Product Description
Slap bang in the middle of the coldest Friday of the coldest week of the year, the central heating breaks down at Melton Mowbray Zoo. The system needs a new flange but flanges can?t be obtained on Fridays in Melton Mowbray, so Mr Pickles the head keeper asks all the other keepers to take the animal they are in charge of home for the weekend. The results range from disastrous to successful: when the penguin (who ?always hankered after the good life?) decides to eat his tea in Mr Pumbles? bed, and the lion succeeds in scaring off Mr Leaf?s mother-in-law to such an extent that she doesn?t come back to lunch for three years? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Too many hard words
My 6 year old read this today. She is a very competent reader for her age, usually reading books aimed at 8-10 year olds, but I found there were too many big and complicate words in this book, even though the general pitch was fine for her. She has no problem reading any word that would come up in speech, but words like 'hankered', 'dissed', 'subsequent', 'provocatively' and all the complicated people and place names really slowed her down.

With that said, she really enjoyed the overall story. ... Read more

Product Description
This study concerns the city dweller. Morris finds remarkable similarities with captive zoo animals and looks closely at the aggressive, sexual and parental behaviour of the human species under the stresses and pressures of urban living. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Interesting, insightful and novel
This book is completely absorbing.It begins, where else, but at the beginings of human civilization itself at the site of the first human cities.The journey that Morris brings us on takes us from these humble beginnings to our modern day lives through his shocking and controversial thesis that human beings do not behave like any animal in the wild - but that there are striking similarities between human behaviour and that of captive animals kept in inhumanely-small enclosures.He looks at human behaviour as a quest for status and a desire to fill the time from cradle to grave in a manner not required of animals that have to work and hunt for food, but that is seen frequently in animals held complacent by captivity.

The Adventure Continues
The advent of farming ushered into society a food surplus which brought intertribal trade, which begat towns and the urbanization of the super-tribe, and for the first time each individual no longer knew personally each member of his community. Shifting from a personal to an impersonal society has caused the human animal its greatest agonies for the past several thousand years. As a species we are not biologically equipped to cope with a mass of strangers masquerading as members of our tribe. As a result of the artificiality of the inflation of human social life to the super-tribe level, it became necessary to introduce more elaborate forms of controls to hold the bulging communities together.

And this book is the study of our natural biological tendencies butting up against our unnatural social controls. It is a thoroughly fascinating look at our species as it struggles to adapt to the urban sprawl of the modern age. We are an incredibly adaptive animal, but there is no question we are experiencing growing pains as we adapt to an environment for which our genetic evolution has not prepared us.

If you have read and enjoyed THE NAKED APE as every person should, then pick up HUMAN ZOO and also INTIMATE BEHAVIOR to complete the five-star Desmond Morris trilogy on human behavior. ... Read more

Product Description
Photographers don't have to travel on safari or risk life and limb for a portfolio of marketable nature shots. This book teaches the step-by-step techniques necessary for capturing and selling dramatic images of animals in settings such as zoos, nature preserves, and even at home. Beginning with how to approach the animals and avoid danger, this book discusses choosing appropriate subjects, scouting locations, creating suitable settings for smaller animals, capturing shots of animals in motion, selecting lenses and filters, and dealing with obstructions such as fences, glass, and water. The book also outlines the necessary equipment-specialized viewfinders, lenses, and flashes-and essential legalities such as permissions to shoot and photo releases. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Realistic Approach To Animal Photograhpy
The reality of life is that few of us can spenda carear in the field in pursuit of the cover shot for National Geo., but we can go to the localzoo etc. and create presentable images that wecan be proud of, andperhaps sell.This book provides some of the guidelines.Nobody can giveyou the skills, this will only come after you apply yourself and expose afew miles of film.

Mr. Havelin's writing flows well, it is written withenough down to earth wit to keep a senseof reality.This I find rare inphotography related publishing, and I credit him and thepublisher forthis.

The author offers useful advice, and demonstrates with his ownwork, and he is not afraid to showsome of his shots that didnt come outperfect, to illustrate his point.

A fresh apporocah, - Thank You Mr.Havelin.

