Product Description
David Quammen's book, The Song of the Dodo, is a brilliant, stirring work, breathtaking in its scope, far-reaching in its message -- a crucial book in precarious times, which radically alters the way in which we understand the natural world and our place in that world. It's also a book full of entertainment and wonders.

In The Song of the Dodo, we follow Quammen's keen intellect through the ideas, theories, and experiments of prominent naturalists of the last two centuries. We trail after him as he travels the world, tracking the subject of island biogeography, which encompasses nothing less than the study of the origin and extinction of all species. Why is this island idea so important? Because islands are where species most commonly go extinct -- and because, as Quammen points out, we live in an age when all of Earth's landscapes are being chopped into island-like fragments by human activity.

Through his eyes, we glimpse the nature of evolution and extinction, and in so doing come to understand the monumental diversity of our planet, and the importance of preserving its wild landscapes, animals, and plants. We also meet some fascinating human characters. By the book's end we are wiser, and more deeply concerned, but Quammen leaves us with a message of excitement and hope.Amazon.com Review
In a wonderful weave of science, metaphor, and prose, DavidQuammen, author ofTheFlight of the Iguana, applies the lessons of island biogeography - the study of thedistribution of species on islands and islandlike patches of landscape- to modern ecosystem decay, offering us insight into the origin andextinction of species, our relationship to nature, and the future ofour world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (71)

Would be better at one-third the length
Did you ever have one of those professors in college who tried just a little too hard to be cool by using four-letter words and making what they imagined to be irreverent quips?

Ever have one of those professors who would drift away into unrelated personal stories? And who would then try to return to the main subject but not remember at what point they had departed it and so repeat large chunks of what they had already covered?

Ever encounter an undergraduate who was trying to stretch his 5 pages of good material into 15?

Combine these three types and you'll have a good idea of what David Quammen's writing is like in this book. The actual meat of the book concerning the development of the field of island biogeography might have been presented in a hundred pages, but Quammen stretches this out into 700 pages and over 170(!) individual short chapters. Examples are drawn out beyond all helpfulness and are then repeated again and again. His regular use of profanity is gratuitous. It adds nothing and only distracts. He drifts off into personal travelogue that has nothing to do with his subject. He spends more time explaining why we can ignore the nasty old mathematics of ecology than it would have taken to give a quick synopsis of how the math has been applied.

This is one of the strangest aspects of this book; for a work supposedly about a branch of science, it is incredibly hostile toward science at times. Who needs calculus? Quammen throws out like one of those "hip" professors. Who needs logarithms? Well, "dude," anyone who intends to include an entire chapter about mathematical ecological models does. Quammen assumes his reader shares his hatred for anything "besmeared" with math and so simply glosses over it. Just as he begins to get past the surface of a new theory, he pulls back and apologizes to his readers for boring them.

Quammen writes well, but doesn't seem to know what kind of book he's writing. He maybe wants to present the science, but apparently assumes his readers will yawn off if he tries to go into any real depth and so resorts to gossip about the scientists themselves. He maybe wants to write a travelogue, and has to stretch to fit these passages into his main theme. Ultimately, Quammen himself draws no conclusions, ventures no new ideas. The book succeeds as a long diversion into a topic of some currency, but that's about it. It provides very little hard information in its 700 pages.

Wonderful biological adventure that's incredibly educational
It's been years since I finished reading this and I still find myself thinking about it often.Mr. Quammen takes us on an informative scientific journey while visiting some amazing places around the world, all based around the theme of island biogeography.My favorite book of his (I have them all).I look forward to reading it once again in the near future!

Think the subject is dry? Think again.
This is one of my all-time favorite books. If you're put off by the title's mention of "island biogeography," get over it. The subject is fascinating, and like all of Quammen's work, it's explained in an understandable, even enjoyable, manner. And if the subject does interest you, you'll be thoroughly educated and entertained. I'm referring the lay reader of course (a group to which I belong), but I suspect that, given Quammen's felicity with words (his earlier career was as a novelist), even people with some experience in the field will enjoy it (and they will get the added enjoyment of carping about details).

The book isn't just about science. It's history, travel, biography, and more. More than any other book I've read, I've pushed this book on friends to read.

excellent work!
This is a fascinating look at evolution and biology in the microcosms of islands.There are plenty of fine works out there about evolution, and lots of good books about biodiversity, but here the central question is "what happens if we have a very limited environment?an environment where there may not be any predator species, an environment which may have only limited interactions with other environments?"So, for example, he recounts the investigations into the return of biota to Krakatoa (this has been done before).But he also looks closely at Hawaii, the Galapagos, Komodo, and other islands.Quammen visits most of these places--from inhospitable islands off Baja California to Mauritius and other spots--he wants to see firsthand.Some of the islands are not islands in the usual sense--small pockets of jungle left in Brazil, mountains in Nevada, for example.If you're a small animal that thrives at, say, elevations over 9000 feet, you probably are not going to be able to cross 30 miles of desert to reach another mountain.The tepuis of Venezuela could have been covered here as well.

