Reference Books

The Birds in My Life

The Supreme Master Ching Hai

Amazon Price: $18.00 List Price: $18.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: The Supreme Master Ching Hai Intl Assoc Publishing Co.,Ltd. Amazon Marketplace: 67 new & used starting at $2.06

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Animal Care & Pets -> Birds
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> General
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Other Eastern Religions -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 99 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

...recites Sunny the parrot, one of Supreme Master Ching Hai's precocious birds that shares Her household. In this beautifully illustrated book, Master Ching Hai lovingly writes about each one of Her feathered friend's unique biography, complemented by life-like photographs and captions filled with amusing telepathic exchanges between Master and bird. As one views these colorful vibrant beings among the trees and flowers, singing their love for God, one feels a soulful retreat from the daily grind of the urban jungle. Simply opening this book of Master Ching Hai, instantly brings forth a magical forest animated with birds and flowers.

Twenty-three beautiful feathered beings, frequently seen nestling in the Master's arms, brings Her endless joy. She is often moved by their words and actions and is greatly inspired by them as well. Master Ching Hai pleasantly surprises the reader by revealing that inside these God s creations are very highly developed souls whose love know no boundaries.

Each bird comes with an inimitable life history and possesses its very own quirky personality. Some of them have had sad past making one s heart ache. Nevertheless, their funny antics will surely entertain and put smiles on faces, just the way they do to their beloved Mom. Supreme Master Ching Hai demonstrates in this work of love, the tenderest love a human can have for other creatures. Moreover, She shows how deeply animals can feel and that when one peers into their emotions a wide spectrum of feelings emerge.

Master says: "I wish we could all understand others like birds, and treat them as we would ourselves...Their companion and friends mean a lot to them, sometimes as life itself, their loyalty is so incredible! They suffer loss and sorrow much like we do." All who have birds should consider their feeling and have respect for their dignity and love."

These two hundred seventy pages of wonderful pictures and stories walk you to a world graced by beautiful birds and inspire to understand their lives and wide range of thoughts and emotions.

Silent Spring

Rachel Carson

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Mariner Books Amazon Marketplace: 165 new & used starting at $5.09

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Subjects -> Science -> Earth Sciences -> Environmental Science
Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Environment -> Conservation
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 135 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Important but boring 3 out of 5 stars.
5 of 13 people found this review helpful.

I thought that "Silent Spring" would be an interesting book to read. After all, is supposedly launched the modern environmental movement. However, after reading about 80 pages into the book I started to feel like I was reading the same thing over and over again: pesticides and herbicides are bad and should not be applied to the side of the road. OK, I get the point. I then flipped to page 250 or so, and do you know what I saw? More discussion of how pesticides and herbicides are bad!

Maybe back at that time it was not a self-evident truth that it is a bad thing to go around spraying shit all over the side of the road. But even then, you would think that a disucssion of this matter could be confined to 100 pages or less. A final issue is that the book does not seem to possess a modern understanding of certain subjects (since when do hydrologists refer to groundwater as "underground rivers"?). Although this is not the fault of the book, I do not know why anyone other than a science historian would want to spend much time on it.

Oh Yeah, this book also killed millions of people. The banning of DDT probably led to millions of deaths from malaria. Even today, about 2 million people die from it every year.

Editorial Review:

Silent Spring, released in 1962, offered the first shattering look at widespread ecological degradation and touched off an environmental awareness that still exists. Rachel Carson's book focused on the poisons from insecticides, weed killers, and other common products as well as the use of sprays in agriculture, a practice that led to dangerous chemicals to the food source. Carson argued that those chemicals were more dangerous than radiation and that for the first time in history, humans were exposed to chemicals that stayed in their systems from birth to death. Presented with thorough documentation, the book opened more than a few eyes about the dangers of the modern world and stands today as a landmark work.

