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As the author ends his tale from this introductory look into the world of parasites, "If we want to succeed as parasites, we need to learn from the masters." Yes, from one ecological point of view, the two-legged race acts as if it is a parasite. If true, then we can indeed learn a lot from these microscopic fellows that have a few hundred million years head start, up or down, the evolutionary path :)

Besides just the introduction of, let us say, the gross aspects of parasites, there are also quite a few benefits to many types parasites in the animal kingdom. As such and from my perspective, the highlight of this fine effort was in the last 1/3 of the book with Chapters 6 (Evolution From Within), Chapters 7 (The Two-Legged Host), and Chapters 8 (How To Live In A Parasitic World). Here we learn about some of those parasitic benefits. While reading, I wished that the chapters went on further and gave me more anecdotes. Nevertheless, it would appear that the right balance of either the small or large ecosystem can benefit with less pesticides if we indeed learn from the parasites.

Some other customer reviewers treat this book as if it was a horror novel by Stephen King, and both the title and the back matter certainly gives that impression. "Imagine a world where the parasites control the minds of their hosts, sending them to their destruction...where parasites steer the course of evolution, where the majority of species are parasites. WELCOME TO EARTH".

In reality, Carl Zimmer's "Parasite Rex" is a perfectly serious, popular science book about parasites and their impact on evolution. But yes, the book *is* scary on a philosophical level. Zimmer, and presumably the scientists he interviewed, actually do believe that the majority of species are parasites, and that parasites might be the driving force of evolution. Apparently, this hasn't always been the scientific consensus. For a long time, parasites were seen as degenerate organisms, organisms that had "devolved" rather than evolved. This was connected to a misinterpretation of Darwinism as "progressive" evolution. Since parasites didn't seem "progressive", they were considered evolutionary dead-ends. Sometimes, the political analogies were pretty transparent: parasites were a metaphor for human welfare cheats (and welfare states).

Today, scientists know that parasites aren't "degenerate". Quite the contrary. They are perfectly well adapted to their respective environments, and their life-cycles and behaviour are incredibly complex, which implies that they have been evolving for a very long time. "Parasite Rex" takes this reasoning one step further, arguing that co-evolution between parasites and their hosts have been a prime feature of all evolution, and that the parasites are the most dynamic part of that process. In effect, the course of evolution, perhaps even human evolution, is steered by...the parasites. They are the movers and shakers of planet Earth.

Zimmer also believes that many natural scientists haven't faced the implications of this yet. Many studies of population dynamics and animal behaviour are made without taking into consideration that parasites might affect the populations, and even their behaviour, in dramatic ways. Zimmer wants biologists to place parasitology, and parasite-host interaction, centre stage.

But the most disturbing aspect of the book is, of course, philosophical.

If evolution is a blind process steered by parasites, where on earth does that leave us?

It's a fallen world, after all.

I read the 2001 paperback of the 2000 book. It is very well written, which can't be said about all books on the topic. It is clear, at times funny, macabre, eye-opening, repulsive due to topic, fascinating and thought provoking.

Parasites outnumber other forms of life 4:1, are much more ubiquitous than commonly thought, have been essential for evolution and have directly influenced human DNA. (Not even considering mitochondria getting integrated in most forms of life.) Parasites make it necessary to revise the tree of life into a bush of many merging branches. Human cells within the average human are outnumbered by a factor of ten by non-human cells. Getting knowledgable about parasites is much more important a topic than the obvious peculiar yuk effect. Though I promise you that this book will fulfill the latter to the fullest as well.

