Nature and the natural world: general interest Books

Book SynopsisNever has there been a president less content to sit still behind a desk than Theodore Roosevelt. When we picture him, he's on horseback or standing at a cliff's edge or dressed for safari. And Roosevelt was more than just an adventurer-he was also a naturalist and campaigner for conservation. His love of the outdoor world began at an early age and was driven by a need to not simply observe nature but to be actively involved in the outdoors-to be in the field. As Michael R. Canfield reveals in Theodore Roosevelt in the Field, throughout his life Roosevelt consistently took to the field as a naturalist, hunter, writer, soldier, and conservationist, and it is in the field where his passion for science and nature, his belief in the manly, strenuous life, and his drive for empire all came together. Drawing extensively on Roosevelt's field notebooks, diaries, and letters, Canfield takes readers into the field on adventures alongside Roosevelt. From Roosevelt's early childhood observations

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Book SynopsisLike nearly various areas of scholarly inquiry, the biological sciences are broken into increasingly narrow fields and subfields, their practitioners divided into ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and more. This title offers a ranging, eclectic collection of writings from more than eight centuries of observations of the natural world.

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Book SynopsisInterweaving historical anecdotes and modern-day scientific data, a definitive study of the natural history of Chicago describes the various forces that shaped the region's environment, from Ice Age glaciation to the human settlement of the Midwest, and discusses the various habitats of the region, environmental destruction,.

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Book SynopsisRobert Pack searches for meaning in a seemingly indifferent universe. He locates beauty, consolation, and even happiness in those commitments that we will into fulfillment in awareness of loss.

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Book SynopsisExplorer, scientist, writer, and humanist, Alexander von Humboldt was the most famous intellectual of the age that began with Napoleon and ended with Darwin. This title traces Humboldt's ideas for Cosmos to his 1799 journey to the Americas, where he first experienced the diversity of nature and of the world's people.Trade Review"Walls reclaims for the present a man whose personality and work had a formative influence on the cultural landscape of antebellum America and whose legacy may to good effect be used in addressing current affairs. I recommend The Passage to Cosmos as a fine piece of Humboldt scholarship, a heartfelt plea for environmental holism, and an enjoyable read." (Science)"

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Book SynopsisExplorer, scientist, writer, and humanist, Alexander von Humboldt was the most famous intellectual of the age that began with Napoleon and ended with Darwin. This title traces Humboldt's ideas for "Cosmos" to his 1799 journey to the Americas, where he first experienced the diversity of nature and of the world's people.Trade Review"Walls reclaims for the present a man whose personality and work had a formative influence on the cultural landscape of antebellum America and whose legacy may to good effect be used in addressing current affairs. I recommend The Passage to Cosmos as a fine piece of Humboldt scholarship, a heartfelt plea for environmental holism, and an enjoyable read." (Science)"

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Book SynopsisThe legacy of Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) looms large over the natural sciences. His 1799-1804 research expedition to Central and South America with botanist Aime Bonpland set the course for the great scientific surveys of the nineteenth century. This book features his influential work - and his personal favorite.

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Book SynopsisDaniel Hillel follows events in the Hebrew Bible to reveal the complex interplay between the ancient Israelites and their natural and cultural environments. More than just affecting their material existence, the diverse environmental character of the ancient Near East profoundly shaped the evolution of Jewish culture and beliefs and, ultimately, of Western civilization as a whole.Trade ReviewThis is a book to supplement and fill in details of natural history that are generally absent or neglected in standard hisotrical studies. It is well illustrated and the bibliography is extensive. The Master's Seminary Journal That environmental factors affect our daily lives is disputed by no one. But can environment, climate and topology play a part in the development of a religious community? Hillel, professor emeritus of environmental studies at the University of Massachusetts and senior research scientist at Columbia University's Center for Climate Systems Research, says yes. He comes to the subject immersed in the lore of ancient Israel, from his grandfather's instruction to his own years living in modern Israel. He sees the Jewish belief system as an amalgam of ideas emerging from an interplay of human beings with both the land and its peoples, "absorb[ing] all the cultural strands... from all the ecological domains of the ancient Near East... and assimilat[ing] them into their own culture." He divides sacred history into seven "domains," dispensations based not on some theological construct but rather on the terrain in which the Israelites lived. What emerges is a largely naturalistic explanation of Israel's beliefs and laws, with a strong emphasis on the impact of culture and environment on the evolving Jewish religion. Hillel recounts, in a richly detailed and beautifully told manner, the origins of the Hebrew Bible in a new and satisfying way. (Jan.) Publisher's Weekly Hillel recounts, in a richly detailed and beautifully told manner, the origins of the Hebrew Bible in a new and satisfying way.Publishers Weekly Publishers Weekly With all the commentaries and books on the Hebrew Scriptures that have appeared over the years, it would seem nearly impossible to write something unique and illuminating. Yet this is precisely what Hillel has done by providing an environmental and ecological analysis of the text. Library Journal Engrossing... Hillel offers new perspectives on biblical views of the environment. Wispas The results are fascinating. -- Edward Rothstein New York Times Hillel... offers us a quintessential resource for understanding the role of nature in Jewish cultural and religious movements. -- Daneil Orenstein Jerusalem Report Hillel takes a fresh and invigorating approach to biblical exegesis... A detailed ecological analysis of the Bible. -- Josie Glausiusz Forward Hillel's contribution is truly distinctive, insightful and provocative. -- Sandee Brawarsky The Jewish Week [The Natural History of the Bible] should be of equal interest to the student of ecology and the student of theology. -- Sir Ghillean Prance The Times Higher Education Supplement A highly stimulating new take on an old question, and deserves to be widely read. -- John Barton Times Literary Supplement It definitely belongs on the shelves of those interested in the development of biblical culture. -- Rabbi Rachel Essermang The Reporter Daniel Hillel's The Natural History of the Bible is a very good read and deserves a place on the shelf. -- Alon Tal Environmental History Fascinating because of its fine prose, important because of its scope. Kansas City Star An informed and readable entrance into a profound world. -- Harvey E. Goldberg The European Legacy The Natural History of the Bible is one beautiful book. -- Jeanne Kay Guelke Environmental Ethics I highly recommend this book. -- Rabbi Louis A. Rieser Church and Synagogue Libraries Daniel Hillel has done a magnificent job and contributed substantially both to Biblical scholarship and to the understanding of the ecology of the area. But he goes much deeper than simply interpreting the Bible's ecological setting. Hillel allows us to understand better the minds of those who were recording the events in Egypt, the return to Canaan, David and Solomon, and the various interpretations of Jerusalem, as well as the meaning of these events. So well presented and so informative. -- Peter H. Raven, Home Secretary of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science A refreshing, detailed and stimulating account of an important aspect of ancient Israelite development. -- Hilary Marlow Journal of Jewish Studies For anyone concerned about the origins of the Hebrew Bible... this is a fascinating book that can be highly recommended. -- Antoinette Bosco The American Catholic Hillel's rational accounts of natural phenomena in the Hebrew scriptures and his thesis about the formation of montheism will assist anyone who wishes to extend understanding of the Bible as a foundational text for Western civilization and to comprehend the relationship between faith formation and place. -- James W. Hood Friends JournalTable of ContentsAcknowledgments A Note on Translation Chronology Prologue 1. Environment and Culture 2. The Ecological Context 3. The First Riverine Domain 4. The Pastoral Domain 5. The Second Riverine Domain 6. The Desert Domain 7. The Rainfed Domain 8. The Maritime Domain 9. The Urban Domain 10. The Exile Domain 11. The Overarching Unity Epilogue Appendixes 1. On the Historical Validity of the Bible 2. Perceptions of Humanity's Role on God's Earth 3. Selected Passages Regarding the Seven Domains Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAda Smailbegović shows how twentieth- and twenty-first-century writers have intermingled scientific methodologies with poetic form to reveal unfolding processes of change. Poetics of Liveliness moves across scales to explore the realms of molecules, fibers, tissues, and clouds.Trade ReviewIn a remarkable feat of interdisciplinary scholarship, this book plumbs the depths and scans the horizons of what it means to write on, in, of, and with “life” through a poetry and poetics of experimentation. Science meets poetry meets the ongoing unknown in a redefinition of environmental poetics—bravo! -- Cary Wolfe, author of Ecological Poetics; or, Wallace Stevens’s BirdsSmailbegović addresses the entwined relations between contemporary North American poetry and developments in philosophy, art, and science. She argues that each of these fields or practices address the same kinds of complexity in the world, both enabling language to emerge from the world (whether in human or animal form) and materiality to complexify and elaborate itself chemically and evolutionarily. -- Elizabeth Grosz, author of The Incorporeal: Ontology, Ethics, and the Limits of MaterialismWriting as a poet versed in biology, physics, and meteorology, Smailbegović explains minute and slow-moving material phenomena as acutely as she does poetic nuance. Rather than unveil worlds normally imperceptible at human scale, her “edge work” tracks partial contact between actants moving past and through one another at different speeds. Offering a feminist account of the pliability or softness of matter, Poetics of Liveliness reads as an incipient, emergent organism in its own right, slowly and recursively proceeding by multiplying surfaces of responsiveness. -- Anne-Lise François, author of Open Secrets: The Literature of Uncounted ExperiencePoetics of Liveliness has two muses. One, Gertrude Stein, is named; the other, William Blake, is the “unnamed form” animating this book of wonders. Meshing handwork to brainwork, Blake’s multimedia inventions release from “the merely natural” a body of knowledge—and knowledge of bodies—that is larger, more minutely organized, and more alive than our philosophy had dreamt of. Smailbegović proves herself a member of Blake’s tribe, not just its ethnographer. Her study addresses poetry and poetics, new and old ontology, science, technology, and media studies, and ecopoetics. -- Marjorie Levinson, author of Thinking Through Poetry: Field Reports on Romantic LyricSmailbegovic’s book serves as connective tissue between a scientific treatment of literature and a deeper consideration of what it means to think with the nonhuman in all scales and on all levels of sentience. * ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment *Poetics of Liveliness is an essential read for anyone who’s interested in the connections between science and literature, and in the tremendous potential they hold for the future of critical theory and for its immediate present. * Textual Practice *[A] valuable and original contribution to interdisciplinary studies . . . it will be appealing not only to literary scholars, but also to a broader audience of philosophers, ecologists, new materialists, and possibly even to the scientific community, from entomologists to physicists. Because of its strong theoretical foundations, Poetics of Liveliness will surely act as a catalyst for future inquiries into the study of material ecologies. * H-Environment, H-Net Reviews *Poetics of Liveliness operates . . . scalarly, moves fluidly between the realms of the very small and the very large, revealing relationships between multifaceted, nonhuman material assemblages, while Smailbegović’s expertise in a variety of scientific fields buttresses the author’s ability to build the necessary information networks as she moves through the diverse levels of those relationships. * Jacket2 *For readers intrigued by the material turn (and its discontents), and no less for readers curious about what lies at the forefront of materialist-poetic experimentation today, Poetics of Liveliness should not be missed. * American Literary History *[Smailbegović's] project is to break down reified discourses of materiality by means of a poetics as lively as the nonhuman things it describes, or decorates. It is a significant, serious, yet playful account of how, in the hands of these poet-naturalists, metaphor can be used strategically to liberate readers and their reading matter alike. * Modernism/modernity *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPart I: Textures of Change Introduction: Poetic Cosmologies1. Soft Matter2. Poetry and SciencePart II: Poetic Laboratories of Matter 3. Molecules: From Code to Shape4. Fibers: Edge Textures and Nonhuman Scales of Sense5. Tissues: Histological Landscapes and the Substances of Character6. Clouds: Cloud-Writing and the Movement of QualitiesCoda: Toward a Haptic PoeticsNotesWorks CitedIndex

