Product Description

Customer Reviews (7)

Terrible
Concise indeed. This book is so oversimplified that it is neither helpful or accurate. We do not get nuanced analyses of contemporary issues in ecological methods. We get no clear guide to the diversity of opinions regarding how to approach ecology as a career and a discipline. Instead, as the title implies, we get a single approach, formed entirely from the authors' opinions. Even with such a simplistic framework, we still get no nuance, no detail, no interesting discussion. Furthermore, the authors' knowledge is somewhat questionable. For example, at one point they refer to Path Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (never by name, mind you - that would be much too advanced) as brand new but controversial tools. The problem is that they are neither; both got their start among economists in the 1920's.

This book might be useful for a high school student. Or for a high school teacher who wants to delve into experimental ecology with his class. But for a serious professional researcher, even one who is beginning as a grad student? Only if you have no interest in appreciating the richness of approaches that makes ecology a unique discipline.

Very handy
This book is a great introduction to do ecology, it is full of good advices that for sure will make a difference in my first research projects. It is very easy to read and even funny sometimes. I read it in just two days, but most probably I'll back to it many times in the next couple of years while doing my research projects.

How to do ecology
How to do ecology is a very readable book. It covers the essential elements of the task of conducting ecological research. Its major strength is that it puts the process into perspective. The chance of success and failure in research is discussed and it is reassuring to new researchers to hear that things don't always work. It also discusses where to place your time and effort amongst the many competing demands of a graduate or new career researcher. The book provides some very useful guidelines on how to analyse data and begin to transform analysed data into a paper or conference oral presentation. It serves its intended purpose very well and I would recommend it especially to graduate research students.

Great Book, Great Condition
This book is fantastic for people who want to know about doing ecology well. The book came in brand new condition. Great Buy

Essential Reading for Biology Grad Students
I found it in the university library and spent a whole afternoon reading it! I was waiting for some books to come from the auto-stacks and found it on the new book display shelf by the circulation desk. It was great luck! There is so much valuable information taking notes was not enough so I ordered it! This is a concise and well-written guide for biology graduate students and even those who have experience in the field. It certainly would improve the level of presentations... I have endured some wretched ones too. My area of work is environmental toxicology studying the effect of endocrine disruptors in a wetland. It is so easy to get lost in the details. I can be too much of a perfectionist and this book already has helped me narrow my focus. Normally, I would have spent weeks working through my perfectionism to arrive at a realistic approach. Enough said. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to all aspects of biological invasion by non-native species. Highlighting important research findings associated with each stage of invasion, Invasion Ecology provides an overview of the invasion process from transportation patterns and causes of establishment success to ecological impacts, invader management, and post-invasion evolution.

Increasing awareness of the problems associated with invasion has led to a rapid growth in research into the dynamics of non-native species and their adverse effects on native biota and human economies. This book provides a synthesis of this fast growing field of research, and is an essential text for undergraduate and graduate students in ecology and conservation management. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

conservation biology topic
This product really helped with my invasive species discussion course. My professor decided this was the best book to us on the market today.

Hoopes is the best!
Martha Hoopes was not only my ecology professor at Mount Holyoke college but she was also my advisor and she is AWESOME!!!!!!!

Very well written, I thoroughly enjoy this book
It's very informative, backed up with plenty of facts. The concepts and theories really helped me in my field of invasives ecology. The only drawback I would say is that you need to have some kind of background in ecology or ecological concepts to thoroughly enjoy the chapters. I also bought another book to go with this one (not the same authors) and I much rather pick up this one and read it. I definetly recommend it to others, and it's a good price.

Outstanding book on invasion ecology
This book is an up to date, thorough treatment on invasive ecology. It could be used to learn about invasive ecology or for a senior undergraduate and/or graduate class. The book is well organized and written. They have chosen to present many of the main issues in invasive ecology, comparing and contrasting different results in different areas (such as plants and animals). Their book builds on itself, so that as you continue to read, they remind the reader of examples already talked about in other parts of the book. This helps the reader to remember the concepts, and see different ideas from different points of view. They are not shy about the lack of evidence and research for some of the main hypotheses in this branch of ecology. At the end of each chapter, they present the reader with current papers on further complexity as well as companion papers. As a community college instructor and a PhD student, I found this book to be top quality. I hope there is a book so up to date, and well organized for me to teach invasive ecology from when I finish my degree. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a new edition of the classic examination of major philosophical, ethical, scientific and economic roots of environmental problems which examines the ways that radical ecologists can transform science and society in order to sustain life on this planet. It features a new Introduction from the author, a thorough updating of chapters, and two entirely new chapters on recent Global Movements and Globalization and the Environment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A good intro to environmentalism
Radical Ecology is an overview of the environmental movement and the social and economic forces that gave rise to it.The book is divided into three parts.The first deals with the nature of the global ecological crisis. In the second part, the author focuses on three schools of thought in the environmental movement: Deep Ecology, Spiritual Ecology, and Social Ecology.Lastly is discussed the movements that have grown out of these schools of thought, namely, Green politics, Ecofeminism and Sustainable Development.

While Radical Ecology is not lacking in information and insight, it really is little more than an overview and therefore does not discuss in depth any of the issues covered.It is therefore a work best suited for those who simply want an introduction to environmentalism.

