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

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
Journey into the Rainforest is an adventurous journey through the most magical place on earth. We explore the whole of the forest, from its floor up to the canopy and beyond. Tropical rainforests are the home of millions of strange and beautiful plants and animals - these are captured here in stunning wildlife photography, accompanied by lively text.Tim Knight has lived in the rainforests of South-East Asia, working on nature conservation projects.He regularly lectures in schools, leads youth expeditions and raises funds for the conservation of rainforest wildlife. ... 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

Book Description
This important book addresses several misconceptions about war, youth, and resources in Sierra Leone. Paul Richards argues that the war in Sierra Leone and other small wars in Africa do not manifest a "new barbarism." What appears as random, anarchic violence is no such thing. The terrifying military methods of Sierra Leone's soldiers may not fit Western models of warfare, but they are rational and effective. The war must be understood partly as "performance," in which techniques of terror compensate for lack of equipment. Richards points out that Sierra Leone's war is a crisis of modernity. Sierra Leone's youth belong to a modern, trans-Atlantic culture. In remote diamond-digging camps, young people watch Rambo videos and listen to BBC news. These are part of the cultural resources with which the war is fought. The frustrations of these young people underlie the crisis. Not only the soldiers but most of the commanders are teenagers. Their aspirations are for schools and jobs. Financia ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Fighting for Comprehension
Paul Richards writes this book from a controversial -- and certainly not typical -- perspective. While refreshing in this innovation, the argument is poorly structured, and Richards' writing nearly impossible to follow. I found reading this work unbelievably frustrating, and the convoluted presentation of both fact and theory inappropriate to a work of social science. Where were the editors?!?

Worth the reading time if you are a lover of African studies
Richards translates sucessfully the complex background history of the current Sierra Leonean crisis into a quantified language suitable for further policy research and study on similar models. His threading ofSierra Leonean nation state history with the ongoing conflict makes hiswork more active.It is a great upgraded handbook for readers who seek tode-mystify the African learning experience. In that same light Richards'book lacks emotional connection with pan-African political ideology.

Read it.

I enjoyed this book, but had problems with certain analyses.
I feel that Richards' focus is to dispute Kaplan's New Barbarism theory, and for the most part is successful.He contends that the youth involved in the war point to political causes as their reason for fighting.This isthe crux of his argument, yet I feel his evidence is not necessarily inline with such a bold statement.Chapter Four outlines his findingsregarding how young people experience and react to war in contemporaryAfrica.While I agree that the New Barbarism theory does not consider thisaspect, I do not agree with Richards' argument that these young people whoare fighting the power are fully conscious of the political ramifications. My interpretations of Richards' interviews form my opinion, as I understoodmany of the young soldiers (particularly one named "Charlie") tohave joined based on sheer survival, not due to political loyalties.WhileRichards tediously delineates the conflict in Sierra Leone from any inklingof the New Barbarism theory, I find it difficult to follow his argumentfrom the angle of what is and what is not political.Part of providing acounterattack on a theory or supplying fodder for an original theory is todisprove the argument and then build yours.I feel Richards has dismantledNew Barbarism, but does not necessarily provide the reader with the propertools and equipment to rebuild it. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (4)

A Good, Bad, and Ugly Field Guide
The Good:
This is the most comprehensive guide to rainforest mammals that I have found. The text covers just about everything you could ask for, even giving dentation patterns for the various families in case you stumble onto a skull in your wanderings.
The Bad:
Unfortunately, probably to save money, this guide uses the technique of placing all the pictures together, separated from the text. I much prefer the more expensive technique of putting the text on a page facing the pictures. Here, though, the guide falls down by failing to put cross-references on the page facing the pictures, necessitating a flip back to the index in most cases to locate the text.
The Ugly:
Whoever was responsible for quality control for this book should find another job. I was ready to return the book as defective when I noticed an "errata sheet" that explained that the page with the text corresponding to plate 1 was actually located following page 193. This is much too serious an error to occur in a published guide.
The bottom Line:
The best thing to say about this field guide is that it is disappointing. If you are planning a trip to the rainforest in the near future, and you are interested in mammals, then buy the guide despite its shortcomings. Otherwise, wait for a revision.

