BBC/Discovery: Cousins

Book Description

The extraordinary group of animals that demonstrate inquiring minds, sociable natures, superb agility, and manipulative ability -- the primates -- are the subject of this absorbing book. As human we consider ourselves the most remarkable creatures on earth, and yet the peculiar characteristics of the primates fascinate us and remind us of ourselves. Cousins covers every aspect of the world of primates, including the latest scientific theories about their behavior and evolution. The first chapter takes the reader into the world of primates and their evolution from the time of the dinosaurs onward, while the three subsequent chapters each describe in detail a distinct primate group -- prosimians, monkeys, and apes. The chapters are divided into sections that explore, using words and pictures, crucial questions about how these animals behave -- and why. In addition, pages dedicated to detailed information on particular species allow the reader to get to know these intriguing animals individually. Throughout the book, information is split into easily digestible chunks, creating a visually appealing yet mentally satisfying read and making this a great book for the whole family to enjoy.

Customer Reviews:

The family album.......2003-06-24

Dunbar and Barrett guide us through the forest of our family trees on a lively and informative tour. From tiny tarsiers to gargantuan gorillas, we are introduced to relatives familiar and forgotten. Some are distant in both time and place, but they are all part of our bloodline - or genetic lineage - whichever you prefer. As such, you should get acquainted and this is a fine introduction to the relationship. Each group of our primate relatives is described and superbly illustrated. Home range, diet and other characteristics are tabulated for each group. Most importantly, the lifestyles and behaviour patterns given demonstrate how much we know and need to learn. "Acting like a monkey" is a shopworn phrase that will be discarded by anyone reading this fine survey.

In describing primate evolutionary roots, the authors explain their importance to us. Primates exhibit special characteristics. Their arboreal living is almost unique among mammals. They share binocular vision with predator species, even when they subsist on leaves, fruit or grass. Meat-eating is not common among primates - our own roots suggest meat was but a minor part of our nutrition until recently. Given the limited size of this book and the wealth of material covered, there are still a number of surprises. Pictures of snow-covered Japanese macaques in warm mountain pools are commonplace today, but the authors suggest they learned this trick from tourists as recently as the 1960s! Learning, it seems, is more widespread among apes than previously thought. Chimpanzees "teach" others in their local group how to use tools.

Of all the traits Dunbar and Barrett describe, however, none is more enlightening than their summaries of primate behaviour. Primates have a wide range of social structures, from wandering solitaries to various groupings. Orang-utans are isolated by habit and habitat. More familiar chimps, gorillas, baboons and many monkey species form groups of gender divisions - single or few males dominant to numbers of females selectively controlling male access. Social arrangements lead to group activities of staggering variety. The most significant practice, however, is grooming - the removal of dead skin and parasites. Grooming takes up a significant proportion of time and is so meaningful in the social context as to be the most likely root of human speech.

Dunbar's comment in the "Further Information" section at the end summarizes the theme. He cites Jane Goodall's "In the Shadow of Man" as "the book that started it all . . . " Her studies of the Gombe chimpanzee community overthrew everything we thought we knew about apes and monkeys. Primate research has made immense strides since that 1971 publication. The authors have summarized the accomplishments and point to where more studies are required. They point out the need for haste, however. Many habitats are depleted and extinction awaits many species if steps aren't taken soon. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Great teaching tool!.......2001-03-21

I home teach my two children and bought this book for it's great pictures. I was pleasantly surprised with the great text full of interesting information. I also loved the family tress -now my kids now know about the different primate families. We have a trip planned to the zoo and will definately be bringing this book along. I highly recommend it!

Book Description

Board a boat for a notorious island, discover what moves the cable-car system, savor seafood straight from the tank, tap into free summer concerts in a eucalyptus grove, picnic at a mountainside winery far above the Napa Valley crowds, or trek along cliffs with stunning Pacific views—Fodor's San Francisco 2006 offers all these experiences and more! Our local writers have traveled throughout the city, plus the Wine Country, Marin County and the Coast Highway, to find the best hotels, restaurants, attractions and activities to prepare you for a journey of stunning variety. Before you leave for your trip be sure to pack your Fodor's guide to ensure you don't miss a thing.

