New Titles

 

1) Carter, Ian and Dan Powell. The Hen Harrier's Year. 2022. Pelagic Publishing. Paperback: 172 pages. Price: $30.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Most British birds of prey have largely recovered from historical persecution, but the beleaguered Hen Harrier is still struggling and remains far less common than it should be. This is a particular shame, because it is one of our most inspiring raptors. Spectacular sky-dancing displays and balletic food passes from male to female brighten up the moors in summer. And in winter, communal roosts in the lowlands attract birders from far and wide to catch sight of this now-elusive species.

     This book follows the Hen Harrier over a year: from rearing young hidden away in dense heather, to the fight for survival in the harshest months of winter. Interspersed among the monthly accounts are chapters on the history and status of this iconic bird, as well as an overview of one of the most intractable conflicts in modern conservation: the Hen Harrier’s liking for grouse moors (and the grouse that are raised there) wins it few friends among shooters, and ongoing persecution continues to hamper its recovery. There are tentative signs of progress, but its fate as a breeding bird in England hangs in the balance.

     Evocative illustrations, in part based on privileged access to the handful of breeding birds that remain on England’s moors, showcase the Hen Harrier’s exploits through the seasons. These will delight admirers of this species and hopefully foster a greater interest in its well-being. The Hen Harrier needs all the help it can get.

RECOMMENDATION: Powell's artwork highlights this book! This book is a must have for anyone with an interest in the Hen Harrier!

 

 

2) Haig, Susan M. et al. (editors). As the Condor Soars: Conserving and Restoring Oregon's Birds. 2022. Oregon State University Press. Paperback: 334 pages. Price: $39.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: In the early part of this century, few dared imagine that Oregon would ever welcome back the majestic California Condor. Nobody would have predicted record numbers of Snowy Plovers on the coast. Oregon’s raptors and fish-eating birds were almost decimated. Yet, thanks to the heroic efforts of Oregon’s ornithologists, the birds are returning. As the Condor Soars presents a series of engaging essays about the efforts these scientists have made, and continue to make, to reduce the decline of Oregon’s bird species and restore their habitats.

     The essays collected in As the Condor Soars focus on the role that ornithologists have played in research, management, and conservation debates across the state over the past century. Contributors to this volume discuss new developments in the study of birds, from sophisticated tracking devices to the evolving connections between ornithologists and artists. Readers also learn about the important role of citizen scientists in saving our treasured birds. These essays provide hope for species recovery, despite environmental threats, when scientists and the public work together. They also offer to other regions examples of adaptive management learned through these efforts.

     This full-color book is beautifully illustrated by noted Oregon Coast artist Ram Papish and includes over eighty stunning photographs donated by some of the state’s finest nature photographers. Fifty capsule biographies of noted Oregon avian scientists round out the inspirational stories about the monumental efforts that have taken shape in recent decades. Accessibly written for scientists and laypeople alike, As the Condor Soars is a gift to everyone who cares about the conservation and restoration of Oregon’s birds.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with a serious interest in the birds of Oregon!

 

3) Cleave, Rohan and Julian Teh. On the Trail of the Plains-wanderer: A Precious Australian Bird. 2022. CSIRO Publishing. Hardbound: 32 pages. Price: $19.99 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: On the Trail of the Plains-wanderer tells the true story of one of Australia's most critically endangered bird species. This unique, quirky and precious bird faces many threats, but continues to survive against the odds. Discover more about this fascinating bird and see how people are providing hope for their future.

     Reading level varies from child to child, but we recommend this book for ages 5 to 9.

     Features:

• Introduces kids to the life of the Plains-wanderer – an ancient bird species that is unique as it is the sole member of its family.
• Because of its evolutionary uniqueness and risk of extinction, researchers have ranked the Plains-wanderer as Australia's most important bird and the fourth most important bird species in the world.
• The Plains-wanderer has been nicknamed the Goldilocks bird, as they are quite particular about their habitat.
• The books shares a message of hope, highlighting how farmers are working with researchers to make their properties just right.
• Explores how Zoos are helping save the Plains-wanderer with captive breeding programs and creative thinking.
  