Perhaps the most interesting parts of the book for me were two tales.The first is about Mauritius and the extinction of the dodo.Humans are of course the culprit, or so we assume.But it turns out that a significant contribution came from the introduction of the crab-eating macaque monkeys to this island in the 1600's.How they got there is a deep mystery--pigs, chickens, goats, etc, are understandable, but the macaques are not very good pet material, to say the least--suspicion falls on the Dutch.The second tale is about the extinction of a number of native birds on Guam--a rapid and measurable decline, with a traceable line of disappearance--from the south to the north.Much like the recent problems with honeybee populations in the US, there were lots of suggestions and finger-pointing--DDT, etc.The culprit turned out to be a poisonous bird-eating tree snake, introduced inadvertently from the Solomon Islands.On Guam the snake had no natural enemies and multiplied--prodigiously.It is estimated that there are 13000 of these snakes (which grow to about 5 feet) per square mile on Guam.That's a mind-boggling 20 per acre.Think of your little house in the US on your quarter-acre lot, and then imagine that on your quarter-acre lot are 5 5-foot long poisonous snakes.These are tree snakes and so climb well.If you have ever (as I have) seen a 5-foot long blacksnake sunning itself on your second-story windowsill and you're cursed with an imagination, think of walking out your front door and having a large poisonous snake drop on you from the overhanging gutter.

Quammen is a great storyteller.By visiting the locations, he can make things really come to life, so to speak.I was never particularly interested in visiting Guam, and I'm not scared of snakes, but now Guam has even less attraction!This book does a really fine job in showing how evolution operates, and it also addresses important environmental issues.A fine work indeed!

Outstanding...
David Quammen is a damned good writer. This is excellent news for you, the presumptive reader, because this book is looooooong and at times unavoidably recondite.

As a layman's propadeutic for ecology, however, you really can't ask for much more. Quammen knows that SOME jargon is inescapable, but he doesn't deploy it with an airy "Look it up, a-hole!" He gently takes your hand and guides you along through the morass of theoretical ecology...and he has an uncannily accurate sense of just how much academic blibbety-blab one can tolerate, before a narrative volte-face is necessary.

At such junctures, Quammen will insert an anecdote, a joke, a story, something INTERESTING, to ENGAGE you, to get you past the hump, and ready for another ten pages or so of aridity. (A spoonful of sugar...) Truly, he is to be commended...instead of writing a highfalutin, self-aggrandizing work of "scholarship," he's written a book that is both scientifically sound and READABLE.

It's a boon to the subject of ecology and indicates his intellectual security: he doesn't want to flaunt his considerable smarts--he wants you to LEARN SOMETHING. (And you will.) From Darwin to E.O. Wilson, all bases are covered; and though Quammen never attempts to camouflage his own sensibilities, the book is not tendentious (like Guns, Germs, and Steel).

As a "read," the first part is better than later chapters, and there is a definite sense of losing steam. But though the returns start to diminish, the slope always stays positive, and experiences a sharp up-tick at the very end. (If I could get through the section on the Concho water snake, so can you.)

This is simply a superb, edifying book. It's good for you, no matter what you believe, no matter what your perspective. ... Read more

Product Description
If you're serious about praying the Liturgy of the Hours, this is the only book you'll ever need. The Divine Office for Dodos is a step-by-step guide to the entire breviary, including Morning and Evening Prayer, Night Prayer, the Office of Readings, the "Little Hours," Feasts and Solemnities, and the Seasons of the Church Year.

Written in a fun, instructional style, The Divine Office for Dodos includes 90 in-depth lessons, 72 custom quizzes, and over 35 secret tips and techniques. Plus, each book comes with a set of breviary bookmarks and ribbons at no additional charge!

The author, Madeline Pecora Nugent, has written two books on St. Anthony of Padua and one on St. Clare of Assisi, as well as hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles. Madeline prays all secen hours of the Divine Office every day. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Very helpful
I'm finding the book very helpful. Maybe I'm a nerd, but I actually appreciate the humor. Other people complained about it, but I find it relaxing. It is so much more complicated to learn how to pray the Divine Office than I ever imagined it could be. I have a Ph. D., and it's still complicated! This book is definitely helping. I haven't ordered the bookmarks she talks about in her book, but I think I'm going to have to because it is just that complicated to learn to pray the Divine Office and I don't really have time to make my own what with the Ph.D.-related job and the toddler. But she does give detailed instructions on how to make your own in case you'd like to save yourself the $10 for the bookmark and ribbon system. Anyway, I think this is a really great book for learning how to do this. I can't imagine a book doing a better job. I'm grateful that someone has written a book like this or I would be completely lost in learning how to do thi.

Quick Overview Excites Learner
I've only had a chance to glance through The Divine Office for Dodos and complete 2 lessons. Madeline Nugent's lessons appear user friendly, relaxed, and even fun! Madeline has given new, old, and/or returning Catholics a path to deeper understanding. I also believe that by reading The Divine Office for Dodos would help those who are not Catholic (yet) understand some of what Catholics are all about. There are many misconceptions out in the world around us, or even within our own families.

Learning how to pray the Liturgy of the Hours has been something I have wanted to know for some time now, but I had no idea how one would get a start. Purchase your Christian Prayer Book (Otherwise known as the Breviary), Madeline Nugent's The Divine Office for Dodos, and a Catholic Bible (should you not have one all ready)- all three books are absolutely necessary. You must have a Catholic Bible. There is reading to do, homework to understand before moving onto the next lesson; but learning the Liturgy of the Hours is not a novel, nor is it a class to take at college for credits with a professor. The Liturgy of the Hours will help fill you up, perhaps lift you up would be a better phrase, to a closeness with The Blessed Trinity, Our Holy Mother, and our world.

Thank you Ms. Nugent, for writing The Divine Office for Dodos.

Excellent Book on Understanding the Technical Aspects of Reading the Liturgy of the Hours
Starting to read the Liturgy of the Hours without any training is a daunting task.This book is an excellent way to become familiar with the mysteries of the Liturgy.The author works you through all the different prayers for all the different type days.It is a lot of information but if you are patient it all begins to make sense. The author has a complicated system of ribbons and bookmarks.I began to use them but then I decided that based on what I learned in this book I could come up with my own system.The author tries to inject humor into her writings which sometimes works and sometimes does not.I read the book to learn how the Liturgy works and I did not get distracted by the author's style.

