Birdbooker Report 58

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.

FEATURED TITLE:

1. Grann, David. The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon. 2009. Doubleday. Hardbound: 339 pages. Price: $27.50 U.S. [Amazon: $16.50]. SUMMARY: In 1925, British explorer Percy Fawcett ventured into the Amazon to find an ancient civilization which he dubbed "Z". He and his expedition vanished. The author researches Fawcett's life and then follows his trail into the Amazon. This adventure narrative has had its film rights sold to Paramount Pictures with Brad Pitt slated to produce it and star in it as Fawcett. GrrlScientist comment: Okay, I admit it: as a fan of "lost civilizations", I am a sucker for this sort of thing, and would love to read the book!

New and Recent Titles:

1. Culver, David C. and Tanja Pipan. The Biology of Caves and Other Subterranean Habitats. 2009. Oxford University Press. Paperback: 254 pages. Price: $60.00 U.S. [Amazon: $44.60]. SUMMARY: Caves and other subterranean habitats with their often strange (even bizarre) inhabitants have long been objects of fascination, curiosity, and debate. The question of how such organisms evolved, and the relative roles of natural selection and genetic drift, has engaged subterranean biologists for decades. Indeed, these studies continue to inform the more general question of adaptation and evolution. This textbook offers a concise but comprehensive introduction to cave biology and ecology. GrrlScientist comment: This is a textbook? If so, this implies that there are college classes about caves -- why didn't I ever have the opportunity to take a class about caves?? I feel cheated!
2. Johanson, Donald C. and Kate Wong. Lucy's Legacy: The Quest for Human Origins. 2009. Harmony Books. Hardbound: 310 pages. Price: $25.00 U.S. [Amazon: $16.50]. SUMMARY: in November 1974, while codirecting a paleoanthropological expedition in Ethiopia, Dr. Johanson discovered a female skeleton that would later be known scientifically as Australopithecus afarensis. But most people know her as Lucy. This book picks up where Johanson's 1981 book, Lucy: The Beginnings of Humankind left off, exploring new discoveries and events in paleoanthropology since Lucy was discovered.
3. Pennycuick, C.J. Modelling The Flying Bird. 2008. Academic Press. Hardbound: 480 pages. Price: $79.95 U.S. [Amazon: $78.35]. SUMMARY: The author has been modelling bird flight for many years. In this book he explains his Flight program, and outlines the mechanics of flight as applied to birds and other flying vertebrates.
4. Powell, Graham R. Lives of Conifers: A Comparative Account of the Coniferous Trees. 2009. Johns Hopkins University Press. Hardbound: 276 pages. Price: $50.00 U.S. [Amazon: $40.46]. SUMMARY: This well illustrated book looks into the life cycles and the ecological and economic importance of these trees. Based on more than five decades of study, the author provides an illustrated, guided tour of conifers from seed and reproduction to old age and death, and includes hundreds of full-color illustrations of the morphological, anatomical, and physiological details of evergreens. The 12 species covered in this book are native to northeastern North America.
5. Weisman, Alan. The World Without Us. 2007. Picador. Paperback: 416 pages. Price: $15.00 U.S. [Amazon: $10.20]. SUMMARY: If a virulent virus -- or even the Rapture -- depopulated Earth overnight, how long before all trace of humankind vanished? This bestselling book answers the ultimate question: what happens to the Earth when human beings disappear? The author's vision of a Humanless Earth will interest or should be of interest to nearly everyone on this planet! GrrlScientist comment: As a human who spends a fair amount of time being discouraged by human overexploitation of the environment, I would love to read this book. It might even provide inspiration and motivation for me to write a science fiction novel -- if I can find the courage to write a book at all, that is.
6. Crawford, Dean. Shark. 2007. Reaktion Books. Paperback: 224 pages. Price: $19.95 U.S. [Amazon: $13.57]. SUMMARY: Crawford explains the variety (454 species) and wondrous biology of sharks (the great white has electrical sensors that can detect a heartbeat); traces sharks nicely through myth and fiction, holding in view Moby-Dick, Jaws and the novels of Hemingway; and outlines the politics of aquaria and shark-fin soup. . . . The pictures are breathtaking, too. GrrlScientist comment: This book looks fascinating and I have a copy on the way to my smailmail box -- courtesy of the author!