Average customer rating:
- A Gorgeous Book, but Shoddy Packing
- Not that good
- Exquisite look at hidden world
- 5 for the Book, 3 for the Shipping
- Beautiful book, inadequately packed
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Archipelago: Portraits of Life in the World's Most Remote Island Sanctuary
David Liittschwager , and
Susan Middleton
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Remains of a Rainbow: Rare Plants and Animals of Hawaii
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Ocean
ASIN: 0792241886
Release Date: 2005-10-04 |
Book Description
For this project, Middleton and Liittschwager gained unprecedented access to photograph on and around these protected islands that are otherwise completely off-limits to people. Home to nearly seventy percent of our nation's coral reefs, known as the "rainforests of the sea," the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands is a remarkable ecosystem that supports a vast array of interdependent native plants and animals that have evolved in this habitat over millions of years, many existing nowhere else on the planet.
The result is Archipelago. With its more than 300 stunning images, the book illustrates the spectacular diversity of these ocean and island creatures, as well as profiles many of the people dedicated to the preservation of this habitat. The inaccessibility of these islands and the need to protect them means that few people will ever be able to visit them in person, though now, for the first time, the area's inhabitants are available for all the world to see through this important body of work. In conjunction with the publication of Archipelago, exhibitions of these photographs will be mounted in Honolulu and Washington, and will then travel to venues around the country throughout 2006.
Customer Reviews:
A Gorgeous Book, but Shoddy Packing.......2007-10-09
I've lived in Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, where many of these photos were taken, for several months while working as a marine ecologist, so I've seen a large portion of these organisms, marine and terrestrial. Yet, despite the thousands of hours I've spent in the water there, Middleton and Liittschwager managed to find and photograph many organisms I've never seen before. Their photographs are unique because they mostly have a white background, so the organism is more starkly highlighted. Personally and as a marine ecologist, I think it's important to see the habitat and the other organisms that the organism may interact with, plus it's more interesting; however, that is what most fish or invertebrate books do and what any person with a camera or dive camera can do - Middleton and Liittschwager's technique is unique, much more difficult to accomplish, and therefore very special. Definitely a gorgeous book to keep on your coffee table - and a great way to see the organisms of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. One of my favorites is the group of images of one albatross growing up - from an egg to looking like an adult - I've always wanted to do that myself. This book will especially be a treasure for those lucky few who will visit Midway in the coming years as the new visitor program begins. I highly recommend it for those who have seen the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and those who haven't but want to.
Secondly, somehow this book was not packed very well. Others before me have commented on this, and I agree. I've ordered lots of things from Amazon and never seen this before; however, for an expensive book with glossy covers that you don't want to get scratched, it really wasn't packed very well. However, my copy was not damaged in any way, so no worries. I just think Amazon should talk to whoever is packing these books!!
Not that good.......2007-02-03
Like most people I purchased this book to use as a coffee table book. Although this book does have some nice images in it. It does not have the wow factor that you would normally expect from a good coffee table book. I would suggest purchasing Ocean by Robert Dinwiddie. (ISBN 0756622050). That book is 1000 times better (in content, pictures, and volume of material), and will keep you entertained much longer.
Exquisite look at hidden world.......2007-01-05
The northwest Hawaiian islands, stretching all the way to Midway are rarely visited because of their remoteness and fragility. This beautiful book gives a comprehensive tour of the area. The coffee table format allows the strange lands and creatures to be seen at their best. The authors' skill and dedication to their topic shows clearly in both photos and text. Recommended for all nature lovers.
5 for the Book, 3 for the Shipping.......2006-08-16
Like the other reviewer, my book was improperly shipped, this time in a box too large so it sloshed around on its journey, getting dinged in the process.
However, the book itself is magnificent. It is a gorgeous, comprehensive collection of images detailing the flora and fauna of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. This thriving Archipelago is beautiful in every sense of the word, and the intimate portraits that Middleton and LIttschwager have painstakenly produced of these creatures are superb. This is a jewel of a book, for photographic as well as conservationist reasons.
Beautiful book, inadequately packed.......2006-01-31
This is a magnificent book, with unique photgographs of sea creatures on white backgrounds. It would have made a splendid gift, except for the unfortunate fact that it was shipped in a box hardly bigger than itself and had obviously been dropped and crushed. Every page was dented, but it was too late to return it and get a new copy. One wonders why tiny objects are so often shipped in a box many times larger than themselves, but books like this one are tossed casually into the mail with no real protection at all.
Book Description
Plants for Tropical Landscapes will help you select and group plants to create a successful tropical garden tailored to your needs and tastes. Gardeners and landscapers will find this treasury of more than 500 common plants easy to use and one of the most comprehensive guides available today.
Plants are organized by size (ground covers, low shrubs, medium shrubs, small trees) and are fully illustrated with more than 600 color photographs to aid in their identification. The book presents guidelines on plant characteristics, soil and water requirements, and suggested landscape use for each species. In addition, appendices list plants suitable for special uses (xeriscapes, windbreaks, night gardens) and sites (beach gardens, lanai, and houseplants).