RECOMMENDATION: It was nice to see this children's book on an unusual bird! 

 

 

 

 

4) Kells,Valerie A., Luiz A. Rocha, et al.. A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes of Bermuda, Bahamas, and the Caribbean Sea. 2022. Johns Hopkins University Press. Paperback: 569 pages. Price: $30.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Capturing the remarkable diversity of fishes from estuaries, mangrove nurseries, coralline and rocky reefs to well offshore, this fully illustrated guide to the subtropical coast of Bermuda, the tropical waters of the Bahamas, and the entire Caribbean Sea is the most comprehensive guide of its kind. The combined work of award-winning marine science illustrator Val Kells and distinguished ichthyologists Luiz A. Rocha and Carole C. Baldwin, A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes of Bermuda, Bahamas, and the Caribbean Sea is the region's newest and most thorough fish identification guide available. 

     Whether you are an angler, scuba diver, snorkeler, traveler, naturalist, student, teacher, or researcher, you'll find both common and rare fishes to identify―each illustrated in lifelike detail. The book's coverage extends from inshore brackish waters to depths of about 200 meters.
 
     Key features include:

• Over 1,470 illustrations of adults, juveniles, and other color variants
• Descriptions of 161 fish families and around 1,300 species
• Concise details about the features, range, and biology of each species      
 
     This guide is your go-to reference for fish identification on your boat, in your travel case, or on your bookshelf.

RECOMMENDATION: Val Kells artwork highlights this book! This title is a must have for anyone with an interest in the coastal fishes of the region.

 

5) Philip, Leila. Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America. 2022. Twelve. Hardbound: 317 pages. Price: $30.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: From award-winning writer Leila Philip, BEAVERLAND is a masterful work of narrative science writing, a book that highlights, though history and contemporary storytelling, how this weird rodent plays an oversized role in American history and its future. She follows fur trappers who lead her through waist high water, fur traders and fur auctioneers, as well as wildlife managers, PETA activists, Native American environmental vigilantes, scientists, engineers, and the colorful group of activists known as beaver believers.
 
     Beginning with the early trans-Atlantic trade in North America, Leila Philip traces the beaver’s profound influence on our nation’s early economy and feverish western expansion, its first corporations and multi-millionaires. In her pursuit of this weird and wonderful animal, she introduces us to people whose lives are devoted to the beaver, including a Harvard scientist from the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, who uses drones to create 3-dimensional images of beaver dams; and an environmental restoration consultant in the Chesapeake whose nickname is the “beaver whisperer”.
 
     What emerges is a poignant personal narrative, a startling portrait of the secretive world of the contemporary fur trade, and an engrossing ecological and historical investigation of these heroic animals who, once trapped to the point of extinction, have returned to the landscape as one of the greatest conservation stories of the 20th century. Beautifully written and impeccably researched, BEAVERLAND reveals the profound ways in which one odd creature and the trade surrounding it has shaped history, culture, and our environment.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with an interest in the American Beaver! 

 

 

 

6) Kelly, Ryan P. et al.. Between the Tides in Washington and Oregon: Exploring Beaches and Tidepools. 2022. University of Washington Press. Paperback: 253 pages. Price: $24.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: A spectacular variety of life flourishes between the ebb and flow of high and low tide. Anemones talk to each other through chemical signaling, clingfish grip rocks and resist the surging tide, and bioluminescent dinoflagellates―single-celled algae―light up disturbances in the shallow water like glowing fingerprints.

     This guidebook helps readers uncover the hidden workings of the natural world of the shoreline. Richly illustrated and accessibly written, Between the Tides in Washington and Oregon illuminates the scientific forces that shape the diversity of life at each beach and tidepool―perfect for beachgoers who want to know why.

     Features include:

• profiles of popular and off-the-beaten-track sites to visit along the Greater Salish Sea, Puget Sound, and Washington and Oregon coasts
• the fascinating stories behind both common and less familiar species
• a lively introduction to how coastal ecosystems work and why no two beaches are ever alike

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must have for anyone with an interest in the marine ecology of the region.

