Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: Birdbooker Report, bird books, animal books, natural history books, ecology books

The Birdbooker Report is a special weekly report of a wide variety of science, nature and behavior books that currently are, or soon will be available for purchase. This report is written by one of my Seattle birding pals and book collector, Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, and is edited by me and published here for your information and enjoyment. Below the fold is this week's issue of The Birdbooker Report which lists ecology, environment, natural history and bird books that are (or will soon be) available for purchase.

New and Recent Titles:

1. Bergbauer, Matthias, Robert F. Myers and Manuela Kirschner. Dangerous Marine Animals: Mediterranean, Caribbean and Indo-Pacific. 2009. A & C Black. Paperback: 384 pages. Price: £29.99 (about $47.91 U.S.). [Amazon: £23.49].
   SUMMARY: This book details the dangerous marine fishes, reptiles and invertebrates of the world's tropical and sub-tropical oceans. The text and color photographs are next to each other. Range maps are often shown for a given species. The color photography highlight this book!
   RECOMMENDATION: For beachcombers, swimmers and divers in the regions listed above.




2. Erickson, Laura. The Bird Watching Answer Book: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Birds in Your Backyard and Beyond. 2009. Storey Publishing. Paperback: 388 pages. Price: $14.95 U.S. [Amazon: $10.17].
   SUMMARY: This book is divided into three main parts: For the Birds: Feeding, Watching, and Protecting Our Feathered Friends,Bird Brains:Avian Behavior and Intelligence and finally All About Birds, Inside and Out. The book is organized in a question and answer format. It is illustrated with line drawings.
   RECOMMENDATION: For the beginner to intermediate level birder.




3. Impey, Chris. How It Ends: From You to the Universe. April 2010. W.W. Norton. Hardbound: 352 pages. Price: $26.95 U.S. [Amazon: $17.79].
   SUMMARY: The author examines how things come to an end (die). He starts out with humans and ends up with the universe. The author often uses humor to lighten up this dark topic.
   RECOMMENDATION: For those with an interest in the ultimate end of everything.




4. Knibb, David. Grizzly Wars: The Public Fight over the Great Bear. 2008. Eastern WA University Press. Hardbound: 284 pages. Price: $29.95 U.S. [Amazon: $19.77].
   SUMMARY: This book is divided into four parts: history and habitat, case study: North Cascades, the national scene and Canada. The author examines the Grizzly Bear-Human conflict, mostly from the North Cascades-Rocky Mountains region.
   RECOMMENDATION: A good introduction on the subject.

You can read all the Birdbooker Reports in the archives on this site, and Ian now has his own website, The Birdbooker's Bookcase, where you can read his synopses about newly published science, nature and animal books. But Ian assures me that he still loves us here, so he'll still share his weekly Birdbooker Reports with us!