Handy overview
Merchant has written a handy introduction to ecological problems and issues from a radical perspective. A medium-sized book, 240 pages, the author nonetheless manages to encompass major topics of concern, such as deep ecology, social ecology, spiritual ecology, science and world views, ecofeminism, and others, all of which are presented in clear and understandable language. Of course, in-depth discussion should not be expected from a work of this size and scope. Still, each chapter includes a helpful bibliography for those interested in further research.

Radical ecology is explained in the introduction as "... the cutting edge of social ecology...(pushing) social and ecological systems toward new patterns of production, reproduction, and consciousness that will improve the quality of human life and the natural environment." Clearly, Merchant does not believe that mere adjustments to the present global system can remedy centuries of growth-driven industrialization. Fresh ideas are needed as new realities emerge - fresh ways of living with nature, with each other, and with ourselves. In short, new frameworks for sustaining life on the planet have become unavoidable. The book's aim is to provide the reader with a strong sense of those conceptual frameworks currently available. Whatever your persuasion, Merchant's volume is a lively and provocative introduction to what may well be the onset of a new age. ... Read more

Product Description
Textbook with a synthetic treatment of contemporary landscape ecology, geared toward ecologists and graduate students. Places an emphasis on the interaction between spatial pattern and ecological process. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The book to have
This is the excellent book on Landscape Ecology.Instead of being an edited collection of research articles, this volume's chapters follow logically and treat the material comphrensively, while giving references at every turn to researchers books or articles.Monica, whose research publications are extensive, writes this introductory book well.

The images in this book are, however, in black and white.There is an accompanying CD of color plates, but they are no bigger then those in the text and are fairly useless.I was hoping she would have some data for her book's examples and perhaps even a whole project we might use in one of the current software tools.

Still this can't take away from the fact that this is the book I've been searching for.But a very "first" primer in this subject is a chapter written by Monica - "What is Landscape Ecology" for an 1998 Oxford "Ecology" text.You can download this for free. See item 76 of the publications page on Monica website ([...]).

Highly recommended
One of the most comprehensive landscape ecology materials existing on the market nowadays. Ideal for landscape ecology beginners or for for anybody who wonders what fragmentation, ecological processes and patterns are.

Landscape Ecology in Theory and Practice
This is an excellent book that intrigues the informed while explaining complex information in such a way that novice readers can follow along.

Valuable Summary
I use this book as the recommended text for both undergraduate and graduate courses in landscape ecology.It has a useful synthesis of recent trends in the field and particularly good chapters on scale, landscape metrics and disturbance.The accompanying CD has jpeg versions of most of the figures, which is handy for preparing lectures, although the quality of some of the digital images from CD (especially graphs and line charts) isn't so great.The literature review is thorough without being overwhelming, so it's a good entry point into the professional literature in most areas of landscape ecology.My main criticism is that the writing style is somewhat dense; I didn't find it easy to read from cover to cover. People looking for a cursory introduction to the field may do better to start with an alternative text.As a teaching and reference text for landscape ecology, however, I think this book is the best available.

A Must-Have for Anyone into Landscape Ecology or GIS
If the credentials of the authors didn't convince of the quality of this book, I'm not sure I can.I will say that I have read and re-read the book several times, and that it's a vital resource in our laboratory.From the various issues of scaling to what analyses do what, this book is an excellent resource of theories and technologies involved in Landscape Ecology. ... Read more

Product Description
Begon, Townsend and Harper’s Ecology has long been regarded as the definitive textbook on all aspects of ecology. This new edition continues to provide a comprehensive treatment of the subject from the first principles of ecology to a vivid reflection of our understanding of ecology in the 21st century.

Thoroughly revised and updated, this fourth edition includes:

three new chapters on applied ecology, reflecting a rigorous, scientific approach to the ecological problems now facing mankind discussion of over 750 new studies, updating the text throughout an updated, user-friendly design with margin notes and chapter summaries that serve as study aids dedicated websiteThe resulting textbook is easy to use, lucid and up-to-date, and is the essential reference for all students whose degree program includes ecology and for practising ecologists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

never received
It should arrive in May. Never received, I sent 2 e-mails to seller, no answer. Hard to contact anyone at amazon.com. I am very disappointed, really frustrated with amazon site. I will consider very seriously before buy here again.

An Essential Book in Ecology
This book is simply necessary for those who pretend to learn and understand ecology. It's very well written and treats all the mandatory topics in ecology. As an extremely complex science, ecology needs a direct and clear approach and few authors can do that the same way Begon and his colleagues do. The book has a pleasant reading and is full with context examples; it brings the most recent issues in ecology as the functional ecology view of the communities and its relationship with the environment.

GOOD FOR SCIENCE OLYMPIAD!
I may be the only person reviewing this book who's not in college.Anyway, I ordered this book because I needed to study for an event in science olympiad dealing with ecology.Ever since I received it, I have gotten first place at every tournament!The plethora of real-world examples in this book were very helpful.My only problem with it were the "illustrations". Come on, diagrams? Maybe... but illustrations? NO WAY!Except a few here and there.I also didn't like how all the diagrams were the exact same color.

good, solid review of Ecology
I'm a grad student in ecology, and this book is a wonderful review of the subject.The writing is straightforward and includes lots of examples from the scientific literature.