 

 7) Woolington, Josephine. Where We Call Home: Lands, Seas, and Skies of the Pacific Northwest. 2022. Ooligan Press. Paperback: 258 pages. Price: $24.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Reconnect with the natural world through essays that blend science and prose. In her debut work, Josephine Woolington turns back the clock to review the events that have challenged Pacific Northwest wildlife in an effort to provide a deeper sense of place. Only then can we imagine how these imperious effects might be overcome.

     Join Woolington as she sheds light on the diverse species whose populations are slowly declining from the lands, seas, and skies of the Pacific Northwest. Only by acknowledging this truth can we understand that our impact on the Earth is deeper and far more significant than we ever imagined. Through interviews with local educators, Indigenous leaders, scientists, and artists from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, the Haida Nation, the Yakama Nation, the Makah Tribe, and beyond, we are invited to decenter our singular perspective in favor of a more empathic, collective approach.

     The flora and fauna of the Pacific Northwest are resilient. As they adapt to a world far removed from its wonders, we must realize our own interconnectedness to nature and to one another. Woolington colors the rich history of the Pacific Northwest within the eye of its beholder so that society can learn to live intentionally in the land that sustains us all. From the coastal tailed frog to the sandhill crane, the yellow-cedar to the camas flower, these stories reimagine what it means to live mindfully in the colorful region we call home.

RECOMMENDATION: Anyone with an interest in the natural history of the Pacific Northwest should read this book!

8) Imbler, Sabrina. How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures. 2022.  Little, Brown and Company. Hardbound: 263 pages. Price: $27.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: A queer, mixed race writer working in a largely white, male field, science and conservation journalist Sabrina Imbler has always been drawn to the mystery of life in the sea, and particularly to creatures living in hostile or remote environments. Each essay in their debut collection profiles one such creature, including:

• the mother octopus who starves herself while watching over her eggs,
• the Chinese sturgeon whose migration route has been decimated by pollution and dams,
• the bizarre, predatory Bobbitt worm (named after Lorena),
• the common goldfish that flourishes in the wild,
• and more.

      Imbler discovers that some of the most radical models of family, community, and care can be found in the sea, from gelatinous chains that are both individual organisms and colonies of clones to deep-sea crabs that have no need for the sun, nourished instead by the chemicals and heat throbbing from the core of the Earth. Exploring themes of adaptation, survival, sexuality, and care, and weaving the wonders of marine biology with stories of their own family, relationships, and coming of age, How Far the Light Reaches is a shimmering, otherworldly debut that attunes us to new visions of our world and its miracles.

RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must read for anyone with an interest in marine life!

BEST BIRD BOOKS OF 2022

 

The following are my picks for the best bird books of 2022:

BEST BOOK:

 

 

 

1) Tuttle-Adams, Linda. Baby Bird Identification: A North American Guide. 2022. Comstock/Cornell University Press. Paperback: 401 pages. Price: $39.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Baby Bird Identification is a comprehensive illustrated guide for distinguishing hundreds of North American bird species in their early stages of life. From the just hatched to the fledgling, Linda Tuttle-Adams walks readers through the process of identifying baby birds that they may encounter in the wild―a first step to ensuring proper care and rehabilitation.

     Successful rehabilitation of birds found in the wild requires species-specific attention. But the identification of a baby bird, whether altricial or precocial, may seem overwhelming at first, even to a trained ornithologist. Tuttle-Adams lays out an approachable and systematic method for discerning a baby bird's identity, offering descriptions of telling anatomical and environmental features as well as details of a bird's day-to-day growth.

      With over four hundred original watercolor paintings and an illustrated glossary, Baby Bird Identification is an invaluable resource for wildlife rehabilitators, those who find baby birds in their yards or recreational places, and anyone who enjoys watching or studying birds in the wild.

RECOMMENDATION: A MUST have for all bird rehabilitators in the continental United States and Canada!  