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Book SynopsisAda Smailbegović shows how twentieth- and twenty-first-century writers have intermingled scientific methodologies with poetic form to reveal unfolding processes of change. Poetics of Liveliness moves across scales to explore the realms of molecules, fibers, tissues, and clouds.Trade ReviewIn a remarkable feat of interdisciplinary scholarship, this book plumbs the depths and scans the horizons of what it means to write on, in, of, and with “life” through a poetry and poetics of experimentation. Science meets poetry meets the ongoing unknown in a redefinition of environmental poetics—bravo! -- Cary Wolfe, author of Ecological Poetics; or, Wallace Stevens’s BirdsSmailbegović addresses the entwined relations between contemporary North American poetry and developments in philosophy, art, and science. She argues that each of these fields or practices address the same kinds of complexity in the world, both enabling language to emerge from the world (whether in human or animal form) and materiality to complexify and elaborate itself chemically and evolutionarily. -- Elizabeth Grosz, author of The Incorporeal: Ontology, Ethics, and the Limits of MaterialismWriting as a poet versed in biology, physics, and meteorology, Smailbegović explains minute and slow-moving material phenomena as acutely as she does poetic nuance. Rather than unveil worlds normally imperceptible at human scale, her “edge work” tracks partial contact between actants moving past and through one another at different speeds. Offering a feminist account of the pliability or softness of matter, Poetics of Liveliness reads as an incipient, emergent organism in its own right, slowly and recursively proceeding by multiplying surfaces of responsiveness. -- Anne-Lise François, author of Open Secrets: The Literature of Uncounted ExperiencePoetics of Liveliness has two muses. One, Gertrude Stein, is named; the other, William Blake, is the “unnamed form” animating this book of wonders. Meshing handwork to brainwork, Blake’s multimedia inventions release from “the merely natural” a body of knowledge—and knowledge of bodies—that is larger, more minutely organized, and more alive than our philosophy had dreamt of. Smailbegović proves herself a member of Blake’s tribe, not just its ethnographer. Her study addresses poetry and poetics, new and old ontology, science, technology, and media studies, and ecopoetics. -- Marjorie Levinson, author of Thinking Through Poetry: Field Reports on Romantic LyricSmailbegovic’s book serves as connective tissue between a scientific treatment of literature and a deeper consideration of what it means to think with the nonhuman in all scales and on all levels of sentience. * ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment *Poetics of Liveliness is an essential read for anyone who’s interested in the connections between science and literature, and in the tremendous potential they hold for the future of critical theory and for its immediate present. * Textual Practice *[A] valuable and original contribution to interdisciplinary studies . . . it will be appealing not only to literary scholars, but also to a broader audience of philosophers, ecologists, new materialists, and possibly even to the scientific community, from entomologists to physicists. Because of its strong theoretical foundations, Poetics of Liveliness will surely act as a catalyst for future inquiries into the study of material ecologies. * H-Environment, H-Net Reviews *Poetics of Liveliness operates . . . scalarly, moves fluidly between the realms of the very small and the very large, revealing relationships between multifaceted, nonhuman material assemblages, while Smailbegović’s expertise in a variety of scientific fields buttresses the author’s ability to build the necessary information networks as she moves through the diverse levels of those relationships. * Jacket2 *For readers intrigued by the material turn (and its discontents), and no less for readers curious about what lies at the forefront of materialist-poetic experimentation today, Poetics of Liveliness should not be missed. * American Literary History *[Smailbegović's] project is to break down reified discourses of materiality by means of a poetics as lively as the nonhuman things it describes, or decorates. It is a significant, serious, yet playful account of how, in the hands of these poet-naturalists, metaphor can be used strategically to liberate readers and their reading matter alike. * Modernism/modernity *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPart I: Textures of Change Introduction: Poetic Cosmologies1. Soft Matter2. Poetry and SciencePart II: Poetic Laboratories of Matter 3. Molecules: From Code to Shape4. Fibers: Edge Textures and Nonhuman Scales of Sense5. Tissues: Histological Landscapes and the Substances of Character6. Clouds: Cloud-Writing and the Movement of QualitiesCoda: Toward a Haptic PoeticsNotesWorks CitedIndex

