Book Description
This is the story of the Owens' travel and life in the Kalahari Desert. Here they met and studied unique animals and were confronted with danger from drought, fire, storms, and the animals they loved. This best-selling book is for both travelers and animal lovers.
Customer Reviews:
Cry of the Kalahari.......2007-10-04
Wonderful book that enables one to live the experiences of this dedicated couple who gave so much to the animals of Africa through their research. This book tore at my heartstrings and made me even more excited about my upcoming trip to Africa.
Seven Years in the African Desert.......2007-07-08
Two grad students, having married shortly after their University of Georgia college education began their graduate studies in zoology in the Kalahari desert in Botswana. I've heard grad students' lives are poor and hard, but this couples' 7 year field study takes the mealie-meal. They carefully rationed water and gasoline and lived on mealie-meal (cornmeal), ostrich eggs, and antelope meat; they'd nearly run out of money and write grants to pay for their supplies only and with no money left to fly home. They survived on these paltry sums and did their research in temperatures that sometimes got as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit surrounded by lions, leopards, and cheetahs in the midst of one of Africa's most inhospitable areas.
This true story is truly amazing and I can't wait to read their other books about Africa. The book was published in 1984 and I wonder if their research had any influence in the IMAX film The Serengeti which is about the greatest wildebeest migration that happens in the Serengeti area in Tanzania and Kenya. In the back of the book is a brief recommendation for wildlife management in the Kalahari desert. In reading this, one can't but be reminded of Jane Gooddall's and the Adamson's work with wildlife in East Africa. It's also a survivors' tale, adventuresome and exciting, but most of all great research. Excellent all around!
A wonderful adventure.......2007-05-02
I do not wish to write a review, other than to say I read this book many years ago and it has stayed with me. Mark and Delia's story was fascinating and I was enthralled with their descriptions of the Kalahari and the animals they observed. I wanted to rate this book, so that the rating could be used in making future recommendatipons for me.
Cry of the Kalahari .......2007-01-10
This is a fantastic and TRUE story that will capture the hearts of anyone who loves nature, wild animals, adventure, hardship, and over coming huge odds. It is a love story on several levels. It is a story about love of nature, love of animals, and the author couples love for each other. Excellent reading.
The Kalahari!.......2006-09-30
Gripping and enthralling:A narrative of the adventures of two nascent scientists in the vastness and rapidly disappearing Kalahari region of Botswana.
I was swept away by this book; the personal struggles of the young couple, and their passion for the animals in this remote region.
A classic of adventure and nature liturature.
Highly recommended!
Amazon.com
The 200,000 or so people who stroll through Tucson's Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum each year bring with them many questions: What is a desert? How is it that gophers and rattlesnakes can live in the same hole? How can I stop Gila woodpeckers from whittling down my house? If I find a desert tortoise, can I make it a pet? David Lazaroff, a biologist and writer, answers these and dozens more questions in this entertaining, intelligent book, which belongs on every Southwesterner's bookshelf. --Gregory McNamee
Product Description
What exactly is a desert? How can I attract hummingbirds? Are cactus spines poisonous? Is a javelina a pig? This book provides detailed answers to 42 questions that the staff at the Desert Museum are most often asked. Supplemented with nearly 100 illustrations, this 200 page book is broken down into three sections: getting to know the desert, the desert as one's backyard, and enjoying the desert. Seven useful appendixes cover a range of topics including hummingbird gardening, venomous bites and stings, climate, and additional sources of information about desert life. A fun way to learn how wild and fascinating our deserts really are!
Customer Reviews:
A New Resident's Perspective.......2007-01-31
As a new resident, I had lots of questions about such a strange and beautiful land. Everywhere I turned for answers, I was pointed toward this book. So I bought it. The first night after it's arrival I opened it and didn't put it down until it was finished. It's not in my library, however. My wife and I refer to it so much we have to keep it closer.
