Amazon.com
Over the past 16 years Swiss photographer Thomas Marent has traveled all over the world photographing rainforests, from Peru and Ecuador to New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Usually traveling alone, Marent has been known to spend extraordinary lengths of time to get the perfect shot--sometimes 12 days. You can see the results in his first book, Rainforest. The book is his testament--an intimate collection of more than 500 breathtaking animal and plant portraits, and the fascinating stories behind them.

Questions for Thomas Marent

Amazon.com: What inspired you to start taking pictures?

Marent: I used to be a birdwatcher in Switzerland--and soon I was also interested in amphibians, insects, and plants. After a while I thought it would be nice to have pictures of all these beautiful animals.

Amazon.com: Waiting for the perfect shot takes patience and time. How do you decide what images are worth waiting for?

Marent: I mostly focus on the colorful and spectacularly shaped creatures. Sometimes it is a matter of luck to find them, but sometimes I have to know where and when to look for them.

Amazon.com: What photo in Rainforest is your favorite?

Marent: I don't have one favorite--there are many favorites! I especially like the photos of frogs, butterflies, fungi, birds and weird insects.

Amazon.com: What would people find most surprising about the world's rainforests?

Marent: When people think of the rainforest, it's the monkeys, birds, and wild cats that first come to mind. But there are so many small and beautiful creatures. We need to see and appreciate them too--they're just a little harder to find! Many of these smaller creatures have never been seen by most people.

Amazon.com: Do you consider yourself a rainforest activist?

Marent: With the book I want to show to the people the endless beauty of the rainforests. I do hope that it might open the eyes of some people, so that they'll agree that it's worth protecting this fantastic environment.

Amazon.com: Some of the photos in the book, especially some of the insect photos, are really strange and otherworldly. What's your favorite exotic rainforest animal?

Marent: Some of my favorites always were frogs and butterflies, but birds and monkeys as well. And of course the weird-looking insects.

Amazon.com: What's your favorite rainforest?

Marent: In Asia it is Borneo. In Africa it is Madagascar. In Latin America it is Costa Rica and Peru/Colombia. But I also like the Australian and New Zealand rainforests.

Amazon.com: Do you have any advice for amateur nature photographers?

Marent: A tripod is an absolutely must. Try to move to the animals slowly and quietly--it takes some patience. Whenever possible try taking your pictures at the animal's eye level. And it's always important to think about the background when you compose the picture.

Customer Reviews (36)

Breathtaking
Even people who aren't as avid about nature as I am have found this book to be simply spectacular. It was given to me as a Christmas present and promptly got passed around the room. People who only take a glance have bought their own copy! The large, professionally printed photographs will take your breath away, and the captions and stories are just as entertaining. This book is organized neatly into chapters, and its layout is stylish and modern.

Amazing Photography
Worth more than what you will pay, the images are pristinely clear, colorful, large, and just plain amazing. I am giving it to my 11 year old animal-loving son for Christmas, but I must confess, I want my own!

A "must"for your holiday shopping list!!
A perfect gift for that hard to shop for person on your list, or...the person who 'has everything!' This beautifully illustrated and timely piece of literature uses imagination, intoxicating photographic talent, and intreague creating this work of art, with everlasting beauty for all ages. The distinguished global vastness pulls the reader into its clutches and keeps them craving for the next page. The accompanying CD highlights the haunting sounds of the Rainforest and echos it's melodic and transcendent voice, escorting the listener to the very heart of the...Rainforest!A+++Highly recommended.

Beautiful photographic journal of the rainforest
When I purchased this book at the bookstore, I couldn't wait to get home to "devour" it!The photography is stunning, capturing the glistening water on the feet of a rainforest frog, a bug's terrifying view of a hairy tarantula, and the inquisitive look on a chimpanzee's face. Some photos focus on the details of a creature (like the patterns on a caterpillar) instead of the whole animal to provide a different, often-overlooked, perspective.In some areas there are series of photos to show the reader what is normally shown in video - leaf-cutter ants demolishing a leaf, cut-by-cut; the molting and emergence of a katydid from its old skeleton; the lazy-day movements of an orangutan in a tree.

Although the focus of the book is definitely the photography, the items are arranged under topics such as Diversity, Predators, Survival, and Cycles with accompanying educational articles.The reader definitely has an opportunity to learn and well as enjoy the wonderful photos.

The quality of the photography in this book is absolutely spectacular - Thomas Marent is tremendously talented.This photographic journal of his journey through the rainforest will truly fascinate and enchant the reader!

Best Rainforest Photographs Anywhere!
Without doubt, the best set of rainforest photographs I have ever seen. I live in the tropics (North Queensland, Australia) and am very interested in quality depiction of the subject of rainforest flora and fauna. This book sets a new standard of excellence, especially regarding insect life. This is an important part of the world's record of rainforests, and probably could never be duplicated due to global warming. ... Read more

Book Description
Sing, clap, and count your way among enchanting rainforestanimals to the rhythm of the whimsical favorite, "Over in the Meadow." Thisrainforest is teeming with monkeys that hoot, ocelots that pounce, parrotsthat squawk, and boas that squeeze! It won't take much to have your childjoyfully hooting and squawking too. And the illustrations - all done inpolymer clay - are truly remarkable, vividly conveying the abundant energyof a rainforest. This book was created by the award-winningauthor/illustrator team that brought you Over in the Ocean: In a CoralReef. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Beautiful Books
My five year old son loved Over the Ocean in a Coral Reef so much we kept checking it out of the library.I finally purchased the book and also purchased Over in the Jungle.Both books are beautifully written but especially beautifully illustrated.I especially like the information in the back of the books about the animals depicted in the story.We have read the stories over and over none of us ever tire of reading them, nor looking at the beautiful illustrations.