If you're serious about praying the Divine Office...a Godsend!
The "Dodos" book made it possible to learn how to pray the entire Divine Office (all 7 Hours) within 2 months on my own. As others have reviewed, the author's tone can be a bit irritating. But please don't hold that against Ms. Nugent. After awhile, I simply ignored the tone and paid attention to the substance of what was being taught. The world made accessible through The Liturgy of the Hours should not be missed.
With (1) the "Dodos" book, (2) the Offices contained in either the full Breviary (4 Volumes in the U.S. & 3 Volumes in the UK -- I suggest buying the volume of the Season you're in for starters) OR the 1-Volume shorter Breviary, and (3) the day's examples from either [...] (to make sure I was getting the day's Psalms and scriptures right, by example), you'll soon be immersed in a truly wonderful experience. I can't recommend the "Dodos" book highly enough. I refer to the book often. The parts of praying the Offices I couldn't understand at first, became clear over time. Worth every bit of time and effort I spent, with Ms Nugent's help along the way.

A Quaint Relic From a Bygone Era
Ms. Nugent's book is essentially a book on how to use another book (or books), i.e., the officially sanctioned breviary of the Catholic Church. Unfortunately, it does little to address the underlying spiritual foundations of the Liturgy of the Hours and instead focuses on matters such as the construction and use of bookmarks (16 in all, 64 if you get a four volume breviary; the author describes these as "resting ribbons" and "bouncing bookmarks") and explanations of the terminology associated with the breviary. It is marred by relentless efforts to be cute and tongue-in-cheek, a remarkably high degree of chattiness, constant references to readers as "dodos" coupled with a patronizing tone, and a plethora of exclamation marks used to convey enthusiasm and reverence. It is about as inspiring as a book on automotive mechanics and is often as silly as a Chevy Chase skit.

In her efforts to simplify the subject matter, plus be humorous, Ms. Nugent has a tendency to be verbose. As a consequence, her discussions of relatively simple matters take three times as much space as necessary. Much of the useful information in the book could have been condensed to a much slimmer volume. The rest is just fluff. Also, in referencing specific Biblical passages used for a particular day's Offices, Ms. Nugent's spiritual commentary often consists of observations like, "Boy, is that the truth!" and "You bet you do." This was not terribly illuminating, and we would have been better served by a work of the kind produced by Michael Dubruiel (who tragically passed away last year).

The central thrust of the book is how to determine the appropriate prayers for each of the potential seven Offices of the day, for each of the 365 days of the year, with accommodations for feasts and holidays and the like. A book format is not and never has been an effective technique for compiling such information, and extracting it on a daily basis is a potentially arduous task that is tiresome enough to deter even the most spiritual from prayer. Prior to the Internet and personal computers, however, breviaries were about the best we had. This has changed, but Ms. Nugent has apparently not kept pace with the change. Online breviaries are available for each day's Offices. Some sites can email the text for the Offices on each day. Apple's App Store contains downloadable breviary programs for iPads, iPhones, and iPods. Audio versions are available as podcasts. Much of this is free. Online resources such as Wikipedia also provide generally better background material than this book on the Liturgy (although this material does not have the Imprimatur, which the book does have).

Given such developments, Ms. Nugent's effort is really relevant only for those who have no choice but to use a printed breviary. Even for those individuals, the book's tone would seem to preclude use by anyone with a serious commitment to a consecrated life. For the rest of us, our iPads are a more rational solution than rifling through 64 bookmarks looking for the day's relevant passages. This will give us that much more time to focus on the spirituality contained in the prayers.

UPDATE: Some who wish to say the Divine Office might be concerned about the source texts used by those Web sites presenting the Office for each day. As Ms. Nugent notes, the Catholic Book Company presents the breviaries authorized by the Church in the United States. This company also has a very elegant web site which presents the text for each day along with an accompanying soundtrack which is often quite lovely. In the UK, the authorized source texts are a bit different, and a different organization has taken the lead in publishing the day's texts (but no soundtrack). In either case, the labor in assembling the texts is eliminated. Unless one is wedded in some way to the book format, using it has really gone by the wayside in this instance. ... Read more

Product Description
After a trip to the zoo, the Doctor and Martha go in search of a real live dodo and are transported by the TARDIS to the mysterious Museum of the Last Ones. There, in the Earth section, they discover every extinct creature up to the present day - billions of them, from the tiniest insect to the biggest dinosaur, all still alive and in suspended animation. Preservation is the Museum's only job - collecting the last of every endangered species from all over the universe.And for millennia the Museum has been trying to trace one elusive specimen: the last of the Time Lords... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Great book
This is definitely one of the better Doctor Who books that I have read. I really enjoyed all the action and especially like the I-Spyder bits. How fun!

Very good reading
GOOD: The plot is very interesting, the characterization is incredible, the shock effects are good enough and the jokes are funny. Plus, it's a good reading about extinct animals.
BAD: The ending should have been extended a little bit, few things were obvious.

SUGGESTED: Yes - if you are a Doctor Who fan.

Nice concepts, good characterization, but ultimately lacking
This started out very strong; nice concept, with the Doctor and Martha visiting a "zoo" consisting of almost extinct creatures held in suspended animation... and I've enjoyed a couple of Rayner's other Doctor Who books. But come to think of it this shares a flaw with "The Stone Rose" in that, once the dangerous action starts, the danger just doesn't feel real. The Doctor is too capable, too invulnerable. Also the odd combination of first and third person narrative didn't really work for me; didn't see a reason for it.

