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$17.59
1. The Body Ecology Diet: Recovering
$10.32
2. The Ecology of Commerce Revised
$89.95
3. Ecology: Concepts and Applications
$16.94
4. The Body Ecology Diet: Recovering
$36.99
5. A Primer of Ecology, Fourth Edition
$95.00
6. Elements of Ecology (7th Edition)
$8.25
7. Ecology: A Pocket Guide, Revised
$14.12
8. Steps to an Ecology of Mind: Collected
$5.54
9. Ecology of a Cracker Childhood
$79.20
10. Marine Mammal Ecology and Conservation:
$13.56
11. Three Ecologies (Continuum Impacts)
$21.92
12. Ecology of the Planted Aquarium:
$15.73
13. Laws, Theories, and Patterns in
$27.45
14. The Ecology of Human Development:
$8.13
15. Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and
$10.27
16. The Ecology of Wisdom: Writings
 
$129.12
17. An Introduction to Behavioural
$43.41
18. Evolutionary Behavioral Ecology
$67.95
19. The Princeton Guide to Ecology
$71.98
20. Ecology and Religion: Ecological

1. The Body Ecology Diet: Recovering Your Health and Rebuilding Your Immunity
by Donna Gates, Linda Schatz
Paperback: Pages (2006-06-15)
list price: US$24.95 -- used & new: US$17.59
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0963845837
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
What leading experts are saying about the Body Ecology Diet: "No one has ever put together all that we need to know about recovering and enhancing immunity - until now. I am making it a must reading for all my patients with candidiasis, immune disorders and food allergies." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

5-0 out of 5 stars book will give you the health& radiance you want
we americans need a diet change & this book tells how to do it step by step. i have gotten over the tipical american sugar addiction in just a month & i am enjoying eating more then ever- feeling satisfied & tons more energy & i have lost weight without being hungry. i take a bite of desert once a week & rarely want more than that. the first two weeks i felt a little overwhelmed trying to make the changes- than i just decided to do a few changes at a time & it became easy. i don't follow it 100 %- i do what's most important & doable to me. the one thing that was important was getting rid of the sugar & i was able to do that easily by getting the lakanto sweetner. i absolutely love it combined with cinnamon on toast- it is now my desert. it is pricey but not near as much as poor health.no, i am not getting paid - just telling my experience. the only thing that could have been put in that would be helpful is that eating foods on the high nutrient list such as kale, arugula etc would boast a persons energy instantly & curb cravings because of getting needed minerals naturally. i have chronic fatigue & candida & feel a great improvement already & feel given a bit more time these are going to be things of the past. i would recommend this book to everyone who wants to me healthy.

5-0 out of 5 stars Everything from A to Z
Almost anything you can ask about your health you can fnd and answer for in this comprehensive health guide.

5-0 out of 5 stars Body Ecology Diet - It will rock your world!
Its an option to change your life for the good without Doctors or drugs, a clean, healthy life style.

4-0 out of 5 stars Informative
This book is simple and yet so true. It includes principles for overcoming any health issue, epsecially candida, which in of itself causes many health issues. The principles taught in this book are crucial to regaining health and to maintain it throughout life. Since everyone is biologicaly unique everyone must figure out their own needs and how the principles apply specificaly to them. This book is great though for an idea of where to start.

4-0 out of 5 stars Understanding Eating
I got this book trying to discover why I was tired all the time, why my bowels were so sluggish, why many things seemed to be 'going wrong' at just 45! This layout of information is very organized.There are a lot of 'different' bits that are actually very helpful!I cut back on meat (not out, just back)trying more of a variety (fish,chicken, white pork meat, different red meat cuts minimalizing the amounts); enlarged vegetables to 3/4 my plate - in vast varieties; increased liquids (mostly water with lemon or lime juice for flavor, different raw juices (no fructose corn syrup!).I learned about Kefir and added weekly smoothies.I learned how beneficial coconut water is! and added it. I did this 'diet' change even tho the rest of the family kept their American Diet.It IS possible! just takes determination to make the extra effort.And when they're ready, they might join in with me.But I'll be feeling better everyday regardless!

The final say on this book is this:it gives basic info in such a way, that if applied - even if just a little - will help bring the body back into its intended healthful state.All great things happen over Time.Be patient but determined to 'keep it up.' ... Read more


2. The Ecology of Commerce Revised Edition: A Declaration of Sustainability (Collins Business Essentials)
by Paul Hawken
Paperback: 256 Pages (2010-03-25)
list price: US$17.99 -- used & new: US$10.32
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0061252794
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description

The world has changed in the seventeen years since the controversial initial publication of Paul Hawken's Ecology of Commerce, a stirring treatise about the perceived antagonism between ecology and business. Yet Hawken's impassioned argument—that business both causes the most egregious abuses of the environment and, crucially, holds the most potential for solving our sustainability problems—is more relevant and resonant than ever.

Containing updated and revised material for a new audience, The Ecology of Commerce presents a compelling vision of the restorative (rather than destructive) economy we must create, centered on eight imperatives:

  • Reduce energy carbon emissions 80 percent by 2030 and total natural resource usage 80 percent by 2050.
  • Provide secure, stable, and meaningful employment to people everywhere.
  • Be self-organizing rather than regulated or morally mandated.
  • Honor market principles.
  • Restore habitats, ecosystems, and societies to their optimum.
  • Rely on current income.
  • Be fun and engaging, and strive for an aesthetic outcome.
Amazon.com Review
Paul Hawken, the entrepreneur behind the Smith & Hawkengardening supplies empire, is no ordinary capitalist. Drawing as muchon Baba Ram Dass and Vaclav Havel as he does on Peter Drucker andWalMart for his case studies, Hawken is on a one-man crusade to reformour economic system by demanding that First World businesses reducetheir consumption of energy and resources by 80 percent in the next 50years. As if that weren't enough, Hawken argues that business goalsshould be redefined to embrace such fuzzy categories as whether thework is aesthetically pleasing and the employees are having fun; thisapplies to corporate giants and mom-and-pop operations alike. Heproposes a culture of business in which the real world, the naturalworld, is allowed to flourish as well, and in which the planet's needsare addressed. Wall Street may not be ready for Hawken's provocativebrand of environmental awareness, but this fine book is full ofcaptivating ideas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (42)

5-0 out of 5 stars ecology of commerce
everyone in america needs to know the truth and be a part of the solution...corporation and business my take responsibilty, now!

5-0 out of 5 stars great spine
This books came with a great spine and clean pages, for one cent plus shipping this is an amazing value for a wonderful author and book. The bookseller tried sending it to a different address and was persistant about updating with me.

5-0 out of 5 stars Get it now, no need to think twice
I'm pretty sure that after you've read this book, you'll feel the way I do: that this in the one book that everyone in the world should read. If there is a more eye-opening book on the same topic than this one out there, I have yet to read it, but it doesn't matter. That's because this book will do a sufficiently good job at shedding our ignorance about the most important, most dangerous issues of our time. It shows the very roots of the problems surrounding our treatment of the environment, not only from a scientific perspective, but from the perspective of what is fundamentally, intrinsically wrong with how our whole society is arranged, on a multitude of levels (not only commerce as the title implies). It shows exactly why inaction has been the status quo until now. It also shows the real nightmare-inducing dangers of continuing business as usual regarding how we treat the environment, on a scientific level. This doesn't mean that it's a book purposely architected to incite fear, uncertainty and doubt. It is simply one of the most profound, honest, right-to-the-point accounts of the problem facing us.

How do I know this? I don't. Therefore I'll now set off on a mission to read all of the other books by Amory Lovins and Paul Hawken, and possibly other books of the same caliber and on the same topic, and then decide if I want to revise this review, but I'm rather confident I won't have to :-)

I don't really want to allude to the content of the book in further detail, since anything not akin to stellar praise would not do it justice. What I can merely tell you is that you won't be disappointed by reading it. In fact, you will be enthralled by coming across a such an excellent verbalization of what has been bothering you all along.