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Book SynopsisQuestioning Borders explores recent ecoliterature by Han and non-Han Indigenous writers of China and Taiwan, analyzing relations among humans, animals, ecosystems, and the cosmos in search of alternative possibilities for creativity and consciousness.Trade ReviewIn this groundbreaking book, Robin Visser explores the shifting incarnations of the border as a territorial gateway, a contact zone, a liminal terrain, and an imaginary portal. She delves into the intersection of ethnic, cultural, political—and especially ecological—dynamics that inform cartographies and cosmologies of Sinophone states. A fantastic work. -- David Der-wei Wang, author of Why Fiction Matters in Contemporary ChinaA comprehensive and illuminating comparison of Chinese and Indigenous literatures on the border ecologies of China and Taiwan. Questioning Borders sheds light on the power dynamics of China as a settler-colonialist regime in which Indigenous ecocriticism confronts the Chinese imperial geography of center and periphery, which underpins both China’s development strategies and even the most radical Chinese ecoliteratures. -- Uradyn E. Bulag, author of Collaborative Nationalism: The Politics of Friendship on China’s Mongolian FrontierThis illuminating book offers deep insights into the tensions, interactions, and reciprocity among diverse ecologies, ethnicities, humans, and nonhumans. Robin Visser’s brilliant analysis of ecoliterature by Han and Indigenous authors makes this book a must-read for students of environmental humanities. -- Ban Wang, author of At Home in Nature: Technology, Labor, and Critical Ecology in Modern ChinaVisser’s Questioning Borders provides a timely critical intervention that destabilizes the historically established borders and center-periphery relationship within the cultural and political imaginaries of the Hanspace. It offers rich textual studies on Indigenous ecoliteratures in China and Taiwan. A must-read for those interested in Chinese, Sinophone, global, and transnational Indigenous ecocriticism. -- Chia-ju Chang, editor of Chinese Environmental Humanities: Practices of Environing at the MarginsQuestioning Borders radically approaches contemporary literatures of the Chinese world via critical discourses of ecocriticism, global Indigenous studies, and decolonization theory. Incorporating diverse Han majority and ethnic minority writing, the volume charts the emergent Chinese cosmology of the present dynamic era and stimulates deep yet far-ranging conversations. An exciting book. -- Mark Bender, editor of The Borderlands of Asia: Culture, Place, PoetryGroundbreaking . . . Visser’s breathtaking scope is both incredibly ambitious and highly effective. One of the most significant contributions of Questioning Borders is its systematic examination, for the first time in English-language scholarship, of authors writing about nature from less-studied ethnic groups in the field of modern Chinese literature. -- Cheng Li * ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Ecoliteratures Inhabiting Borders1. Beijing Westerns and Hanspace Elixirs in Southwest China2. Grassland Logic and Desert Carbon Imaginaries in Inner Mongolia3. Sacred Routes and Dark Humor in Grounded Xinjiang4. Cosmic Ecologies and Transcendent Tricksters on the Tibetan Plateau5. Island Excursions and Indigenous Waterways in Activist TaiwanEpilogue: Indigenous Entanglements in Techno HypersubjectivityAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisQuestioning Borders explores recent ecoliterature by Han and non-Han Indigenous writers of China and Taiwan, analyzing relations among humans, animals, ecosystems, and the cosmos in search of alternative possibilities for creativity and consciousness.Trade ReviewIn this groundbreaking book, Robin Visser explores the shifting incarnations of the border as a territorial gateway, a contact zone, a liminal terrain, and an imaginary portal. She delves into the intersection of ethnic, cultural, political—and especially ecological—dynamics that inform cartographies and cosmologies of Sinophone states. A fantastic work. -- David Der-wei Wang, author of Why Fiction Matters in Contemporary ChinaA comprehensive and illuminating comparison of Chinese and Indigenous literatures on the border ecologies of China and Taiwan. Questioning Borders sheds light on the power dynamics of China as a settler-colonialist regime in which Indigenous ecocriticism confronts the Chinese imperial geography of center and periphery, which underpins both China’s development strategies and even the most radical Chinese ecoliteratures. -- Uradyn E. Bulag, author of Collaborative Nationalism: The Politics of Friendship on China’s Mongolian FrontierThis illuminating book offers deep insights into the tensions, interactions, and reciprocity among diverse ecologies, ethnicities, humans, and nonhumans. Robin Visser’s brilliant analysis of ecoliterature by Han and Indigenous authors makes this book a must-read for students of environmental humanities. -- Ban Wang, author of At Home in Nature: Technology, Labor, and Critical Ecology in Modern ChinaVisser’s Questioning Borders provides a timely critical intervention that destabilizes the historically established borders and center-periphery relationship within the cultural and political imaginaries of the Hanspace. It offers rich textual studies on Indigenous ecoliteratures in China and Taiwan. A must-read for those interested in Chinese, Sinophone, global, and transnational Indigenous ecocriticism. -- Chia-ju Chang, editor of Chinese Environmental Humanities: Practices of Environing at the MarginsQuestioning Borders radically approaches contemporary literatures of the Chinese world via critical discourses of ecocriticism, global Indigenous studies, and decolonization theory. Incorporating diverse Han majority and ethnic minority writing, the volume charts the emergent Chinese cosmology of the present dynamic era and stimulates deep yet far-ranging conversations. An exciting book. -- Mark Bender, editor of The Borderlands of Asia: Culture, Place, PoetryGroundbreaking . . . Visser’s breathtaking scope is both incredibly ambitious and highly effective. One of the most significant contributions of Questioning Borders is its systematic examination, for the first time in English-language scholarship, of authors writing about nature from less-studied ethnic groups in the field of modern Chinese literature. -- Cheng Li * ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Ecoliteratures Inhabiting Borders1. Beijing Westerns and Hanspace Elixirs in Southwest China2. Grassland Logic and Desert Carbon Imaginaries in Inner Mongolia3. Sacred Routes and Dark Humor in Grounded Xinjiang4. Cosmic Ecologies and Transcendent Tricksters on the Tibetan Plateau5. Island Excursions and Indigenous Waterways in Activist TaiwanEpilogue: Indigenous Entanglements in Techno HypersubjectivityAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisLoaded with full color photographs and evocative descriptions, this book provides a panorama of the state's overlooked natural diversity. It helps you explore fifty preserves, restoration areas, and parks, bringing an expert view to wildlife and landscapes and looking beyond the obvious to uncover the unexpected beauty of Illinois' wild places.Trade Review"The definitive guide to Illinois wildlife."--The News-Gazette “Authors Michael Jeffords and Susan Post do an excellent job of ferreting out the best natural spots in the state. . . . Their passion and love of Illinois comes through in their descriptive and lyrical prose.”--Chicago Book Review "These authors prove in no uncertain terms there is much to explore out-of-doors in Lincoln-land."--Booklist"Very well done! Exploring Nature in Illinois is an enjoyable read providing vivid descriptions of Illinois's special natural places. . . . [Jeffords and Post] know these areas well [and] highlight the history, natural character and resource management--all of which helps the reader develop a better understanding of each place. . . . I look forward to taking their challenge and venturing out throughout the state to listen, look, hike, photograph, paddle and explore Illinois's wild places."--Elizabeth Jones, Assistant Manager, Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge"A truly gorgeous, informative, educational volume."--The Rock River Times“The goal is simple for Michael Jeffords and Susan Post: ‘We feel these special places and events should not be missed by any Illinois citizen with an interest in nature and wild things.’ As a fellow traveler in and appreciator of Illinois' wild places, I truly value the same love that Jeffords and Post show for their native state, and the expertise they bring to the book as biologists (entomologists) makes all our journeys through Illinois’s remaining places richer.”--Dale Bowman, outdoors columnist, Chicago Sun-Times"The reader is transported into the vivid, multisensory landscape of Illinois’ most beloved natural areas. History and biology intertwine on a narrative pathway unabashedly intended to inspire travel. The authors remind us there is still much beautiful wildness to love and protect in Illinois."--Stacy James, Prairie Rivers Network