Fabulous!
Rhythm, rhyme, nature, and counting mean this book offers something in the content areas of language arts, music, science, and math. But there's more! Author Marianne Berkes made sure her young readers would also experience many movement possibilities. As a children's physical activity specialist (author: A Running Start: How Play, Physical Activity and Free Time Create a Successful Child), I couldn't be more pleased with this inclusion! And if all that isn't reason enough to buy this book, Jeanette Canyon's incredible illustrations will help children fall in love with art.

Fan-tastic!
Having collected all of Marianne Berkes books this is by far the best!We thought nothing could top her "Ocean" book but...this does!The wording is something the children do readily respond too! Mental pictures take over and the children become very animated in the telling of the story and take on the differnet animal sounds and postures.
This book is a winner for all who take the time to introduce children to their world far removed from the everyday life.You can see their imaginations expanding as the story unfolds!The illustrations and colors by Jeanette Canyon draw the cildren to Marianne Berkes' books, like bees to honey.

Highly recommended.
Children's librarian and teacher Marianne Berkes presents Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme, a softcover picturebook that teaches young readers the numbers one through ten with an engaging, singsong rhyme about various wild animals of the rainforest. "Over in the jungle / Wearing wings of shiny blue / Lived a morpho butterfly / And her little morphos two. // 'Flit,' said the mother. / 'We flit,' said the two. / So the flitted and they fluttered / Wearing wings of shiny blue." Of particular note are the brilliant color illustrations, created as textured relief sculptures in polymer clay by extraordinarily talented artist Jeanette Canyon. Readers of all ages are sure to enjoy studying the amazing, vividly colorful artworks; the last few pages of Over in the Jungle offer some fun facts about rainforest animals, as well as tips from both the author and the artist about the process used to create the book. Highly recommended.

Over in my classroom!
What a fun and glorious time my students have had with this book. We own all the "Over in the Meadow" pattern books and I could not resist this one either. My students never tire of these books and this one was no exception. With each reading, there is a new discovery and my students can never decide which rainforest creature is their favorite. Not only is this book fiction, but the information at the back of the book has provided students with some interesting facts and was an asset in our study of the rainforest. The storybook has been inspirational as a model for our own rendition of this old and favorite poem and song. ... Read more

Book Description
The tropical rainforest is the home of millions of little known, exotic plants and animals. Unfortunately, many of them are threatened by extinction. Every year, an area of the rainforest the size of Britain is destroyed. Journey into the Rainforest is an adventurous but also educational foray into the heart of the wildest, least explored place on earth.Tim Knight, a naturalist with a long experience in rainforest conservation, takes young readers on a tour of "the wonderful surprises and hidden secrets" of the rainforest. Paddling upstream in a canoe, taking a bumpy ride in the back of a truck, walking at night to avoid the heat, and flying above the tree-tops in a small plane, we explore the rainforest from its floor up to the canopy and beyond. Our entertaining and knowledgeable guide takes us into the depths of the rainforest, where we encounter egrets and iridescent butterflies, flash floods and mangrove swamps, a blue-banded kingfisher and a "six o'clock" cicada, as well as geckos, barking deer, luminous fungi, moths as big as dinner plates, pit vipers and scorpions, the nibung palm, orchids, termites, and more. We discover that tree canopies form an impenetrable umbrella and that a stick insect can become practically invisible. We learn how to find our way in the forest, how to tap liana stems for water, how animals and plants survive in the forest canopy, and a myriad more things we never imagined before.The flora and fauna of the rainforest are captured in stunning wildlife photography, while lively, experienced authorial voice guides us on this tour of the "lungs of the planet". A glossary and index conclude the book. A real-life adventure and a hands-on educational tool, Journey into the Rainforest is a feast for the eye and the mind. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good generic overview of the rainforest
This is a beautifully done book. Readers are incorporated into a journey into the rainforest where they learn about preparations for the trip, human activities and life in the area, rainfall, life in the different areas of the rainforest, terms, adaptations of plants and animals and more.

This book is a good introduction for younger readers and is a refreshing change from some of the other works that outline specific areas of the rainforest (like the layers) and rant and rave about loss of biodiversity.

Although the book touches on the important points it provides a good introductory overview and introduces words, concepts, plants and animals for further research.

The ending leaves room for futher adventures in a sequel -- or for the teacher to explore with the class. I found this book when looking for texts for a more advanced workshop that I teach. I would recommend it as part of a rainforest curriculum package. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Terrific Book
This is such a great little book for little people.It's so inviting because of the colors.And the simple repetitive text(just two words per page) paired with the pictures allows a 3 or 4 year old to "read" the book!What a confidence builder!My sons have adored this book.I recommend it to others with children who are learning to read....board book or paperback.And the bonus is that they get science exposure.Buy it!

