Mud-O-Science

Book Package came with everything that was needed I have seen a few comments/questions regarding what is included with this textbook. I am hoping I can clear up some confusion. I just received the "Human Anatomy & Physiology, Books a la Carte Plus MasteringA&P with eText -- Access Card Package (9th Edition)". This package came with the Human Anatomy & Physiology textbook, A Brief Atlas of the Human Body, Interactive Physiology 10-System Suite (CD ROM), and the Student Access Code for Mastering A&P. If you need the whole package, this is the one to order. Also, it is important to note that the textbook comes 3-holed punched and you will have to put the pages in a 3-ringed binder. This book does not have a binding. I personally like this idea because if I know that we are going to be working on chapters 2 and 3 in class, then I only have to bring chapters 2 and 3 to class. I don't have to lug around the whole book. Also, it might be important to note that I ordered this book directly from Amazon and not from someone who is using Amazon to sell their book. Go to Amazon

Excellent book for Anatomy I'm a professor at a university and have found this book to be a excellent resource for an Anatomy course (for the Anatomy course at the Graduate School Level -- actually the School of Medicine). This book does an excellent job explaining the content and follows a logical sequence for the students. The tables and illustrations are excellent. From a students view, I'm confident you'll find this book to be thorough and provides an excellent foundation to build your understanding of Anatomy. Go to Amazon

fantastic book, but read my review first I purchased this book a few semesters ago and it is a great text book. This text book you will want to keep for future references. Go to Amazon

I like this book I really like this book. I got this book a few semesters ago when I was taking Anatomy and Physiology. Go to Amazon

A colorful, easy little guide to identify local birds! This book is not meant for anyone seriously into birding, but I'm just one of those people who sits outside with my coffee and wonders who those little birds are and what they're up to! Go to Amazon

Excellent choice for a novice I first picked up this book at a local park visitor center but didn't buy it at the time, but recently bought a bird feeder and was curious to know the names of the birds I was seeing outside my window (other than the obvious blackbirds and blue jays...). What I appreciate most about this book, for a novice like me, is that the birds are grouped by color (as a side note, it's also easy for my kids to use for that reason). I've found every bird I was looking to identify in a matter of seconds. The book also tells you on what page to find the female or male version of the same bird, if the coloring is different. I keep it by my window so it's at my fingertips each time a new bird comes by. Go to Amazon

A useful book. By grouping by 'color', birds of the same type are not always placed together. Hummingbirds for instance appear on page 321 and then again on 343, woodpeckers on page 45 and 331, but there is a name index to fall back on... The photographs (as opposed to sketches) are very helpful and the informal comments, 'stan's notes', are interesting and informative, not found in other books. i use it as a go-to secondary source to the peterson field guide, but for a casual observer it could serve as a primary identification source as the photographs leave no room for doubt. Go to Amazon

Poorly organized. Terrible organization. Birds are listed by color with no sorting based on relationship. For instance the birds of prey are distributed throughout the book. Even within a color, similar birds are not listed together. For instance as you flip through the “brown” color you might have an owl, then a sparrow, then a duck, then another sparrow, then a hawk, and then another sparrow. Terrible way to organize a field guide. Renders any search for a particular bird into a cover to cover search. NOT recommended. Go to Amazon

Easy to use, great for novices. I ordered this book after a recent camping trip because there were several birds I saw that I didn't recognize. I find some of the more "professional" field guides difficult to use because you need to have a background in what you're looking up to navigate through the guides. The color coding made this book so easy to find the birds I was looking for. I like the small size so it's easy to take into the field. I would recommend this for anyone who wants a quick and easy to use field guide. Go to Amazon

VERY Informative Book for Persons of ALL Ages! My son has recently become a birder and he's only 10 so this is the PERFECT book for him! It has pictures, descriptions, and important information about all his state birds. As soon as we conquer California, we're going to move to other states and I hope the literature is just as wonderful as this one. Go to Amazon

Well written book that falls apart after a couple of weeks Nicely written for quick identification by color. Book binding is very poor quality. Several of the pages have already fallen out. I’ve bought many bird books and this is the poorest quality binder I have ever seen. Shame on the publisher for allowing this poor quality book. The author deserves better quality binding to match the excellent photos and descriptions. Go to Amazon