Shooting Animals With A Camera: From Awful to Awesome
I wished I had read "Practical Manual of Captive Animal Photography" several decades ago before filling albums with numerous truly awful photos showing animals or parts of them in zoos, aquariums, gardens, and on farms.By reading Havelin's newest photography book, I discovered why many of myanimal photos leave a lot to be desired and what I can try to improve.Among the many pluses of the book are understandable advice, awesome andawful photos illustrating how to photograph and how not to, a colloquialwriting style, print one can read without a magnifying glass, and, this wasdefinitely not expected, ideas for locations to visit. I especially foundit valuable to learn about photographing through glass and fences. Forexample, on page 54 in the book are several photos of a red panda in ZooAtlanta. The first photo could have been mine. One can see a lot of metalfencing and ask: "Where is the animal?" In the last photo is only the redpanda - no cage, no fence, and no wall. I am looking forward to followHavelin's directions: "Look for right angle to minimize glare, and thecorrect depth of field to remove disturbing fence elements in front of andbehind the subject creature." ... Read more

Product Description
The loveable animals and their keepers at Melton Mowbray Zoo are back! Everyone has recovered from the disastrous weekend when the heating broke and Mr Pickles, the zoo director, asked all the keepers to take their animal home for the weekend. In fact, so much so, that a feeling of nonchalence pervades - the animals have been teamed with the same keepers for years and quite frankly it's become rather boring. So. in a bid to liven things up, the keepers decide to swap animals for the day and, as you can imagine this makes for some lively antics!Told in Alan's inimitable dead-pan voice this is another very charming and extremely funny story brought to life by Ben Cort's hugely imaginative illustrations. ... Read more

Product Description
Slap bang in the middle of the hottest day of the year, the zoo’s drains have blocked up and there’s nowhere for the animals' poo to go! Mr Pickles the zoo keeper (who is looking distinctly green) must decide what to do with it all . . . Before the naughty chimps beat him to it! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not as good as the TV show
ITC made a short-lived TV series out of The Zoo Gang in the late seventies, starring Barry Morse, John Mills, and Brian Keith. Whereas the TV series (complete with haunting music by Paul McCartney) is elegantly written acted and produced, the book (which is the source of several of the plots) is not so good. The plots are great, but the writing is clunky and the dialogue uninspired. A fun read, but not something you should put a lot of trouble into getting hold of. Watch the TV show instead (available on region 1 dvd at amazon.co.uk) ... Read more

Product Description
Your workplace is like a zoo, unmanageable. Here is a guide to help you understand, manage and work in the unmanageable organization. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description

Wealthy teen Miranda loses her both parents in a plane crash.Suddenly, she has to leave her mansion behind and move in with her aunt and uncle who keep a zoo.
Then Miranda-sboyfriend dumps her. What else can go wrong? But on the first morning in her new home, Miranda meets a great-looking guy, makes friends with his sister, and tangles with a mud-slinging alligator.Her newworld starts to look a lot brighter!

Product Description
Join two gay men and four or five ferrets in their two-year RV journey across America. Filled with humor, a bit of bite, and some revealing insights into the average American's psyche, this is a fun read that will have you chuckling - and leave you with a great appreciation for the USA. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent humor and satire from two great writers
Disclaimer: I know Chris and Don and knew them through several of the adventures written in this book.

Touring the Hetero Zoo is an amazing tale of travel all over the place from two amazingly funny and gifted men. The stories are a great mix of factual recounts and subjective interpretation, always with the edgy wit of the two authors showing through. Their unique and humorous perspective on the experiences, the people, the places, the weather, the California Ferret Discrimination Incident... they're all magnificent.

The writing is a combination of humor and edgy satire. It works very well, as both Chris and Don are excellent writers and express their points well. They choose their writing techniques well and it works.

This book is great as an occasional read. It is fun to pick up when you need a smile or a quick distraction and then put back down until you need another. You can certainly read it cover to cover, and is light and well-written enough that you can do that without getting exhausted. Personally I bring it on work trips and use it to unwind.