A wonderful book about this beautiful part of the country.......2000-09-19
This is a great book for anyone that wants to learn about this desert and the plants and animals that live in it. Unlike some of the other books about this topic that are written in an academic/textbook style, this book is written in a lively, question & answer format and is full of interesting and unusual facts. I've lived in this region for over 25 years and I learned quite a bit by reading this book.
just by flipping through it, I wanted to buy it!.......2000-04-04
I only saw this once in the bookstore, and just by flipping through it, I knew it had to be a part of my book-collection. Just moving to the desert southwest, I have been thirsty for more about my new eco-system and home........I may not have so many dilemmas now on critters and plants..........
Download Description
Whether you're on the lookout for a kit fox, or trying to steer clear of a bear, Scats and Tracks of the Desert Southwest, by nationally reknown tracker and author Dr. James Halfpenny, helps you recognize what critters went before you and is a primer for
Customer Reviews:
excellent book!!.......2001-03-10
I found this book to be informative and very user friendly, especially since it is hand held size, making easy to take into the field. Halfpenny also gives accurate measurements of track size and gait patterns for each species and a brief description of the animals. In addition, there is a strong emphasis on the scat of each species with very detail drawings. There is also a section on the tracks of various bird species. a must for everyone interested in tracking in the southwest.
Book Description
Now Available in Paperback!No one engages the natural world the way Jeff Corwin does. One of America's favorite nature-show hosts, Corwin demonstrates awe and respect for nature in a way that is both wildly funny and educational. In this beautiful book, illustrated with his own photographs, he reminisces about his at-times-perilous and often hilarious journeys as he explores the fantastic relationships among the diverse flora and fauna in four exotic ecosystems: the Sonoran Desert of Arizona; the Savannah of southeastern Africa; the Costa Rican rainforest; and the Llanos grassland in Venezuela. From a lizard that ejects a blood-like squirt from its eyes when in danger to perhaps the most bizarre turtle on the planet-we meet some wonderfully unique creatures and learn about their interdependence and competition in their natural habitats.
Customer Reviews:
On the wild side..........2007-07-09
Join Jeff Corwin as he shows us the dry, hot desert of Arizona, the life and death struggle in southeastern Africa, the rain forests of Costa Rica, and the grasslands of the Venezuela. Along the way we learn about life, death, love, and the web of nature. He also pops in facts and short stories, many of which are as funny as you can get without a Nun's outfit, a donkey and a jar of peanut butter.
The book itself is a lovely hardcover, with full color photos and something I would be proud to have on my coffee table if I had a coffee table. And it is so enjoyable to read you could easily finish it in a day if you wanted to.
The Best Nature Book Out There.......2005-10-28
Jeff Corwin is not only a great tv personality but is also a very good author. I have read his book like three times already and each time I read it I like it even more.The pictures, all of which he took himself, are great and I like how he goes into his life experiences with animals. Also, I like how he sprinkles humor throughout the book. I have learned so much from Jeff Corwin and he is the reason I am majoring in Environmental Science. He has made me realize how important it is to protect the environment and all of the animals in it.
Poetic imagery for the Natural world.......2005-10-17
This book is great! Altho I am a big fan of Jeff's and the Jeff Corwin Experience, I am still blown away by this book. Jeff describes everything vividly, yet in a beautifully poetic way (i've never heard of so many diff ways to describe the sunset). I was really surprised b/c he isn't like that on the show. I loved that many lesser-known animals are introduced, as well as the more common ones. Also, I loved that Jeff gave us the pecularities/specialties of each animal so I'm not just reading the same old boring stuff that I've read in too many nature books or seen on tv. I've learned a lot of things that I never knew about (ie: the symbiosis btwn strangler fig & wasp) and Jeff describes them all so vividly that it was even better than watching the show. The only complaint I have is that there's not enough pictures. But as I read along, I realized that Jeff already painted the whole scene for me that photos would just be icing on the cake. I totally and whole-heartedly recommend this book to any nature lover!
Web of Life.......2005-09-21
Gives good complex look at the animals in different environments and shows the environmental issues challenging each place. Filled with stories from Jeff Corwin's life and his own encounters with both exotic and extraordinary animals.