Customer Reviews:
Very good book about Plants in the Caribbean.......2007-09-19
My sister who also lives here in St. Thomas is a big time gardener but could not find anything to expand her knowledge of the horticulture here until I found this for her birthday. She has been very happy with it so I recommend it.
Excellent book for the tropics.......2007-03-10
Although I live in Panama, I found this book excellent in helping me identify plants and trees and their growth characteristics.
Down to earth (pun intended) and comprehensive with great photos on glossy paper.......2006-12-16
Plants for Tropical Landscapes: A Gardener's Guide is just what I was looking for. Being raised in Hawaii, I have seen many of the plants in this book but don't know many of their names or uses. The authors give just the right amount of information to help you choose the right plant for the right location. It will be nice to help choose our plants with the landscapers instead of letting them make all of the decisions. I also really like the layout of the book which starts at ground covers and moves up in size through shrubs and trees, then on to vines, ferns and palms, etc. The pages have colored edge markings that assist in switching from chapter to chapter. Most of the coolest things included are located in the Appendices that should be extremely useful: Native Hawaiian Species; Xeriscape; Beach Garden; Hedges, Screens & Windbreaks; House & Lanai Plants; and the garden at night.
Even if you just want to know what plants are in your yard, you will enjoy this book. I wish I had paid more attention to my Mom when she tried to teach me about plants way back when...
Great Book!.......2006-10-29
This is a wonderful book. We are starting from scratch beginning our landscape at our home and I really did not know a lot about all the different plants available! Wow..it is very inspiring and teaches you a lot too. Also, it is great for reference. I go to it often for information.
Plants for Tropical Landscapes - a Gardener's Guide.......2001-04-21
Plants for Tropical Landscapes addresses everything from ground covers to Palms, Xeriscape to lanais. It contains an impressive number of plants and its simple format makes it a joy to read. The book is clearly organized by the size of the plant, starting from the smallest (ground covers) and working its way up to largest plants in a tropical garden (trees over 50'). Along with beautiful color photographs, the physical characteristics of each plant, light and moisture requirements, preferred soil, wind, drought, and salt tolerance are all given. The authors also suggest practical ways the plants could be used in a tropical setting. This book does not bog the reader down with too many details, but gives everything necessary to plant your tropical garden.
Customer Reviews:
Great reference for the serious gardener.......2007-09-24
Not full of flashy photos, so this won't be appealing to casual gardeners. If you have some education in botany and understand the taxonomy, this will be a reference book you will come back to time and again. Very comprehensive.
Book of the Century.......2005-08-20
I have just finished writing a review of this book for the West Hawaii Today newspaper. I've looked it over quite thoroughly. It's flawless! And I'm a very picky reviewer. It will be the authoritative classic for many years to come, and I predict it will garner some horticultural book awards during the coming year. The binding is real cloth, a rariety these days. Bishop Museum has produced a deluxe book. I know tropical horticulture books well and review them on my website.
Product Description
The worlds first hardcover coffee-table book dedicated to the flowering plumeria tree. One hundred of the most beautiful plumeria flowers are pictured in stunning lifelike color and detail. Many cultivars are pictured for the first time as well as articles about plumeria culture and collecting. All pictures are "frameable" quality.
Customer Reviews:
Great images but layout is un-professional........2007-10-12
The author is one in all: a photographer, a writer and a graphic designer. He is great with photography but writing and book designing should be left for a professional. Book is unorganized. Not enough descriptions for each varieties. Chapters jump around. Page layout is very amateurish. This should not have been a book but a PowerPoint slides show instead.
Brilliant.......2007-08-05
This is the best book yet for plumeria photo's that are true to life, the pictures are that good it makes you almost want to bend down and smell the pages. This is a must have for every plumeria lover and it will be well read once you do get a copy, especially if you have it on your coffee table. Even non plumeria growers will enjoy the photo's in these pages, they are just so vibrant , anyone that has an interest in flowers will be nothing short of amazed and find it hard to put down, I know I did.
Absolutely Awesome Book.......2006-06-22
All I can say is that this is the most fabulous book ever published on plumeria. The photography is absolutely outstanding. These pictures could very easliy be framed with great pride. It is obvious no cost was spared, down to very heavy paper stock the book is printed on. Great job and keep them coming.
Book Description
People travel to Hawaii for sun, sand, and surf but increasingly spend parts of their trips hiking, birdwatching, kayaking, whale-watching, or snorkeling in the island's stunning national parks and nature reserves. Ecotravellers to the islands know that Hawaii is a special place biologically, harboring many native animal and plant species that occur nowhere else on Earth. Contained in this book is all the information you need to find, identify, and learn about the island's magnificent animal life. The author visited parks and preserves, discussed wildlife with local and international experts, and then selected his color illustrations from more than 300 of the islands' most common fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds (including essentially every Hawaiian bird). You will want to have this easy-to-carry, entertainingly written, beautifully illustrated book as a constant companion on your trip.