Great book about colors!
I really like the vivid pictures and colors inside this book.I bought it for my 3-year old son who is always talking about the rainforest.He finds the pictures of the rainforest animals very interesting.I only wish there was more rainforest in the background of the pictures, so that my son can see the animals in relation to being in the midst of the rich, vast rainforest.Nevertheless, it is still a fun book and will also be very useful to introduce colors to younger children. ... Read more

Product Description
Imaginations will soar from the forest floor, up through the canopy and back down again, following the circle of life in this clever adaptation of the song, The Green Grass Grew All Around.The jungle comes alive as children learn about a wide variety of the animals (jaguars, emerald tree boas, leafcutter ants, sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and bats) and plants (kapok trees, liana vines, and bromeliads) living in the lush Amazon rainforest. Delve even deeper into the jungle using sidebars and the three-page For Creative Mindseducational section. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Enchanting!
Susan K Mitchel has written a wonderful book about the rain forest that is suitable for many different age groups. Younger children will love the familiarity of the text, more advanced readers will enjoy reading the sidebars full of interesting facts about the rain forest. Everyone young and old will enjoy the beautiful illustrations. A very appealing read! A great choice for the elementary classroom.

As fun as it is informative
Beautifully written by Susan K. Mitchell and superbly illustrated by Connie McLennan, "The Rainforest Grew All Around" is an ideal introduction to rainforest ecology and eco-systems for elementary school and middle school students. Young readers will learn amazing facts about a variety of animals and plants native to rainforest habitats. Kids will enjoy looking for rainforest bugs and butterflies nicely embedded in the detailed and complex illustrations. The text is enriched by the inclusion of 'Animal Sidebar Fun Facts' and 'Plant Sidebar Fun Facts'. Kids will learn abut rainforest animal adaptations, plant adaptations, seed dispersal, as well as what can be obtained from rain forests. There is even a rainforest cookie recipe! A special note for parents and teachers is the Sylvan Dell Publishing website's learning links and teaching activities associated with utilizing "The Rainforest Grew All Around" as an educational resource. As fun as it is informative, "The Rainforest Grew All Around" is a welcome and strongly recommended addition to family, school, and community library Nature Studies and picturebook collections.

A luscious learning book!
The Rainforest Grew All Around

Yum, a rainforest cookie recipe, informative sidebars, and luscious illustrations, make this lovely book a keeper!The text by author Susan K. Mitchell is a cumulative rhyme that takes the reader through life in the rainforest from giant trees to tiny insects and frogs.It highlights both plants and animals.

Connie McLennan's illustrations are both rich and informative.Children will enjoy the variations of subject and texture in the paintings, perhaps discovering small plants and insects not mentioned in the text.The book is a marvelous blend of text and illustration.Besides the recipe there are two matching games at the back.The verse is adapted from the old English cumulative folk song, "The Tree In The Wood."Children ages 3 to 7 will delight in this book, which will be enjoyed for years to come in both home and classroom libraries.

Powerful images in words and illustrations
Sylvan Dell Publishing has provided yet another great educational tool with The Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan K. Mitchell, illustrated by Connie McLennan. The main text of this colorful children's book tells the cycle of creation of a rainforest, from seed to seed. This part of the story is meant to be sung to the tune of "The Green Grass Grows All Around." Colorful illustrations of different aspects of rainforest life highlight each verse. In addition, the main text is bordered with sidebars full of more in-depth information about the rainforest features each verse introduces.

As in all Sylvan Dell books, the story is followed up with engaging activities. There are several matching games, thoughtful questions, and a recipe for Rainforest Cookies. The activity pages can be downloaded from the Sylvan Dell website for easy use. The Rainforest Grew All Around can be a springboard for discussion with children about other life cycles and ecosystems, as it will inevitably pique their interest.

The author, Susan K. Mitchell, is a preschool teacher inspired to write the story by her class's reaction to the "Green Grass" song. She is the author of Stone Pizza, a modern take on the Stone Soup tale and Kersplatypus, a future Sylvan Dell release.

Connie McLennan created the beautiful illustrations in the picture book, and has illustrated various other Sylvan Dell releases, including Water Beds: Sleeping in the Ocean and Octavia and Her Purple Ink Cloud.

Armchair Interviews says: Colorful and engaging--intended for children ages four to eight. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

rainforest herbs
what a great book! Leslie Taylor has written a very valuable resource to anyone interested in plants and herbs. whether you are an expert or just curious to know what herbs can do, this is a must have!! i am looking forward to the next book---AWESOME!!!

Health is wealth, knowledge is power!
God said choose life or death!
God gave us herbs. Use them.
Man gave us pills, avoid them.
Pills kill and herbs cure.
Make your choice.
Pills made my life hard and I almost
submitted to a useless operation.
Desperately, I looked for another choice.
Herbs gave me the answer.
No operation needed, life is good again!!!

The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs: A Guide to Understanding and Using Herbal Medicinals
Excellent just what I expected.

Remarkable Book!
This book is a must have for every American medicine cabinet. Easy to understand instructions and every thing is broken down in laymens terms. Also, there is informatio on how you can help the rainforest and it's native people. Fascinating!!!!!

