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In The Forgotten Pollinators, two researchers delve into the little-known and fascinating world of pollination. The authors, an entomologist and an ethnobotanist and nature writer, illustrate in clear yet proficient language the importance of this interaction between insect and plant, which provides the world with one-third of its food source. Using colorful examples--including a moth that rappels down cliffs to pollinate a plant in Hawaii--they also explain how modern developments are threatening this essential process. Published through the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, the book is aimed at raising awareness about the potential loss of pollinators and their plants, while showing the larger picture of a fragile ecosystem through the eyes of some of its more unnoticed inhabitants.
Book Description
Consider this: Without interaction between animals and flowering plants, the seeds and fruits that make up nearly eighty percent of the human diet would not exist.
In The Forgotten Pollinators, Stephen L. Buchmann, one of the world's leading authorities on bees and pollination, and Gary Paul Nabhan, award-winning writer and renowned crop ecologist, explore the vital but little-appreciated relationship between plants and the animals they depend on for reproduction-bees, beetles, butterflies, hummingbirds, moths, bats, and countless other animals, some widely recognized and other almost unknown.
Scenes from around the globe-examining island flora and fauna on the Galapagos, counting bees in the Panamanian rain forest, witnessing an ancient honey-hunting ritual in Malaysia-bring to life the hidden relationships between plants and animals, and demonstrate the ways in which human society affects and is affected by those relationships. Buchmann and Nabhan combine vignettes from the field with expository discussions of ecology, botany, and crop science to present a lively and fascinating account of the ecological and cultural context of plant-pollinator relationships.
More than any other natural process, plant-pollinator relationships offer vivid examples of the connections between endangered species and threatened habitats. The authors explain how human-induced changes in pollinator populations-caused by overuse of chemical pesticides, unbridled development, and conversion of natural areas into monocultural cropland-can have a ripple effect on disparate species, ultimately leading to a "cascade of linked extinctions."
Customer Reviews:
Was entertaining..now important.......2007-05-15
I first read this book when it was published. It was entertaining and interesting. Each year after I saw my mango, tamarind, lychee trees in a very different way.
Now, (2007), with the global disappearance of major portions of the honeybee population, this book is relevant to survival.
"A Little Appreciation Please...".......2007-03-11
Little is known about the secret life of insects and their relationship among plants. Most people, including myself know at least this much; that bees and some insects feed on nectar and simultaneously pollinate flowers. After reading this book, I've realized that there is much more to pollination relationships. For instance, bees and butterflies are not the only pollinators. Beetles, bats, hummingbirds, tree squirrels etc. are a few examples of other natural pollinators. In Australia, there are over 1,500 bird species that have been confirmed as effective pollinators of plants. Wasps also pollinate certain flowers. In the southern U.S., spider wasps are important pollinators of native milkweed plants. Figwort blossoms similarly are especially adapted for visitations by wasps. There are about 10 to 15,000 species of wasps that functionally pollinate flowering plants.
This book explores in depth a fundamental but scarcely respected connection between plants and animals. Pollination ecology provides the framework of the book but the book ultimately focuses on raising awareness to the threats of plants and their pollinators. Other environmental issues such as habitat fragmentation and destruction, over use of insecticides, chemical farming, and monocropping are also addressed in a way that stimulates the reader. Misconceptions about the insect world are addressed. For example they talk about interspecies competition; and that honeybees aren't necessarily the best pollinators. Honeybees are not in fact the greatest pollinators not only because they are so widely used in commercial operations, but from an evolution standpoint. They are not capable of using buzz pollination like the bumblebees, which vigorously buzz their wings to receive maximum pollen. They also cannot fly in low temperatures like the Mason bees. Mason bees are responsible for a lot of early-spring blooms like blueberries, almonds, and the first apple blooms.
