Nature and the natural world: general interest Books

Book SynopsisA guide to the beetles of the United States and Canada east of the Mississippi River. It covers 1,400 species in all 115 families east of the Mississippi River. It presents information on identification, natural history, collecting, and geographic range for each species and family.Trade ReviewHonorable Mention for the 2015 National Outdoor Book Awards, Nature Guidebooks, NOBA Foundation "If you are interested in beetles, then this is a must have."--Roberta Gibson, Wild about Ants "Few entomologists are also skilled at writing for a general audience, but Evans makes it seem effortless. He has a real gift for simplifying concepts so that they are not intimidating to an amateur naturalist yet not condescending to veteran entomologists. The introductory section is as well-illustrated as the remainder of the book, and explains many puzzling physical features of beetles... In short, this is the most compact, affordable, comprehensive, and useful beetle book to come along since I can't remember when."--Bug Eric "'Beetle-maniacs' will adore this beautifully illustrated, comprehensive volume written by the renowned entomologist Arthur Evans. Those who don't realize beetles are such a fascinating topic will be happily surprised."--Catriona Tudor Erler, New York Journal of Books "Anyone east of the Mississippi with more than a passing interest in insects will want a copy. Now."--Bill Cannon, Scientist's Bookshelf "Stunning."--Dan Tallman's Bird Blog "Beetles of Eastern North America is an excellent book that will be much loved by field naturalists and entomologists alike, especially given its very modest price."--Robert F. Foster, Canadian Field-Naturalist "This guide is detailed, easy to use and nicely illustrated. It will open your eyes to these interesting little creatures, many of which are stunningly colorful and beautiful."--R. E. H., Wildlife ActivistTable of ContentsPreface 7 Acknowledgments 8 How to Use This Book 9 Classification 9 Key to Families 9 Family Diagnoses 9 Species Accounts 9 Species Identification 10 Introduction to Beetles 11 Beetle Anatomy 11 Behavior and Natural History 19 When and Where to Find Beetles 33 Observing and Photographing Beetles 36 Beetle Conservation and the Ethics of Collecting 38 Collecting and Preserving Beetles 39 Making a Beetle Collection 45 Keeping and Rearing Beetles in Captivity 49 Taking an Active Role in Beetle Research 52 Illustrated Key to the Common Beetle Families of Eastern North America 53 Beetles of Eastern North America 59 Reticulated beetles (Cupedidae) 60 Telephone-pole beetles (Micromalthidae) 61 Minute bog beetles (Sphaeriusidae) 62 Ground, tiger, and wrinkled bark beetles (Carabidae) 63 Whirligig beetles (Gyrinidae) 94 Crawling water beetles (Haliplidae) 96 Burrowing water beetles (Noteridae) 97 Predaceous diving beetles (Dytiscidae) 99 Water scavenger beetles (Hydrophilidae) 105 Clown beetles (Histeridae) 110 Minute moss beetles (Hydraenidae) 114 Featherwing beetles (Ptiliidae) 115 Primitive carrion beetles (Agyrtidae) 117 Round fungus beetles (Leiodidae) 118 Burying and carrion beetles (Silphidae) 120 Rove beetles (Staphylinidae) 124 Stag beetles (Lucanidae) 142 Bess beetles (Passalidae) 145 Enigmatic scarab beetles (Glaresidae) 146 Hide beetles (Trogidae) 147 Earth-boring scarab beetles (Geotrupidae) 149 Sand-loving scarab beetles (Ochodaeidae) 152 Scavenger and pill scarab beetles (Hybosoridae) 153 Bumble bee scarabs (Glaphyridae) 155 Scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae) 156 Plate-thigh beetles (Eucinetidae) 178 Minute beetles (Clambidae) 179 Marsh beetles (Scirtidae) 180 Cicada parasite beetles (Rhipiceridae) 183 Metallic wood-boring or jewel beetles (Buprestidae) 184 Pill or moss beetles (Byrrhidae) 195 Riffle beetles (Elmidae) 196 Long-toed water beetles (Dryopidae) 198 Travertine beetles (Lutrochidae) 200 Minute marsh-loving beetles (Limnichidae) 201 Variegated mud-loving beetles (Heteroceridae) 202 Water penny beetles (Psephenidae) 203 Ptilodactylid beetles (Ptilodactylidae) 204 Chelonariid beetles (Chelonariidae) 206 Callirhipid beetles (Callirhipidae) 207 Artematopodid beetles (Artematopodidae) 208 Rare click beetles (Cerophytidae) 209 False click beetles (Eucnemidae) 210 Throscid beetles (Throscidae) 211 Click beetles (Elateridae) 213 Net-winged beetles (Lycidae) 229 Glowworms (Phengodidae) 233 Fireflies, lightningbugs, and glowworms (Lampyridae) 234 False soldier and false firefly beetles (Omethidae) 237 Soldier beetles (Cantharidae) 238 Tooth-neck fungus beetles (Derodontidae) 243 Wounded-tree beetles (Nosodendridae) 244 Jacobsoniid beetles (Jacobsoniidae) 245 Skin beetles (Dermestidae) 246 Endecatomid beetles (Endecatomidae) 249 Bostrichid beetles (Bostrichidae) 250 Death-watch and spider beetles (Ptinidae) 252 Ship-timber beetles (Lymexylidae) 258 Bark-gnawing beetles and cadelles (Trogossitidae) 259 Checkered beetles (Cleridae) 263 Soft-winged flower beetles (Melyridae) 271 Fruitworm beetles (Byturidae) 274 Cryptic slime mold beetles (Sphindidae) 275 False skin beetles (Biphyllidae) 276 Pleasing fungus and lizard beetles (Erotylidae) 277 Root-eating beetles (Monotomidae) 281 Silken fungus beetles (Cryptophagidae) 283 Silvanid flat bark beetles (Silvanidae) 285 Flat bark beetles (Cucujidae) 288 Parasitic flat bark beetles (Passandridae) 289 Shining flower and shining mold beetles (Phalacridae) 290 Lined flat bark beetles (Laemophloeidae) 291 Short-winged flower beetles (Kateretidae) 293 Sap beetles (Nitidulidae) 295 Cybocephalid beetles (Cybocephalidae) 304 Palmetto beetles (Smicripidae) 305 Bothriderid beetles (Bothrideridae) 305 Minute bark beetles (Cerylonidae) 307 Handsome fungus beetles (Endomychidae) 308 Lady beetles (Coccinellidae) 311 Minute hooded and fungus beetles (Corylophidae) 320 Minute brown scavenger beetles (Latridiidae) 322 Hairy fungus beetles (Mycetophagidae) 323 Archeocrypticid beetles (Archeocrypticidae) 325 Minute tree-fungus beetles (Ciidae) 326 Polypore fungus beetles (Tetratomidae) 327 False darkling beetles (Melandryidae) 329 Tumbling flower beetles (Mordellidae) 333 Ripiphorid beetles (Ripiphoridae) 338 Zopherid beetles (Zopheridae) 340 Darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae) 344 Synchroa bark beetles (Synchroidae) 359 False longhorn beetles (Stenotrachelidae) 360 False blister beetles (Oedemeridae) 362 Blister beetles (Meloidae) 365 Palm and flower beetles (Mycteridae) 369 Conifer bark beetles (Boridae) 371 Dead log beetles (Pythidae) 372 Fire-colored beetles (Pyrochroidae) 373 Narrow-waisted bark beetles (Salpingidae) 376 Antlike flower beetles (Anthicidae) 377 Ischaliid beetles (Ischaliidae) 382 Antlike leaf beetles (Aderidae) 382 False flower beetles (Scraptiidae) 384 Disteniid longhorn beetles (Disteniidae) 387 Longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) 388 Megalopodid leaf beetles (Megalopodidae) 428 Orsodacnid leaf beetles (Orsodacnidae) 429 Leaf and seed beetles (Chrysomelidae) 429 Pine flower snout beetles (Nemonychidae) 457 Fungus weevils (Anthribidae) 458 Cycad weevils (Belidae) 462 Leaf-rolling and thief weevils, and toothnose snout beetles (Attelabidae) 462 Straight-snouted and pear-shaped weevils (Brentidae) 466 Weevils, and snout, bark and ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae) 469 Appendix: Classification of the Beetles Covered in This Book 501 Glossary 523 Selected References and Resources 527 Photo and Illustration Credits 530 Index 537

