Natural History Books

Book SynopsisAn authoritative guide to the birds of Cyprus.Cyprus is a great place for birding, and one of the most popular places for birders to visit in Europe. It holds populations of a number of regional scarcities that are very hard to see elsewhere, plus a number of endemic subspecies, and the jewels in the crown three full endemics, Cyprus Wheatear, Cyprus Scops Owl and Cyprus Warbler, the latter of which graces the jacket of this Helm field guide to the island. Detailed plates are allied to concise identification text, with accurate maps stemming from Colin Richardson''s decades-long programme of population-mapping on the island. Together, these elements make this the definitive guide to Cyprus's birds, one that no visitor to this beautiful island can be without.Trade ReviewThis is an impressive book; authoritative and meticulously researched it represents a major advance for Cyprus ornithology and will surely become essential for the ever-increasing number of visiting and resident birders. -- Peter Flint * British Birds *A great addition to the Helm Field Guide series and an essential purchase for any birder wanting a compact, light-weight piece of literature to help explore the birding mecca that is Cyprus. * Ibis *I find this field guide well thought out, attractive in appearance, user-friendly, authoritative, well-researched and representing a major step forward for ornithology on the island. For the many visiting birders, who may wish to bring only one book, this is all they will need. -- Peter Flint * Cyprus Bird Report *Table of ContentsForeword Introduction Taxonomy, nomenclature and sequence Illustrations and identification text Bird topography Voice Status, distribution and habitat Maps Important dams and reservoirs Code of conduct and submitting records Bird killing in Cyprus Birdwatching sites Species Accounts (1-95) References and Further Reading Checklist of the birds of Cyprus Index

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Book SynopsisThis family-friendly game is packed with cheeky monkeys and other mischievous primates from all around the world for hours of bingo fun. It features such firm favourites as the ring-tailed lemur and the chimpanzee, one of our closest living relatives, as well as more unusual creatures like the mustachioed emperor tamarin and the tiny, carnivorous western tarsier, whose eyes are as big as its brain and whose head can rotate 180° in either direction. Boasting 64 weird, wonderful and beautiful species, Monkey Bingo is filled with fun facts and glorious illustrations that are guaranteed to delight monkey lovers and novices alike. Mark each species off on your card as it’s called and be the first to shout BINGO!

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Book SynopsisCalled the work of "a mesmerizing storyteller with deep compassion and memorable prose" (Publishers Weekly) and the book that, "anyone interested in natural history, botany, protecting nature, or Native American culture will love," by Library Journal, Braiding Sweetgrass is poised to be a classic of nature writing. As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer asks questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces indigenous teachings that consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers. Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take "us on a journey that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise" (Elizabeth Gilbert). Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, a mother, and a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings offer us gifts and lessons, even if we've forgotten how to hear their voices.Trade Review"Robin Wall Kimmerer is writer of rare grace. She writes about the natural world from a place of such abundant passion that one can never quite see the world the same way after having seen it through Kimmerer's eyes. She is a great teacher, and her words are a hymn of love to the world." -- Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love and The Signature of All Things

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Book Synopsis“A redemption story, an adventure story, and perhaps above all, a love story.”—Nate Blakeslee, New York Times-bestselling author of American WolfThe Druid Peak Pack was the most famous wolf pack in Yellowstone National Park, and maybe even in the world.This is the dramatic true story of its remarkable leader, Wolf 21—whose compassion and loyalty challenges commonly held beliefs about alpha males.In this compelling follow-up to the national bestseller The Rise of Wolf 8, Rick McIntyre profiles one of Yellowstone’s most revered alpha males, Wolf 21. Leader of the Druid Peak Pack, Wolf 21 was known for his unwavering bravery, his unusual benevolence (unlike other alphas, he never killed defeated rival males), and his fierce commitment to his mate, the formidable Wolf 42.Wolf 21 and Wolf 42 were attracted to each other the moment they met—but Wolf 42’s jealous sister interfered viciously in their relationship. After an explosive insurrection within the pack, the two wolves came together at last as leaders of the Druid Peak Pack, which dominated the park for more than 10 years.McIntyre recounts the pack’s fascinating saga with compassion and a keen eye for detail, drawing on his many years of experience observing Yellowstone wolves in the wild. His outstanding work of science writing offers unparalleled insight into wolf behavior and Yellowstone’s famed wolf reintroduction project. It also offers a love story for the ages.“Like Thomas McNamee, David Mech, Barry Lopez, and other literary naturalists with an interest in wolf behavior, McIntyre writes with both elegance and flair, making complex biology and ethology a pleasure to read. Fans of wild wolves will eat this one up.”—Kirkus starred reviewTrade Review“McIntyre’s stories of mutual aid among the wolves will remind us that all life is poised in an ever-shifting dance of competition and co-operation. We can all learn some lessons from McIntyre’s beloved beasts.”—The Vancouver Sun“Like Thomas McNamee, David Mech, Barry Lopez, and other literary naturalists with an interest in wolf behavior, McIntyre writes with both elegance and flair, making complex biology and ethology a pleasure to read. Fans of wild wolves will eat this one up.”—Kirkus starred review“Like Darwin, McIntyre is an inclusionist and is thus able to enter the hearts and minds of wolves, providing us with a consummately rounded picture of their lives. Along the way, he creates a fully realized world that stands whole and sublime alongside our far more troubled human one.”—Mountain Journal“Wolves have always been majestic creatures, and The Reign of Wolf 21 [...] beautifully illustrates this. [G]reat for nature lovers or people interested in learning more about wolves and wolf behavior.”—The Yakima Herald“A gripping tale of triumph and loss told with an unsurpassed appreciation for the wolves of Yellowstone and the natural world they inhabit.”—Bernd Heinrich, professor emeritus of biology at the University of Vermont and author of Mind of the Raven“I’m always eager for the next book by Rick McIntyre. I learn so much fascinating information about wolves and their interactions with each other and with their prey.”—L. David Mech, author of The Wolf: Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species, now in its 50th year in print“It is the way [Rick McIntyre] sees wolves—as fellow social beings with stories to share—that makes his books so powerful.”—Ed Bangs, former US Fish and Wildlife Service wolf recovery coordinator for the Northern Rockies“This book is a treasure.”—Douglas W. Smith, PhD, Yellowstone Wolf Project Leader, Yellowstone National Park“Rick is constantly collecting information—from his own observations and those made by others. He is a researcher to the bone and an amazing witness to the wolves’ incredible stories.”—Scott Frazier, Crow/Santee, director of Project Indigenous“In his second book on Yellowstone wolves, Rick McIntyre provides a riveting history about a powerful dynasty, a wolf pack called the Druids. There were palace revolutions, despotic leaders, and interlopers to contend with, overlaying the incredible daily challenge of making a living with just teeth and feet. Life begets life, and this fascinating story is dominated by the overwhelming strength of family bonds, bravery, and benevolence.”—Rolf Peterson, Michigan Technological University, author of The Wolves of Isle Royale: A Broken Balance“Rick brilliantly weaves the dramatic life-story of wolf 21 through the intertwining of his life with the different personalities of his mate wolf 42, their sons and daughters, and members of nearby packs. As a story teller, Rick generates great compassion in the reader - a fitting antidote to the hatred and indifference that still plagues this long-persecuted species.”—Dr. John and Mary Theberge, wildlife ecologists, wolf biologists and authors“Wolves are possessed of an ancient and enduring wisdom. This is why old-time Indians used to spend the kind of time watching wolves that Rick has, and for the same reasons—to learn FROM them, not just ABOUT them.”—John Potter, Anishinaabe wildlife artist“If ever there was a ‘perfect’ wolf, it was Wolf 21. He lived an outsized life, more like an action hero than a real creature. And no one knew him better than master storyteller Rick McIntyre.”—Carl Safina, author of Becoming Wild; How Animal Cultures Raise Families, Create Beauty, and Achieve Peace“No wolf's life has ever been laid before us in such detail and with such rich analysis.”—Norm Bishop, director of the Wolf Recovery Foundation and co-author of Yellowstone's Northern Range: Complexity and Change in a Wildland EcosystemPraise for the first book in the Alpha Wolves of Yellowstone series, The Rise of Wolf 8:An Amazon.com Best Science Book of 2019“Rick’s book is a goldmine... and clearly shows [wolves] are clever, smart, and emotional beings.”—PSYCHOLOGY TODAY“[Rick McIntyre’s] greatest strength is the quiet respect and wonder with which he regards his subjects, a quality clearly informed by decades of careful watching.”—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY“The main attraction of [The Rise of Wolf 8] is the storytelling... including the powerful origin story of one of Yellowstone’s greatest and most famous wolves.”—WASHINGTON POST“Fascinating.”—NEWSWEEK“McIntyre is a gifted and fluent storyteller... His book will make readers reconsider negative images of the wolf.”—VANCOUVER SUN