Take a Walk on the Wild Side .......2004-12-06
This is a very entertaining and educational book. I'm a fan of The Jeff Corwin Experience, and this book did not disappoint me. It is very well organized and well written, and I was amazed at the way it managed to drop me right down into the middle of the Costa Rican rainforest or the African savannah. What I particularly liked was the variety of bizarre and fascinating details that Jeff adds. I found myself sharing these bizarre facts (like giant anaconda orgies that can last for weeks and weeks...woohoo!)with all sorts of people who, no doubt, thought I was some sort of animal expert now. But best of all is Jeff's obvious enthusiasm for the subject matter, particularly the topic of conservation. It's hard not to enjoy his stories when he presents them with such passion and humor. I definitely recommend this book to Jeff Corwin fans and any readers who want to take a walk on the wild side.
Book Description
The Sonoran Desert is one of the most wildly diverse and fascinating regions in the world. Covering southeastern California, the southern half of Arizona, most of Baja California, and much of the state of Sonora, Mexico, this vast area is home to an amazing variety of plants and animals. Its terrain varies dramatically, from parched desert lowlands to semiarid tropical forests and frigid subalpine meadows. A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert provides the most complete collection of Sonoran Desert natural history information ever compiled and is a perfect introduction to this biologically rich desert of North America.
The authors--experts in many fields--begin with a general look at the region's geology, paleoecology, climate, human ecology, and biodiversity. The book then looks in depth at hundreds of plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, native fishes, and invertebrates that live in the northern part of the Sonoran Desert. Throughout, the text is supplemented with anecdotes, essays, color and black-and-white photographs, maps, diagrams, and 450 finely-rendered drawings. This comprehensive, accessible natural history is written for nonscientists and will surely become an invaluable companion for nature enthusiasts, birdwatchers, hikers, students, and anyone interested in the desert Southwest.
A copublication with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Customer Reviews:
An Essential Guide to a Great Desert.......2005-06-11
I grew up in the Sonoran Desert, in the ultra hot (and humid!) city of Yuma, Arizona. During my time there I visited the Californian and northern Baja Californian sections of this huge hyperarid land. I eventually moved to the less humid (if less hyperarid in terms of rainfall) city of Tucson, where I explored a considerable part of the eastern Arizonan part of the desert, as well as taking trips into the desert in southern Baja California and Sonora itself. This is a fascinating land and one with great surprises, such as a fauna of fish and aquatic insects, desert crusts of cyanobacteria, tropical birds, army and leaf-cutting ants and strange plants.
Now Steven J. Phillips and Patricia Comus of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum have edited a neat guide to the area in "A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert". The various sections contain numerous bits of information, many of which were new to me despite about 25 years of wandering in the Sonoran Desert. The discussions of the structure and history of the desert are particularly informative. This book should be in the bookshelf, and indeed in the knapsack (despite its size), of all travelers in this fantastic desert.
I have to admit that I know five of the authors- namely Steve Prchal, Renee Lizotte, Gary Paul Nabhan, Carl A. Olson and Thomas Van Devender- excellent writers all- but I can also say that it is a worthwhile book based just on the work of writers whom I've never met and so I can claim some non-bias.
To add to this praise I have a few very minor quibbles. I wish that there had been more reference sections- certainly there are several books on the identification of desert plants, birds, mammals and fish! Also, as a jumping spider specialist I was disappointed that the quite readily seen red and black Apache jumping spider (Phidippus apacheanus), which appears to mimic velvet ants, was not mentioned (but then I am prejudiced!). Also not mentioned were the bright red velvet mites that emerge after desert rains (I get these brought to me all the time by people wanting to know what they are.) In addition, I could not find any reference in the index to tadpole shrimp- a very abundant inhabitant of desert temporary pools. I suppose that there was little room to add such in this already over 600 page work, but it is a pity, as I think they are of interest to the visitor. One other quibble is that I personally dislike the term "brown spider" as there are lots of "brown spiders"- including wolf spiders, some crab spiders, and many others. I prefer "violin spider" as being more specifically descriptive, although I could never get W. J. Gertsch to agree with me on this (I believe that he is the original source of this common name!)