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Book SynopsisMedicinal Plants of East Africa is the first photographically illustrated guide to showcase the most important healing plants of the region. The book describes 136 plant species in everyday use in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Brief descriptions of each species cover that plant’s appearance, ecology and specific medicinal uses. To aid identification, more than 600 colour photographs have been included. Also included are recipes for remedies to treat a wide range of ailments. An easy-to-understand summary of the science behind the treatments concludes each section. Supplementary features: Introduction to the medicinal virtues and active ingredients of plants; Common methods of preparing medicines from plant materials; Summary of ailments and the plants prescribed to treat them; Glossaries of medical and botanical terminology and extensive reference lists. Medicinal Plants of East Africa will appeal to ethnobotanists, health and wellness practitioners, travellers and all with an interest in the remarkable healing properties of plants. Sales Points: Easy ID with supporting colour photos; recipes for plant remedies; simplifies the science behind the natural medicines; accomplished author team.

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Book SynopsisWhy have elephantsand our preconceptions about thembeen central to so much of human thought?From prehistoric cave drawings in Europe and ancient rock art in Africa and India to burning pyres of confiscated tusks, our thoughts about elephants tell a story of human history. In Elephant Trails, Nigel Rothfels argues that, over millennia, we have made elephants into both monsters and miracles as ways to understand them but also as ways to understand ourselves.Drawing on a broad range of sources, including municipal documents, zoo records, museum collections, and encounters with people who have lived with elephants, Rothfels seeks out the origins of our contemporary ideas about an animal that has been central to so much of human thought. He explains how notions that have been associated with elephants for centuriesthat they are exceptionally wise, deeply emotional, and have a special understanding of death; that they never forget, are beloved of the gods, and Trade Review[Rothfels] captures the ache and cruelty of colonization and enslavement; it is, at times, a gruesome read but a sobering one. This book will appeal to those fascinated by the mythology and legacy of elephants, as well as animal lovers who fight for the liberation of all living creatures.—Jen Cox, Scientific AmericanTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction. Blind Men's ElephantsChapter 1. First among MonstersChapter 2. Afraid of Mice Chapter 3. A Serpent for a HandChapter 4: The Most Friendly CreatureChapter 5: A Descendant of MastodonsChapter 6: The Last of Its KindChapter 7: Trails of HistoryNotesFor Further ReadingIndex

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Book SynopsisA man-eating tiger has stalked and killed 460 villagers across northern India, spreading fear and heartbreak when Jim Corbett is asked to track and shoot it. Ten classic thrilling and moving true stalking accounts by Corbett show his love of India, its poor people and its wildlife. 4 million copies sold worldwide when previously published.

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Book SynopsisYour evening walk will never be the same once you come to know the quiet giants that line the city's streets.Trade Review"Dr. Day... A sort of Julia Child of nature." (New York Times) "This little gem fills you in on everything finned, furred, feathered, or leafed, and how to find it, in all five boroughs." (House and Garden) "Leslie Day ('a child of Manhattan') reveals hidden depths of this urban behemoth... A wonderful guide to the green side of the Big Apple." (Guardian)"Table of ContentsForeword, by Amy FreitagAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Leafy Neighborhoods of the Five Boroughs2. Tree Terminology3. Illustrated Glossary4. TreesDeciduous ConifersBald CypressDawn RedwoodDeciduous Broadleaf TreesSimple, UnlobedCallery PearNorthern CatalpaSchubert ChokecherryKwanzan CherryCrabappleDowny ServiceberryEastern RedbudAmerican ElmChinese ElmJapanese ZelkovaFlowering DogwoodGinkgo BilobaHawthornEuropean HornbeamJapanese Tree LilacKatsuraAmerican LindenLittlelead LindenSilver LindenSaucer MagnoliaPurple Leaf PlumSimple, LobedLondon PlaneHedge MapleJapanese MapleNorway MapleRed MapleRilver MapleSugar MapleSycamore MapleWhite MulberryEastern White OakEnglish OakNorthern Red OakPin OakSawtooth OakSwamp White OakWillow OakSweetgumTuliptreeCompound, PinnateTree of HeavenGreen AshWhite AshBlack LocustHoney LocustGoldenrain TreeJapanese PagodatreeKentucky PagodatreeCompound, Chestnut5. Tree PeopleTree Care TipsBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisSimply the best and most complete mushroom field guide and reference book, MUSHROOMS DEMYSTIFIED includes descriptions and keys to more than 2,000 species of mushrooms, with more than 950 photographs. Mushroom authority David Arora provides a beginner's checklist of the 70 most distinctive and common mushrooms, plus detailed chapters on terminology, classification, habitats, mushroom cookery, mushroom toxins, and the meanings of scientific mushroom names. Beginning and experienced mushroom hunters everywhere will find MUSHROOMS DEMYSTIFIED a delightful, informative, and indispensible companion.

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Book SynopsisWhen Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation was published anonymously in 1844, it sparked one of the greatest sensations of the Victorian era. The author uses the story of Vestiges to create a panoramic portrait of life in the early industrial era from the view of its readers.