Excellent Field Guide! Great size for backpack or even bigger pocket. Fabulous pictures! I love "Stan's Notes". They give the book a more personal side that other field guides don't have. The color tabs on each page are a simple way to start identifying the birds. I have 7 field guides for birds. This one just moved up to the top as my favorite! Go to Amazon

Great Book for Biology for Non Majors I really enjoyed this book. It's written simply. The complex concepts are simply stated. Illustrations abound. Everyday examples are included that support the material. For example, homeostasis was supported by an athlete who died from heat exhaustion. The supplemental online support that the publisher created has great videos so students who despise biology (like myself) can understand complex topics such as the Kreb's cycle of photosynthesis. I actually started to like biology a little. Great job! I have not sold this book back; it's a keeper! Go to Amazon

It Was OK I am probably a bit biased, as my teacher did not like this book and did not want to use it, but was forced to based on the department curriculum. However, I found this book merely okay. We barely used it in class, so I felt that I should not have purchased this book but rented it. Go to Amazon

No Launchpad access I needed the book so I could have Launchpad access, but it doesn't seem to be accessible or I didn't get a code. I really need it for my homework but there doesn't seem to be any way get access, despite paying so much for the textbook itself, I can't do homework and I need that to pass the class. Go to Amazon

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN BEFORE THE ADDITIONAL CHARGE First, I was good when I rented it, the book is new and useful , I always look at the return day before going to rent it, about december then I think it’s absolutely awesome , but few days ago, I saw that the day I have to return it is 26 or 27 september , It changed completely and I paid already for the rent till December. That is unacceptable, I m gonna let people know it and always screenshot the due date for all the rented books, KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE DATE, GUYS!!! Go to Amazon

Student Says Best Bio Book Ever I'm a philosophy major who had to take a life science class to graduate. This was the assigned textbook and it's great. Fun to read and very informative. There's a big difference between the editions though so make sure to get the one that was assigned ---I made that mistake. This book is obviously a passion project of the professor and the updates aren't cosmetic (read to make money) but quite substantial. In fact if you're interested in biology you could read this textbook for fun. Also he wrote Mean Genes and that's quite good as well, but more of an armchair read. The professor teaches at UCLA and his lectures are available online. Go to Amazon

Five Stars Easy to understand. Great pictures and figures. You can teach yourself. Go to Amazon

Five Stars Exactly what was needed the Class. Go to Amazon

The book is great. Serves it's purpose The book is great. Serves it's purpose, but I thought it was the textbook, this is actually a workbook. Don't make the same mistake that I did. Go to Amazon

One of the best textbooks I've ever read There were several times during my first reading of this book when my jaw literally dropped at how cool biological systems are. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand what systems biology is and/or how the specific "topology" of interactions between system components can confer functions to the cell/organism. Go to Amazon

New Topic Well Written. Got this as textbook to a course that discuss what we can learn from biological systems and apply the concepts into circuit and control system designs. Really interesting topic and well written book. Things are explained in really simple language and easy to comprehend. Go to Amazon

Math heavy, but well explained This book was definitely written by a mathematician, so most of the chapters go farther into detail then I found necessary for my work. But, it does do a great job of explaining what and why certain math concepts are important to the subject matter. Go to Amazon

A must read for any synthetic biologists picking up the ... A must read for any synthetic biologists picking up the theoretical and mathematical side of the field. The only unfortunate thing is that answers to exercises are not available unless requesting directly from Prof. Alon. Go to Amazon

Five Stars it is very good.fast and excellent Go to Amazon

Excellent Read I come from a Biological background and have a deep interest in Systems Biology. I didn't find the book particularly difficult to get through but it can be dry at times (would you expect any different?). Overall I found the book both very deep, interesting, and fulfilling. Many of the engineering concepts were explained in a very easy-to-understand method. Math equations are provided when important for those of us who are interested. Go to Amazon

Great book for practical learning I'm a professor in molecular biology and wanted to learn more about networks so I could begin to apply it in my research. This textbook is an excellent introduction for getting a professional in a related area up to speed to begin to apply and use these ideas in a technical capacity. Very easy to read and understand. The information plugs into a general knowledge of modern molecular biology. The math starts at the level we all were trained in, such as a Michaelis-Menten reaction. Excellent book and highly recommended. Go to Amazon

An Amazing Book If you have any interest in how life actually works, you should read this book. It weighs in at less than 300 pages, which makes it very approachable, but it manages to pack a wide array of fascinating material into those pages. Go to Amazon

