Snakes in Question: The Smithsonian Answer Book, Second Edition

Book Description

An updated edition of the best-selling reference book on snakes, in a popular Q&A format.

This new edition of Snakes in Question has been completely updated to take into account the most recent research available, offering useful scientific information about snakes while dispelling many widely-circulated myths and common fears.

Accompanied by 100 stunning color photographs and written in the popular question-and-answer format of Smithsonian's In Question series, the book tells how snakes breathe, hear, smell, and much more. It covers not only the life cycle of snakes but explores such phenomena as the rattlesnake's rattle, the viper's hiss, and the snake charmer's secrets. It addresses common folktales about snakes (do snakes milk cows?) and describes giant snakes, both real and imaginary. The authors also give expert advice on such subjects as distinguishing venomous species from harmless look-alikes and keeping snakes as pets. 100 color photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Snakes in Question.......2007-05-24

What a great book! Even though I'm a lifelong herper, this book still had information that I did not know. Easy to read and understand. If you like snakes, this is a must for your library!

Fas-s-s-cinating!.......2001-03-12

This eminently readable and entertaining book on snakes is the best one available for curious adults and precocious older children. The question and answer format and the copious illustrations make this a book for dipping into at short intervals, but beware-- you may not be able to put it down! The authors are experts with a gift of explaining their topic with ample and well-chosen details that enliven the text. And as readable as it is, the authors do include, for those who are interested, references to some of the specialized language: did you know, for example, that the word for warning coloration is "aposematism"? I do not consider my self a snake-fancier but I was delighted by all the wonderful and surprising things I learned. Perhaps the greatest surprise: how many invertebrates prey on snakes.

For the precocious child and preteen this book really conveys the important point that science is a process of continual inquiry, not inert facts and unchallengeable answers. The authors raise some questions of their own to underline their point, and I know that I still had many unanswered at the end. (If snakes have a larynx and some even have vocal cords, why haven't these long disappeared since they are apparently never used?)

The authors also appeal to younger readers with sound suggestions on careers in herpetology and advice on keeping a snake as a pet which, in short, is: DON'T, but if you must, here are some acceptable ways to go about it.

Great for those starting out, but nothing new to the pro's.......2000-12-29

This book tells about acquiring a snake, caring for a snake, and some simple instructions for breeding snakes. The snakes in this book are mostly ratsnakes, garters&ribbons, and pythons. Perfect for those starting out, but no detail for any particular species. Still, it is a great book, especially for those who are inexperienced with the common diseases, mites, etc...

too general, but good for absolute newbies.......2000-06-29

For someone who knows next to nothing about how to care for snakes, this is an OK book, as it covers most common beginner species. However, if you have an experince, you've heard it all before, and shouldn't spend your money (put it towards a snake instead).

Excellent........2000-02-09

An excellent book with information on most snake species + information on setting up terrariums and different health problems you may encounter.

Book Description

Fall under the spell of the fabled Alhambra from the terrace of an Albayzín restaurant p376. Hear the contented snuffles of Iberian pigs digging up acorns in the Sierra de Aracena oak woods p171. Watch barmen chalk your bill on the bar top of a Seville tapas haunt p118. Synchronise your finger twist with your foot stamp on a passion-filled flamenco course p111. Over 900 hours of expert author research provides indepth regional knowledge and uncovers hard-to-find gems. Seven-page Andalucía Outdoors section covers everything from hiking through forested valleys to kitesurfing. Get insider perspectives - interviews with a host of Andalucians, including villagers, cowboys, flamenco stars and Muslim students. "Lonely Planet's readership now includes everyone from backpackers to well-heeled independent travellers."

Customer Reviews:

Very useful - personal experience.......2006-12-16

I used this book to plan my trip to Andalucia in March 2006. It helped me to budget for the trip, and to plan my iteniary effectively. I went to resturants mentioned in the book in Marbella, Malaga, Granada and Seville and they offered the service I expected. The maps were very helpful and informative.

I highly recommend.

It's very useful........2005-08-20

I'm supposed to spend more than 6months in Andalucia, so I needed more than 'Lonely planet Spain'. The book is great.
The reason I gave 4 stars because it took a little bit longer than I expected, but it wasn't bad for oversea delivery.