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Book SynopsisUntil recently, surprisingly little has been known about the biology and behavior of tropical forest raptors, including such basic aspects as diets, breeding biology, habitat requirements, and population ecology, information critical to the development of conservation efforts. The Peregrine Fund conducted a significant eight-year-long research program on the raptor species, including owls, in Tikal National Park in Guatemala to learn more about Neotropical birds of prey. Impressive and unprecedented in scale, this pioneering research also involved the development of new methods for detecting, enumerating, and studying these magnificent but often elusive birds in their forest home. Beautifully illustrated with photographs of previously little-known species, the resulting book is the most important single source for information on the lowland tropical forest raptor species found in Central America. Neotropical Birds of Prey covers twenty specific species in depth, including theTrade Review"... a remarkableindeed exceptionalpublication; well produced certainlybut valuable above all because of the enormous contribution to our knowledge of Neotropical raptors that it represents.... To sum upthis is a most impressive volume that documents the efforts of the many people who studied this raptor community and who have greatly advanced our knowledge of Neotropical raptors. It is a fitting tribute to these magni?cent birds and the dedicated researchers involved in the Maya Project." —José Hernán Sarasola * IBIS *Neotropical Birds of Prey is a handsome tribute to an ambitious project. Not least, the book captures the dedication required to squeeze a decent set of data out of any suite of raptors—a notoriously difficult group to study—much less those of the remote, dense, and humid Tikal forest, with its heavily armed plants, aggressive insects, and venomous snakes. -- Penny Olson * BioScience *"I was not sure what to expect when I first saw the title of this bookbut it quickly became clear that it is a remarkableindeed exceptionalpublication; well produced certainlybut valuable above all because of the enormous contribution to our knowledge of Neotropical raptors that it represents.... To sum upthis is a most impressive volume that documents the efforts of the many people who studied this raptor community and who have greatly advanced our knowledge of Neotropical raptors. It is a fitting tribute to these magnificent birds and the dedicated researchers involved in the Maya Project." — Jose Hernan Sarasola * IBIS *The in-depth accounts compare favorably to those in the knowledge of tropical raptors.... The book is well referenced, and each chapter is illustrated with tables/figures. An important resource for ornithologists and tropical raptor researchers. Summing Up: Highly recommended. * Choice *The subtitle of the work may suggest that this is a book for the specialist—and no doubt this is a volume that no raptor expert will want to be without. However, as a simple admirer of birds of prey I found this book hard to put down. So much fascinating information is to be found within its pages, yet it reads like one of the classic Collins New Naturalist or Poyser editions that are familiar to British readers: Leslie Brown'sBritishBirds of Preyor Ian Newton'sThe Sparrowhawk. * Neotropical Birding *Table of ContentsForeword by J. Peter JennyAcknowledgments About the Authors1. The Maya Project David F. Whitacre and William A. Burnham2. The Maya Forest David F. Whitacre and Mark D. Schulze3. Gray-headed Kite Russell K. Thorstrom, David F. Whitacre, Juventino López, and Gregorio López4. Hook-billed Kite David F. Whitacre and Miguel A. Vásquez5. Swallow-tailed Kite Richard P. Gerhardt, Dawn M. Gerhardt, and Miguel A. Vásquez6. Double-toothed Kite Mark D. Schulze, José L. Córdova, Nathaniel E. Seavy, and David F. Whitacre7. Plumbeous Kite Nathaniel E. Seavy, Mark D. Schulze, David F. Whitacre, and Miguel A. Vásquez8. Bicolored Hawk Russell K. Thorstrom9. Crane Hawk Jason Sutter10. White Hawk Gregory S. Draheim, David F. Whitacre, Angel M. Enamorado, Oscar A. Aguirre, and Aquiles E. Hernández11. Great Black Hawk Richard P. Gerhardt, Nathaniel E. Seavy, and Ricardo A. Madrid12. Roadside Hawk Theresa Panasci13. Crested Eagle David F. Whitacre, Juventino López, and Gregorio López14. Black Hawk-eagle David F. Whitacre, Juventino López, Gregorio López, Sixto H. Funes, Craig J. Flatten, and Julio A. Madrid15. Ornate Hawk-eagle David F. Whitacre, Julio A. Madrid, Héctor D. Madrid, Rodolfo Cruz, Craig J. Flatten, and Sixto H. Funes16. Barred Forest Falcon Russell K. Thorstrom17. Collared Forest Falcon Russell K. Thorstrom18. Laughing Falcon Margaret N. Parker, Angel M. Enamorado, and Mario Lima19. Bat Falcon Margaret N. Parker and David F. Whitacre20. Orange-breasted Falcon Aaron J. Baker, David F. Whitacre, and Oscar A. Aguirre21. Mexican Wood Owl Richard P. Gerhardt and Dawn M. Gerhardt22. Black-and-white Owl Richard P. Gerhardt, Dawn M. Gerhardt, Normandy Bonilla, and Craig J. Flatten23. Ecology and Conservation of Tikal's Raptor Fauna David F. Whitacre and William A. BurnhamAppendix 1: Body Mass and Sexual Size Dimorphism Data for Maya Forest Raptor SpeciesAppendix 2: Linear Measurements and Sexual Size Dimorphism for Maya Forest Raptor SpeciesLiterature CitedIndex

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Book SynopsisWild Rescues is a fast-paced, firsthand glimpse into the exciting lives of paramedics who work with the National Park Service: a unique brand of park rangers who respond to medical and traumatic emergencies in some of the most isolated and rugged parts of America. In 2014, Kevin Grange left his job as a paramedic in Los Angeles to work in a response area with 2.2 million acres: Yellowstone National Park. Seeking a break from city life and urban EMS, he wanted to experience pure nature, fulfill his dream of working for the National Park Service, and take a crash-course in wilderness medicine. Between calls, Grange reflects upon the democratic ideal of the National Park mission, the beauty of the land, and the many threats facing it. With visitation rising, budgets shrinking, and people loving our parks to death, he realized that—along with the health of his patients—he was also fighting for the life of “America’s Best Idea.”Trade Review"There are thousands of ways to die in the Great Outdoors, but an elite group of park rangers and paramedics mind the gap. One of them has finally brought us their riveting stories of rescue in this quick and interesting book full of drama and real-life heroism." Ben Montgomery, author of Grandma Gatewood's Walk" Wild Rescues is a book you want to read, not be featured in. But if you did have the bad luck to be the subject of one of these entertaining and occasionally scary stories, you'd be eternally grateful for Kevin Grange and his fellow Rangers. A paramedic with more than a decade of experience rescuing people, Grange talks of tumbles, heart attacks, freak storms, wild animals, and suicides in the National Parks with the steady voice of one who's seen it all, and then some. Whatever the emergency, specially trained National Park Rangers respond again and again in his pages, risking their necks to save lives. Written with a deep appreciation of the Wild and the awesome beauty of our National Parks, Wild Rescues lives up to its title. Armchair travelers will thrill to the hair-raising rescues, and seasoned trekkers will be reminded of the inherent dangers of their pastime. All will be grateful that people like Grange are on the job." Jim DeFelice, bestselling author of American Sniper"Kevin Grange details nearly everything that possibly could go wrong in a national park and yet still manages to make you more excited than ever to hit the trail." Conor Knighton, New York Times bestselling author of Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park"Writing at the intersection of medicine and adventure, Grange gives us a fascinating glimpse into rescues that would scare the pants off most of us. He writes with empathy, intelligence, humor and humanity. A captivating memoir. I couldn't put it down." Kate Siber, correspondent for Outside magazine and author of National Parks of the USA"National parks bring together visitors accustomed to more controlled circumstances with heat, cold, cliffs, whitewater, wild animals, and thin air that challenges aging hearts. Anyone who suffers misfortune under these conditions can only hope that Kevin Grange is on duty. This man loves his job." Jordan Fisher Smith, author of Engineering Eden and Nature Noir"This is one helluva book. Grange somehow manages to combine the madness of life on an ambulance with the serenity and awe of America's most beautiful places. Rangers, medics, tourists, adventurers (Alex Honnold makes a brief appearance), the fauna of Yellowstoneit's all here. And you should be too. Wild Rescues is unlike anything you've read." Kevin Hazzard, author of A Thousand Naked Strangers"This book shares experiences, insights, learning from an experienced paramedic and wilderness rescue provider who tells it like it is about the challenges of patient care in remote environments, and the sometimes complex decisions that need to be made when 911 is not at your beck and call. There is honesty in the descriptions of team dynamics and the lives of those dedicated to serving others. And those who appreciate our national parks will take renewed pride at the dedication of those who care for those lands and those who visit them, the NPS rangers, who wear many hatsrescuer, resource caretaker, firefighter, visitor welcome, law enforcerall to preserve this great American idea, our national parks." Tod Schimelpfenig, author of NOLS Wilderness First AidTable of ContentsAuthor’s NotePrologue: Return of Spontaneous CirculationPart I: Yellowstone1: The Definition of Insanity2: Land of Large Carnivores3: The World’s First National Park4: Onboarding5: A Call in the Wild6: Alone on the Ambulance7: Concessionaire Craziness8: Bucket List9: Job Security10: Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health11: Be on the Lookout12: Sink or SwimPart II: Yosemite13: The Other “Y” Park14: Lug Nut Rule15: Thinking Outside the Box16: Scope of Practice17: Frequent Flyers18: Meditation at Gunpoint19: Somebody’s Worst Day20: You Can’t Make This Stuff Up21: Swiss Cheese and Silver LiningsPart III: Grand Teton22: The Wildland-Urban Interface23: Good Medicine in Bad Places24: Gone Too Soon25: My Darkest Hour26: Something for the Pain27: The Call of the SummerEpilogue: Wildfire

