1) Kaufman, Kenn. Avid Reader Press. Hardbound: 387 pages. Price: $32.50 U.S.
Renowned naturalist Kenn Kaufman examines
the scientific discoveries of John James Audubon and his artistic and
ornithologist peers to show how what they saw (and what they missed)
reflects how we perceive and understand the natural world.
Raging
ambition. Towering egos. Competition under a veneer of courtesy. Heroic
effort combined with plagiarism, theft, exaggeration, and fraud. This
was the state of bird study in eastern North America during the early
1800s, as a handful of intrepid men raced to find the last few birds
that were still unknown to science.
The most famous name in the
bird world was John James Audubon, who painted spectacular portraits of
birds. But although his images were beautiful, creating great art was
not his main goal. Instead, he aimed to illustrate (and write about) as
many different species as possible, obsessed with trying to outdo his
rival, Alexander Wilson. George Ord, a fan and protégé of Wilson, held a
bitter grudge against Audubon for years, claiming he had faked much of
his information and his scientific claims. A few of Audubon’s birds were
pure fiction, and some of his writing was invented or plagiarized.
Other naturalists of the era, including Charles Bonaparte (nephew of
Napoleon), John Townsend, and Thomas Nuttall, also became entangled in
the scientific derby, as they stumbled toward an understanding of the
natural world—an endeavor that continues to this day.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone with an interest in the ornithological history of the USA!
2) Porter, Richard et al.. 35.00 U.S.
A fully revised edition of the acclaimed field guide to the birds of the Middle East.
The
Middle East is home to some of the most spectacular birdlife in the
world. This field guide covers all species—including vagrants—found in
the Arabian Peninsula (including Socotra), Jordan, Lebanon, Israel,
Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Cyprus. It features 180 superb color
plates depicting some 900 species and subspecies as well as 646 color
distribution maps that show the breeding range for almost every species.
Maps and detailed species accounts are opposite the plates, making this
marvelously illustrated guide ideal for easy reference in the field.
- Features fully revised and updated text, plates, and maps
- Covers more than 50 additional species and subspecies
- Includes more than 100 new illustrations as well as new information on the status and distribution of endemic species
- Now comes with QR codes of vocalizations
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone birding the Middle East!
3) Osborn, Sophie A. H.. Chelsea Green Publishing. Hardbound: 367 pages. Price: $32.50 U.S.
The story of one woman’s remarkable work
with a trio of charismatic, endangered bird species―and her discoveries
about the devastating threats that imperil them. In Feather Trails,
wildlife biologist and birder Sophie A. H. Osborn reveals how the
harmful environmental choices we’ve made―including pesticide use, the
introduction of invasive species, lead poisoning, and habitat
destruction―have decimated Peregrine Falcons, Hawaiian Crows, and
California Condors.
In the Rocky Mountains, the cloud
forests of Hawai’i, and the Grand Canyon, Sophie and her colleagues
work day-to-day to try to reintroduce these birds to the wild, even when
it seems that the odds are steeply stacked against their survival.
With humor and suspense, Feather Trails
introduces us to the fascinating behaviors and unique personalities of
Sophie’s avian charges and shows that what endangers them ultimately
threatens all life on our planet.
More than a deeply researched environmental investigation, Feather Trails
is also a personal journey and human story, in which Sophie overcomes
her own obstacles―among them heat exhaustion, poachers, rattlesnakes,
and chauvinism.
Ultimately, Feather Trails
is an inspiring, poignant narrative about endangered birds and how our
choices can help to ensure a future not only for the rarest species, but
for us too.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in endangered birds.
4) Ebert, David A. and Marc Dando. 39.95 U.S.
The waters off the East Coast of North America are home to an
amazing variety of sharks, rays and chimaeras. This groundbreaking,
comprehensive and easy-to-use field guide covers all 173 species found
along the eastern seaboard of the United States and Canada, including
Bermuda and the Bahamas, and extending into the Gulf of Mexico to the
Yucatan Peninsula. These are all the species that are encountered in the
shallow waters of estuaries and coasts and in the open ocean, including
rarely seen deepsea species.
Lavishly illustrated throughout,
this must-have guide includes detailed species accounts describing key
identification features, habitat, biology and status. It also features
illustrated key guides that enable users to accurately identify species,
comparison plates of similar species, dentition plates and
illustrations of egg cases, where known. This an essential guide for
fisheries management, trade regulation and shark conservation.
- The first field guide to cover all 173 species
- Features hundreds of color illustrations and photos
- Describes key features, habitat, biology and status
- Includes depth guides, at-a-glance icons and distribution maps
- Offers illustrated key guides, species comparisons and dentition plates
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-have for anyone with an interest in sharks and related fishes of the region!
5) Schieb, Armin. 24.95 U.S.