 HONORABLE MENTIONS:

 

 

 

 

1) Lees, Alexander and James Gilroy. Vagrancy in Birds. 2022. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 400 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Avian vagrancy―the appearance of birds outside of their expected habitat―is a phenomenon that has fascinated natural historians for centuries, from Victorian collectors willing to spend fortunes on a rare specimen to today’s bird-chasing “twitchers.” Yet despite the obsessions of countless ornithologists, what do we actually know about the enigma of vagrancy? In Vagrancy in Birds, Alexander Lees and James Gilroy explore the causes, patterns, and processes behind the occurrences of these unique birds.

     Lees and Gilroy draw on recent research to answer fundamental questions: What causes avian vagrancy? Why do some places attract so many vagrant birds? Why are some species more predisposed to long-range vagrancy than others? The authors present readers with everything known about the subject, and bring together different lines of evidence to make the case for vagrancy as a biological phenomenon with important implications for avian ecology and evolution.

     Filled with a wealth of photographs, Vagrancy in Birds will fascinate avian enthusiasts everywhere.

RECOMMENDATION: A MUST have for anyone with an interest in this aspect of bird migration!

 

 

 

 

2) Myers, Susan. The Bird Name Book: A History of English Bird Names. 2022. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 416 pages. Price: $39.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The Bird Name Book is an alphabetical reference book on the origins and meanings of common group bird names, from “accentor” to “zeledonia.” A cornucopia of engaging facts and anecdotes, this superbly researched compendium presents a wealth of incisive entries alongside stunning photos by the author and beautiful historic prints and watercolors. Myers provides brief biographies of prominent figures in ornithology―such as John Gould, John Latham, Alfred Newton, and Robert Ridgway―and goes on to describe the etymological history of every common group bird name found in standardized English. She interweaves the stories behind the names with quotes from publications dating back to the 1400s, illuminating the shared evolution of language and our relationships with birds, and rooting the names in the history of ornithological discovery.

     Whether you are a well-traveled birder or have ever wondered how the birds in your backyard got their names, The Bird Name Book is an ideal companion.

RECOMMENDATION: A must have for those with an interest in ornithological etymology!

 

 

 

 

3) Bartley, Glenn and Andy Swash. Hummingbirds: A Celebration of Nature's Jewels. 2022. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 288 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: With their glorious colors, glittering iridescence, astonishing powers of flight, and many characteristics unique in the world of birds, hummingbirds are extraordinary―true jewels of nature. This beautiful book is a celebration of all aspects of hummingbirds and their world. It features hundreds of the most spectacular photographs of hummingbirds ever taken, exquisite illustrations, and a lively, readable text that presents the latest scientific information and includes up-to-date details about every species.

     A familiar sight across much of the Americas, hummingbirds have long captured the imagination and played an important part in myths, legends, and other aspects of human culture. Today, hummingbirds are among the most popular of all birds, sought after by serious and casual birders alike. They inspire questions in anyone lucky enough to see them. How can they fly like that? Why are they so colorful? How many are there? Where and how do they live? How do they survive? This book answers these and many other questions, providing an enlightening and enjoyable guide to hummingbirds that can only deepen their wonder.

• A definitive yet accessible account of all aspects of hummingbird life
• More than 540 spectacular color photographs, illustrating all 101 hummingbird genera and over two-thirds of the world’s 369 species
• Specially commissioned illustrations revealing details of anatomy and behavior
• Meticulously researched facts and figures on status, population, distribution, and conservation designations of all the world’s hummingbirds 
  

RECOMMENDATION: A must have for hummingbird fans!

 

 

 

 

4) Birkhead, Tim. Birds and Us: A 12,000-Year History from Cave Art to Conservation. 2022. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 441 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Since the dawn of human history, birds have stirred our imagination, inspiring and challenging our ideas about science, faith, art, and philosophy. We have worshipped birds as gods, hunted them for sustenance, adorned ourselves with their feathers, studied their wings to engineer flight, and, more recently, attempted to protect them. In Birds and Us, award-winning writer and ornithologist Tim Birkhead takes us on a dazzling epic journey through our mutual history with birds, from the ibises mummified and deified by Ancient Egyptians to the Renaissance fascination with woodpecker anatomy―and from the Victorian obsession with egg collecting to today’s fight to save endangered species and restore their habitats.