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Book SynopsisWhen first-time author and artist Deborah Paris stepped into Lennox Woods, an old-growth southern hardwood forest in northeast Texas, she felt a disruption that was both spatial and temporal. Walking the remnants of an old wagon trail past ancient stands of pine, white oak, elm, hickory, sweetgum, maple, hornbeam, and red oak, she felt drawn into a reverie that took her back to 'the beginning, both physically and metaphorically.'Painting the Woods: Nature, Memory and Metaphor explores the experience of landscape through the lens of art and art-making. It is a place-based meditation on nature, art, memory, and time, grounded in Paris's experiences over the course of a year in Lennox Woods. Her account unfolds through the twin arcs of the changing seasons and her creative process as a landscape painter. In the tradition of Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, narrative passages interweave with observations about the natural history of Lennox Woods, its flora and fauna, art history, the science of memory, Transcendentalist philosophy, the role of metaphor in creative work, and even loop quantum gravity theory.Each chapter explores a different aspect of the forest and a different step in the art-making process, illuminating our connection to the natural world through language, comprehension of time, and visual depictions of the landscape. The complex layers of the forest and Paris's journey through it emerge as metaphors for the larger themes of the book, just as the natural world underpins the art-making drawn from it. Like the trail that winds through Lennox Woods, memory and time intertwine to provide a path for understanding nature, art, and our relationship to both.Trade Review“Reviving the nineteenth-century American tradition of the artist-naturalist, Paris paints the woods the way Thoreau painted them in words—combining disciplined observation, imagination, and insight until the trees flowers into a truth all her own. She skillfully interweaves the history and aesthetics of landscape painting with her own direct experience of a Southern hardwood forest, offering reflections along the way about the roles that drawing, memory, and metaphor play in her art. She reminds us also of the importance of distinguishing between what we see, what we notice, and what we remember. The result is art, on the canvas and in this book, that expresses the unique intention of her own eye while also offering a beauty that is universal.”—Richard Higgins, author of Thoreau and the Language of Trees“In this marvelous fusion of art, poetry, natural history, and philosophy, Deborah Paris takes us on a journey through the mind of an artist as she transforms a beautiful old-growth forest in northeast Texas into a work of art, offering a lens into the nature of time, vision, memory, metaphor, and the creative process itself. Painting the Woods offers plenty of guidance for the aspiring artist, but this is no ‘how-to’ book—it’s a ‘why-to’ book, written for anyone who seeks to turn memory into art and art into the engine that powers deeper understanding. Written in the spirit of Thoreau, Emerson, and Ruskin, this, too, is a book of stored magic, waiting for the reader to make it their own, in whatever corner of the world they inhabit.”—Laura Dassow Walls, author, Henry David Thoreau: A Life (2017)“Thoreau wrote that we ‘cannot see anything until we are possessed with the idea of it, take it into our heads.’ It is what both artists and writers do. In Deborah Paris’ extended conversation with the ideas of Thoreau, we find a beautiful ode to nature interpreted, heartfelt and personal, and the role of the artist who has been possessed with the idea of memory and how it informs her art. It’s like floating down a river with an old friend.”—Jeffrey S. Cramer, editor of The Portable Thoreau“With a pure vision and focused interest akin to that of Thoreau, Deborah Paris has left her mark on Lennox Woods. Her depiction of those woods, both in words and in pigment, is transcendent.”—T. Allen Lawson, artist“Sure to be a classic, Deborah Paris’s book will sit on my shelf alongside Henry Thoreau, Annie Dillard, Mary Oliver, Aldo Leopold, and Peter Wohlleben. She is an artist with a poet’s voice and a naturalist’s eye, and she has something fresh and timeless to say about how one looks at the world.”—Sandra Scofield, author of Mysteries of Love and Grief and other books“Deborah Paris takes us on a marvelous, thoughtful ramble through Lennox Woods, weaving together history, memory, and metaphor. Through a seasoned artist’s eye and keen intellect she brings together past, present, and future in the lifecycle of the forest and how it mirrors our own existence. Through her medium of painting she presents the imperative of deep, sustained connection to her subject and a profound sensory delight in taking the time to slow down and see more deeply. A lovely reminder for us all.”—Joe Paquet, artist“Deborah Paris writes as well as she paints, with feeling and extraordinary insights into the process of seeing both as an artist and naturalist. Steeped in the writings of Thoreau and the history of landscape painting, Paris brilliantly describes the various ways of ‘seeing’ nature—through memory, science, and art—all to the benefit of the picture-making process. She wonderfully describes how she seeks to become a participant in nature, not simply an observer, moving towards the transcendentalist’s stance of radical subjectivity, where the perceiver and the perceived become one. ‘Pure Seeing’ is the term of art Paris uses to describe her sense of oneness with nature and the alembic out of which her work evolves to express her deepest emotions on canvas. By concentrating her focus on places she knows well and loves, places which evoke memories out of her past, she discovered she was able to combine the free associations of past and present experience with a naturalist’s knowledge and an artist’s feeling and so blaze a uniquely personal style of painting. Her admonitions to artists are inspirational: learn to notice what you notice; find what is truly compelling; practice drawing nature, not just recording it with photography. True art, the author stresses, is about ‘find [ing] the things we were meant to paint . . . Each of us must find our own country.’ Painting the Woods is an indispensable volume for painters and anyone who is interested in landscape painting, but it is more: a beautiful prose poem evoking the most essential qualities of being human—seeing with and through emotions as a path to deeper insights into oneself. Paris is not only following in the footsteps of Thoreau and her Tonalist antecedents but sharing a very personal journey that is all her own. Her evocative storytelling about losing herself in Lennox Woods near her northeast Texas home reminded me of Faulkner’s classic tale, “The Bear,” in which a young boy, while hunting season after season, learns not only about tracking and wood lore, but about the greatest and most compelling quarry of all: our shared humanity.” —David Adams Cleveland, author of A History of American Tonalism, 1880 to 1920: Crucible of American Modernism“I found myself bowled over by Deborah Paris’s Painting the Woods. Interweaving experience and memory with her keen skill at observation, she makes us fellow travelers on her journey toward under-standing and painting the woods. With great sensitivity she shares her meditations, further informing our understanding of the woods by sharing the thoughts of Thoreau, Constable, Plutarch, and many others. While Painting the Woods is an essential companion for artists, it will be equally fascinating for those who love splendid writing about nature.”—Donald Jurney, artist“It is impossible to resist the invitation to walk beside author Deborah Paris, an artist who has ‘found a home in the woods’ that is ‘refuge and prospect.’ In lyric prose, Paris describes her year of searching the woodland landscape of East Texas for the moods, metaphors, and memories that she will transform onto canvas. As she explores layered and lit paths, beside streams and into bottomlands, the artist accumulates image and sensory detail that will be unveiled in her studio. As the woodlands and weather that inspire painter and author are interdependent on intertwined root systems and seasonal shifts, so art historian, painter, and naturalist Deborah Paris’s new body of work on canvas will emerge from the confluence of memory, Pure Seeing, imagination, poetry, and Tonalist technique. To be in this artist’s company as she explores Lennox Woods, as she ‘pushed back the fog . . . to reveal what was hidden’ is to become intimate with one woman’s practice to pause, witness, identify, and record resonant moments, ‘to become both forest and human.’ Readers, whether layperson or artist, become seekers on their own journey toward wonder and its expression. What joy to navigate the paths in snow, filtered sun, and rain beside such a humble and passionate guide. I did not want the moments when ‘sight becomes insight’ to end.” —Barbara Rockman, author of Sting and Nest, winner of the New Mexico–Arizona Poetry Book Award and to cleave, winner of the National Federation of Press Women Poetry Prize; Finalist, International Book Award