Fabulous health source
Although I'm not a "greenie," I have been concerned for some time about the wanton destruction of the jungle in South America since so much of our medicinal herbage does grow there.My major concern here is that the soil is not even fertile enough to continue growing grass for cattle after the first year or two, so this destruction is not even truly beneficial for mankind in any way.Ms. Taylor lays down a terrific case for persuading Brazil to stop doing this.Then she gives amazingly organized guidelines for using the herbs which she has found helpful in the Amazon area.Every herbalist needs this book!! ... Read more

Book Description
Rainforest Healing from Your Home and Garden

• Find alternatives to chemical anti-depressants and painkillers in your spice rack.
• Learn about natural anti-itch salves for insect bites.
• Soothe and relieve envy, grief, sadness, and fear the Maya way.
• Rid your house of negative energy with a Maya cleansing ritual.
• Try the easy-to-make bronchitis remedy.

Customer Reviews (7)

Great Book.
A very good list of home remedies for many ailments. Just have to wait and see if they work.

truly amazing
truly amazing book like having rosita in your room talking to you herself
invaluable information for those who live in the tropics especialy and anyone with womb or prostate worries -don't have surgery before you read it!
she makes spiritual disease recognizable
an all round truly useful book to pass round to your friends

Excellent intorduction to home remedies
I picked up this book at a gift shop in Belize for the waiting room of my chiropratic practice in New York.It has attracted much attention and interest from my patients.The book is simple to follow and brings the timeless wisdom of an ancient healing tradition into practical use.In one case I recommended a remedy for headaches suggested by Ms. Arvigo. In conjuction with a program of chiropractic adjustments the remedy proved to be quite helpful.I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in natural healing.

Bruce Schneider, D.C.
New Paltz, NY

Great book
I really enjoy this book it has alot of information for herbal remedies and womens problems.I think the price is right also.

Excellent Source for Herbal Remedies
I felt like I was in training as an apprentice while reading this book. It is an excellent source of knowledge for Rainforest herbs learned from a H'men (Shaman or Mayan Healer) and for some plants we grow in the US. My only regret is not reading this book prior to visiting Belize via a cruise ship and not going to Ixchel Farm. (I definitely will on next trip). The source of reference in the back of the book is excellent for resources on Herbs. There are recipes for teas and tinctures useful for all kinds of ailments. Rosita also shared her knowledge learned from Don Elijio Panti on massaging the uterus to center a tipped uterus which is the cause for many of women's health problems today.(if we could only teach our US doctor's this cure!). Very Spiritual Book also- teaching the Spiritual side of healing and how important that is in the process of healing. The lessons I learned from this book, I will practice in my life. I read this book prior to reading her other book "Sastun". It is also an excellent book about the Mayan healer Don Elijio Panti and her apprenticeship- I couldn't put this book down. ... Read more

Book Description
A Walk in the Rainforest provides a colorful, stimulating way of learning about the exotic animals and plants of the rainforest. Presented in an alphabet style format, each page consists of an illustration of a different rainforest species, together with a paragraph of intriguing facts about the lifestyle and habitat of the plant or animal. Kristin wrote and illustrated her first book, A Walk in the Rainforest, at age 15, A Swim Through the Sea, at age 17, and A Fly in the Sky at age 19. She enjoys bringing her message of environmental concern to schools and conferences. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good for all ages!!
A wonderful little book for the youngest to the oldest to enjoy -- beautiful information about the rainforest!

Nice book about Rainforest creatures
This is a colorful look at different Rainforest creatures, written by a teenager.It follows a frog introducing animals you might meet in the Rainforest.It is not quite as good as her other book Under the Sea.I would recommend it for 4-8 year olds, it can be wordy.

Great rainforest and ABC book.
I found this book in my quest for interesting books for a course I was teaching on the rainforest. At the ripe old age of 15, Kristin Joy Pratt (now Pratt-Serafini) developed this lovely book. Her illustrations take you on the journey through the rainforest with XYZ the ant. As the reader explores the ABC's, s/he also learns about the life within and the biodiversity. Words, facts and colorful illustrations will encourage discussion about this habitat and make learning the ABC's and exciting journey.

Wonderful classroom addition
A Walk in the Rain Forest is a wonderful introduction to the tropical rain forest- its plants, animals, and people.The book tells the story of XYZ- a small ant- and his journey through the rainforest.The beautiful pictures and simple text appeals to children of all ages.Additional factual information appeals to older children.This is a great book to use in the classroom to help introduce children to the wonders of the rain forest ... Read more

Book Description
North America boasts a surprising number of rainforests, including El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico, Olympic National Forest in Washington State, Chugah and Tonga National Forests in Alaska, and the forests in Hawaii, which are home to an enormous variety of plants and animals. Rainforests: An Activity Guide takes kids through the common layers of the rainforest, from the forest floor to above the enclosed canopy. Their journey continues through the different types of rainforests as they are introduced to plants, animals, and people around the world, including those from the temperate rainforests of North America to the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America. Rainforest-inspired activities include making a West African yam festival gourd rattle, building a model of an Alaskan totem pole, and creating a Javanese Wayang-kuilt, or shadow puppet. Kids are encouraged to make a difference and become active supporters of the rainforests no matter where they live. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful Walk on the Wild Side
A perfect follow-up to Castaldo's book on oceans.Rainforests introduces readers to tropical and temperate rain forests around the world.Activities range from making a fern-print T-shirt to planting a butterfly garden.The closing "Don't Bungle the Jungle" chapter gives kids great ways that they can help save the forests. A wonderful addition to any classroom library. ... Read more

Book Description

Do you see what I see?