Having said this, I will reiterate that anybody who wants to have some idea of what they are seeing in the Sonoran Desert has to have this book! They can find no better guide on the market!
Scholarly.......2002-12-28
Subjects are thoroughly covered and the information is written in a friendly and interesting manner. If you have a question about the Sonoran Desert, you will most likely find the answer here. Among other surprises, this book offered my first look at the "creeping devil cactus" - how interesting! I'd never even heard of it before. "A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert" is a book you will turn to for detailed information that can be trusted as well as entertainment. Very nice photographs and illustrations. A great book for a nature lover, even if the Sonoran Desert holds no particular interest to them.
Armchair nature watching.......2002-10-16
This is the ideal book to take along on trips to the Sonora Desert. Whether it is the Cailfornian , including Baja, Arizonian(it actually covers five states) or Mexican portions of the vast and diverse Sonara Desert, the details and complexities of this eco system are truly amazing. This book is an indespensible guide to all facets of this immense gift, including the many plants and animals that inhabit this harsh yet bountiful environment. It is a book to read before, as well as after the trips to the desert. Since it is so diverse and vast , covering some 100, 000 sq.mi., the amount of information given is quite a bit but done in such a mannner that one can easily navigate the text to the desired area of interest Inevitably one will stray into an area of new found interest. The little known facts are a lay persons path to knowledge about what the heck they just saw or are about to see. The black and white illustrations for the plants and animals you will or did encounter are excellent and extremely helpful for identification. There is a section with color photographs as well to further illustrate the beauty of the Sonora Desert. With contributions by some thirty five different experts in their pespective field this book is the ultimate guide. Do not hesitate to buy this book if you are visting the Sonora Desert as it will prove to be a valuble reference tool that can be used over and over. Since there is so much to learn about the Sonora Desert and it's inhabitants, this book can be read anytime, anywhere since it is nearly impossible to experience it all. Recommended for the tourist, naturalist or anyone interested in learning more about the 2000 species of plants, 550 species of verbrates and thousands of unknown invertebrate species who make the Sonora Desert home. This is truly fascinating material that only nature can provide so don't hesitate to purchase this book.
natural history of the sonoran desert.......2001-03-03
we agree with all of the other reveiws.... a great discovery and a great resource....Glad we got it...
natural history of the sonoran desert.......2001-03-03
we agree with all of the other reveiws.... a great discovery and a great resource....Glad we got it...
Product Description
They're everywhere in the desert! Ground holes. Elevated holes. Divots. Mounds. The revised edition of this quirky and popular field guide helps curious visitors -- as well as seasoned naturalists -- sort through the often bewildering abundance of desert holes so they can find out who's behind all that digging. Includes over 60 drawings of desert animals, their holes, and their tracks, and over 50 full-color photographs.
Customer Reviews:
This is a great reference.......2006-09-02
We use it when camping and hiking. It is great if you are planning on visiting and/or camping in the Southwest. I would agree though that there needs to be more color pictures and more drawings to illustrate exactly what the author of this book is talking about. An excellent reference that makes visiting the desert so much more fun.
We love this book!.......2004-03-29
The previous reviewer is right: this book could use more illustrations. But we love it anyway. If you live in the Southwest, and especially if you have kids, you need this book. I keep giving our copy away, and since the local store doesn't order enough, here I am at Amazon!
Good information, but needs photos.......2001-05-31
This tiny book is chock full of information and organized in an easy-to-read format. Unfortunately, the detailed descriptions of the holes, burrows, and depressions did not in any way help me visualize them--especially because many are similar. It would have been extremely helpful to see photos of the "desert holes" and the animals/birds/insects that make/use these areas. There are some black and white pencil drawings; although scarce, they are helpful. If this book had photos, I would have given it a rating of 10 stars!