I thought I knew a bit about parasites. For example those wasps which lay eggs in other invertebrates. To begin with, I didn't know that there were some 200,000 parasitic wasp species out there. I had also no idea, how EXACTLY some of them work. Like the species, whose two eggs, one female, one male, subdivide in the host, to produce ever more eggs, with the females developing into different classes of maggots, such as the soldier maggots whose only job it is to kill other parasitic wasps' maggots in the host - and all but one of the male siblings. Or that the social parasite, the cuckoo baby is able to mimic the sound of a CHOIR of eight singing host bird babies and the sign stimulus of as many youngsters in the nest to the parents' eyes. (Though the book doesn't mention that some birds cannot be fooled anyway and depose of the cuckoo (egg) and also doesn't mention that the near-by cuckoo parents may retaliate by killing all the hosts' surviving kids...) Or that there is something like plant bacteria, not as in bacteria of plants, but as in green bacteria. Being an essential part (originally parasite) of the parasite named "bad-air" aka malaria.

The book answers even the nagging question, wether there are homosexual parasites. (I wondered that ever since I read Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity (Stonewall Inn Editions) about mammals and birds.) The flukes mentioned here are the first parasites I encountered (as in READING about them), which act homosexual in a benign way. To each other that is. (Other parasites - not mentioned in this book - may act homosexual in very twisted ways to procreate to the detriment of same-sex competitors.) Thinking about it: Shouldn't homosexual parasites of the former kind be our favorite parasites, if there is such a thing, because presumably they do NOT procreate, as in: in us? The book sure doesn't answer the question wether there are homosexual solidarity activists like there are for maltreated homosexual zoo animals.

Talking about questions I never knew existed: The book is full of them. Sticking with the homosexual topic, there's a fungus, which TURNS flies into necrophiliac homosexuals. As much as another parasite doesn't only fool crabs into believing that their attached parasite babies are crab babies to care for, but fooling male crabs to believe they themselves are females all of the sudden in order to (be able to) do that to begin with. If you ever sought a flabbergasting book, this will be it. Some animals have a bodyguard class against parasites (ants), others employ blind snakes as maids to free the nest of parasites (owls). And how much DNA itself can get parasitic in various ways sure wasn't on my radar of existing topics.

The book talks about allergies caused by the modern lack of parasites, complete fusions of life, the parasitic origin of sexuality, and that humans may be considered as parasites in the gaia concept. As stupid parasites that is, which are those defined who kill their host. Some readers may be a little lost with this spirituality capping ending of the book. As a Rasta, personally, I am not. As such, I was surprised to find welcome information on the spread of parasites through colonialism. Not only via the conquerors' imported bugs and slavery's transmission, but via relocating cattle within Africa. And via forcing the indiginous populations to live and work in areas unsuited for humans and/or their cattle. All of that having caused most severe and lethal epidemics. The Western apologetic lore has it that their colonial doctors brought healing power to their conquered new lands. (The book doesn't mention that some vaccines were necessary, because the diseases had been imported in the first place and that some FORCED cattle vaccinations occasionally caused more deaths in livestock than the diseases themselves, sometimes intended, sometimes not.) In today's shifted colonial world, the book warns (indirectly) against huge dams, which dramatically expand standing water, which in turn dramatically expands the habitat of dangerous to human parasite carrying snails. In case you are wondering how dams are colonial, please read Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. I find it also interesting to read that Konrad Lorenz didn't change his views of parasitism in the Nazi sort of way at all - even not a few days before his death in 1989. As celebrated as he gets in Western school books, it is usually not known (and not elaborated in this book) that he fully embraced the Nazi party and became an eager member immediately after Hitler marched into Austria. On a more enlightening subject around parasites, I didn't consider before I read this book that human (pre-)history can be reconstructed via tapeworms.