Not up to traditional Lonely Planet standards.......2004-04-05

Lonely Planet Andalucia is clearly inferior to Rough Guide Andalucia and below the standards I have come to expect from Lonely Planet. I found repeatedly that the author(s) appear morei interested in cutesy writing style than in incisive fieldwork and allowed their infatuation with their glib comments to gloss over their lack of good travel writing and description. The guides to eating are almost useless. For those who think otherwise, check the section Where to Eat in Seville. For those who make the mistake of buying the book, I suggest you don't even bother with the reviews of eating places.
I decided to leave my Lonely Planet Andalucia in Seville and brought my Rough Guide home with me.
The series editors need to clamp down on the writing style of the individual volumes and force them to write for the traveler,not for themselves.

Concise, organized and comprehensive.......2000-06-05

If you're traveling to Andalucia, Spain this is the book to take along. I reviewed Eyewitness Travel Guide (both Spain and Andalucia), Fodor, Frommer, Cordovon, and others. Lonely Planet has outstanding city maps and lots of them. It has built in "tabs" of the provinces, e..g. Cadiz, Sevilla, city guide maps with numbered legends on food, lodging and sights. The book is jam packed with useful information, things to buy, walking tours, practical information. The Lonely Planet guide has one two page color map, and some scattered color pictures, augmented with frequent and helpful black and white artwork. This book was recommended by a Spanish website.

Comparison to other guide books: The Eyewitness guides had much more color. Some had color photos, some not at all. Cordovon had bigger type, but much less information, and poorer artwork. Both Fodor and Frommer have full size maps with their main book on Spain. If you want an additional map, go with Michelin 446 available at Amazon.com or the more detailed EuroAtlas Spain Portugal by American Map--about 300 pages, including some cities. The Lonely Planet book, comes with a colored map and many supplements. A separate map is an option, not a necessity.

Average customer rating:
Lonely Planet Andalucia
John Noble; Susan Forsyth; Paula Hardy
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QYFMJE

Book Description

Chambers History Factfinder is the perfect reference for anyone who has an interest in history. Comprehensive and highly accessible, informative and entertaining, it presents a wide-ranging chronology of significant world events from prehistoric times to the present day, providing detailed timelines for major events such as the American Civil War along with interesting related quotes and facts. It also includes hundreds of useful and often amusing lists of people and events, from U.S. presidents and decisive battles to the tallest historical figures and the strangest laws of the past.

Average customer rating:

Great Book

Pretty Good!

Feel pampered while your sick

Great reference & well worth the price!

Healing Home Spa: Soothe Your Symptoms, Ease Your Pain, and Age-Proof Your Body with Pleasure
Valerie Cooksley
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Beauty & Fashion | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Healing | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Homeopathy | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Pharmacology | Medicine | Subjects | Books | Drug Guides | General | Pain Medicine | Pharmacy | Toxicology
Similar Items:

Aromatherapy: Soothing Remedies to Restore, Rejuvenate and Heal

Secrets of the Spas: Pamper and Vitalize Yourself at Home (Life's Little Luxuries)

Home Spa: Recipes and Techniques to Restore and Refresh

The Herbal Home Spa: Naturally Refreshing Wraps, Rubs, Lotions, Masks, Oils, and Scrubs (Herbal Body)

Water Magic: Healing Bath Recipes for the Body, Spirit, and Soul

Accessories:

RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device

Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)

ASIN: 0735203326
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Book Description

Unlike most spa books that emphasize beauty regimens, Healing Home Spa features an A-to-Z section of more than 100 common ailments and everyday health challenges with therapeutic prescriptions for prevention and healing-from acne to aging skin, congestions, eye strain, stress, varicose veins, and wound care. Hundreds of original, feel-good recipes for masks, tonics, soaks, inhalations, and oils can be found throughout the book, making this a unique therapeutic treat that readers will use alone or with a partner to indulge in the healthy pleasures of the home spa.

Healing Home Spa shows readers how to turn their home into a harmonious retreat by incorporating natural home spa treatments that are easy to follow, while including many of the latest trends practiced in spas throughout the world: essential oil and herbal therapy, hydrotherapy, flower essence therapy, massage, body wraps, skin brushing, sound and music therapy, teas and tonic, yoga, and more. In all, more than a dozen techniques are described, including their healing benefits and current studies to support their efficacy.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-04-17

Don't let the name fool you. There is more to this book than "spa" recipes. It is full of common sense home remedies for more than 100 ailments including everything from vericose veins to alergies.

Pretty Good!.......2007-02-21

This was a great book for do-it-yourselfers. I've enjoyed the different recipes that focus on different conditions. This did not introduce many different types of beauty products or treatments, but offered a tremendous amount of work in aromatherapy treatments for different types of conditions. It's a great book to keep on hand.

Feel pampered while your sick.......2006-06-19

I am all about taking care of our health in a holist way. The great thing about this book is that, for me, it does two things at once. It gives natural remedies for health conditions that feel self-nurturing. I so appreciate that. Recently I had bronchitis and while I applied the natural remedies I felt pampered at the same time. Can't beat that ... especially when you're sick!!