It is well worth keeping this book in your library. I only wish it came in a leather binding with an engraved ferret being kicked by a California Anti Ferret Patrol Trooper. ... Read more

Product Description
This novel is a wonderful try to create a contemporary Hutsul mystery. Primeval fears, totem animals and associtations with the present day movie masterpieces. Secret facts from Lenin's life, Gipsy monk, who stops the process of aging and fights against the Entente through hypnosis, golden-teeth farmers and eternal struggle of the saints with the impious.

Good example of the contemporatry Ukrainian prose written by yong author from Lviv. Try free sample first to be sure that you can read Cyrillic. ... Read more

Product Description
The animals in Zebedee's Zoo may not seem a very lively bunch, but at the end of the day, everything changes ...suddenly it's party time at the animal park! Riotous animal fun abounds in this brilliant book that begs to be read aloud time and time again. ... Read more

Product Description
Adam’s week-long camping trip takes an unexpected turn when he wakes up in a strange campsite. With only a few supplies, he must figure out how to survive and find his way home. His journey, however, may not be possible as he finds himself unable to leave his surroundings. Strange events and discoveries lead him to believe that he is not only in a different campsite, but on a completely different world. With the help of a young female companion, Adam discovers more about himself than he ever anticipated, and learns what is most important in his life. ... Read more

Product Description
Who better than the founder of WAHM.com, the highly popular Web site for work-at-home moms, and author of a widely-read column and cartoon about home office life to give effective advice about balancing a career and a family? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great read
Easy to read book with comical anticdotes.Not really as "helpful" as I thought it would be but definitely makes you think about your home business and helps you get other WAHM perspectives.I plan on recommending this to my friends and family.

Borrow, don't buy, this book
Cheryl Demas, founder and owner of Work at Home Moms (...) wrote this book to encourage other moms who are considering whether they should make the move home. The subtitle of the book is "Run Your Home Business without Letting it Overrun You."

The book is packed with personal anecdotes, (cheesy) cartoons, drawn by Demas herself, and overstretched metaphors. The chapter titles take the "Jungle/Zoo" motif way too far (see the chapter titled "Don't Feed the Animals"). Also, Demas has a way of telling way to much about her own life and family, turning it into a confessional (what does her love for chocolate and weight gain have to do with me starting a home-based business?). However, there are some hidden gems that you can find in this volume.

For example, each chapter includes a section titled "Solutions from Sister Zoos," which offers readers snapshot solutions offered by WAHMs. Some problems addressed:
o I can't afford to quite my job to start a home business.
o How did you choose your business?
o How to you work around your kids' schedules and needs?

Overall, this book is a fun read, and it offers tidbits of useful advice for parents considering transitioning to working at home. However, it's probably not worth purchasing (borrow instead) or reading cover to cover. Just skim to find answers to your most pressing questions.

The truth about working at home
I have enjoyed both of Cheryl's books because they are written in a personal, easy to read fashion and they provide the reality of what its like to work-at-home! I have been working at home for over 14 years and providing work-at-home information and resources online for over 7, so I know a worthwhile book when I find it. Cheryl's book provides great information on how to work-at-home as well as tips on how to make it work. Far from being "pie-in-the-sky", working at home doesn't always solve the family/work balance challenge. But Cheryl provides a humorous approach on developing the best work-at-home scenario possible.

A wonderful, humorous book for WAHM's
I thoroughly enjoyed Cheryl's book and highly recommend it to any mom working from home or wishing to. She tells us of her personal experiences dealing with working from home and raising a family at the same time. A great weekend read!

Wahmmy!
Cheryl Demas has written a great book for work at home parents. As a work at home mom myself and the webmaster of a site for work at home parents, I found the book an interesting and light-hearted take on the ups and downs of working at home. If you're a WAH parent or you're thinking of becoming one, this is a must-read. Veteran WAHPs will see the truth on nearly every page, and potential WAHPs will have realistic expectations of the WAH lifestyle. ... Read more

Product Description
THE AVOCADO DRIVE ZOO is a warm and personal, yet humorous,recounting of how the members of the Hamner family have lived with andloved the animals in their lives. By the time they moved to Hollywoodand settled into a lovely residence on Avocado Drive, their home wasvirtually a zoo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Cute book
I enjoyed this view into Earl & Jane Hamner's homelife.It was a fun, funny and touching account of the many animals (some very unusual) that made their home, and neighborhood, special.