The San Francisco Chronicle sums it up best —"Fodor's guides are saturated with information."

- We update our San Francisco guide every year. You won't find a more accurate, current guidebook anywhere.
- Unlike other travel books, Fodor's guides rely heavily on local experts who know the territory best—so you know you're seeing the real San Francisco.
- We give you the planning tools you need to tailor your trip. We give options for all budgets. You make the choices.

-----------------------------------
With Fodor’s you get much more than a guidebook–we make it easy for you to customize your dream vacation.

Visit www.fodors.com to find up-to-date travel bargains, mini-guides to worldwide destinations, information on local festivals, dazzling drives, maps, vacation planning tips and much more!

And, for more insider secrets, visit “Travel Talk” and “Rants and Raves” online at www.fodors.com/forums to get advice from other travelers like you.

Customer Reviews:

Not bad but there are better out there.......2006-03-17

I found this book somewhat helpful when planning a trip to San Francisco. It has a lot of information about sightseeing, eating out and accomodations. However, it is sorely lacking in visual stimulation including pictures of the destination and maps. I foresaw the lack of a decent map being a huge problem once in SF and decided to get a Lonely Planet guide to supplement this one.

Overall, I found the Lonely Planet SF guide much easier to use and definitely more entertaining to look at. If you're going to SF and need to purchase a good guide book, I'd go with that one. This one will suffice if it is all you can find but if other options are available, think twice before purchasing.

Book Description

Focusing on the teaching of thinking through writing, the sixth edition provides new high-interest readings, cartoons, and Internet research exercises.

Customer Reviews:

THINKING FOR YOURSELF... THE TEXTBOOK.......2005-02-15

I always find it amazing and ironic that there are textbooks teaching you how to think for yourself.

A bit ironic, don't you think?

The Operative Word is "developing" Thinking Skills.......2000-12-14

An excellent book that covers such diverse subjects as critical thinking, observation skills, word usage, communication, facts and reality, inferences, assumptions, opinions, viewpoints, arguments, fallacies, inductive and deductive reasoning, research skills and problem solving. And within each subject is a very well defined and easily understood definition of that subject along with examples of each. The chapter quiz found at the end of each chapter helps to ingrain and reinforce the lesson. The book is insightful and well written. Done with great skill as one is actually able to understand the premise and meaning of each topic/lesson.

Thinking for Yourself: Developing Critical Thinking Skills Through Reading and Writing

Average customer rating:

Thinking for Yourself: Developing Critical Thinking Skills Through Reading and Writing
Marlys Mayfield
Manufacturer: Wadsworth Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJGQ3W

Average customer rating:

Thinking for Yourself: Developing Critical Thinking Skills Through Reading and Writing
Marlys Mayfield
Manufacturer: Heinle & Heinle Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OR9NGQ

Book Description

Dramatic full-page photos capture the beauty, majesty, and sheer wonder of over 100 of the world's most famous sites, from the Grand Canyon and the Sphinx to the Eiffel Tower and Taj Mahal.

Customer Reviews:

If you keep track of your travels, than this book is for you.......2000-07-30

When I saw this book, I immediatly realized what a great idea it could be to keep track of the places I travelled to. The book contains over 120 black and white photographs that capture the most famous sites of the world: in USA, Mexico, Europe, North Africa, Asia, Australia and Pacific. What I do is I record in the book a date when I visited the specific place and brief memories associated with my visit. The book also keeps me motivated to go places where I have not gone yet. What is not great about the book is that there are much more other beatiful places which are not included. But... maybe you could be the one to update the book for any new places you have discovered.

Average customer rating:
Captive Beauty: Zoo Portraits
Frank and Jane Goodall, Nigel Rothfels Noelker
Manufacturer: University of Illinois Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPYD1S

Book Description

-Offers fans of Disney a comprehensive guide for a great price

-Easily introduces novice collectors to the diversity of Disney collectibles

-Disney items draw big attention at auction: a Mickey Mouse Rambling Mickey Celluloid Wind-Up Toy sold for $4,427.50

Mickey Mouse and the gang are the darlings of the collectibles world, boasting an extensive variety of collectible products. Collectors of vintage and modern Disney items will discover this colorful and innovative guide to Disneyana allows readers to:

-Learn more about the world of The House the Mouse built through interesting historical notes

-Access 500+ color photos for identifying and assessing their own collectibles

-Check prices and descriptions anywhere collectibles are -- conventions, toy stores, even the attic of a childhood home -- with this very portable guide

Mickey Mouse watches, Snow White figurines, Donald Duck lunchboxes, and rare Disney comic books are all in this one guide for collectors on the go!