Ants come alive on this fabulously illustrated journey into the heart of a bustling colony.
Ants share a vibrant and complex communal life and remarkable abilities to communicate with each other. The Ant Collective
presents the world of ants as you have never seen it before, using
hyperrealistic, computer-generated imagery that shows 3D-like views of
activities inside and outside a thriving nest of red wood ants. With
chapters on topics ranging from the establishment and construction of
the nest to the birth of an ant trail and the relocation of a colony,
this one-of-a-kind book brilliantly integrates informative descriptions
with the illustrations, drawing on the latest science to reveal the
innermost workings of the colony and enabling you to explore the ant
collective as if you are there.
- Features a wealth of naturalistic 3D-like illustrations and schematic infographics
- Depicts
the anatomy of ants, the architecture of their nests, their
interactions with the environment and other animals, and their
collective social behavior
- Follows the annual life cycle of the colony
RECOMMENDATION: The 3-D artwork highlights this book! This book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in ants!
6) California Native Plant Society. Timber Press. Flexibound: 606 pages. Price: $29.99 U.S.
Wildflowers of California is a
comprehensive field guide for anyone wishing to learn about the
amazingly diverse wildflowers of the region. Organized by flower color
and shape, and including a range map for each flower described, the
guide is as user-friendly as it is informative. This must-have book is
perfect for hikers, naturalists, and native plant enthusiasts. - Describes and illustrates 1200 commonly encountered species
- Includes perennials, annuals, and shrubs, both native and nonnative
- Thousands of superb color photographs and range maps
- User-friendly organization by flower color and shape
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-have for anyone with an interest in California wildflowers!
7-8) Varner, Collin. University of Washington Press. Paperback: 123 pages each. Price: $14.95 U.S. each.
A keystone species is an organism that defines and supports an
entire ecosystem, filling a vital ecological niche. Without these
species, ecosystems would be radically altered or even collapse. This
full-color, pocket-sized field guide by best-selling naturalist Collin
Varner highlights fifty keystone trees, flowering plants, fruit-bearing
plants, marine plants, and fungi found across the Pacific Northwest
bioregion. Species profiled include Douglas fir, Sitka spruce,
large-leafed lupine, wild mint, Salal, salmonberry, marine eelgrass, and
red-belted polypore. Each entry features clear photography, etymology,
descriptions, habitat information, and risks and warnings. This
convenient and easy-to-use reference is perfect for walkers, hikers,
campers, and beachcombers and important for raising awareness of the
need to conserve and protect these vital species.
A keystone species is an organism that defines and supports an
entire ecosystem, filling a vital ecological niche. Without these
species, ecosystems would be radically altered or even collapse. This
full-color, pocket-sized field guide by best-selling naturalist Collin
Varner highlights fifty keystone birds, mammals, amphibians, insects,
fish, shellfish, and mollusks found across the Pacific Northwest
bioregion. Species profiled include the American crow, bald eagle,
American beaver, California sea lion, sea otter, orca, coyote, grizzly
bear, giant Pacific octopus, Chinook salmon, Pacific tree frog, Pacific
banana slug, and mixed bumblebee. Each entry features clear photography,
etymology, descriptions, habitat information, and risks and warnings.
This convenient and easy-to-use reference is perfect for walkers,
hikers, campers, beachcombers, sailors, paddlers, and whale watchers and
important for raising awareness of the need to conserve and protect
these vital species.
RECOMMENDATION: Both books are handy sized introductions to the concept of keystone species.
9) Zimmerman, Erin. Melville House. Hardbound: 262 pages. Price: $28.99 U.S.
Growing up in rural Ontario, Erin Zimmerman became fascinated with
plants—an obsession that led to a life in academia as a professional
botanist. But as her career choices narrowed in the face of failing
institutions and subtle, but ubiquitous, sexism, Zimmerman began to
doubt herself.
Unrooted: Botany, Motherhood, and the Fight to Save an Old Science is
a scientist’s memoir, a glimpse into the ordinary life of someone in a
fascinating field. This is a memoir about plants, about looking at the
world with wonder, and about what it means to be a woman in academia—an
environment that pushes out mothers and those with any outside
responsibilities. Zimmerman delves into her experiences as a new mom,
her decision to leave her position in post-graduate research, and how
she found a new way to stay in the field she loves.
She also
explores botany as a “dying science” worth fighting for. While still an
undergrad, Zimmerman’s university started the process of closing the
Botany Department, a sign of waning funding for her beloved science.
Still, she argues for its continuation, not only because we have at
least 100,000 plant species yet to be discovered, but because an
understanding of botany is crucial in the fight against climate change
and biodiversity loss.
Zimmerman is also a botanical illustrator and will provide 8 original illustrations for the book.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in botany and/or women in STEM!
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