A Bit Silly Really
The Doctor & Martha encounter a planet filled with a museum of the last animal of its kind for each animal that has become extinct in the Milky Way galaxy. And each is in suspended animation so that the species doesn't die out. Will the proprietor try to enshrine the last of the Time Lords as well? Will the last dodo be saved by the Doctor?

This was a quick read. There was a bit of bad logic here and there, but the author at least tried to tie up the loose ends at the end, including addin...more The Doctor & Martha encounter a planet filled with a museum of the last animal of its kind for each animal that has become extinct in the Milky Way galaxy. And each is in suspended animation so that the species doesn't die out. Will the proprietor try to enshrine the last of the Time Lords as well? Will the last dodo be saved by the Doctor?

This was a quick read. There was a bit of bad logic here and there, but the author at least tried to tie up the loose ends at the end, including adding in a faulty android which was supposed to explain the lapse of logic. Just when I thought the story was over, there was a nice surprise extra at the end.

An Average Story
Having listened to these on audio, I can't comment on the format of the book.

However, this story struck me as uninspiring. The concept is interesting, but if you try to think too hard about it it quickly becomes silly.

There are some good themes in this, especially about the Doctor being the last of his kind, but this is largely pushed aside as the story rumbles on. It has too many false endings, and really isn't very engaging. The villains are boring. Insane antagonists are part and parcel of Doctor Who, but here the insanity is rather pointless.

Also, rather than introducing new species and planets, it's back to Earth...again. I really wish they'd expand their borders a bit.

However, the story from the perspective of the Dodo was cute, and the Martha 1st person bits was good.

I just wish this story had been more than it was. ... Read more

Product Description
Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz; also known as "Litwos" (1846-1916), was a Polish journalist and Nobel Prize-winning novelist. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1905 for his "outstanding merits as an epic writer". His works were noted for their negative portrayal of the Teutonic Order in The Teutonic Knights, also translated as The Knights of the Cross, which was remarkable as a significant portion of his readership lived under German rule. Many of his novels were first serialized in newspapers, and even today are still in print. In Poland, he is best known for his historical novels With Fire and Sword (1892), The Deluge, and Fire in the Steppe (The Trilogy) set during the 17th-century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, while internationally he is best known for Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero (1896) has been filmed several times, most notably the 1951 version. He also wrote a novel entitled On the Field of Glory (1906) which was supposed to be the beginning of a trilogy. Amongst his other works are Without Dogma (1893), The Knights of the Cross; or, Krzyzacy (1900) and So Runs the World. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very different book from Sienkiewicz, but I loved it!
First of all, this book is nothing like the Trilogy or "Quo Vadis".It's not an action-packed, Romanticist epic, the tone is more restrained, and the pacing is much slower."Without Dogma" is really a psychological novel in which the storytelling is done through the thoughtful diary entries of the main character (Leon).

I won't delve into the story too much since I don't want to give anything away.Basically, this is a love story told from the viewpoint of a man who lacks "dogma".I think Sienkiewicz uses this word broadly to include religious dogma as well as other beliefs and sacred cows.

Unlike Sienkiewicz's more famous novels, narration really rules versus dialogue.Also, several key scenes are only referred to in the diary entries rather than played out for the reader.This approach might become tiresome for some, but I really got hooked.

Sienkiewicz handles the diary format masterfully and I was pulled into the story.At many points, I simply could not put it down.Often I felt happy for Leon when he made a step forward, other times he frustrated me so badly I wanted to reach into the book and strangle him.He came alive for me, warts and all, is what I guess I'm saying.

The translation is very crisp and reads smoothly.No problem there at all.I enjoyed this just as much as his more famous works, just in a different more cerebral way.There's no battles or kidnappings, but it's a gripping peek inside a man's mind as he faces some rather difficult emotional conflicts. ... Read more

Product Description
When Penguin gets pooped on by a goose flying by, he becomes more determined than ever to learn to fly. So, with the help of his other flightless friends (aka the Waddlers), the foursome builds a flying machine that takes them on an adventure like none they've ever known.

With a cast of quirky, can-do characters that young readers are sure to love, Flight of the Dodo is a comic adventure story about the desire to fly, the persistence to dream big, and poop! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Grandkids love this book
This is one funny children's book and my grand daughters love it. It kept them entertained for hours.

Many a moral
This was SO fun!

Okay, yes, at first it seems like it's a story about bird doo. However, it's quickly apparent that the story is about so much more! It's about working hard to achieve your dreams, over coming challenges, cooperation. What's more, I was starting to fret when our hero, Penguin, starting acting rather snobbish and rude. But lo! Such actions did not go without their consequences!

This is a delightful little book, and children will surely thrill at the joke...more This was SO fun!

Amusing use of bathroom humor - creative
I purchased this book, along with several others, for my son because he became jealous that I receive so many books in the mail.He is just graduating Kindergarden and really liked the idea of the target pooping in the book.I have long recognized the fact that the male species never outgrows the use of bathroom humor and finds it much more fascinating than our female counter parts (thank God!)Evidently, that is one of the things that seperates the sexes.In any event, it was an enjoyable read with a six year old and we have read it many times.The pictures are age appropriate and entertaining as well.Unless you find the use of bathroom humor to hold a young boy's attention, I recommend this book.