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Book SynopsisPresents an opinion that we must understand the complexity and interdependency of species and habitats from the microscopic level to the gigantic. This book shows how easily observable species are part of a complicated infrastructure. It also shows that forests are far more complicated, which means simplistic policies will not save them.Trade ReviewAccurate and authentic, Trees, Truffles, and Beasts makes a major contribution to the field of natural resource management. This is a clear and compelling argument that there's much more to forests than meets the eye. -- Jim Furnish * Deputy Chief (ret.), USDA Forest Service *This book is an excellent introduction to the world of mycorrhizal fungi in forests and their importance in food webs as highlighted by truffles. This book should encourage readers to investigate further the intricate and essential interactions occurring in forests, which make them work. -- John Dighton * professor and director of Rutgers University Pinelands Field Station *"The book provides excellent coverage of the symbiosis between trees, fungi, and animals, an orverarching theme. . . . Few works take these personal views into account to give such a holistic view of the forested landscape. Highly recommended." * Choice *The authors. all keenly qualified to write on the topic, begin by discussing the importance of sustainable ecosystem policies and preserving our environment, and then point out that to be able to do that, one must understand those environmental systems. What follows is an entire college course on just how forests work. * Funghi *These authors weave together a broad array of personal observations and pertinent scientific research into a sweeping account of forest ecology and conservation. This book is an interesting and well-priced addition to the mycologist's bookshelf. * Inoculum *Trees, Truffles, and Beasts reveals a belowground world that we cannot see, and for that reason, often overlook when thinking about forests. The authors deftly link this belowground world of fungi and soil microorganisms to the aboveground world that we know. The story-telling style of writing makes the book engaging and easy to read, and at the same time, the book is packed with interesting facts. * Northwest Science *"Lucidly written and accessible to professionals and the general public alike, the authors adeptly tease out the intimate details and fascinating ecological interactions of a world hidden within the soil. I highly recommend this book for a fascinating glimpse into the wondrous web life and complex ecological relationships that sustain our natural forests." -- Alan Watson Featherstone * Trees for Life, Scotland *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 The Forest We See 2 The Unseen Forest 3 Trees, Truffles, and Beasts: Coevolution in Action 4 Of Animals and Fungi 5 The Importance of Mycophagy 6 Landscape Patterns and Fire 7 Forest Succession and Habitat Dynamics 8 Of Lifestyles and Shared Habitats 9 Lessons from the Trees, the Truffles, and the Beasts

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Book SynopsisA guide that presents the basics on raising and living with the breed of Boston Terrier. It helps you learn where and how this dog originated, what it needs, and how to determine if a Boston Terrier is the right dog for you and your family. It covers the tips required by any Boston owner, ranging from feeding and grooming to basic training.Table of ContentsIntroduction. Part I: That Bullish Terrier. Chapter 1: Welcome to Boston! Chapter 2: Tracking the Boston Terrier. Chapter 3: Committing to a Lifetime of Care. Chapter 4: A Match Made in Boston. Part II: Caring for Your Boston Terrier. Chapter 5: Preparing for Your Boston’s Homecoming. Chapter 6: Welcome Home! Chapter 7: Eating Well. Chapter 8: Looking Good. Part III: Stepping Out. Chapter 9: Housetraining for Bostons. Chapter 10: Socializing for Life. Chapter 11: Training and Behavior. Chapter 12: Taking Training to the Next Level. Chapter 13: Traveling with (Or without)Your Boston. Part IV: Health and Well-Being. Chapter 14: Your Visit to the Veterinarian. Chapter 15: Breed-Specific Ailments. Chapter 16: First Aid. Chapter 17: Caring for the Senior Dog. Part V: The Part of Tens. Chapter 18: Ten Trivia Tidbits about Bostons. Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Make Your Boston’s Day. Index.

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Book SynopsisIn a remote valley near the BC-Alaska border lives a remarkable group of grizzly bears who have never learned to fear humans. When logging threatened this valley, people from all over the world joined a battle to save the bears. In 1994, their efforts paid off with the establishment of the Khutzymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, one of the world''s most important protected wildlife areas. Dan Wakeman, a core member of the Save the Khutzymateen campaign, was one of only two guides licensed to take visitors into the heart of this ecological reserve. Photographer Wendy Shymanski, who worked with Dan for many years, amassed a folio of exquisite colour photographs of the bears in this special part of the world. In Fortress of the Grizzlies, these avid naturalists share what they have learned and seen during years of respectful interaction with this community of grizzlies.

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Book SynopsisFor twenty years Dan O’Brien struggled to make ends meet on his cattle ranch in South Dakota. But when a neighbor invited him to lend a hand at the annual buffalo roundup, O’Brien was inspired to convert his own ranch, the Broken Heart, to buffalo. Starting with thirteen calves, “short-necked, golden balls of wool,” O’Brien embarked on a journey that returned buffalo to his land for the first time in more than a century and a half.Buffalo for the Broken Heart is at once a tender account of the buffaloes’ first seasons on the ranch and an engaging lesson in wildlife ecology. Whether he’s describing the grazing pattern of the buffalo, the thrill of watching a falcon home in on its prey, or the comical spectacle of a buffalo bull wallowing in the mud, O’Brien combines a novelist’s eye for detail with a naturalist’s understanding to create an enriching, entertaining narrative.

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Book SynopsisA groundbreaking photographic field guide to almost all of Mexico's butterfly species and many of Central America's This is a revised second edition of a groundbreaking photographic field guide to the butterflies of Mexico and Central America. It covers almost all of the more than 1,700 butterfly species found in Mexico, plus many found only in CeTrade ReviewPraise for Jeffrey Glassberg's previous butterfly books: "Glassberg treats his subject as an open door. Walk through it and begin what can be a lifetime adventure."--E. O. Wilson Praise for Jeffrey Glassberg's previous butterfly books: "May do for butterflies what Peterson did for birds."--Village Voice

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Book SynopsisThis book, featuring stunning photographs by Gregory Basco, a professional Costa Rica nature photographer, provides an unparalleled glimpse into the treasures of Costa Rica's parks. Its stunning images and informative text, impart an appreciation for the richness of nature and the importance of environmental conservation.Trade Review(Starred Review) Basco's stunning photography offers a visual testament to the wisdom of the Costa Rican government in preserving natural resources.... VERDICT This inspirational volume can be used in science and environmental studies classes as well as enjoyed by general readers. The nature preserves of Costa Rica are the national park ideal which was born in the United States at its very best. * Library Journal *Table of ContentsFOREWORD BY RODRIGO GÁMEZ-LOBO INTRODUCTION GUANACASTECENTRAL PACIFICOSAARENAL AND TENORIOCENTRAL HIGHLANDSSOUTHERN HIGHLANDSSARAPIQU LOWLANDSTORTUGUEROSOUTHERN CARIBBEANCOCOS ISLANDACKNOWLEDGMENTS FURTHER READING ABOUT THE PHOTOS AND PHOTO CREDITS SPECIES INDEX ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND AUTHOR

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Book SynopsisIt's the dream scenario for many of us after a long week: having the house completely to ourselves. No partners, no parents, no kids, no pets. But as we settle into the couch, something stirs: maybe a mouse darts out from under a cupboard, or a fly buzzes lazily past the window. We're not actually alone at all. Until quite recently, no one had taken the life that lives with us very seriously: until Rob Dunn and his team decided to take a closer look. Upon investigating the terra incognita of our homes, they discovered that there are nearly 200,000 species living in our bedrooms, kitchens, living areas, bathrooms, and basements. Some of these species can kill us. Some benefit us. And some seem simply benign. But almost all of them were completely unknown--and they've been living alongside us the whole time.In Never Home Alone, biologist Rob Dunn takes us to the edge of biology's latest frontier: our own homes. Every house is a wilderness--from the Egyptian meal moths in our cupboards, to the camel crickets living in the basement, to the antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus waiting on the kitchen counter, thousands of species of insects, bacteria, fungi, and plants live literally under our noses. As we have become increasingly obsessed with cleaning and sterilizing our homes and separating our living spaces from nature, we have unwittingly cultivated an entirely new playground for evolution. Unfortunately, this means that we have created a range of new parasites, from antibiotic-resistant microbes to nearly impossible to kill cockroaches, to threaten ourselves with. At the same time, many of the more helpful organisms--such as microbes that can protect us from autoimmune diseases or promote healthy digestion, or the centipedes that can hunt down those pesky roaches--are caught in the crosshairs. If we're not careful, the "healthier" we try to make our homes, the more likely we'll be putting our own health at risk.A rich natural history and a thrilling scientific investigation, Rob Dunn's Never Home Alone shows us that if are to truly thrive in our homes, we must learn to welcome the unknown guests that have been there the whole time.