Book Description
Learn about life in a Joshua tree, compare the Sonoran and Sahara deserts by creating dioramas, make a desert rain wheel, locate fossils in the gobi desert, and create a field guide of desert predators. These new activities and more pack this new edition with hands-on learning about one of the world's most amazing habitats.
Customer Reviews:
Discovering Deserts.......2006-01-17
I am a high school special education teacher for developmentally delayed students. We did a unit on deserts. This book help me organize/develop age-appropriate lessons and worksheets for the students. The pictures/illustrations were helpful also.
Wonderful Resource.......2003-07-26
This is a great book for teachers who will have to teach anything science related. Every book put out by the National Wildlife Federation is great.
There are lessons that provide art and craft ideas to help bring home the lesson that you are trying to teach. There are recipes for clay and food that you can use to help teach about deserts. There are facts to share and bulliton board ideas and more. There are copy sheets for worksheets and more.
The directions are clear. The books are easy to read and fit a large amount of information provided in a format that makes it easy to find when you are looking for something in particular.
Enjoy.
A book every science teacher needs.......2003-05-18
I used this book while teaching a unit on biomes in my High School Special Education Resource Science classroom. Discovering Deserts has exactly the right mix of factual material and hands-on activities needed to appeal to a wide range of ability levels, ages, and learning styles. The materials totally engaged my students' interest. This is a really useful resource and I plan to purchase other books in this series.
Book Description
Winner of the coveted 3M award, First Place, for "International Excellence in Lithography," Steens Mountain pays tribute to the high desert country of southeastern Oregon. The well-written text and superb photography artfully combine to show the lovely scenery, animals, and people of this remote area.
Book Description
This field guide takes you to the desert and grassland areas of Arizona, California, and New Mexico where the total number of bird species reaches a staggering 440.
Average customer rating:
- Wit and Wisdom from the sagebrush country.
- Super book! It really takes you there!
|
The Oregon Desert
E. R. Jackman , and
R. A. Long
Manufacturer: Caxton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| 20th Century
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Wildlife
| Animals
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Oregon
| States
| United States
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0870044346 |
Book Description
The Oregon Desert is a wild, rough region that does things to people who try to change it. It is like "The anvil that wears the hammer out." Wild horses run through this book. All of the desert animals shyly peek out from its pages. Desert towns spring to life before your eyes and swiftly decay. Stories of life on the desert are told with deep subtle humor, wisdom, and charm, producing a delightful book.
Customer Reviews:
Wit and Wisdom from the sagebrush country........2007-03-07
For a book published over 40 years ago, this read is still relevant and engaging. With snippets of history, humor, science and just plain common sense, it is a good introduction to life in the high desert from a native's perspective. This book was the one that got me hooked on Central Oregon over 25 years ago, enough to live here. People tend to think of the desert as dry and drab, but it is brightly colored by its people and history. A must read for anyone traveling through or moving to the Oregon Outback.
Super book! It really takes you there!.......2007-02-04
This is an amazing book for anyone who knows, or wants to know anything about Oregon's high desert and the high desert way of life back in the mid 1900's. Many pictures add to the mental pictures your mind conjures up as you read the most amusing stories of old. After reading this book, I even bought the DVD entitled "Indian Fighter" (Kurt Douglas and his then wife both star!), because the author provided the stock for the movie and talks about it a bit in the book. The DVD is a great way to see the high country the book talks about!
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- Culture of Animal Cells: A Manual of Basic Technique
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- Cycles of Knowing and Growing (Aims Activities)
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- Dolly Mixtures: The Remaking of Genealogy (A John Hope Franklin Center Book)
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- Essential IVF: Basic Research and Clinical Applications
- Fibre Types In Skeletal Muscles (Advances in Anatomy, Embryology and Cell Biology)
- Frontiers of Fear: Tigers and People in the Malay World, 1600-1950
- Giraffes (Zoobooks Series)
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