In a world filled with breathtaking beauty, we have often overlooked the elusive charm and magic of certain landscapes. A cloudy river flows into a verdant Arctic wetland where sandhill cranes and muskoxen dwell. Further south, cypress branches hang low over dismal swamps. Places like these-collectively known as swamplands or peatlands-often go unnoticed for their ecological splendor. They are as globally significant as rainforests, and function as critical carbon sinks for addressing our climate crisis. Yet, because of their reputation as wastelands, they are being systematically drained and degraded to make way for oilsands, mines, farms, and electricity. In Swamplands, journalist Edward Struzik celebrates these wild places, venturing into windswept bogs in Kauai and the last remnants of an ancient peatland in the Mojave Desert.
‎Island Press
|
9781642830804
|
Hardcover
Afterglow
By Myles, Eileen
Prolific and widely renowned, Eileen Myles is a trailblazer whose decades of literary and artistic work "set a bar for openness, frankness, and variability few lives could ever match" (New York Review of Books) . This newest book paints a kaleidoscopic portrait of a beloved confidant: the pit bull called Rosie.In 1990, Myles chose Rosie from a litter on the street, and their connection instantly began to make an indelible impact on the writer's sense of self and work. Over the course of sixteen years together, Myles was devoted to the dog's wellbeing. Starting from the emptiness following Rosie's death, Afterglow (a dog memoir) launches a probing investigation into the dynamics between pet and pet-owner. Through this lens, we examine Myles's experiences with intimacy and spirituality, celebrity and politics, alcoholism and recovery, fathers and family history, as well as the fantastical myths we invent to get to the heart of grief.Moving from an imaginary talk show where Rosie is interviewed by Myles's childhood puppet, to a critical reenactment of the night Rosie mated with another pit bull; from lyrical transcriptions of their walks, to Rosie's enlightened narration from the afterlife, Afterglow illuminates what happens to our identities when we dedicate our existence to a dog.
Grove Press
|
9780802127099
|
Hardcover
Encyclopedia of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises
By Hoyt, Erich
In the Encyclopedia of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises, award-winning author and whale researcher Erich Hoyt takes readers into the field for an intimate encounter with some 90 species of cetaceans that make their homes in the world's oceans. Drawing on decades of firsthand experience and a comprehensive familiarity with the current revolution in cetacean studies, Hoyt provides unique insights into the life histories of these compelling marine mammals. Here are discoveries about cetacean biology and behavior, from the physical differences and adaptations among the baleen and toothed whales to their highly intelligent hunting and feeding methods. The courtship and mating practices, family relationships and the lifelong bonds among some family members are fascinating.
Firefly Books
|
9781770859418
|
Hardcover
Aerial Geology
By Morton, Mary Caperton
Sit back and enjoy a new view Filled with fun facts, fascinating histories, and atmospheric photography, Aerial Geology is an up-in-the-sky exploration of North America's 100 most spectacular geological formations. Crisscrossing the continent from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to the Great Salt Lake in Utah and to the Chicxulub Crater in Mexico, Mary Caperton Morton brings you on a fantastic tour, sharing aerial and satellite photography, explanations on how each site was formed, and details on what makes each landform noteworthy. Maps and diagrams help illustrate the geological processes and clarify scientific concepts. Fact-filled, curious, and way more fun than the geology you remember from grade school, Aerial Geology is a must-have for the insatiably curious, armchair geologists, million-mile travelers, and anyone who has stared out the window of a plane and wondered what was below.
Timber Press
|
9781604697629
|
Hardcover
Fossil Men
By Pattison, Kermit
Discusses the search for the fossilized remains of the earliest human ancestors in the hopes that the discoveries will offer new insights into the development, origins and evolution of the human species and reveals what is known about existing fossils.
William Morrow
|
9780062410283
|
Hardcover
The Secret Language of Dogs
By Stilwell, Victoria
The star of Animal Planet's It's Me or the Dog Victoria Stilwell reveals how to both interpret and "speak" the hidden language of dogs. Recent studies into the minds of canines show that they have a rich social intelligence and a physical and vocal language as complex and subtle as our own. In this fun and fascinating guide, world-renowned trainer Victoria Stilwell explores the inner world of dogs. This book is your guide to understanding your pooch, communicating effectively, strengthening your bond, and helping dogs learn in the most effective way possible so they feel confident navigating the human world with success. Along the way, you'll learn the answers to questions such as: * What do different tail wags mean? * What does being right-pawed say about my dog's personality? * How can I tell the difference between boredom barking and warning barking? * What does it mean when my dog spins around, arches his back, or gives me the whale eye? * Do dogs feel guilt? * How do dogs perceive human faces? * Why do some scientists think dogs' emotional experience is even greater than ours?Filled with adorable full-color photographs and instructive illustrations, this insightful "dog decoder" will soon make you dog's best friend.