Customer Reviews:

Solid Little Guide with A Few Flaws.......2006-07-28

The first thing to know about the various Warman's Field Guides is that by design they are not meant to be all encompassing. If you're looking to a comprehensive guide to every Disney collectible then you will have to look elsewhere (if there is such a beast). The Warman's Field Guides are designed to be pocket-sized guides, easily able to take-along on those trips to flea markets, antique shows, or garage sales. They are meant to give an example of various types of Disney collectibles, more for the casual or new collector, than one who's a veteran. Thus you won't find every item in the book but you'll probably find pretty close approximations, enough to at least make an educated guess about an item's value. It's either that or haul around a Webster's Dictionary-sized guide.

The book is alphabetized by character name/film beginning with the "Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad", and then goes on from there. There are marvelous treasures in the book that will make Disney collectors salivate and it's complemented by fantastic, full-color photography, highlighting one item per page for the most part.

Among the treasures are a complete Alice in Wonderland lobby card set of 8 valued at $1400, a Davy Crockett one-sheet movie poster from 1955 for $650, A 1950's Donald Duck tin lithograph bank from Marx toys for $265, a 1930's Clarabelle drinking glass for $40, a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs bisque figure set for $215, and a Mickey Mouse pocket watch from the 1930's, valued at $465.

There are a myriad of toys, figurines, books, posters, and lobby cards to be found within the pages of the guide. If I have one minor complaint it would be that there are too many examples shown in the book of the Mickey Mouse Magazine, Dell Four Color Comics and Walt Disney Comics and Stories. There's probably a hundred pages, one-fifth of the book dedicated to these items which to me is a bit too much since there are already many excellent comic book price guides (Krause themselves puts out many great comic price guides) on the market which do a better job on these types of items. I would have rather seen much more coverage of non-comic book items.

All in all though, the book definitely does what it intended to do.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Warmans disney collectibles field guide.......2006-06-30

Was not overly impressed with the coverage of collectibles in this guide. Can't be too specific except to say I perused the book when I received it a month ago and have not even opened it a 2nd time. Pretty much a wasted purchase. Sorry to be so critical.

Average customer rating:

Back from extinction!

A travel journal for seeds and vegetables!

A celebration of our world wide culinary heritage

Excellent folklore for vegetable fans

Excellent folklore for vegetable fans

100 Vegetables and Where They Came From
William Woys Weaver
Manufacturer: Algonquin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Vegetables | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

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Taylor's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables: A Complete Guide to the Best Historic and Ethnic Varieties (Taylor's Gardening Guides)

Heirloom Vegetable Gardening: A Master Gardener's Guide to Planting, Seed Saving, and Cultural History

Dangerous Tastes: The Story of Spices

ASIN: 1565122380

Book Description

A perfect leek from France. Flavorful zucchini from Italy. An infamous potato from Ireland, and a humble lentil from Ethiopia. 100 VEGETABLES offers a veritable cornucopia of vegetables and stories from around the world--from Argentina to Zimbabwe, from Australia to the United States. William Woys Weaver--veggie connoisseur, gardener, and historian--guides us through a range of peppers, potatoes, peas, gourds, onions, tomatoes, greens, and a whole lot more.

Not every carrot is the same. All beans aren't equal. Take the Petaluma Gold Rush bean, a rugged legume, grown for over 150 years and brought to California by an American whaler from Peru. Or the violet carrot, which the Greeks brought back from India following the conquests of Alexander the Great.

Mixing history, culinary suggestions, practical information, and personal anecdotes, Weaver introduces us to unusual heirloom vegetables as well as to common favorites. He provides answers to general questions, such as the difference between a yam and a sweet potato, and presents lively portraits of one hundred vegetable varieties, which he's grown and harvested in his own kitchen garden.