You can't go without it.
This book, referred to by many other authors, is THE guide for this group of Mammals. I found it indispensible for use in the rainforest, even if most mammals are very hard to see. The perfect illustrations, combined with the thorough descriptions and clear distribution maps, make it easy to determine what kind of animal you've seen. Very helpful to understand the local guides are the translations of the names in many tongues.

It's a very practical and well illustrated fieldguide
It's the most usefull book I own related with the mammalfauna proyects ( inventories, education, management ) we are doing in Central and Western Colombia. Every aspect of the text and illustrations has proven to be veryusefull and practical. The taxonomical descriptions are generaly goodenough to clasify the bigger species in the field, and the habit andhabitat descriptions coincide mostly with our own experiences. Thedistributionmaps included in the text are also very usefull. Theillustrations are sometime a little small, but have proven to be easilyrecognized by the local habitants, what is extremely usefull during quickinventaries. The relation price-quality is outstanding

wonderful
Adorei este livro, à muito tempo não vejo um livro sobre mamíferosneotropicais com este. A primeira vez que o li foi na universidade onde euestudo. Sou aluno de veterinária e pretendo trabalhar com animaissilvestres, por isso gostaria de ter este livro. Gostaria de saber maissobre trabalhos ou livros publicados por estes autores. Um abraço, AdrianoCarneiro (Pernambuco- Brasil). ... Read more

Book Description
This new edition of Whitmore's classic introduction to tropical rain forests has been comprehensively revised and updated, reflecting the changes which have taken place since it was first published in 1990. The sections on human impact have been extended to include a new global assessment of deforestation as well as details of new research on biodiversity and conservation. Discussion of the future of the rain forests and priorities for action is incorporated. The book remains unique in linking rain forest biology and ecology with silviculture, and with concerns over sustainable resource utilization and the future of the tropical rain forests. It includes sections on the diverse animal and plant life forms which are found in the rain forest, and the interconnections between them. Nutrient cycles and forest dynamics are fully explained, with new data on ecophysiology and forest microclimates. The geologic and climatic history of rain forests, and the wide-spread canopy disturbances now understood to have occurred in the past, are explored. Accessibly written, and illustrated throughout with line-drawings and photographs, this is a must for biology and geography students, and anyone else who seeks to know more about the nature and importance of the world's tropical rain forests. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

this book was very enriching and enlightening, spiritual
It was a book that helped me gain knowledge but it also made me want to go out and explore it, it was fabulousIcould hardly put it down and it helped a lot with my research paper. Thanks ... Read more

Book Description
Fully revised, this landmark volume takes readers deep inside the "living cathedral" of the forest interior and examines the forces that threaten the biome's survival.

Tropical Rainforest presents an action plan for the concerned individual and the whole of humanity to implement before the potentially bleak consequences of tropical deforestation become unavoidable. Combining comprehensive fact-filled text and an extensively revised bibliography and tables with 300 stunning full-color photographs, this book is destined to remain the leading reference on this vital issue.

Among the topics covered are:
* What is a Tropical Rainforest?: Examines the vast array of species and life forms that comprise the rainforest
* This Web of Life: Explains the dynamics of the rainforest, including pollination and seed dispersal and the food chain
* Threats to the Forest: Details the contributing factors to rainforest destruction, including timber extraction, mining and pollution, and cattle raising
* What Do We Lose?: Focuses of the effects of deforestation, including dwindling land, natural, and human resources
* A Blueprint for Survival: Offers concrete plans for conservation, such as habitat preservation, and funding for rainforest projects
* Reason for Hope: Assesses the future of the tropical rainforest.