The author's approach to environmental concerns is conveyed in a style that is not only enlightening but is also educating. For a subject that could be considered "dry" or "tedious", the format of the book is written in an enjoyable manner. Personal encounters mixed with deep knowledge gives you a sense of being present with the narrators during their explorations. For instance, chapter 7 reveals the threats to migratory pollinators. For example, monarch butterflies winter in Mexico after traveling up to 2,000 miles from the north. As many as 20,000 monarchs per acre; are rested here during the average wintering season. The perils they mention begin with loss of habitat but then mainly focusing on the effects of toxic herbicides. For example, there are thousands of pounds of highly toxic insecticides that are applied to lettuce, cilantro, and squash. The bats, bees, and butterflies may not necessarily feed on the crops but are susceptible to any aerially sprays when passing by. To eliminate these dangers, farmers should be properly trained to apply certain pesticides to each crop at the appropriate stages.
Throughout the twelve chapters are excerpts of stories from their experiences all over the globe. The illustrations incorporated in the text were clear images that went along with the text. At the end of the book is a glossary; which I found was very helpful with the words and terminology used in the book.
The two authors are ardent naturalist that have written this book with great erudition. Gary Paul Nabhan is an award winning writer and a renowned crop ecologist. He's the winner of the John Burroughs Medal for his first book "Gathering the Desert". He also is a co-founder of the Native Seeds/Search organization. In addition, Gary works as a science advisor at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. There are also many publications on ethno botany, nutrition, and plant conservation written by him.
Stephen L. Buchmann is one of the world's leading authorities in bees and pollination. In 1999, he founded "Bee Works" which is an independent company that conducts pollinating surveys. The company works to educate people and also provides consultations for agricultural and wildlife groups. Buchmann has been a research entomologist for 22 years and is also a professor of entomology at the University of Arizona.
I enjoyed this book because I felt it gave me a new way of understanding material that I knew so little about. From practically not knowing anything about conservation biology; after reading this book I feel I have a better understanding of what it means to be a conservationist. Throughout the book, you can sense the dedication and collective works of the two authors. Their shared passion of protecting pollinators and preservation of co-evolution between plants and animals I found to be inspiring. This book does a great job in reminding us the importance of conservation, not only on a large scale but also on a smaller scale. We're lucky to have these natural pollination relationships between plants and animals.
Being a student interested in conservation; I think this book will enthuse anyone interested in ecosystem studies, biodiversity, wildlife, and or natural history. The concept ional level of the book is great for high school level education and advanced. I would definitely recommend this book to those seeking a guide to new insights about conservation biology. Overall this book packs a lot of information, but it presented a nice entry into the lively and fascinating world of pollinators.
And then there was none..........2004-12-17
This book really captures the beauty of the Southwest amoungst other places where pollinators play a crucial role. Buchmann and Nabhan tell a tale that is both dazzling and at the time disturbing: the lost of pollinators and how they impact our lives in so many ways. The book brings about how humankind takes for granted the timeless work these creatures do. Unfortunately, the writing style of the book tends to be repetative and thoughts fragmented like some of the stories were torn right out of a journal (which they probably were). However, overall a book that will add greater insight and depth to any human concerned about the environment.
an eye opener.......2001-08-06
A great book, fun to read. Its a real eye opener - with messages we all need to take with us. We're so dependent on the pollinators yet their work is so transparent to us. This book lays it all out. Its quite timeless in both the message and the great info on different types of insects and animals. You can learn a lot in this book on a lot of different levels
Discovering the facts of life.......2001-06-17
Reading this book I felt as though my basic education was flawed by my not having been taught the supreme importance of the insect world to all life on earth. Each page presented fascinating, sometimes alarming information, about our natural world that I had never seen, though it is always right in front of me. The most enlightening book I have read in years!
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The Forgotten Pollinators.: An article from: American Scientist
Manufacturer: Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
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Release Date: 2005-07-28 |
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Wetland Adaptations In Great Basin (Occasional Paper (University of Utah))
Joel C Janetski
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ASIN: 0874804957 |
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Berkeley Guides: Germany & Austria: On the Loose, On the Cheap, Off the Beaten Path (1997/4th ed)
Fodor's
Manufacturer: Fodor's
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ASIN: 0679031782
Release Date: 1996-12-30 |
Book Description
· A critically acclaimed budget travel guide with attitude, mixing an irreverent look at culture and politics with brutally honest dining, lodging, and sightseeing reviews; original, socially aware.