I have a little bit of criticism. Some things are sketchily mentioned only. There is a parasite which eats the flesh of the human face. Ok, horrid. But if I think about it after the initial impulse to turn the page immediately: How exactly do I have to imagine that? What consequences does this have? How is that livable? No answers in this book. The captions of the FEW black and white pictures on 16 pages in the middle of the book are sometimes not that precise. With that parasite, which replaces a fish's tongue, the caption is all we will ever read in this book about that parasite. How does it eat the tongue, i.e. getting into the mouth? How does the parasite help the fish grabbing food? How does the parasite mate? Does it cause infected fish to french kiss or what? If I want to research that, I would have appreciated the parasite's name. Or the name of the host. The caption only says a crustacean in a fish. Wow, that's precise! I don't even know, where on this planet I should look into a fish's mouth before eating it. Well, I was able to find some answers elsewhere nevertheless: The parasite is called Cymothoa exigua, lives in California and only in the mouths of Lutjanus guttatus aka spotted rose snapper. The parasite crawls under the tongue and severes its blood supply in a vampiric manner, causing the tongue to wither away to be replaced by the growing tongue with eyes. I still don't know how it procreates, so anybody who does know, please leave a comment with source. Five years after the book had been written, the first fish with second tongue was found in EU waters (in the UK). The book may not be that incredibly up to date, with some issues still pending when written. For example on the eradication of some parasites. As of 2008 some more countries could be added to the list of eradicated guinea worms, but with other countries still lacking behind.

The Hamilton-Zuk theory got its own book by Marlene Zuk herself: Riddled with Life: Friendly Worms, Ladybug Sex, and the Parasites That Make Us Who We Are, itself a great book about parasites, with little overlap. And if, it goes more in-depth, like with the fungus which attacks insects. If you like a coffee table book of the nasty treat, in which you can also read, which (utterly unexpected!) places in your household are the most yukky ones, "enjoy" the Canadian Human Wildlife: The Life That Lives on Us. If you are interested in more symbiotic body roomies, largely restricted to bacteria and in a systematic text book presentation, read the rather dry Microbial Inhabitants of Humans: Their Ecology and Role in Health and Disease. Much more grippingly written is Good Germs, Bad Germs: Health and Survival in a Bacterial World by a science journalist. Which is also about the history if antibiotic treatments and their failure due to mounting resistance. About former parasites, today our energy source and DNA family tree provider, mitochondria, read Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life. A more general biological approach of symbiosis is Liaisons of Life: From Hornworts to Hippos--How the Unassuming Microbe has Driven Evolution. A theoretic re-thinking, including reconstructing taxonomy and theories about gaia, read Symbiotic Planet: A New Look At Evolution.

I bought this book quite a long time ago and forgot to review it until now...I am a parasitologist and this is one of my favorites. Zimmer is funny and engaging and scientifically accurate--I HAVE GOT TO READ THIS AGAIN SOON.

"Parasite Rex" is great science writing. For readers familiar with evolutionary and ecological theories, they will meet these theories in a new guise. For readers not familiar, Zimmer has a talent for explaining complex ideas in a very simple fashion. In only one case did I detect a minor oversimplification: there is more to generating novel antibodies than shuffling genes. My only complaint about style is that Zimmer sometimes tries to make the reader horrified at what parasite does to prey, and when the prey is a lower order animal like a caterpillar, I am doubtful that having its insides eaten is as horrible as it sounds. I say this as a person who only eats free range meat. As regards content, fewer case histories of individual parasites would suffice to illustrate the ideas, and for me at least, make for an even more interesting book.

I was very surprised to learn of the strong environmental component to such autoimmune diseases as Crohn's: while once thought to be characteristic of a few ethnic groups, e.g. Jewish, it has become much more common in other groups as sanitation has improved, and the immune system has fewer parasites to fight off. Zimmer suggests parasites play a critical role in ecological balance, and points to some compelling case histories. Parasites are often able to control behavior of their hosts, and thus are a potentially important source of new behavioral drugs.

My 9YO son wants to be aeronautical engineer and decided he wanted to start studying NOW! He needs to study Physics and Chemistry. I searched everywhere for age appropriate books for him and these were the only ones I could find. When we received them, I was thrilled to see they were exactly what we needed. He loves reading them, they are entertaining and easily understood. It's been great revision for me, and I'm learning new things too! It's wonderful to have books from which to teach your kids that are fun. I highly recommend them for kids 7-12.

I ordered this book after finding the Pre-level 1 Chemistry book to basic for my Homeschooled 1st grader. This book introduces important concepts in short chapters and the concepts are very well explained. My son enjoys the book and we find ideas on the internet for weekly experiments to help him understand the concepts better. My only complaint is that there are too few equations and too few math equations introduced in this book. If my 1st grader is learning multiplication and division, 4th - 6th graders (which is what this book is geared toward) should be able to handle a little as well.

