Science Nature Books

Any library strong in animal reference studies, will find this an intriguing coverage surveying pet emotions and how they can contribute to better understanding. From joy to sorrow, THE EMOTIONAL LIVES OF ANIMALS uses the author's 35 years of experience studying social and communication patterns of animals to survey animal empathy. Chapters draw important connections between animal emotional lives and the purpose behind animal emotions.

Animals and emotions. It's a touchy subject. Most people can readily admit that most animals have primary (fight or flight) type reactions. However, opinions begin to change when researchers start discussing secondary emotions, like love, compassion, sadness, etc.

Anyone who has ever had a pet knows for a fact that their cat, dog, snake, etc has such emotions. We know for a fact that they have very distinct personalities and preferences. Yet, somehow the same people, find it difficult to believe that a chimpanzee, an elephant, a wolf, a magpie, or a fish might also be capable of something beyond primitive reactions.

The Emotional Lives of Animals gives accounts of animals displaying what would seem to be primary emotions. As one would expect, the author discusses big brained animals such as elephants, higher primates, whales, and dolphins. However, the most interesting studies look at unexpected animals such as fish to examine their capabilities.

I am founder of an animal rescue group in Pinehurst NC called Animal Advocates of Moore county.

I found the book to be excellent !!!!!

Maureen Burke-Horansky

The book has some very good points. However, the author repeats his ideas many times. I got about halfway through the first chapter and lost interest. I think the book could have been condensed, considerably.

Marc Bekoff has rattled more than a few cages in his long career as a cognitive ethologist, but that does not make what he has to say any less true. This book summarizes the case for recognizing the similarities we share with our non-human mammalian companions, and it does so with flair, as well as attention to scientific detail.

For scientists or simply science buffs, this book has plenty to satisfy, but it's not just for them. This book is more for the average American who has always sensed the truths of non-human emotional lives (or maybe even has not), but is curious about the science behind the facts.

I have long been fond of saying "a mammalian brain is a mammalian brain is a mammalian brain, whether it belongs to you, your cat or my horse." Marc Bekoff makes this same statement with much more clarity and deeper understanding.

This book should leave you with a greater respect for the lives of the non-humans we share this planet with, and a deeper understanding of the ways our experiences here are the same, rather than focusing on what's different. It turns out the similarities are greater than the differences!

But all the science aside, this is also a book filled with great stories of observations of scientists and laypeople alike that back up the studies. Stories like the one told by an e-mail friend of mine, who witnessed two young mice trapped, where one helped the other to recover rather than just seeking its own salvation (I wonder if humans would have had the same level of compassion!).

This book should change your life. If it doesn't then your mind must be very closed, indeed.

When anyone has a question about the human body, my children always refer to this book.

The book received was exactly as described. It was delivered on time and in great shape.

I enjoyed the book . It explains things easily. The only thing I didnt get was on one page, it said "the next 3 planets are the gas giants..." and it has a picture of 4 planets. I dont know if its a typo or what! LOL Then it also confused me because it doesnt consider Pluto a planet. I grew up thinkingit was. Maybe scientists changed that recently but it threw me off a little.

excellent, up to date book about space/solar system. lots of words, but my 2 yo still enjoys it and will grow with it.

I am kind of disappointed at this book. The illustration is dull. The words are plain.

Not very appealing for preschoolers or 1-2 graders, while it is too simple for a savvy reader. I would not recommend it for either gifts or self use.

What a GREAT book! I was looking for a book for my 3 1/2 year old that would introduce him to space in a simple way, "What's Out There" is exactly what I wanted. He is so captivated by this book, it is short, simple and easy to understand. It is perfect for him now and will be for the next several years. All of the basics are covered such as the 9 planets and their relation to the sun, how the earth travels around the sun and spins, the moon, gravity, the make-up of all the planets, asteroids etc. Each topic is explained in a fun and easy way for a child to understand and the illustrations are wonderful. Highly recommend as a first book about space!

The National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky is a good book to get you started in the field of astronomy. Alone the book offers a ton of information, but is not the clearest in its descriptions of several concepts. As a pocket reference this book cannot be beat. Filled with many many good pictures to help fuel your imagination and fervor towards astronomy, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning the basics of this field of study.