Ten Speed Press
|
9781607749523
|
Print book
The Man Who Climbs Trees
By Aldred, James
A professional tree climber encounters gorillas, snakes, spiders, and birds of prey, as well as answers and perspective, hundreds of feet up, all over the world Every child knows the allure of climbing trees. But how many of us get to make a living at it, spending days observing nature from the canopies of stunning forests all around the world? As a wildlife cameraman for the BBC and National Geographic, James Aldred spends his working life high up in trees, poised to capture key moments in the lives of wild animals and birds. Aldred's climbs take him to the most incredible and majestic trees in existence. In Borneo, home to the tallest tropical rain forest on the planet, just getting a rope up into the 250-foot-tall trees is a challenge. In Venezuela, even body armor isn't guaranteed protection against the razor-sharp talons of a nesting Harpy Eagle. In Australia, the peace of being lulled to sleep in a hammock twenty-five stories above the ground - after a grueling day of climbing and filming - is broken by a midnight storm that threatens to topple the tree. In this vivid account of memorable trees he has climbed ("Goliath," "Apollo," "Roaring Meg") , Aldred blends incredible stories of his adventures in the branches with a fascination for the majesty of trees to show us the joy of rising - literally - above the daily grind, up into the canopy of the forest.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
|
9781328473059
|
Hardcover
My Patients and Other Animals
By Fincham-gray, Suzanne
A moving memoir of a life spent in the company of animals - a veterinarian sheds light on the universal experiences of illness, healing, and how we care for loved ones. The pursuit of a childhood dream has taken Suzy Fincham-Gray on a journey in veterinary medicine from pastoral farms on the English-Welsh border to emergency rooms in urban American animal hospitals, with thousands of stories collected along the way. In this unforgettable literary debut, she writes about some of the most emotionally challenging and rewarding cases of her career. Like many physicians, Fincham-Gray tends to see her patients at often life-or-death moments. While dramatic, these stories expand into deeper explorations of our complex, profound relationships with the animals in our lives. She describes the satisfaction of diagnosing and treating difficult diseases and the universal experience of loving a pet, and - inevitably - raises questions about their end-of-life care. We meet Grayling, an Irish wolfhound in need of critical treatment; we learn about the fulfillment of caring for a chronically ill pet from the story of Zeke, a silver-brown tabby cat who likes to eat just a little too much; and we fall in love with Monty and Emma, Fincham-Gray's own adopted cat and dog, who change her life in joyful and unexpected ways. Fincham-Gray depicts the sleepless nights she spends waiting for her pager to call her to the clinic, the cutthroat competition among residents, and what it's really like to care for patients who can't advocate for themselves. Warm and humorous, Suzy Fincham-Gray is a rare breed - a clinician with an intimate, elegant literary style. She writes with the same tenderness she brings to her patients, whose needs she must meet with her mind, her hands, and her heart. "Suzy Fincham-Gray gives readers rare insight into the making of a compassionate doctor. Her passion for both science and the animals she cares for, combined with her eloquence as a writer, made me want Suzy as both my dogs' veterinarian and my own friend." - Teresa J. Rhyne, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Dog Lived (and So Will I)
Spiegel & Grau
|
9780812998184
|
Hardcover
The Inner Life of Cats
By Mcnamee, Thomas
Our feline companions are much-loved but often mysterious. In The Inner Life of Cats, Thomas McNamee blends scientific reportage with engaging, illustrative anecdotes about his own beloved cat, Augusta, to explore and illuminate the secrets and enigmas of her kind. As it begins, The Inner Life of Cats follows the development of the young Augusta while simultaneously explaining the basics of a kittens physiological and psychological development. As the narrative progresses, McNamee also charts cats evolution, explores a feral cat colony in Rome, tells the story of Augustas life and adventures, and consults with behavioral experts, animal activists, and researchers, who will help readers more fully understand cats. McNamee shows that with deeper knowledge of cats developmental phases and individual idiosyncrasies, we can do a better job of guiding cats maturation and improving the quality of their lives. Readers relationships with their feline friends will be happier and more harmonious because of this book.
Hachette Books
|
9780316262873
|
Hardcover
Innumerable Insects
By Engel, Michael S.
A fascinating look at the world's most numerous inhabitants, illustrated with stunning images from the American Museum of Natural History's Rare Book Collection. To date, we have discovered and described or named around 1.1 million insect species, and thousands of new species are added to the ranks every year. It is estimated that there are around five million insect species on Earth, making them the most diverse lineage of all life by far. This magnificent volume from the American Museum of Natural History tells their incredible story. Noted entomologist Michael S. Engel explores insects' evolution and diversity; metamorphosis; pests, parasites, and plagues; society and language; camouflage; and pollination - as well as tales of discovery by intrepid entomologists. More than 180 illustrations from the Rare Book Collection at the Museum's Research Library reveal the extraordinary world of insects down to their tiniest, most astonishing details, from butterflies' iridescent wings to beetles' vibrant colors.