The standard in the field [Update, September 2017: Just a caution here that there now seem to be two Kindle editions of the book available. The original "eTextbook / Print Replica Kindle Edition" which is like a PDF file of the actual printed book, and a new "Kindle Edition" which is *not* in Print Replica format. This latter new edition has a different ASIN and shows over 3,000 pages (page-turns on a Kindle device, not actual pages). Beware though, as it is not going to have the beautiful layout and typesetting of the original version. It IS readable on any Kindle device (not just those capable of displaying the Print Replica titles), and should allow increasing the font size to make the text more readable for those who find the full page images of the original book too small or difficult to manage. Personally I prefer the original eTextbook edition which is an exact reproduction of the printed book. In any case, be sure you're ordering the correct version (they currently seem to share the same price) and don't be bothered by the fact that the new Kindle version shows more "pages" and has a larger file size than the original eTextbook one.] Go to Amazon

This is not merely the best cell/molecular biology textbook This is not merely the best cell/molecular biology textbook, it is likely the best textbook ever produced. The style makes the subject easy to understand while still being informative; it almost reads like a novel. Each small section makes and then illustrates a specific point. This is reiterated by clear and helpful figures. It is not a book of just facts. The reader comes to understand what experiments and what evidence supports the current models. This helps students and professionals alike improve their own thinking. The book is ideal for both undergrad and grad/medical students but still very useful for professionals already established in the field. Each new edition provides appropriately updated information without 'throwing the baby out with the bathwater'. Go to Amazon

Delighted with the loose leaf version! I just purchased the loose leaf version of this text (in order to save about $50) with some trepidation. This version has the whole text and is 3-hole punched onto 8.5x11 paper. I'm delighted to discover that I am able to put it in standard 3-ring binders. Most importantly, I am now able to take a couple of chapters out and put them in a separate binder temporarily. This makes the huge lump that is a 1400+ page tome much easier to read because I don't have to have the entire weight of the book in my lap. Go to Amazon

The Kindle version is Awesome! Incredible! This is going to be a review of the Kindle version, and specifically the Kindle version on an (original) iPad. Go to Amazon

Great Science Writing The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness and Recovery by Sam Kean Go to Amazon

EXCELLENT Having read both of Sam's other books already, I was really looking forward to his latest. I was NOT disappointed at all! The research is detailed enough to explain neuroscientific processes without leaving us non science majors deep in the weeds. Sam's writing style incorporates humor into the discussion while providing what seems to be (to me) a primer on the evolution of the discoveries and how those were applied in real life to try to improve patients with Neuro issues. Bravo, Mr. Kean. I will be looking forward to more from you. Highly recommended. Go to Amazon

Making the brain and neuroscience accessible to all... Wow...two great books in a month! I didn't think I'd find another book comparable to The Emperor of All Maladies for a while. But I got very lucky and read Kean's book on the brain, and hit paydirt.I have 2 degrees in Neuroscience, and of course, read many, many textbooks while getting my degrees. I can honestly say that I don't think anyone has made this information on how the brain works, and the various things that can and do go wrong, as accessible as Kean has made it. Go to Amazon

A Profoundly Entertaining Science Book Sam Kean's book, like the books by Mary Roach, is filled with fascinating stories about how even the smallest injuries to the brain can produce large, bizarre, and almost unpredictable consequences. We all live with the delusion that "we" are in charge of our brains and our brains are in charge of everything we do. If you still believe this, Kean's book will shake you up. This book has left me with an appreciation of how amazing it is that most humans, despite the weird workings of our brains, manage to function in relationships and in society. The writing style is delightfully imprecise. As the author of four science books, I plan to use this style in my next book. This book is a superlative example of how science can help us understand the world and ourselves. Go to Amazon

Excellent Very well written with beautiful pictures. My 7 year old granddaughter is an outdoor princess who isn't satisfied with merely seeing things - she wants to know what she's seeing & some information about it. This entire series of books does just that. Makes identifying very easy & gives factual information in just the right amount for elementary age children . Highly recommend! Go to Amazon

My grandson who is 6 will love this! My grandson who is 6 will love this!!! He is into wildlife and knowing their tracks. He quizzes me all the time. I better study this book before I give it to him!!! Great price and I love books that you can touch and turn pages with my grandchildren!!! Go to Amazon

Great Little Book We purchased this book (and several others like it, but different topics) for our grandchildren. My husband and I both looked at them when they came and we loved them ourselves! The pictures are great and the print is the perfect size. I think it gives enough information, but not too much information. It's not so long that the kids will get bored before they are finished reading it. Go to Amazon