5-0 out of 5 stars Always timely and smart
Paul Hawken's book "The Ecology of Commerce" is one of those books one never forgets because it changes the way you think. I first read this book back when it came out in 1994 and just re-read it.

The author doesn't squawk about how bad humans are, but rather offers a sensible, deliberate perspective on how we can change our economic systems to accommodate our relationship with the rest of Nature.

To avoid being an ignorant, knee-jerk reacting activist ( or at least deciding to go down that route) read this book!

5-0 out of 5 stars Reshaping industrialism
Looking for a book to explain how capitalism and environmentalism can coincide? This is it.
For years we've been led to believe that if we want progress and technology advances we should learn to accept there's a price---> pollution. Mega-Corporates keep polluting our world, poisoning the water we drink and the air we breathe, destroying habitats so thoroughly that our children will probably only see wild animals at Zoos. And it's all done in the name of progress.
Paul Hawken proves the concept of progress=pollution to be very wrong. He demands that companies cut their energy consumption by 80 percent and then use the money they save for research to help find better clean sources of energy. He demands companies reduce their waste and not simply dump it. He demands companies think of what they're doing to our world and not just the bottom line. He even thinks they can make money this way. He suggests a new, more moral way of doing business.
A very thought provoking book raising many very tough questions about the way companies today run their businesses. A must read for anyone interested in environmental issues and the business world.
... Read more


3. Ecology: Concepts and Applications
by Manuel Molles
Paperback: 608 Pages (2009-01-27)
-- used & new: US$89.95
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0073383228
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
This introductory general ecology text features a strong emphasis on helping students grasp the main concepts of ecology while keeping the presentation more applied than theoretical. An evolutionary perspective forms the foundation of the entire discussion. The book begins with the natural history of the planet, considers portions of the whole in the middle chapters, and ends with another perspective of the entire planet in the concluding chapter. Its unique organization of focusing only on several key concepts in each chapter sets it apart from the competition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

3-0 out of 5 stars stay on top of shipping
I wish the company told me when the book was shipped. I purchased it and should have received an email saying that it had shipped. However, I had to send them a message asking about it. The next day there was an email saying it had shipped and the day after I received it in the mail. I was just anxious about getting it cause my class started and I needed it for the readings. Book arrived in great condition though, just as described. Great bargain for the condition and price.

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
I got this book in a timely manner. It was in excellent condition, and looked brand new. I have no complaints for this seller or the book that they sent me.

4-0 out of 5 stars Excellent for Non-Ecology Majors
One of the kinder books I have had to read this semester, and I'm a non-ecology major.Does an excellent job of helping the reader understand complex ecological concepts.Maps and digitally enhanced graphs are extremely helpful visual aids.According to the professor the is not different enough from the 4th edition for those who own it to be obligatory to purchase.Otherwise, it is truely enjoyable (as far as textbooks go) and definitely a worthwhile investment.

4-0 out of 5 stars Can't beat the price!
Completely satisfied, book in great condition, speedy shipment, and of course, can't beat the price!

4-0 out of 5 stars Works, but not what I would describe as "very good condition"
I needed the book quickly, and the seller provided it quickly, for which I was thankful.

The book, however, was described as 'very good condition,' which I found to not be the case: upon receiving the package, I saw that the (soft) cover was ripped.

Maybe the rip happened during transit, but I wasn't quite sure how that would work inside a bubble mailer when the envelope remained intact--just not the book. ... Read more


4. The Body Ecology Diet: Recovering Your Health and Rebuilding Your Immunity
by Donna Gates, Linda Schatz
Paperback: 288 Pages (2002-04)
list price: US$24.95 -- used & new: US$16.94
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0963845829
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Customer Reviews (37)

5-0 out of 5 stars The Body Ecology Diet
Great book. A friend suggested it to me.Really addresses some of the issues of health that I have been challenged with for many years.

4-0 out of 5 stars Excellent source of information
My wife started on this road a little bit ago and I started it just a little over 30 days ago. I was well over 300 lbs when I started. In just 30 days, I was able to loose 25lbs. But in this process, my alergies went away. I can think clearer. I just feel better. I now find my self eating to live instead of living to eat. I gave it a 4 star because even though it has a lot of information in it, it wasn't organized well. You jump around a lot to figure out how things are suppose to work. That would be my only gripe.

5-0 out of 5 stars great information
This is a great book if you are already somewhat knowledgeable in the basics of natural healing. I fear that it could seem daunting and non-sensical to people who are just feeling sick and have been diagonosed (either self or by an N.D) as having an overgrowth of Candida Yeast contributing to their poor health.
The discipline needed to adhere to this diet is pretty strong and there can be so many stages of healing involved (depending on the level of toxicity) that for the very sick, some kind of medical (or informed) supervision may be required.
I recommend this lifestyle shift/cleanse to those who are ready to embrace wellness and realize that it is a long journey that has many detours and forks in the road.
Another book that I have personally found to be very helpful is "Complete Candida Yeast Guidebook" by Jeanne Marie Martin.I went on her diet/cleanse for 6 months about 5 years ago and it helped my digestion and overall body function.I am eager to try "The Body Ecology Diet" in the New Year and hope it will establish digestive health for the year to come,

5-0 out of 5 stars the healing system that changed my life
When I was given this book for the first time, about 8 years ago when my health was at an all-time low that had been slowly declining for years. I was under 30 and had a list of chronic ailments longer than any senior citizen I knew; terrible heartburn every day all the time, gas, bloating, painful bowel movements (terribly painful), chronic vaginitis, chronic acute asthma so bad I was on 3 inhalers, pills, steroids AND I was still in the ER about once per month, weight gain, fatigue, major irritability and mood swings, depression, horrible lower back issues that always coincided with asthma flare ups (which of course, MDs told me were unrelated!), allergies to everything...I was a mess but it crept up so slowly over time I didn't even "get" how ridiculous it was. It seemed that everyone around me had similar issues and complaints (except maybe for the asthma) so I accepted it like the sleepwalking masses. I'd started to wake up and tried things like the Zone and Blood type diets. They were ok and I'd see some improvements but not anywhere near enough, no matter how disciplined I was. But when I went to see a chiropractor ( a really good one) who also practiced other wonderful forms of holistic healing, she handed me an older edition of this book and said that ALL of my issues were related to one underlying cause; Candidiasis.

I'd never heard of it but I was thrilled to see her react so matter of factly to my list of ailments and to be so confident about healing them, naturally. She said to take it home, read it, don't freak out if it seems overwhelming (which it did at first), then put it down and forget about it for a few days (letting the information filter into the subconscious) and then pick it up and reread it again. The second time I read it, everything clicked. It didn't seem intimidating and she and I even worked together to sort of mold it to my personal needs. We added the use of some wonderful supplements since I was so toxic; Paragone and Parazyme by Renew Life, and daily mega-doses of Metagenics probiotics (and later on, Dr. Ohhira's).

Luckily, the principles of the "diet" (which became a lifestyle for me) all invovled things I had experiment with before; acid/alkaline, yin/yang, blood type (taken with a grain of salt since it doesn't all work on my body), food combining...all things I had some knowledge of and that tend to overlap, really. A truly alkaline meal is usually properly food combined as it is (unless you're eating only protein, which is unbalanced), for example. So even though it was right around Christmas and my chiro said to wait until after, I was ready to heal! I jumped in, figured out a handful of recipes and easy meals on the plan and never looked back.

The first week was tough; I felt like I had the flu (sneexing, achey, tired, sore throat), but that's just a reaction to the toxic die off so I pushed on, knowing it was actually a good sign. Cleansing isn't always uncomfortable, but for someone as toxic as I was, I got off easy. Within 2 weeks, I felt better than I could remember and that was the tip of the iceberg. After a few months, I was a new woman; happy, energetic, excited, confident. After 6 months my entire life changed, on every level, in the most positive ways. Becoming truly healthy, in a way I never even knew was possible, changed my emotional and spiritual state as well. And I felt empowered because now I had the knowledge of how to allow my beautiful body to heal herself, which she had been trying to do all along.

