Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya: A Guide

Book Description

"Part field guide, part book of vignettes discussing the animals and plants most commonly seen in the Maya area, this fine guide provides a fresh synthesis of anthropological and biological research that will serve as an engaging and practical resource for visitors, students, and burgeoning naturalists."

—Paul R. Ehrlich, President, Center for Conservation Biology, Stanford University

A growing interest in all things Maya brings an increasing number of visitors to prehistoric Maya ruins and contemporary Maya communities in Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, western Honduras, the Yucatán Peninsula, and the southern areas of Chiapas and Tabasco, Mexico. For these visitors and indeed everyone with an interest in the Maya, this field guide highlights nearly 100 species of plants and animals that were significant to the ancient Maya and that continue to inhabit the Maya region today.

Drawing from the disciplines of biology, ecology, and anthropology, Victoria Schlesinger describes each plant or animal's habitat and natural history, identifying characteristics (also shown in a black-and-white drawing), and cultural significance to the ancient and contemporary Maya. An introductory section explains how to use the book and offers a concise overview of the history, lifeways, and cosmology of the ancient Maya. The concluding section describes the collapse of ancient Maya society and briefly traces the history of the Maya region from colonial times to the present.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing from the Mayanist perspective.......2006-10-18

I give this book three stars because, from the other reviews, it seems to have been quite good from the naturalist perspective. Unfortunately, I am far more of a Mayanist then a naturalist and from that point of view, the book was a sad disappointment.
First, although the title offers a Mayan concentration, the few references to indigenous cultures would be more appropriately labeled, 'Meso-American', especially as the author either cannot, or simply does not, distinguish one from the other. Many depictions, although easily traced (i.e. to the Aztecs) are labeled simply Meso-American.
Second, there is very little in the text about the plants and animals and their relations to the ancient inhabitants of Meso-America at all. Most entries fail to mention them altogether and the few that do, offer only the scantiest references.
Finally, several of the illustrations and factoid snippets that do relate to the indigenous cultures of Meso-America are woefully out of date. Indeed the author quotes Mayanist 'authorities' that, although laudable for their early work in the field, were of such an eccentric nature that it would be laughable in any other context to refer to their 'scholarship'.
As stated above, I cannot criticize this text from the standpoint of a simple field guide to various flora and fauna, but from the title, I had hoped for much, much more. Perhaps if the publisher would make a few pages available for viewing, this problem would be solved.

EARTH-SHATTERING!!!!.......2003-08-01

I have no idea who wrote this book, but it is the best thing I have ever read. Victoria Schlesinger's writing shows muscle as well as sensitivity. She disects, trisects, and intersects completely, revealing jungular dimensions of phantasmaflora.

A thousand botanists bow down before
eye flush with pride from afar.

Incredible!.......2002-12-27

This book is not simply an introduction to South American plants and animals. It is a fascinating journey through Mayan culture, with the role these elements played for the ancient Maya. This book is equal parts history, medicine, education, and adventure. I got it for Christmas and couldn't put it down.

Exceptional!.......2002-09-07

(Planeta.com Journal) - One of the best books of the past year, this work combines the details of a scientific field guide with anthropological research. The result is outstanding.

Author Victoria Schlesinger tells the story about the animals and plants most commonly seen in Mundo Maya -- Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. The book provides a synthesis of current research and will delight specialists and travelers alike. Chapters focus on Pine-Oak, Cloud and Tropical Forests, Savannas, Mangroves and Coral Reefs.

The book is well illustrated with line drawings by Juan C. Chab-Medina. This is a beautiful book which would make an excellent holiday gift. I'm trying to think of a book that has piqued my interest as much as Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya, and I'd have to put this a category with Lane Simonian's Defending the Land of the Jaguar. Excellent!

A stunningly imaginative guide to the past.......2002-06-19

This is one of those incredibly rare guidebooks that pushes past the confines of the genre and brings something totally fresh to the endeavor. I am not a Maya scholar, but Schlesinger's writing is so evocative that I couldn't help but be totally pulled in by her descriptions of the plants and animals that inhabited the Maya world.

Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya: a Guide.(Book Review): An article from: Latin American Antiquity

Average customer rating:

Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya: a Guide.(Book Review): An article from: Latin American Antiquity
Kitty F. Emery
Manufacturer: Society for American Archaeology
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Mayan | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Latin American Antiquity, published by Society for American Archaeology on March 1, 2003. The length of the article is 1030 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya: a Guide.(Book Review)
Author: Kitty F. Emery
Publication: Latin American Antiquity (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2003
Publisher: Society for American Archaeology
Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Page: 103(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

This current, interactive book familiarizes readers with all of the important aspects of selling cruise vacations—from basic nautical terminology to shipboard life, world itineraries, and key resources that can help future agents market and sell cruises effectively. It presents current and practical information on the various types of cruise experiences, passenger demographics and itineraries, as well as the tools and techniques for selling and booking cruise vacations to individual and group clients in the Òreal worldÓ.

Customer Reviews:

Sails for Profit.......2000-05-07

This is a great text for anyone looking for basic training to the cruise industry...it's small and compact yet it is filled with lots of important information. One of the best on the market

No other book like it on the market - has everything!.......1999-01-20

This textbook is by far the best on the market -- 1. comprehensive and detailed 2. written clearly and concisely 3. like having a "teacher next to you" 4. many graphics and interactive activities spread liberally throughout the book 5. for a wide audience -

for anyone who wants to learn about cruising from a passenger's perspective. or, for anyone who wants to become his or her own travel agent/cruise specialist from home. or. for travel students enrolled in college or travel schools, or, for travel professionals who want to receive up-to-date, current info.

Average customer rating:
Sails for Profit: A Complete Guide to Selling and Booking Cruise Travel
Jeanne Semer-Purzycki
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIYTKA

Book Description

This "labor of love" is a veritable notebook of recollections, data, SAC stories, and vignettes reporting the various stages of SAC's evolution. Lloyd's detailed accounts of the commanders, people, places, weapons systems, and operational concepts are presented in a way to give personal identity and recognition to SAC's people as they went about making history. Everyone who served in the Command will find his or her circumstances reflected in this very complete historical work.

Customer Reviews:

What a book..........2006-05-27

This book is just awesome.Words alone can't discribe how wonderful this book is.It tells you everything about Strategic Air Command and then some.If you want to learn about the history of SAC then if i where you get this book.There are a few misprints but the book comes with a paper outlining what was misprinted other wise a kickass book.

SAC was great, and this is a great SAC book.......2005-09-10

In this monumental book, Al Lloyd describes seeing the TWA ramp at St. Louis IAP filled with armed B-47s dispersed there during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Bits of authenticating detail like that and the astonishing amount of well researched, fascinating narrative about SAC more than makes up for the occasional continuity and editing shortcomings of this book.

This is a perfect companion to the DVD of A Gathering of Eagles, if only it existed!

If you got this far looking for a gift for a SAC vet or an Air Force history enthusiast, look no further. If SAC is your bag, A Cold War Legacy is terrific, truly a genuine tribute to SAC and a credit to Lloyd, whose recent books on C-119s and B-47s are also highly recommended.

A Great Memorial to SAC.......2002-12-20

I am very pleased to have purchased this history of SAC, having served in it during the Vietnam war. I am impressed with the tremendous amount of detail presented by the author. This brings back many vivid memories of the constant state of readiness the crews and bases were required to maintain. This extremely powerful deterrent to nuclear war will hopefully be someday better understood by the general population and appreciated accordingly.

A Tactical - not Strategic - Victory.......2002-10-02

Lloyd's work is obviously a product of love. Its accomplishments are several and stellar, particularly for one intrigued by the evolution of SAC and its abundant turnover of planes, missiles, and other technology. It is a superb technological research statement.

However, it is not without its flaws, some significant. First, it reads like a PERT or GANT chart, lacking narrative links and lead-ins. Second, it sometimes carries the distinct taste of cut-and-paste; e.g. the first-person plural "we" in "Running the Gauntlet" (pg 591) appears to be an unattributed reproduction of a mission report, not a product of a historian's third-person perspective. Third, the book needs better editing, some of it militarily basic: e.g. "court marshal" (vice "court martial") (pg 555). Fourth, its occasional partisan ramblings detract from its objectivity: e.g. "the Communist Manifesto was directed at toppling the west and they infilitrated our media, halls of academia, and government" (pg 254) (maybe McCarthy paranoia is the real Cold War Legacy!). Fifth, there is no exploration of the ever-tightening, symbiotic links between SAC retired personnel and the aerospace industry. Sixth, seminal background is typically brushed over: e.g. the vicious debate over the B-1 bomber is reduced to a conclusory President Carter "was terminating the B-1 program, citing cost effectiveness" (pg 509).