A heart warming story from a true animal lover.
As an animal lover I could relate to many of his pets.It is a book that would be enjoyed my many age groups.

The book tells us what happen to Johnboy after he went to NY
Everyone who admires and loves Earl Hamner, will love this book. It is a real good insight to his life after he leaves the Mountain for New York City and then on to Hollywood California. Being an animal lover myself, Ijust love his stories about the different living animals that where intheir lives. It starts with his meeting Jane and it is their love ofanimals from there on in. How they both taught their children the samelove. Also He made the family of both seem so real I felt I knew them. Thehumor was quite effective and I found myself laughing out loud. Quitedifferent from his otherbooks. I know any fans of Earl Hamner will justadore this book. I am sure everyone will want to pass it on and afterreading it, they will want to search him out and have there own copy signedby Earl. You can find him in Schuyler Virginia at the Museum for "TheWaltons' Series" check the web site www.the-waltons.com Most Sincerelyand with Love Dorothy Phillips

Loved the Book
I am an animal lover and will probably give this book to my mother for Mothers Day.Mr. Hamner really knows how to tell a story.

A charming story of a family and their personal "Zoo"
With this book, Earl Hamner proves that he can write as entertainingly about his adult life as he has written in the past about his childhood. Hamner's life in Hollywood is a "howl" and I do mean"howl." Read it and you'll see! ... Read more

Product Description
When zookeeper Theodora “Teddy” Bentley fishes the body of Koala Kate out of Gunn Landing Harbor, she discovers that her fellow zookeeper didn’t drown; she was strangled. The clues to Koala Kate’s killer implicate other animal keepers at Gunn Zoo, including Outback Bill, marsupial keeper and Kate’s Aussie ex-boyfriend; and Robin Chase, the big cat keeper who’s got it in for Teddy. Also displaying suspicious behavior are several “liveaboarders” at the harbor; Speaks-To-Souls, a shady “animal psychic”; and even Caro, Teddy’s much-married, ex-beauty queen mother.
But murderers aren’t all Teddy has to worry about. Her embezzling father is still on the run from the Feds, and the motor on her houseboat is failing. To pay for the repairs, Teddy agrees to appear on a weekly live television broadcast featuring misbehaving animals that range from a cuddly koala to a panicky wallaby—and all hell breaks loose in the TV studio. All the while, the killer is narrowing in on Teddy.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Zoo Story
This novel is the second in a new series, following the author's well-received Lena Jones detective stories.The protagonist in the current Gunn Zoo Mysteries is Theodora "Teddy" Bentley, who prefers working at the zoo to the ease of living the life of Riley with her well-to-do mother who is forever attempting to get her daughter married off to some rich man.Instead, Teddy is in love with the widowed Sheriff Joe, and regularly gets into trouble.

In the present tale, Teddy fishes the body of Koala Kate, her fellow zookeeper, out of the harbor in which her houseboat is docked.It turns out she was strangled.Soon, another nearby "liveaboarder" is found murdered with a similar MO.It remains for Teddy to solve the mysteries.

A zoo is a strange setting for a crime novel series, but it enables the author to develop material about the animals and the people who care for them as excellent background.The novel is more of a cozy than a hard crime mystery, but that, of course, is what it is intended to be.Many of the characters seemed to me to be stilted, especially the Sheriff, who seems merely to utter the usual hackneyed phrases and take the expected stance that Teddy should not become involved in the case.Of course, Teddy has now, with this book, solved his cases in two novels, so the roles are pretty well set.In any case, the novel is light and enjoyable reading, and is recommended.

Good characters and animal friends
This is the first of Betty Webb's books that I have read, but I am sure it will not be the last. Teddy and the motley group at the Gunn Zoo are an interesting, diverse group of characters that keep the story moving along. Teddy is an independent, fiesty woman who keeps finding dead people and getting pulled into the mysteries surrounding their murders.