I bought this for my 8 year old great nephew, who is fascinated by anything poop related I bought this for my 8 year old great nephew, who is fascinated by anything poop related... He loves the pictures and information and can't wait until he can find some of the animal scat in his adventures out doors. The illustrations in this series are just beautiful. I highly recommend. Go to Amazon

Great book for nature hike Grandson enjoyed receiving this book and it contains information that was appropriate to a youngster of 9 years old. We went on a nature hike where he took the book with him. Go to Amazon

The children love it... The children love it. They get a kick out of seeing the same animals they see in nature in a book. Go to Amazon

What's not to love about poop and pawprints? Great introduction to tracking, and a way for the kids to talk gleefully yet legally about poop. Well written, with good illustrations. Go to Amazon

Where's the poop? Cute book, but not much focus on tracks or scat as the title would suggest; its in there but the pictures are very small. Definitely not take-along worthy. Go to Amazon

Just get it. If you have to use the regular book it is beyond helpful to have the solutions manual. I would recommend getting this as an addition to the regular text book, it helped me ace the class. Go to Amazon

A must have. For anyone who is taking Genetics, it is a great help. Often the questions are not clear as to what is needed. This book is the answer to that issue. Go to Amazon

Good candles Arrived on time and as described. Go to Amazon

Five Stars +1 Go to Amazon

Five Stars Great tool to use when you don't understand a problem ! Highly recommend it!! Go to Amazon

important hypothesis about human cooperation, but without critical analysis or scientific development Harari primarily presents an hypothesis as to how Homo sapiens who successfully migrated out of Africa circa 70 kya (thousand years ago) and thereafter, successfully dominating the planet, differed from earlier Homo sapiens who attempted out migration previously (e.g. around 130 kya) but were not successful. Keep in mind that Homo neanderthals in Europe and Homo erectus in Asia had climate and environment adaptations that sapiens did not have and were separate species. Harari claims (assumes) that the later sapiens differed from the earlier sapiens in only one way. They had evolved the ability to form an "inter-subjective reality," as opposed to objective reality (physical) or subjective reality (in only one person's mind). They were able to tell stories and believe them, independent of physical reality. Go to Amazon

Fun, Enjoyable Easy Read Never before have I reviewed a book after 2300 others have done the same. Who's going to read 2300 reviews and who will read this? Surely a waste of time for a lot of people including me. Now that I am past that let me state that Harari gives a heckeva good read. This is not the usual rise and fall of empires and kingdoms but a broad ranging overview of how we got here. Parts of it were downright fascinating such as "imagination" being a keystone to human activity, e.g. corporations, money, and religion. Go to Amazon

History blending into Philosophy I was impressed by Sapiens. I have read some books that cover some of the same material. For example, books by Jared Diamond, Nicholas Wade, and Jacob Bronowski. Of those three authors it is the closest in ambition to Bronowski's Ascent of Man back from the 1970's, except it is significantly better. I thought the book almost merged into moral and political philosophy because it was subtly giving you analytical tools to judge culture. For example the book states all large societies use great myths (religion, countries, moral codes, money, financial institutions, family institutions) to generate the social cohesion to make large societies function. But can we judge one more or less moral than another? I think the answer implies the answer is yes and implies some criteria. Go to Amazon

I used to just talk to my house plants, after reading this I can hear them talking back. What a great book. I love a good read and my husband and I will often order two books to read together. This one really knocked our socks off. We enjoy research based books and found this to be such an amazing read that it was hard to put down. I have a vegan friend who often tries to "convert" me to her cruelty free diet. She often says that plants are not sentient. I have dared her to read this book and reconsider that nonsentient stance. Man's connection to earth is amazing and this book really opened my eyes to a deeper depth. Okay, okay I don't actually hear my house plants talking back but I have been trying to hone in on our connection and they have really seemed to start thriving more than before. Go to Amazon

really startling stuff. why is this a secret? don't know what I was expecting, as this was a recommendation book, but certainly not this. shakes the very foundation of some physical interactions, we call laws, that appear to be more like guidelines. grandma used to say, put some crushed egg shells at the bottom of the hole when you plant, now I know why ... plants can actually convert the calcium into other elements, something my high school science teacher told us was impossible. go figure. Go to Amazon