...first, there is nothing special in the presentation of the information -- not particularly entertaining, interesting or inspirational and not possessing any didactic advantage...second, the illustrations are quite primitive compared to other texts...third, the price is quite high -- teacher's manual plus student text plus lab book is about 200 pages total and altogether cost about $70...and note that still doesn't represent the total cost...the author is also developing what she terms "kogs" -- other study units linked to art, history, language, etc...finally, there are multiple "errata" whose correction requires periodic checking of the "gravitashomeschool.wordpress.com/category/errata" website...I believe there are better alternatives...for high school I recommend Padilla's "Science Explorer" series frm Prentice-Hall...this series of books covers a broad range of topics that allow sequencing to taste...they are well written and well illustrated...they also offer a variety of supplements -- workbooks, lesson plans, lab activities, videos, tests, etc -- plus a well designed companion website...for elementary school, Prentice-Hall's "Science" series is well done and has all the supplentary benefits of "Science Explorer."

The content is very thorough, maybe too much so. I decided to use this for my 9 yo's science this year. I like the simplicity of the definitions, but they are drawn out for too long. I think less would be more here. I can tell my student is a little bored at times because the subject is not moving along fast enough. Having said that, when we reinforce what we have learned through extra discussion - she recalls the majority of the information (it was not sooooo slow that she tuned out). She does love the sometimes silly cartoon like illustrations. I WOULD and might try another branch of science in this same series, but it is not my favorite.

I found the Physics, Level 1 book very well written and illustrated. My students really liked the book, too.
I used the textbook for my student's weekly assigned reading.
I also used the Teacher's Manuel that contains excellent additional information and the directions for instructing the students on how to set up one of the 10 different experiments each week. My students used the Real Science 4 Kids lab notes to make their notes which took them through the steps of the Scientific method. EXCELLENT material.

Such beautifully simple projects in this book. Designed for younger children (3-7-ish), this book is divided seasonally so if you follow a seasonal rhythm you will be sure to have some wonderful environmental activities for your children. Many of the ideas I enjoy myself like sewing gnomes, making butter, making suet for birds.....


Waldorf-oriented or not - I highly recommend this book!

Nurture a sense of wonder and curiousity in your child by allowing them to discover nature. I have a 3 1/2 year old and this is the wonderful book to help her discover and explore her world. There are a wide range of natural, fun and simple activites that range from age 2 to age 5. The projects are easy to follow and are clearly illustrated and shown through each season.

Fall activities include: leaf crowns, leaf banners, nature's people, laterns, apple drying, baking apples, wheat to bread, harvesting pumpkins, making corn husk dolls and grating the cobs. Winter activites include: star windows, nutmeg grating, finger knitting, sewing gnomes and yarn dolls. Spring activities include: wing wands, streamers, pinwheels, kites, dish gardens, butterfly mobiles, flower crowns, pressed flower cards, making flower necklaces, butter making, wool preparations and gardening with children. Summer activites include: shooting star streamer balls, butterfly crowns, walnut boats, bark boats, parachute people, paper birds, bean tepee, berry picking, making berry cobbler and basket weaving.

In addition to seasonal activites, Earthways also includes: making children's cloth aprons, creating a seasonal garden or a nature table, recycling, discussion of toys from nature and creating a more natural outdoor play space. There is also a section of various gift and candle making activites.

Aside from being a great introduction to Waldorf, the book offers wonderful activites for the family to create, explore and discover together. Quality family time at it's best.

For parents wanting to learn more, the book has a tremendous resource section of suppliers, organizations and environmental books. There are resoures for teachers. I absolutely love the seasonal picture book resource section, it's 4 pages long!

