Birdbooker Report 104

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 TITLES:

1. Allen, David Elliston. Books and Naturalists. 2010. Collins. Paperback: 496 pages. Price: 496 pages. Price: 30.00 GBP (about $47.97 U.S.) [Amazon: £21.00].
   SUMMARY: This is the latest title in the New Naturalist series. It covers British natural history publications from circa 1000 AD to the present. The social history behind these books is also discussed.
   RECOMMENDATION: For those with an interest in natural history books, especially British ones!
2. Tyler, Michael J. and Frank Knight. Field Guide to the Frogs of Australia. 2009. CSIRO Publishing. Flexicover: 188 pages. Price: $32.00 U.S. [Amazon: $25.07].
   SUMMARY: This is a concise guide to the 227 species of frogs found in Australia. The text and color range maps are opposite the color plates. The artwork by Frank Knight is outstanding!
   RECOMMENDATION: Anyone with an interest in frogs will want this book!

New and Recent Titles:

1. Franzen, Jens Lorenz (translated by Kirsten M. Brown). The Rise of Horses: 55 Million Years of Evolution. 2010. Johns Hopkins University Press. Hardbound: 213 pages. Price: $65.00 U.S. [Amazon: $50.13].
   SUMMARY: The author, one of the world's leading experts on horse evolution traces the rise of the horse and its extant and extinct relatives. It is accessibly written and features color and black-and-white photographs and illustrations throughout.
   RECOMMENDATION: Anyone with an interest in horses will like this book.
2. Gates, Evalyn. Einstein's Telescope: The Hunt For Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe. 2010. W.W. Norton. Paperback: 306 pages. Price: $16.95 U.S. [Amazon: $11.53].
   SUMMARY: In 1936, Albert Einstein predicted that gravitational distortions would allow space itself to act as a telescope far more powerful than humans could ever build. Now, cosmologists at the forefront of their field are using this radical technique ("Einstein's Telescope") to detect the invisible. This book features 8 pages of color photographs and 55 black-and-white images.
   RECOMMENDATION: For those with an intermediate level interest in astronomy.
3. Hornocker, Maurice and Sharon Negri (editors). Cougar: Ecology and Conservation. 2010. University of Chicago Press. Hardbound: 306 pages. Price: $49.00 U.S. [Amazon: $32.34].
   SUMMARY: The editors bring together the diverse perspectives of twenty distinguished scientists to provide the fullest account of the cougar's ecology, behavior, and genetics; and its conservation needs. This compilation of recent findings, photographs, and firsthand accounts of field research reveals the natural and unnatural history of the cougar.
   RECOMMENDATION: For those with a semi-technical and technical interest in the cougar.

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!