Reviews:
Praise for the previous edition:
"...big, beautifully designed and illustrated with extraordinary photographs." -Friends of the Earth ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Rainforest Book
Mr. Newman has written one of the great and comprehensive rainforest books on the market.The book is loaded with great pictures from Mr. Newmans travels around the world.His book is research based but he explains it in a manner that everyone can understand.It is well organized. Each chapter has a differernt topic that breaks down the complexities into a much simplier discussion.He also outlines his beliefs in how society can save the rainforests.It is an outstanding book, one of the few everyone should own on the topic. ... Read more

Book Description
A Teacher's Guide to A Walk in the Rainforest. Based on Pratt-Serafini's picture book favorite for rain forest study, this guide includes lessons about habitat, interdependency of species, the rain forest water cycle, native peoples, oxygen generation, and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

very thorough resource
All of the Dawn teacher guides by the Malnors are superior resources. They are very well-organized and easy to follow. There are enough activities suggested to be very selective and still have more than enough material.Plus, what I love about these guides, is that all modes of learning areaddressed:for example, the body and the feelings as well as theintellect.My other favorites are the rainforests and ocean guides. ... Read more

Book Description

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

Customer Reviews (1)

a good starting point
This book introduces the reader to the research and state-of-the-art in evolution and conservation of rainforest fauna. Very good texts, some of them very biased towards certain trends. Worth taking a look. ... Read more

Book Description
Bats and big cats. Armies of ants. Squawking parrots. Strangling figs. From the ground up to the tree tops, the tropical rainforest teems with life. Stunning drawings, step-by-step experiments, fun-to-do activities, and fascinating facts abound in this magical exploration of an essential ecosystem, in danger of disappearing forever. Tropical Rain Forest is a new edition to the One Samll Square Series not previously published in hardcover. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great book for kids
This book is great for older youngsters, but my 5 year old love it. The pictures are beautiful too. Very informative

Great, whether you get to the rain forest or not
The One Small Square series is wonderful: the concept is that you take a hypothetical square foot of an environment- woods, seashore, arctic tundra, rainforest, etc.- and explore it at all levels, from underground to the sky. Each book is extensively illustrated with all of the inter-connected layers of life- from fungus to megafauna- in the Square. On the margin of most of the 2-page spreads are activities that you can do, no matter where you live. Food chains, life cycles & seasons are explored, and the back section has an identification guide to all of the life forms presented in the book.

We took One Small Square: Tropical Rain Forest with us on a trip to the Brazilian rainforest with our 5 & 7 year olds. The book was great- for the grown ups & the kids!We used it as a guide to identify many of the animals & plants we saw, as background to help the girls understand what they were going to see, as reading on the long trips up the river. We did many of the activities- some before, some during, and some after the trip.Our guide was so impressed with it that he ordered a copy for himself, saying that it was hard to find something with so much information that was both accurate and interesting to people at many different levels of knowledge. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Book Description
Over the past three hundred years New England's landscape has been transformed. The forests were cleared; the land was farmed intensively through the mid-nineteenth century and then was allowed to reforest naturally as agriculture shifted west. Today, in many ways the region is more natural than at any time since the American Revolution. This fascinating natural history is essential background for anyone interested in New England's ecology, wildlife, or landscape. In New England Forests through Time these historical and environmental lessons are told through the world-renowned dioramas in Harvard's Fisher Museum. These remarkable models have introduced New England's landscape to countless visitors and have appeared in many ecology, forestry, and natural history texts. This first book based on the dioramas conveys the phenomenal history of the land, the beauty of the models, and new insights into nature. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Missing piece
Major overlook.The Indians did not cut down many trees, but changed the forest ecology dramatically by burning out the underbrush once or twice a year in massive fires, so that they could move and hunt more freely (and move silently).This omission spoils the understanding of forest life by injecting a modern political angle of environmentalism that would be better left out.