Would you like to incorporate more natural, independent, or creative play? I encourage you and your family to grab a basket and go on a nature walk to collect nature objects. Collect some shells, rocks, pinecones, acorns, twigs, flowers, leaves, seed pods and display them on a low shelf or table in your house. See how your child's imagination and creativity take flight, as your child comes to the table to plays with these objects. I was amazed when my daughter stood up 3 pinecones to represent our family and began to play with them.

This is a must-have book for any parent and child who loves nature, or wants to include nature in their child's life. It is well written with realistic arts and crafts projects that will actually work--not frustrate your child. It also has a very deep Waldorf flair to it for any parents who are looking for ideas to do at home. LOVE this book!

While this book is chock-full of ideas which any homeschooling family can use, or anyone who spends time with small children for that matter, I think its best fit is for the preschool teacher in a traditional classroom. I bought it after having quite a library of Waldorf books and didn't find it as useful, but after having read through it several times over, I can definitely see its niche -- and it does a tremendous job once you have it in the right slot. If you are already working with children and have decided to gradually transform your classroom into a Waldorf environment, this book is absolutely the one to buy. Combine it with A Child's Seasonal Treasury by Betty Jones and you'll have a Waldorf kindy classroom in a bottle. (Betty Jones includes lots of verses, rhymes, fingerplays, and other movement activities plus art and recipes but doesn't give much of a context for how they are done -- while this book covers mainly handwork projects but gives more help with making the transition. They complement each other perfectly.)

Carol Petrash, a warm and inspiring writer, takes you by the hand at the beginning of Autumn. With ideas for how to gradually transform your classroom environment, she introduces each season and has you start making changes -- first a little in Autumn, then more ideas for Winter, continuing on with new changes in Spring, and so on -- and shares her ideas for "Bringing Nature In" (self-explanatory) and "Supplying the Missing Links" (which focuses on re-establishing connections that children are missing with the natural world, such as how butter is made), both recurring categories throughout the book.

She also gives general craft ideas organized by season throughout the book (such as Wheat Weaving, Leaf Crowns, Lanterns, Star Windows, Finger Knitting, May Baskets, Shooting Star Streamer Balls, Walnut Boats, Paper Birds) but "Bringing Nature In" and "Supplying the Missing Links" are the real heart of the book -- and what makes it such a gem. Some examples are Creating a Seasonal Garden, From Wheat to Bread, Pumpkins, Indian Corn, Beeswax, Butter, Wool, Gardening with Children, Building Playhouses Outdoors, Berries, and Basket Weaving. For each, she gives several ideas so you really get to explore the topic. Instead of just one activity, it is more like a "weekly theme" on Berries, perfect for how a classroom teacher would use this book. She even includes a sample field trip slip.

If you're familiar with Waldorf there's not a lot here that will be new, but if you are just starting out, this books covers a lot of ground at a very reasonable pace -- and a reasonable price. Instead of tearing your hair out trying to replace all your children's toys at once and learning how to bake from scratch, etc., try this book and let it slowly help you find your way. Enjoy this year of change, and by the summer you'll be proudly observing the transformation in your home and in your lives and you will take much pleasure and pride in watching your children grow, learn, and flourish.

I just recently got this book, and we love it is much. There are loads of great seasonal craft ideas. All of my kids love this and they range in age from 13 to 6 months. (Ok so the 6 month old doesn't do anything yet... but the other 4 do)
I would recommend this book to every family.

H

This was one of the first books I bought with my own money when I was a kid. I have since bought an updated version since most of the pages have come unglued in the old one (from use, not poor quality). Typical golden book illustrations, not photographs. Easy enough for a kid to use but filled with enough spider species for any adult to use. I have only found one or two spiders in my life that were not in this book.

I was introduced to the early "Golden Guides" in the 1950s. My very first book on insects was in this series and I wore out numerous copies of the various titles. Of these I have always especially admired H. W. and Lorna Levi's "Spiders and Their Kin." This little guide had (and to a large degree still has) the most complete systematic treatment of any of the taxa covered in the "Golden Guide" series. Few books were available on these fascinating creatures when this work was originally published and "Spiders and Their Kin" was a considerable improvement. The drawings of spider eye arrangements were especially helpful for identification.