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Book SynopsisHow vermin went from being part of everyone's life to a mark of disease, filth, and lower status. For most of our time on this planet, vermin were considered humanity's common inheritance. Fleas, lice, bedbugs, and rats were universal scourges, as pervasive as hunger or cold, at home in both palaces and hovels. But with the spread of microscopic close-ups of these creatures, the beginnings of sanitary standards, and the rising belief that cleanliness equaled class, vermin began to provide a way to scratch a different itch: the need to feel superior, and to justify the exploitation of those pronounced ethnicallyand entomologicallyinferior. In Getting Under Our Skin, Lisa T. Sarasohn tells the fascinating story of how vermin came to signify the individuals and classes that society impugns and ostracizes. How did these creatures go from annoyance to social stigma? And how did people thought verminous become considered almost a species of vermin themselves? Focusing on Great Britain and Table of ContentsIntroduction: Getting Under Our Skins: Vermin in History1. "That Nauseous Venomous Insect": Bed Bugs in Early Modern Britain2. Bed Bugs Creeping Through Modern Times3. Praying Lice: Creeping into Religion, Science and Sexuality4. Lousy Societies: Infesting the Lower Classes and Foreigners5. THe Perils of Lice in the Modern World6. The Flea in Humanity's Ear7. Modern Fleas: Literal and Linguistic Weapons8. Attacking Rodents: Rats in Early Modern Times9. The Two Cultures of Rats: 1800-2020Conclusion: The Power of Vermin

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Book SynopsisThis vividly written and lavishly illustrated book challenges many cherished beliefs about the rose. It looks set to establish itself as the definitive history of the Queen of Flowers.Ever since Sappho planted roses at the shrine of Aphrodite, no flower has captured the imagination in quite the same way. Wherever it has grown, human beings have projected on to it their dreams and aspirations. Celebrated as a sacred symbol and as a token of womanhood, the rose unites Venus with the Virgin Mary, the blood of Christ with the sweat of Muhammad, the sacred and the profane, life and death, the white rose of chastity and the red rose of consummation.In The Rose, the acclaimed horticultural historian Jennifer Potter shows what, exactly, gives this most fragrant flower its potency in societies around the world. Beginning her story in the Greek and Roman empires, she travels across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas to unravel its evolution from a simple briar of the northern hemisphere to the height of cultivated perfection found in rose gardens today. Whether laying bare the flower's long association with sexuality and secret societies, questioning the Crusaders' role in bringing roses back from the Holy Land, or hunting for its elusive blooms in the gardens of the Empress Josephine at Malmaison, Jennifer Potter reveals why this flower, above all others, has provoked such fascination.Trade ReviewLavish, lushly illustrated... This ambitious book is richly kaleidoscopic without being bewildering, and Potter has succeeded in uncovering just why the rose has insinuated itself so tenaciously into the consciousness of every age and corner of the world. -- Kate Colquhoun, Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisLogically organized and richly illustrated-with more than two hundred color photographs and fifty-two maps-Turtles of the United States and Canada remains the standard for libraries, museums, nature centers, field biologists, and professional and amateur herpetologists alike.Trade ReviewAnyone interested in turtles will want this book! Birdbooker Report 2009 Any college-level natural sciences library serious about turtles must have this substantially revised, updated second edition of the classic reference: Turtles of the United States and Canada. New species names supplements color photos charts, maps, and more in an extensive, detailed reference that is a 'must' for any definitive library. Midwest Book Review 2009 The 645 pages of text, plus over 150 pages of references make it an almost limitless source of information on the chelonia of this part of the world. For such a well-presented and beautifully illustrated book, it represents excellent value for money for professional and amateur herpetologists alike. -- Christine Tilley British Chelonia Group Newsletter 2009 If I did for some reason need to limit my turtle library to a single volume this book would be the one. -- David S. Lee Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society 2009 Ernst and Lovich have outdone themselves this time. The terms 'monumental' and of 'epic proportions' certainly come to mind... Truly amazing... This book is a real gem. -- Chuck Schaffer Turtle and Tortoise Newsletter 2009 This work will be a standard reference on the shelves of libraries and other institutions with an interest in turtles. -- Helen Ashton Reference Reviews 2010 This second edition is an impressive accomplishment. Summarizing so much provides information is a daunting task and this book provides an amazing gateway into the vast body of scientific literature on North American turtles. -- David Seburn Canadian Field-Naturalist Turtles of the United States and Canada continues to be among the best taxa-specific ecological references ever compiled. It should be on the shelf of every library, serious turtle expert, herpetologist, vertebrate ecologist, or natural history buff. -- Joshua M. Kapfer Natural Areas Journal 2010Table of ContentsPrefaceAbbreviationsConservation of the Turtles of the United States and CanadaIdentification of the Turtles of the United States and CanadaCheloniidae: Marine TurtlesCaretta caretta, Loggerhead SeaturtleChelonia mydas, Green SeaturtleEretmochelys imbricata, Hawksbill SeaturtleLepidochelys kempii, Kemp's Ridley SeaturtleLepidochelys olivacea, Olive Ridley SeaturtleChelydridae: Snapping TurtlesChelydra serpentina, Snapping TurtleMacrochelys temminckii, Alligator Snapping TurtleDermochelyidae: Leatherback SeaturtlesDermochelys coriacea, Leatherback SeaturtleEmydidae: Semiaquatic Pond and Marsh TurtlesActinemys marmorata, Pacific Pond TurtleChrysemys picta, Painted TurtleClemmys guttata, Spotted TurtleDeirochelys reticularia, Chicken TurtleEmydoidea blandingii, Blanding's TurtleGlyptemys insculpta, Wood TurtleGlyptemys muhlenbergii, Bog TurtleGraptemys barbouri, Barbour's Map TurtleGraptemys caglei, Cagle's Map TurtleGraptemys ernsti, Escambia Map TurtleGraptemys flavimaculata, Yellow-blotched Map TurtleGraptemys geographica, Northern Map TurtleGraptemys gibbonsi, Pascagoula Map TurtleGraptemys nigrinoda, Black-knobbed Map TurtleGraptemys oculifera, Ringed Map TurtleGraptemys ouachitensis, Ouachita Map TurtleGraptemys pseudogeographica, False Map TurtleGraptemys pulchra, Alabama Map TurtleGraptemys versa, Texas Map TurtleMalaclemys terrapin, Diamond-backed TerrapinPseudemys alabamensis, Alabama Red-bellied CooterPseudemys concinna, River CooterPseudemys gorzugi, Rio Grande CooterPseudemys nelsoni, Florida Red-bellied CooterPseudemys peninsularis, Peninsula CooterPseudemys rubriventris, Northern Red-bellied CooterPseudemys suwanniensis, Suwannee CooterPseudemys texana, Texas River CooterTerrapene carolina, Eastern Box TurtleTerrapene ornata, Ornate Box TurtleTrachemys gaigeae, Big Bend SliderTrachemys scripta, Pond SliderKinosternidae: Mud and Musk TurtlesKinosternon arizonense, Arizona Mud TurtleKinosternon baurii, Striped Mud TurtleKinosternon flavescens, Yellow Mud TurtleKinosternon hirtipes, Rough-footed Mud TurtleKinosternon sonoriense, Sonora Mud TurtleKinosternon subrubrum, Eastern Mud TurtleSternotherus carinatus, Razor-backed Musk TurtleSternotherus depressus, Flattened Musk TurtleSternotherus minor, Loggerhead Musk TurtleSternotherus odoratus, Common Musk Turtle or StinkpotTestudinidae: TortoisesGopherus agassizii, Desert TortoiseGopherus berlandieri, Berlandier's TortoiseGopherus polyphemus, Gopher TortoiseTrionychidae: Softshell TurtlesApalone ferox, Florida SoftshellApalone mutica, Smooth SoftshellApalone spinifera, Spiny SoftshellPalea steindachneri,Wattle-necked SoftshellPelodiscus sinensis, Chinese SoftshellGlossary of Scientific NamesBibliographyIndex to Scientific and Common Names

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Book SynopsisCarolyn Highland's outdoor writing will drive readers and outdoor enthusiasts to get outside and experience all that the natural world has to offer.Out Here is a collection of essays that explores what the wilderness has to teach us about the human experience, using outdoor endeavours as extended metaphors for greater truths. Each carefully chosen piece embarks on a different physical and metaphorical journey: managing expectations and reality during a medical emergency in a 40-mile ski mountaineering race; staring down fear and consequences on exposed ski lines in Alaska; re-examining self-reliance and decision-making through heartbreak and snow science; and leaving room for unexpected magic as a female travelling through Patagonia.Highland's first book inspires a deeper connection to the wilderness, a deeper connection to ourselves, and will leave readers wanting more from this fresh new voice in mountain writing.