Customer Reviews (1)

GREAT BOOK!
I GOT THE BOOK TODAY AND ITS PREATY CUTE. FROM THE MINUTE I TOOK IT OUT OF THE BOX MY BABY GLANCED AT IT AND WHEN I TURNED THE PAGES HE STOOD STILL LOOKING AT THE COLORFUL PAGES.MY BABY IS ONLY 4 MONTHS OLD AND BUT I THINK HE LIKES IT ALREADY. PLUS IT GOES WITH HIS OTHER RAINFOREST ITEMS. ... Read more

Book Description
The Remarkable Rainforest is more remarkable than ever! Completely updated and enlarged, this new edition is so full of activities and information that kids can't help learning about the ecology of rainforests, why they are important, how they are threatened, and how we can help save them. (Teachers love this book!)

The Remarkable Rainforest includes:

A new two-page photo journal that takes kids on a rainforest adventure

A new page of exciting rainforest activities, such as attracting a rainforest bird to your backyard, making rainforest potpourri, and visiting a Rainforest Cafe

A new page with directions for making an indoor rainforest

The author's "Rainforest Journal" about her adventures in the Costa Rican rainforests, which makes the forest "come alive" to children

Learning resources, including a glossary, a bibliography for kids, lists of rainforest exhibits and environmental organizations, and favorite rainforest web sites

Dozens and dozens of activities that are challenging and fun ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great teaching tool!
I used this with my third graders in teaching a thematic unit on the rainforest.It is full of maps, activities, information, experiments, a board game, etc.It was an excellent resource that covered all parts of the rainforest. Following some of the articles is a little quiz on the reading---that was an added bonus because there was a ready-made quiz for my kids that I didn't even have to make!This book provided some great information for myself and my students.I would highly recommend it not only as a resource for a classroom teacher, but for any child who is interested in the rainforest.Outstanding! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Not my cup of tea
Recommended by a friend, but I did not enjoy the book. The author seems to place the crude perspectives of the jungle inhabitants on a moral pedestal. Great for tree huggers and naturalists, but I am neither.

A cry for truth and decency! Who wants to live without police, army and modern health care?
If you've seen Apocalypto you'll like this excellent book!

In this disarmingly honest ethnography the spirits take the front row, they seem to rule the life of the rainforest Indians by ruling over the shaman. Some shamans decide to change their old ways.They throw away their spirits and embrace the spirit, the one spirit that created all other spirits. Some famous anthropologists think they should not change, but keep on living with their spirits in their old ways.

In a reflective moment toward the end of his life, Jungleman, the talented Yanomamo shaman who told the stories recorded by Mark A. Ritchie, confesses, "now even I have stopped many of the old ways. We don't kill any more or drink bones or rape or take ebene."Ebene is a hallucinogenic drug growing on the ebene tree, used by the shamans to assist in contacting the spirits, Ritchie explains. Now this is a testimony of the power of transformation in a Yanomamo's way of life, of the violent old ways replaced by the new ways. It is as simple as that. The shaman left the old way of the spirits and lives the good life.

Jungleman continues his meditation: "The only sad thing is my son. He still has that disgusting spirit of the deer. Whenever friends come to visit, he disappears into the jungle and doesn't come back for days. But not even the peace and beauty of the jungle can hide the war of fear that runs wild in him." What a sad situation. The shaman cannot force his son to leave the old ways, it has to come from within.

Any regrets? Jungleman: "I wish I had known the truth about Yai Wana Naba Laywa when I was a young man - it would have saved me so much pain and misery. But how could I? My spirits lied so much to me and tricked me. They were so beautiful, so wonderful, so hard not to want. They were the best at telling me split-truth. Now I'm at the end of this life, and I'm ready to begin my real life with Yai Pada." Yai Wana NAba Laywa and Yai Pada are the same being, Ritchie explains, they are the foreign spirit for Yanomamo.

The Yanomamo lived in pain and misery as long as their world was dominated and ruled by the spirits of the rainforest.

Shoefoot said, "We Yanomamo are tired of people coming to our lands to make money studying us.""I am not an animal to be studied." But "If you don't like people to come and study you, what kind of people do you want to come into your land?" "We want people who will help us improve our way of life, not just write books about us. We want people who will really care about us, like the man who came to my village and put his arm around me when I was covered with dirt, sweat, saliva, and mucous. This man shared in our suffering. He cares about our children. He showed us something we knew nothing about - love."

Shoefoot said about white people that keep telling them to keep their old ways, "They mock my people. I've lived my whole life ere in this jungle. If they think they know the best way to live here, let them come and show us. And tell them not to bring any guns with them. And no clothes. We'll even show them how to grow yucca before we send them off to their wonderful life in the jungle." He continues, "People who talk like that do not know of the pain of my people who still live in misery every day. Am I a dog, that I should have my wife and children live in pain all the time because of what your people in your land say?"
Plain and simple, trading places would be a good way to go before giving advice. And if somebody is masochist enough to enjoy hell, why should that be the standard of a good live for everybody else?