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of The Clockwork Universe and The Writing of the Gods, a historical adventure story about the eccentric Victorians who discovered dinosaur bones, leading to a whole new understanding of human history.In the early 1800s the world was a safe and cozy place. But then a twelve-year-old farm boy in Massachusetts stumbled on a row of fossilized three-toed footprints the size of dinner platesthe first dinosaur tracks ever found. Soon, in England, Victorians unearthed enormous bonesbones that reached as high as a man's head. No one had ever seen such things. Outside of myths and fairy tales, no one had even imagined that creatures like three-toed giants had once lumbered across the land. And if anyone had somehow conjured up such a scene, they would never have imagined that all those animals could have vanished, hundreds of millions years ago. The thought of sudden, arbitrary disappearance from life was unnerving and forced the V

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Book SynopsisThe Wild Wisdom of Weeds is the only book on foraging and edible weeds to focus on the thirteen weeds found all over the world, each of which represents a complete food source and extensive medical pharmacy and first-aid kit. More than just a field guide to wild edibles, it is a global plan for human survival. When Katrina Blair was eleven she had a life-changing experience where wild plants spoke to her, beckoning her to become a champion of their cause. Since then she has spent months on end taking walkabouts in the wild, eating nothing but what she forages, and has become a wild-foods advocate, community activist, gardener, and chef, teaching and presenting internationally about foraging and the healthful lifestyle it promotes. Katrina Blair’s philosophy in The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is sobering, realistic, and ultimately optimistic. If we can open our eyes to see the wisdom found in these weeds right under our noses, instead of trying to eradicate an “invasive,” we will achieve true food security. The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is about healing ourselves both in body and in spirit, in an age where technology, commodity agriculture, and processed foods dictate the terms of our intelligence. But if we can become familiar with these thirteen edible survival weeds found all over the world, we will never go hungry, and we will become closer to our own wild human instincts—all the while enjoying the freshest, wildest, and most nutritious food there is. For free! The thirteen plants found growing in every region across the world are: dandelion, mallow, purslane, plantain, thistle, amaranth, dock, mustard, grass, chickweed, clover, lambsquarter, and knotweed. These special plants contribute to the regeneration of the earth while supporting the survival of our human species; they grow everywhere where human civilization exists, from the hottest deserts to the Arctic Circle, following the path of human disturbance. Indeed, the more humans disturb the earth and put our food supply at risk, the more these thirteen plants proliferate. It’s a survival plan for the ages. Including over one hundred unique recipes, Katrina Blair’s book teaches us how to prepare these wild plants from root to seed in soups, salads, slaws, crackers, pestos, seed breads, and seed butters; cereals, green powders, sauerkrauts, smoothies, and milks; first-aid concoctions such as tinctures, teas, salves, and soothers; self-care/beauty products including shampoo, mouthwash, toothpaste (and brush), face masks; and a lot more. Whether readers are based at home or traveling, this book aims to empower individuals to maintain a state of optimal health with minimal cost and effort. Trade ReviewLibrary Journal– "When you encounter a weed, do you pull it, spray it—or consume it? Blair, a holistic health and sustainable living educator, recommends the latter. In the first few chapters of this title, she emphasizes the importance of wild plants as food and medicine. The remaining chapters profile 13 edible weeds commonly found worldwide near human habitations: amaranth, chickweed, clover, dandelion, dock, grass, knotweed, lambsquarter, mallow, mustard, plantain, purslane, and thistle. Many are frequently classified as noxious or invasive, but Blair encourages us to see them not as enemies to be eradicated but as allies to nourish body and spirit. Each profile includes botanical and common names, a description, photos, history, edible and medicinal uses, and recipes. All recipes are vegan and most are raw. Verdict: This book includes valuable information about identifying and using common weeds and encourages us to reconsider our relationship with these usually scorned plants.”The New York Times- “How do we learn to empathize with other creatures, to respect the web of life that connects us all? The answer must lie, at least in part, somewhere in the deeply pleasurable childhood experiences so many gardeners cherish, moments of gazing into the depths of a blossom or watching a tendril unfold — and falling under the spell of a tiny miracle. … Katrina Blair’s charming and intelligent The Wild Wisdom of Weeds … delivers just about the best argument I’ve read for the futility of figuring out what, exactly, qualifies as a native plant and why ‘invasive’ can be a flawed concept. …Weeds, she insists, are ‘examples of nature’s creative edge.’ They’re powerful ambassadors, here to support our quality of life.”"For more than a decade, I have been learning about the outstanding value of common weeds as survival food, as free and natural “live" foods with nutritive values far exceeding those of store-bought greens, and as sources of natural medicines to help restore health to bodies robbed of their vitality by the toxins, stresses, and poor diets of our modern world. There are thousands of wild edible plants on our planet, most of which are unpleasant to eat and difficult to locate or identify. Many of us wonder where and how we might best begin to learn to find and use these wild edibles. Katrina Blair's The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is the perfect handbook for taking this journey back to better health, vitality, food security, and peace of mind, by learning to collect and use thirteen common nutritious and delicious wild weeds that grow pretty much everywhere that people live. It is a fantastic resource, and I highly recommend it! "--Matthew Stein, author of When Disaster Strikes and When Technology Fails"Required reading for the survival of our species! What can we do to live more sanely in an increasingly insane world? Katrina Blair offers a new world of possibilities. The myriad brilliant insights and pragmatic solutions within The Wild Wisdom of Weeds are essential and evolutionary.”--Happy Oasis, Adventure Anthropologist, founder of Bliss U and the Raw Spirit Festival"The Wild Wisdom of Weeds provides a beautiful and empowering exploration of wild foods, helping you to identify, prepare and celebrate edible weeds that you might otherwise overlook with simple tips on medicinal use, and charming, nutrient-dense recipes. A must-have for any beginning or serious forager.”--Jennifer McGruther, author of The Nourished Kitchen"This may be the most important book you will ever read. Far more than just a book about foraging; it offers, with comforting clarity, hope for the future of feeding the world when before there seemed to be none.”--Nomi Shannon, RawGourmet.com "This is the kind of information that should precede gardening and farming. Katrina Blair expertly shows that before picking up a hoe or spreading a single seed, we can turn to our yards, fields and forests for so many of the foods and medicines we need to live well. The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is a gem, and will be foundational reading for anyone wanting to live close to the goodness of this Earth.”--Ben Falk, author of The Resilient Farm and Homestead“Katrina Blair keeps it really simple and approachable..her recipes have inspired me to experiment with new ingredients in my ferments.”--Sandor Ellix Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation, from the foreword"Common weeds can be even more nutritious and medicinal than our favorite vegetables. Three cheers to Katrina Blair for sharing the depths of such friends as lambsquarter and purslane! Release your inner goat and go graze. Use these fantastic recipes to become an inspired gourmet of wild things. This book radiates with thorough research and first-hand knowledge of plants that matter.”--Michael and Nancy Phillips, authors of The Herbalist’s Way and The Holistic Orchard“The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is one of those rare and important books that has the capacity to radically alter your view of a world you thought you knew well. You'll never look at weeds the same again!”--Ben Hewitt, author of The Nourishing Homestead and The Town that Food Saved"Covering a small number of the most common edible/medicinal plants in depth, The Wild Wisdom of Weeds offers information on these species and their close relatives from multiple perspectives. From identification, harvesting and uses, through personal experiences and philosophy, to science and mysticism, this book has it all. Wherever in the world you live, whether you're a beginner or experienced forager, you'll have lots of fun reading and using this book.”--"Wildman" Steve Brill, naturalist, and author of the foraging app Wild Edibles"Weeds used to be something you kill, eradicate, make war on, get rid of. But weeds are the plants that thrive, and The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is a much needed guide to understanding the virtues these plants possess and the wisdom of knowing them, using them, and keeping them around. Weeds are clearly more important than we have imagined."--Deborah Madison, author of Vegetable Literacy"Katrina Blair has written a comprehensive guide to 13 foraged food plants that we can find anywhere in the temperate world, diversifying our diet whilst giving sensible guidelines to ensure we leave our wild plant colonies healthy. She encourages us to grow the weeds we love to eat, so we can literally forage on our doorsteps, and teaches us their medicinal properties, making food our medicine too. This is an engagingly written manual of radical self-responsibility, full of recipes and information, that belongs on every bookshelf."--Maddy Harland, editor and co-founder of Permaculture magazine "I don't know anyone more qualified to write this book than Katrina Blair. I've seen her go into the woods to harvest wild plants and "weeds", and then transform them into gourmet meals later that day that rivaled the best from any fancy restaurant. She definitely knows her stuff and I am proud she wrote The Wild Wisdom of Weeds."--Markus Rothkranz, author of Free Food and Medicine"Katrina Blair’s great celebration of thirteen wild weedy plants that have followed human civilizations is a lively and passionate argument to change our attitude to weeds, to admire their resilience and high nutritional value, and to embrace them as a valuable resource – at the same time improving our mental and physical health by becoming closer to the natural world. A fun and enjoyable read.”--Martin Crawford, author of Creating a Forest Garden