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Sitting down with this collection of tales is setting off on a series of adventures in which the reader is enticed to share vicariously one exceptional experience after another. The experiences are presented in succinct, entertaining essays and striking images--some poignant, some humorous, some bordering on the incredible, and all informative. Susan Post and Michael Jeffords speak from decades of professional experience and a lifelong passion for natural history that has endowed them with an exceptional receptiveness for nature's curious events, those events rarely witnessed and those that often pass unnoticed and unappreciated."--James B. Nardi, author of Life in the Soil: A Guide for Naturalists and Gardeners"Michael Jeffords's and Susan Post's book is unique in its rich compilation of entertaining narratives and beautiful photographs of natural history phenomena across the world. Their beautiful descriptions of the adaptations and behaviors of creatures large and small incorporate important issues such as invasion of exotic species, extinction, environmental change, and habitat destruction and will inspire others to look more closely at the natural world."--Bonnie Styles, Director Emeritus, Illinois State Museum System

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Book SynopsisThe second edition of the Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Illinois offers up-to-date information on the state's 102 species of frogs and toads, salamanders, turtles, lizards, and snakes. Detailed descriptions by the authors include habitats, distinguishing features, behaviors, and other facts, while revised range maps and full-color photographs help users recognize animals in the field. In addition, an identification key and easy-to-navigate page layouts guide readers through extensive background material on each species' population, diet, predators, reproduction, and conservation status. A one-of-a-kind resource, the Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Illinois is a definitive guide aimed at biologists, teachers, students, wildlife specialists, natural resource managers, conservationists, law enforcement officials, landowners, hobbyists, and everyone else eager to explore herpetology and nature in the Prairie State.Trade Review"A fantastic resource for all seeking to study the 102 herpetofauna species found in Illinois." --Midwest Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation"The second edition of the Guide is an attractive, up-to-date contribution to our understanding of Illinois’ herpetofauna, and is well worth the modest price." --Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society"With thoughtfully revised descriptions, expanded natural history accounts, and updated range maps and photos, this guide offers something for everyone and will be a relevant resource for natural historians and herp enthusiasts alike."--Bill Peterman, The Ohio State University"Regardless of your level of knowledge regarding Illinois's reptiles and amphibians, you'll definitely want a copy of this in your backpack or on your bookshelf. " --Illinois Outdoor News

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Guide to Natural Areas of Southern Indiana fills a void in available guidebooks geared to nature-based tourism. You would need to do hours and hours of internet research to compile just a small portion of what this one book provides. This is an excellent guidebook and offers a big-picture view of southern Indiana's diverse environments. There is something for everyone-from botany and geology to history-which makes the book extremely useful for both families and ecotour groups as well as the lone explorer seeking out a new experience." -Cheryl Ann Munson, Indiana University "Steven Higgs has done an excellent job of not only compiling the places, but also detailing the important flora and fauna located therein, along with recreational opportunities for visitors to these preserves. I cannot imagine the amount of time that went into exploring all these places! Anyone with a general interest in the outdoors, including hikers, birders, campers and fishermen, will find this book useful." -Johnny Molloy, author of Top Trails Great Smoky Mountains National ParkTable of ContentsForeword by James Alexander ThomPrefaceAcknowledgementsIntroductionNatural Area EtiquettePart 1. The Land StewardsPart 2. The Southern Indiana landscapePart 3. DestinationsSection 1Section 2Section 3Section 4Part 4. Supplementary MaterialsSpecies listGlossaryResourcesIndex