The leader of a village at Mavaca, Kaobawa, "became angry with his spirits because of all the misery that kept coming to his people. All his brothers died, and his children. His spirits kept telling him to kill. Finally he threw them away in disgust. He thought that they might kill him, but he didn't care."

Jungleman about his deliverance from the spirits that lived with him all his live: "Don't throw us away, Father," the Jaguar Spirit begged me...We all know that when your usefulness is over, they will come and take you away - kill you, is what I mean. ... They were trying to kill me...My spirits pounded on my chest... Even though I knew I should expect it, I couldn't believe that my closest friends in all the world were doing this to me. Even Charming was with them... I lay on the ground in the cloud of brightness and I saw my whole life, and I saw how completely tricked I had been...Everything they said was a lie.And such clever lies too!...I had been used by my spirits for their pleasure."

"Yai Wana Naba Laywa reached out and grabbed me. I felt so safe. That's why it doesn't hurt, I thought. He stood over me, pulled me away from my spirits, and said to me, `Don't worry. You'll be all right. I'm here to protect you.' Then with a big voice the spirit said to my spirits, `Leave him alone. He's mine.' They scampered in every direction, like a heard of terrified hogs. And he was right; I was his."

"At that moment I felt safer than ever in my life." Jungleman wanted to throw his spirits but they wanted to kill him, so he had some help and the spirit (Yai Wana Naba Laywa) "suddenly decided to free me from my spirits." This is a story you can find in other forests of our green earth, if you want a second opinion. It rings true to me. It is "gripping" and "hard to put down," and yes, "gut-wrenching."

Refreshing perspective of missionary impact
Do missionaries preserve or destroy cultures?If you have ever thought about this question this book gives interesting insight for thought from the perspective of a Shaman from a tribe in Venezuala over a period of 30 years.A very helpful, confronting and encouraging book.

Spirit of Rainforest..worth the read
I really like this book...our pastor recommended it and at first I wondered how it would apply...it is a great picture of these people's transformation from negative spiritual influence to positive (i.e.demonic forces and God) and how even in the middle of the jungle God still sought them out!!! Powerful!!

A Profound and Riveting Read
As someone who has studied anthropology and the Yanomomo people, I found Spirit of the Rainforest extremely well written and informative. The first hand accounts of village life from the lips of the shaman Jungleman are riveting and astounding. The very dramatic effects, both positive and negative, of both missionaries and anthropologists on their primitive culture is an eye opener. Ritchey does a great job of keeping his accounts objective. While Jungleman's stories certainly make a strong case for the reality of the spiritual realm as taught in Judeo-Christian circles, this book is certainly not preachy or some ill-concieved proslytizing tool. It simply tells the truth as the Yanomomo see it. And that truth will open your eyes to a supernatural reality that exists all around us, whether you choose to believe it or not. I highly recommend this book, to anthropology students and people interested in unique cultures, as well as those with questions about the spirit world. ... Read more

Book Description

Today is the Rainforest Race! The winner will get a big, blue ribbon. Who will win the race?

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The rainforest race ( GO, Diego,go)
I brought this for my son who is a Diego fan and he enjoyed this book a great deal.

great reading helper
This book really helps young children learn to read. My son is 3 yrs. old, and he does a really good job recognizing the pictures that are placed throughout the book. He loves Diego, and I was actually surprised when we began reading the book. I pointed to the different animals like armadillo, and he knew exactly what it was. These books help children learn words through the pictures....I bought a total of four of these books, and they are great!! ... Read more

Book Description
Like Douglas Hofstadter’s Gödel, Escher, Bach, and David Berlinski’s A Tour of the Calculus, Euclid in the Rainforest combines the literary with the mathematical to explore logic—the one indispensable tool in man’s quest to understand the world. Underpinning both math and science, it is the foundation of every major advancement in knowledge since the time of the ancient Greeks. Through adventure stories and historical narratives populated with a rich and quirky cast of characters, Mazur artfully reveals the less-than-airtight nature of logic and the muddled relationship between math and the real world. Ultimately, Mazur argues, logical reasoning is not purely robotic. At its most basic level, it is a creative process guided by our intuitions and beliefs about the world. BACKCOVER: “This charming book radiates love of mathematics and of life . . . A treasure of human experience and intellectual excitement.”
—Choice

“Devoid of complex proofs and dense mathematical language; instead, the author has drawn upon his experience as a formative teacher to create a book rich in content that connects with real-world experiences.”
—Library Journal

“Joseph Mazur brilliantly explores the symbiotic relationship between the physical and the mathematical worlds…A stylish and seductive book that convinces the mind even as it delights the soul.”
—PEN American Center ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Why Science isn't Faith Based
I found this remarkable little book in a 'bargain basket' at a bookstore in Panama City. I took it with me to Kuna Yala where I was staying in a Kuna village without electricity, running water, or much else. Thus I had a lot of very quiet time to read it. Parts of it were very difficult for me, but the overall message of the book is wonderful.

For some reason there are 'Post Modern' scholars (sic)(Stanley Fish of Florida International University is one) who want to reserect the old canard of 'science is merely faith' as a criticism of recent books on faith by scientists and others (Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens).