· Covers Germany & Austria from Hamburg to the Rhine Valley.
· Researched, written, and edited by University of California at Berkeley students.
· Packed with sidebars full of trivia and fascinating facts on everything from Wagner to architecture in Vienna.
· Up-to-date information on politics and culture.
· Hundreds of recommended cheap eats and sleeps plus suggested splurges.
· What's low-cost or free.
· Loaded with outdoor activities.
· Travel information for gays, women, people with disabilities.
· 50 pages of maps.
· Complete destination/topic indexes.
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Berkeley Guides: Germany & Austria 1996: On the Loose, On the Cheap, Off the Beaten Path (Berkeley Guides)
Fodor's
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ASIN: 0679029834
Release Date: 1995-12-26 |
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Cultures of the Past: Set 3
K. Heinds
Manufacturer: Benchmark Books (NY)
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- The Senses of Fish : Adaptations for the Reception of Natural Stimuli
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The Senses of Fish: Adaptations for the Reception of Natural Stimuli
Manufacturer: Alpha Science International, Ltd
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Fish comprise more than 50% of all living vertebrates and are found in a wide range of highly diverse habitats like the deep sea, the shoreline, tide pools, tropical streams and sweetwater ponds. During evolution, the senses of fish have adapted to the physical conditions of the environment in which different species live. As a result, the senses of fish exhibit a remarkable diversity that allows different species to deal with the physical constraints imposed by their habitat. In addition, fish have evolved several `new' sensory systems that are unique to the aquatic environment.
In this book, examples of adaptation and refinement are given for six sensory systems:
The visual system, The auditory system, The olfactory system, The mechanosensory lateral line system, The taste system, The electrosensory system. In each case, the environmental conditions under which a particular group of fish lives are analyzed. This is followed by a description of morphology and physiology of the sensory system and by an evaluation of its perceptional capabilities. Finally, the sensory adaptations to the particular conditions that prevail in the habitat of a species are highlighted.
The various examples from different groups of fish presented in this book demonstrate the impressive capability of fish sensory systems to effectively overcome physical problems imposed by the environment.
Customer Reviews:
The Senses of Fish : Adaptations for the Reception of Natural Stimuli.......2005-09-26
This is a comprehensive text reviewing chapter by chapter, various topics on Sensory Biology of Fish, a group where considerable research effort has been expended. I ordered this book to supplement lectures in a graduate level fish biology course. To this end, this book is ideal. The reviews are widesweeping and yet the authors balance this with a great deal of detail in some areas. The illustrations and photos are also very good. Some photographs are in color and provide very nice examples, such as Dr. H.J. Wagner's work on brains of Deep Sea fishes. I am very happy with this book.
Customer Reviews:
Overall and Excellent Textbook.......2007-01-17
I have used this textbook for the last three years in my undergraduate chemical engineering thermodynamics course. Material is presented in a general way and teaches students general problem solving strategies so they can solve any problem, not just a few convenient special cases. There are numerous examples provided for each section of the text and each example is presented step by step. There are a wide range of problems provided at various levels of difficulty from easy to very difficult. In addition, the authors provide a number of Excel spreadsheets and computer programs so that students can solve very complicated phase equilibria problems with little effort.
The only negative comment I have is that the last copy of this textbook I recieved was printed poorly, and the binding fell apart after only one semester of use. The previous two copies I received did not have this problem.
In response to the poster who said their tutor called it a "waste of money", one should keep in mind that this is a chemical engineering textbook, while the Boles text is geared toward mechanical engineers. By the time chemical engineering students take thermodynamics, they have had a year of chemistry, followed by organic chemistry and physical chemistry (or are taking p-chem at the same time as their thermodynamics course). In addition, ChE majors also get basic thermodynamics (1st Law energy balances) in Material and Energy Balances. This text picks up right where the MEB course ends.