Great talent with abundant humor
I first saw this book from Communication Art Illustration Annual Issue. The illustrations were so appealing that I had to get this book. Peter Brown is such a talented artist with great sense of humor. The story was very fresh as well. My daughter pointed out the penguin and other birds. She is a bit young to understand to story but in due time she will enjoy it as much as me. I just can't get enough of the illustrations, I visited his website with all the cool flesh. Definitely a talent to keep an eye on.

very funny, both the story and the illustration
My 5-year-old son and I read this book together one night and we both laughed from the beginning to the end. The story was fresh and the drawing was detailed. We couldn't help read it one more time. Then my son read it with my wife. The next morning, he was reading it again while having his breakfast. A very nice book! ... Read more

Product Description
“LISTEN, little children, all,Listen to our earnest call:You are very young, 'tis true,But there's much that you can do.Even you can plead with menThat they buy not slaves again,And that those they have may beQuickly set at liberty.” ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Must Read!
While this was originally made for children, I would find it difficult for a child to understand the true meaning behind it. This alphabet, written much like a poem, reveals something about slavery with each letter. I think this is a must read, although it may be difficult.

Read this to your children
A beautifully written children's book giving the ABC's of anti-slavery.There may have been pictures in the original that are not shown here, and there are no returns after verses; but the message is strong and this small book should be a part of every child's library. ... Read more

Product Description
Robert Hugh Benson (1871-1914) was the youngest son of Edward White Benson, Archbishop of Canterbury, and younger brother of Edward Frederic Benson. In 1895, he was ordained a priest in the Church of England by his father who was then Archbishop of Canterbury. His father died suddenly in 1896, and Benson began to question the status of the Church of England, eventually obtaining permission to join the Community of the Resurrection. He made his profession as a member of the community in 1901, at which time he had no thoughts of leaving theChurch of England, but as he continued his studies and began writing, he became more and more uneasy with his own doctrinal position. On September 11, 1903, he was received into the Roman Catholic Church. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1904 and was sent to Cambridge. He continued his writing career along with the usual elements of priestly ministry. He was named a Monsignor in 1911. ... Read more

Product Description
Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870), also known as "Boz", was the foremost English novelist of the Victorian era, as well as a vigorous social campaigner. Considered one of the English language's greatest writers, he was acclaimed for his rich storytelling and memorable characters, and achieved massive worldwide popularity in his lifetime. The popularity of his novels and short stories has meant that not one has ever gone out of print. Dickens wrote serialised novels, the usual format for fiction at the time, and each new part of his stories was eagerly anticipated by the reading public. Among his best-known works are Sketches by Boz (1836), The Pickwick Papers (1837), Oliver Twist (1838), Nicholas Nickleby (1839), Barnaby Rudge (1841), A Christmas Carol (1843), Martin Chuzzlewit (1844), David Copperfield (1850), Bleak House (1853), Little Dorrit (1857), A Tale of Two Cities (1859), Great Expectations (1861) and Our Mutual Friend (1865). ... Read more

Product Description
In an unrivaled child-friendly style, this extensive series uses a conversational format to deliver solid information in a natural, amusing, and imaginative way.

From tigers to polar bears, this popular book answers questions about endangered animals, their habitats, and efforts to keep them safe. Sensitive to environmental issues, this is a welcome and timely treatment of a high-interest topic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A must for every child's bookshelf
This book teaches about the beauty, uniqueness and dignity of animals. Beautifully illustrated, and full of fun facts, it tells all about exotic endangered and extinct animals. My favourite is the dodo, but there areplenty of animals to entertain and amuse all tastes. ... Read more

Product Description
Plato (428/427 BC-348/347 BC), whose original name was Aristocles, was an ancient Greek philosopher, the second of the great trio of ancient Greeks - succeeding Socrates and preceding Aristotle - who between them laid the philosophical foundations of Western culture. Plato was also a mathematician, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the western world. Plato is widely believed to have been a student of Socrates and to have been deeply influenced by his teacher's unjust death. Plato's brilliance as a writer and thinker can be witnessed by reading his Socratic dialogues. Some of the dialogues, letters, and other works that are ascribed to him are considered spurious. Plato is thought to have lectured at the Academy, although the pedagogical function of his dialogues, if any, is not known with certainty. They have historically been used to teach philosophy, logic, rhetoric, mathematics, and other subjects about which he wrote. ... Read more

Product Description
In Darwin's time, island biogeography was the science that opened Victorian minds to the wonder of evolution. Today with all the world's wild landscape being chopped into island-like fragments, it's the science of jeopardy and extinction. This book combines science, historical narrative and travel. ... Read more

Product Description
From the first microscope sea creatures to the Tasmanian wolf, this book traces all of extinct life.Each chapter covers the animals themselves, the processes that brought them to extinction, and the modern scientific discoveries that reveal their lost words. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Smarter than the average dinosaur book!
My first-grader brought this home from the school library and we both loved it. It's well organized, clearly written, and tells you stuff that's not in every dinosaur book you already own. And the illustrations are spectacular. A real find for fans of dinosaurs and other mysterious creatures.