The Backyard Birdsong Guide: Eastern and Central North America (Backyard Birdsong Guides)

Donald Kroodsma

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks By: Chronicle Books Amazon Marketplace: 9 new & used starting at $16.47

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Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Birdwatching -> General
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Subjects -> Science -> Biological Sciences -> Zoology -> Ornithology

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great Way to Begin Learning Bird Songs 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The illustrations & descriptions for each bird are done very well. The sound quality of the individual bird songs is excellent. This book is a great way for anyone to begin learning about common backyard birds and their songs.

Editorial Review:

Building on the tremendous success of Bird Songs (250,000 copies sold), The Backyard Birdsong Guides are regional, interactive handbooks of birds and their songs for beginning bird-watchers. With a touch-button electronic module housing common vocalizations of 75 species from across Eastern and Central North America, this volume offers a truly sensory way to identify and get to know local birds. Crisply detailed and scientifically accurate illustrations accompany each entry, and up-to-date range maps from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology provide clear geographical reference points. Complete with an introduction to birdsong that will inspire readers to look out their kitchen windows and venture out in the field, this unique book provides an exciting entryway into the subtle art of birding.

Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, Third Edition

Lester R. Brown

Amazon Price: $13.72 List Price: $15.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: W. W. Norton Amazon Marketplace: 61 new & used starting at $10.52

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Current Events -> Poverty -> Social Services & Welfare
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Deeply Insightful but Very Readable 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is one of the finest books to summarize in layman's terms both the problems and solutions to our unsustainable, industrialized economy. What distinguishes Lester Brown form other authors on the topic of sustainability is the ease of readability of his books. That definitely cannot be said about other, overly laborious works that mostly appeal to policy makers or academia.

Version 3.0 (2007) here expands where Plan B 2.0 left off and what Eco Economy started in 2001. There is much valuable news and trends in 3.0 not in 2.0 as this is an extremely fast moving topic which needs updating every year. (I've had Harvard profs tell me they need to completely revamp their sustainability lectures each year to keep up with the latest happenings).

Positives: very clear, readable writing style ... a keen ability to "connect the dots" of the many issues of a unsustainable society ... depth and insight ... loaded but not overloaded with useful eco-factoids ... and ability to balance bad news/good news and not be either wholly focused on total eco-gloom disaster scenarios or a total pie-in-the-sky-kind-of-a-guy. His balance is superb and his recommendations believable.

Negatives: not many but some charts and graphs to break up the text would have enhanced the points and visual interest. Also, the 100+ pages of reference notes could have been indexed on the website to save some trees and shipping weight (as only researchers need this for most part).

Other good recent books include "Earth: The Sequel" by Fred Krupp (super detailed accounts about the latest eco-solution technologies poised to change the world) ... and "Peak Everything" by Richard Heinberg (how the collision course of severe resource constraints and industrialization impacts will wreak havoc on society and how new thinking is required to dig out of this mess).

Editorial Review:

"How to build a more just world and save the planet....We should all heed Brown's advice."—Bill Clinton

In this updated edition of the landmark Plan B, Lester Brown outlines a survival strategy for our early twenty-first-century civilization. The world faces many environmental trends of disruption and decline, including rising temperatures and spreading water shortage. In addition to these looming threats, we face the peaking of oil, annual population growth of 70 million, a widening global economic divide, and a growing list of failing states. The scale and complexity of issues facing our fast-forward world have no precedent

With Plan A, business as usual, we have neglected these issues overly long. In Plan B 3.0, Lester R. Brown warns that the only effective response now is a World War II-type mobilization like that in the United States after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life

Ed Jr Begley

Amazon Price: $12.24 List Price: $18.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Clarkson Potter Amazon Marketplace: 22 new & used starting at $10.14

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> How-to & Home Improvements -> Do-It-Yourself
Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Environment -> Conservation
Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Conservation -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

FROM THE PIONEER OF ECO-CONSCIOUS LIVING

A committed environmentalist for more than thirty years, Ed Begley, Jr., has always tried to “live simply so others may simply live.” Now, as more and more of us are looking for ways to reduce our impact on the planet and live a better, greener life, Ed shares his experiences on what works, what doesn't–and what will save you money!