     Spanning continents and millennia, Birds and Us chronicles the beginnings of a written history of birds in ancient Greece and Rome, the obsession with falconry in the Middle Ages, and the development of ornithological science. Moving to the twentieth century, the book tells the story of the emergence of birdwatching and the field study of birds, and how they triggered an extraordinary flowering of knowledge and empathy for birds, eventually leading to today’s massive worldwide interest in birds―and the realization of the urgent need to save them.

     Weaving in stories from Birkhead’s life as scientist, including far-flung expeditions to wondrous Neolithic caves in Spain and the bustling guillemot (murre) colonies of the Faroe Islands, this rich and fascinating book is an unforgettable account of how birds have shaped us, and how we have shaped them.

RECOMMENDATION: If you liked the author's other books, you will want to read this one!

 

New Titles

 

1) Myers, Susan. The Bird Name Book: A History of English Bird Names. 2022. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 416 pages. Price: $39.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The Bird Name Book is an alphabetical reference book on the origins and meanings of common group bird names, from “accentor” to “zeledonia.” A cornucopia of engaging facts and anecdotes, this superbly researched compendium presents a wealth of incisive entries alongside stunning photos by the author and beautiful historic prints and watercolors. Myers provides brief biographies of prominent figures in ornithology―such as John Gould, John Latham, Alfred Newton, and Robert Ridgway―and goes on to describe the etymological history of every common group bird name found in standardized English. She interweaves the stories behind the names with quotes from publications dating back to the 1400s, illuminating the shared evolution of language and our relationships with birds, and rooting the names in the history of ornithological discovery.

     Whether you are a well-traveled birder or have ever wondered how the birds in your backyard got their names, The Bird Name Book is an ideal companion.

RECOMMENDATION: A must have for those with an interest in ornithological etymology!

 

2) De Roy, Tui. A Pocket Guide to Birds of Galápagos. 2022. Princeton University Press. Flexibound: 136 pages. Price: $17.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: A lifelong resident of Galápagos, Tui De Roy has been observing, studying, and photographing the islands’ astonishing birdlife for sixty years. In A Pocket Guide to Birds of Galápagos, she distills everything she has learned to create a one-of-a-kind field guide that every birder visiting the archipelago will want to carry with them wherever they go.

     A compact yet comprehensive combination of field guide and natural history, the book features more than 600 of De Roy’s superb photographs and is packed with detailed, easy-to-access information in bullet-point format. Every resident bird species is fully described and abundantly illustrated, showing different aspects of their life cycle, habitat, and behavior. And the islands’ most iconic bird group―Darwin’s Finches―is given special attention. With precise descriptions including plumage and beak variations, the book corrects many common identification errors about this group.

     Unique in design and content, A Pocket Guide to Birds of Galápagos is a must-have for all wildlife enthusiasts traveling to this fabled archipelago―and anyone who wants to better understand its spectacular birds.

• A compact yet comprehensive photographic identification guide
• Covers all resident species and frequent migrants
• Features more than 600 of Tui De Roy’s superb color photographs
• Includes distribution maps and easy-to-find information for identifying and understanding each species, including life cycles, habits, range, and conservation status
  

RECOMMENDATION: Also available from Princeton University Press is: Galápagos: A Natural History (Second Edition) by John Kricher and Kevin Loughlin. Both these titles are a must have for any naturalist interested in the Galapagos Islands!

 

 

3) O’Connor, Jingmai. When Dinosaurs Conquered the Skies: The incredible story of bird evolution. 2022. ‎ words & pictures. Hardbound: 64 pages. Price: $19.99 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: What are birds, and where did they come from? Discover fascinating facts about bird evolution, including:

• How the oldest bird fossils are about 150 million years old.
• That birds evolved from a group of meat-eating dinosaurs called theropods. That’s the same group that Tyrannosaurus Rex belonged to, although birds evolved from small theropods. 
• How these ancient birds looked quite a lot like small, feathered dinosaurs and they had much in common. Their mouths still contained sharp teeth.
• That over time, birds lost their teeth and evolved beaks.