It's well written and has many levels, so it would be just as valuable for an undergrad with an interest in ecology as it is for the grad student boning up for qualifying exams (me!).Much better than comparable ecology books that I used as an undergraduate. ... Read more

Product Description
The book describes and discusses the numerical methods which are successfully being used for analysing ecological data, using a clear and comprehensive approach. These methods are derived from the fields of mathematical physics, parametric and nonparametric statistics, information theory, numerical taxonomy, archaeology, psychometry, sociometry, econometry and others. Compared to the first edition of Numerical Ecology, this second edition includes three new chapters, dealingwith the analysis of semiquantitative data, canonical analysis and spatial analysis. New sections have been added to almost all other chapters. There are sections listing available computer programs and packages at the end of several chapters. As in the previous English and French editions, there are numerous examples from the ecological literature, and the choice of methods is facilitated by several synoptic tables.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Obligatory reading!
This is the best book on numerical ecology available. Legendre & Legendre are already a classical on communities data analysis, and this second edition is a fundamental update. The book should be always around when you are analysing complex data sets and want a correct method and a valid interpretation. This is not the usual book of biostatistics, and a good background knowledge on basic univariate statistics is essential. It has also a good introduction on the calculations involved in multivariate analysis, that must be read in order to follow the rest of the book. It covers in detail many multivariate methods a discuss also its applications and drawbacks. If you look for an instrumental "cookbook" style, look somewhere else, but if you want to really understand basic multivariate analysis, this is your book.

Comprehensive -- Not exactly a "light read"
A great resource for graduate level and above.This book is comprehensive in terms of numerical ecology and is for the more advanced quantitative ecologist.My area of interest is site similarity indices, and I have only begun to tap into the knowledge available in this book on the subject.I am sure I will be returning to it repeatedly through the years.

Indespensible reference.
This is THE TEXT to have if you use any of the numerical techniques in the field of quantitative ecology. Its scope if exhaustively comprehensive.The authors clearly explain which methods are at your disposal under givencircumstances and which are inappropriate to use.Many of the methodsdescribed are illustrated with case studies of ecological examples from theliterature. In most cases, the authors walk you thru the computationalsteps involved in using a particular numerical method--this would make itpossible for the reader to construct a "home grown" algorithm formethods unavailable in "off-the-shelf" statistical packages. Inaddition, the book is also thankfully littered with citations andreferences for those computer programs that are available for each of themethods described...this is very up-to-date material, as many of thesereferences are web sites! ... Read more

Product Description

This best-selling majors-level book, by Charles Krebs, approaches ecology as a series of problems, which are best understood by evaluating empirical evidence through data analysis and application of quantitative reasoning. No otherbook presents analytical, quantitative, and statistical ecological information in an equally accessible style for students. Reflecting the way ecologists actually practice, the new edition emphasizes the role of experiments in testing ecological ideas and discusses many contemporary and controversial problems related to distribution and abundance. Introduction to the Science of Ecology, Evolution and Ecology, Behavioral Ecology, Analyzing Geographic Distributions,Factors That Limit Distributions I:  Biotic, Factors That Limit Distributions II:  Abiotic, Distribution and Abundance, Population Parameters and Demographic Techniques, Population Growth, Species Interactions I:  Competition, Species Interactions II:  Predation, Species Interactions III:  Herbivory and Mutualism, Species Interactions IV: Disease and Parasitism, Regulation of Population Size, Applied Problems I:  Harvesting Populations, Applied Problems II:  Pest Control, Applied Problems III:  Conservation Biology, Community Structure, Community Dynamics I:  Biodiversity, Community Dynamics II:  Predation and Competition,  Community Dynamics III:  Nonequilibrium Communities, Ecosystem Metabolism I:  Primary Production, Ecosystem Metabolism II:  Secondary Production, Ecosystem Metabolism III:  Nutrient Cycles, Ecosystem Dynamics under Changing Climates,

Ecosystem Health: Human Impacts. Intended for those interested in learning the basics of ecology

Customer Reviews (4)

what i needed
came in pristine condition and was what my class required. couldn't ask for anything more

Excellent!
The book is very interesting and has very up to date examples of Ecological topics that must be checked by any ecologist o ecology student!

eh, it's a textbook
This textbook is clear, but the content doesn't help the entertainment value. As far as college texts go, though, it's pretty useful.

Scarily good
As a layperson with next-to-no knowledge of the subject, nor any maths, algebra or statistics, I thought I'd have a lot of trouble with this book.

And yes, I did have some trouble, and yes, I would really have liked to have had a tutor and classmates to help me through the exercises.

But even so I got a great deal from it, it has lead me to read scientific papers, it has prompted me to investigate higher education possibilities - and it has made me extremely grateful for scientists!

Thanks! ... Read more

Product Description
Assembled here for the first time in one volume are forty classic papers that have laid the foundations of modern ecology.Whether by posing new problems, demonstrating important effects, or stimulating new research, these papers have made substantial contributions to an understanding of ecological processes, and they continue to influence the field today.

The papers span nearly nine decades of ecological research, from 1887 on, and are organized in six sections: foundational papers, theoretical advances, synthetic statements, methodological developments, field studies, and ecological experiments.Selections range from Connell's elegant account of experiments with barnacles to Watt's encyclopedic natural history, from a visionary exposition by Grinnell of the concept of niche to a seminal essay by Hutchinson on diversity.

Six original essays by contemporary ecologists and a historian of ecology place the selections in context and discuss their continued relevance to current research.This combination of classic papers and fresh commentaries makes Foundations of Ecology both a convenient reference to papers often cited today and an essential guide to the intellectual and conceptual roots of the field.

Published with the Ecological Society of America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A vluable resource book
A book with a wealth of information If a book like this had been availablewhen I was a student it would have saved huddreds of hours of library research, and I wouldn't have found half the information available in one book.