These are tips for environmentally friendly living that anyone–whether you own or rent, live in a private home or a condo–can try to make a positive change for the environment. From quick fixes to bigger commitments and long-term strategies, Ed will help you make changes in every part of your life.

And if you think living green has to mean compromising on aesthetics or comfort, fear not; Ed's wife, Rachelle, insists on style–with a conscience. In Living Like Ed, his environmentalism and her design savvy combine to create a guide to going green that keeps the chic in eco-chic.

From recycling more materials than you ever thought possible to composting without raising a stink to buying an electric car, Living Like Ed is packed with ideas–from obvious to ingenious–that will help you live green, live responsibly, live well. Like Ed.

Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Social Movement in History Is Restoring Grace, Justice, and Beauty to the World

Paul Hawken

Amazon Price: $10.88 List Price: $16.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Penguin (Non-Classics) Amazon Marketplace: 72 new & used starting at $4.95

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Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Industries & Professions -> Nonprofit Organizations & Charities
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Economics -> Natural Resources
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 46 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Something new under the sun 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

A few years ago, activist author Paul Hawken set out to create a database of every non-profit in the world categorized into a taxonomy, which is now on the web in a sort of Wikipedia community format at wiserearth (dot) org - This had never really been done before and he was surprised by the sheer number of organizations working independently to make the world a better place. He found a common thread that all were concerned about the environment and human justice. From this he concluded that there is a global "movement" (a word with many qualifiers) the likes of which have never been seen. He compares it to the "Industrial Revolution" - at the time everyone knew something different was happening, but no one had a name for it or even described it as a unique event, it was both everywhere and unrecognized. Likewise, according to Hawken, this global movement is from the ground up, with no core ideology or leadership, it's an historical mass movement that has snuck up on us and only now being recognized as a major shift.

I think Hawken's message is a powerful one and will appeal to the millions of people working in small groups in isolation against large and powerful forces. Hawken does in fact describe a new trend that has been observed by others: the recent rise, proliferation and influence of NGOs. Hawken contends top-down organizations led by ideologies are old school 20th century, the future is distributed small organic holistic, sort of like how Wikipedia is made, millions of individuals (small and large NGOs) contributing expertise on a local basis that has the net effect of global human and environmental justice.

I had some problems with the book, it is clearly a one-sided manifesto and much of it is historical anecdote of well known incidents (the Bolivian water wars, the India coke pesticide case, etc..) and presents a single side. These issues are extremely complex, it is rarely so easy to say there are good and bad guys, it is harmful IMO to present these controversial issues so one-sided and hold them up as poster children for reform. Why not look at the real undisputed success stories that everyone can get behind? He does in some cases such as Rachel Carson's fight against DDT. Overall I was touched by Hawken's passion,
vision and (ironically) his idealism.

Editorial Review:

The New York Times bestselling examination of the worldwide movement for social and environmental change

Paul Hawken has spent more than a decade researching organizations dedicated to restoring the environment and fostering social justice. From billion-dollar nonprofits to single-person dot.causes, these groups collectively comprise the largest movement on earth, a movement that has no name, leader, or location and that has gone largely ignored by politicians and the media.

Blessed Unrest explores the diversity of the movement, its brilliant ideas, innovative strategies, and centuries of hidden history. A culmination of Hawken’s many years of leadership in the environmental and social justice fields, it will inspire all who despair of the world’s fate, and its conclusions will surprise even those within the movement itself.

Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song

Les Beletsky

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Subjects -> Children's Books
Subjects -> Science -> Biological Sciences -> Biology -> General
Subjects -> Science -> Biological Sciences -> Zoology -> Ornithology

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 164 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Drawing from the collection of the world-renowned Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bird Songs presents the most notable North American birds including the rediscovered Ivory-billed Woodpecker in a stunning new format. Renowned bird biologist Les Beletsky provides a succinct description of each of the 250 birds profiled, with an emphasis on their distinctive songs. Lavish full-color illustrations accompany each account, while a sleek, built-in digital audio player holds 250 corresponding songs and calls. In his foreword, North American bird expert and distinguished natural historian Jon L. Dunn shares insights gained from a lifetime of passionate study. Complete with the most up-to-date and scientifically accurate information, Bird Songs is the first book to capture the enchantment of these beautiful birds in words, pictures, and song. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, located in Ithaca, New York, is a nonprofit institution focused on birds and whose mission is to interpret and conserve the earth's biological diversity through research. The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab is the major source of sound recordings of birds for research, education, conservation, the media, and commercial products.