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Book SynopsisAn exciting journey through history, this beautifully illustrated new edition tells the stories of fifty plants that have been key to the development of the western world.

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Book SynopsisCovering 20 species recognized since 2002, this edition illustrates 462 known mammal species in the United States and Canada - each in beautiful color and accurate detail. With distribution maps, updated common and scientific names, and track and scat illustrations, this volume is useful for identifying North American mammals.Trade ReviewPraise for the first edition: "Will be welcomed by amateur naturalists and field biologists."--Science Praise for the first edition: "Makes all other field guides for mammals of the United States (exclusive of Hawaii) and Canada obsolete."--Jerry R. Choate, Journal of Mammalogy Praise for the first edition: "Sets new standards in field guides. A must for any biological traveller to the US or Canada, as well as for residents."--Adrian Barnett, New Scientist "Probably the easiest to use of the field guides to the mammals of North America."--Ian Palsen, Birdbooker Report "When it comes to field guides, Princeton University Press has long held a position of honor and respect among both professional and amateur naturalists for consistently providing exceptional levels of accuracy and attention to detail. With its new and updated illustrations, revised identification information, and the addition of twenty recently recognized species to its contents, the new second edition of Mammals of North America by Roland Kays and Don Wilson more than upholds this well-earned reputation."--John Riutta, The Well-read Naturalist "This is an excellent, handy field guide in the Princeton Field Guides series."--Robert Hoopes, Wildlife Activist "This is a perfect guide for naturalists of all ages and skill levels... [A] wonderfully compact and easy to use field guide."--Birdfreak.com "This is a truly indispensable guide for the experienced mammal watcher as well as a real treat to the novice... With 112 color plates covering 462 species of North American mammals, the guide is up-to-date, accurate, handsome and handy. If you only have one reference to your local furry friends, be sure this one is on your book shelf."--Cathy Taibbi, Wildlife Conservation Examiner, Examiner.com "Many people with a 'nose for nature' want to identify whatever they see and certainly for North America this would be the book to have in your pocket... This book is aimed at both professional mammalogists and amateur naturalists and would be great for travellers."--Helen Ashton, Reference ReviewsTable of ContentsAcknowledgments 6 Introduction 7 Species Included 8 What Is a Species? 8 What Information Is Included? 8 What Information Is Not Included? 10 Further Reading 10 Recommended Internet Resources 10 Using This Book to Identify a Mammal 11 Quick Mammal ID Chart 12 How Are Mammals Related? 16 Mammal Measurements and Anatomy 17 Species Plates 18 Glossary 240 Index 242

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Book SynopsisAn introduction to France for anyone visiting with birds in mind, from casual birdwatchers checking a bird that flies over the terrace during a family holiday to addict birders who would sell their souls for a dream species or a record-breaking checklist. Some may have just a few spare hours to get their binoculars out between business meetings or museum visits, others will be out in the field for two weeks or more, from sunrise to sunset. The authors wrote this book for all bird lovers, birdwatchers and birders, whatever the duration of their stay, the number of kilometres they are prepared to travel and how they enjoy birds. With over 400 regularly occurring species, of which 357 normally breed or winter, France has one of the most diverse avifaunas of the whole of Europe, spanning an incredible range from colourful Mediterranean flagship species such as roller, bee-eater or black-winged kite to secretive cold-climate or mountain specialists like three-toed woodpecker and Tengmalm’s owl. The Birdfinder section provides targeted details for 30 species which often rank in the top wish-list of birders visiting France. Dividing the country into 14 regions, the authors highlight 312 representative sites, chosen for their bird species composition and ease of access. The selected sites enable the reader to see the widest possible species diversity and largest range of local specialities in a reasonable time, while respecting the basic ethical rules obvious to all birdwatchers. Whenever possible, sites are arranged in clusters or itineraries that can be covered in two to three days without hurrying. To supplement the use of the book in the field, all the sites described are geolocated in a file that can be downloaded from the publisher’s website and loaded onto any GPS device.Trade ReviewRarely it is possible to find a naturalistic guide with this abundance of information on the roads to drive or to walk and the bird species that may be observed. The novelty of this book is that all the sites are geolocated in a file that can be downloaded from the publisher’s website and loaded onto any GPS device. … Everybody who has planned a naturalistic trip to France must place in the luggage this book! -- Bruno Massa * Avocetta *Extremely well documented, detailed and illustrated, this new guide, created by three well-known French ornithologists, covers all the sites of France interesting to one degree or another for the birds. -- Jean Marc Thiollay * Ornithos *A great solution is to download a GPS file from the publisher's website, which makes it easier to navigate to destinations. The GPS file opens in Google Earth and Google Maps; Maps.me, recommended by the authors, is a great application for accessing and editing on your smartphone. -- Matti Sillanpaa * Linnut *I would highly recommend Where to Watch Birds in France as a well thought out book that collates and easily directs you to interesting bird spots that you might not have found outside of local guides or websites. The authors and contributors have definitely written something that they would want to use themselves and this certainly feels like a guide designed by bird watchers for bird watchers! -- Katharine Bowgen * British Trust for Ornithology *This new guide to birdwatching in France .... wins with its modern layout and sophisticated combination of printing and electronic information. 312 of the best observation areas are presented in 466 clearly arranged maps, on which the most important places are marked as "waypoints". These can be downloaded from the internet to a GPS device. .... The references to specific observation sites are very precise. * Ornis *All you could want in a birdfinding guide, with lots of maps and just the right level of detail, all in a very compact package. -- Grant McCreary * The Birder's Library *A must have for those birding France. -- Ian Paulsen * Birdbooker Report *There is no doubt that a huge effort has gone into this book, which can now be considered the definitive resource for the country’s travelling or visiting birders. * Fatbirder *An ideal tool for any trip to France, whether for the specific aim of birdwatching or for some other purpose that allows a quick escape. -- José Luis Copete * Ardeola *A monumental step in making more of this country’s bird life accessible to visitors… The amount of detailed information for each site is a marvel… A major contribution to the bird-finding literature for western Europe. -- Rick Wright * American Birding Association *Table of ContentsSymbol chart Foreword Preface Acknowledgements Introduction Regions at a glance Practical information Birdwatching in France Region 1 – Paris and the Seine Reservoirs Region 2 – From the North Sea to the Somme Bay and the western Ardennes Region 3 – Normandy Region 4 – Brittany Region 5 – The Loire Valley Region 6 – Poitou-Charentes and the Vendée Region 7 – Aquitaine Region 8 – The Pyrenees Region 9 – Western Mediterranean Coast and the Cévennes Region 10 – Eastern Mediterranean Coast, Southern Alps and Corsica Region 11 – Jura and the Alps Region 12 – Massif Central Region 13 – Burgundy Region 14 – Northeast Birdfinder Checklist Site index