      And more! The story of bird evolution is fascinating, and When Dinosaurs Conquered the Skies explores this incredible history in a digestible, accessible way. This book from the successful Incredible Evolution series proves that fact can definitely be stranger and more exciting than fiction! Can you imagine coming face-to-face with a toothy pigeon?!

      Through digestible information and absorbing illustrations, young readers will be given an insight into how dinosaurs evolved flight and conquered the skies.

      This book is from the Incredible Evolution series, a fascinating, informative collection of books which examine the development of life on earth. Other titles available include: When Plants Took Over the Planet, When We Became Humans, and When the Whales Walked.

RECOMMENDATION: For ages ‎ 8 - 12 years. A must read for any kid with an interest in dinosaurs and their relatives the birds!

 

4) Clavreul, Denis. In the Footsteps of Audubon. 2022. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 242 pages. Price: $39.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: In the nineteenth century, ornithologist and painter John James Audubon set out to create a complete pictorial record of North American birdlife, traveling from Louisiana and the Florida Keys to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the cliffs of the Yellowstone River. The resulting work, The Birds of America, stands as a monumental achievement in American art. Over a period of sixteen years, recording his own journey in journals and hundreds of original paintings, renowned French watercolorist Denis Clavreul followed in the naturalist’s footsteps.

     In the Footsteps of Audubon brings together some 250 of Clavreul’s stunning watercolors along with illuminating selections from Audubon’s journals and several of his paintings. With pencil and brush in hand, Clavreul turns his naturalist’s eye and painterly skill to the landscapes that Audubon encountered on his travels, and to the animals and plants that Audubon depicted in his art. A passionate ornithologist, Clavreul sketches birds in the wild with rare dexterity, bringing them vividly to life on the page. He documents his encounters along the way with people who live with nature, many of whom are passionately engaged in preserving it, drawing on his insights as both a biologist and an artist to connect the past, present, and future.

      A spellbinding, richly evocative journey, In the Footsteps of Audubon is an invitation to see the natural world as Audubon saw it―and to see with new eyes what it has become today.

RECOMMENDATION: A must have for anyone with an in interest Audubon and/or bird art!

 

5) Wilson, Helen F.. Robin (Animal Series). 2022. Reaktion Books. Paperback: 196 pages. Price: $19.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The [European] robin is a small bird with a distinctive ruddy breast, at once a British national treasure and a bird with a global reputation. In this superbly illustrated account, Helen F. Wilson looks at many aspects of the cherished robin, from its status as a harbinger of seasonal change and, in the United Kingdom, an icon of Christmas, to its place in fairy tales, environmental campaigns, and scientific discovery. In moving between cultural and natural histories, Robin asks wide-ranging questions, such as how did the robin’s name travel the world? Why is the robin so melancholy? Who was Cock Robin? And how has the history of the color red shaped the robin’s ambivalent associations and unusual origin stories?

RECOMMENDATION: A must read for those with an interest in the European Robin.

 

6) Reid, Fiona A. and Gianfranco Gómez Zamora. Pocket Guide to the Mammals of Costa Rica. 2022.  ‎ Comstock Publishing Associates. Paperback: 286 pages. Price: $31.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Pocket Guide to the Mammals of Costa Rica is the first guide to provide comprehensive coverage of every currently known mammal species found in Costa Rica. From the Central American Silky Anteater to the West Indian Manatee, Fiona A. Reid and Gianfranco Gómez Zamora introduce readers to over 200 species inhabiting the country and its waters. This pocket guide features:

• 60 plates with full-color illustrations and over 100 photographs
• An illustrated introduction covering the history of mammalogy in Costa Rica, how to find mammals, and more
• Up-to-date species accounts, range maps, and natural history vignettes 

     Lavishly illustrated and highly portable, the Pocket Guide to the Mammals of Costa Rica is indispensable for biologists, eco-tourists, and naturalists eager to learn more about the mammalian fauna of this small but biologically rich country.