BED is all about giving your body exactly what it needs and then getting the hell out of its way. ALL of my issues were gone after 6 months of doing it strictly. I hadn't been that healthy or radiant in my entire life. I found that I could go out and treat myself to something here and there without any ill effect, but I honestly didn't crave it much after the excess beasties were gone. A healthy body doesn't crave crap. And I then spent the next few years living on a modofied version; I LIKED the food! Millet with fresh carrots, ginger and dill....YUM! Broiled salmon with fresh spinach sauteed in coconut oil, garlic and fresh herbs...YUM! Quinoa flakes with stevia, cinnamon and nutmeg...YUM! Homemade ginger ale sweetened with stevia...awesome. You just find what you like, play with it, create about 10 dishes that are quick, easy and on the plan and you're set.

Yes, it takes some planning, shopping and prep but skipping Starbuck's and fast food actually frees up a lot of time and money. And after the initial cleansing phase, you'll have more energy than you'll know what to do with and making some veggies or salads won't seem like a hardship. I used to coach people through this process when I went to work for that wonderful chiropractor. It's a challenge and a learning experience, but the return is the gift of REAL LIFE! Radiance, vitality, energy, clarity, joy, beauty. Oh yeah, and I lost 40 pounds I'd wished I could lose all my life, and it wasn't even my focus anymore! It was a nice side effect.

So please, if you want some honest to G-d positive change in your life, true natural healing and to be empowered to control your own health and well being without drugs, find this book, anyway you can. (BTW, the cultured veggies are actually yummy and can be bought fresh at Whole Foods, the meals are really wonderful and satisfying and the rewards are priceless.)

Nothing short of life changing...but the question is, are you ready? Are you ready to put yourself and your well being first?

5-0 out of 5 stars FABULOUS!!!
This book has helped me to get in the best shape ever! Not only did it help me get rid of most of my Candida symptoms (and ive onel been on the diet for one month) but it taught me to really get in touch with my body as well as discover a new way of eating.

I had been on many Candida diets but none of them were as well researched and documented as this one. I especially liked the part about food combining as well as only eating until you are 80% full (over ealting is so bad for you). It would be great to know when youare 80% full though. I find that when I have my first burp it means that im full, but that's already 100% full. Im having a hard time trying to figure out when to stop eating...but then again I know that I have a real problem with overeating.

It would have been nice to have more recipes though. Especially international ones. For example, I live in Korea at the moment and here they use lettuce instead of tortilla or pitas to wrap food. it's delicious and totally in line with the diet. There are so many International recipes as well as ways of eating that could have been included in this book, perhaps in the next edition. I wish I could team up with the author to give her some more recipes.

Also, the author seems to really encourage getting lots of colonics but I have been told that they are not good for your body. I guess everyone has different opinions and I'm not completely dismissing the idea of getting one but not as often as suggested in the book (wouldn't that also get really expensive?)

Overall I would really recommend that anyone no matter whether sick or not should read this book and follow this diet for at least 3 months in order to improve their health immensely! ... Read more


5. A Primer of Ecology, Fourth Edition
by Nicholas J. Gotelli
Paperback: 290 Pages (2008-05-30)
list price: US$46.95 -- used & new: US$36.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0878933182
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
A Primer of Ecology, Fourth Edition presents a concise but detailed exposition of the most common mathematical models in population and community ecology. It is intended to demystify ecological models and the mathematics behind them by deriving the models from first principles. The book may be used as a self-teaching tutorial by students, as a primary textbook, or as a supplemental text to a general ecology textbook.The Primer explains in detail basic concepts of exponential and logistic population growth, age-structured demography, metapopulation dynamics, competition, predation, island biogeography, succession, and, in a chapter new to this edition, species richness. Each chapter is carefully graded from simple material that is appropriate for beginning undergraduates to advanced material, which is suited for upper-division undergraduates and beginning graduate students. Advanced topics include environmental and demographic stochasticity, discrete population growth and chaos, stage-structured demography, intraguild predation, nonlinear predator-prey isoclines, and passive sampling. Each chapter follows the same structure: model presentation and predictions, model assumptions, model variations, empirical examples, and problems.Essential equations are highlighted for students use. Intermediate algebraic expressions are also illustrated so that students see where the equations came from. New terms are introduced in the text in boldface type to alert students to novel concepts. The Primer contains more mathematical detail than many ecology textbooks, but avoids jargon and mathematical terminology that can intimidate students. Both simple and advanced problems are included, followed by fully worked solutions so that students can gain confidence and a better understanding of the models. Citations are kept to a minimum. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

5-0 out of 5 stars Great First Approach on Ecology
This book is a must for people starting to study ecology.
It's short, very well written and clear, concise, not oversimplifying, and it's very nice to read. It has real life examples too. It's true it doesn't go very deep, but it gives you the perfect fundation to go deeper after it, reading Begon for example, which is a good book but gives for granted a lot of concepts.
Anyone can read this book, because it starts fron absolut zero, which is the very best of it.

5-0 out of 5 stars A practical handbook
This is the best practical manual for quick understanding of topic such as growth rate, life history table, etc.

5-0 out of 5 stars Easy to read and understand
Unlike some other texts, this book is easy to read and understand.Gives a great overview of ecological models.

5-0 out of 5 stars Amazon purchase review
The book I ordered was in perfect condition and I received it very quickly!!I've always had excellent service from Amazon.com!

5-0 out of 5 stars Excelent book
This book is an excelent work on population biology, it includes the basic elements to study the dynamics of population in nature, I recomend it. ... Read more


6. Elements of Ecology (7th Edition)
by Thomas M. Smith, Robert Leo Smith
Paperback: 736 Pages (2008-09-25)
list price: US$138.80 -- used & new: US$95.00
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0321559576
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description

 

Known for its emphasis on the relevance of ecology in everyday life and the human impact on ecosystems, Elements of Ecology, Seventh Edition  features new “Interpreting Ecological Data” exercises to help readers develop quantitative skills. Each chapter draws upon current research in the various fields of ecology providing accessible examples that help readers understand species natural history, specific ecosystems, the process of science, and ecological patterns at both an evolutionary and demographic scale. The Nature of Ecology, Adaptation and Evolution, Climate, The Aquatic Environment, The Terrestrial Environment, Plant Adaptations to the Environment, Animal Adaptations to the Environment, Life History Patterns, Properties of Populations, Population Growth, Intraspecific Population Regulation, Metapopulations, Interspecific Competition, Predation, Parasitism and Mutualism, Community Structure, Factors Influencing the Structure of Communities, Community Dynamics, Landscape Ecology, Ecosystem Energetics, Decomposition and Nutrient Cycling,  Biogeochemical Cycles, Terrestrial Ecosystems, Aquatic Ecosystems, Land—Water Margins, Large-scale Patterns of Biological Diversity,Population Growth, Resource Use, and Sustainability, Habitat Loss, Biodiversity, and Conservation,Global Climate Change

Intended for those interested in learning the basics of ecology


 

... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

4-0 out of 5 stars Nice book
It was brand-new so everything was perfect!
However, it was a little bit more pricey than I hoped it to be.
But still it was brand-new so the book itself was great.

5-0 out of 5 stars Old editions are cheaper!
I bought this book instead of the 7th edition because it was $80 cheaper!!The two editions are almost identical with 2 chapters switched.

5-0 out of 5 stars Awesome
Though I am returning it because I don't need the class anymore, I recieved the book within 2 days! better condition than expected. I will definately order again from this seller.

5-0 out of 5 stars A Significant Book from America's Preeminent Field Biologist
This is a great book.I had Dr. Smith for Field Ecology when I was a Wildlife Management student at WVU.His first book was the only field ecology text book for many years.He is a brilliant writer who is able to illuminate obscure principles in interesting and understandable ways.He has the unusual ability to write to his audience, from the scholarly to the popular.His research has opened new horizons.I believe history will show his importance surpasses that of Aldo Leopold.