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Book SynopsisWhen and where did the ancestors of modern birds evolve? What enabled them to survive the meteoric impact that wiped out the dinosaurs? How did these early birds spread across the globe and give rise to the 10,600-plus species we recognise today ― from the largest ratites to the smallest hummingbirds? Based on the latest scientific discoveries and enriched by personal observations, The Ascent of Birds sets out to answer these fundamental questions. The Ascent of Birds is divided into self-contained chapters, or stories, that collectively encompass the evolution of modern birds from their origins in Gondwana, over 100 million years ago, to the present day. The stories are arranged in chronological order, from tinamous to tanagers, and describe the many dispersal and speciation events that underpin the world's 10,600-plus species. Although each chapter is spearheaded by a named bird and focuses on a specific evolutionary mechanism, the narrative will often explore the relevance of such events and processes to evolution in general. The book starts with The Tinamou’s Story, which explains the presence of flightless birds in South America, Africa, and Australasia, and dispels the cherished role of continental drift as an explanation for their biogeography. It also introduces the concept of neoteny, an evolutionary trick that enabled dinosaurs to become birds and humans to conquer the planet. The Vegavis's Story explores the evidence for a Cretaceous origin of modern birds and why they were able to survive the asteroid collision that saw the demise not only of dinosaurs but of up to three-quarters of all species. The Duck's Story switches to sex: why have so few species retained the ancestral copulatory organ? Or, put another way, why do most birds exhibit the paradoxical phenomenon of penis loss, despite all species requiring internal fertilisation? The Hoatzin's Story reveals unexpected oceanic rafting from Africa to South America: a stranger-than-fiction means of dispersal that is now thought to account for the presence of other South American vertebrates, including geckos and monkeys. The latest theories underpinning speciation are also explored. The Manakin’s Story, for example, reveals how South America’s extraordinarily rich avifauna has been shaped by past geological, oceanographic and climatic changes, while The Storm-Petrel’s Story examines how species can evolve from an ancestral population despite inhabiting the same geographical area. The thorny issue of what constitutes a species is discussed in The Albatross's Story, while The Penguin’s Story explores the effects of environment on phenotype ― in the case of the Emperor penguin, the harshest on the planet. Recent genomic advances have given scientists novel approaches to explore the distant past and have revealed many unexpected journeys, including the unique overland dispersal of an early suboscine from Asia to South America (The Sapayoa’s Story) and the blackbird's ancestral sweepstake dispersals across the Atlantic (The Thrush’s Story). Additional vignettes update more familiar concepts that encourage speciation: sexual selection (The Bird-of-Paradise's Story); extended phenotypes (The Bowerbird's Story); hybridisation (The Sparrow's Story); and 'great speciators' (The White-eye's Story). Finally, the book explores the raft of recent publications that help explain the evolution of cognitive skills (The Crow's Story); plumage colouration (The Starling's Story); and birdsong (The Finch's Story)Trade ReviewWe expect to find well‐read copies of this book in libraries near famous birding locations across the globe, from Pipeline Road to Kinabalu National Park. * Journal of Field Ornithology *The Ascent of Birds is a fascinating story of bird history, a collection of exciting and readable essays on the development of different bird types from ancient times to the present and the future. -- Pertti Koskimies * Linnut *While this book is a little daunting at first, covering as it does the entire evolutionary history of birds, the author does an excellent job of breaking the latest science down into understandable chunks, and I highly recommend it as an excellent synthesis of this amazing field of research. You won’t look at birds the same again. -- Cyndi M. Smith * Canadian Field Naturalist *Birds draw you in with flashy characteristics – dazzling colors, melodious songs, the power of flight. By the time you start to get inured to these you discover there is so much more. What’s the deal with all their diversity? Where did they come from? And just how in the world did we ever get such creatures as the birds-of-paradise? But such answers have not always been easy to come by, unless you happened to be an evolutionary biologist. That is, until John Reilly’s The Ascent of Birds: How Modern Science Is Revealing Their Story. You would be forgiven for prejudging a book dealing with “the evolution of modern birds from their origins in Gondwana, over 100 million years ago, to the present day” would be a slog to read. But nothing could be further from the truth. The key is the final word in this book’s subtitle: story. This isn’t a textbook, it’s the story of birds. -- Grant McCreary * The Birder's Library *....we finally have a good volume presenting the vast amount of modern work done on bird evolution to those interested. This is a notable achievement and has been well executed. -- Darren Naish * Tetrapod Zoology *A readable overview of avian evolution. -- Ian Paulsen * Birdbooker *I highly recommend it to more experienced birders and to all interested in birds and avian evolution as an entertaining and instructive resource. -- Clifford Frith * Australian Field Ornithology *...one of those publications that makes you realise how much you didn't know you didn't know. It is also tremendous fun to read, and would be a valuable addition to any keen birder's library. -- Martin Collinson * British Birds *I don’t normally start reading a book and post a review before I’ve finished (or in the case of a few abandoned) reading it. I’m making an exception for this as it's not just an important contribution to ornithology it really is a shining example of how a technical subject can be presented in an easily digestible way to the lay readership. This is very well written and makes the evolutionary process in birds easy to understand and compelling. The author’s own passions get shared and you quickly go along for the ride and lap up the facts presented to you. This one’s a keeper! -- FatbirderEvery once in a while you stumble on a new natural history book that seems destined to be a classic. Is that a bold enough opening to convey how much I enjoyed The Ascent of Birds by John Reilly, new this spring from Pelagic Publishing? -- Carrie Laben * http://www.10000birds.com *...this ranks among the best popular science books and provides a great guide to our current understanding of where, and how, birds evolved. -- Rob Robinson * BTO News *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Illustrations Timeline - Geological Ages - Prologue: Evolution of an Idea PART ONE: NON-PASSERINES 1. The Tinamou's Story: Death of a Paradigm 2. The Vegavis's Story: The Cradle of Modern Birds 3. The Waterfowl's Story: Refugia, High Living, and Sex 4. The Hoatzin's Story: An Improbable Voyage 5. The Penguin's Story: Phenotype and Environment 6. The Storm Petrel's Story: Sympatry versus Allopatry 7. The Albatross's Story: The Species Problem 8. The Godwit's Story:Quantum Compasses 9. The Buzzard's Story: Accidental Speciation 10. The Owl's Story: Nightlife 11. The Oilbird's Story: Evolutionary Distinctiveness 12. The Hummingbird's Story: A Route of Evanescence 13. The Parrot's Story: Vicariance and Dispersal PART TWO: PASSERINES 14. The New Zealand Wren's Story: A Novel Foot 15. The Manakin's Story: Why so many Suboscines? 16. The Sapayoa's Story: Odd One Out 17. The Scrubbird's Story: Where Song Began 18. The Bowerbird's Story: Extended Phenotypes 19. The Crows' Story: Cognitive Skills 20. The Bird of Paradise's Story: Sexual Selection 21. The Starling's Story: Structural Colours 22. The Thrush's Story: Sweepstake Dispersals 23. The Sparrow's Story: Hybridisation and Speciation 24. The Zebra Finch's Story: Evolution of Birdsong 25. The Crossbill's Story: Adaptive Radiation and Coevolution 26. The White-eye's Story: Supertramps and Great Speciators 27. The Tanager's Story: A Final Flourish Postscript: The Sixth Extinction Appendix 1: Glossary Dramatis Personae Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis photographic identification guide to the 280 butterfly species most commonly seen in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand is perfect for resident and visitor alike. High-quality photographs from the area's top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers geography and climate, vegetation, habitats, behaviour, opportunities for naturalists and the main sites for viewing the listed species. Also included is a classification of butterflies found in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, from their superfamilies down to the level of genera to give an understanding of the relationships of butterflies

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Book SynopsisFollowing the success of our two Pusheen-branded mini kits, this adorable Pusheen Postcard Book will delight the brand's huge fanbase, which has shown a nearly insatiable hunger for new product featuring the Internet's favorite cartoon cat.