Organized alphabetically by common name, 100 VEGETABLES includes beautifully detailed drawings throughout and a helpful appendix of seed resources.

Customer Reviews:

Back from extinction!.......2001-07-06

A Tour Through Our Extraordinary Culinary Heritage. A fascinating history of vegetables from around the world & onto our platters for supper.

You will find sidebars extolling the virtues of efficiency & flavor of just about every plant W3 hunts down, together with hints for gardeners about spicing up beverages & other mildly improper culinary secrets.

From the Aji Dulce Pepper (Capsicum chinense) from Venezuela - smoky flavored without the "hot pepper overkill and the sensation of fiery lava flowing through the body" ... to the Zwollsche Krul Celery (Apium graveolens) found in the salt marshes of the Netherlands - a curly leaf celery that falls under the general English category of smallage - parsley & such - used boiling or stewing.

Part of the history of the plants we've cultivated for hundreds of years(What was the Lumper Potato?) is also part of the history of our language of cooking. You will find terms such as landrace or smallage.

The plants which W3 pursues are noncommercial or "backyard" varieties that have been under cultivation for a very long time. They are the real ingredients of peasant cookery & often provide regional cookeries with their distinctive flavors.

Which vegetable delicacy did our Third President set upon his table for his guests? Would you know what Cardoon is? W3 knows & now so do I!

Enough already! Talk about digging for the roots of our roots! A garden book for cooks or a cook's guide to ancient gardens - either way - if you like veggies, you're going to want your own copy of W3's latest!

A travel journal for seeds and vegetables!.......2001-03-30

This book amazes me: The author has managed to combine two activities I don't usually do (cooking and seed propagation) with two of my least favorite subjects (history and social studies) in a reference-style format compelling enough to read in bed.

Mr. Weaver has a flair for culinary description combined with an unabashed enthusiasm for both plants and people. When he describes a plant's origins, he doesn't just state a place and a time, he takes you there, he tells you how he found it, he describes the husbandry behind it, and THEN he tells you what it's like to eat it. And what it goes well with. And how it might look in a garden. And what its virtues are. And so on, invoking an exotic world of color and taste such as never graced your local grocer's vegetable shelves!

So:

...If you've ever enjoyed thumbing through cookbooks to savor the taste of imagined dishes...

...If you've ever enjoyed reading a travel journal and experiencing people and customs through the eyes of others...

...If you've ever enjoyed browsing through seed catalogs and plotting away the winter with dreams of exotic varieties (--all yours for the mere price of a seed packet!)

...Or if your shopping for anyone with an interest in "foodways"...

...Then this book is well worth the price.

A celebration of our world wide culinary heritage.......2001-03-10

In one sense this is a popular book, easy to read with helpful line drawings of the vegetables (gracefully rendered by Signe Sundberg-Hall). Weaver even gives phonetic guidance on how to pronounce the names of the vegetables, which include peppers, beans, potatoes, lentils, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, eggplants, etc. Part of the book is a celebration of those names and an appreciation of their history. While reading this I made a mental note to get to my local Whole Foods or Begonia Farms store more often and try something new and exotic!

In another sense this is an advanced book for gardeners and culinary experts, not because the book is technical, but because for most people most of the vegetables presented will not be found at the local supermarket, nor will their seeds be found at the local garden and seed store. Additionally it is not always clear to this amateur how these exotic varieties differ from their more prosaic fellows at the local A&P. Weaver helps by attempting to describe the taste (hard to do!) and advises on things like texture, color and spiciness (e.g., wear gloves when cooking Aji Lemón peppers, and don't breath the fumes!). He includes some recipes and advice on complementary foods to go along with the featured veggies. He gives some recipes, sometimes from the culture of origin. For gardeners there are five pages of seed catalogue stores and their web addresses. For botanists he includes the botanical names and the plant's family name. No fungi, by the way. There are varieties from "every continent, except the frozen one," e.g., "Shungiku Edible Chrysanthemum," from Japan, "Pepino Dulce Melon" from South America, "Jaune du Poitou Leek," from France, even the "Petaluma Gold Rush Bean," from my native California. Among the exotic names I found some terminology new to me. Some vegetables are referred to as "heirloom" varieties and/or "cultivars." Weaver uses the term "landrace," which I couldn't find in any of my dictionaries, defined on page two as a noncommercial or "backyard" variety in cultivation for a long time. Weaver has himself cultivated all the varieties presented here on his farm in Pennsylvania where he grows three thousand or so vegetables on a rotating basis. His knowledge about vegetables and his love for them is very impressive. His appreciation of the culinary arts is evident. This is a pretty little book from Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill that would make a nice present for someone you know who loves cooking or gardening.