Swamplands
By Struzik, Edward
In a world filled with breathtaking beauty, we have often overlooked the elusive charm and magic of certain landscapes. A cloudy river flows into a verdant Arctic wetland where sandhill cranes and muskoxen dwell. Further south, cypress branches hang low over dismal swamps. Places like these-collectively known as swamplands or peatlands-often go unnoticed for their ecological splendor. They are as globally significant as rainforests, and function as critical carbon sinks for addressing our climate crisis. Yet, because of their reputation as wastelands, they are being systematically drained and degraded to make way for oilsands, mines, farms, and electricity. In Swamplands, journalist Edward Struzik celebrates these wild places, venturing into windswept bogs in Kauai and the last remnants of an ancient peatland in the Mojave Desert.
Afterglow
By Myles, Eileen
Prolific and widely renowned, Eileen Myles is a trailblazer whose decades of literary and artistic work "set a bar for openness, frankness, and variability few lives could ever match" (New York Review of Books) . This newest book paints a kaleidoscopic portrait of a beloved confidant: the pit bull called Rosie.In 1990, Myles chose Rosie from a litter on the street, and their connection instantly began to make an indelible impact on the writer's sense of self and work. Over the course of sixteen years together, Myles was devoted to the dog's wellbeing. Starting from the emptiness following Rosie's death, Afterglow (a dog memoir) launches a probing investigation into the dynamics between pet and pet-owner. Through this lens, we examine Myles's experiences with intimacy and spirituality, celebrity and politics, alcoholism and recovery, fathers and family history, as well as the fantastical myths we invent to get to the heart of grief.Moving from an imaginary talk show where Rosie is interviewed by Myles's childhood puppet, to a critical reenactment of the night Rosie mated with another pit bull; from lyrical transcriptions of their walks, to Rosie's enlightened narration from the afterlife, Afterglow illuminates what happens to our identities when we dedicate our existence to a dog.
Encyclopedia of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises
By Hoyt, Erich
In the Encyclopedia of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises, award-winning author and whale researcher Erich Hoyt takes readers into the field for an intimate encounter with some 90 species of cetaceans that make their homes in the world's oceans. Drawing on decades of firsthand experience and a comprehensive familiarity with the current revolution in cetacean studies, Hoyt provides unique insights into the life histories of these compelling marine mammals. Here are discoveries about cetacean biology and behavior, from the physical differences and adaptations among the baleen and toothed whales to their highly intelligent hunting and feeding methods. The courtship and mating practices, family relationships and the lifelong bonds among some family members are fascinating.
Aerial Geology
By Morton, Mary Caperton
Sit back and enjoy a new view Filled with fun facts, fascinating histories, and atmospheric photography, Aerial Geology is an up-in-the-sky exploration of North America's 100 most spectacular geological formations. Crisscrossing the continent from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to the Great Salt Lake in Utah and to the Chicxulub Crater in Mexico, Mary Caperton Morton brings you on a fantastic tour, sharing aerial and satellite photography, explanations on how each site was formed, and details on what makes each landform noteworthy. Maps and diagrams help illustrate the geological processes and clarify scientific concepts. Fact-filled, curious, and way more fun than the geology you remember from grade school, Aerial Geology is a must-have for the insatiably curious, armchair geologists, million-mile travelers, and anyone who has stared out the window of a plane and wondered what was below.
Fossil Men
By Pattison, Kermit
Discusses the search for the fossilized remains of the earliest human ancestors in the hopes that the discoveries will offer new insights into the development, origins and evolution of the human species and reveals what is known about existing fossils.
The Secret Language of Dogs
By Stilwell, Victoria
The star of Animal Planet's It's Me or the Dog Victoria Stilwell reveals how to both interpret and "speak" the hidden language of dogs. Recent studies into the minds of canines show that they have a rich social intelligence and a physical and vocal language as complex and subtle as our own. In this fun and fascinating guide, world-renowned trainer Victoria Stilwell explores the inner world of dogs. This book is your guide to understanding your pooch, communicating effectively, strengthening your bond, and helping dogs learn in the most effective way possible so they feel confident navigating the human world with success. Along the way, you'll learn the answers to questions such as: * What do different tail wags mean? * What does being right-pawed say about my dog's personality? * How can I tell the difference between boredom barking and warning barking? * What does it mean when my dog spins around, arches his back, or gives me the whale eye? * Do dogs feel guilt? * How do dogs perceive human faces? * Why do some scientists think dogs' emotional experience is even greater than ours?Filled with adorable full-color photographs and instructive illustrations, this insightful "dog decoder" will soon make you dog's best friend.