If you're interested in studying the night sky by eye, this is an awesome guide. The explanations are clear, the charts are great, and the background material is interesting. It will tell you what you can see up there, how to find it, and when you'll be able to see it, which was exactly what I was looking for. This book has everything you need to appreciate your backyard view more fully.

I've used this book for years with happy results. I've often impressed friends with my knowledge of planetary positions in the night sky by using the "planetary longitude" table in the appendices.

However, this year marked the end of the usefullness of the planetary longitude table(which is something I use a lot). It only has information through 2005. Audubon should offer an update to this so I don't have to purchase the book again just to get the P.L. table.

One of my favorite books on the bookshelf, simply because of its easy-to-read format, and information for both the amateur stargazer and serious astronomer. The book covers everything that the curiousity seeker is looking for, with an exhaustive selection of sky charts for each month, a detailed section featuring each constellation with its history and details, and an exciting tour of the solar system and its celestial denizens.
Plenty of information, and just the right amount of photographs, too. A handy guide for everyone curious about the world "up there"!

For those who remain spellbound by the canopy of night with all the beauty and mythology and mystery gazing at the stars brings to mind, this book is a godsend. Without requiring previous courses in astronomy and without spending hours cross referencing words to match constellations to match positions to match meanings, this book comfortably and beautifully offers maps and photographs, essays and information that make looking heavenward all the more exciting. The writing is accurate, updated, understandable to the novice, and makes a terrific companion to seeking answers and directions to the stars and the planets. A valuable aide to your appreciation of the universe! Grady Harp, December 2004

I'm very enthusiastic about the newer series from DK that come with clip art discs and posters. Children like DK books, even if the pages are a little crowded, and I buy them often for our homeschool studies. Great Scientists (DK Eyewitness Books), however, is just not quite up to snuff in two specific ways.

Great Scientists (DK Eyewitness Books) provides short portraits of thirty great names in science, each on a two page spread, going all the way back to Aristotle. Of those 30 scientists, just two are women: Marie Curie and Dorothy Hodgkin. Lost in the clutter on the pages of the other, male "Greats" are Lisa Mietner, the woman who pioneered nuclear fission; Rosalind Franklin, who did all of the X-ray photography of the structure of DNA (many scientists believe that she should have been included in the Nobel received by Watson & Crick); and Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, USN, who did pioneering work in computer programming. Each of these three women has made huge, groundbreaking contributions to modern science. To relegate them to a tiny picture and a single paragraph lost in the clutter of a male peer's page is a truly unfortunate oversight. Minus one full star.

Additionally, DK's choice of biographical detail is at times odd, sometimes including details that seem unrelated to an individual's role as scientist. Thus, Great Scientists (DK Eyewitness Books) finds it appropriate to mention that Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier and Dorothy Hodgkin were both socialists (just what does socialism have to do with science?) while failing to mention Benjamin Franklin's activities as an American revolutionary figure. Great Scientists (DK Eyewitness Books) identifies Albert Einstein as German and Lisa Meitner as Jewish, yet fails to specify that Einstein was Jewish and Meitner was German. Minus 0.5 star.

All in all, Great Scientists (DK Eyewitness Books) is not so "great" but really just ordinary. Useful, but not brilliant.

This one is about Great Scientists. The kids in middle school have had to write about many of the famous scientists so it is a great resource to have. Other kids just were interested in looking at the book and finding out more about science. This was one of the most requested books that kids wanted me to add to our Eyewitness collection.

My son's school didn't have this book in his library and he's very interestd in Einstein. We bought it to donate to the library. It's a wonderful book-he has checked it out twice since.

This is NOT an introduction to rock hounding as I had hoped.

The bulk of the book contains interesting information about the three types of rocks (igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary) that was easy for young readers to understand.

The end of the book briefly encourages kids to go out and collect their own rocks, aiming for a variety of colors, and then to go home and try to identify them.

Overall, I don't think this book is going to inspire a kid to rush out and become a rock hound or geologist, as it lacks any sort of "wow" factor, but it is certainly a useful educational book.

