Books
Category archives for Books
Bovids Of The World
Posted by Greg Laden on April 13, 2016 
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, there are 143 species of bovids. The Animal Diversity Web is a bit less precise, indicating that there are “more than 140 extant and 300 extinct species.” That second number is highly questionable because today there exist sister species that are so similar I doubt they could be told apart…
The Glorious Gulf of Mexico (Stunning new photographic essay)
Posted by Greg Laden on April 4, 2016 
Photographer Jesse Cancelmo was struck by the general lack of understanding of the sea life and ecology of the Gulf of Mexico that became apparent with the big oil spill in 2010, and this inspired him to carry out a major photographic project in the Gulf. He felt many had written off the Gulf as…
Waterfowl of North America, Europe, and Asia: Beautiful new book
Posted by Greg Laden on March 18, 2016 
There are three kinds of books that count as animal (usually bird) guides. 1) A pocket field guide of the critters of a reasonably circumscribed geographical area, like the Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America. This is a small book that can fit in a big pocket, and a classic…
Climate Change: A Wicked Problem
Posted by Greg Laden on March 7, 2016 
Climate Change: A Wicked Problem: Complexity and Uncertainty at the Intersection of Science, Economics, Politics, and Human Behavior, by Frank Incropera, is a textbook suitable for use in advanced high school or college classes, but also an excellent primer on the topic for anyone interested in it. Incropera spares little details in describing how the…
Wildlife Of The Galapagos: Updated Field Guide (Review)
Posted by Greg Laden on March 4, 2016 
Wildlife of the Galápagos: Second Edition (Princeton Pocket Guides), by Julian Fitter, Daniel Fitter, and David Hosking is both a field guide and a travel guide, focusing on the Galapagos Islands. It includes basic information about each island and each town or tourist destination, and a comprehensive guide to how to visit, what to bring…
Earthquake Time Bombs by Robert Yeats
Posted by Greg Laden on March 1, 2016 
The Great San Francisco Earthquake(s) On October 8th, 1865, the “Great San Francisco Earthquake” hit south of the city of San Francisco, magnitude 6.3. On October 21st, 1868, the ‘Great San Francisco Earthquake” hit near Haywards, east of the city, across the bay, magnitude 6.8. On April 18th, 1906, the “Great San Francisco Earthquake” hit…
Feeding Wild Birds
Posted by Greg Laden on February 21, 2016 
When the Texas A&M University Press asked me to consider reviewing Feeding Wild Birds in America: Culture, Commerce, and Conservation by Paul Baicich, Margaret Barker, and Carrol Henderson, I had mixed feelings. Was this just another backyard bird feeding guide? That would be nice, but not too exciting. After all, feeding birds is just a…
The Serengeti Rules: The Quest to Discover How Life Works and Why It Matters (Book Review)
Posted by Greg Laden on February 11, 2016 
Sean B. Carroll is coming out with a new book called The Serengeti Rules: The Quest to Discover How Life Works and Why It Matters. This is the molecular biologist Sean Carroll, as distinct from the physicist (who wrote this). Homeostasis is one of the basic principles of biology. The term can be applied broadly…
How Machines Work Zoo Break: Excellent New Macaulay Book
Posted by Greg Laden on January 29, 2016 
David Macaulay is famous for his “how things work” books. How Machines Work: Zoo Break! is a new book that is really fun. So fun that it took me a long time to get it back from Amanda and Huxley so I could review it. The concept is simple. A story, a simple story, is…
Dark Money by Jane Mayer
Posted by Greg Laden on January 22, 2016 
The book is: Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right. Also by the same author: The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals. Here is my version of recent American political history: Everyone in America knows…