That conclusory approach to the B-1 and similarly to other issues resulted in the biggest demerit of this work: Lloyd forgot SAC was manned by little people, that is to say, people other than CINCSACs. Apart from the occasional mention names of servicemen or officers who (insert Lloyd's conclusory sentence) 'did something', the machine rules the book. There are few personal service stories; no anecdotes about SAC characters large or small; no wives' stories about the stress of their husbands' being on alert; too few tales of pranks, etc. In my opinion, the only palpable human touch to the book will be that of the reader turning the page. Lloyd's omission makes this work less than comprehensive.

As a technological history of SAC, the book exceeds expectations and should easily withstand future, competing technological surveys. However, SAC's flying aluminum skeleton moved because of sinewy human flesh and fibre. Lloyd's work sadly allows the technological machine to eradicate the human one.

Great History.......2001-10-27

This book is about the best coverage of Strategic Air Command (SAC) that I have came across. It covers many little known avenues of SAC that includes the C-119's and C-124's, to name a couple. Of course the mainstays of SAC, the B-47, B-52, B-58 as well as the KC-97 and KC-135 are well covered. Alwyn Lloyd made sure the reader also understands the role of KB-29P and other players in the early evolution of inflight refueling is understood and how their role was played in making SAC the formidable force it was. This book makes a 20 year veteran of SAC very proud to have been a small part of the story.

American History by Era - Post-Cold War America: 1992-Present (paperback edition) (American History by Era)

Average customer rating:

Highly recommended...

American History by Era - Post-Cold War America: 1992-Present (paperback edition) (American History by Era)

Manufacturer: Greenhaven Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, America was left as the only remaining superpower. Nevertheless, the post-Cold War years were marked by serious domestic and international challenges, which seemed to culminate in the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

Customer Reviews:

Highly recommended..........2007-09-29

Well I have an essay in the book so of course I'm going to say this modern history anthology is great and that you should buy it. So go buy it!

American History by Era - The Cold War Period:1945-1992 (hardcover edition) (American History by Era)

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American History by Era - The Cold War Period:1945-1992 (hardcover edition) (American History by Era)

Manufacturer: Greenhaven Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

Book Description

The Peace achieved at the end of World War II quickly gave way to a tense standoff between the democratic west and the communist east. This anthology covers an era of international intrigue and domestic turmoil as America faced not only a nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union, but war in Southeast Asia and race riots at home.

The Balkans After the Cold War: From Tyranny to Tragedy (Outcast Europe)

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The Balkans After the Cold War: From Tyranny to Tragedy (Outcast Europe)
Tom Gallagher
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Eastern | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Yugoslavia | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

At the end of the Cold War, the Balkan states of South East Europe were in crisis. They had emerged from two decades of hardline communism with their economies in disarray and authoritarian leaders poised to whip up nationalist feelings so as to cling on to power. The break up of Yugoslavia followed in 1991along with prolonged instability in Romania, Bulgaria and Albania. The Balkans After The Cold War analyses these turbulent events, which led to violence on a scale not seen in Europe for nearly fifty years, and offers a detailed critique of Western policy towards the region. This volume follows on from the recently published Outcast Europe: The Balkans, 1789 - 1989 - from the Ottomans to Milosevic, also by Tom Gallagher.

Media Definitions of Cold War Reality: The Caribbean Basin, 1953-1992

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Media Definitions of Cold War Reality: The Caribbean Basin, 1953-1992
Walter C Soderlund
Manufacturer: Canadian Scholars Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Media Studies | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1551302004

Book Description

In excess of 7 million people worldwide die of coronary heart disease each year. Only one-third of these heart attack victims recover completely. The remainder suffer the consequences of myocardial infarction and its ill fated remodeling process, resulting in chronic congestive heart failure. This malady alone is the leading cause of hospital admissions in the United States.

New breakthroughs in stem cell therapy and tissue engineering have promised to reverse this dismal outcome by cardiovascular repair. World authorities, including scientists and regulatory authorities, have joined in a collaborative effort to present for the reader the first collective review of stem cell therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. These contributions in basic science, pre-clinical and clinical experience guided by the regulatory pathways, assure a rapid course of translational research and clinical trials.

The contents of this publication will become a prerequisite for those preparing to meet the challenges of this exciting and potentially rewarding field of stem cell research.