If there are any rock hounding groups or gem/mineral shows near you, THAT is a great way to get your kid fascinated by the amazing rocks/crystals/minerals that come out of our earth.

My son and I used this book to suplement our study of rocks. We ejoyed the artwork. The writing was engaging. This book is good for children in primary grades 1-3.

I am a huge fan of the Let's Read and Find Out science series of books, and this one doesn't disappoint. Clearly written information, great photographs, and wonderful illustrations educate the K-2 science student in an enjoyable way.

Let's Go Rock Collecting is an excellent book in the Let's Read and Find Out Science Series. My son started with this book when he was 4 (he's now 5). It has great illustrations that capture a child's attention and actual photos of the various rocks described so that the child (and parent) can identify a few basic rocks.

One thing that is really great about this book is the simple illustrations to educate the reader about the Earth's Crust and Solid Rock Layer. There are simple diagrams of:

1. The components of a Volcano
2. Moh's Scale of hardness
3. The formation of sedimentary rocks
4. Metamorphic rock process

The book also ends with a practical suggestion that kids will love and that's how to begin your own rock collection and start to identify the rocks you have.

NOTE: Depending on your view of the age of the earth, you may like to know that this book utilizes millions of years in its descriptions.

My husband and daughter are both geologist and they thought this book was well written. My bright 3 year old grandson enjoys having it read to him. Usually it would be enjoyed by an older child, but he enjoys it.

In 1975 Wilson published 'Sociobiology' which proposed the idea that social structures in the animal kingdom could be explained by biological evolution. The last chapter in that book dealt with humans and created a wave of praise and critic. Many detractors, including influential evolutionists such as Stephen J. Gould, saw Wilson as crossing the fine between the science of evolution and Social Darwinism.

In response Wilson wrote 'On Human Nature' in an attempt to further expand upon his explanation of humans in relation to sociobiology and to answer criticisms. Sociobiology according to Wilson is the explanation of social behaviour through understanding what evolution has evolved. It is important that he uses the term evolution and not just biology because a certain sense (and a quite wrong one) of biological determinism could be inferred. That is that culture and nurture should be excluded in the consideration. It seems that this was the critic of Wilson's sociobiology and it is somewhat misplaced. Wilson's sociobiology incorporates culture and does not omit it because he is aware twofold that without environmental selective pressures there would be no evolution and that sociologists are right, they just sometimes don't see the power of biology in their reasoning. This is what Wilson corrects with sociobiology in On Human Nature.

At the same time Wilson's On Human Nature is heavy on genetic predispositions within the framework of evolutionary determinism. In truth this is where the critic should lie, not with his overall concept (sociobiology actually developed into evolutionary psychology). Wilson favours a mostly genetic explanation for behaviour. His answer to the nature vs. nurture debate is predominantly placed within the chromosome but also open to the potential for nurture. You either agree with him or not, however Wilson still must make his case for it.

Wilson quickly pushes politics aside. This isn't about how you feel about the topic, it's about the science. Biologists have no reserves in answering the question 'why are people?' with pure scientific materialism. In fact, it has become so mainstream that one would expect scientific commentary of this type to be anything less than empirical data supported by the evidence. What does turn heads however is when biologists understand human behaviour to the point where the science has predictive capabilities. The notion sounds like we don't need security cameras anymore. Just give us your DNA and we will know what you are going to do. The first thing to say about this is to repeat that sociobiology doesn't omit nurture. The second is that while a degree of a person's behaviour could in theory be known, acts are of such various degrees of complexity that experienced profilers can get lots wrong even based on extensive evidence and behavioural patterns. Sociobiology in a way doesn't attempt to proclaim it can be this accurate. Instead it looks at common and obvious human behaviours and tries to explain them with evolution. It keeps to the simple because even the straightforward has a complex explanation. At the same time sociobiology ultimately does have the power to make strong inferences about how genes determine behaviour. Essentially we are playing with the cards we have been dealt (our genes) and should scoff at the idea that babies are a blank slate.