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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 SynopsisTrade ReviewEastbound through Siberia, a work newly translated to English by two emerita language professors from the University of Alaska Anchorage, adds fascinating details to the life of Steller and his travels and discoveries just before joining Bering in Kamchatka to set sail. . . . This new addition to understanding the life of Steller and 18th-century conditions in Siberia will be welcomed by historians, ethnographers, naturalists and armchair adventurers. -- Nancy Lord * Anchorage Daily News *What emerges is a remarkable window into lifeboth human and animalin 18th century Siberia. Due to the secret nature of the expedition, Steller's findings were hidden in Russian archives for centuries, but the near-daily entries he recorded on journeys from the town of Irkutsk to Kamchatka are presented here in English for the first time. RECOMMENDATION: For those with an interest in Georg Steller and/or Russian history. -- Ian Paulsen * Birdbooker Report *I want to acknowledge the miracles the translators have performed with this material, synthesizing and rearranging it in ways that make sense of Steller's probable intentions for later editing. -- Ryan Jones - University Of Oregon * H-NET Reviews Humanities & Social Sciences *Table of ContentsContentsForeword: The Steller Legacy / Jonathan C. SlaghtTranslators' PrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroductionInstructions for Georg Wilhelm Steller from February 18, 1739, from Yeniseysk / Johann Georg Gmelin and Gerhard Friedrich MüllerPart I: Description of Irkutsk and Its Surroundings1. About Irkutsk and Its Surroundings2. About Irkutsk Itself3. About the Public Offices4. About the Clergy5. About the Chinese Trade and Chinese Trade Goods6. About Customs and Lifestyle in Irkutsk7. About Transbaikalia8. Report from the Uda River Part II: Travel Journal from Irkutsk to Kamchatka9. From Irkutsk to Ust'Ilginskaya (3/4-13)10. From Ust'Ilginskaya to Kirensk (3/14-5/1)11. From Kirensk to Yakutsk (5/2-24)12. In Yakutsk and Yarmanka (5/25-6/19)13. From Yarmanka to the Amga River (6/20-7/2)14. From the Amga to the Yuna River (7/3-21)15. From the Yuna River to Yudoma Cross (7/22-8/8)16. From Yudoma Cross to Okhotsk (8/9-13)17. In Okhotsk (8/14-26)18. Salmon Fishing and Preserving (8/27)19. From Okhotsk to Bol'sheretsk (8/28-9/16)AfterwordAppendix A: Georg Wilhelm Steller's Life 11-20 – '18Appendix B: Schnurbuch Account Ledger Appendix C: Letter to Johann Daniel SchumacherAppendix D: Plants Named After StellerGlossary of Foreign WordsGlossary of PeopleBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewEastbound through Siberia, a work newly translated to English by two emerita language professors from the University of Alaska Anchorage, adds fascinating details to the life of Steller and his travels and discoveries just before joining Bering in Kamchatka to set sail. . . . This new addition to understanding the life of Steller and 18th-century conditions in Siberia will be welcomed by historians, ethnographers, naturalists and armchair adventurers. -- Nancy Lord * Anchorage Daily News *What emerges is a remarkable window into lifeboth human and animalin 18th century Siberia. Due to the secret nature of the expedition, Steller's findings were hidden in Russian archives for centuries, but the near-daily entries he recorded on journeys from the town of Irkutsk to Kamchatka are presented here in English for the first time. RECOMMENDATION: For those with an interest in Georg Steller and/or Russian history. -- Ian Paulsen * Birdbooker Report *I want to acknowledge the miracles the translators have performed with this material, synthesizing and rearranging it in ways that make sense of Steller's probable intentions for later editing. -- Ryan Jones - University Of Oregon * H-NET Reviews Humanities & Social Sciences *Table of ContentsContentsForeword: The Steller Legacy / Jonathan C. SlaghtTranslators' PrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroductionInstructions for Georg Wilhelm Steller from February 18, 1739, from Yeniseysk / Johann Georg Gmelin and Gerhard Friedrich MüllerPart I: Description of Irkutsk and Its Surroundings1. About Irkutsk and Its Surroundings2. About Irkutsk Itself3. About the Public Offices4. About the Clergy5. About the Chinese Trade and Chinese Trade Goods6. About Customs and Lifestyle in Irkutsk7. About Transbaikalia8. Report from the Uda River Part II: Travel Journal from Irkutsk to Kamchatka9. From Irkutsk to Ust'Ilginskaya (3/4-13)10. From Ust'Ilginskaya to Kirensk (3/14-5/1)11. From Kirensk to Yakutsk (5/2-24)12. In Yakutsk and Yarmanka (5/25-6/19)13. From Yarmanka to the Amga River (6/20-7/2)14. From the Amga to the Yuna River (7/3-21)15. From the Yuna River to Yudoma Cross (7/22-8/8)16. From Yudoma Cross to Okhotsk (8/9-13)17. In Okhotsk (8/14-26)18. Salmon Fishing and Preserving (8/27)19. From Okhotsk to Bol'sheretsk (8/28-9/16)AfterwordAppendix A: Georg Wilhelm Steller's Life 11-20 – '18Appendix B: Schnurbuch Account Ledger Appendix C: Letter to Johann Daniel SchumacherAppendix D: Plants Named After StellerGlossary of Foreign WordsGlossary of PeopleBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"In the Andrews Experimental Forest, ‘experimental’ is the domain of the scientist and writer alike. It is also the domain of the forest itself. . . . Forest Under Story seems keenly aware that the most important feature of language involves listening. When writers listen to the forest, when they press their ears against the bark of a hemlock or yew, the forest always speaks, however softly." -- Lawrence Lenhart * High Country News *"The publication of Forest Under Story represents a turning point in cross-disciplinary collaboration between scientists and writers. . . . Forest Under Story is very successful in its ability to inspire in the reader an ecological awareness of the temperate forests in Oregon and elsewhere." -- Erik F. Ringle * ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment *"Forest Under Story demonstrates that a holistic survey of any forest includes not just data, charts and EIS, but also stories and reflections from the human heart." * Cascadia Weekly (2016 Gift Guide for Greenies) *Table of ContentsMaps Charles Goodrich | Entries into the Forest Part One | Research and Revelation 1. The Long Haul / Robert Michael Pyle 2. The Web / Alison Hawthorne Deming 3. Scope: Ten Small Essays / John R. Campbell 4. Ground Work: Natural History of the Andrews Forest Landscape 5. Threads / Vicki Graham 6. Interview with a Watershed / Robin Wall Kimmerer 7. One-Day Field Count / Michael G. Smith 8. Specimens Collected at the Clear-Cut / Alison Hawthorne Deming 9. Forest Duff: A Poetic Sampling / Kristin Berger 10. Pacific Dogwood / Jerry Martien 11. Riparian / Sandra Alcosser 12. Ground Word: Old Growth 13. Each Step an Entry / Linda Hogan 14. Cosymbionts, The Art of Science & from Drainage Basin, Lookout Creek / Vicki Graham 15. Log Decomposition / Joan Maloof 16. Decomposition and Memory / Aaron M. Ellison 17. Ground Word: Decomposition 18. In the Experimental Forest, & Notes for a Prose Poem: Scientific Questions One Could Ask 19. Among the Douglas-Firs / Joseph Bruchac 20. From “Where the Forests Breath” / Brian Turner 21. From “Varieties of Attentiveness” / Freeman House 22. Poetry-Science Gratitude Duet / Alison Hawthorne Deming and Frederick J. Swanson Part Two | Change and Continuity 1. Genesis: Primeval Rivers and Forests / Pattiann Rogers 2. Forests and People: a meandering reflection on changing relationships between forests and human culture / Bill Yake 3. From “Out of Time” / Scott Slovic 4. “Ten-Foot Gnarly Stick” and “Pondering” / James Bertoli 5. In the Palace of Rot / Thomas Lowe Fleischner 6. Ground Work: Disturbance 7. New Channel / Jeff Fearnside 8. Slough, Decay, and the Odor of Soil / Bill Yake 9. From “The Mountain Lion” / Tim Fox 10. Ground Work: Northern Spotted Owl 11. The Other Side of the Clear-Cut / Laird Christensen 12. Clear-Cut / Joan Maloof 13. Ground Work: Forest Practices 14. Hope Tour: Three Stops / Lori Anderson Moseman 15. Purity and Change: Reflections in an Old-Growth Forest / John Elder Part Three | Borrowing Others’ Eyes 1. Wild Ginger / Jane Hirshfield 2. This Day, Tomorrow, and the Next / Pattiann Rogers 3. Portrait: Parsing My Wife as Lookout Creek / Andrew C. Gottlieb 4. On Assignment in the H.J. Andrews, the Poet Thinks of Her Ovaries / Maya Jewell Zeller 5. Piles of Pale Green / Joseph Bruchac 6. Design / Jerry Martien 7. Listening to Water / Robin Wall Kimmerer 8. Ground Work: Water 9. For the Lobaria, Usnea, Witch’s Hair, Map Lichen, Ground Lichen, Shield Lichen / Jane Hirshfield 10. The Owl, Spotted / Alison Hawthorne Deming 11. From “Field Notes” / Thomas Lowe Fleischner 12. Return of the dead log people / Jerry Martien 13. Denizens of Decay / Tom A. Titus 14. Ground Work: Soundscape 15. Mind in the Forest / Scott Russell Sanders 16. Coda / Vicki Graham 17. Afterword: Advice to a Future Reader / Kathleen Dean Moore For Further Reading About the Editors About the Contributors Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface Introduction: The Mule in the Coal Mine 1. Interspecies Anticapitalism in English and American Humanitarian Writings, ca. 1800–1850 Joshua Abram Kercsmar 2. Chicago’s 1872 Equine Influenza Epizootic and the Evolution of Urban Transit Technology Jennifer G. Marks 3. Cattle and Blizzards: Lessons from the Big Die-Up in 1880s Montana Susan Nance 4. Animal Photography and the “Elk Problem” in Modern Wyoming Vanessa Bateman 5. Animals, Infrastructure, and Empire: Insects and Birds as Biological Control Agents in Early Twentieth-Century Hawai‘i Jessica Wang 6. Captive Breeding and the Commodification of “Surplus” Animals at the Central Park Zoo, 1886–1974 Andrea Ringer 7. The Destructive Ecology of Human-Pig Relations in Iowa since 1950 Mary Trachsel 8. “The Next Meal for the Lions”: The US Occupation of the Baghdad Zoo, 2003–2004 John M. Kinder List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface Introduction: The Mule in the Coal Mine 1. Interspecies Anticapitalism in English and American Humanitarian Writings, ca. 1800–1850 Joshua Abram Kercsmar 2. Chicago’s 1872 Equine Influenza Epizootic and the Evolution of Urban Transit Technology Jennifer G. Marks 3. Cattle and Blizzards: Lessons from the Big Die-Up in 1880s Montana Susan Nance 4. Animal Photography and the “Elk Problem” in Modern Wyoming Vanessa Bateman 5. Animals, Infrastructure, and Empire: Insects and Birds as Biological Control Agents in Early Twentieth-Century Hawai‘i Jessica Wang 6. Captive Breeding and the Commodification of “Surplus” Animals at the Central Park Zoo, 1886–1974 Andrea Ringer 7. The Destructive Ecology of Human-Pig Relations in Iowa since 1950 Mary Trachsel 8. “The Next Meal for the Lions”: The US Occupation of the Baghdad Zoo, 2003–2004 John M. Kinder List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisDescribes the life cycle of Alaskan wolves in greater detail than has ever been done and shows a great deal about the entire ecological network of predator and preyTrade Review"Murie’s work is still one of the most frequently cited references on wolf biology today." * Choice *Table of ContentsForeword Summary 1. Introduction 2. Wolf 3. Dall Sheep 4. Caribou 5. Moose 6. Grizzly Bear 7. Red Fox 8. Golden Eagle 9. Conclusions References Index