Foundations of Ecology
Excellent compendium of seminal articles in the field of ecology.It has very nicely complemented the textbook for the course I am now taking, Introduction to Ecology, which mentions many of the articles reprinted in this fine collection.

Some very hard to find papers included
This is a great collection of papers. Some of the papers included in this volume are not easily available online in the PDF format, nor are they available in too many libraries for loan, making this, in my opinion, a must-have for the serious ecology/evolution academic.

You get a pretty good idea of the evolution [sic] of ecological thought thanks to the way the papers have been organized, where you can literally see concepts grow, develop, gain momentum, and then either get worshiped or completely rubbished.

And the book really is well-organized. It is divided into several sections, peppered with insightful commentary that enhances the whole experience. What really makes this book such a pleasure to read, personally, is the emphasis in the first section of the book on old, descriptive ecological papers, which is a type of publication that (for better or for worse) seems to be completely missing from modern ecological discourse.

I recommend this book to academic and armchair ecologists alike.

A must have for an ecologist
A nice compilation of papers that historically leads you through Ecology as a scientific discipline. The commentaries are useful and educational. It is timeless and a fundamental instrument for any ecologist, particularly at the early post-graduate level. The only drawback is that it could be more comprehensive (the editors state that they had to define criteria to cut out some papers from their initial selection), but the information in it can be complemented with good Ecology textbooks.

Must have for any ecologist
This book is a great compilation of some of the most fundamental papers in ecology.Every ecologist should own a copy.As a student, it provides a well-rounded insight into the history of ecological though.I highly recommend! ... Read more

Product Description
This exceptionally comprehensive, single-source introduction to the art, science, theories, practices, and issues of wildlife management is ideal for the novice in the subject. Features full-chapters on predators, urban wildlife, policy, water, soil, diseases, conservation biology. New, up-to-date issues covered include the removal of dams, global warming, emerging diseases among elk and deer, adaptive harvest management, animal rights groups, women hunters, population data, migratory animals and more. For anyone interested in an exceptionally comprehensive introduction to wildlife management and conservation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Wildlife Ecology and Management
This is one of the few textbooks that I have ever been able to read for pleasure.The text is well-sprinkled with interesting and useful citations.

good content, bad writing
This book has good, useful content, however I found the quality of Bolen's writing to be horrid. There were many run-ons, incomplete sentences, bad syntax and LONG sentences combining sometimes unrelated ideas. I know this isn't a grammar or English book, but his writing style made it difficult for me to read, not to mention understand what he's trying to say. I've read a good deal of textbooks, and many of them were much better written than this one. He also tries to write figuratively at times, and personally when I'm trying to learn, I don't care about figurative speech and just want the raw concept. Additionally, the text was swamped with examples (most of the academic ideas were in the forms of examples) and while examples help remember material, when they come one after another, and never end, it just creates confusion. If Mr. Bolen spent more time editing his material for grammar and comprehension rather than using "pretty" words, this would be a much better text. Otherwise, it was definitely not worth the $100-some it cost.

Wildlife Ecology and Management Review
This textbook is very easy to read and includes a great deal of diagrams, pictures and illustrations to increase understanding.It explans technical terms thoroughly, and provides the scientific names of animals in the text.

Wildlife Ecology and Management
It's a textbook!I have no basis for comparison or description of how good this book is.It reads Well, though...easy to read, that is.

Interesting...meant to be read by an American- appeals to an American reader through examples and case studies, but could still be interesting and of course, useful to anyone studying North America and Europe. ... Read more

Product Description
Evolutionary Ecology simultaneously unifies conceptual and empirical advances in evolutionary ecology and provides a volume that can be used as either a primary textbook or a supplemental reading in an advanced undergraduate or graduate course. The focus of the book is on current concepts in evolutionary ecology, and the empirical study of these concepts. The editors have assembled a group of prominent biologists who have made significant contributions to this field. They both synthesize the current state of knowledge and identity areas for future investigation. Evolutionary Ecology will be of general interest to researchers and students in both ecology and evolutionary biology. Researchers in evolutionary ecology that want an overview of the current state of the field, and graduate students that want an introduction the field, will find this book very valuable. This volume can also be used as a primary textbook or supplemental reading in both upper division and graduate courses/seminars in Evolutionary Ecology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

One of the best!
This book is really great for students interested in evolutionary ecology.All topics are up to date and each chapter is written by experts in their field.A must have for anyone in ecology and evolution! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

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.

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.

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.

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
[...]

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

Product Description
Understanding ecology is important in today s world. Yet, due to the sheer volume of conceptual material and morass of details to be digested, many students find it a difficult subject to grasp. Moreover, the dynamic nature of this discipline presents challenges to providing students with the most current information available. For some time now, instructors have been calling for a textbook that offers just the right balance of subject matter emphasis, clearly presented concepts, and engaging, fresh examples. Ecology authored by ecologists who each have more than 10 years experience teaching the subject is that book. To aid students in integrating material across the levels at which ecology is studied, the book is structured so that they are always reminded of connections among levels of the ecological hierarchy (from individuals to populations to communities to ecosystems) and links to evolution, a unifying theme for all of ecology ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

its good
its good, the loose leaf version is especially great because you dont have to lug around the book all day

Good deal
I like the loose leaf version. You can stick it in a binder to keep it together and you can easily transport it around, which I find useful because instead of lugging around a book all day just to read one chapter you can carry that one chapter around.

great ecology book!
Nicely organized, clearly written, up to date, great images and figures, good foundational ecology book.

not a book
Warning - this version is not a physical book. It is a 6 month subscription to the ebook. The ebook can only be viewed in a web-browser, so cannot be accessed if you aren't currently connected to the internet.