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Book SynopsisNow updateda highly informative guide to the joys of bunny ownership Rabbits For Dummies gives readers a well-informed look before hopping headlong into the wonderful world of raising rabbits. From choosing a rabbit and preparing its home to feeding, grooming, and training, this practical guide provides a wealth of hutch-tested tips. Packed with informative photographs and beautifully detailed illustrations, Rabbits For Dummies includes up-to-date veterinary information, explains rabbit body language, advises on treating common rabbit maladies, covers the latest on organic cuisine and homegrown feeding options, and suggests training tips for acclimating a new bunny into the household. P.S. If you think this book seems familiar, you're probably right. The Dummies team updated the cover and design to give the book a fresh feel, but the content is the same as the previous release ofRabbits For Dummies(9781119696780). The book you see here shouldn't be considered a new or updated product. But if you're in the mood to learn something new, check out some of our other books. We're always writing about new topics!Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Part 1: Bringing on the Bunny Basics 7 Chapter 1: Jumping into Rabbit Ownership 9 Chapter 2: Choosing the “Right” Rabbit 25 Chapter 3: So Many Breeds, So Little Time 41 Chapter 4: Hiding in Shelters, Holes, and Shops 55 Part 2: Taking Care of Creature Comforts 71 Chapter 5: Shacking Up with an Indoor Rabbit 73 Chapter 6: Stocking Up on Carrots 97 Chapter 7: Cleaning Behind Those Great Big Ears and More 109 Chapter 8: Making Fitness and Fresh Air Fun for Your Bunny 123 Chapter 9: Nipping Common Health Problems in the Bud 137 Chapter 10: Coping with Other Health Woes and Aging Issues 163 Part 3: Rabbit Psychology: Behavior and Training 181 Chapter 11: Thinking Like a Rabbit 183 Chapter 12: Putting Boxing Gloves on Your Rabbit: Training 195 Chapter 13: Reckoning with a Bad Bunny 203 Part 4: Enjoying Your Fun Bunny 217 Chapter 14: Playing Around Isn’t Just for Dogs 219 Chapter 15: Getting Hoppy with Your House Rabbit 227 Chapter 16: Hitting the Road with Your Rabbit 243 Part 5: The Part of Tens 257 Chapter 17: Ten Signs That Require Emergency Action 259 Chapter 18: Ten Great Rabbit Web Sites 267 Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Make Your Bunny’s Day 271 Appendix: Rabbit Resources 277 Index 285

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Book SynopsisBeat the boredom and take time out from screens with this pocket-sized book packed with facts, photos and fantastic spots for hours of fun!Kids will have fun collecting points on a visit to a castle with more than 140 things to find. From suits of armour to chamber pots, drawbridges to dungeons, they'll learn all about castles and their history along the way. And once they've scored 1000 points, super-spotters can claim their official i-SPY certificate and badge.With more than 30 i-SPY books to collect, there's something for everyone!For even more fun outdoors check out i-SPY Birds (ISBN 9780008386450).Trade Review“A fun, interactive way to encourage curious children to learn about the world around them.” – Parents In touch

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Book Synopsis*Shortlisted for the Lukas Prize Project*The tree was poached in a two-part operation. It was felled one night and taken another.Here was a murder mystery in the deep woods: who had taken the cedar, how had they done so, and - most importantly - why?__________A gripping account of the billion-dollar timber black market -- and how it intersects with environmentalism, class, and culture.In Tree Thieves, Lyndsie Bourgon takes us deep into the underbelly of the illegal timber market. As she traces three timber poaching cases, she introduces us to tree poachers, law enforcement, forensic wood specialists, the enigmatic residents of former logging communities, environmental activists, international timber cartels, and indigenous communities along the way.Old-growth trees are invaluable and irreplaceable for both humans and wildlife, and are the oldest living things on earth. But the morality of tree poaching is not as simple as we might think: stealing trees is a form of deeply rooted protest, and a side effect of environmental preservation and protection that doesn't include communities that have been uprooted or marginalized when park boundaries are drawn. As Bourgon discovers, failing to include working class and rural communities in the preservation of these awe-inducing ecosystems can lead to catastrophic results.Featuring excellent investigative reporting, fascinating characters, logging history, political analysis, and cutting-edge tree science, Tree Thieves takes readers on a thrilling journey into the intrigue, crime, and incredible complexity sheltered under the forest canopy.__________'Bourgon brilliantly shows that while following the scientific theory seems simple from a concrete jungle, for those educated under the shade of the trees it is obscure, often weaponized. Her unique insight in this book is that between the law and the science lies the chainsaw's edge.' -- London Review of BooksTrade Review'Tree Thieves is both an absorbing true-crime story and a fascinating examination of the deep and troubled relationship between people and forests. From Sherwood Forest to the California redwoods to the Peruvian Amazon, Lyndsie Bourgon illuminates the violent conflicts over power, class, and identity that continue to shape and scar the forests we depend on.' - Michelle Nijhuis, author of Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction'Tree Thieves is a deeply researched examination of the past, present, and future of our forests, told through stories of timber poaching. Lyndsie Bourgon shows us that we must take into account all the complexities of human-nature relationships if we are to have any hope of keeping our standing giants alive.' - Gina Rae La Cerva, author of Feasting Wild: In Search of the Last Untamed Food'Tracking thieves, poachers, and capitalists, Lyndsie Bourgon masterfully takes on the role of detective shining a light on the complex and camouflaged world of the timber black market. The result is a meticulous investigation and a powerful testimony to the trees silently taken and the consequences of their fall that reverberate well beyond the forest.' - Harley Rustad, Author of Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas'A fascinating blend of history and boots-in-the-mud journalism, which manages to dig into ancient and thorny questions about who really owns wild land and who is allowed to live off it. To poach of course means to steal. But is wilderness preservation also a form of theft, only on a larger scale? This book does what all great books should: it leaves your mind broader, deeper, and more nuanced.' -Robert Moor, bestselling author of On Trails: An ExplorationBourgon brilliantly shows that while following the scientific theory seems simple from a concrete jungle, for those educated under the shade of the trees it is obscure, often weaponized. Her unique insight in this book is that between the law and the science lies the chainsaw's edge. * London Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Norman Wirzba has done it again: this is—literally and figuratively—the most grounded (and grounding) book I've read in a long age. It will lead you to contemplation, and then, if you're lucky, to change." —Bill McKibben, author of The Comforting Whirlwind"With uncommon depth and breadth, Norman Wirzba’s Agrarian Spirit urges us to embrace and celebrate human and non-human creatures as co-becoming, embodied expressions of God’s creating and sustaining love. He urges us to acknowledge our self-insufficiency and our dependence on others as a gift and as a challenge to develop the nurturing relationships that can heal our world and inspire our hope." —Steve Bell, author of the Pilgrim Year book series"Norman Wirzba's agrarian spiritual exercises reposition us 'down and among' all living things, close to the God who sustains the life of every creature. Agrarian Spirit renews our desire to make a home in this world and to keep faith with the generations coming after us." —Stephanie Paulsell, co-editor of Goodness and the Literary Imagination "If 'incarnate spirituality' sounds like an oxymoron to you, let Norman Wirzba be your guide to the agrarian arts of faith. This book is the culmination of decades of thinking and writing and work, and there is no writer better equipped to articulate how an agrarian sensibility should shape our spiritual practices.” —Jeffrey Bilbro, author of Reading the Times and editor-in-chief at Front Porch Republic“Agrarian Spirit isn’t luddite, nostalgic, or angry. Rather, it’s a gentle, wise, and hopeful call forward, casting a vision for how to live as God’s people in God’s world. I loved this book, and it flooded my imagination with pictures of what the Kingdom of Heaven could be, right now, right in my neighborhood.” —Andrew Peterson, author of The God of the Garden"This is an inspiring synthesis of current ecological thought and spiritual reflection in the Christian tradition. . . . Wirzba acknowledges the difficulties in constructing this vision alongside the spotty record of ecological care in Christianity's past, yet he still finds possibilities within the tradition to create a framework that draws on religious meaning and energy to advocate a holistic, responsively ecological way of living." —Library Journal"There are multiple books on the philosophy and history of American agrarianism, but Norman Wirzba provides—for the first time—a comprehensive 'spirituality' of agrarian consciousness. . . . Wirzba’s book comes at the right moment, pointing us to the shared vulnerability—the deep interconnectedness—that is at the same time our plight and our salvation." —Current"This is an outstanding place to start for both personal and communal work in the redemption of our earthly call to live fully within God’s creation and live wholly in our creaturely selves. . . . Wirzba offers this gift to the church as a way for all of us to cast aside an ideology we may not have known we have, one that puts humans in a singular relationship with God and leaves all the rest of His good creation as merely a backdrop." —Christian Scholar's Review"I knew this would be a good book, and it is. In his typical clear style, Norman Wirzba takes complex philosophical arguments, agrarian practical insights, and solid theological teaching and mixes them together in accessible prose to encourage and challenge readers." —The Christian Century“At its heart, this book is an attempt to prompt readers to think more deeply about themselves as but one creature among many in God’s creation and to live more lovingly and gently in creation as a result. . . . Readers will find this a source of inspiration for pursuing a more bountiful way of life among God’s other creatures.” —Reading Religion"Our current economic habits reveal a vision of the world in which people and creation are disposable capital, to be caught up in the machinery of production and profit. In Agrarian Spirit, Wirzba offers a balm—a restorative perspective that undermines the values of disposability and exploitation." —Englewood Review of Books“Genuine, theologically nuanced and inviting.... Embodying the very dispositions he advocates in the book, Wirzba demonstrates in word and spirit how loving neighbour and place brings one closer to God's loving power, at work in the depths of the world.” —Scottish Theological Journal"Agrarian Spirit makes an important contribution to the church and academy alike. . . . Refreshingly, it is a work to be used as much as read." —International Journal of Systematic Theology"Lush. . . . a teeming garden of theological interlocutors, considerations, and concerns." —Studies in Christian Ethics"With the wisdom of a sage living close to Scripture and the land, and with the motivation of a philosopher analyzing the existential threat of today’s Anthropocene, Norman Wirzba launches readers on a spiritual journey to embrace their creaturehood and awaken to the grace and sanctity of life....A book study group, inside or outside the church, would find Agrarian Spirit a fascinating read that challenges common Gnostic-informed assumptions about spirituality, the Christian faith, and life. For pastors, church educators, and spiritual directors the book provides a wealth of material for developing various sermon series, Bible studies, and spiritual counseling resources that help seekers and people of faith reconnect Christian faith with ecology, economic life, and embodied spirituality.... In a world that seems to be racing towards ecological collapse even as it promises a technology-supported transhumanist future, Wirzba provides a spiritual path to honor and protect our creaturely humanity—no matter what trials and uncertainties the future holds."—Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and TheologyTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Part I – Agrarian Fundamentals 1. On Not Losing Creation 2. Why Agrarian? 3. Placing The Soul Part II – Agrarian Spiritual Exercises 4. Learning to Pray 5. Learning to See 6. Learning Descent 7. Learning Humility 8. Learning Generosity 9. Learning to Hope