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Book SynopsisReveals the natural history of the Puget Sound region. This book begins with a discussion of how the ice ages and vulcanism shaped the land and examines the natural attributes of the region - flora and fauna, climate, special habitats, life histories of key organisms - as they pertain to the ecosystem. It contains over three hundred photographs.Trade Review"Many natural histories are aimed at an audience already in possession of dog-eared field guides and well-worn hiking boots. This one casts a wider net, with a text that is both accessible and scholarly. Stunning black-and-white photographs, beautiful illustrations and intelligent captioning let his volume work equally well as a browse or a read. The Puget Sound watershed now has a lavish book worthy of its great diversity and beauty." * Whole Earth Review *"Kruckeberg's book doesn't strain to be either outrageously passionate or a poetic page-turner for its effect. Rather it is so comprehensive and clear that it will probably become a landmark textbook, one of the basic reference works for understanding this region." * The Seattle Times *"An uncommonly beautiful book." * Columbia *"Thorough, intelligently written and well illustrated, it is one of the best books to ever come out of the Pacific Northwest." * Victoria Times Colonist *"A comprehensive reference, invaluable for all citizens of the Northwest, as well as for conservationists, biologists, foresters, fisheries and wildlife personnel, urban planners, and environmental consultants everywhere." * Biology Digest *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction The Lay of the Land: Landforms and Geology of the Puget Sound Basin Climate and Weather The Inland Sea Marine Life in Puget Sound Life on Land: Lowland Forests Lakes, "Prairies," and Other Nonforested Lowland Habitats Montane Natural History of the Puget Sound Basin Water and the Quality of Life Aboriginal Indians in the Puget Sound Basin The European Impact on Puget Country Appendix 1: The Naming of Plants and Animals Appendix 2: Place Names and Kindred Matters for the Puget Basin Appendix 3: Chronology of Happenings in the Puget Sound Basin and the Pacific Northwest Appendix 4: Threatened and Endangered Wildlife in Washington Appendix 5: Soils of the Puget Basin Bibliography References Cited For Further Reading Credits Index

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction | “To the Farmer in All of Us”: Agricultural Citizenship as Racial Gatekeeping 1. “Settlers Galore, but No Free Land”: White Citizenship and the Right to Land Ownership in “Factories in the Field” and “Of Human Kindness” 2. From Farmer to Farmworker: Representing the Dust Bowl Migration 3. The “Clouded Citizenship” of Rooted Families: Japanese American Agrarianism in “Rafu Shimpo”, “Kashu Mainichi”, and “Treadmill” 4. “The Earth Trembled for Days”: Denaturalizing Racial Citizenship in Hisaye Yamamoto’s Fiction 5. “The American Earth”: Reclaiming Land and Nation in “America Is in the Heart” and “Strangers in Our Fields” 6. “Elixirs of Death”: The United Farm Workers and the Modern Environmental Movement 7. Fit Citizens and Poisoned Farmworkers: Consumer Citizenship in the Alternative Food Movement Epilogue | “Tienes una Madre Aquí”: Environmentalism and Migration in the Twenty-First Century Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction | “To the Farmer in All of Us”: Agricultural Citizenship as Racial Gatekeeping 1. “Settlers Galore, but No Free Land”: White Citizenship and the Right to Land Ownership in “Factories in the Field” and “Of Human Kindness” 2. From Farmer to Farmworker: Representing the Dust Bowl Migration 3. The “Clouded Citizenship” of Rooted Families: Japanese American Agrarianism in “Rafu Shimpo”, “Kashu Mainichi”, and “Treadmill” 4. “The Earth Trembled for Days”: Denaturalizing Racial Citizenship in Hisaye Yamamoto’s Fiction 5. “The American Earth”: Reclaiming Land and Nation in “America Is in the Heart” and “Strangers in Our Fields” 6. “Elixirs of Death”: The United Farm Workers and the Modern Environmental Movement 7. Fit Citizens and Poisoned Farmworkers: Consumer Citizenship in the Alternative Food Movement Epilogue | “Tienes una Madre Aquí”: Environmentalism and Migration in the Twenty-First Century Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAldo Leopold wrote, “There are two kinds of hunting: ordinary hunting, and ruffed-grouse hunting.” Mark Parman distils twenty seasons of grouse hunting in an evocative almanac that chronicles the early season of the grouse hunt through its end in the snows of January. He writes of old dogs and gun lust, cover and clear cutting, climate change, companions male and female, wildlife art, and stumps.Trade ReviewParman's writing is insightful, fresh, and informative. Regardless of whether you hunt grouse, or not, with or without a dog, carry a 28-gauge or double shotgun, there's something in this hunter's almanac for all who enjoy autumns in the north."" - Jerry Davis, syndicated outdoors columnist""Notable and quotable. Parman stakes out original territory and provides a vivid snapshot of the Northwoods."" - John Motoviloff, author of Wisconsin Wildfoods: 100 Recipes for Badger State Bounties""Extremely rich and detailed. Parman puts forth original and genuine experiences."" - Richard Yatzeck, author of Hunting the Edges""Parman celebrates the intricacies of grouse hunting and, through his experiences, the reader learns valuable information from dogs to habitat to gear, while being challenged by issues that need to be answered for the sake of grouse hunting's future."" - Ruffed Grouse Society blog""Pays close and wise attention to woods and habitat, to the behavior and lives of his English setters, to the ways of woodcock and grouse, and to his own thoughtful evolution as a hunter. ... A worthy addition to the grouse-hunting bookshelf."" - Gray's Sporting JournalTable of Contents Preface Introduction EARLY SEASON Some August Day Grouse Opener The Bird Dogless In Praise of Old Dogs Scalopax minor Ox The Cycle How to Hunt Grouse MIDSEASON Flushing Wild Small Presents Hunting with Diana, Grousing Around with Susan Like Trees, Walking Costumes Paul’s On Wildlife Art Empty Hulls New Wood Sauntering Along The Mythical Bird Soul Food Shooting and Eating Locally Acres of Goods Cover(t) Gun Lust Shooting Flying The Ruffed Grouse Capital of the World Nine Mile Stump Knowing Our Limits Getting Lost, Staying Lost LATE SEASON Confessions of a Grouse Hunter Grouse Weather A Fall of Woodcock Things Unseen Black Friday Narratives in the Snow The Beauty of Clear-Cuts Snow Walker The Last Day of the Season Gunnar’s Last Hunt Counting in Dogs Bibliography

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Book SynopsisA gleeful, poetic bookLike the best natural histories, Dirt is a kind of prayer. Los Angeles Times Book ReviewTrade Review"Logan sets out to purify dirt, to embed us so intimately in the skin of the Earth that we will live momentarily, at least, entranced by its vibrancy…This is the most literate book to bring soil to soul and soul to the subterranean." -- Peter Warshall - Whole Earth"Read this book. You'll know more about that which you are made of and which is essential to all life on the land part of the planet than you thought imaginable." -- Wes Jackson, president and founder of the Land Institute

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Book SynopsisThe Rouge River is a mostly urbanized watershed of about 500 square miles populated by nearly 1.4 million people. While not geographically large, the river has played an outsized role in the history of southeast Michigan. Rouge River Revived describes the river’s history from pre-European times into the 21st century.Table of Contents Prologue – John H. Hartig and Jim Graham Chapter 1. The Setting: An Urban Watershed – Alan Van Kerckhove Chapter 2. First Peoples of the Rouge River – Kay McGowan Chapter 3. Putting the Rouge to Work – Nancy Darga Chapter 4. Henry Ford and the Rouge River – Brian James Egen and John H. Hartig Chapter 5. Rouge River Restoration: Revival of an Urban River – Annette DeMaria, Noel Mullett, and John H. Hartig Chapter 6. The Need for Green Infrastructure – Cyndi Ross Chapter 7. Rouge River Citizen Science – Sally Petrella Chapter 8. Environmental Education: Realizing Bill Stapp’s Vision – Sally Cole-Mish Chapter 9. The Rouge River Reborn: From Wen to Wonder – Orin G. Gelderloos, Dorothy F. McLeer, and Richard A. Simek Chapter 10. Reconnecting with Our Home Waters: Rouge Offers Growing Number of Recreational Opportunities – Kurt Kuban Chapter 11. Rouge River Champion – Jim Murray – John H. Hartig Chapter 12. Reflections – John H. Hartig and Jim Graham