Good for the Ecology Class
This book is great if you are taken Ecology, because it described how the population, animal rates, and environments is affect the world each dates. It gives exactlent facts about how we need to change this world and how the future can be effected by the results of each concepts above. ... Read more

Product Description
Reyner Banham examined the built environment of Los Angeles in a way no architectural historian before him had done, looking with fresh eyes at its manifestations of popular taste and industrial ingenuity, as well as its more traditional modes of residential and commercial building. His construct of "four ecologies" examined the ways Angelenos relate to the beach, the freeways, the flatlands, and the foothills. Banham delighted in this mobile city and identified it as an exemplar of the posturban future. In a spectacular new foreword, architect and scholar Joe Day explores how the structure of Los Angeles, the concept of "ecology," and the relevance of Banham's ideas have changed over the past thirty-five years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

When the Going Was Good
Los Angeles. There were a few years there when Los Angles was the center of the world. 1965-1985, give or take a few years. Oh yes, even the Brits were raving. David Hockney had declared LA the best place to paint ("Splash") and Reyner Banham declared LA the city of tomorrow. Things were cooking and I was there. Then things started to go wrong. Spielberg and the boys from USC took over Hollywood and turned the city from a culture center into an amusement park. The pollution started to get too dangerous to laugh at. The gangs took over much of the fringe. There was Rodney King, O.J., riots, earthquakes, fires, gang warfare. All in all, the city was destroyed. Who knows what Banham might make of the place now. This is a great little book.

Los Angeles:The Architecture of Four Ecologies
The book was exactly what I wanted for a Christmas present and at a good price.

LA Re-visited
Even though Banham's book was written in the early '70's, it remains a cogent view of a metropolis that has changed yet remained the same.It is a place, yes a real place, that is defined by geography and the various cultures of its inhabitants to a unique degree.Architecture is but a backdrop to Banham's larger point about the inter-relationship of people to the natural and built environments.The perspective of 35 years only sharpens the observations made by the insightful author.

Outstanding older book
Outstanding book about Los Angeles, a must-read for anyone interested in history, architecture, and culture.It reads like poetry.

Getting to know LA from the ground up
Reyner Banham's writing is intelligent and entertaining.He has taken LA to heart and reveals how its "four ecologies" have affected its contemporary appearance and character.You'll not only learn how LA's architecture came to be as it is, but learn a great deal about the history and personality of the city as well.I read this book to get to know LA better.I couldn't have picked a better one. ... Read more

Product Description
Today there is a bewildering diversity of views on ecology and the natural environment. With more than two hundred distinct and valuable perspectives on the natural world—and with scientists, economists, ethicists, activists, philosophers, and others often taking completely different stances on the issues—how can we come to agreement to solve our toughest environmental problems?

In response to this pressing need, Integral Ecology unites valuable insights from multiple perspectives into a comprehensive theoretical framework—one that can be put to use right now. The framework is based on Integral Theory, as well as Ken Wilber’s AQAL model, and is the result of over a decade of research exploring the myriad perspectives on ecology available to us today and their respective methodologies.


Dozens of real-life applications and examples of this framework currently in use are examined, including three in-depth case studies: work with marine fisheries in Hawai’i, strategies of eco-activists to protect Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest, and a study of community development in El Salvador. In addition, eighteen personal practices of transformation are provided for you to increase your own integral ecological awareness. Integral Ecology provides the most sophisticated application and extension of Integral Theory available today, and as such it serves as a template for any truly integral effort. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Ecology or Wilber Theory?
Four Stars * * * *
(unfortunately Amazon com doesn't provide the option for revising one's rating)

I had high hopes for this book.Both authors have impeccable credentials.Sean Esbjorn-Hargens has written some excellent articles introducing Wilber's multi-perspectival paradigm into mainstream academia.And Michael Zimmerman is an important environmental philosopher in his own right.Therefore, as someone who supports and contributes to the integral project, I was looking forward to reading this 800 page opus, which from the reviews seemed fascinating.I expected to find many perspectives here and many interdisciplinary thinkers and visionaries discussed, and their insights drawn upon.What I didn't expect to find, but perhaps should have expected, was such an unquestioning reliance on Wilberian theory alone.The two authors seem to have no presence of their own.

Even so, there are many good things about this work:

o For me the most valuable element in this book is the emphasise (as part of ist multi-perspectival methodology) on "interiors", that is, on the fact, always obvious to me but denied by mainstream science, that animals are not "objects" but have a rich inner life just as humans do.This then opens the way to many revolutionary insights involving inetrsubjectivity and cross-species communication. For its ground breaking contributions in this field alone, Integral Ecology is extremely important.

o And the multiperspectival approach to ecology is itself worth presentingm, and in this respect Integral Ecology constitutes the beginning of an important "paradigm shift" in science, moving away from an obsession with externals and objectivity only, to realization that objective reality and objective methodology is one of a number of perspectives.Within the context of pragmatic ecology, the multiperspectival theory means rejecting of limited approaches of development only, preservation only, and so on, while including the insights of each.

o One of the most intersting parts of the book is an all too short appendix which gives a brief listing of 200 different ecological perspectives, everything from Acoustic Ecology to Zoosemiotics.I would have preferred this section to have been several times longer then its 40-odd pages.

o As to be expected with the Integral community and the high standard they place on learning and on citations, the book is comprehensively and impressively researched, with 134 pages of footnotes as reference, very appealing to academic "geeks" like myself!

o I know this is rather trite, but I love the graphic showing the four aspects (quadrants) of the frog on the cover and the inside frontpiece.

o Finally, for anyone who is intersted in a synoptic overview of Wilber's increasingly elaborate and complex Integral Theory, but cannot be bothered reading the thousands of pages in print and online, this book can serve as an excellent primer, with clear text and useful diagrams.