Book Description

Expert testimony relying on scientific and other specialized evidence has come under increased scrutiny by the legal system. A trilogy of recent U.S. Supreme Court cases has assigned judges the task of assessing the relevance and reliability of proposed expert testimony. In conjunction with the Federal judiciary, the American Association for the Advancement of Science has initiated a project to provide judges indicating a need with their own expert. This concern with the proper interpretation of scientific evidence, especially that of a probabilistic nature, has also occurred in England, Australia and in several European countries. Statistical Science in the Courtroom is a collection of articles written by statisticians and legal scholars who have been concerned with problems arising in the use of statistical evidence. A number of articles describe DNA evidence and the difficulties of properly calculating the probability that a random individual's profile would "match" that of the evidence as well as the proper way to intrepret the result. In addition to the technical issues, several authors tell about their experiences in court. A few have become disenchanted with their involvement and describe the events that led them to devote less time to this application. Other articles describe the role of statistical evidence in cases concerning discrimination against minorities, product liability, environmental regulation, the appropriateness and fairness of sentences and how being involved in legal statistics has raised interesting statistical problems requiring further research.

Customer Reviews:

wonderful examples of statisticians being expert witnesses.......2001-05-04

Ever since the legal cases against the Census Bureau in 1980, statisticians have played a much more visible role testifying and providing depositions in legal cases. Due to the adversarial role lawyers play in trials we are seeing each side pit their expert statistician against the other. Many times the statistical evidence is confusing to the jury and/or the judges and the testimony tends to cancel out with verdicts being decided by other means. It is important to keep things simple. In the case about undercount adjustment for the Census in 1980, eminent statisticians argued on both sides. There was no right or wrong answer. Everything hinged on what statistical models you are willing to believe. Unfortunately, such cases revive the old adages that make statisticians kringe, "you can prove anything with statistics" and "lies, damn lies and statistics".

With the advent of DNA evidence, statisticians are asked to compute matching probablities to determine the likelihood that a suspect is the person whose DNA was found at the crime scene. The results can be overwhelming but even a statistician with expertise in DNA matching can be tripped up by clever high priced lawyers. Such was the case when Bruce Weir testified on national television in the O. J. Simpson case.

Joe Gastwirth has contributed to the statistical research applied to legal problems over the past 20 years at least and he has published a book on the subject. In this volume, he compiles a number of case stories and statistical issues in legal cases told by many very capable statisticians including Alan Izenman, Jay Kadane, Bruce Weir, Seymour Geisser, Don Rubin, Joe Gastwirth himself,David Pollard and Scott Zeger. These are all fascinating tales that will especially be appreciated by lawyers and statisticians. But this is also worthwhile reading for the general public. Read the preface, where Gastwirth gives you a synopsis of these articles.

One of my favorites is the article by Seymour Geisser who tells a sad tale about how statistical issues relating to problems in the analysis of DNA evidence is covered up by the FBI. This is taken to the extent of influencing the refereeing process for journal publications, a shocking tale!

Unfortunately even though DNA evidence can be as conclusive as a fingerprint, human error in processing the evidence can create doubt about the matching process or even pursuade a jury that evidence was planted or a defendant frame. Such things are possible and defense lawyers now exist who are up to the task of creating such doubt as was done masterfully by Johnny Cochran and Barry Scheck in the O.J. trial.

Average customer rating:
Social science in the courtroom: Statistical techniques and research methods for winning class-action suits
James W Loewen
Manufacturer: Lexington Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Civil Procedure | Procedures & Litigation | Law | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0669043109

Average customer rating:
Science in the Courtroom A New Approach.(Statistical Data Included) : An article from: The Hastings Center Report
Rebecca Dresser
Manufacturer: Hastings Center
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Forensic Science | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Science | Subjects | Books
Science & Technology | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B00098VFHU
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Hastings Center Report, published by Hastings Center on May 1, 1999. The length of the article is 1778 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Science in the Courtroom A New Approach.(Statistical Data Included)
Author: Rebecca Dresser
Publication: The Hastings Center Report (Refereed)
Date: May 1, 1999
Publisher: Hastings Center
Volume: 29 Issue: 3 Page: 26

Article Type: Statistical Data Included

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

ghostly but grounded

FLATLINER -- drably pedestrian

a thoughtful writer and a thought-provoking book.

WOW

Rather unsatisfying

Eva Moves the Furniture: A Novel

Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Similar Items:

Banishing Verona: A Novel

The Missing World

Criminals: A Novel

Homework: A Novel

The Effect of Living Backwards

ASIN: B000C4SIDK

Book Description

On the morning of Eva McEwens birth, six magpies congregate in the apple tree outside the windowa bad omen, according to Scottish legend. That night Evas mother dies, leaving her to be raised by her aunt and her heartsick father in the small town of Troon, Scotland. As a child, Eva is often visited by two companions: a woman and a girl. Invisible to everyone else, they seem benevolent at first, helping her to tidy her room and collect the hens eggs. But as she grows older, their intentions become increasingly unclear: Do they wish to protect or harm her? Is their meddling in her best interest or prompted by darker motivations? In the shadow of World War II, Eva studies nursing in Glasgow, tending to the wounded soldiers. But when she falls in love with a young plastic surgeon, the companions seem to have a very different idea as to her fate, and once again she finds herself unable to resist their pull. A magical novel about loneliness, love, and the profound connection between mother and daughter, Eva Moves the Furniture fuses the simplicity of a fairy tale with the complexity of adult passions.