A Long-term View of Cultural and Natural History
This book is the result of a three-way collaboration between a scientist, a philanthropist and artist dedicated to producing a diorama depicting 300 years of New England's natural and cultural history.

The work, started in the late 1920, captures the essence of the Harvard Forest approach to environmental science, in which a solid understanding of the landscape history provides a basis for interpretation and conservation of nature.

Lifelike and detailed, the dioramas' historical and ecological approach remains relevant today as it becomes more apparent that changes in nature can only be assessed through long-term perspectives.

Liked Bullough's Pond?Are You Ready for Harvard's Forest?
Many people do not realize that Harvard University has its own forest in New England.The forest has been a source of study for silviculture since its founding in 1907 for almost 100 years.

In the late 1920s, Harvard professor Richard T. Fisher joined with a philanthropist, Dr. Ernest G. Stillman, and talented artisans in the studio of Guernsey and Pitman in Harvard Square to develop a remarkable series of dioramas to capture conservation issues for future generations of silviculture students to study.These dioramas are the basis for the text and illustrations in this book.

New England was mostly ancient forest when the European settlers arrived.The small Native American population cleared only a modest portion of the forests, and used the game from the forests rather more than the timber.With immigration, New England rapidly became one big farm.So much for the original forests.Next, the New England farms were put out of business by richer, midwestern farms shipping their goods to the east.Within a few decades, new forests arose to cover the temporarily cleared and abandoned fields.With rapid growth in pines, a second wave of clearing occurred about a hundred years ago, leaving the forests to start to regrow again.The current hardwood-dominated forests are a result of this man-driven process.These experiences provide many lessons for understanding the impact that people have on forests, and for suggesting better practices for the future.

In one sequence of seven dioramas depicting the same place over time, you can see the whole historical process take place.I found it fascinating.I recognized in each image places that I had visited in New England.Now I can connect each site to what it represents in terms of environmental circumstances.That is like learning to read nature in the way I can read a book to get a message.

Today, we think ahead further (but probably not yet far enough) to consider the implications of our actions on future generations and other species.These dioramas show the importance of capturing the natural history of an area to begin to draw those lessons.

Another set of dioramas were designed to exemplify the conservation issues in New England forests, including loss of old-growth forests, habitat needs for wildlife, natural losses due to hurricanes, erosion from cutting forests, imported pests that feed on forests, and the impact of natural fires and fighting forest fires.

To me the most fascinating part was in the suggested good principles of forestry management.Each stage of forest growth and regrowth is displayed, along with what needs to be done for each stage.This reminded me of being asked about what to do by a client with very large holdings of forests in Maine a few years ago.If I had known about these dioramas, I could have given much more appropriate and valuable advice.I do feel quite a pang of regret at the missed opportunity, as a result.

The final section of the book shows the detail of how the dioramas were created.

The book also tells you about the history of the Harvard Forest and how to reach the Fisher Museum where the dioramas are displayed.I recommend the visit!

The reference to Bullough's Pond in the title of this review is for the highly regarded book that slightly preceded this one, about the ecological history of a man-made pond in Newton, Massachusetts.If you have not yet read that fine work, you have a real treat ahead of you.Anyone who is interested in understanding the rhythms between humans and nature can learn much from these two books.

Having read these two books, a new question occurs to me.At one time, forest fires were aggressively avoided in New England.The current view is that these are a natural process and should not be so aggressively countered.Where else do our views need to be shifted to reflect the long-term best interests of all?

How should use of forests and water reserves be adjusted to reflect optimum benefits for the next ten generations?How would our use change if this question were stretched to cover twenty generations?Do we even know how to think about these questions?Do we have plans to be able to learn how?