But if I give this book four stars rather than the five it would certainly deserves from the above points, it is because of the following:

o as mentioned, an excessively uncritical tone as regards Mr Wilber himself. His name seems to appear on every second page, and you won't find a single challenge to even one of his ideas. This would be fine if this was a religious or hagiographic work, but it is an academic text. And even within the Wilber community itself those like Mark Edwards who, while sympathetic to Wilber, have positively critiqued his work, and suggested where his theory can be improved (and Wilber somewhere even praises Edwards' critiques).Michael Zimmerman has elsewhere (the Integral World website) provided a very readable synopsis of Edwards, so there is no reason that some of these critiques can't get at least a passing mention, considering how many pages are devoted to Wilber's ideas otherwise.

o Associated with the above is the fact that no one else but Wilber is considered in establishing the foundations for such an important field as integral ecology.The result is that integral ecology is reduced to nothing but a subset of Wilber's integral theory found in Integral Spirituality: A Startling New Role for Religion in the Modern and Postmodern World and many other books.But I could think of Vladimir Vernadsky (The Biosphere: Complete Annotated Edition), James Lovelock (Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth and other books) and Erich Jantsch (Self Organizing Universe: Scientific and Human Implications (Systems Science and World Order Library. Innovations in Systems Science)) as examples of interdisciplinary scientists,and Integral Yoga: Sri Aurobindo's Teaching & Method of Practice in philosophy and spirituality, and Oliver Reiser (Cosmic Humanism, sadly long out of print) in both science and philosophy.

o One thing I felt in reading this book is a certain cognitive disjunction.In some places it reads as a primer on Wilber's philosophy, in others as a textbook on Ecology.Both are equally referred to, but they are not integrated.It is like two totally unrelated books that somewhow became slpiced together.

o A poor understanding of hard science seems to be a problem with much of the Wilberian movement, which comes instead from a postmodern philosophical, transpersonal psychological, and Eastern spiritual perspective.Take Darwinian evolution.As it is well known that Wilber prefers Intelligent Design (see his A Brief History of Everything p.20 (2nd edition, Shambhala, 2000), and also Frank Visser's Integral World website), I was curious to see how Esbjorn-Hargens and Zimmerman would handle this touchy (for Wilberians) subject.Sure enough, Darwinian science gets a curt and dismissive coverage, e.g. "No one has any idea how such an enormously complex code [as DNA] could have arisen by chance encounters of amino acids.So daunting is the task of explaining DNA that the world-famous defender of atheism, Antony Flew, recently became a theist who now believes in the existence of a God..." (p.79)Now, mind you, the authors (like Wilber himself) are not denying the development of life itself, only the scientific explanation of how life evolves.Again, were this a religious or philosophical book there would be no problem.But for me at least the value of the book is diminished because of this.Integral Ecology has to include many things, and among those things is real science.

o Finally (and this is admittedly a small thing, but is I believe symptomatic of problems with this work as a whole, and of the whole Integral initiative established by Wilber), I found it rather surprising that on the top of the inside front flap there is a recommendation by Wilber "This is the finest book on ecology bar none".Well, he would recommend it, because it is so uncritically about his ideas!But one wonders at the culture of narcissism of the Integral Institute, that it is considered necessary to have the master recommend a book about himself.

In the end, what can I say about this book?Would I recommend it?

Yes I would, because despite its flaws (which reflect in microcosm the flaws of the Wilber Integral community as a whole), it still does constitute an important and groundbreaking work.If you are a fan of Wilber, it serves as a masterful if uncritical application of his ideas to the field of ecology.If you are interested in different approaches to ecology, I would also recommend it, as it does make a very good case for the value of multiple but equally valid perspectives, if you are not bothered by the excessive overburden of Wilber theory.Certainly it serves as a useful reference in either field.

But at the same time, a truely comprehensive Integral Ecology will have to wait until there is a wider synthesis of many different insights.It cannot be limited to just the theories of one man alone.

A remarkable integration of knowledge from many previous diverse fields
Integral Ecology gives us the first of major application of Ken Wilber's integral model beyond his own writings. Not surprisingly its scope and depth are vast, and the scholarship upon which it rests detailed and exquisite. This amazing investigation will be required reading and an invaluable resource for future ecologists for many years to come.

Allan Combs, author of the forthcoming Consciousness Explained Better; The Radiance of Being; Changing Visions (with Ervin Laszlo), etc.

Integral Ecology
I feel I must preface this review with a note that I am not an ecologist, environmental studies specialist, or educator in an environmentally related field. I am, however, quite familiar with integral theory as set out by Ken Wilber, as pertains to my own area of expertise. In addition to this, I have read a few of his articles that define and outline integral ecology.

