would list the Cafe Americain as the number one dining experience in Amsterdam.

Top 10 Amsterdam (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

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Top 10 Amsterdam (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
DK Publishing
Manufacturer: DK ADULT
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Interesting Non Traditional Read

It's got a hook, lots of lines, but it's a stinker

Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Roadtrip

Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Roadtrip
Linda Oatman High
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000C25VLO

Amazon.com

Told in the jagged rhythms of rap, with unexpected rhymes and frenetic energy, Sister Slam is a soul sister to Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat. Hip but innocent, sharp but sweet, fresh out of high school in Banesville, Pennsylvania, plump Laura Crapper and her skinny friend Twig ("an indie-goth-hippie chick like me") set out in their '69 Firebird for the Sixth Annual Tin Can, New Jersey Poetry Slam: "We'll be driving/ into the so-cool/ School of Real Life./ The College Of Reality!/ The University/ of Gray Road, Blue Sky,/ and Yellow Lines," exults Twig. As a mark of the importance of the occasion Laura chooses a new name "so hot it sizzled/ and blistered your fingers/ like Crisco-fried ham./ My new name was: Sister Slam!" In Tin Can the new poets bomb when the subject of Sister's angry poem turns out to be one of the judges. And like all road trips, this one has its bad moments (their car is totaled by a collision with a Mustang) and its wild surprises (the driver turns out to be a hunky guy named Jake with "avocado-hotto eyes"). A spontaneous performance at a restaurant catapults the two poets into fame on the slam circuit, with success beyond their dreams as they rant onstage in thrift store chic--until real life intervenes. Teen slammers will snap their fingers along with Twig and Sister in this lighthearted and innovative verse novel. (ages 12 to 16) --Patty Campbell

Book Description

I was smitten,
bitten
by a love bug
or something.

I didn't
even care
that I'd
just been hit.

I was in deep
smit.

Laura Crapper, a seventeen-year-old combat-boot-wearing poet with spiked red hair, renames herself Sister Slam and hits the road with her best friend, Twig. On the way to a slam poetry contest in New Jersey, they hit a pig, get pulled over by the cops, fight with one of the judges, lose the contest, get into two more fender benders, fight with each other, and finally land on the front page of a New York City newspaper for their amazing impromptu performance at the famous Tavern on the Green. The girls and their fresh style of poetry take the city by storm, but when Laura's father back in Pennsylvania has a heart attack, she must face her fears about home and the still-raw loss of her mother. This inspiring romp of a coming-of-age story, written entirely in Laura's in-your-face slam poetry style, proves you don't have to give up your home to live your dream.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Non Traditional Read.......2004-08-10

Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Road Trip is a exciting read for teens and young adults. This book by Linda Oatman High is all about Laura Crapper (yes, her last name is Crapper can you believe it??. Laura is quirky and unique. She talks in poem or rap style, or at least that's how the book is written. The short chunks make this book easy to read. To me this book is a poetry/fiction hybrid.

Laura just happens to have a cool car, a '69 Firebird. Laura describes herself as being overweight and between the lines one gathers that she isn't as financially well off as some of her school peers. When Laura and her best friend Twig decide to set out on a road trip the day after their high school graduation the adventure ensues. Oh yeah, Laura Crapper changes her name to Sister Slam.

It seems as if the author is trying to create a coming of age story, a Crossroads type of thing. A road trip with poignant, funny and dramatic moments. But the writing style of the book, the short poetic chunks, allow things to go so fast that the reader doesn't have a chance to truly absorb and feel the moment. Sister Slam tells fast and is on to the next thing.

This non traditional read has an audience among teens and young adults. The book has many funny moments. This enjoyable read is just one of many books that author Linda Oatman High has written. Linda Oatman High is also the author of Maize, The Girl on the High Diving Horse and she also contributed a story to the anthology "Don't Cramp My Style: Stories About That Time of the Month."

It's got a hook, lots of lines, but it's a stinker.......2004-06-29

This book is great...for about 2 pages. The wacky, edgy character, unique voice and hip slam-poetry format will draw you in, but it won't keep you there. The poetry is bad - the author tried WAY too hard - and quickly wears thin. The plot is contrived, predictable, unrealistic. While the book certainly has its moments and a few of the poems are really, really good, this is not a book I could recommend to anyone.

Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Roadtrip.......2004-05-16

"It doesn't matter if you're an amateur or a pro poet. Nobody knows until they try it, what a riot it is to sizzle in competition in the sport of spoken word. Sixth annual Tin Can, New Jersey, Poetry Slam." And there you go. In this poetically perfect book, Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Roadtrip, by Linda Oatman High, Sister Slam (formerly known as Laura Crapper) and Twig are off on their first road trip to Tin Can, New Jersey for their first ever poetry slam. They're hyped and excited, and composing rhymes all the time. The main characters are so unique and intriguing, and they complement each other so well. The plot is great, filled with excitement, then disaster, and finally a surprise ending. The book was totally rocking and here's why.
The main characters in Sister Slam are obviously Sister Slam/Laura Crapper and her best friend Twig. Sister is an overweight, ok well clown white fat as she puts it, hippie-gothic rocker chick. She's eighteen and fresh out of high school. She's a poetry slammer and is so is her best friend Twig, the other main character. Twig is stick thin, hence her name. She, like Sister, is a retro-goth and proud of it. Composed and totally self confident, she's also a poetic bombshell. They're both ready to go conquer this slam, and the world, but with this plot you'll never expect what's coming next.
As I said Sister Slam and Twig head off for the poetry slam in Tin Can, New Jersey. But it doesn't stop there. Sister Slam and move along to New York City after failing desperately at the slam. Sister falls in love and they win over all of New York with their amazing rhymes. But then disaster strikes and Sister Slam and Twig have a tough decision to make. They must decide to either go home in the middle of their poetry tour to deal with the problem, or to stay in New York and finish it out. Then the book is finished off with unexpected surprises. I must commend the author for putting in some awesome and unexpected twists. The plot is so unreal and unexpected that it's believable.
All in all I thought the book was phenomenal. I would definitely recommend it to my friends because it's a miraculous, dream come true story that you won't want to put down. It's written in poetry throughout the entire book which is refreshing. It has a good rhythm to it, making you speed up during the exciting moments, heightening the excitement, and then slows you down when need be. It makes the book flow so well and you feel very involved in the story. The poetry gives the book a marvelous energy to it and will make this a book you'll want to go back and read again. Over all I give this book Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Roadtrip by Linda Oatman High, five stars and two thumbs way up.

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