Amir Vahid.......2006-08-06
I have read the book that was written by Prof. Elliott and Prof. Lira while I was a M.Sc student in Iran. Chapter 15 captured my interests and that's why now I am a Ph.D. student in Prof. Elliott's group. I would suggest the authors to update Chapter 15 and give more FORTRAN programs related to this chapter to readers and explain it in a more coherent way. Also, they should compare their's with Sandler's thermo book to gather some new ideas for the next edition. The name of the book also should be changed for future edition since it's objective is for both undergraduate and graduate students. Finally, I should say that this book was the best thermo book I have ever read.
Amir Vahid
[...]
Introductory? Says who?.......2000-07-28
I bought this book a few weeks ago thinking that it will give me a good base to begin my first thermo course next year. I was so lost and confused by the book that I immediately sought help, and my tutor told me that I had completely wasted my money. If you are someone who has never done thermo before, like myself, save your money for something more useful: there is nothing introductory about this text. Try checking out Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach by Boles (a MUCH better introductory text-book).
Makes you work!.......2000-05-19
I think the text was pretty good; it made you consult references frequently, and that is a necessary skill to have as an engineer. As an engineer you have to know how to pick up theory and put it to use quickly. The problems were rough and time consuming, but that's because no problems in engineering are easy! When completed, though, you are satisfied. To the last guy: "physics" is the one major that can do anything! Everything in science is either physics or bug collecting, whether you like it or not :) But, engineering is more marketable.
This is an INTRODUCTORY to thermodynamics text.......2000-05-15
How do you write a textbook explaining everything in detail? You can't and this is why students have instructors. This book is an INTRODUCTORY text for thermodynamics. For example, you can't derive departure functions for every equation of state. There are just too many of them. The book did have many useful example problems. Still it wasn't enough. I just completed my thermodynamics course at the University of Akron and I had to develop my own comprehensive view of the ideas stated in the book. It was very useful as a tool, but don't expect to teach yourself thermodynamics from it. That's what your instructor is for. You can understand concepts by concentrating on the many useful analogies given in the book. For example, the parking lot analogy which explains radial distribution. I have some advice when going through this book. You are chemical engineer majors; the one major that can do anything. At this stage of the game, you should start thinking like an engineer thinks. For example, the guy who wanted to know why dh=0 for throttles. He should be try to figure out that on his own. That is what engineers are supposed to do. Instructors explain this in class, as well. I agree that Chapter 4 was very vague, but again, this is an introductory course. We have two more years of learning. In conclusion, don't expect to learn everything about thermodynamics from this book. You won't. But do expect to learn the basic principles about thermodynamics. That is the strong point of this book.
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Introductory chemical thermodynamics
Dennis Sherwood
Manufacturer: Longman
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Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: 0582442087 |
Book Description
In a simple and progressive way, this book explains the ideas and techniques of statistical mechanics. Most other books of the same subject tend to be dry and unappealing and undergraduates find themselves confused with the difficult maths presented. This is indeed a tricky subject to explain and techniques doing so are often complicated. However this book starts with the laws of thermodynamics and simple ideas of quantum mechanics and the reader is led through progressively more complex problems with all the mathematical detail explained. This will be a much welcomed book by all physics and chemistry undergradutes studying the subject.
Customer Reviews:
Great introduction to statistical mechanics.......2003-05-09
I recommend this book to anyone who is taking an undergraduate course in stat mech. I also recommend it to beginning GRADUATE students of stat mech. I used it for my own graduate coursework and I found it to be extremely helpful.
This book provides a clean, uncluttered presentation of the principles of stat mech; does not lose sight of the physical reasons behind the mathematical manipulations; and most helpful of all, contains a good set of problems WITH SOLUTIONS! It has been more helpful to me in my graduate work than any graduate-level book!
In a next edition, maybe the authors can include a gentle introduction to the new renormalization group theory of phase transitions, and also increase the number and depth of problems.
If you plan on studying stat mech, get this book.