Mind Blowing This is one of the most amazing books I've ever read. I sure do look at my plants differently now. The implications are astounding. If sending love to a plant leaf can keep it alive, then sending love and compassion to our own cells or to someone else in pain must work, too. Mind blowing. Well-written, too. Go to Amazon

A "Must Read" for anyone who doesn't believe organic food is superior It obviously has taken me a while to get around to reading this classic book originally published in 1973. I'd heard much about it and was not disappointed. The authors did a tremendous job of recounting the history of plant research, including the work of such great scientists as George Washington Carver and scores of others. Its scope is vast and even prophetic in light of the state of agriculture and its relationship to health over four decades later. Go to Amazon

they don't have a brain like us. Duh Mesmerizing book with fascinating accounts of the life force of plants. No, they don't have a brain like us. Duh. But there is definitely some type of "consciousness" that is present in plants, and reading the interesting studies that were done and the results was mindblowingly cool. Go to Amazon

I love talking to my plants Read this back in the 70's as a teenager and totally got into the talking plants thing. Read it a few years ago and realized that is where I had first heard of Ron Hubbard and his E-meter. Even today, a fascinating compilation of people communicating with plants and plants communicating with plants. Recommend for anyone who is interested in plants or just the higher wavelengths inherent in all living beings. This book verges on the spiritual for me. Go to Amazon

You'll Love Your Plants Even More After Reading This We've all heard the old adage that plants like to be talked to.... The experiments in this book will prove that. A friend who is a botanist/horticulturist recommended this book after we had a conversation about my indoor plants. They seem to have individual "personalities" - some are "divas" who insist on being in rooms where there's a lot of interaction; others prefer a quieter space; all of them love the meditation room even though it has low light. Go to Amazon

Five Stars Fast shipping and good quality as described. Go to Amazon

Five Stars Two additional exams besides the one in the subject test book Go to Amazon

Five Stars Although this book is not like a full Biology textbook it does provide adequate information Go to Amazon

I hope they are just like the real Two helpful practice tests, I hope they are just like the real tests Go to Amazon

Officiall tests Excellent! Two additional official tests to check if you studied correctly. This is NOT a study guide or prep book, only the tests but worth the money since you get to understand the type of questions you will be asked. Very important for all SAT tests to practice with official tests as the prep books have tests way off. Go to Amazon

Very Good Material Excellent Go to Amazon

Five Stars Good! Has two official tests. Hard to find official tests from other sources. Go to Amazon

Material was easy to read and understand Material was easy to read and understand. I liked the self-tests after each chapter. I used this book to homeschool my daughter. So, the vocabulary terms before each chapter also came in very handy. Go to Amazon

E-Z Biology For anyone wanting an overview of biology, this book covers many topics including cells, bacteria and viruses, plants, animals, human systems, DNA, and too many others to list. Don't let the title scare you. The concepts and information in the book is at least high school level. It comes with multiple choice, fill in the blank, questions, and vocabulary words at the end of each chapter. The only negative about the book is the list of vocabulary words at the end of each chapter. Very long and some words are not in the chapter. This book is excellent for high school or college students, homeschoolers, or adults who are just interested in learning. Go to Amazon

I Love it I love this book and all the others Barron's subjects series that I have brought. Barron, so for, is the best I have brought. It is more information than Cliffnotes' booklet. I used both of them together. Go to Amazon

I like it. The book arrived on time, and it was packed perfectly. The book is absolutely new. I like it. Go to Amazon

A must Checked this book out at local library soooooo many times. A must have study guide. We use this for general study for grades 6-12 and sat cramming. It has all the basics Go to Amazon

Not what I expected This book to me has too much information for a 9th grade high school class which is what I bought it for. Go to Amazon

Five Stars Very detailed and good to use a supplement to curriculum. Go to Amazon

Excellent book. Excellent book, as are all the books in this series. Go to Amazon

I like it specially for the discrete time chapter practical book with SAS. I like it specially for the discrete time chapter. Go to Amazon

Great got better If you read the reviews of the first edition of this book ( Go to Amazon

One of the clearest and simplest books on Survival-Analysis This is one of the clearest and simplest books on Survival analysis, and a pleasure to read. The subject matter is developed gradually and with with minimum pre-requisites beyond a working knowledge of and familiarity with linear regression. Go to Amazon