5-0 out of 5 stars Thorough and Timely Ecological Knowledge
Robert Leo Smith is one of the "Grand Gurus" of ecology textbook writers.I have been reading his textbooks since the early 1970's, most notably his flagship book "Ecology and Field Biology" which has gone through numerous editions, and which have been used in countless college courses throughout America. I have read them, taught with them, studied them, and often refer to them. They contain a huge amount of ecological knowledge, which forms the basis for many other ecologically oriented disciplines, such as forestry, agriculture, wildlife, and environmental science:(legions of natural resource professionals cut their "ecology" teeth with this text). This recent edition of "Elements of Ecology" once again shows the expertise of Robert Leo Smith and his collaborator, Thomas Smith. This iteration contains 29 chapters, divided into eight parts. The parts consist of the physical environment, the organism and its environment, populations, species interactions, community ecology, ecosystem ecology, and ecological biogeography. It definitely requires a college reading level and ability, but I would not hesitate to use it as a reference in high school and AP courses. It is well written, well illustrated, and has very good summaries at the end of each chapter, along with study questions.I know that there are several good textbooks on ecology out there; this one would be my "go to" text for teaching a one semester general ecology course. In addition, there is a useful website that one can access when you buy a book which has a serial number you must input.The website contains useful vocabulary reviews, study questions and practice quizzes. ... Read more


7. Ecology: A Pocket Guide, Revised and Expanded
by Ernest Callenbach
Paperback: 192 Pages (2008-09-03)
list price: US$14.95 -- used & new: US$8.25
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0520257197
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
Offering essential environmental wisdom for the twenty-first century, this lively, compact book explains more than sixty basic ecological concepts in an easy-to-use A-to-Z format. From Air and Biodiversity to Restoration and Zoos, Ecology: A Pocket Guide forms a dynamic web of ideas that can be entered at any point or read straight through. An accessible, informative guide to achieving ecoliteracy, it tells the story of the amazing interconnectivity of life on Earth and along the way provides the ecological understanding necessary for fighting environmental degradation. This new edition has been updated throughout and features five new essays on the topics of biotechnology, global warming, migration, smell, and tourism.Amazon.com Review
Everyone talks about the weather, the old saw has it, but noone can do anything about it. Similarly, it seems, we all talk aboutenvironmental problems, but few of us seem able to propose rationalsolutions to such matters as global warming and deforestation. ErnestCallenbach, the author of the futuristic novel Ecotopia, aims withthis little primer to increase our ecological literacy, and thus ourability to act on pressing environmental problems with a betterinformed vision. Beginning with his homespun rendering of theprincipal laws of ecology ("All things are interconnected. Everythinggoes somewhere. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Nature batslast.") Callenbach shows that all environmental relationships arereciprocal, and that if you tinker with one element of anecosystem--by, say, removing trees from a rainforest--you are likelyto alter other elements as well, more often than not for theworse. His lively entries cover the basic chemistry of air, theusefulness of bacteria (from which, Callenbach reminds us, all lifeforms descended), the ecosystemic effects of industrial pollution, andthe principles of sustainable city design--all in the space of 150pages. This slender, well-written volume serves as a welcome brush-upcourse for environmental activists and as an introduction forbeginning students of the ways of the physical world. --GregoryMcNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

5-0 out of 5 stars great
Book was sent quickly and was in great condition.Would do bussiness with this business/person again.

5-0 out of 5 stars arrived in perfect condition
This book arrived in perfect condition and right on time.I was very happy with the overall experience of this transaction and will certainly conduct business in the future with this seller. ... Read more


8. Steps to an Ecology of Mind: Collected Essays in Anthropology, Psychiatry, Evolution, and Epistemology
by Gregory Bateson
Paperback: 565 Pages (2000-03-10)
list price: US$22.00 -- used & new: US$14.12
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0226039056
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Gregory Bateson was a philosopher, anthropologist, photographer, naturalist, and poet, as well as the husband and collaborator of Margaret Mead. With a new foreword by his daughter Mary Katherine Bateson, this classic anthology of his major work will continue to delight and inform generations of readers.

"This collection amounts to a retrospective exhibition of a working life. . . . Bateson has come to this position during a career that carried him not only into anthropology, for which he was first trained, but into psychiatry, genetics, and communication theory. . . . He . . . examines the nature of the mind, seeing it not as a nebulous something, somehow lodged somewhere in the body of each man, but as a network of interactions relating the individual with his society and his species and with the universe at large."--D. W. Harding, New York Review of Books

"[Bateson's] view of the world, of science, of culture, and of man is vast and challenging. His efforts at synthesis are tantalizingly and cryptically suggestive. . . .This is a book we should all read and ponder."--Roger Keesing, American Anthropologist

Gregory Bateson (1904-1980) was the author of Naven and Mind and Nature. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

5-0 out of 5 stars Steps to an Ecology of Information
This is a book that has grown on me since my first exposure to it around 1980.I'll find myself thinking of a point and need to go find the book are reread the essay.

One of the things that fascinates me about the book, as I come to understand some of Bateson't thinking, is when these essays were written. He and colleagues were attempting to understand an unformed (and unnamed) topic for which no adequate vocabulary yet existed. I mean, look at the title "Steps to an Ecology of Mind" -- He's trying to understand "ideas" and how they interact.He defines "idea" as "a difference that makes a difference" -- He's grappling with concepts that were ultimately (in 1947) named "information" -- and Bateson's "idea" is Shannon's "bit".He's doing it in a much broader context than computers and formal communications, but he's studying information. One essay that more obviously shows this is "A Reexamination of Bateson's Rule" where he's looking at how much information is needed to specify living forms by examining the types of failures when something goes wrong.

As a computer scientist, information is the basic medium I study / manipulate, and I've spent significant time trying to understand how to create and manage complex software systems.In Bateson's terms, I've spent my career studying one small part of an Ecology of Mind.

5-0 out of 5 stars What is the difference between a nip and a bite?
Really, what is the difference between a nip and a bite? They look the same, when you are watching kittens playing, how can you tell if they are biting in earnestness or just fooling around? Well you can't really tell, because a nip is a bite and isn't a bite all at the same time. However, you can tell, of course you can, because a nip has a sign posted on it saying "this is play", a bite on the other hand has a sign saying "this is for real". Moreover tells us Bateson - one of the greatest minds in social thought - whoever cannot tell the difference between a bite and a nip is in big trouble, because the sign stating "this is play" enables us to tell reality from imagination, thus safeguarding our sanity. "Steps in the ecology of the mind" is a profound statement on the mechanisms that make us tick, on the human condition.

5-0 out of 5 stars A true masterpiece!
Bateson's writings are profoundly layered with meaning that a brief glance will overlook.His prolific influence can be found in sundry fields of study, including psychiatry, communication theory, and marriage and family therapy to name a few.

This is the type of book (among few) that can be read over and over again while discovering new facets of understanding every time.

I highly recommend the metalogues.

1-0 out of 5 stars Buzzwords mixed toghether in a pile of dross
Take all the buzzwords in fashion in psychology and philosophy: classification, genotype, flexibility, somatic, discrete, threshold, characteristics, analytic... mix everything together and you get this book.
In other words there's not an ounce of meaning in those 700 pages, it's all worthless. No case studies, no examples, long phrases full of self importance written by someone who thinks he's an authority in everything from zen to medecine to evolution theory to archeology. Not only does he prove he doesn't understand anything, you'll laugh yourself silly reading any paragraph of the book at random.

If you have to read this for an assignment, you'd better change major and give it to your worst enemy for toilet paper. That's how low I think of this. And to think that a tree was felled for this. Ha !

4-0 out of 5 stars This book is an old friend.
Out of the hundreds of books that I was forced to read through high school and college, maybe five caught my imagination.This was one of them.Before anyone was really interested in thinking about thinking, Bateson sat down and did so.He was attempting to raise a bunch of questions that might help some to in-form their search for understanding in the world, or at least for points to be curious about, which in his mind is where science has to begin if it wants to know anything.It certainly helped to inform my thinking.