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Book SynopsisDiscusses the ways that scientists have observed and modeled glaciers, tells how climate change is altering their size and distribution, and looks at their effect on human life.Trade Review" A fascinating and stimulating volume ... a wonderful reference ... and a thumping good read." Journal Of Quaternary Science

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Book SynopsisSince around 1500 CE, humans have shaped the global environment in ways that were previously unimaginable. This book offers an overview of global environmental history throughout this remarkable 500-year period. It examines the connections between environmental change and other topics of early and modern world history.Trade Review"A collection of articles dealing with various environmental subjects covering different parts of the world. This book provides exactly this." Canadian Journal Of History "[Gives] a truly integrative understanding of world history." Abstracts Of Public Administration, Development And Environment "This well-organized, clearly written volume finally eliminates any anxiety environmental historians have wrestled with for decades." -- Niklas Robinson Journal Of World HistoryTable of ContentsList of Figures, Maps, and Tables Preface Acknowledgments Part One: Overview 1. Introduction: World History and Environmental History Kenneth Pomeranz 2. The Big Story: Human History, Energy Regimes, and the Environment Edmund Burke III 3. Toward a Global System of Property Rights in Land John F. Richards Part Two: Rivers, Regions, and Developmentalism 4. The Transformation of the Middle Eastern Environment, 1500 B.C.E.-2 C.E. Edmund Burke III 5. The Transformation of China's Environment, 1500-2 Kenneth Pomeranz 6. The Rhine as a World River Mark Cioc 7. Continuity and Transformation: Colonial Rice Frontiers and Their Environmental Impact on the Great River Deltas of Mainland Southeast Asia Michael Adas Part Three: Landscapes, Conquests, Communities, and the Politics of Knowledge 8. Beyond the Colonial Paradigm: African History and Environmental History in Large-Scale Perspective William Beinart 9. Environmental Histories of India: Of States, Landscapes, and Ecologies Mahesh Rangarajan 10. Latin American Environmental History: A Shifting Old/New Field Lise Sedrez 11. The Predatory Tribute-Taking State: A Framework for Understanding Russian Environmental History Douglas R. Weiner Select Bibliography List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisOver the past 100years,visitorlearningat America's national parks hasgrown and evolved. Today, there are over 400 National Park Service (NPS) sites, representingover eightymillion acres. Sites exist in every USstate and territory and are located on land, at sea, in remote areas, and in major urban centers. Every year, more than 300 million people visit national parks, and several million of them are children engaged in one of many educational programs hosted by the NPS. America's Largest Classrooms offers insight and practical advice for improving educational outreach at national parksas well as suggestions for classroom educators on how to meaningfully incorporate parks into their curricula. Viaa wide collectionof case studiesranging from addressing inclusivity at parks and public lands to teaching about science and social issuesthis book illustrates innovations and solutions thatwill be of interest to nature interpreters, outdoor educators, and policy makers, as well as professors Table of ContentsList of Contributors Foreword. National Parks: “America’s Best” Outdoor Classrooms Milton Chen Preface Acknowledgments SECTION I. THE LONG VIEW OF LEARNING IN THE PARKS 1 Dynamic Learning Landscapes: The Evolution of Education in Our National Parks Julia Washburn 2 Commentary: Perspectives on Heritage Leadership Theresa Coble 3 Invoking the Spirit of History on the Journey through Hallowed Ground James A. Percoco 4 Two Different Ways of Knowing the Glacier Area Donal Carbaugh SECTION II. FEEDBACK LOOPS: SYSTEMS AND SCIENCE LEARNING 5 Learning about Climate Change in Our National Parks Shawn Davis and Jessica L. Thompson 6 Place-Based Education at Teton Science Schools: Inspiring Curiosity, Engagement, and Leadership in National Parks and Beyond Kevin Krasnow, Nate McClennen, Amanda Kern, Patrick Leary, and Greg Peck 7 Three-Dimensional Learning: “Upping the Game” in Citizen Science Projects Ana K. Houseal 8 Mentoring Mountain Raingers: Beyond Basic Hydrological Field Research in the Great Smoky Mountains Douglas K. Miller SECTION III. HEALTH AND SELF: EMPOWERING LEARNING IN PARKS 9 Learning Environmental Psychology in the National Parks Donna K. McMillan 10 Can Signage Influence Healthy Behavior? The Case of Catoctin Mountain National Park Mallika Bose, Lara Nagle, Jacob Benfield, Heather Costigan, Jeremy Wimpey, and B. Derrick Taff 11 Learning Historic Places with Diverse Populations: An Exploratory Study of Student Perceptions Jenice L. View and Andrea Guiden 12 “I Felt Like a Scientist!”: Accessing America’s National Parks on Every Campus Natalie Bursztyn, Richard Goode, and Colleen McDonough SECTION IV. PARTNERING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEARNERS 13 Place-Based Learning Fosters Engagement and Opportunities for Innovative Partnerships Susan Newton 14 A Partnership Model of Education at Cuyahoga Valley National Park Deb Yandala, Katie Wright, and Jesús Sánchez 15 Pura Vida Inspires Diversity and Engagement at Grand Teton National Park Teddi (Hofmann) Freedman 16 What Really “Matters” at Stephen T. Mather Building Arts and Craftsmanship High School Deborah Shanley and Lois Adams-Rodgers 17 Learning Historic Places with Diverse Populations: Making the Case for Teacher-Ranger Professional Development Jenice L. View and Paula Cristina Azevedo SECTION V. STRATEGIC INTENTION FOR PARK LEARNING AND PRACTICE 18 Lessons Learned from Museums: Family Learning in National Parks Colleen Bourque and Ana K. Houseal 19 Identifying Outcomes for Environmental Education at National Parks Robert B. Powell, Marc J. Stern, and B. Troy Frensley 20 Valuing Education and Learning in the National Parks Tim Marlowe, Linda J. Bilmes, and John Loomis 21 Commentary: National Parks as Places for Free-Choice Learning Martin Storksdieck and John Falk Afterword Jonathan B. Jarvis Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This is an important book for people wanting to understand the interactions between social media and other platforms, truth, and the environment. While the book does not offer easy answers, it will be useful to scholars and practitioners in multiple fields who are working on their diagnosis of the problem." * Journal of Development Studies *"The significance of this book goes far beyond the environmental dimension, as the main argument and the detailed analysis to which it gives rise are of the utmost importance for understanding the social and political tensions that animate the world today." * New Global Studies *"Truth is a prime example of topical, generative, cutting-edge contemporary political ecology. . . .Thanks to Büscher’s versatility and clear language, the book is commendable to students of political ecology, sociology, online cultures, social theory scholars, conservation practitioners, and other interested non-academics." * Human Ecology *"Truth About Nature reads like a remedy thanks to its political-ecological outlook, with its feet on the empirical ground, its heart in the practical world, and its head in the conceptual sky; it stands contradictions and does what others only write about- dialectics." * Springer Nature *Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments Introduction: The Truth about Nature? Part One. (Meta)theoretical Bearings 1. Truth Tensions Part Two. The Political Economy of Platforms, Post-truth, and Power 2. Sharing Truths and Natures 3. Between Platforms, Post-truth, and Power Part Three. Environmentalism 2.0 4. Conservation 2.0: The Politics of Cocreation 5. Elephant 2.0: The Politics of Platforms 6. Kruger 2.0: The Politics of Distinction 7. Rhino 2.0: The Politics of Hysteria Conclusion: Speaking Truth to Power Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAs climate disruption intensifies the world over, Californians are finding solutions across a diversity of communities and landscapes. Though climate change is a global existential threat, we cannot wait for nation-states to solve the problem when there are actions we can take now to protect our own communities. In Climate Stewardship: Taking Collective Action to Protect California, readers are invited on a journey to discover that all life is interconnected and shaped by climate and to learn how communities can help tackle climate change. Climate Stewardship shares stories from everyday people and shows how their actions enhance the resilience of communities and ecosystems across ten distinct bioregions. Climate science that justifies these actions is woven throughout, making it easy to learn about Earth's complex systems. The authors interpret and communicate these stories in a way that is enjoyable, inspiring, and even amusing. California is uniquely positioned to develop and implement novel solutions to widespread climate challenges, owing to the state's remarkable biogeographic diversity and robust public science programs. Produced in collaboration with the UC California Naturalist Program, Climate Stewardship focuses on regenerative approaches to energy, agriculture, and land and water use across forested, agricultural, and urban landscapes. The authors' hopeful and encouraging tone aims to help readers develop a sense that they, too, can act now to make meaningful change in their communities.Trade Review"The blend of accessible science with compelling human stories, focused on the most critical issue of our time, is the salient contribution of this timely book." * California History *Table of ContentsForeword by Greg Sarris Preface: United by Nature, Guided by Science Acknowledgments 1 Extreme Events: Life in the New Normal 2 Big Bay to Tech Town 3 A Changing Harvest 4 Keeping Forests Green and Snow White 5 Climate Canaries 6 Los Angeles Plants Itself 7 Riding the California Current In the End References Index