Key Features
* Provides identifying, location, and conservation information on frequently spotted animals
* Gives up-to-date information on the ecology, behavior, and conservation of the families of animals to which the pictured species belong
* Contains information on Hawaiian habitats and on the most common plants you will see, and on the underwater animals most divers and snorklers actually see
* Gives brief descriptions of the state's national parks and nature reserves
Customer Reviews:
Good Guide.......2001-07-03
I like that this book because it actually rates hikes. I need an opinion when I am provided with such vast natural beauty to choose from as in Hawaii. He also tells you the best sights for spotting so apart from referencing wildlife, fauna and marine life as you come across you can seek it out. A good reference to use before and during your trip to the islands.
The best Hawaiian wildlife guide yet........2000-10-10
This is a natural history guide for someone who is really serious about gaining an in-depth understanding of Hawaii's natural environment, animals and plants. It's very complete and very well done (for the most part) and is the best one that I've seen about Hawai`i. Following the pattern of many other guidebooks, Beletsky's guide is divided into two sections. The first section (204 pages) is explanatory text while the second section (180 pages) consists of color drawings and photographs of Hawaii's flora and fauna.
The first half of the book is very comprehensive and is itself divided into basically two parts. Part "A" (6 chapters) covers ecotourism, Hawaii's natural history (including geography and climate), habitats, parks and preserves, getting around, environmental threats, conservation and how to use the book. Part "B" covers Hawaii's animals in just the right amount of detail (and in 6 more chapters). Each chapter explores a major animal group, such as "Amphibians and Reptiles," "Birds," "Mammals," etc. The chapters are well organized and they all include the same sections for each animal group. For example, the chapter on Mammals includes Mammals of Hawai`i, Characteristics of the Mammals, Family Profiles, and an "Environmental Close-up." Each of those sections then includes common subsections. It sounds tedious, but it actually works very well!
The second half of Beletsky's guide contains the color plates used for identifying all of the species described in the first half. They are beautifully done. Each animal has a brief description along with its names (common, Hawaiian and scientific), a habitat icon and a habitat description. There are also lots of interesting "factoids" in this guidebook.
One of the more interesting "environmental close-ups" is the one on spinner dolphins. They often travel with spotted dolphins and/or tuna in what is called a "mutualistic relationship" to protect themselves against sharks. Spinners feed during the night and spotteds feed during the day, so they trade off watching for sharks. They both like tuna schools around because the tuna are better than they are at sensing the presence of sharks; when the tuna take off, so do they!
While this is an excellent guidebook overall, I do have some complaints. The key to the habitat icons isn't anywhere near the color plates or in the index; it's way back on page 77 and very hard to find. Some of the sections are actually contributed by different people and I got tired of reading the same introductory comments about Hawaii's isolation and the evolution of endemic species over and over. The habitat pictures feel like they were just "thrown in" - they aren't captioned very well and they aren't matched to the habitat icons. The plant plates also feel "thrown in" - there isn't a matching chapter on plants in the first half of the book. Fixing those items would make it a "five out of five stars" book.
Average customer rating:
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Hawaiian Gardens are to Go to, A Treasury of Tropical Plants and Gardens
Clayton Oslund , and
Michele Oslund
Manufacturer: Plant Pics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Tropical Trees of Hawaii
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ASIN: 0966739906 |
Book Description
A user-friendly guide to public gardens and parks on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island.
Book Description
For generations, Hawai`i's flowers and plants have inspired authors, poets, song-smiths and travel writers - from the creation chants of the Kumulipo to the lyrics of the hapa haole classics, from travelogues of Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson to the verse of today's poets. In this stunning photographic work, award-winning author-designers Jim and Virginia Wageman match excerpts from literature with 50 Island flowers and plants - weaving a unique literary lei of beauty, inspiration and cultural diversity.
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful journey to Hawaii.......2007-03-21
This award-winning book is a treasure for anyone who loves Hawaii, flowers, or great writing. The pictures are stunning - you can almost feel the texture of the plants and smell the flowers. The literary quotes show how Hawaii and its flora have inspired the great writers who have lived and visited here, and give us a new way to see the plants through their eyes. There is just the right amount of technical information about the plants. Most of all, this book transports you to Hawaii. The book received a Ka Po'okela Palapala Award from the Hawaii Book Publishers Association for design.
Customer Reviews:
Get the 1999 edition........2000-07-16
The 1990 edition has been superceded by the 1999 edition. Be sure to get the current one.
An extraordinary work........2000-07-16
Comprehensive, beautifully illustrated with botanical drawings. A stunning work of scholarship, it is the ultimate reference for Hawaiian flora. Two large volumes. Intended for professionals, but amateurs like myself who persist (and use the glossary at the end of volume two) find it fascinating. Be sure to get the 1999 edition rather than the one from a decade earlier.
Average customer rating:
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Hawaii's Native Plants
Bruce A. Bohm
Manufacturer: Mutual Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1566476666 |
Book Description
A comprehensive look at the wide variety of flowering plants and ferns found in Hawaii's wild providing simple but scientifically up-to-date information on their origins and evolutionary relationships. The book includes almost 200 color photographs for most of the species featured in the book and directions to convenient locations to observe them. Dr. Bohm stresses throughout the book that readers, hikers and novice biologists need to be aware of the sensitivity of native plants to habitat destruction and the devastating impact of the invasion of alien species.
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