Great reference & well worth the price!.......2004-03-01

This comprehensive "health & wellness" book not only covers aromatherapy (my main interest), but also covers breath work, diet/lifestyle tips, herbal remedies & teas, sound & music therapy, and yoga. It provides a variety of remedies for an exhaustive list of ailments, such as: Allergies, Chicken Pox, Colds, Depression, Headaches, Hyperactivity, Insomnia, Muscle Cramps, Nausea, Dry/Oily/Sensitive Skin, Stress & Anxiety -- to name a few.

A wide variety of aromatherapy, herb, and food recipes are included, such as: Asthma Oil Blend; Bachache Massage Oil; Cool, Calm, & Collected Tea; Peaceful Sleep Spray; Farm Fresh Facial Scrub; Lavender-Rose Silken Lotion; Sore Throat Gargle; Stay-Healthy Spice Seasoning; Tasty Teething Biscuits; and Old-Fashioned Garlic and Onion Soup. Pure essential oils are a must for the aromatherapy recipes, but most other recipes include easily-obtained ingredients, which can be found at a grocery or health food store.

Packed with useful information, some case studies, and factual data, it's also written in an easy-to-read, conversational style. My only complaint is that the Essential Oil References section in the Appendix could have been lengthier & more helpful. For instance, the author lists only one company as a supplier of pure essential oils. And only lists HER OWN company as a source for additional Aromatherapy and Holistic Education information. Also, one future recommendation for the book would be to have an additional index of recipes by title (e.g., currently, you have to remember that the Garlic Soup recipe is in the "Bronchitis" section or look up "soup" in the index).

Book Description

For a woman in the Western world, there is no escaping beauty. Either she possesses it, or she lacks it. If she lacks it, she may hope to gain it. If she already has it, she will certainly lose it. But what is "it"? Not an objective thing, Francette Pacteau tells us, but a generic term for an unspecifiable number of psychological experiences in the mind of the observer. What these experiences are, what causes them, and how they manifest themselves as a notion of beauty is the subject of this book.Less interested in the contingent object of desire than the fantasy that frames it, Pacteau considers the staging of the aesthetic emotion. Her analysis extends from the Classical ideals of beauty, through Renaissance poetry to the recent formulations of Hollywood. Her book is an ambitious attempt to describe the mise-en-scène of beauty within a particular field of representations – that of the beauty of a woman.

Average customer rating:

The Symptom of Beauty
Pacteau Francette
Manufacturer: Harvard UP
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UEZCVS

Book Description

A fascinating world of scientific wonders, the amphibian species is full of unusual and extreme adaptations and is home to numerous unsolved mysteries. Amphibians is your guide to these intriguing and diverse creatures.

Often misunderstood, this species which includes frogs, toads, salamanders and newts, surpasses all other vertebrate species in survival and reproduction strategies. In addition, as the stunning photographs depict, amphibians are also creatures of extreme beauty. Many tropical tree -- and poison-arrow frogs are just as dazzling in appearance as some of the world's most colorful birds.

Scientific experts from all over the globe have contributed their knowledge and understanding of amphibians to this comprehensive volume. An excellent resource for both experienced and amateur scientists, Amphibians, includes information on thousands of amphibian species from throughout the world. This useful reference guide also includes information on the biology, physiology and evolution of amphibians, as well as chapters on Ecology and Ethology, The Meaning of Amphibians for Mankind, and Endangerment and Species Protection. This last section is important as global warming, habitat loss and pesticides have placed many amphibians -- even common frogs and toads -- on the road to extinction.

Fascinating and informative, Amphibians, is one of the most comprehensive books available on this adaptive and ubiquitous species.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful, but tough reading.......2005-12-24

I was actually disappointed by this book.

Each chapter in this book was written by a different person, most of them highly educated academic herpetologists. There's nothing wrong with the information, except if it's become dated since publication. Unfortunately the whole book is just hard to read! The authors wrote for their own educational level; whether the rest of us can follow it or not depends on how interested we are in the material, how good of a herpetological dictionary we have, and our own educational level.

The pictures are beautiful, probably worth the cover price alone.

It's just - as a writer - I know this could have been written so all could read it. My frustration is that people, particularly young ones, would get turned off on herpetology and perhaps even on science after trying to read this book.