Not only did Bateson do a bang-up job of getting me to think in interesting or useful or maybe somewhat cleaner ways, he's actually pretty good at writing..... ... Read more


9. Ecology of a Cracker Childhood (The World As Home)
by Janisse Ray
Paperback: 224 Pages (2000-07-28)
list price: US$14.95 -- used & new: US$5.54
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1571312471
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Janisse Ray grew up in a junkyard along U.S. Highway 1, hidden from Florida-bound vacationers by the hedge at the edge of the road and by hulks of old cars and stacks of blown-out tires. Ecology of a Cracker Childhood tells how a childhood spent in rural isolation and steeped in religious fundamentalism grew into a passion to save the almost vanished longleaf pine ecosystem that once covered the South. In language at once colloquial, elegiac, and informative, Ray redeems two Souths. "Suffused with the same history-haunted sense of loss that imprints so much of the South and its literature. What sets Ecology of a Cracker Childhood apart is the ambitious and arresting mission implied in its title. . . . Heartfelt and refreshing." - The New York Times Book Review.Amazon.com Review
The scrubby forests of southern Georgia, dotting a landscapeof low hills and swampy bottoms, are not what many people wouldconsider to be exalted country, the sort of place to inspire lyricalconsiderations of nature and culture. Yet that is just what essayistJanisse Ray delivers in her memorable debut, a memoir of life in apart of America that roads and towns have passed by, a land settled byhardscrabble Scots herders who wanted nothing more than to be leftalone, and who bear the derogatory epithet "cracker" with quietpride.

Ray grew up in a junkyard outside what had been longleafpine forest, an ecosystem that has nearly disappeared in the AmericanSouth through excessive logging. Her family had little money, but thatwas not important; they more than made up for material want throughunabashed love and a passion for learning, values that underlie everyturn of Ray's narrative.She finds beauty in weeds and puddles,celebrates the ways of tortoises and woodpeckers, and arguespowerfully for the virtues of establishing a connection with one'snative ground.

"I carry the landscape inside like an ache," Raywrites. Her evocations of fog-enshrouded woods and old ways of livingare not without pain for all that has been lost--but full of hope aswell for what can be saved. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

5-0 out of 5 stars Rare gift
I came across this book quite by accident and was intrigued by its title. Despite it's being a "Georgia Book of the Year" I had never heard of it (because I'm in Seattle?) This book tells the story of a way of life and the ecology of a region that is often ignored. It was so beautifully written that I think of it as prose poetry. I recently passed it on to my parents who live in northeast Florida. It was hard for me to give it up. I want to read it again and share it with other people. I guess I'll just be buying more copies.

Janisse Ray weaves the story of her childhood and her family through the warp and weft of life in rural Georgia and the ecology of the once vast longleaf pine forests. It is a book that reminds us that all things are connected, and that people everywhere have worth and essentially desire the same things. I highly recommend this book. I could not put it down.

4-0 out of 5 stars growing up in a south Georgia junkyard
My husband and I have bicycled all over the southern part of Georgia, so that I particularly enjoyed revisiting the town of Baxley through this book and seeing it through the eyes of someone who grew up there.Janisse Ray's family owned a junkyard, and that seems somewhat incongruous in a book whose title includes the word "ecology."Oddly enough, the junkyard was a giant recycling zone of sorts, where discarded parts could be resurrected in other vehicles.It's a stretch, but I get it.The author alternates chapters about her childhood with observations on the deforestation and diminishing wildlife populations in the area.Her focus is largely on the longleaf pine, which was all but eliminated from the planet by construction, turpentine production and wood-burning locomotives. There's also a heartbreaking story about a captured gopher tortoise that will forever haunt me.Although, she was well-loved, well-fed, and well-educated, Ms. Ray did not have an easy life, having to dress and behave in accordance with her family's apostolic religious beliefs.Her family stories are mostly upbeat, though, except for that of the whipping her father doles out to all the children for witnessing an episode of animal cruelty without making an effort to stop it.Also, my husband and I obsessed for several hours over a math problem that appears in the book without its solution.Only in my household....

5-0 out of 5 stars The Hobo Philosopher
Ecology of a Cracker Childhood

By Janisse Ray

Book Review

By Richard Edward Noble

I've lived in Florida and on a bay for a few decades. I have been a seafood worker. I caught oysters for a living. Seafood workers from my area have been fighting for clean water and a clean bay forever. But it is strange. The same folks who toss their old washing machines onto the beach and watch them get buried by the tide; the same folks who throw their old couches out into the woods; the same folks who clutter the bay water with the beer cans and debris from their work boats; the same folks who put an old 50 gallon metal drum in their backyard to drain their sewerage in place of a proper septic system; these are the same people who are marching in front of the capital building protesting for clean water and a properly managed bay. It all seems so ... inconsistent.

Oh, I know why they do these improper things. They do them because they are poor and the bay and the woods that surround them belong to them, they think. Truthfully speaking, pollution and a lack of concern for the environment have long been an American tradition for most of us. I have been one of the poor, stupid polluters. If you don't have any money, it is easier to toss that old washing machine onto the beach, or throw that couch into the woods. I understand those actions.

And that is what I see in this book - the inconsistency. When I was a young man I smoked, drank and worked out every other day to build a strong body. Sometimes I smoked while I was lifting my weights. The winding river that ran through the industrial mill town where I lived was filled with textile dyes and paper industry chemicals. It was used as a city dump for the tenement dwellers in the area. Today the children of the violating polluters are busy forming groups to dredge out all the old automobile tires, furniture and old bicycles. Seems strange ... inconsistent ... but very real. It has got to make you stop and think.

The author of this book was raised in a junkyard beside route 1 along the east coast. She grew up and became an environmentalist. She has written this autobiography of her junkyard childhood and alternates it with chapters about the dwindling Florida longleaf pine. On the one hand we can say how cleaver. What a unique writing trick or technique. But the book isn't a writing ploy. Her autobiography is no "Tobacco Road," making light of her poor upbringing. It is the counter positioning of two things that the author has grown to love and respect, wright or wrong - her struggling family, friends and neighbors and the beautiful trees and woods surrounding their homestead.

This is a good book. Well worth buying and reading. It is filled with contrasts and inconsistencies. But they are viewed with love and understanding - the good and the bad side by side. We get an honest look at ourselves and a glimpse of what we can be - if we try hard enough.


Books written by Richard Noble - The Hobo Philosopher:
"Hobo-ing America: A Workingman's Tour of the U.S.A.."
"A Summer with Charlie" Salisbury Beach, Lawrence YMCA
"A Little Something: Poetry and Prose
"Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother" Novel - Lawrence, Ma.
"The Eastpointer" Selections from award winning column.
"Noble Notes on Famous Folks" Humor - satire - facts.
"America on Strike" American Labor - History
"A Baker's Dozen" Short Stories

1-0 out of 5 stars Very unhappy with Amazon, Barnes and Noble is better!
I never received the book I ordered from Amazon.I needed the book for class so I ordered it from Barnes and Noble and received it within two days at a much cheAper price.Amazon's delivery charges Are inflated also.I tell people not use Amazon be cause paid for a product and never received it.Their customer service said it is the third parties responsibility to send my money or the book.How convenient.