Arrived in great condition! Arrived in great condition! Go to Amazon

Five Stars Very useful book Go to Amazon

This book isn't as clear and helpful as the other ... This book isn't as clear and helpful as the other reviewers seem to suggest. The background information on survival analysis is clear enough, as is the overview on the pros/cons of each SAS procedure. However, the examples leave much to be desired. The author assumes a fairly advanced understanding of statistics. I conduct social science research, have a reasonable understanding of statistics, and had hoped to teach myself survival analysis. I found that the author has written a text that requires a fair amount more mathematics and statistics background. Throughout the book, the author regularly references mathematical formulas and falls into "stats-speak" which muddles the explanation. I'd hoped that this book was more in line with "Multilevel and Longitudinal Modeling with IBM SPSS" by Heck, Thomas, and Tabata, which I found explains advanced statistical topics in a much more straight-forward manner and is chock full of beautifully-explained step-by-step examples. Go to Amazon

Excellent student supplement I am a MS Statistics student, using this book in a supplemental fashion in my Survival Analysis class. This book is not only a great how-to manual for SAS users, but even more-so, I find Allison's conversational tone makes for a perfect supplement for the subject in general. He articulately moves through the concepts, and even if I wasn't using SAS I'd get a lot out of his presentation of Survival Analysis in general. Go to Amazon

a very practical guide for survival analysis a very practical guide for survival analysis. a must read for people working on mortgage PD analysis Go to Amazon

A must read for anyone wanting to learn how to cultivate mushrooms In my opinion this is the second most definitive and complete book on Mushroom Cultivation to date, only bested by Paul Stamets later book. Paul Stamets is responsible for the popularization of indoor and outdoor mushroom growing. Anyone that is interested in learning about cultivating mushrooms should read this book and "Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms", also written by Paul. Read this one first as it is more basic then the later. Go to Amazon

It has a good amount of info about many different types of mushrooms This book has a wealth of information for beginners and commercial growers. It has a good amount of info about many different types of mushrooms, but I've found that his newer book, Growing Gourmet & Medicinal Mushrooms, has more types of mushrooms in it. Some of the substrate & grain spawn recipes are extremely large for the home grower, but you can cut down the recipes to smaller size. I like using this book as a reference mixed w/ a couple other books that are a little more recent. I wish Paul Stamets would update his books for the 21st century. The book was in decent shape when I got it & hasn't fallen apart so far. Go to Amazon

Wonderful book for foundational knowledge, not 100% current though! This book is an amazing first step for the aspiring mushroom cultivator, but it is not without fault. The book itself is great, but the content is a few years outdated. Go to Amazon

Shrooming to a New Tune Very factual and detailed. If you enjoy challenging subjects and you are interested in mycology, then this is the book for you. It is not an easy read and be prepared to study if you want to retain the information. A great book with an amazing amount of information and knowledge. Go to Amazon

Great guide for learning how to propagate mushrooms Great guide for learning how to propagate mushrooms. I found the chapters interesting and very informative for a beginner. This book reads similarly to a science course. Go to Amazon

Love this book! Fantastic in depth manual. Very scientific, but easy for a layman to understand. If you are building a lab, this is the book for you. Go to Amazon

Super Informative This book is one of two I bought, the other being by the same autor and entitled "Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms". This one fills in where the other is lacking, the two complement each other well. Go to Amazon

It's informtive as all get out! however I need ... It's informtive as all get out! however I need something for the guy that wants to grow right now so the kits might work until I get the grow room going... Go to Amazon