Fabulous photos, but so-so text.......2004-08-29

The photos in this book are undoubtedly its strength. It may be worth buying this book just for the pictures. The problems with the text are as follows. First, it is obviously translated. It has been edited for correct English, but some of it still sounds awkward. The word usage often seems strange. I found a few errors, probably introduced by the translation/editing process. Second, it is not clear who it is written for. The vocabulary is probably too advanced for a non-scientist, but the information is nothing new for the specialist. Third, some of the information is too cursory to be of much value. For example, the chapter on diseases is very general; I don't think anyone would find the information here of much value.

This book is worthwhile, but I would not consider it an essential reference work. Buy it for the photos, but don't expect the text to be excellent.

Very Informative.......2000-11-22

This has a lot of information in it and pictures, this is a totally awesome book

Book Description

This charming little memoir is a turn-of-the-century Antiques Roadshow with the gentleman who proclaimed himself Maine's first antique dealer. As an enterprising twenty-six year old, Fred B. Tuck set up shop in Kennebunkport's Union Square in 1893 hoping to capitalize on the popularity of the Kennebunks as a summer destination for people of means. At one point he ran two shops in Kennebunkport, offering furnished period showrooms at one location, and at the other antiques combined with a soda fountain dispensing "the best of soda with pure fruit flavors," and for many years he had a shop in Union Square, on Hovey's Wharf, or later on Route One.

Tuck made frequent buying trips through New England and the South, where he sometimes opened a winter shop for the season. He took delight in tracking down leads for old furniture and other items and relished the stories that went with them, recalling them in perfect detail. When there wasn't enough stock to satisfy customer demand for "colonial relics," Tuck and his staff were quite creative with reproductions or their "improvements" to existing pieces. Their expert refinishing and upholstering services would cause tears today on the Antiques Roadshow. Tuck's entrepreneurial bent also led him to develop "historical" postcards, jigsaw puzzles, and scrapbooks; bottled water in patriotic red and blue bottles; and a patented moth-proof garment bag!

The late Dean A. Fales, Jr., a furniture historian and the author of American Painted Furniture: 1660-1880, unearthed a transcript of Tuck's "diary" in a secondhand shop and, intrigued by Tuck's life, undertook further research and gave several illustrated lectures about him. His wife, Martha G. Fales of Kennebunk, has provided a new introduction, and Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr., director of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, has written an afterword that acquaints us with some of Tuck's successors in the world of Maine antiques, beginning with Shettleworth's first foray into an antique shop at the age of six.

Customer Reviews:

An interesting insight into Antiques.......2001-05-06

I found this book to be very interesting on many levels. I am from Kennebunkport so it is locally very interesting and my mother was very interested in antiques and dragged me along in her travels. The book is a facinating look at the start of the antique trade and life at that time. I highly recommend it!

Book Description

This guide by a vanda expert includes information on the species origins of Vanda hybrids and all the intergeneric hybrids, particularly those that form the manmade orchid genus Ascocenda. Fully one-third of the book is devoted to detailed suggestions for providing optimum growing conditions for vandas.

Customer Reviews:

Vandas & Ascodendas & their Combinations with other Genera.......2000-11-19

This book offers a concise description of all vandaceous orchids, with wonderful pictures, descriptions and differences between each genera. I am a grower of over thiry years, and have not realized that there were so many. I find this book to be more friendly to the average orchidist and if I could would give it a "10". This is truly the best on the market today.

Excellent Vanda resource.......2000-06-23

This is a great book on the Vanda alliance. It has many wonderful pictures of both species and hybrids. It even includes a bunch of botanical prints (artistical renditions) of a number of species. This book is great for the hobbiest or breeder. Many pages go into detail about the history of breeding Vandas, and what qualities certain species impart. I have used this section a number of times when creating new hybrids. I have also used to book to identify an unkown Vanda, what a relief!

Vandas and Ascocendas and Their Combinations with Other Genera

Average customer rating:

Vandas and Ascocendas and Their Combinations with Other Genera
David L. Grove
Manufacturer: Timber Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LHAICW

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Dance Magazine, published by Thomson Gale on July 1, 2005. The length of the article is 960 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: In the American vein: a sheat of recent books and DVDs.(DANCE MAGAZINE RECOMMENDS)(Merce Cunningham: The Modernizing of Modern Dance)(Performance: Live Art Since the 60s)(Speaking of Dance: Twelve Contemporary Choreographers on Their Craft)(books)(Trisha Brown: Early Works 1966-1979)(The Bandwagon)(DVD's)(Movie Review)(Book Review)
Author: Allan Ulrich
Publication: Dance Magazine (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 79 Issue: 7 Page: 50(3)

Article Type: Book Review, Video Recording Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Product Description

TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITERS PROJECT 1936-1938

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