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This visually striking guide honors the beautiful American landscape as it appears today."---Dave Pugl, Library Journal, starred review"[A] volume that must be savored. Turning each page is a delight for birders and nature enthusiasts alike."---Maileen Hamto, Seattle Book Review"This is a book for the naturalist, the scientist, the artist and the dreamer. It has both visual appeal and an important message for everyone. Read it, gaze at the illustrations with wonder and share it with others. Your day will be the better for having done so."---David Gascoigne, Travels with Birds"[A book] that would make a thoughtful gift for a young aspiring writer or artist." * Another Bird Blog *"A sumptuous book, packed full of art and history with a narrative that carries one along like a Mississippi Steamboat."---Bo Beolens, Fat Birder"Glorious watercolours and sketches."---Lorraine Connolly and Hadiyah Ilyas, The Countryman"[A] lovely book."---Mark Gamin, 10,000 Birds"Both fascinating and beautiful, and the mix of history and art is likely to appeal to anyone with an interest in either [nature or art]."---Stephen Menzie, British Birds

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Book SynopsisGrasses of East Africa describes 100 species of common, ecologically important or remarkable grasses found in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. Grasses comprise one of the largest plant families on Earth, but are possibly the most overlooked. Yet it is these ubiquitous and important plants that have the greatest impact on our daily lives – providing a wide range of staple foods for humans globally, a fundamental source of grazing for livestock, and food and shelter for an infinite variety of wildlife. This book includes: Clearly laid out and easy-to-use species descriptions; beautiful line and watercolour illustrations with labels highlighting notable features; full-colour photographs; a concise introduction covering the economic significance of grasses, their ecology, habitats and conservation. Grasses of East Africa will prove invaluable to students, scientists, travellers and nature lovers as it aids identification while also highlighting the functions of these important and often beautiful plants. Sales points: Accessible descriptions of 100 East African grass species; exquisite illustrations; full-colour photographs of all featured species; expert author.

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Book SynopsisIn Never Home Alone, biologist Rob Dunn takes us to the edge of biology's latest frontier: our own homes. Every house is a wilderness -- from the Egyptian meal moths in our kitchen cupboards and the yeast in a sourdough starter, to the camel crickets living in the basement, to the thousands of species of insects, bacteria, fungi, and plants live literally under our noses. Our reaction, too often, is to sterilise. As we do, we unwittingly cultivate an entirely new playground for evolution. Unfortunately, this means that we have created a range of new parasites, from antibiotic-resistant microbes to nearly impossible to kill cockroaches, to threaten ourselves with and destroyed helpful housemates. If we're not careful, the "healthier" we try to make our homes, the more likely we'll be putting our own health at risk.A rich natural history and a thrilling scientific investigation, Never Home Alone shows us that if are to truly thrive in our homes, we must learn to welcome the unknown guests that have been there the whole time.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Fast-paced, snappy and suspenseful."--Emmanuelle Smith"Financial Times" (12/18/2009) "A scrupulously researched and well-told narrative."--Miranda Weiss"American Scholar" (01/01/2010) "If you want a shot of environmental patriotism, this book is a good choice."--Sierra Club "A fascinating and very readable account of a controversial natural history issue in early nineteenth century America."--Choice (04/01/2010) "For those of us who think that science is international, Lee Alan Dukatin's Mr. Jefferson and the Giant Moose will come as a shock. In this case it was anything but. It was the French against the Americans, Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon versus Thomas Jefferson, in a dispute over the relative degree of degeneracy exhibited by the flora and fauna of the Old and New Worlds. According to Buffon, American plants and animals, including native Americans, are merely degenerate versions of European forms. Jefferson attempted to counter this Eurocentric chauvinism by displaying an American moose that was larger than any of the European ungulates--the giant moose in the title of this fascinating book."--David Hull --David Hull "This fascinating book combines a deep knowledge of biology with a love of American history to tell a story that grips like a thriller. Lee Alan Dugatkin introduces you to Thomas Jefferson and the giant moose, an animal so great and imposing that never again could the belittling naturalists of Europe assume that American natural life was inferior. Sparkling on the surface, profound beneath the waters, this is a book that will be happy reading for people of all interests and ages."--Michael Ruse, author of Darwinism and Its Discontents --Michael Ruse

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