Overcome the presumption that only the here and now is important.What we do here and now is very important, but our decisions need to be much more independent of momentary needs and perspectives.

fascinating microcosm
Perhaps microcosm is not quite the world, Forests Through Time offers a fascinating angle of insight into one aspect of the ecological development of New England.For a wider angle, one reads Bullough's Pond, and for thecomplete picture of the land in colonial times, Changes in the Land.Thishowever is a fascinating view and well worth perusing.

Virtual Land-use Historyof New England
Imagine yourself transported back in time to an ancient forest in central New England prior to settlement. As in a time lapsed movie, the ecosystem is transformed before your eyes into a subsistence farm surrounded by forest, to one dominated by prosperous farms with only remnant patches offorest dotting the land, to the forest reclaiming the abandoned farmlandscape. This was part of an ubiquitous land use history that wasreplicated througout much of New England. The history is superbly depictedin Foster's and O'Keefe's "New England Forest Through Time: Insightsfrom The Harvard Forest Dioramas". The narrativeand photographs ofthe breath-taking dioramas capture the economic and natural forces thatshaped the New England Landscape. The description and pictorials cover theabuses the land suffered from deforestation, overgrazing, and widespreadclearcutting, and exacerbated by unnaturally high incidence of fire. Thebook expounds upon the different wildlife habitat associated with thechanges that have occured as well as forest management techniques andcurrent forestry issue. This book is an excellent tool for natural resourcemanagers and educators as well as the layman who wants to know why thereare apple trees, stone walls, cellar holes in the middle of the woods. ... Read more

Book Description
Tropical Rainforests takes a broad, fresh perspective on the ecology, environment and people of the world's most vital ecosystem, using case studies from all the major forest areas ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (3)

not great
Great fron cover an internal cover, but that is where all the fun stops with this book, unfortunately. The rest of the book consists of strangely chosen and bad quality photographs with lots of huge text. I do not recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a great photograhic book on forests - it is very deceiving!

Slightly disappointing.
I bought this book with the expectation there would be many more detailed photographs in it.Though the photos that were there were stunning to be sure, there were too few of them!More photos, maps to said forests, etc. would have caused me to give this a full five stars.

Green splendour revealed
Approximately one third of the earth's land area is covered by forest habitats. Some are well-known, but there are magnificent forest areas that have not gained major attention. Mythic Woods explores the individual character of both familiar and unknown forests on all continents, revealing new worlds of majestic beauty. The forests include:

The Amazon
Black Wood of Rannoch
Sudarban mangrove forests of the Ganges delta
Cloud forests of the Andes
Blue Cedar forest of the Atlas Mountains
Taiga of Northern Russia
Valley of Giants, Tasmania
Mediterranean Maquis and Garigue
Petrified forest of Arizona
Sherwood Forest
Kauri Pine Forest of New Zealand
Baobab woods of Madagascar
Great Bear rainforest of Canada
Ancient rainforest of Cape York Peninsula

The engaging text comes alive through the breath-taking full colour photographs and the book concludes with a Forest Fact File that lists factors such as the Area, Rainfall, Temperature, Access and the most interesting trees and animals for each forest. The absence of maps in a book of this nature is baffling, though. Besides that omission, Mythic Woods is a classy and informative guide to some of the most impressive forests of the world.
... 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
More than half of the world's living species--from the hidden forests and exotic mammals of Madagascar to the multicolored birds and butterflies of Central America--are found almost exclusively within the rainforest canopy. Illustrated with 200 spectacular color photographs, Rainforest celebrates the diversity and beauty of the life in the world's rainforests. Each chapter covers a major rainforest region: Africa, Madagascar, India and Southeast Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines, Central America, the Caribbean, the Amazon (which has more plant and animal species than anywhere else on Earth), and Brazil, as well as the temperate rainforests in areas such as Tasmania and North America. The book details habitat, plants and animals, and threats to the precarious balance between humans and rainforests. The introduction provides an overview of the world's rainforests and a summary of current conservation issues. Reference material includes a color world map showing the major rainforests, suggested further reading, and useful addresses. ... Read more