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Algorithm Theory - SWAT 2004: 9th Scandinavian Workshop on Algorithm Theory, Humlebaek, Denmark, July 8-10, 2004, Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)
Manufacturer: Springer
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| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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ASIN: 3540223398 |
Book Description
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 9th Scandinavian Workshop on Algorithm Theory, SWAT 2004, held in Humlebaek, Denmark in July 2004.
The 40 revised full papers presented together with an invited paper and the abstract of an invited talk were carefully reviewed and selected from 121 submissions. The papers span the entire range of theoretical algorithmics and applications in various fields including graph algorithms, computational geometry, scheduling, approximation algorithms, network algorithms, data storage and manipulation, bioinformatics, combinatorics, sorting, searching, online algorithms, optimization, etc.
Book Description
Representing the full richness of Shakespeare's writing, the World's Classics offer the best value critical editions of his plays. Authoritative and up to date, they are `not simply a better text but a new conception of Shakespeare'.
Customer Reviews:
Classic..........2007-08-26
One of the classics, what else can I say? Sure, a bit melodramatic, but this is Shakespear after all.
A tragedy of sweeping proportions.......2007-05-25
This is a tragic play of a man who has the skill and the determination to rule the world, but instead he brings himself to ruin through capitulation to desires of the flesh. Antony's love for Cleopatra is so self-destructive that he in the end has to turn to suicide to escape his downward spiral. It's not an easy play to read, but it is an important one.
I am a woman more sinned against than sinning, cries Cleopatra.......2006-02-16
A great deal of argument has been in the air during the last couple of decades over Shakespeare's rendering of the famous history of Cleopatra , the once upon a time queen of Egypt and her so- called wanton nature and habits that brought her in relation with two Roman military leaders namely ,Mark Antony and Julius Caesar .
From a purely feminist perspective, Cleopatra has been the butt of male-oriented chauvinistic attack and criticism that deemed her a `sexual glutton and `as old as sin itself `. In a male-dominated world like the one we live, woman's beauty is her scourge. No body blames the customer of the prostitute; people are always after the prostitute ,because she is a woman but the male her customer goes unpunished, he has the privilege to enjoy every thing without the least censure. Cleopatra as a matter of fact, is more sinned against than sinning; she was the victim of male-oriented criticism which saw in her an apt image of the `Other `, so why not projecting centuries-long and long-nursed grudge on her as a symbol of women ,of course not as a mother, a sister or even a wife but as a mistress who takes delight in wrecking peaceful house-holds and disrupting the coziness of family life. She is an Amazon woman or a man-eater with lewd insatiable passion that does not stop at any thing to satisfy her sexual urge
Shakespeare seems to subscribe to the above-mentioned misconceptions about Cleopatra; his is a woman , ready to do any and everything cost what it may to live in the mood of love. She shuns the business of the state and neglects her duties as a queen of a strategic country. According to Shakespeare's distorted image of history, Cleopatra's bent for sex and desire makes her interweave a web to enmesh even her arch enemies. Shakespeare does not seem to believe that true faithful love knows no boundaries. Cleopatra's love for Antony and Julius Caesar could have been true love that could have bridged gaps of difference and enmity between Egypt and Rome if not looked upon from the wrong end of perspective.
