Birdbooker Report 85

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"How does one distinguish a truly civilized nation from an aggregation of
barbarians? That is easy. A civilized country produces much good bird
literature."
--Edgar Kincaid

The Birdbooker Report is a special weekly report of a wide variety of science, nature and behavior books that currently are, or soon will be available for purchase. This report is written by one of my Seattle birding pals and book collector, Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, and is edited by me and published here for your information and enjoyment. Below the fold is this week's issue of The Birdbooker Report which lists ecology, environment, natural history and bird books that are (or will soon be) available for purchase.

FEATURED TITLE:

  1. Perlo, Ber van. A Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil. 2009. Oxford University Press. Paperback: 465 pages. Price: $39.95 U.S. [Amazon: $28.76]. SUMMARY: This guide illustrates and describes over 1,800 species found in Brazil, including many subspecies. The 187 color plates by Perlo are usable and do include some subspecies. The text and color range maps are opposite the color plates. Any birder traveling to Brazil will want to use this book.

New and Recent Titles:

  1. Angell, Tony. Puget Sound Through An Artist's Eye. 2009. University of Washington Press. Hardbound: 128 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S. [Amazon: $25.55]. SUMMARY: Seattle, WA nature artist Tony Angell explores the nature of Puget Sound through his art. This book contains many examples of his art, mostly his ink drawings and sculptures. Fans of Angell's artwork will like this book!
  2. Bewick, Thomas. A General History of Quadrupeds. 2009. University of Chicago Press. Paperback: 526 pages. Price: $19.00 U.S. [Amazon: $14.25]. SUMMARY: This book on mammals was first published in 1790, showcases Bewick's groundbreaking engraving techniques that allowed text and images to be published on the same page. Anyone with an interest in mammals or natural history books will want this book!
  3. Brock, Paul D. and Jack W. Hasenpusch. The Complete Field Guide to Stick and Leaf Insects of Australia. 2009. CSIRO Publishing. Paperback: 204 pages. Price: $39.95 U.S.[Amazon: $26.53]. SUMMARY: This photographic guide covers the 104 Stick and Leaf Insects found in Australia. Each species account includes a color photograph of the species with text and color range map usually on the same page. Anyone with an interest in these insects will like this book.
  4. Evans, Lee G.R. The Ultimate Site Guide to Scarcer British Birds (Updated 3rd Edition). 2009. BirdGuides Ltd. Paperback: 327 pages. Price: British Pounds 24.95 (about $39.76 U.S.). SUMMARY: This is a guide to the 109 rarer birds in Britain. Each species account gives a brief history of the species in Britain and where to find them. Anyone birding Britain will like this book. Available from BirdGuides Ltd.
  5. Main, Iain, Dave Pearce and Tim Hutton. Birds of the Cotswolds: A new breeding atlas. 2009. Liverpool University Press. Hardbound: 234 pages. Price: $95.00 U.S. [Amazon: $95.00]. SUMMARY: This book describes the breeding birds of Cotswolds, England. Each species account includes a color photograph of the species, text, a summary box and a color survey map. Those with an interest in the birds of the Cotswolds region will find this book useful.
  6. Theischinger, Gunther and John Hawking. The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia. 2006. CSIRO Publishing. Paperback: 366 pages. Price: $43.95 U.S. [Amazon: $43.95]. SUMMARY: his photographic guide covers the 324 species of damselflies and dragonflies of Australia. Each species is given a color photograph, text, a color range map and usually line drawings. Anyone interested in Australian damselflies and dragonflies will like this book.
  7. Brown, Lester R. Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization. 2009. W.W. Norton. Paperback: 370 pages. Price: $16.95 U.S. [Amazon: $11.53]. SUMMARY: This is the author's latest revision of his Plan B book. The book is divided into three main sections: The Challenges, The Response and The Great Mobilization. Anyone interested in the global environment will want to read this book.

You can read all the Birdbooker Reports in the archives on this site, and Ian now has his own website, The Birdbooker's Bookcase, where you can read his synopses about newly published science, nature and animal books. But Ian assures me that he still loves us here, so he'll still share his weekly Birdbooker Reports with us!

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