On Human Nature covers the topics of insect behaviour, especially ants (Wilsons favourite), biochemistry in relation to human development, infant behaviour, twin studies, hunter-gatherer environments, infanticide, chromosomes, embryology, function identification through defects, evolved learning rules, the nervous systems and instinct, the evolution of society and classes, violence and warfare, the evolution of sex, sex for social bonding rather than reproduction, evolution of homosexuality, the evolution of altruism, the evolution of religion both socially and ritualistically, why Marxism is biologically incompatible with humanity and finally the need for scientific popularization.

The first thing that strikes you is that this book is a world away from the kind of environmental determinism that authors like Jared Diamond propose (in other Pulitzer Prize winning book). The second is that Wilson really does reveal a lot. Every page has something new although many authors today borrow extensively from this work and so much of it you may have come across elsewhere already. It does expect that the reader will have some understanding of the basics of evolution and often Wilson does berate religions that try to condemn natural human behaviour. Ultimately when all is said and done no religious text in the past 2000 years can compete with these 300 pages of unifying evolution with our ways. It is an amazing accomplishment.

The book however does have some shortcomings. While there are notes the references are not linked directly to the passages. I feel for a work so controversial he should have made clear what he has citations for and not. The bigger problem though is that towards the end of the book he invokes group selection as an evolutionary explanation for some behaviours (including religion). He is almost certainly wrong. While group selection is somewhat sound on paper it has serious failings in terms of subversion from within and is highly doubtful to exist in the real world to the extent that it is attributed. Furthermore there are more powerful explanations in the form of kin selection or reciprocal altruism that are well able to maintain the integrity of natural selection acting on the individual (or the gene) and not the group. Quite simply there is no need to use problematic group selection when Neo-Darwinian explanations suffice. Despite these weaknesses, look at how many stars it still gets.

Pros:
- It is a classic and well written
- An important text on human evolution

Cons:
- Group selection
- References not linked

I pull a couple books off the shelf every year and dust them off to reread the ones I've kept because I thought they would be worth keeping. This is one of those. I read this book for the first time 30 years ago when it created a lot of controversy about human nature but finished it without being satisfied that the author had come up with any answers. However that doesn't make it a bad book when you are dealing with a topic that has been under debate and development since our ancestors climbed out of the trees and headed for new ground all around the world, crossing the land bridge from Asia to the North American continent when sea levels were 400 feet lower than today.
The genius of this book, and Wilson's other books, is that it tries to reconcile the so-called "disciplines" that universities have arbitrarily divided into specialties when knowledge of the human condition does not lend itself to such divisions.
So Wilson has examined such major categories as sex, heredity, development,aggression, religion, hope, and other facets of human nature into discussions of how they relate to each other.
While some of the "findings" in this book have been superseded by subsequent research and science, this is a book worthwhile reading for a first time or re-reading again as i did. His observations may not provide answers, but they at least provoke some good questions, which is as good as you expect on such expansive and important questions about human nature.

This is one of the most important books you could read on the reason for our actions, our behavior, and our history as humans. One warning though, do not read this just before bedtime as you will lose significant sleep from contemplating the thoughts expressed in this fine book.

Although Wilson wrote this in 1978 and based his analysis on research done at that time the book does not seem dated. In fact it seems very contemporary. At this time when there are so many published books dealing with the conflict between reason and religion Wilson's classic shows the need to promote rational scientific advance in our culture and yet does not deny the power and cultural and even genetic origin of our religious beliefs.

I continue to be impressed by Wilson's broad intelligence and his ability to clarify such profound thought in a clear readable manner.

E. O. Wilson is an excellent scientist and writer. His book is very informative, yet still very well written, and it held my attention to the end.

Wilson's take-on the human nature sometimes approaches to reductionism and biological determism but he draws a delicate line leaving HN unpredictable and complex enough not to be manipulated.This book is probably the best in trying to explain the human behavior (sex, altruism,religion..etc) in relation with genetic and cultural evolution. The latter started to evolve for some 10.000 years since human first became hunter gatherer while the former has lasted millions years. taking on each main topic briefly Wilson have targeted layman and thus simplified the matter to be easily digestible.
I found Steven Pinker's Blank Slate highly influenced by Wilson. Blank Slate is a good book if readers would like to read similar books.