Integral Ecology is an advanced text of study. It is suitable for those well read in either integral theory or environmental studies. It would likely be most useful as a advanced text in a university or college situation. The overall purpose of the book is to present the theory, show how it relates to environmental issues, and then integrate this new way of looking at potential issues into actual study.

In this way, the first part of the book presents Ken Wilber`s integral theory. I think the authors do a very good job of summarizing and clarifying this somewhat confusing and complex topic. Explained in the most simplistic terms, this philosophy recognizes that everyone has their own perspective and this perspective colors the way that each person views a particular situation. In this way, some may see an environmental calamity whereas others might not even see an issue. It's not as simply as educating others on such issues.

Parts two, three, and four, build upon the information presented in the previous section. Part two moves into more explanation of integral ecology, specifically framework definition and concepts that are important to grasp before moving onto more depth in the next section. Section three then examines how integral ecology would change the way environmental issues would be studied. Finally, the last portion of the book provides a number of interesting and informative case studies which not only illustrate this method of study in real life use but also help to further clarify issues and concepts.

Who said that, How'd they do that, What the --!
This was a very good book, and very readable if you have some familiarity with Ecology or with Wilber's theory; if you are lucky enough to be familiar with both this should be a walk in the park.
There is a great deal of material that the writers try to synthesize, so it is difficult to summarize the book adequately, but I'll try to give the bare bones version.
Ecological views consist of a WHO a WHAT and a HOW. The WHO is usually an individual or groups of individuals who are interested in the planet, the WHAT is the terrain they are interested in. The writers hold that perspectives are fundamental to all forms of knowledge, but like a good constructive postmodernist, they claim that a "good¨ perspective can lead to "real" knowledge.Thus a perspective a WHO takes (sometimes unreflectively) leads them to look at a specific dimension of the WHAT (a terrain) and ask HOW can I learn more about it? What are these terrains? Well theoretically they can me a huge amount but the writers focus on 4 major perspectives available to a WHO that have been explored historically.These are the I domain ("subjective realities of any being at all levels of its perception"), WE domain (inter-subjective realities of any being at all levels of its communion), IT ("objective realities at all levels of its organization"), ITS ("inter-objective realties of any being at all levels of its intersection").
Having just foreshadowed this point, all beings have depth and complexity. Depth can be mapped as levels of interior and cultural experience/meaning-communication respectively. Complexity shows up as emergent properties in the physical domain (physics, chemistry, biology to give most obvious example), and nested systems within systems in how objective properties relate to each other (most systems approaches are dealing with this).Interestingly the depth dimension in beings applies to both what we look at and who does the looking, i.e. the researcher/theorist and the "being" looked at.This view leads to the importance of the individual who is looking. Some time is spent at showing how interior depth is important in a person's ability to adequately engage certain approaches, since certain kinds of knowledge are only available by 1st person acquaintance. To really study the emotional lives of chimps, you probably shouldn't send someone with anti-personality disorder (or what use to be called a psychopath, sociopath); you want someone with a very developed sensitivity to the emotional domain in both its span (types of emotions) and depth (profundity/subtlety of emotions).The writers cover much more material in the levels of a Who that is simply too complex to summarize in this format, but hopefully the above gives you a sense for the direction they take.
A little summary so far from a diagram(p261) I domain (WHO: researcher, HOW: Comparative psychology, WHAT: Animal as psychologically structured organism), WE domain(WHO: researcher, HOW: long term field study, WHAT: animal as culturally regulated organism), IT domain(WHO: researcher, HOW: direct observation, WHAT: Animal as physical and behavioral organism), ITS (WHO: researcher, HOW Functional fit analysis, WHAT: Animal as system-bound organism).
These domains are then further subdivided into two each giving eight total. This is done because you can try to take an insider's or outsider's perspective relative to each domain. I'm just going to give examples: I domain divides into Zone 1(animal phenomenology/experience) and Zone 2(developmental Ethology, mental development of animals). The WE domain divides into Zone 3(Zoohermeneutics, animal interpretations), and Zone 4(Zooethnography, animal culture). The It domain divides into Zone 5(Cognitive Ethology, animal cognition, a field waiting for its own Pinker to popularize itselfº ) and Zone 6(Zoology, animal biology). The ITS domain divides into Zone 7(Biocybersemiotics, socio-communication) and Zone 8 (Socioecology (animal societies).
All this dividing and mapping is useful in getting a fuller, richer, and more accurate understanding of the environment and our relationship to it. Most theorists or researches tend to only include 1-3 of the eight possible views highlighted above and because they don't properly see the role of their Who and the HOW in enacting the WHAT they tend to take their WHAT as the only way to see it (reductionism) and their HOW as the only way to again knowledge about it (epistemological reductionism).
Also since they include depths of interiors in all beings they can and do talk about the spiritual implications of this view. There is much more detail to the theory then I was able to summarize. Also if you're left feeling this is too abstract to be applicable, blame me not the book.Half the book is concerned about what it means to apply/enact their perspective when dealing with ecological issues. It even includes three insightful case studies from three independent authors. There are numerous notes and citations to help the interested reader delve deeper into the topics mentioned. I appreciated the academic carefulness of the writers.They also classify around 200 ecological approaches within their eight domains. I hope integral books keeps coming out with such nice publications, and no I'm no academic, I'm just a curious dude.
Finally I think the book would appeal to two kinds of people: those who know a lot about ecology and are interested in bringing their knowledge into some sort of relatedness, and those who know Ken Wilber's integral theory and would like to see what it looks like when applied to a specific domain like ecology.