While this book does not directly address the issue of `faith vs. science', it is a explanation of the scientific method and the cleanest example of why science is not based on faith, does not require faith, and, in fact, can be demonstrated to be counter to faith based beliefs.

When I was an undergraduate in the late Pleistocene I took a philosophy course in which the instructor took the position that `Science,' `Religion,' and `Philosophy' were equally valid approaches to understanding reality. I didn't do well in the course because I kept objecting to his basic premise. While my training is in biology I have been trying to learn Particle Physics and Cosmology in recent years and am even more convinced that science is fundamentally divorced from other approaches.

Even if you are not going to a tropical island for a week, get this little book. You will probably enjoy it and will come away with a much better appreciation for how science works and how scientists think.

One of the best popular mathematics books I have ever read
Properly presented, the fundamental truths of mathematics are easy to understand. By that I mean that if they are presented in the appropriate non-technical language and with simple examples, then almost anyone can understand them. Mazur does this and does it very well. Much of the mathematics in this book is also philosophical in nature. A great deal of ink is spent in describing Zeno's famous paradox, "proving" that motion is impossible. His development of the solution to the paradox can be understood by anyone possessing the most rudimentary of mathematical backgrounds.
The role of proof in mathematics is also discussed, with questions raised as to what actually constitutes a proof. Mathematicians have debated this point since the Greeks invented the concept of the mathematical proof, and this is a good recapitulation of that debate. I consider it very healthy for the math profession to admit to the laity that mathematical proof is not necessarily fixed in concrete. It is also a point of significant honesty to admit that proofs that were considered correct for centuries contained flaws that were discovered and repaired.
There are three sections to the book:

*) Logic
*) Infinity
*) Reality.

The chapter "Does Math Really Reflect the Real World?" makes a point that often astounds mathematicians and others that work in the physical sciences. Namely, that mathematics does describe the real world, not only well, but often astonishingly well. New mathematical concepts are invented and considered to be purely abstract, there being no current practical application. However, as science progresses in other areas, that "purely abstract" idea suddenly has uses in the real world. Of course, the real world does have its flaws. It is impossible to create the perfect circle, the well-balanced coin and die do not exist and there are times when we cannot measure a value to enough decimal places to get true predictability. Those situations are also covered, which is important, as it points out that even the best mathematics does not give us absolute predictability. Fortunately, nearly all of the time, the good enough is in fact really good enough.
This is one of the best popular mathematics books that I have ever read; it covers the fundamentals that need to be covered and at a level that nearly everyone can understand.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission

Pleasure reading
This is a good book. You just read page after page without any brain-twisting theories. Facts and stories about math are lucidly presented. A soft way to teach truths about math and logic.

Dissapointing
The book does not deliver to the promise in its title.It is yet another "discover fun in mathematics" book, mixed with a poorly written travel account.

High School Math Teacher
I agree with the review from Mr.Strasser as found below.The book intention seems not to enlighten any mathematical foundations or concepts but rather to find universal truth in math by peeling the layers each culture places on our understanding.I was thrilled with the book but it seems to leave the intended point about 5 chapters from the end.Started out thrilled but ended disappointed. ... Read more

Book Description
Based on an episode of the hit "Magic School Bus" TV show, this adventure takes the Friz and her class deep into the rain forest. The gang is on a quest to find out why Ms. Frizzle's cocoa tree has stopped growing cocoa beans. In addition to learning all about why trees become unhealthy, readers will learn all about life in a rain forest. ... Read more

Book Description
In the early sixties, Stuart Schlegel went into a remote rainforest on the Philippine island of Mindanao as an anthropologist in search of material. What he found was a group of people whose tolerant, gentle way of life would transform his own values and beliefs profoundly. Wisdom from a Rainforest is Schlegel's testament to his experience and to the Teduray people of Figel, from whom he learned such vital, lasting lessons.

Schlegel's lively ethnography of the Teduray portrays how their behavior and traditions revolved around kindness and compassion for humans, animals, and the spirits sharing their worlds. Schlegel describes the Teduray's remarkable legal system and their strong story-telling tradition, their elaborate cosmology, and their ritual celebrations. At the same time, Schlegel recounts his own transformation--how his worldview as a member of an advanced, civilized society was shaken to the core by a so-called primitive people. He begins to realize how culturally determined his own values are and to see with great clarity how much the Teduray can teach him about gender equality, tolerance for difference, generosity, and cooperation.

By turns funny, tender, and gripping, Wisdom from a Rainforest honors the Teduray's legacy and helps us see how much we can learn from a way of life so different from our own. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Broadens your perspective
I believe that it is always beneficial to step outside our own culture for a while, to see how others live and how we can learn from them.

Especially when the culture we are observing is one as beautiful as the Teduray. They, like so many indigenous people, lived their lives with the well-being of the community as their focus. This is in sharp contrast to the lonely and individualistic lives of so many Americans.

The people of the Teduray village in which Dr Schlegel lived were all massacred years ago. We find this out in the beginning of the book. It was heartbreaking for him, as he lets us know. Then, as you go on to read the book, learning about his two years with the Teduray, you get to know the people - their names, personalities, lifestyles - you come to care about them. I found that knowing they had all been killed led me to place greater importance on learning from them. The temporary nature of their lives gave permanence to the wisdom they imparted.