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Book SynopsisFrom aphids to flies, ladybirds to wasps, insects of all shapes and sizes share our homes and gardens. Now available in an updated edition, this volume explores the secrets and habits of more than one hundred little critters that are common to backyard Australia. It is an indispensable guide for nature lovers, gardeners and kids of all ages.

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Book SynopsisAn integrated account of all aspects of humid tropical environments. Topics covered include: the controls of weather and climate; climatic characteristics; soils; vegetation; landforms; and hydrology. The book also examines the effect of human activity on the environment.Trade Review"The value of this book is that it treats and compares an extremely wide range of topics. Because of the extensive bibliography the specialist or the person looking for details on any one topic is unlikely to be frustrated. A list of further reading is provided for each chapter and is a good introdution to the up-to-date scientific literature about the humid tropics. This text is likely to be widely used by students of many different disciplines." The Times Higher Education Supplement "Three geographers have come together to produce a well-integrated text on the major features of the environment in the humid tropics, with emphasis on their interrelationships and the importance of the human dimension... This book merits wide readership and provides and excellent text for many university courses." B. A. Whitton, International Journal of Environment StudiesTable of ContentsPreface. List of Tables. List of Plates. List of Figures. 1. Introduction. 2. Atmospheric Circulation Systems and Weather Disturbances. 3. Climatic Characteristics. 4. Humid Tropical Soils. 5. Humid Tropical Vegetation. 6. Landscape. 7. Hydrology. 8. Environmental Resources and Hazards in the Humid Tropics. 9. Environmental Issues Facing the Humid Tropics. References. Appendices. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe humid tropics contain some of the worlda s richest, most diverse, most important and most threatened environments. This book draws on recent work by geographers, biologists, ecologists, geologists and climatologists to present a complete and integrated appraisal of the natural environment of all the humid tropical regions of the world.Trade Review"The value of this book is that it treats and compares an extremely wide range of topics. Because of the extensive bibliography the specialist or the person looking for details on any one topic is unlikely to be frustrated. A list of further reading is provided for each chapter and is a good introdution to the up-to-date scientific literature about the humid tropics. This text is likely to be widely used by students of many different disciplines." The Times Higher Education Supplement "Three geographers have come together to produce a well-integrated text on the major features of the environment in the humid tropics, with emphasis on their interrelationships and the importance of the human dimension... This book merits wide readership and provides and excellent text for many university courses." B. A. Whitton, International Journal of Environment StudiesTable of ContentsPreface. List of Tables. List of Plates. List of Figures. 1. Introduction. 2. Atmospheric Circulation Systems and Weather Disturbances. 3. Climatic Characteristics. 4. Humid Tropical Soils. 5. Humid Tropical Vegetation. 6. Landscape. 7. Hydrology. 8. Environmental Resources and Hazards in the Humid Tropics. 9. Environmental Issues Facing the Humid Tropics. References. Appendices. Index.

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Book SynopsisThough we might not be able to see microbes, the consequences of their activities are readily apparent to our unaided senses. This book shows us how to examine, study, and appreciate microbes in the manner of a birdwatcher, by making sightings of microbial activities and thereby identifying particular microbes and understanding their behavior.Trade ReviewMarch of the Microbes is an impressive, entertaining tour of life's invisible realm. Combining history with new scientific discoveries, John Ingraham shows how microbes make their presence felt everywhere. You just have to know how to look for it. After reading this book, you will. -- Carl Zimmer, author of Microcosm: E. coli and the New Science of LifeTraverse the eclectic landscapes of soil, champagne, a Yellowstone spring, Italian salad dressing, and even the human stomach with microbiologist John L. Ingraham as your guide. This remarkable tour will transform novices into keen microbe-watchers in a mere 300 pages--which sounds like a lot, until you realize how much ground there is to cover in humanity's relationship with our most minuscule "friends." For instance, it was microbes that transformed the entire face of our planet, via the "Oxygen Revolution" some 3 billion years ago. We have them to thank for literally every breath we take. This is but one example. With the Earth estimated to have a nonillion (that's one followed by 30 zeros) microbes in and around it, we might as well get to know our tiny neighbors. * Seed *From the mundane (a smelly fish, a child with earache) to the exotic (hydrothermal vents), Ingraham presents the microbes behind so much of the world around us. He drives home the point that without these overlooked life forms we wouldn't be here at all...Ingraham's fresh perspective makes it an engaging read. -- Jo Marchant * New Scientist *Though most people are only familiar with microbes that cause disease (germs, etc.), those "felonious" microbes actually constitute a tiny percent of all microbes, and just a single chapter in this fascinating survey of single-celled organisms and their role in shaping life on Earth...Among other processes, Ingraham explains how vaccines have been developed, frequently with the aid of other microbes; the carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles which make life possible; and how microbes give us cheese, wine, and other foodstuffs (though some, like xanthan gum, readers may not want to know about). Ingraham also discusses recently-discovered microbes inhabiting extreme environments (hot, cold, salty, etc.) that promise to tell us much about the evolution of life on Earth and what life on other planets might look like. Ingraham's entertaining, breezy style makes even difficult topics accessible, and every chapter contains intriguing anecdotes about microbes in history (did the CIA try to poison Castro's cigars with botulinum toxin?). Highly readable, engrossing, and endlessly informative, this is a standout example of science writing for general audiences. * Publishers Weekly online (starred review) *In this engaging treatment, the microbiologist shows readers the invisible world through observations about its macroscopic manifestations in a range of environments, from the kitchen to the abyss of the sea...Ingraham describes some of their malicious cousins who blight crops, kill trees, and sicken humans. Ingraham's clarity, plus touches of humor, augments the appeal of this fine contribution to popularizing science. -- Gilbert Taylor * Booklist *John Ingraham has written the definitive field guide for microbe watching, a branch of natural history that, to the uninitiated, might seem oxymoronic. Microorganisms being, by definition, creatures too small to be seen by the unaided eye, one might wonder...why anyone would need a guide to seeing the unseeable. Read just a few pages, however, and the puzzle is solved. Sure, microbes are tiny, but they are so prolific that their effects on the world are both profound and highly visible--from the black mold on bathroom walls to the red tide that sporadically discolors and poisons long expanses of shoreline...He blends the deep knowledge of an academic with the passion of a microbe watcher extraordinaire--which makes this guide as entertaining as it is informative. -- Laurence A. Marschall * Natural History *Table of Contents* Foreword * The Microbial Landscape * Just Acquiring Metabolic Energy * Food and Drink * Living Together * Cycling Nitrogen * Cycling Sulfur * Cycling Carbon * Hostile Environments * Fungi, Hostile and Benign * Viruses * Felonious Bacteria * Shapers of Weather, Geology, and the Environment * Closer to Us * Survivors * Notes * Glossary * Index

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