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Book SynopsisFollowing on from her hugely popular books, My Good Life in France and My Four Seasons in France, ex-pat Janine Marsh shares more heart-warming and entertaining stories of her new life in rural France.Since giving up their city jobs in London and moving to rural France over ten years ago, Janine and husband Mark have renovated their dream home and built a new life for themselves, adjusting to the delights and the peculiarities of life in a small French village.Including much-loved village characters such as Mr and Mrs Pepperpot, Jean-Claude, Claudette and the infamous Bread Man, in Toujours la France! Janine also introduces readers to some new faces and funny stories, as she and Mark continue their lives in this special part of northern France. With fantastic food, birthday parties, rural traditions old and new – Jean-Claude introduces snail racing to the village – and trouble with uninvited animals, there is never a quiet moment in the Seven Valleys.

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Book SynopsisA lively and endlessly fascinating deep-dive into nature and the many groundbreaking human inventions inspired by the wild. "Delightful."—The Guardian "Fans of Helen Scales won't want to miss this."—Publishers Weekly STARRED Review When astronomers wanted a telescope that could capture X-rays from celestial bodies, they looked to the lobster. When doctors wanted a medication that could stabilize Type II diabetic patients, they found their muse in a lizard. When scientists wanted to drastically reduce emissions in cement manufacturing, they observed how corals construct their skeletons in the sea. This is biomimicry in action: taking inspiration from nature to tackle human challenges. In Nature’s Wild Ideas, Kristy Hamilton goes behind the scenes of some of our most unexpected innovations. She traverses frozen waterfalls, treks through cloudy forests, discovers nests in the Mojave desert, scours intertidal zones and takes us to the deepest oceans and near volcanoes to introduce us to the animals and plants that have inspired everything from cargo routing systems to non-toxic glues, and the men and women who followed that first spark of “I wonder” all the way to its conclusion, sometimes against all odds. While the joy of scientific discovery is front and center, Nature’s Wild Ideas is also a love letter to nature—complete with a deep message of conservation: If we are to continue learning from the creatures around us, we must protect their untamed homelands.Trade Review"Hamilton is an intrepid story gatherer. . .This may be Hamilton's first book, but she writes like a well-informed veteran."—Winnipeg Free Press"Delightful... It takes a skilled journalist like Hamilton to bring highly technical vignettes of scientific innovation to life with such warmth and wit."—The Guardian “An impressive look at the myriad human innovations that have been derived from animals and plants. … Fans of Helen Scales won’t want to miss this.”—Publishers Weekly STARRED review "This extraordinary book tells the story of tens of the ways in which scientists are working to learn from nature to solve humanity's grand challenges.The book is exceptional; there is nothing quite like it. One is left eager to look for other, new solutions, of which there will be many given that there are millions (and some argue trillions) of species on Earth and that we have so far learned the lessons from just a few." —Rob Dunn, author of A Natural History of the Future and Never Home Alone "Kristy Hamilton’s Nature’s Wild Ideas is replete with beautifully crafted sentences and with genuinely insightful observations that inspire readers to stop, take a breath—and think. Very few people can write on this level.” —Wendy Williams, author of The Language of Butterflies and the New York Times bestseller The Horse “As an engineer and educator teaching a core competency course called "Bioinspiration" at a liberal arts college, I highly recommend this book as a must-read for everyone including my students to learn from the brilliance of nature's problem-solving skills and cherish it as an unlimited source of inspiration now and forever.”—Rafael (Yong-Ak) Song, Program Head, Bioengineering, New York University Abu Dhabi "Witty and delectable, Kristy’s writing takes complex issues and boils them down into bite-sized, digestible portions. Her writing takes us on a journey around the planet (and beyond!) as we explore our own evolutionary histories, and the many species whose lineage continue to influence humanity’s greatest technological innovations. From the Rocky Mountains in Montana to the mussel-laden waters of Washington State, Nature’s Wild Ideas enriches and engages our senses to make us, the reader, feel as if we are a fly on the wall of Kristy’s extensive research and reporting."—Madison Dapcevich, Science Journalist and Staff Writer for Snopes "A truly remarkable debut. Hamilton's masterfully crafted anthology—a paean to nature's ingenuity and to the scientists who study it—is that rarest of literary gems: a book that's as exhilarating as it is humbling. These stories are a kaleidoscopic joy to behold, the sort you will dwell on long after you put this book down."—Dr. Robin George Andrews, Volcanologist, award-winning science journalist and author of Super Volcanoes I simply loved this collection of stories describing the incredible advancements in technology, medicine, and engineering that humans have made by closely observing the intricacies and brilliance of natural design. Kristy’s writing style is delightfully engaging and instilled with curiosity and a sense of wonder. Like a detective, she unravels the major milestones of each story taking the reader through the often painstaking and circuitous processes, and ultimate thrill, of scientific discovery. I highly recommend Nature’s Wild Ideas, it will make you look at the natural world around you in a completely different light!—Kim Bernard, Associate Professor at Oregon State University "Looking for ideas? Look around you in Nature! Hamilton's book is fresh and easy to read, guiding readers on a journey of some of humanity’s great discoveries that were inspired by Nature. Unique and empowering—this book invites anyone with a curious mind to have a closer look at how natural systems have evolved to solve problems."—Dr. Dimitri Deheyn, Research Scientist of Marine Biology at UC San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography “Nature's Wild Ideas is a whimsical look into the biology that has inspired some of our most ingenious inventions, and a call to action to rebuild a better world.”—Gina Rae La Cerva, author of Feasting Wild "In Nature's Wild Ideas, Kristy Hamilton delivers a multi-course feast of biomimicry delights. Dip into a single chapter and the exquisite blend of invention, ecology, history, multi-species wonders and inspiration is so rich and satisfying, you will read on, long past the moment you thought you would be satiated."—Elin Kelsey, PhD. author of Hope Matters: Why Changing the Way We Think is Critical to Solving the Environmental Crisis "It's rare to find literature that you would want to share with your seven-year-old as well as your work colleagues and friends! Hamilton's work is engaging from the first word; masterfully connecting ecology, history, social sciences and many other disciplines into a thoughtful, engaging learning opportunity. Makes learning from nature feel like the ultimate innovators manual!" —Shirley-Ann Augustin-Behravesh, a Senior Global Futures Scientist at Arizona State University"Delightful... It takes a skilled journalist like Hamilton to bring highly technical vignettes of scientific innovation to life with such warmth and wit."—The Guardian