RECOMMENDATION: A must have for those with an interest in the mammals of Costa Rica!

 

 

7) Paul, Gregory S.. The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Sea Reptiles. 2022. Princeton University Press. Hardbound: 208 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.  

PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: New discoveries are revealing that many ancient oceangoing reptiles were energetic animals capable of inhabiting an array of watery habitats and climates, including polar winters. The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Sea Reptiles provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive coverage of the great Mesozoic groups that commanded the seas for tens of millions of years. This incredible field guide covers 435 species and features stunning illustrations of swimming reptiles ranging in size from little lizards to others with great necks longer than their bodies. It discusses the history of sea reptiles through 185 million years of the Mesozoic, their anatomy, physiology, locomotion, reproduction and growth, and extinction, and even gives a taste of what it might be like to travel back to the Mesozoic. This one-of-a-kind guide also challenges the common image of these reptiles as giants of the prehistoric waters, showing how the largest weighed far less than today’s biggest whales.

• Features detailed species accounts of 435 different kinds of sea reptiles, with the latest size and mass estimates
• Written and illustrated by the acclaimed researcher and artist who helped to redefine our understanding of dinosaur anatomy
• Describes placodonts, plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs, mosasaurs, sea snakes, sea turtles, marine crocs, and more
• Covers everything from biology to the colorful history of sea reptile paleontology
• Includes dozens of original skeletal drawings and full-color life scenes
  

RECOMMENDATION: A must have for anyone with an interest in these extinct marine reptiles!

 

8) Darwin, Charles. On The Origin of Species: Evolutionary Edition. 2014. Simon Phillipson. Paperback: 964 pages. Price: $27.00 Euros (about $28.00 U.S.).

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: This "evolutionary edition" is a typographic inspired variorum edition of On the Origin of Species that highlights all the linguistic changes Charles Darwin introduced to the book since its first publication in 1859, by presenting them alongside the complete sixth and final edition of the book later published in 1872. The evolutionary format of this book allows you to compare all the alterations Darwin made over thirteen years due to his further understanding and testing on his own theories.

     The book is printed on 30gsm semi-translucent ‘bible paper’. The text is printed with black and special metallic bronze ink. The special double fold-out of Charles Darwin’s ‘Tree of Life’ diagram that was included in the original book from 1872 also features in this book.

RECOMMENDATION: A must have for anyone with an interest in Darwin's writings! The book can be ordered here.

 

9) Bashford, Alison. The Huxleys: An Intimate History of Evolution. 2022. University of Chicago Press. Hardbound: 529 pages. Price: $30.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Two hundred years of modern science and culture told through one family history.

     This momentous biography tells the story of the Huxleys: the Victorian natural historian T. H. Huxley (“Darwin’s Bulldog”) and his grandson, the scientist, conservationist, and zoologist Julian Huxley. Between them, they communicated to the world the great modern story of the theory of evolution by natural selection. In The Huxleys, celebrated historian Alison Bashford writes seamlessly about these omnivorous intellects together, almost as if they were a single man whose long, vital life bookended the colossal shifts in world history from the age of sail to the Space Age, and from colonial wars to world wars to the cold war.

      The Huxleys’ specialty was evolution in all its forms—at the grandest level of species, deep time, the Earth, and at the most personal and intimate. They illuminated the problems and wonders of the modern world and they fundamentally shaped how we see ourselves, as individuals and as a species.

      But perhaps their greatest subject was themselves. Bashford’s engaging, brilliantly ambitious book interweaves the Huxleys’ momentous public achievements with their private triumphs and tragedies. The result is the history of a family, but also a history of humanity grappling with its place in nature. This book shows how much we owe—for better or worse—to the unceasing curiosity, self-absorption, and enthusiasms of a small, strange group of men and women.

RECOMMENDATION: A must have for anyone with an interest in the history of science!