5-0 out of 5 stars Musings on our many environments from a kindred spirit
"Ecology of a Cracker Childhood" is probably the most moving autobiography I've ever read. By turns heartbreaking, inspirational, and motivational, Ray's story is one of an outsider in every respect; the daughter of a junkyard owner in rural Georgia, she faces a number of obstacles including her father's precarious mental stability. Looking back with a mix of fondness and acceptance rather than anger, Ray looks at how her environment (built and natural, as well as home) shaped who she became. Ray intersperses the book with chapters on long-leaf pines, gopher tortoises, and other uniquely Southern flora and fauna that is endangered and rapidly disappearing. While it may be jarring to the reader, Ray is making a larger point; we are forcing the environment to adapt or die to suit our needs rather than adapting to the environment. Ray writes lovingly of how nature slowly reclaims the wrecked hulks of cars in her father's junkyard; nature slowly, steadily winning over man and man's folly. Along the way she recounts unusual tales of her difficult path to adulthood that are profoundly moving. In some respects the chapters are by turns explanations and a badge of honor rather than excuses. Her recounting of a rare visit to the North will likely register profoundly with any Southerner who has ventured there. Perhaps it is because Ray and I are the same age or perhaps because our backgrounds are eerily similar, but I feel a connection and a deeper understanding and appreciation for where she's coming from and who she is. Ray is unabashedly unapologetic and "Ecology" will alternately move you to fits of laughter and sometimes nearly to tears, but it will not leave you unmoved. ... Read more


10. Marine Mammal Ecology and Conservation: A Handbook of Techniques (Techniques in Ecology and Conservation)
by Ian L. Boyd, W. Don Bowen, Sara J. Iverson
Hardcover: 448 Pages (2010-10-24)
list price: US$99.00 -- used & new: US$79.20
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0199216568
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Editorial Review

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Marine mammals command a high level of public attention, reflected in specific legislation for their protection and management in many countries. They also present particular challenges to ecologists and conservation biologists. They are mostly difficult to observe, they occupy an environment that is vast in its three dimensional extent, there are often perceived conflicts between marine mammals and people, and furthermore several species are now close to extinction.

Marine mammals have some intriguing features in their biology - the ability to dive to crushing depths, to perform breath-hold dives that defy our current understanding of mammalian physiology, and many have an ability to hunt down prey using sophisticated sonar that we are only just beginning to understand. Many species also have complex social structures. We still have much to learn about these extraordinary animals so a comprehensive and authoritative overview of current methodology is now timely. The intention of this book is both to summarize the state-of-the-art and to encourage innovation and further progress in this research field. ... Read more


11. Three Ecologies (Continuum Impacts)
by Felix Guattari, Gary Genosko, Paul Sutton, Ian Pindar
Paperback: 136 Pages (2008-08-02)
list price: US$19.95 -- used & new: US$13.56
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1847063055
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Extending the definition of ecology to encompass social relations and human subjectivity as well as environmental concerns, The Three Ecologies argues that the ecological crises that threaten our planet are the direct result of the expansion of a new form of capitalism and that a new ecosophical approach must be found which respects the differences between all living systems.

This edition includes a chronology of Guattari's life and work, introductions to both his general philosophy and to the work itself, and extended notes to the original text. ... Read more


12. Ecology of the Planted Aquarium: A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist, Second Edition
by Diana L. Walstad
Hardcover: Pages (2003-01)
list price: US$34.95 -- used & new: US$21.92
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0967377315
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Customer Reviews (45)

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference for planted tanks
I bought this book when I set up my first two planted tanks a few years back. That was in Japan. I kept those tanks going and had incredible results, especially considering that they were my first two tanks ever, and that I eventually ran them on almost nothing but fish food and heaters (i.e., no water changes, no mechanical filtration). This book got me thinking about why tanks work rather than trying to convince me to buy the newest pH or water hardness adjusting kit.
There is a lot of reading here, and as a beginner I really didn't understand a lot of it. In fact, there are still many parts that are either beyond me or not directly useful to me. But Ms. Walstad takes pains to make her book and the science behind it accessible, and even absolute beginners will find important information here, and they will begin to sort out more difficult sections the more experience they get.
I am now back in the US and finally setting up a couple of tanks here at home, plus planning to do a tank with my students as an interdisciplinary project at school. This book will continue to be a reference to me, and I hope to share even just some of the information it contains with my 7th- and 8th-grade students.
Good luck with your tanks, and if you are at all interested in planted tanks, buy this book.

5-0 out of 5 stars a top notch guide
This book answered all of my questions about the ecology of my planted aquarium.PH, alkalinity, water hardness, CO2 supplementation, soil substrate, water changes.My aquarium looks beautiful, and does not require much effort on my part to stay that way!It helps to have some college chemistry courses under your belt, though.

5-0 out of 5 stars This wonderful book answers all my questions and more
I've been keeping planted aquariums for 15 years but all that experience is secondary to what I've learned from this book.I recommend it to everyone in the hobby.

In my opinion, there are three types of people who enjoy planted aquariums: people who love fish and want plants to keep their fish happy and healthy, people who want a slice of nature in their home and people who want to play God.Diana Walstad's book is a perfect learning tool for the first two groups of people.

Over the years I have wasted a lot of time and money on special lights, fertilizers, CO2 systems and substrates.I followed the rules and successfully maintained high tech aquariums but I never found what I had been looking for all along, an aquatic ecosystem in my home.I'm not interested in controlling all aspects of a tank.I want to watch and see what happens.

Walstad gives us all the information we need to set up a nearly self-sustaining planted tank.After reading her book I feel for the first time that I know what I'm doing.My tanks now reflect that knowledge and I have been very, very happy with the results.I am also happy to say I didn't spend a dime or lose a fish while converting my existing tanks over to the Walstad method.

This book is wonderful because of its elegance.I've heard some people complain it's too dry and scientific for them to understand.I don't think this is the case.It is written in a way that gently and simply explains the science behind the hobby.If you have only a basic understanding of biology and chemistry and you are interested in the topic you will understand and enjoy this book.

This is not a coffee table book like every other book on the subject.I don't need to see pictures of other people's perfectly manicured tanks.I can do that online for free.This is a reference book you can turn to again and again whenever you need to remember a fact or research a problem.I can't count how many times I've gotten a new idea in my head and checked this book to determine whether or not it will work.Thanks to Ms. Walstad I am rediscovering the hobby all over again.

5-0 out of 5 stars Science behind the planted tank in all its details
This is a great book if you want to understand science behind the planted tank. Science means having understanding a bit of chemistry (for most part high school stuff) and being able to interpret results from scientific experiments. If you do not want to read that much of science then follow discussions in this forum
[...]

5-0 out of 5 stars excelent resource for the diehard biology geek
If you want to set up a planted tank for the first time, this might be a bit much for you. If you are a dyed in the wool Biology geek, who is already predisposed to reading books of a technical nature, than you will probably love this book like I do. Using the information in this book I have adapted the authors ideas to my needs. With a deeper understanding of water chemistry and how to balance it with in-tank plant growth, I am keeping my fish healthier than ever before and with less maintenance to boot! This is a wonderful book for the serious aquarist, researcher, or student. ... Read more


13. Laws, Theories, and Patterns in Ecology
by Walter Dodds
Paperback: 256 Pages (2009-08-05)
list price: US$19.95 -- used & new: US$15.73
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0520260414
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Physics and chemistry are distinguished from biology by the way generalizations are codified into theories tested by observation and experimentation. Some theories have been sufficiently tested to qualify as laws. In ecology, generalizations worthy of being called theories are less common because observations and experimentation are difficult and exceptions are more common. In this book, Walter K. Dodds enumerates generalizations in ecology. Introductory material describes how the practice of science in general, and ecology specifically, yields theories and laws. Dodds also discusses why such ideas are only useful if they have predictive ability, and delineates the scope of these generalizations and the constraints that limit their application. The result is a short book that delves deeply into important ecological ideas and how they predict and provide understanding. ... Read more


14. The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design
by Urie Bronfenbrenner
Paperback: 352 Pages (1981-09-15)
list price: US$30.50 -- used & new: US$27.45
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0674224574
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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To understand the way children develop, Bronfenbrenner believes that it is necessary to observe their behavior in natural settings, while they are interacting with familiar adults over prolonged periods of time. His book offers an important blueprint for constructing a new and ecologically valid psychology of development. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

5-0 out of 5 stars A 'Must' for Family Researchers
Bronfenbrenner is a must for family researchers to define the variables of human development from the individual to the community and world surrounding them.A highly recommended theory for social/family researchers.