Unfortunately time does not stand still and the reprinted version of this book is somewhat behind in its treatment of spider families. There has been some attempt by St. Martin's Press to revise the classification (the sac spiders are shown to belong to several families), but some of the other families have also undergone major changes (e.g. "Ctenizidae" is now at least three families) and "brown spiders" (a name I really do not like- I prefer "violin spiders" as more descriptive) are now members of the Sicariidae. Neither of the last two changes made it into the revised book, either because they occurred after the corrected copy was submitted or because they were overlooked. The current revision does include the statement that urocteids and oecobiids have been united under the Oecobiidae - as it turns out, having a cribellum is a primitive trait and does not indicate relationships very well- but mistakenly indicates that the "oecobiids" are larger than "urocteids". It also still has the two "families" on different pages, so the revision did not include a rearrangement of the figures. In the scorpions there have been major taxonomic changes as well, but most of these were not noted (again several are probably just too recent to have been included). However, Hadrurus is correctly placed in the Iuridae, instead of the Vaejovidae.

Because of these major developments I cannot recommend this book as an up to date guide to currently recognized spider families, but it still is a good starting place for those (especially young people) who would like to know more about arachnids, millipedes, centipedes, and land crustaceans. Fortunately many, if not most, of the families (e. g. Theraphosidae, Oonopidae, Salticidae, Linyphiidae, Selenopidae, Theridiidae, Araneidae, Tetragnathidae, Lycosidae) are still valid as described in the original edition of the book.

this book is more of a minaturized field guide,..in size (it's about 6" x 4" wide) and in regards to information. there is not that much information but the line drawings help with identifying spiders. i would have liked to see more writen information on the spiders as well as actual pictures. overall for the price it's a nice book to have. i've actually used it several times to identify spiders in my garden.

Upon first reading, it is unfortunate that "Spiders and Their Kin" shows but a select few species from among the Arachnid pantheon, but it has been a great read and a great reference over the ten-plus years since I first purchased an earlier edition.

Used as a sole reference, the book is lacking in many crucial details, but there are more specialized books available to those who find that the information within these pages is less than desired.

True, it will not go in-depth with regard to each individual species, and may not show one in particular, but it's a handier starting point for arachnid identification than its larger brethren and, that, I think, is the purpose for which it is intended to be used.

The bottom line: if you know little to nothing about arachnids at this time, or you just need a field guide to get you started on making identifications, go ahead and buy Levi's little gem. If you feel like you need to learn all that can be learned about an individual species of spider or need more specialized/more advanced field guides, then this is probably not the book for you.

I think this is a good starter book for identfying spiders that are more common. There are a couple of pages on webs that I found interesting. In the front it gives a great visual on how the Arthropod group is broken out and how different spider types break out within that - all helps when trying to do the id. There are so many different amazing spiders - this can only scrath the surface but is a really good place to start. I just like taking pictures and having a general idea of what I'm looking at so for me it works...I will be checking out other books too though like "How to Know Spiders" if there is one in that "How to Know" series.

Clear and attractive. I used this book to teach the process, but it struck me that it has other potential uses.

This book may be useful in combination with Johnny Appleseed and A Packet of Seeds. Although this picture book is considered young juvenile, it could be used with higher levels, and worked well with some of my older English language learner students.

The book ends with a "From seed to plant" project planting beans, which may be appropriate for integrating science and math curricular concepts. The book simplifies a hard to understand process and may help prompt some experiments about growing plants under different conditions.

The class could talk about the kinds of crops grown during a particular historical time period and US location. When discussing pioneer history, for example, the students could plant sweet potatoes, which sprout easily in water, to talk about food availability during that historical period. The book may work well with other books--such as the cooking books--when teaching about food and farming.

Gail Gibbons has the best books for kids. I can see why educators use this books in the classroom. The concepts are broken down into easily understandable parts; great for little kids!

Great for primary introduction to plants and a must have nonfiction book for teachers ~ very informational.