Caro, as Teddy's socialite, blue-blooded mother, is a good foil for down-to-earth Teddy and their clashes make for good fun. Astor Edwina, Caro's lifetime foe, complicates matters by alway one-upping Caro and by using Teddy as her own little pawn at the zoo.

The only character here that disappoints is Joe, Teddy's boyfriend. He is the local sheriff and par for the course with so many cozies, he is rabid about his girlfriend not getting involved in HIS job. Joe refuses to acknowledge Teddy's knack for finding out whodunnit and harps about her staying safe and out of his way.Despite the fact that everyone knows he and Teddy are dating, he always speaks her to her with uber formality during an investigation and is harsh and dismissive in his official dealings with her. It's very formulaic and I hope that Webb has Joe do some significant changing in the next book.

For anyone who loves animals and mysteries, this is a book sure to delight. I look forward to the next book.

Mayhem at the zoo
What a complete delight is this book The Koala of Death!
We are back at the Gunn Zoo with Teddy Bentley and her wonderful menagerie of exotic animals.
She takes some of them to a local TV show and the show's host receives a few surprises of her own.A couple of murders take place in the harbor's liveaboarder community and Teddy has to save her fellow zoo keepers from being accused until she can track down all the pieces of this peculiar puzzle.Yes, her mother still wants to find a rich husband for Teddy and Teddy is still dating Joe, the town's sheriff.The Bowling for Rhinos fundraiser, the animal psychic, and other delicious oddities make their appearances in this charming mystery.Betty Webb's creativity and writing ability know no bounds as she plunks the reader right in the middle of the excitement.Great for animal lovers, zoo projects, animal rescue, liveaboarding.The various zoo keepers come to life with their unique personalities.The mystery keeps you riveted to the book to the very exciting end.

fun amateur sleuth
On the Central California coast, from her houseboat the Merilee, Gunn zookeeper Theodora "Teddy" Bentley goes to feed Maureen the Otter only to find the body of the new Gunn Zoo Koala keeper Kate "Koala Kate" Nido floating in the Gunn Landing Harbor.However, she is stunned to realize her peer was strangled to death.Her boyfriend San Sebastian Sheriff Joe Rejas asks her questions and pleads with Teddy to stay out of the investigation.She cannot though she knows she should heed his advice.Everything points to other Gunn Zoo employees like her former boyfriend Outback Bill the marsupial keeper and Robin Chase the big cat keeper.Teddy also finds "liveboarders", an animal psychic and her serial married mom acting weird, which says a lot as this is an eccentric crew.

Her embezzling father remains on the lam from law enforcement.Finally with her motor to her houseboat needing repair, Teddy appears on a weekly live television show focusing on misbehaving animals such as Wanchu the koala and Abim the wallaby.All hell breaks loose on the set, on the Merilee and at the zoo compounded by a killer targeting Teddy.

Once again as with The Anteater of Death, the animals at the zoo and in the harbor in many ways mirror the zany idiosyncrasies of people.That underlying philosophy makes this amateur sleuth a terrific thriller as Joe tries to get Teddy to stay out of the inquiry as he assumes she is a former wealthy spoiled peacock used to getting her way until he realizes how wrong his assessment is as he knows they are penguins.This is a winner unless you are the person cleaning the animal habitats.

Harriet Klausner

Great Characters and Suspects
This was a good mysterey and a fun read. This is a wonderful book for those of us who like a sleuthing but do not want so much gore that we can not sleep at night. The detective zookeeper heroine is someone I really identify with, she is realfrom her job to her prying uppity mother, from her loyalty to her boyfriend to her living on a boat. The story revolves around a small harbor village and its nearby zoo. This is also a good read for animal lovers as the book moves through the animal habitats of the world at the zoo. The author has a gift for giving animals a voice yetnot humanizing them like so many others do, her imagination of the animal thoughts and actions show how familar she is with these animals. She even weaves the story so the koala can help catch the murderer. The story will hold your attention, have you listing your suspects, have you giggling at situations like bowling for rhinos, and have you holding your breath with suspense.I read the first in this series too, the Anteater of Death, and I can hardly wait for the next installment in the series! ... Read more