Exhaustive Research
As a writer acquainted with the grueling research that went into the production of this book, I can tell you, Don Lessem has laid out a remarkable overview of prehistoria in DINOSAURS TO DODOS.As a fellowwriter and dinosaur enthusiast, I wish him great success with the project.It's a must for any elementary school library. ... Read more

Product Description
* Viking will publish Jane Langton's 13th Homer Kelly mystery, The Face on The Wall, in January 1998 What is Homer Kelly doing in Oxford, England? In addition to working as a visiting lecturer, he's playing part-time detective, trying to solve the great questions of life and, along the way, the death of a young priest who has left a cryptic note saying simply, The answer is no.As he sets off on his search for answers to this most real and inauspicious death, Homer also begins a philosophical journey far more challenging than any begun in a classroom, and discovers a crime much more sinister and troubling: God himself seems dead as a dodo. Who committed murder sublime?Amazon.com Review
Eccentric Harvard philosophy professor Homer Kelly and hissharp wife Mary are like a literary Nick and Nora Charles of The Thin Man fame. Jane Langston hasput the frumpy professor through a series of whimsical mysteries for30 years now, but this is the most original and fanciful. Combininghard-edged crime suspense with philosophical meanderings, a meditationon Darwinism, intellectual curiousity, Alice inWonderland-styled zaniness, and a playful prose style, Dead asDodo is joyful reading. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Do do read it!
This story really grew on me, taking me longer to read and ponder than I had expected. It is a leisurely story told in crisply short chapters. It begins as a rather fusty sabbatical visit to Oxford, England, by Harvard professors Homer and Mary Kelly (Langton's series characters), and turns into an enthusiastical meld of Alice in Wonderland and Darwinian evolution, especially in a climactic dream sequence! There are hidden depths to the situations and academic theories juxtaposed here. The eventual murders are almost beside the point. The joy in intellectual disputation herein made me not really worried for anyone. For a professor of English, Homer is quite a scientist, an experimenter, and not in the least PC and post-modern like his ilk. While rarely laugh-out-loud funny, Langton definitely has an amusingly light touch and a bit of satire. The book is illustrated with the author's jaunty sketches of Oxford places. I suspect that any knowledge of Lewis Carroll, Darwin, and Oxford will increase the pleasure of the reader still further.

An erudite mystery in the British Tradition
As if to take on the style of the British mysteries, Ms. Langton paces the plot fairly slowly, picking up speed toward the middle of the book. Less formulaic than Agatha Christie, Ms. Langton's book is more along the lines of P.D. James.Her references to Darwinian fact and fiction are formidable, and makes several pages more than simply "light reading."However, the scientific references and theological postulations never become tedious and in fact provide a lovely intellectual backdrop for a somewhat boring set of murders.

For those who enjoy something more than plot, this mystery is highly recommended.Anyone who has been to Oxford will most definitely enjoy Ms. Langton's thorough and fanciful descriptions.

Homer Kelly is as eccentric as he is brilliant, making for an excellent protagonist.However, some of the other characters are lacking in development which leads to a miniscule disappointment in reading the book.Otherwise, a delightfully well-written work.

A Literate, Literary Mystery Based on Evolution in Oxford
Dead as a Dodo is one of the best and most refreshingly original mysteries in the distinguished Homer and Mary Kelly series.

Jane Langton is well known for her mystery series featuring Homer and Mary Kelly (who both lecture at Harvard).In these books, she always manages to combine new perspectives on important 19th century thinkers by putting their ideas into today's context.The mysteries are illuminated by plots that investigate those philosophies, drawings by Ms. Langton of the surroundings, and intense local research into the physical surroundings.While her works in the past have mostly focused on Massachusetts, Dead as Dodo takes the Kellys across the pond to Oxford for a guest lectureship.The change of venue is a good one for fans of her work.

Oxford is rich ground for intellectual explorations.The book does a marvelous job of bringing Darwin's theory of evolution into the context of modern life and its meaning for spiritual beliefs.At the same time, Ms. Langton uses Lewis Carroll as a counterfoil with quotes and images from Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.

As always, Ms. Langton invents few facts, but does brilliantly extrapolate from what she finds on hand to see plot and story possibilities that would escape most visitors to the same environs.(When she wrote about Walden Pond, I could not believe that I was unaware of so many details . . . until I drove out to check.)

One of Ms. Langton's on-going themes in the series is how much humans fail to notice that is right under their noses.This book is one of the best at developing that theme.

While some would find sections of these mysteries a bit slow, Dead as a Dodo was the best paced mystery by Ms. Langton in years.I found myself enjoying every nuance on each page.

The mystery itself (like most of her mysteries) is not so terribly difficult to solve.The characters are remarkably rich and interesting ones, though, and will draw and keep your attention throughout.

After you finish this story, I suggest that you spend some time discussing what the theory of evolution means for how you think about the way life operates.Many of the concepts from The Origin of Species have become so deeply imbedded in modern thought that we are unaware of the assumptions we make.I found that this book allowed me to revisit those assumptions and to change many of them which I have held for many years.

For example, what does it mean that humans have vast sections of their brains that are unused?Why would we evolve this way?While no one can know for sure, it is certainly a fascinating question.

Adapt to the circumstances around you to thrive . . . or find yourself being like a fish out of water! ... Read more

Product Description
Alfred John Church (1829-1912) was an English classical scholar. He was born in London and was educated at King’s College London, and Lincoln College, Oxford, he took holy orders and was an assistant-master at Merchant Taylors’ School for many years. From 1880 until 1888 he was professor of Latin at University College, London. While at University College in partnership with William Jackson Brodribb, he translated Tacitus and edited Pliny’s Letters (Epistulae). Church also wrote a number of stories in English re-telling of classical tales and legends for young people (Stories from Virgil, Stories from Homer, etc. ). He also wrote much Latin and English verse, and in 1908 published his Memories of Men and Books. Other works include: Stories of the Magicians (1887), The Count of the Saxon Shore; or, The Villa in Vectis (with Ruth Putnam) (1888), Heroes of Chivalry and Romance (1898), Stories of Charlemagne (1902), The Crown of Pine (1906) and With the King at Oxford (1909). ... Read more

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(Helen) Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) was an English author and illustrator, botanist, and conservationist, born in Kensington, London best known for her children's books, which featured animal characters such as Peter Rabbit. Educated at home by a succession of governesses, she had little opportunity to mix with other children. Potter had frogs and newts, and even a pet bat. The basis of her many projects and stories were the small animals that she smuggled into the house or observed during family holidays in Scotland and the Lake District. She was encouraged to publish her story, The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902), but she struggled to find a publisher until it was accepted when she was 36, by Frederick Warne & Co. The small book and her following works were extremely well received and she gained an independent income from the sales. Potter eventually wrote 23 books. These were published in a small format, easy for a child to hold and read. Her writing efforts abated around 1920 due to poor eyesight. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A challenging children's tale, great for developing minds
This is a charming, well constructed children's tale involving a pair of squirrels, a pair of chipmunks and a mischievous bird.