This is an excellent book for younger students (K-3) about seeds and plants. I am using it as part of my summer school reading/writing program. First, I read the book to the students and we planted little radish seeds (they grow quickly) in see-through plastic cups. Later, the students read the book out loud to one another and we discussed the seed to plant concept. They also kept a journal to record their observations of their seeds with illustrations about every other day. This book presents a great opportunity to combine reading, writing and science.

This book's big, colorful illustrations and simple language do a superb job of explaining subjects such as plant reproduction, seed dispersal, pollen transference, and seed germination. Although intended for a younger audience, I read this book aloud to my fourth grade students to quickly build their background knowledge.

Reading this book gave me a great peace of mind. I'm an environmental scientist, but I wanted to inspire people to reconnect with the world around them before focusing on objective science (which Orr claims, and I agree, is not really objective, but an objective method to verify and support subjective perspectives and passions).

He lists everything that is wrong and what needs to be corrected. A good follow-up book or study would be if someone took his advice to a school or set of schools and set up a curriculuum after his suggestions and measured how students responded.

David Orr exquisitely puts into words a need for an environmental ethos in the classroom. As a high school teacher, I have long-intuited his insights about how to bring daily connections to students about the natural world that we inhabit. He is deeply passionate, articulate and practical. I'd love to see school boards, administrations, faculty and students alike be exposed to his clear thinking and real suggestions. He brings urgency without bringing despair.

David W. Orr is chair of the environmental studies program at Oberlin College in Ohio and is most often credited with coining the word "ecoliteracy" (similar to the renown biologist Garrett Hardin's "ecolacy") to describe the very important study and understanding of ecology and natural resource processes. He is also credited with the simple, but profound statement, "When we heal the Earth, we heal ourselves."

No wonder then that Prof. Orr is well suited to write on the importance of ecoliteracy being incorporated into all educational systems for a more balanced perspective of reality.
Contemporary education, Orr says "...emphasizes theories, not values; abstraction rather than consciousness; neat answers instead of questions; and technical efficiency over conscience." (p 8) and, "As a result, after 12 or 16 or 20 years of education, most students graduate without any broad, integrated sense of the unity of things." (p 11)

"This is not an argument against education but rather an argument for the type of education that prepares people for lives and livelihoods suited to a planet with a biosphere that operates by the laws of ecology and thermodynamics." (p 27)

"Intelligence would lead us...to protect biological diversity, but for reasons that go beyond the calculation of self-interest. The surest sign of maturity of intelligence is the evolution of biocentric wisdom, by which I mean the capacity to nurture and shelter life-a fitting standard for a species calling itself homo sapiens." (p52)

"...I propose a different ranking system for colleges based on whether or not the institution and it's graduates move the world in more sustainable directions. Does four years at a particular institution instill knowledge, love, and competence toward the natural world or indifference and ignorance? Are the graduates of this or that college suited for a responsible life on a planet with a biosphere? This is an admittedly difficult, but not impossible, task."

A sense of "biophilia", as the renown sociobiologist, E.O. Wilson has described as that innate feeling of connectedness to a biological world where our roots and sustenance lie, is critical for developing a deep sense of respect and care of our world. Biophilia and it's antithesis, biophobia are well covered in chapter 20.

"We need an ecological concept of citizenship roots in the understanding that activities that erode soils, waste resources, pollute, destroy biological diversity, and degrade the beauty of landscapes are forms of theft from the commonwealth as surely as bank robbery. Ecological vandalism undermines future prosperity and democracy alike." (p 168)
"The first bit of conventional wisdom denies the importance of place and environment in favor of global vandalism masquerading as progress." (p 160)

Indeed, and a deep understanding of natural life-support systems would help mend that twisted perception of reality. David Orr has very well delineated the educational path here to creating graduates with a sense of awe and respect for the fragile, but life-supporting planet they live on.