5-0 out of 5 stars Bronfenbrenner at his best.
I have been in search of this book at an affordable price for many years. Bronfenbrenner's 'ecological systems' model is a brilliant framework through which to look at inextricable factors present in the individual's developmental environment. His definitions and hypotheses are clearly stated, his argument is sound and thought provoking and he brings together psychological theory and concepts that enhance theoretical understanding.
A collector's book, excellent price, condition and value
Judith Hudson
Wales. UK ... Read more


15. Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster
by Mike Davis
Paperback: 496 Pages (1999-09-07)
list price: US$15.95 -- used & new: US$8.13
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0375706070
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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"Graced with a bold political and environmental vision, much splendid phrasemaking and a multitude of facts. . . . A truly eccentric contribution."--The New York Times Book Review  

Earthquakes. Wildfires. Floods. Drought. Tornadoes. Snakes in the sea, mountain lions, and a plague of bees. In this controversial tour de force of scholarship, unsparing vision, and inspired writing, Mike Davis, the author of City of Quartz, revisits Los Angeles as a Book of the Apocalypse theme park. By brilliantly juxtaposing L.A.'s fragile natural ecology with its disastrous environmental and social history, he compellingly shows a city deliberately put in harm's way by land developers, builders, and politicians, even as the incalculable toll of inevitable future catas-trophe continues to accumulate.

Counterpointing L.A.'s central role in America's fantasy life--the city has been destroyed no less than 138 times in novels and films since 1909--with its wanton denial of its own real history, Davis creates a revelatory kaleidoscope of American fact, imagery, and sensibility.  Drawing upon a vast array of sources, Ecology of Fear meticulously captures the nation's violent malaise and desperate social unease at the millennial end of "the American century."  With savagely entertaining wit and compassionate rage, this book conducts a devastating reconnaissance of our all-too-likely urban future.

"Dizzying. . . . In Mr. Davis's account, the world ends in fire, and the next time is now."--The New York TimesAmazon.com Review
The 1990s have not been kind to Los Angeles. As Mike Daviswrites, "The destructive February 1992, January 1993, and January1995 floods ($500 million in damage) were mere brackets around theApril 1992 insurrection ($1 billion), the October-November 1993firestorms ($1 billion) and the January 1994 earthquake ($42billion)." But, he argues, the increasing fear about nature'sreign of terror in Southern California reflected in Hollywood'spreoccupation with apocalypse--L.A. has been destroyed on screen byeverything from lava (Volcano) to nukes (Miracle Mile)to alien death rays (Independence Day)--is in reality a strongcase of denial. Again, Davis himself says it best: "Forgenerations, market-driven urbanization has transgressed environmentalcommon sense. Historic wildfire corridors have been turned intoview-lot suburbs, wetland liquefaction zones into marinas, andfloodplains into industrial districts and housing tracts. Monolithicpublic works have been substituted for regional planning and aresponsible land ethic. As a result, Southern California has reapedflood, fire, and earthquake tragedies that were as avoidable, asunnatural, as the beating of Rodney King and the ensuing explosion inthe streets."

As in City of Quartz,his earlier book about Los Angeles, Davis reveals the deeperideological narratives behind historical events. Whether he'sexplaining the motivations behind the persistent refusal of civicleaders to admit that a tornado alley runs down the middle of theregion, from Long Beach to Pasadena, or discussing, as one chapterrefers to it, "the case for letting Malibu burn," heoutlines his arguments with a fascinating amount of detail and asubtle sense of irony. There are wonderful chapters here, such as"Maneaters of the Sierra Madre," a zoology of the wildbeasts Angelenos fear, including mountain lions that descend from thehills to eat joggers and small children, swarms of Africanized killerbees making their way across the deserts, and El Chupacabra, the"goat-sucking vampire" that joined L.A.'s roster of faddishicons in 1996.

Although this book is specifically about LosAngeles, its lessons about the relationship between urban developmentsand natural ecosystems and about the dangerous influence of classpolitics on environmental safety policy are applicable to anycity. Anyone with a serious interest in natural history or urbanpolicy should make a point of reading this book. --Ron Hogan ... Read more

Customer Reviews (50)

2-0 out of 5 stars Amazon will not leave me ALONE, They have asked me to review over 5 times, I do not want to do a review !LEAVE ME ALONE !
Amazon will not leave me ALONE, They have asked me to review this BOOK over 5 times, I do not want to do a review !

LEAVE ME ALONE !

GET A ^%^#@ HINT AFTER THE SECOND TIME I IGNORED YOU IT SHOULD BE CLEAR I DO NOT WANT TO DO A %@^%%$* REVIEW !

LEAVE ME ALONE !

5-0 out of 5 stars Fasten Your Seat Belts
I lived in Los Angeles for over 20 years, from 1980-2000, and enjoyed every minute of it. LA haters have always seemed kind of pathetic and silly to me, like spinsters back in the sixties who thought Elvis was vulgar. Still, LA is not the sort of place to become sentimental about, as Mike Davis makes clear; you can love it but you'd better keep your doors locked. Davis is fun to read because as disastrous and dangerous as the events he describes were, the fact of the matter is that car crashes, as it were, are a kick to watch.Davis' research and writing style make for an impressive sort of journalism. One even suspects that the author knows what he is talking about, but it has to be said that while the evidence does make an impression, most Americans still equate LA with sun and fun, not with the end of the world. The reason Davis had to write this book is that each catastrophe was forgotten two days after it happened. Now this is deserving of a separate chapter. Why is it that in LA there is no accumulative historical perspective, no natural 'history'? Everything that happens there is forgotten by Friday. Isn't that part of the narrative of Los Angeles? Isn't that part of the nightmare of stardom?Think of 'Sunset Boulevard'. Davis makes a valiant effort to write a history of disasters in the Los Angeles area, but one suspects few will pay attention.

5-0 out of 5 stars Modern America as a Place and Myth
This is a very, very fine book that looks at the archetype of Modern America, Los Angles and Southern California. Looking at the interaction of population growth, individualism (greed!), urban growth without planning, and the nature of the environment, this book shows how we are unwilling to acknowledge the normalcy of earthquakes, fires, tornadoes, and wild animal encounters. It is extremely well-written and researched -- and hard to put down! It is social criticism that is "grounded", literally.

4-0 out of 5 stars Great for Residents of Los Angeles
As a resident of Los Angeles I found Ecology of Fear a great and informative read. I understand those who review it and find things to quibble with. Nothing is perfect. But for someone like me, possessed before reading this with a feeling that so many things in LA were just wrong, but not having a good understanding how how and why things got to be so messed up in so many ways, Ecology of Fear is an indispensible book. Perhaps the greatest thing I took away from this book was an abiding sense of the "alternate reality" LA that perhaps exists in some other dimension-- an LA where greenbelts line the rivers, where the foothills are left undeveloped and able to burn seasonally as meant to, and where resources are more equitably distributed.

4-0 out of 5 stars trademark Mike Davis material
Not a sequel to City of Quartz, but a look at current and historical LA from an environmental perspective instead of Quartz's sociological view. Famous for its criticism as much as its content, Ecology Of Fear compiles a staggering amount of information into an informative and compelling story. LA's dynamism is a product of its people, land, water, air, wildlife, history, and future. This is the book that can tell you what life has been and will be like, for those who choose to live in the wilderness of Los Angeles. ... Read more


16. The Ecology of Wisdom: Writings by Arne Naess
by Arne Naess
Paperback: 352 Pages (2010-06-15)
list price: US$16.95 -- used & new: US$10.27
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Asin: 1582435928
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Modern environmentalism owes a great debt to philosopher, professor, and writer Arne Naess, cofounder of the Deep Ecology movement. Here, editors Alan Drengson and Bill Devall provide a comprehensive yet accessible volume of Naess’s most groundbreaking and seminal essays, which have remained influential among environmentalists to this day.
Drawing from influences as diverse as Eastern religious practices, Gandhian nonviolent direct action, and Spinozan unity systems, Naess’s writing calls for cooperative action to protect the earth on which we dwell, encouraging individuals and communities to develop their own distinctive “ecosophies.”
These writings, full of Naess’s characteristic enthusiasm, wit, and spiritual fascination with nature, provide a look into the remarkable philosophical underpinnings of his own social and ecological activism, as well as an inspiration for all those looking to follow in his footsteps. This is an essential anthology from one of modern environmentalism’s most important and relevant voices.
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Customer Reviews (1)

4-0 out of 5 stars Wisdom and Joy (and a Stupid Introduction)
Actually, given the content of the book, it's organization, and the need that it fills, "The Ecology of Wisdom" merits four and half stars in my opinion. Naess (I wish I knew how to pronounce his name)comes across in this anthology as an urbane, moderate man who nonetheless is passionately committed to his cause, and therefore brings all his intellect and reading to bear on it. Any reasonable human being would have to admit the cause itself was worthy: reformulating our relationship with the inhuman world and putting an end to the shameful degradation of the environment.