Timmy and his wife Goody start storing nuts for winter, but due to the antics of a forgetful squirrel, a bird starts chirping of that squirrel's seemingly thieving antics. The other forest creatures hear this chirping and finger Timmy (not the forgetful squirrel) as the culprit. They confine Timmy to a prison that Timmy can't get out of on account of his size. Timmy ends up making friends in that prison with a male chipmunk. The wife's of Timmy and his new friend chipmunk soon meet each other and then go off to find their missing husbands. They succeed, and Timmy is set loose of his prison when the wind breaks the tree apart.

This story can be a little hard to follow, but I don't necessarily think that is a bad thing. What's the worse thing that could happen, would children read the story again to try and better understand it instead of sitting in front of the television?

Good book--eventful and fulfilling, I think parents will appreciate it, and children will love it.

Darien Summers, author of The Mischievous Hare, a children's book. The Mischievous Hare

Great for children...
My son wanted me to read a book to him, and I just grabbed this off his shelf.We have a big set of Potter's books.This one is not the favorite, but we enjoy all her books.My son learns a lot, and will ask, "Mom, what does commotion mean...", for example.Beatrix Potter's books are great vocabulary builders for this reason.I love the old fashioned style, and simple sweet ways of these stories.It brings everyday animals to 'life'.The illustrations alone, and the little clothes the animals wear, and their personalities, are just too cute.I would highly recommend!

Mob Mentality, Domestic Violence, Odd Vermin
My 2 1/2 year old picked this book out because of the cute squirrel picture.I vaguely remembered the Potter books from my childhood and was sure that it would be nice.

Although the story is somewhat hard to follow, here is the basic storyline....

It starts out very nicely with a squirrel and his wife, preparing for winter; gathering and storing nuts. Timmy stashes his in a hollow tree.A roving band of forgetful squirrels can't remember where their nuts are and begin to fight. About this time, a bird comes by and randomly begins to sing "who's been digging up my nuts" (Beatrix goes out of her way to explain that this is not mean spirited, but just the normal song that a bird would sing) Naturally, the gang of squirrels thinks that Timmy has stolen their nuts and they beat him severely, and stuff him in the hollow tree, through a small hole that results in the breaking of his ribs.His wife is distraught when he doesn't come home and goes to look for him.Meanwhile a chipmunk, who has left his wife to live in the hollow tree, holds the injured Timmy hostage (Think "Misery") while he force feeds nuts to him to prevent his departure through the small hole.Assuming her husband won't return, Timmy's wife continues collecting nuts and dumps them into a hole, that just happens to be inhabited by the chipmunks estranged wife.Mrs. Chipmunk shows Mrs. Squirrel where the husbands are camped out, but refuses to go in to get Timmy because she is afraid that Mr. Chipmunk will bite her.So the husbands stay in the tree and eat nuts for a good while, until a storm blows the tree down and Timmy can excape. The squirrels are reunited, but the stubborn, violent chipmunk chooses to stay in the stump and be rained upon, rather than go home to his wife.After catching a bad cold, he still needs to be scared off by a bear before he will go home to his wife.The lesson of the story...Timmy & his wife lock up their stash of nuts from now on.This was a terrible children's story.

Timmy Tiptoes
This tale is a very funny tale about a very funny squirrel named Timmy Tiptoes.Him and his wife Goody are getting ready for fall and hibernation.They go out to collect some nuts to store for winter and spring, and you can only imagine what could happen to then.This is yet another great story from Beatrix Potter, but not one of her best ones, I think.
The other squirrels in the forest think that Timmy has stolen all his nuts from their storehouses and they go to chase him.He then gets trapped in a tree with a chipmunk, known simply as Chipmunk.They decide to stay there while both of their wives get very angry with them.Read to find out what happens to the both of them, in this great book, perfect for nature and animal lovers.
~Camille

Happy Ending
Out of the complete Beatrix Potter collection, my 4-year-old daughter enjoys hearing this story the most. This story keeps her attention through the entire story. She looks forward to the end when Timmy Tiptoes isreunited with his wife. Some of Potter's stories can be a little harsh,this one is border-line, where the child may worry about Timmy Tiptoes, buthe ends up getting back to his wife and life as usual. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Louis and the Dodo
A poster child for outsiders everywhere takes flight-literally and figuratively-in this dreamy, oddball episode. "Those kids don't want to play with me," Louis tells his parents. "I'm not like them." Very true: In Nguyen's polished, surreal illustrations, Louis dresses in a birdlike, red-and-turquoise superhero outfit, and hangs out in trees to keep songbirds safe from cats. Learning that a local circus is mistreating a dodo chick, Louis and his feathered friends fly to the rescue and thence to a secret island bird refuge that, to his delight, magically connects to the back of his bedroom closet. Sporting yellow goggles beneath a big bird's-head cap, Louis cuts a small but intrepid figure among his brightly colored allies, particularly when facing a gang of scary clowns. Young readers will pull for him, and, who knows, may regard their less conventional peers with more tolerance afterwards. 2006, Sterling, 36p, $14.95. Category: Picture book. Ages 7 to 9. ? 2005 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Beautiful book
This is a beautiful and haunting book about trust and friendship, perfect for all ages ... Read more