This is a very important book that should be read by all politicians, educators, and citizens of Earth. David Orr gives clear examples and ideas for making the radical changes we need to undo some of the damage that we have done to the planet. You will be inspired and moved if you read this book.

first off, as promised by the reseller, the book was in great condition.

as for the contents of the book, it's a fantastic read if you are interested in the root of the sustainability movement. that is to say the foundations and meaning of our educational system which as critical public good, is in dire need of a re-examination.

I ordered this book to use as a field guide for identifying caterpillars that my sons are bringing home in great quantity. It is a very pretty book, with great photographs, but, sadly, it is organized by butterfly family instead of being organized by caterpillar body type, color, pattern, etc. The section for moth caterpillars is very small, only a few pages, and does no more than identify the moth it will become. This is a worthwhile book to own, but don't expect it to be easy to find the caterpillar in your son's hand.

The best field guide on caterpllars I know of. Exhaustive color photography of each species. Color range maps. Introduction includes tips on butterfly gardening and an easy-to-read biology of butterflies from eggs to adults, behavior, and diseases. Supplementary text including a more detailed description of caterpillars along with page no. of image. Foodplant index with scientific names. Excellent paperback reference.

This a good basic book on caterpillars, but it kind of left me stranded. Still can't be sure what butterfly/moth belongs to which caterpillar, especially in my region (west coast). This book is informative, but too generalized. However, having said that, it's the best I've come across.

Despite the fact that this guide is not very thick, it provides lots of helpful information and excellent photograhps for anyone wanting to try their hand at identifying butterfly larvae. I heartily recommend it!

I found this book to be very useful in determining a caterpillar type, the book could have been thicker I think, as larger photos would have been more in line with my ancient eyes. Otherwise, it is a very good reference.

It was a very mean thing to title the book, "How to Fossilize your Hamster" and then tell us to bury the dead hamster and wait eons. . . My children wanted this book because of the title and that's the first page we turned to. [we do have a pet cemetery' in our back yard that they were ready to excavate] I have seen experiments with bones before, so it did not seem way out there. This was a total disappointment. While its a cute gimmick, a 'non-experiment' should not be the title for a book of experiments. I thumbed through the book and felt it had the same unthinking attitude through out. There are so many better experiment books out. . .

deborah

About: New Scientist writer O'Hare provides instructions explains a multitude of science experiments that can easily be done at home.

Pros: Very interesting, varied topics and experiments. Written in easy-to-understand language. My favorite topics included the best ways to get ketchup out of a bottle, how to test if talking on a cell phone affects your reaction time (it does), why hot water freezes faster than cold water, why your vision is blurry underwater, how to extract iron from cereal and DNA from yourself. Apparently, Alka-Seltzer can be used for several cool experiments.

Cons: No sources cited. A further reading section would've been nice

This excellent book helps us to regain lost knowledge - knowledge which I believe we will need again. This is a great place to start remembering!

In Sacred Plant Medicine, Stephen Buhner explores the processes whereby indigenous peoples throughout the world learned the use of plant medicines. The book is a sensitive and deep look at an uncommon subject, the sacredness of plants within indigenous cosmologies, how those plants interacted with human beings, and how human beings made relationship with them in order to learn their medicinal and spiritual uses. Indigenous peoples were clear, and Buhner's first hand accounts bear this out, they did not learn the uses of plant medicines through trial and error but directly from the plants themselves. This book is an important companion to Buhner's other books: Lost Language of Plants, and The Secret Teachings of Plants. Each of them look at the intelligence of Nature, especially that of plants, in close detail, each from a different perspective. Sacred Plant Medicine develops a map of the territory of plant intelligence and the human interaction with it by focusing on the earliest and most basic human form of that contact between differing intelligences. Lost Language of Plants approaches it from a look at the deep ecological interactions of plant chemicals as one specific language of plant communication, Secret Teachings explores the heart as the specific organ of cognition behind understanding plant and Nature contact and communication. All three books are essential, this one is a delight. Highly recommended.

This is a good book. It has quite a bit of the white man playing Indian in it. If you can filter through that stuff then you can get some good information out of it.