They lived beautifully, communally, with great compassion. I felt humbled, and grateful to have read their story and learned from them.

I highly recommend this book. It is lovely, heart-centered, and written by a clearly beautiful man.

And if you like this book, you probably will also like The Continuum Concept by Jean Liedloff. I learned many of my better parenting skills from this book - another study of living within an indigenous community.

good choice for anthropology students
This is a very good, readable book. It depicts a culture in which helping others was the normal--not the charitable--thing to do. The mindset of the Teduray people of the Philippine rainforest, with whom the author Stuart Schlegel lived for years, is a world view that, sadly, seems almost unbelievable for people who are indoctrinated into a capitalistic system. It's like a splash of cold water in the face. Wouldn't it be nice for every Anthropology 101 student in the U.S. to experience this book, if for no other reason at all simply to face the fact that there are human mindsets possible that are not ruled by money, greed, scarcity, and conspicuous consumption?

self help for the planet
The people you will meet in this book are cooperative, peaceful, egalitarian, and truly democratic. They also live in harmony with the earth. There have been many books about tribal people, gathering- hunting societies, like the Bambuti of the Congo rain forest, the Kung Bushmen, the Inuit, Native Americans. Most of these people have valuessimilar to those of the Forest Teduray. Gathering - hunting societies have to be cooperative because its the only way they can survive. There are no hierarchies for the same reason, and women are always at least equal to men because in most such economies they provide 70- 80% of the foodNevertheless the Forest Teduray are a special kind of people for a number of reasons. They are semi agricultural, and they live in villages rather than small bands, and these villages are connected to each other in a very loose, unstructured federation. And yet they have not only maintained the basic core values of traditional gatherer- hunting peoples, but have developed and refined them into a way of life that not only works perfectly for them, but actually seems possible for our own society. It is a bit of a stretch, I admit, and the historical record is hardly encouraging. It does appear that nation states must always develop male dominated hierarchical and violent, aggressive societies. Buit there is no compelling reason to believe that this is necessary. The Teduray think it is "no way to live" . Just imagine living in a Teduray world: a global human society living in harmony with everyone else, and with the planet. As difficult as it will surely be to get there, it's got to be worth trying. I never saw a better manual for how to live this way than Wisdom from a Rain Forest. The Teduray really know how to live, and they know how to talk about it. I think the world needs this book, and I wish everyone would read it. There are always many books on the best seller lists about how to fix your own personal inner life, to provide soup for your soul or something. But maybe we can't do any of that by ourselves. Maybe we need to work together to build a healthy society. A way to live the Teduray would call "just right". Many times you may hear people say "this book changed my life".I have always believed this is not really possible, that no book can ever really do that. This book changed my life.

self help for the planet
The people you will meet in this book are cooperative, peaceful, egalitarian, and truly democratic. They also live in harmony with the earth. There have been many books about tribal people, gathering- hunting societies, like the Bambuti of the Congo rain forest, the Kung Bushmen, the Inuit, Native Americans. Most of these people have valuessimilar to those of the Forest Teduray. Gathering - hunting societies have to be cooperative because its the only way they can survive. There are no hierarchies for the same reason, and women are always at least equal to men because in most such economies they provide 70- 80% of the foodNevertheless the Forest Teduray are a special kind of people for a number of reasons. They are semi agricultural, and they live in villages rather than small bands, and these villages are connected to each other in a very loose, unstructured federation. And yet they have not only maintained the basic core values of traditional gatherer- hunting peoples, but have developed and refined them into a way of life that not only works perfectly for them, but actually seems possible for our own society. It is a bit of a stretch, I admit, and the historical record is hardly encouraging. It does appear that nation states must always develop male dominated hierarchical and violent, aggressive societies. But there is no compelling reason to believe that this is necessary. The Teduray think it is "no way to live". Just imagine living in a Teduray world: a global human society living in harmony with everyone else, and with the planet. As difficult as it will surely be to get there, it's got to be worth trying. I never saw a better manual for how to live this way than Wisdom from a Rain Forest. The Teduray really know how to live, and they know how to talk about it. I think the world needs this book, and I wish everyone would read it. There are always many books on the best seller lists about how to fix your own personal inner life, to provide soup for your soul or something. But maybe we can't do any of that by ourselves. Maybe we need to work together to build a healthy society. A way to live the Teduray would call "just right". Many times you may hear people say "this book changed my life".I have always believed this is not really possible, that no book can ever really do that. This book changed my life.

A challenge to those searching for wisdom.
Searching for wisdom today usually brings to mind countless books on how to get ahead, or rich, or thin, or powerful. Schlegel has not written a how-to book for modern success, but the story of his own discernment of thedifference between wisdom and knowledge.

Although Schlegel went to thePhilipine island of Mendanao for an intellectual purpose, a study tocomplete his doctoral dissertation on the Teduray tribe, he found himselfimpressed with a style of life and social interaction that most westernerswould call primitive. Schlegel saw not only the value and benefit of theTeduray lifestyle, he found his own life influenced by these people inpositive ways.

The tribe is now extiinct, wiped out as the result ofpolitical conflict, but the wisdom of its ways has not been lost, it liveson in Schlegel's depiction in this book, providing wisdom to those whosearch for it in unpredictable places. ... Read more