Product Description
Nawab Sir Ahmed Hussain, Amin Jung Bahadur (1863-1950) was a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire and a Companion of the Order of the Star of India. In 1893, he visited Hyderabad (Nizam's Dominion now in Andhra Pradesh, India) to appear in the Nizam's High court in a civil suit. Within three days of his arrival he was appointed Assistant Peshi Secretary to His Highness the Nizam, Mahbub Ali Khan Asif Jah VI. When Nawab Sarwar-Ul-Mulk, the Peshi Secretary, retired in 1896, the Nizam appointed him as the Peshi Secretary. In 1917 he was made the Sadar-Ul-Moham (Minister) of Peshi. He also served as Minister of Finance and later as Minister of Law and Order in the Nizam's Government. He also served on the Nizam's Judicial Committee which was the highest Court of Appeal. He attended the First Indian Round Table Conference in London UK in 1930 as member of H. E.H the Nizam's delegation. He also authored two books, one was Philosophy of Faqirs and the other, Notes on Islam. ... Read more

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TRUMP CARD

Reality wasn't what it used to be. Life after life, as man, woman, and child, Cory Maddox was trapped in an endless cycle of ever-changing realities, on the run from his ruthless companions and from the shadowy figures that seemed to exist outside the increasingly unstable matrix.

As each new world proved increasingly bizarre, Cory wanted nothing more than to find the way home. Fragments of knowledge--a mysterious UFO crash, alien technology, glimpses of a computer that was controlling his fate--all pointed toward Matthew Brand, the virtual reality genius. But Brand had vanished long ago, into, or perhaps beyond, the borders of reality.

To break the cycle of cyber-reincarnation, Cory had to find Brand--before the actions of his enemies destroyed reality altogether . . .
... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Wrapped Up - but Why?
I enjoyed the first two books of the trilogy. I found this last one a bit more fantastic than what had come before. It almost moved into Piers Anthony territory, but without the puns. Yes, we encounter "realities" (Everything you think you know is wrong) where not just politics and technological evolution are different, but the "human" species has evolved differently, too. Fun to play with these speculative worlds, but not as entrancing (for me) as the ones that more nearly paralleled _this_ world.

And yes, the reader finally gets the Holy Grail in this novel, but is it really anything more than just another cup? It doesn't matter, the quest was a lot of fun. We even got a bit of character development in the process. The worst thing about this book is how hard it is to get ahold of. It took me three months to track one down. If you're contemplating reading the trilogy (a worthwhile endeavor), then make certain you have a copy of this book in your hands before you begin!

Ghost-written with the ghost of Philip Dick?
Actually, Chalker manages to incorporate his favourite themes: that stagnation leads to Hell, his fascination with how much power corrupts, and what some call an obsession with transformation. If nothing else, his"first world" in this book brilliantly analyses what would happenif women really did have power. David Brin did an equally good (albeitdifferent) job, and few others have avoided the standard clichés. As aconclusion to his most paranoid trilogy, the book is brilliant, up to thelast chapter. Fans of the late Phil Dick (of whom I am one) shouldrecognise it as the last chapter of Dick's own book UBIK. This lack oforiginality nonetheless fits in with one of the most paranoid trilogies Ihave ever read.

Chalker's best to date
This is fantastic stuff.I read through the whole series very quickly, always wanting to see what happened next.Chalker is a great storyteller, with excellent character development and retroactive exposition that willcontinue after you have finished the book, while you wonder just what the"real" reality is.BTW, I think "The Matrix" _did_steal heavily from this series.

Mind-twisting as usual.
I really enjoyed both this book and the series in general.It has been yet another fine work by Chalker, although, like most of his works, it quickly becomes very confusing if you aren't paying attention.Or sometimes if you are.I would have liked a better ending, but it was, at least, appropriate. ... Read more

Product Description
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from Ancient Mesopotamia and is among the earliest known works of literary fiction. Scholars believe that it originated as a series of Sumerian legends and poems about the mythological hero-king Gilgamesh, which were gathered into a longer Akkadian poem much later; the most complete version existing today is preserved on 12 clay tablets in the library collection of the 7th century BCE Assyrian king Ashurbanipal. It was originally titled He who Saw the Deep (Sha naqba Ä«muru) or Surpassing All Other Kings (Shutur eli sharri). Gilgamesh might have been a real ruler in the late Early Dynastic II period (ca. 27th century BCE). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

for scholars only
Read this after you've read a translation of the epic.This book is a scholarly summation of how the epic was translated.Interesting mainly if you already know what the authors are discussing.

The Greatest Epic of All Time
The title to this piece basically says it all. More specifically, however, I would like to profess my love for this story more personally. I am a religious scholar and existential philosopher based out of the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities. It is part of my job, therefore, to be well acquainted with the myths and epics of literally thousands of nations and cultures from a multitude of time periods. Yet, after all of these I still come back, again and again, to the Epic of Gilgamesh. The tale of this once great, albeit tyrannical, king is so moving and at the same time altogether different from any other epic claiming to be its peer. Let me be frank, The Epic of Gilgamesh has no peer! It is far and away the most complex and touching tale ever written. I implore the reader of this review to by this epic as soon as possible. I have no doubt that it will change your life as it has mine. ... Read more

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American boys' fiction under pseudonym used by the Stratemeyer Syndicate who produced Tom Swift series, Nancy Drew mysteries, the Hardy Boys, Dave Fearless and many others. ... Read more