A Midsummer Night's Dream: Reading Rachel Carson's first book, "Under the Sea Wind" (1941), is like reading poetry. Not so much a science book, even though the science therein is accurate, but more of an intimate look into the lives of the fish, birds and mammals that live in and around the sea. The text follows a continual narrative, spotlighting various animals as they go about their lives in a challenging environment. Carson's narrative shows that each animal is part a a larger picture, one that shows the endless interplay between species and how life and the environment form a complex Biosphere that has existed for eons. Her beautiful passages describing the weather give the reader a feeling of really being there in the wind, rain and snow. Watch an aerial duel between an Osprey and a Bald Eagle as they fight for possession of a just caught fish. Follow a school of Mullet as they navigate the sea currents to their breeding grounds. But it's not only fish and birds that struggle for life, man, too, plays a part in the modern sea. Whole communities of fishermen and their families depend on the ocean for food and material gain. You'll be with them as they cast their nets over the water to catch mullets by the thousands. For me Carson's writing style was reminiscent of the nature stories written by Canadian poet Charles G D Roberts (*). While Roberts's stories were inspired by his life growing up in a hunting and farming community in the back-woods of Canada, Carson's "Under the Sea Wind" is based on her lifetime of observation and knowledge of the natural world. To help the reader follow the various animal characters through their lives the author gave each one a "name", that name might be part of the animals "scientific name" or taken from Native American (Inuit) lore. With moving prose Carson follows an Atlantic mackerel from egg to adult, tracing its movement down the coast from the spawning grounds, just south of Rhode Island, where it hatched. In this way she paints a picture of life in the sea; the ceaseless dance of predator and prey, the changing flow of currents, the never ending march of the seasons. Carson's knowledge, of the sea and its many creatures, the sky and the countless birds that follow the rugged coastline from winter to summer, is nothing less than astounding. "Under the Sea Wind" is book 1 of Rachel Carson's "Sea Trilogy" (**) and all three books are considered to be one of the most "Definitive works of American nature writing" to come along in decades. This edition closes with a short biography of Carson complete with archival photos from her life. The reader should keep in mind that this book was written in the early part of the 20th Century and while the science was up to date in 1941 moderne research and observations may have altered some of Carson's conclusions on animal behavior but on the whole the science remains valid to this day. For me this timeless story was one that I have carried with me for most of my life and it only gets better with each rereading. I had no technical or formatting problems with this Kindle edition but I did notice an unfortunate "publisher omission". The lovely illustrations by nature artists Howard Frech who's sketches and line-drawings graced the first edition and some later editions, are all missing. Too bad that Open Road Media did not take that extra step to give the reader a truly memorable reading experience. That being said, I still highly recommend this book to nature lovers everywhere. Go to Amazon

Beautiful environmental poetry What a wonderful book! Rachel Carson delights us with a tale of the creatures that live at the edge of the sea. The interaction of all the birds, animals and sea life is fascinating. There is so much going on every minute of every day - so much more than a casual observer of the seaside would ever notice. Ms. Carson makes us aware of the dependence all creatures have upon one another and how human interference can have a negative impact on nature. Her writing is beautiful, poetic, and moves us to care about the environment. Go to Amazon

What an unusual nature book This is a very unusual nature book. Most nature books are based on first-hand experience and observations (e.g. see Henry David Thoreau, Edward Abbey, Robert Finch's books). While Rachel Carson certainly studied and observed the animals she describes in this book, she did not dive under the sea, thus a lot of the narrative is based on imagination (educated imagination, no doubt). The personification of the animals -- to give them human names and describe their feelings -- is also very unique in nature books. Nonetheless, these do not detract from the scientific accuracies of Carson's descriptions. As an literary book, these in fact make the book very much more readable. Reading it is like watching a Discovery channel documentary. Go to Amazon

ALL OF RACHEL CARSON'S BOOKS I give all of Rachel Carson's books high praise. She was a woman way ahead of her time. Go to Amazon

Rachel Carson writes like an angel about worms I had never heard of marine zoologist Rachel Carson. I bought her book 'On The Edge Of The Sea' in a 2nd hand bookshop in a bunch of other random Natural History because I liked the cover. After OTEOTS I read 'The Sea Around Us', and most recently 'Under the Sea Wind', the subject of this review. Go to Amazon

Review of How Forests Think In 'How Forests Think,' the author, Eduardo Kohn, has undertaken an ambitious project, challenging anthropology to be inclusive of non-human life. To carry out this project, Mr. Kohn has employed 4 perspectives; ecology, colonial history, semiotics, and the Runa, an indigenous group in the Amazon rain forest of Ecuador. He seeks to weave each perspective together symbiotically in order to gain a deeper understanding of the context the Runa participate in, and through the eyes of the Runa, a different viewpoint on how we can relate to the non-human world. Go to Amazon

Another human is possible Eduardo Kohn's How Forests Think reflects on the entanglements between human and non-human. As a critique to the human-centric ethnographic representation prevalent in anthropology, Kohn foregrounds an ethnography that is "beyond human" that decenters and defamiliarizes the human (125). Kohn posits that as humans we need to look beyond ourselves and learn to see how we are merely one voice within an "ecology of selves" (78). An incredibly rich ethnography, How Forests Think transcends an ontological divide and exclusive binary that separates human and non-human sociality toward a dramatically different way of thinking, telling and relating in a world of human and non-human selves. Go to Amazon