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Book SynopsisAbout seventy-one per cent of the Earth’s surface is water, and even on dry land we remain closely connected to aquatic life. It provides us with oxygen, food, medicine and materials. Wild waterlife infiltrates our lives in many surprising ways. Every other breath we take is filled with oxygen provided by ocean-dwelling microscopic plants. A type of seaweed provides a means to directly test whether people are infected with viruses, including Covid-19. Robotics design takes inspiration from a pike’s ability to accelerate with greater g-force than a Porsche.Wild Waters by Susanne Masters is a celebration of the breadth of wildlife that can be found in and around our varied waterways, from oceans and rivers to rock pools and ponds. Armchair explorers can read a fascinating account of how aquatic plants and animals enrich human life. Swimmers, paddleboarders, dog walkers, families and anyone with a passion for the great outdoors can learn about local wildlife, including when and where to look for different species without causing any harm.With stunning illustrations by Alice Goodridge, Wild Waters provides a tantalising insight into the world beneath the surface.Trade Review‘A deep dive into the aquatic world, Wild Waters is a fascinating guide to where we swim and the wildlife we might encounter there. Part field guide, part natural and human history of our waterways, Wild Waters is engagingly written with a scientist’s eye for detail by Susanne Masters and beautifully illustrated by Alice Goodridge. Full of fascinating facts as well as elegant prose and drawings, Masters shares her knowledge about the wildlife we swim with and the places that we swim in to help you have a deeper connection with the water on your next wild swim. A magical book.’– Jonathan Cowie, editor of Outdoor Swimmer‘Susanne Masters writes for those who love the water and land alike. She paints with words for readers, in the way that the movie My Octopus Teacher brought to life a dynamic and interconnected underwater world for viewers. Her writing combines science, stories, history and delectable moments of watery delight. She will take you on a historical journey with intriguing facts then let you rise to the surface to look at a tiny plant or large animal. When you come up for air, she has shown you how it is all connected. Masters presents, with straightforward words and a nuanced grace, tactical advice for how to interact with organisms in a world different from our own. She takes the reader into watery worlds where one may never get to go, but upon finishing that chapter, will feel like you have been. Reading her work connects you to the water/land interface of ecosystems and the dynamics of water itself through ways of looking at a world that you usually need to get wet to see. Those who engage in water sports, swimming and or diving will all get to go deeper into what they experience. And for those who are simply curious, they will be drawn in as soon as they start to read the first lines of Susanne Masters’ both lyrical and factual way of using words, mingling them together to create an illuminating, thought-provoking and fun experience.’– Dr Maria Fadiman, Professor of Geography at Florida Atlantic University and National Geographic Explorer'In Wild Waters, Masters takes readers on a vividly depicted journey to the British Isles' most treasured aquatic habitats. Gorgeously illustrated and packed with fascinating details about the wild creatures that live in or near the water, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys spending time in nature or is drawn to the water!'– Dr Cassandra Quave, Emory University Herbarium Curator and author of The Plant Hunter: A Scientist's Quest for Nature's Next Medicines

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Book SynopsisAs seen in The New York Times, People, SLATE, Psychology Today"[A] must-have guide to improving your dog''s life."—Modern Dog MagazineWhether you are training a new puppy, considering adopting a dog, researching dog breeds, or simply curious about your own dog''s happiness and behavior, Wag has all the answers-and then some. Respected dog trainer and social psychologist, Zazie Todd, demystifies the inner life of canines and shares recommendations from leading veterinarians, researchers, and trainers to help you cultivate a rewarding and respectful relationship with your dog-which offers many benefits for you, your family, and your four-legged friend.Inside this engaging, practical book, readers will find: A Check List for a Happy Dog Enrichment exercises How to socialize and train a new puppy How to reduce fear and anxiety in dogs Tips for visiting the vet Inf

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Book SynopsisThis is a concise and comprehensive guide to the popular subject of wildlife photography. It covers scouting locations, timing of trips relative to the seasons and assembling a kit of equipment. It contains an essential guide to lighting, composition and how best to photographs groups of animals. Wildlife is one of the most challenging and popular subjects for photographers. With strong emphasis on the ethics and legalities of animal welfare, the protection of the environment and the responsibilities of the photographer, Richard Garvey-Williams' concise, comprehensive yet accessible text covers the practical techniques of photography and how they relate to capturing stunning images of quarry that is invariably erratic, often endangered, and typically shy and elusive.

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Book SynopsisMorocco’s proximity and the variety of its habitats and bird species make it a favoured destination for birders. It is home to rare and endangered species such as Bald Ibis, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Tawny Eagle, Eleonora’s Falcon and African Marsh Owl. 454 species have been recorded, of which 209 breed in the country. As this statistic implies, millions of West European migrants pass seasonally through Morocco. Several wetlands spread along the Atlantic coast are famous for their migrant and wintering waders and gulls. The Atlas ranges are notable for their avifauna and desert species, including larks, wheatears and sandgrouses are found in the Saharan rim. This authoritative book describes over 50 birdwatching sites across Morocco. This book is not a field guide to species, rather it is a guide to the sites of key ornithological importance in Morocco. It contains information and detailed maps to enable you to plan a visit and provide guidance when you are on your trip. In addition, the book provides an overview of travel in Morocco, information about climate and habitats, when to go, and a full checklist of species. This book is a reprint of The Prion Birdwatchers’ Guide to Morocco (2nd Edition, 2003, ISBN: 1871104092).

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Book SynopsisDiscover the natural world of southern California's coastline from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border. This spectacular pocket-sized guide to shoreline sealife is filled with color illustrations, engaging descriptions and quick identification features so you can identify that nifty creature before it crawls, slides or swims away.

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Book SynopsisFor many of us, thinking about the future conjures up images of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road: a post-apocalyptic dystopia stripped of nature. Richard Louv, author of the landmark bestseller Last Child in the Woods, urges us to change our vision of the future, suggesting that if we reconceive environmentalism and sustainability, they will evolve into a larger movement that will touch every part of society. This New Nature Movement taps into the restorative powers of the natural world to boost mental acuity and creativity; promote health and wellness; build smarter and more sustainable businesses, communities, and economies; and ultimately strengthen human bonds. Supported by groundbreaking research, anecdotal evidence, and compelling personal stories, Louv offers renewed optimism while challenging us to rethink the way we live.Richard Louv's new book, Our Wild Calling, is available now.

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Book SynopsisIn 1818, William Cattley succeeded in flowering one of the first species of the genus that would bear his name. These first cattleyas are the classic cattleyas, whose form defined the essence of tropical orchids for generations to come. In this helpful and informative book, each classic Cattleya species is described in fascinating detail.

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Book SynopsisWe've become used to thinking of plants as things for us to use: as food, tools, resources, or just as an attractive background to our own lives. But it's time to change our minds. New research shows that plants can think, plan - and may even have memories. We share our planet with beings whose potential we have only glimpsed. Featuring the writing of Robin Wall Kimmerer, Susie Orbach and Merlin Sheldrake, This Book is a Plant will be your handbook to the new reality: showing you a pathway to completely reimagine your relationship with a different kind of natural world. Delve into a world of moss and fungi: Sheila Watt-Cloutier transports us to the Arctic spring, Rowan Hisayo Buchanan discovers the pleasures of painting trees, and Rebecca Tamás puts roots down through earth and soil. This Book is a Plant is made from paper: it was once part of a tree. But it's also a seed: the first shoots of a radical new way of seeing the world around you. Featuring stunning illustrations by Eduardo Navarro, and accompanying a major 2022 Wellcome Collection exhibition, Rooted Beings.Trade ReviewAn eclectic anthology guaranteed to make the hearts of earth lovers beat faster * Metro *

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Book SynopsisOctober arrives in Moose County on the heels of a long drought, and the citizens of Pickax worry about wildfires. Their fears are realised in an unexpected manner, with a case of arson - and the shooting of a volunteer fire-watcher as he is reporting the blaze. The crime wave continues as the president of the curling club is pushed to his death down a flight of stairs, and it''s up to Qwilleran and Co. to sniff out the rat who is responsible for it all.Trade ReviewUpbeat prose and amiable characters...the cat's meow of cozies * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *'Upbeat prose and amiable characters...the cat's meow of cozies' Publishers WeeklyAnother from the series that delights so many * Gwendoline Butler, CRIME TIME *'The latest Cat Who... Mystery has the same seductive combination as usual' Huddersfield Daily Examiner'Another from the series that delights so many' Gwendoline Butler, Crime Time'A series which has more twists and turns than a tabby's tail. This whimsical offering will probably leave you wondering where your tom is tonight' South Wales Evening ArgusCAT WHO ROBBED A BANK:'The fastidious plotting is designed to appeal to more than just the cat-lover' The TimesPraise for the bestselling Cat Who... Mysteries:'Like news from Lake Woebegon, Braun's Cat Who series has charmed readers' Publishers Weekly; 'An engaging tongue-in-cheek yarn with a sting in the tail that won't just appeal to the cat-lover' Belfast Telegraph; 'Another twisting tale of the unexpected' Bolton Evening News; 'It's a Wonderful Life meets The Aristocats in this daft but endearing whodunnit' Liverpool Daily Post'Lilian Jackson Braun purveys delight from beginning to end' Los Angeles Times'Entertaining and absorbing mysteries which, in the tradition of all good whodunnits, keep you guessing right to the end' Dumfries and Galloway Standard'The entanglement is better than a Christie and the cat descriptions are terrific' Liverpool Daily Post