The Man Who Climbs Trees
By Aldred, James
A professional tree climber encounters gorillas, snakes, spiders, and birds of prey, as well as answers and perspective, hundreds of feet up, all over the world Every child knows the allure of climbing trees. But how many of us get to make a living at it, spending days observing nature from the canopies of stunning forests all around the world? As a wildlife cameraman for the BBC and National Geographic, James Aldred spends his working life high up in trees, poised to capture key moments in the lives of wild animals and birds. Aldred's climbs take him to the most incredible and majestic trees in existence. In Borneo, home to the tallest tropical rain forest on the planet, just getting a rope up into the 250-foot-tall trees is a challenge. In Venezuela, even body armor isn't guaranteed protection against the razor-sharp talons of a nesting Harpy Eagle. In Australia, the peace of being lulled to sleep in a hammock twenty-five stories above the ground - after a grueling day of climbing and filming - is broken by a midnight storm that threatens to topple the tree. In this vivid account of memorable trees he has climbed ("Goliath," "Apollo," "Roaring Meg") , Aldred blends incredible stories of his adventures in the branches with a fascination for the majesty of trees to show us the joy of rising - literally - above the daily grind, up into the canopy of the forest.
My Patients and Other Animals
By Fincham-gray, Suzanne
A moving memoir of a life spent in the company of animals - a veterinarian sheds light on the universal experiences of illness, healing, and how we care for loved ones. The pursuit of a childhood dream has taken Suzy Fincham-Gray on a journey in veterinary medicine from pastoral farms on the English-Welsh border to emergency rooms in urban American animal hospitals, with thousands of stories collected along the way. In this unforgettable literary debut, she writes about some of the most emotionally challenging and rewarding cases of her career. Like many physicians, Fincham-Gray tends to see her patients at often life-or-death moments. While dramatic, these stories expand into deeper explorations of our complex, profound relationships with the animals in our lives. She describes the satisfaction of diagnosing and treating difficult diseases and the universal experience of loving a pet, and - inevitably - raises questions about their end-of-life care. We meet Grayling, an Irish wolfhound in need of critical treatment; we learn about the fulfillment of caring for a chronically ill pet from the story of Zeke, a silver-brown tabby cat who likes to eat just a little too much; and we fall in love with Monty and Emma, Fincham-Gray's own adopted cat and dog, who change her life in joyful and unexpected ways. Fincham-Gray depicts the sleepless nights she spends waiting for her pager to call her to the clinic, the cutthroat competition among residents, and what it's really like to care for patients who can't advocate for themselves. Warm and humorous, Suzy Fincham-Gray is a rare breed - a clinician with an intimate, elegant literary style. She writes with the same tenderness she brings to her patients, whose needs she must meet with her mind, her hands, and her heart. "Suzy Fincham-Gray gives readers rare insight into the making of a compassionate doctor. Her passion for both science and the animals she cares for, combined with her eloquence as a writer, made me want Suzy as both my dogs' veterinarian and my own friend." - Teresa J. Rhyne, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Dog Lived (and So Will I)
The Inner Life of Cats
By Mcnamee, Thomas
Our feline companions are much-loved but often mysterious. In The Inner Life of Cats, Thomas McNamee blends scientific reportage with engaging, illustrative anecdotes about his own beloved cat, Augusta, to explore and illuminate the secrets and enigmas of her kind. As it begins, The Inner Life of Cats follows the development of the young Augusta while simultaneously explaining the basics of a kittens physiological and psychological development. As the narrative progresses, McNamee also charts cats evolution, explores a feral cat colony in Rome, tells the story of Augustas life and adventures, and consults with behavioral experts, animal activists, and researchers, who will help readers more fully understand cats. McNamee shows that with deeper knowledge of cats developmental phases and individual idiosyncrasies, we can do a better job of guiding cats maturation and improving the quality of their lives. Readers relationships with their feline friends will be happier and more harmonious because of this book.
Innumerable Insects
By Engel, Michael S.
A fascinating look at the world's most numerous inhabitants, illustrated with stunning images from the American Museum of Natural History's Rare Book Collection. To date, we have discovered and described or named around 1.1 million insect species, and thousands of new species are added to the ranks every year. It is estimated that there are around five million insect species on Earth, making them the most diverse lineage of all life by far. This magnificent volume from the American Museum of Natural History tells their incredible story. Noted entomologist Michael S. Engel explores insects' evolution and diversity; metamorphosis; pests, parasites, and plagues; society and language; camouflage; and pollination - as well as tales of discovery by intrepid entomologists. More than 180 illustrations from the Rare Book Collection at the Museum's Research Library reveal the extraordinary world of insects down to their tiniest, most astonishing details, from butterflies' iridescent wings to beetles' vibrant colors.