Further more, if this kind of love has been, in the eyes of those of us -the hapless romantically inclined lovers- who believe only in platonic love, sensual and momentary, the child of momentary sexual infatuation, why do we always blame the woman? - Cleopatra in this case - why do we not fix an equal share of the blame on Caesar and Antony? . In our eyes, male as they are, Cleopatra is "the belly dancer sans merci" whose magical web can not be helped and works with even the most powerful of men in the world. In the eyes of male-hegemony, woman is an object to be loved but never capable of love
Politics and passion........2004-07-27
I recently re-read ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA prior to attending The Colorado Shakespeare Festival's performance of the ambitious play under the summer stars here in Boulder. Drawn from Sir Thomas North's 1579 English version of Plutarch's Lives, William Shakespeare (1552-1616) produced this romantic tragedy late in his career, around 1607, and published it in the First Folio in 1623. It tells the story of a doomed romance between two charismatic lovers, Roman military leader, Marc Antony, and the captivating Queen of Egypt (and former mistress of Julius Caesar), Cleopatra. When his wife, Fulvia unexpectedly dies, Antony is summoned from Egypt to Rome to mend a political rift with Octavius by marrying his recently widowed sister, Octavia. Of course, this news enrages passionate Cleopatra. She vents her anger on the messenger, but is quick to realize that Octavia is no real rival to her when it comes to beauty. However, Antony soon follows his heart back to Cleopatra's arms, abandoning his new wife in Athens. This leads to war, when Octavius declares war on Egypt. After Octavius eventually defeats Antony at Alexandria, Cleopatra sends a false report of her suicide, which prompts Antony to wound himself mortally. Antony dies in his lover's arms, and rather than submit to Roman rule under the new Caesar (Octavius), the heart-broken Cleopatra asks to have a poisonous snake delivered to her in a basket of figs. In the end, ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA is as much about new sparks re-igniting the flames of love as new political forces supplanting old political regimes. It is a play that reminds me that it is perhaps better to re-read and understand Shakespeare than to devour one bestseller after the next.
G. Merritt
Not without interest........2004-04-13
Not one of Shakespeare's more memorable works, there are some pluses to this play and relatively few minuses, but neither the pluses nor the minuses are anything that stands out. It is nice to have yet another play told in Shakespeare's beautiful language, and enjoyable to see a love story that centers on people old enough to no longer be in the first blush of youth, even if they ARE still young enough to be beautiful and virile. On the other hand, I'd have liked to see these more mature lovers BEHAVING somewhat more maturely, instead of being just as frivolous, headstrong, and foolish as the kids in "Romeo And Juliet", and there really aren't any lines from this play that come immediately to mind as having entered the "Quotes Hall Of Fame", as so many lines from Shakespeare's plays have. Nothing on the order of "A horse! My Kingdom for a horse!" or "Alas, poor Yorick; I knew him well." or "To be or not to be, that is the question", or so many others.
If you enjoy Shakespearean plays, you'll probably enjoy this one. But there's no real reason for anyone but a completist to read this.
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The Tragedy of Anthony and Cleopatra
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Royal Composing Room, Inc., Finch, Pruyn & Co, Inc., Rae Publishing Co. Inc., A. Horowitz & Son
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ASIN: B000GXF6JQ |
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Shakespeare's tragedy of Anthony and Cleopatra;
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: American Book Company
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ASIN: B0006ADVHI |
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The Tragedy of Anthony and Cleopatra
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
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ASIN: B000P1B5GM |
Books:
- The Georgia Conservancy's Guide to the North Georgia Mountains
- The History and Geography of Human Genes
- The Incredible Coral Reef: Another Active-Learning Book for Kids
- The Life Cycle of a Sea Horse (The Life Cycle)
- The natural sciences know nothing of evolution
- The Nature of Alaska, 2nd: An Introduction to Familiar Plants and Animals and Natural Attractions (Field Guides - Waterford Press)
- The Smile of a Dolphin: Remarkable Accounts of Animal Emotions
- The Story of Vermont: A Natural and Cultural History (Middlebury Bicentennial Series in Environmental Studies)
- The White Death: Tragedy and Heroism in an Avalanche Zone
- This Incomparable Land: A Guide to American Nature Writing
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers
- History: Fiction or Science
- Four Mothers: A Novel
- Flores De Bach Para Principiantes: 38 esencias con remedios practicos y naturales
- Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training, Vol. 1: Adaptation and Learning
- Dynamic Modelling of Gas Turbines: Identification, Simulation, Condition Monitoring and Optimal Cont
- Fundamentals of Differential Equations, Sixth Edition
- Diaries 1898-1902
- Farmboy: Hard Work and Good Times on a Farm That Helped Change Northeast Agriculture
- Compartments in Algal Cells and Their Interaction