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Book SynopsisA guide to the natural world of the Caribbean islands. It contains 600 vivid color images featuring 451 species of plants, birds, mammals, fish, seashells, and more.Trade Review"A fun all-on-one naturalist's guide to many of the plants, animals, and sea creatures that one may encounter in the Greater and Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean region... The species accounts contains many interesting tidbits on natural history and conservation."--Jeff Wells, Birds of Aruba site "This delightful pocket guide is a must-read for anyone planning a trip to the Caribbean region."--Lisa Miller, Reference ReviewsTable of ContentsAcknowledgments 4 Introduction 4 Goal 4 Geographic Coverage 4 Species Coverage 5 Species Accounts 5 The Islands 8 Geography 8 Climate 8 Biogeography 8 Lost Faunas 10 Habitats 13 Hurricanes and Their Influence on Habitats and Wildlife 15 Folklore 16 Environmental Threats and Conservation 17 Environmental Threats 17 Conservation in Practice 26 Species Accounts Terrestrial Life 29 Plants 30 Terrestrial Mammals 92 Birds 100 Terrestrial Reptiles 196 Amphibians 212 Freshwater Fish and Shrimp 220 Terrestrial Invertebrates 222 Marine Life 229 Conserving the Marine Environment of the Caribbean and the World: A Global Imperative, by The Honorable Freundel Stuart, Q.C., M.P., Prime Minister of Barbados 230 Marine Mammals 232 Marine Reptiles 236 Marine Fish 238 Marine Plants and Invertebrates 268 Seashells (Mollusks) 280 References and Additional Reading 292 Glossary 296 Photograph, Illustration, and Text Edit Credits 297 Index 300

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Book SynopsisIntroduces the work of field scientists in Africa and explains their astonishing discoveries. This title explores the natural history and conservation status of African elephants and discusses the politics of ivory.Trade Review"A revelatory collection of photos and text on elephants... Peterson's awe and affection for the creatures is contagious." Starred Review Publishers Weekly "Revelatory text... Photographs (that) move from purely aesthetic to informative, depicting animals that are at once enigmatic, individual and iconic." Wildlife Conservation Magazine "A thing of beauty... High-quality photographs are joined with strong prose and a passion for the subject matter." Foreword "A bountiful pictorial feast for the eye." Deseret News "This gorgeous book... will convince you that the elephant is one of nature's greatest and most original works." Scientific American "Combines the extraordinary images of award-winning photographer Karl Ammann with the compelling writing of Dale Peterson." National Wildlife "A vivid portrait of elephants in the wild." ShutterbugTable of Contentsbeginnings texture colors perspectives fragments portraits behaviors associations passages Reflections on Elephants Photographer's Commentary Notes on the Photographs References Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisFrom the moment we first open our homes - and our hearts - to a new pet, we know that one day we will have to watch this beloved animal age and die. This book makes a forceful case that our pets, and the love we bear them, deserve better. It asks - and answers - the toughest questions pet owners face.Trade Review"Pierce has made an important contribution to the small body of literature dealing with aging and death in companion animals.... It should be required reading for every pet owner. Readers will identify with Pierce's feelings of ambivalence and see something of their own pets as they read about Ody's antics and challenges. Recommended." (Library Journal) "The best nature book this year (and also the best dog book) is immeasurably also the saddest.... This great little book is not a happy reading experience-but for dog people, it'll be a massively cathartic one." (Open Letters Monthly) "A book that all loving pet owners should read. Nothing will make the prospect of ending a good friend's life any easier, but at least it can help those awful decisions feel less of a stab in the dark." (New Scientist)"

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Book Synopsis‘At a time when disconnection from wildlife threatens our mental health this book offers the perfect adaptor to plug our brains back into natures’ therapeutic socket. Page by page it reconnects us to the real, wild world we live in. A must-read for any modern-day Homo sapiens.’ – Chris PackhamIn The Wild Remedy, Emma Mitchell’s deeply personal account of her interactions with nature and its healing properties, she recorded, month by month, a year of her nature finds and wildlife discoveries and the science behind how nature affects our neurochemistry to provide relief from anxiety and depression. Now, in this stunning journal, she invites you to accompany her on that road, to experience nature for yourself, record your own interactions and find healing in the natural world. Full of Emma’s exquisite artworks and photographs, this journal contains many of her own observations and reflections, along with prompts and ideas that will help to unlock your own experience of nature. It shows how reconnecting with the natural world around us can be a powerful tool – as medicinal as any talking therapy or pharmaceutical.This unique nature journal includes activities, drawing prompts, contemplative quotes and lots of space for you to write about your inner thoughts, feelings and experiences.Trade ReviewEmma’s words are profound, her photography is inspiring and her illustrations are exquisite. This book is the literary equivalent of Prozac. -- Emma FreudThis is a beautiful, beautiful book, and I can’t recommend it enough. -- Sue PerkinsAn absolute joy. -- Joanna Cannon, author of The Trouble with Goats and SheepEmma’s writing is precise, gorgeous and inspiring. -- Amy Liptrot, author of The Outrun

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Book SynopsisIn Qwill''s opinion, ''A town without a bookstore is like a chicken with one leg,'' and since the late Eddington Smith''s bookstore burned down, the town of Pickax has been somewhat off balance. To the rescue comes the Klingenschoen Foundation, manager of Qwill''s estate, which considers a new bookstore a worthy investment. Delighted by their good fortune, the people of Moose County prepare to celebrate the gala groundbreaking of the new store on the site of the old. But no one is prepared for the discovery of the body of a man shot execution-style in a wooded area on the very same day. Now Qwill and his clever cats have their work cut out for them...

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Book SynopsisA magical journey. A safari in your hands.   Animals in living motion, as real as if you were there. The cheetah bounds, the lion charges. The African elephant snaps its ears. Using unique Photicular technology, Safari is the adventure of a lifetime, and a book unlike any other.   Experience it for yourself.Trade Review"Shots of cheetahs, rhinos, and gazelles spring to life as the pages turn." --Entertainment Weekly --Audubon magazine "Lenticular technology takes a big leap forward with this virtual safari." --PW magazine --Entertainment Weekly "An imaginative interpretation of the real thing." --Audubon magazine

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Book SynopsisTop ten Sunday Times BestsellerEngaging, ambitious and creative' GuardianWhere are we? Are we alone? Who are we? Why are we here? What is our future?Human Universe tackles some of the greatest questions that humans have asked to try and understand the very nature of ourselves and the Universe in which we live.Through the endless leaps of human minds, it explores the extraordinary depth of our knowledge today and where our curiosity may lead us in the future. With groundbreaking insight it reveals how time, physics and chemistry came together to create a creature that can wonder at its own existence, blessed with an unquenchable thirst to discover not just where it came from, but how it can think, where it is going and if it is alone.Accompanies the acclaimed BBC TV series.Trade ReviewPraise for Professor Brian Cox: ‘Cox’s romantic, lyrical approach to astrophysics all adds up to an experience that feels less like homework and more like having a story told to you. A really good story, too.’ Guardian ‘He bridges the gap between our childish sense of wonder and a rather more professional grasp of the scale of things.’ Independent ‘If you didn’t utter a wow watching the TV, you will while reading the book.’ The Times ‘In this book of the acclaimed BBC2 TV series, Professor Cox shows us the cosmos as we have never seen it before – a place full of the most bizarre and powerful natural phenomena.’ Sunday Express ‘Will entertain and delight … what a priceless gift that would be.’ Independent on Sunday