Customer Reviews:

ghostly but grounded.......2007-08-20

Margot Livesey's fictional life of Evan MacEwan in WWII-era Scotland appealed to me with its mention of ghostly companions on the back cover. The furniture moving reference reminded me of my studies in Spiritualism, so I brought it home.

From the beginning, the writing style was very engrossing. Livesey's prose is sturdy and clean, and yet extremely evocative of mood. Her words are expressive, but never overstated or grandiloquent, keeping in the theme of a sparsely kept life in a rural countryside.

Eva's character develops slowly but surely, drawing you in to hear her stories. While some references are made to events out of sequence (the book is narrated by Eva, looking backward), they always lead back to the main thread of the story, weaving events and characters neatly together.

What strikes me as the most triumphant success of this book is the ghostly characters themselves. In other books that I have read involving paranormal characters/events, it becomes obvious that asking the reader to suspend disbelief in favor of the ghosts is asking a lot. It's very tricky to keep them "real" enough to make the story work. In Jennifer McMahon's Promise Not to Tell, I found the story engaging, but the ghost involvement jarring compared to the actual characters. Not so with Eva's companions; they glide into place, blending into the tapestry of Eva's life completely.

Since I write reviews without spoilers, I will only say that the ending made me cry. This is the mark of a good book; one that touches you so deeply, you can weep for it. I think perhaps my greatest criticism would be that it's a very short book. I'll be looking for more of Livesey's work in the future.

FLATLINER -- drably pedestrian .......2007-07-19

I don't know why all the 5 star reviews.
I agree with reviewer Tim Lieder. The potential was there but......
This is Eva's life story. You know how some kids, they say, have imaginary friends?
Well, Eva's got two (and more depending on the situation) and they are very real ghosts that direct and guide her thu life whether she likes it or not. Their presence was good and bad so there didn't seem to be any rhyme nor reason to their being there. I mean, they could of made her life glorious! Made things happen! Opened doors. Or they could of made life real tough. But they didn't, so... nothing happened. The potential was there but it was not taken.

Livesey just didn't give it life. Flatline best describes this story. It lacked highlights, was monotone and lacked emotion and mystery. Too subtle. Pale. The only emotions came at the very end, and were extremely sad.

I liked Livesey's "The Criminals" so when I saw all the 5 stars for "Eva Moves the Furniture" I said, Alright!

a thoughtful writer and a thought-provoking book........2007-02-16

The care Margot Livesey took in crafting this story comes through on every page; indeed, every sentence is a multi-faceted jewel. The whole story blew open for me in the last chapter when I realized that this book, which is in a way a love letter to the author's fictionalized mother, is also Eva's fictional love letter to her daughter. A lyrical, uncanny, deeply moving book, with the ability to bring the worldly and the otherworldly together in ways that illuminate one another--you will recommend this book to everyone you know.

WOW.......2007-01-21

I must admit...I didn't know what to expect reading this book. It is wonderful and enchanting. You'll fall in love with Eva (the main character). You pretty much follow her through her life with her mysterious companions. It unfolds slowly but surely. This is a great read. Eva moves the furniture deals with Love, war, family, and life. Not another story like it.

Rather unsatisfying.......2006-11-26

Hmm. At first I liked it quite a bit, and thought the idea of the invisible companions was a good one. They could have done so much with that. However the whole thing was just kind of flat. Somehow it was engaging enough to keep me wanting to finish it and find out what happens.

Unfortunately..not a whole lot happens. At least there is never any big plot twist or monumental event in it. I suppose the ending is a bit..but even then it just felt kind of flat and dull. I couldn't care too much about the characters, and the whole thing just left me feeling unsatisfied and a bit depressed. Maybe I just like happy endings I don't know, but if its going to have a sad one I want actually care about the character and by the ending I was ready to be done. Or maybe a little bit of uplift after the sad ending, perhaps if she'd come back to her daughter after. Hmm.

Anyway it was okay but I wouldn't really recommend it.

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