This is a great review source, I used it to suppliment my study for the CLEP natural sciences exam. It helped fill in the gaps, I wish REA would come out with a study guide for the natural sciences exam, but I was able to pass just fine with this book and a couple others. Great reference for sure.

Listen, this book is mad good. I took the Earth Science Regents in 8th Grade in June 2001, and all of the material was covered by this book. The day before I took the test, I was cramming out of this book. Even though I was getting 95s in science, the material did not make sense. But everyday in May, I studied with another version of this book, and it helped refresh my memory of Earth Science. With this book, it helped me comphrend and ace the regents with flying colors. I was able to get a 88 in the regents exam from this book. I highly recommend this book to everyone that is going to take the Earth Science Regents in New York State. For the difficult comprehender, it will help build connections to topics that will help you pass the regents, and for the forgetful type, it will refresh your memory. Take my word for it, and buy it. Its worth the price it is.

If you've been having trouble understanding the in-depth details of Earth Science and even just regular science, this book is for the new expert. It gives you plenty of details of every topic that you've learned in this course, and gives you many regents questions to study from (for the power pack).

You'll be amazed, just like I was. The book contains a lot of pictures/diagrams/etc. describing what you are learning about to help you comprehend better what you've just sighted out in the units. One thing I appreciated is that if by any chance, if you didn't understand the topic you were learning about, just go back in the index and it will show a secondary page number or a page where it shows more analysis of the particular topic you're studying.

Even though the Regents won't give you the exact same questions from an old exam on a new exam, it is still a very crucial part in studying old Regents questions. GUARENTEED: It will create more skills as a whole in terms of understanding the questions and answers; primarily eliminating answers that you cannot recognize or ones that don't make any sence, and keeping the one answer that makes the most logic or sence... This is a BIG help in trying to get a good grade on your exam. If you get the Regents questions book, you will be provided with answers to all questions, and it can really make you realize why that answer is the way it should be. It'll create more facts in your head.

One thing is for sure, is that you can't miss this book. My point of view is that you should review throughly throughout this book, and review as many questions as you can. I did this, and I received an 86 percent for my average on the regents, and you can even do better that I can!

NOTE: Order this book right when school starts or sooner, so you can be prepared.

earth science is an exctremely hard subject but with this book u willget straight A's all the tim.get this book and review all the notes, it will helpyou a great deal

Wow!! I am in 8th grade and taking the High School Regent Earth Science course, and before I bought this book I was getting 50s and 60s on tests (my quarter average was a 84) and after I did the review questions in each chapter I havn't gotten anything below a 85 (now my average is a 94)!! This made my average go up 10 points, and if it can work for me, it can definitely work for you. My mom said it was the best money she ever spent, and I also bought the Barron's Regents Earth Science Exams and Answers book, but unfortunately it was a "little" overused and I can't read anything in it.. O WELL THIS REALLY HELPS! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! it even has a full exam in the back and a vocab section that shows vocab words to know for the test, it's really good!

This is an easy to read and simple book to help
toddlers learn where things are. It's a sturdy
book that can stand up to little ones.

My one year old son is starting to learn his body parts and this little book is a great companion to pointing out the real body parts of his own body. It is a small board book with easy to flip pages, clear photos and lots of body parts!

To me, this book is boring, just photos of babies (and not all of them are even cute!) crawling, walking, eating, etc.

But my one year old son LOVES this book and brings it to me to read over and over (and over) again. He loves looking at the babies and holding his hands and feet up to compare with the hands and feet in the book.

And I must admit, this is pretty educational because I am reading him the list of his body parts over and over again. I can only assume he is getting something from that! I recommend this for ages 9 months thru 24 months.

My son loves this book lately. He goes through all the pages, examining the pictures. Each time we read it out loud, there's a new word he says by himself.

My daughter who is 3 months old already likes her board books. I wanted to write in response to the negative reviews that "board" books were never intended for older children. The whole concept of the board book is to provide a sturdy book that babies can chew on, toss around and enjoy looking at. A book like this might not be appropriate for a child who can already read. Dorling Kindersely publishes books for all ages. You can visit their website if you would like to learn more.

As far as this book is concerned it's great for small children and my daughter loves looking at it with me. She smiles and laughs at the babies in the book. I think it's worth the money.