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Book SynopsisTrade Review[This] translation makes it easy to see why Arsenyev maintains a fan base among Russian readers: his travelogue is both romantic and closely observed, and he is an appealing narrator, courageous but more than willing to admit faults and share credit. * The New Yorker *Excellent and accessible . . . Slaght follows in Arsenyev's snowy, muddy footsteps — preserving, but also teaching others to identify and appreciate what is unique. Thus the pleasure of reading his new translation lies in the details, which are abundant but never frivolous. * LA Review of Books *A translation that, in its fluency and readability, stands comparison with English-language classics of the genre. . . . Slaght has done Arsenyev proud. The smooth translation doesn't read like one: it is seamless and colloquial while remaining entirely in tune with the style of period in which it was written. * Asian Review of Books *Arsenyev's narrative in Jonathan Slaght's fine translation should inspire us all to treasure and protect these remarkable places. * Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsForeword: The Unknown Arsenyev / Ivan YegorchevPreface to the 1921 EditionTranslator's AcknowledgementsTranslator's IntroductionPart I: The 1902 Expedition1. The Glass Valley2. Meeting Dersu3. The Boar Hunt4. The Incident at a Korean Village5. The Lower Reaches of the Lefu6. The Blizzard at Lake Khanka7. Parting Ways with DersuPart II: The 1906 Expedition8. The 1906 Expedition—Preparations and Equipment9. At the Departure Site10. Up the Ussuri11. From Chzhumtayza to the Village Zagornaya12. The Route across the Mountains to the Village of Koksharovka13. The Fudzin River Valley14. Through the Taiga15. The Great Forest16. Across the Sikhote-Alin to the Sea17. The Villages of Fudin and Permskoye18. Saint Olga Bay19. Trip to the Sydagou River20. Adventure on the Arzamasovka River21. Saint Vladimir Bay22. The Tadusha River23. Dersu Uzala24. Amba25. The Li-Fudzin26. The Path along the Noto River27. An Accursed Place28. Return to the Sea29. Up the Tyutikhe River30. The Red Deer Rut31. The Bear Hunt32. From the Mutukhe River to Seokhobe33. An Encounter with the Khunkhuz34. Fire in the Forest35. The Winter Expedition36. To the Iman37. A Dangerous River Voyage38. Plight39. From Vagunbe to Parovoza40. The Final TripAppendix I: Historical and Current Names of Landmarks and SettlementsAppendix II: Biographical InformationBibliographyIndex of Plants and AnimalsIndex

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Book SynopsisTeaches the structure and function of plants and surveys the entire plant kingdom.

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Book SynopsisDean Koontz's first ever nonfiction book, the deeply moving story of his life with his good dog TrixieDean Koontz is known for exploring the dark side of human nature in his fiction. But his softer, playful side comes out when he talks about his beloved dog, Trixie, a golden retriever.Trixie had a special place in Dean''s heart. And now, in this, his first non-fiction book, Dean opens his heart to his readers to give us memories of Trixie, of the glorious dog who changed him and changed his life.There''s everything in this memoir: adventure, mischief, emotion, and sadness too. Dean will talk with joy about the many gifts Trixie gave him and the lessons she taught and he''ll talk with sadness at losing his beloved pet.The loss of a dog is a heartbreak that''s been experienced by a great many people, and Dean''s delving into that loss is a powerful part of this book, and a cathartic experience for those of us who have loved and lost an animal companion.Trixie had a big little life and Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR DEAN KOONTZ’S NOVELS: 'Dean Koontz is not just a master of our darkest dreams, but also a literary juggler' The Times ‘Dean Koontz straddles the genres, and pretty successfully, too … Odd Thomas is certainly a page-turner – this is a read-at-a-sitting novel – with a terrific final twist’ The Observer ‘Psychologically complex, masterly and satisfying’ The New York Times 'Near Dickensian powers of description.' Los Angeles Times

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Book SynopsisA revised and expanded edition of the classic introduction to the myths and legends associated with the stars and constellations.Trade Review'In this highly readable Star Tales ... Mr Ridpath has splendidly combined astronomy with the lore of classical mythology. ' Adrian Berry, Daily Telegraph 'There is another way to look at [stars and galaxies] - as the creation of human imagination. ... To help steer us round these wonders, Ridpath has produced Star Tales. ... a pleasant amalgam of sheer fancy and historical and scientific fact. The book will help us appreciate how we reached out present awareness.' Robin McKie, Observer Sunday 'Many readers will welcome this book of tales of the constellations . ... [Ian Ridpath's] list of sources is quite impressive, but the greatest value of the book must lie in the illustrations . ... This is a book to enjoy. It is easily read and does successfully what it sets out to. Ridpath has already earned a reputation as a presenter of the celestial constellations and the real curiosities they contain. ... Now we must see him as an authority on their entertainment value too.' Rosemary Naylor, Federation of Astronomical Societies 'I thoroughly enjoyed reading this beautifully-illustrated book, and it will be a lovely reference book as well. It is meticulously researched and very well written, and I can recommend it to anyone interested in the constellations from a historical or mythological perspective' Robert Connon Smith, The Observatory, vol. 139, no.1269, pp.74-5Table of ContentsPreface Chapter One: Stars and storytellers Chapter Two: Star maps Chapter Three: The celestial eighty-eight Chapter Four: Obsolete constellations Sources and acknowledgements References Glossary of mythological characters Index

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Book SynopsisCovers all the larger mammals of Tanzania, including marine mammals and some newly discovered species. This title features plates with side-by-side photographic comparisons of species that are easily confused, as well as species checklists for every national park.Trade Review"The information is up-to-date, accurate and inclusive. Whether you plan to visit Tanzania or a neighbouring country or simply like to learn something about mammals around the world, you'll like this one."--Geoff Carpentier, North Durham Nature Newsletter "[A] fantastic field guide... The compact, dense paperback is perfect for field use... There are also very helpful sections on where/how to watch mammals in Tanzania and on national parks and protected areas. This exemplary field guide is among the best this reviewer has seen; he would not leave for Tanzania without it."--Choice "[T]his new guide is an excellent addition to the literature and a 'must buy' for both the seasoned safari-goer and the first-timer."--Mark Gillies, Audley Traveller "This book is an absolute must for a person going on a safari in Tanzania. It is better than the other mammal guides I own or have seen. It will set you up on where to look. It will help you separate similar species and it will add wonder to your trip."--Roy John, Canadian Field-Naturalist "I would ... recommend this book as a valuable addition to your field guide collection, whether you are resident in the region or a visitor."--Nigel Hunter, SwaraTable of ContentsForeword 7 Preface 8 Acknowledgements 9 Conservation in Tanzania 10 How to use this book 12 Watching mammals in Tanzania 16 Tanzania's major vegetation types 20 Overview of mammalian families included in the book 24 THE SPECIES ACCOUNTS (see the following pages for a full list of species) 25 Terrestrial mammals AARDVARK: Tubulidentata 26 ELEPHANT-SHREWS: Macroscelidea28 HYRAXES: Hyracoidea 32 ELEPHANT: Proboscidea 38 PRIMATES: Primates 40 RODENTS: Rodentia 84 HARES AND RABBITS: Lagomorpha 88 HEDGEHOGS: Erinaceomorpha 92 PANGOLINS: Pholidota 94 CARNIVORES: Carnivora 100 ODD-TOED UNGULATES: Perissodactyla 168 EVEN-TOED UNGULATES: Artiodactyla 172 Marine mammals DUGONG: Sirenia 246 CETACEANS: Cetacea 248 CARNIVORES: Carnivora 261 Species comparison spreads 262 National Parks and major protected areas of Tanzania 269 Glossary 306 Photographic credits 309 Recommended further reading and references 312 Index 317

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Book SynopsisThe Nutcracker ballet, danced by guinea pigs As the curtain rises, Clara is opening her presents under the Christmas tree. She falls in love with a present from her godfather Drosselmeyer: a wooden Nutcracker. When Clara falls asleep that night, she is swept up in a battle between the Nutcracker (who has become a handsome prince) and the terrible Mouse King. This leads to a magical trip into the realms of fantasy, a sweet-filled wonderland where the beautiful Sugarplum Fairy dances... This is the world famous ballet, as you’ve never seen it before.Trade ReviewThese guinea pigs really know how to act * The Times, on A Guinea Pig Romeo & Juliet *The Nutcracker is here to steal our hearts * Sunday Mirror *This cute retelling of the Christmas classic is sure to melt your heart * Woman & Home *The perfect pressie * My Weekly *

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