Listen here
Trumpeter Swan
Laughing Gull
Eastern Bluebird

Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change

Elizabeth Kolbert

Amazon Price: $11.16 List Price: $13.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Bloomsbury USA Amazon Marketplace: 72 new & used starting at $6.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 46 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Well-Meaning But Abortive Book 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Climate change is THE issue of our time. Any book that raises public consciousness about it is a good thing. To its credit, "Field Notes From a Catastrophe" does help the cause by educating lay readers about the basics of climate change. However, it never really makes the transition from a series of New Yorker articles to a full-blown book. It consists mostly of human interest stories about climate researchers and the impact of global warming in places like Alaska and Iceland. These vignettes would be easily digestible on a subway or in a doctor's waiting room, but we expect more from a book. The reading non-science-educated public (which includes me) can handle more than this.

One good chapter tells how scientists discovered that carbon dioxide levels can raise or lower the global temperature equilibrium. There's another good chapter on the incredible mendacity and short-sightedness of the Bush Administration (may it rest in peace forever). Every American should read these sections, since America is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world and the greatest obstacle to international action. The rest of the book, however, is little more than disposable science journalism.

Editorial Review:

Long known for her insightful and thought-provoking political journalism, author Elizabeth Kolbert now tackles the controversial and increasingly urgent subject of global warming. In what began as groundbreaking three-part series in the New Yorker, for which she won a National Magazine Award in 2006, Kolbert cuts through the competing rhetoric and political agendas to elucidate for Americans what is really going on with the global environment and asks what, if anything, can be done to save our planet. Now updated and with a new afterword, Field Notes from a Catastrophe is the book to read on the defining issue and greatest challenge of our times.

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fifth Edition

Jon L. Dunn, Jonathan Alderfer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 44 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Birding is the fastest growing wildlife-related activity in the U.S., and even conservative estimates put the current number of U.S. birders at 50 million. According to the New York Times, some authorities predict that by 2050 there will be more than 100 million—and the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America will be the essential reference for field identification and the cornerstone of any birder's library. This is the ultimate, indispensable bird field guide—comprehensive, authoritative, portable, sturdy, and easier than ever to use.

Among the the new edition's key elements and practical improvements: Every North American species—more than 960, including a new section on accidental birds—classified according to the latest official American Ornithologists' Union checklist 4,000 full-color illustrations by the foremost bird artists at work todayand newly updated range maps that draw on the latest data New durable cover for added protection against adverse weather, plus informative quick-reference flaps that double as placemarkers New reader-friendly features like thumbtabs that make locating key sections faster and easier, and a quick-find index to direct users straight to the information they need.

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America (Peterson Field Guides(R))

Roger Tory Peterson

Amazon Price: $17.16 List Price: $26.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Houghton Mifflin Co Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $10.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

In celebration of the centennial of Roger Tory Peterson's birth comes a historic collaboration among renowned birding experts and artists to preserve and enhance the Peterson legacy. This new book combines the Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds and Peterson Field Guide to Western Birds into one volume, filled with accessible, concise information and including almost three hours of video podcasts to make bird watching even easier.

• 40 new paintings

• Digital updates to Peterson's original paintings, reflecting the latest knowledge of bird identification

• All new maps for the most up-to-date range information available

• Text rewritten to cover the U.S. and Canada in one guide

• Larger trim size accommodates range maps on every spread

• Contributors include: Michael DiGiorgio, Jeff Gordon, Paul Lehman, Michael O'Brien, Larry Rosche, and Bill Thompson III

• Includes URL to register for access to video podcasts