Also, the means for such a reformulation (and its deeper convictions about what the human subject is), while controversial, are simultaeneously as radical and yet more nuanced than the puffery-moguls at (say) the National Review are evidently willing to admit. Rather than the all-to-easy stereotype of the Deep Ecologist as a human hating eco-terrorist, this book shows Naess as a deep and complex thinker on the relationship between humanity and the rest of the world. The conclusion he advocates throughout-- that the environment deserves an autonomous place in our thinking, while human welfare must nevertheless always come first-- is decidedly mild and reasonable.In other words, it's a far cry from arguing that we should be exterminating humans and living in huts in order to protect a living earth.

On a personal level, I feel a certain (distant) kinship with Naess because of our shared love of Spinoza, who is my intellectual hero (as well as Naess's apparently). Like Spinoza, Naess aspires to a philosophy of joy in spite of a certain pessimism about the immediate future.

The most goading thing about the book, by far, is the introduction. The guys who wrote are apparently philosophy professors but you couldn't tell it by the tone or depth of their introduction to Naess's thought. Rather than providing a critical look at his intellectual and political development all we get are hosannas about how smart, talented, nice, spontaneous, etc. he was. Even the section that purports to be an overview of his philosophy is far too hagiographic and insubstantial to be of any use to a serious student.

All the same, Naess seemed to be a brilliant guy (he died in January 2009) as well as a formidable thinker and, like all anthologies, this one did its job by whetting my appetite for more. ... Read more


17. An Introduction to Behavioural Ecology
by Nick B. Davies FRS, Lord John R. Krebs FRS, Stuart West
 Hardcover: 416 Pages (2010-10-19)
list price: US$150.00 -- used & new: US$129.12
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Asin: 1444339494
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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This textbook helped to define the field of Behavioural Ecology.   In this fourth edition the text has been completely revised, with new chapters and many new illustrations and colour photographs.  The theme, once again, is the influence of natural selection on behaviour – an animal’s struggle to survive and reproduce by exploiting and competing for resources, avoiding predators, selecting mates and caring for offspring, – and how animal societies reflect both cooperation and conflict among individuals.

Written in the same engaging and lucid style as the previous editions, the authors explain the latest theoretical ideas using examples from micro-organisms, invertebrates and vertebrates.  There are boxed sections for some topics and marginal notes help guide the reader.  The book will be essential reading for students of behavioural ecology, animal behaviour and evolutionary biology.

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Customer Reviews (4)

5-0 out of 5 stars A terrific read, well written
This was a required book for my pre-qual exams for ecology and evolutionary biology. This was the behavioral ecology portion. I found this a very easy read with excellent, succinct examples (probably the most important part). I used this book as a self study rather than taking a course with lectures but I am sure this book would go along well with any major lecturing classes.

Great pictures, easy to understand figures, great examples, one of the best textbooks I've read.

4-0 out of 5 stars Good Textbook
I didn't have a choice what book to purchase as this is a required text for a class, but it is a good book. It has great examples and details, and offers additional reading suggestions at the end of each chapter. It is actually a textbook that enhances learning/understanding instead of another textbook that confuses students and sits unread on a bookshelf.

5-0 out of 5 stars Essential of behavioral college students!
Essential of behavioral college students! The Brazilian Portuguese version has some problems with translation but nothing that prejudices the reading of this book. If you read Portuguese and English, choose the English one!

4-0 out of 5 stars A stimulating insight in animal (and human) behaviour
A well balanced, unique mix of ethology and sociobiology, with strong emphasis on the biologic and evolutionary sides of behaviour. It is concisebut is easy reading.A must have, for those seriously interested in thefield. ... Read more


18. Evolutionary Behavioral Ecology
Paperback: 664 Pages (2010-03-05)
list price: US$49.95 -- used & new: US$43.41
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Asin: 0195331923
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Evolutionary Behavioral Ecology is intended to be used as a text for graduate students and a sourcebook for professional scientists seeking an understanding of the evolutionary and ecological processes shaping behavior across a wide array of organisms and a diverse set of behaviors. Chapters are written by leading experts in the field, providing a core foundation, a history of conceptual developments, and fresh insight into the controversies and themes shaping the continuing development of the field. Essays on adaptation, selection, fitness, genetics, plasticity, and phylogeny as they pertain to behavior place the field in the broader context of ecology and evolution. These concepts, along with a diversity of theoretical approaches are applied to the evolution of behavior in a many contexts, from individual decision-making of solitary animals through to complex social interactions.

Chapters integrate conceptual and theoretical approaches with recent empirical advances to understand the evolution of behavior, from foraging, dealing with risk, predator avoidance, and an array of social behaviors, including fighting and cooperation with conspecifics and conflict and cooperation between the sexes. The material emphasizes integrative and novel approaches to behavior, including cognitive ecology, personality, conservation biology, the links between behavior and evolution, the evolution of human social behavior, and ways in which modern genetic analyses can augment the study of behavior. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

4-0 out of 5 stars It's a text book...
It's a graduate student textbook with contributions from authors leading the field of behavioral ecology.For the most part the writing is good, but I read it because I have to so I don't leap for joy over it.Behavioral ecology isnot my field, I'm sure if it were I would enjoy the book more.

5-0 out of 5 stars Behavioral Ecology for grad students
This book offers a complete review on Behavioral Ecology.
Grads and undergrad students can both learn about this subject. ... Read more


19. The Princeton Guide to Ecology
Hardcover: 848 Pages (2009-07-27)
list price: US$95.00 -- used & new: US$67.95
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Asin: 0691128391
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The Princeton Guide to Ecology is a concise, authoritative one-volume reference to the field's major subjects and key concepts. Edited by eminent ecologist Simon Levin, with contributions from an international team of leading ecologists, the book contains more than ninety clear, accurate, and up-to-date articles on the most important topics within seven major areas: autecology, population ecology, communities and ecosystems, landscapes and the biosphere, conservation biology, ecosystem services, and biosphere management. Complete with more than 200 illustrations (including sixteen pages in color), a glossary of key terms, a chronology of milestones in the field, suggestions for further reading on each topic, and an index, this is an essential volume for undergraduate and graduate students, research ecologists, scientists in related fields, policymakers, and anyone else with a serious interest in ecology.

Explains key topics in one concise and authoritative volume Features more than ninety articles written by an international team of leading ecologists Contains more than 200 illustrations, including sixteen pages in color Includes glossary, chronology, suggestions for further reading, and index Covers autecology, population ecology, communities and ecosystems, landscapes and the biosphere, conservation biology, ecosystem services, and biosphere management ... Read more

20. Ecology and Religion: Ecological Spirituality in Cross-Cultural Perspective
by David R. Kinsley
Paperback: 272 Pages (1994-08-06)
list price: US$85.60 -- used & new: US$71.98
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Asin: 0131385127
Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars
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The first of its kind, this book provides a cross-culturalperspective on ecology and religion. The book surveys anddiscusses concepts of ecology in traditional cultures, Asian religioustraditions, and contemporary culture. Includes substantial discussions ofcurrent ecological movements and several ecovisionaries.Foranyone interested in Religious Studies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

3-0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but not comprehensive
In this book, David Kinsley takes a brief look at the murky area where ecological concerns meet religious ones. This is not an in-depth historical study; rather it's almost a series of vignettes, with each description of particular cultural practices serving to illustrate a paradigm for the nexus of these concerns. In other words, there's some fascinating stuff in here, but don't use this text as sole support for any general conclusions. ... Read more


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