Excellent folklore for vegetable fans.......2001-03-03

William Weaver's 100 Vegetables And Where They Came From text picks a hundred vegetables from around the world and shares their stories of development and consumption. Read here about the Pennsylvania Winter Luxury squash which can be eaten like an apple, or the Botswana cowpea, which is a creamy dish in Africa. Excellent folklore for vegetable fans.

Excellent folklore for vegetable fans.......2001-01-27

100 Vegetables and Where They Came From text treatment of the vegetable picks a hundred vegetables from around the world and shares their stories of development and consumption. Read here about the Pennsylvania Winter Luxury squash which can be eaten like an apple, or the Botswana cowpea, which is a creamy dish in Africa. Excellent folklore for vegetable fans.

Book Description

Maximize time and minimize effort with this hands-on guide. Learn to use PageMaker 6 with other Adobe products to create everything from simple text-based documents to brochures, magazines, books-even your own Web page. The companion CD includes demo versions of Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Dimensions, and Premiere.

Customer Reviews:

The riveting biography of John Carlos.......2001-04-29

Why? is the riveting biography of John Carlos, the Black American who in the October 16, 1968 Olympics held in Mexico won the bronze medal for the 200-meter race and then, with Tommy Smith, his Black American teammate who had one the gold medal for the same event, raised on black-gloved fist in silent protest. This engaging and superbly presented biography explores the childhood events that led john to this moment of world-wide attention -- and the serious consequences that followed it. Here is a true-life story of triumph, perseverance, and principle that is highly recommended reading for students of Olympic sports history, black studies, and the fight against racism in all the arenas of life, both on and off the field.

Triumph Over Tragedy.......2001-02-23

The experiences that shaped John Carlos are made vivid by the CD Jackson biography titled "Why?" It brought to life the inner struggles he experienced as a young athlete who had to struggle with both racism and a learning disorder. His strength of character and strong beliefs in fairness and justice prevailed over his desire for personal success. This same strength sustained him in his later life when personal tragedy struck him repeatedly. It is a book whose message will not be forgotten.

Triumph Over Tragedy.......2001-02-23

John Carlos' story is candid, blunt and inspirational........2001-02-07

This book sets the record straight on the contributions of one of history's least understood icons. Author C.D. Jackson, Jr. has captured the "story behind the story" of John Carlos, one of the fastest humans in track and field history. The book tells the John Carlos story from his humble beginnings in Harlem, NY to the racism his family endured while running track in 1960's Texas. He chronicles his journey to San Jose, California and his rise to multiple World Records and an Olympic Bronze Medal. You will see a very complex and powerful "thinker" with a mind of his own. He used his "mind" to cripple and destroy his competition.

John's personal tragedies, his "bravado", his athletic rivalries and his bold statements on human rights are merely stepping stones to uncovering John's personal spirit. This book will tell the good, the bad and the controversial "ugly" side of this complex and prolific giant of sport and the struggle for human rights.

His athletic accomplishments go far beyond the Olympic podium of Mexico City in 1968. John Carlos triumphed over the ostracism he and Tommie Smith received in Mexico City, and his own personal battle with dsylexia to set or tie 4 World Records and earn the title of World's Fastest Human in 1969 & 1970. John went on to earn four All-American honors and become NCAA 60yd, 100yd, 220yd and 440yd Relay champion while at San Jose State University.

This book also relates to John's ability to maintain his fighting spirit through the deaths of his father, wife and son.

This book is a must read, you will learn what makes John Carlos "think" like no other man you will ever meet. John Carlos loves people and C.D. Jackson, Jr. captures his most entertaining qualities.

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