A Superb Synthesis
It is hard to do justice to this extraordinary book.Its scope is enormous, scholarship meticulous, degree of synthesis rare, and its spirit both inclusive and generous.

The book applies Ken Wilber's integral framework (the most inclusive and integrative conceptual framework currently available) to the field of ecology.It thereby manages to incorporate ideas and perspectives from more than 200 approaches to ecology.It does this by incorporating the contributions of each approach, while also identifying the partiality of each, and then going beyond them all to offer an inclusive, multidisciplinary (or actually transdisciplinary), multiperspectival synthesis.The result is an extremely impressive yet readable text that offers a superb, uniquely encompassing and synthetic overview of ecology.

... Read more

Product Description
The work of conservation biology has grown from local studies of single species into a discipline concerned with mapping and managing biodiversity on a global scale. Remote sensing, using satellite and aerial imaging to measure and map the environment, increasingly provides a vital tool for effective collection of the information needed to research and set policy for conservation priorities. The perceived complexities of remotely sensed data and analyses have tended to discourage scientists and managers from using this valuable resource. This text focuses on making remote sensing tools accessible to a larger audience of non-specialists, highlighting strengths and limitations while emphasizing the ways that remotely sensed data can be captured and used, especially for evaluating human impacts on ecological systems.
... Read more

Product Description
Ecological theories and hypotheses are usually complex because of natural variability in space and time, which often makes the design of experiments difficult. This book describes how to design ecological experiments from a statistical basis using analysis of variance, so reliable conclusions can be drawn. The logical procedures that lead to a need for experiments are described, followed by an introduction to simple statistical tests. This leads to a detailed account of analysis of variance, looking at procedures, assumptions, and problems. One-factor analysis is extended to nested (hierarchical) designs and factorial analysis. Finally, some regression methods for examining relationships between variables are covered. Examples of ecological experiments are used throughout to illustrate the procedures and examine problems. This book will be invaluable to practicing ecologists as well as advanced students involved in experimental design. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Faculty choice
I ordered this book because one of my faculty patrons requested it to put on Reserve for his class.

underwood
Good guide for the whole scientific community...citated in all the original articles of the last years...without it you can't pubblish anymore on the most popular and important scientific ecological journals.
Very good and written in an easy form.

Conceptual and logical in approach
The book is focus on the author's field, it is ecology and on benthic invertebrates. This book is great for people who wants to study community ecology as prof Underwood tries to explain the principles of statistics, how to design your study against pitfalls before conducting it in the field. The numerous examples set to analyze their variances, how to analyze samples and the assumptions made in analyzing samples. All of these are covered by a field practicing ecologist whose book is destined to be a classic in ecology and statistics.

essential book for ecologists
This book was one of the best purchases I made upon starting my graduatecareer. It is extremely well written and de-mystifies the process ofhypothesis testing and experimental design and analysis. I consider thisbook a must for anyone starting out in the field of ecology who hasquestions about experimental design or analysis.

An outstanding book with a clear leanguage.
Anyone has experience the fear of start reading any statistical book because most of the classic text always confuse us with very sophisticated formulas and terms. Underwood book for me is written in a extreme clearleanguage and examples. I teach this kind of courses and my students findeasy to use even if is a foreign leanguage to us. I hope this would helpyou. Regards, Rafael. ... Read more

Product Description
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)

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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Customer Reviews (14)

Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation
Anyone wishing to extend their knowledge of Wolves will find a tremendous number
of books on this subject. Wolves: Behavior,Ecology and Conservation is not for those
seeking a "Disney" like rendition of this animal. Those seeking a mystical, science
fictional portrayal of this mammal would be advised to look elsewhere. For those seeking
the facts about this animal, this volume is likely the most definitive compilation
of scientific research available on the subject. Documenting the work of the world's foremost
experts on this subject, the authors and editors have combined several hundred years of
scientific research and, in my opinion, presented observations while maintaining the highest
degree of scientific objectivity possible. This book in no way reads like a novel, and those seeking to confirm a preconceived outright protectionist or complete anihilation philosophy, would best be served looking elsewhere. Given the highly controversial public image associated with this mammal,
great progress could likely be made in the management of this species if more individuals
with an interest in this subject would read this definitive work.

Kent Kinyon
Lewiston Idaho

David Mech has truly devoted his life to helping our understanding of wolves a great text
David Mech has devoted much ofhis life t the study of wolves in an effort to help us compreend their behavior and function in the environmental lin that connects us all on this planet we call earth. To him I am eternally grateful. THis book is a combination of beautiful photography and technical information written in a relaxing style that most readers will enjoy and some will find very exciting. THe information in accurate and often opens our eyes to current popular trends in dog training... the thought of the Alpha in a pack and the study of wolves in captivity as opposed to wolves in the wild. A must read.

The MOST ULTIMATE COMPLETE book you'll ever find on Wolves
I recently received my "Wolves: Behavior, Ecology and Conservation" book and immediately began reading and doing more study of my favorite animal, the wolf.This book has provided me with so much information about the wolf that I am even more fascinated by this wonderful creature.I have read many books on wolves and wolf behavior, but no other book has provided the detail that this book offers.Mr. David Mech and his team of writers have my utmost respect for putting together such a wonderful book.This book is the Wolf bible.

Great book
This is a great book, especially if you want to know more about wolves or if your thinking about getting a wolfdog-hybrid. There is a lot of information to absorbe though. You won't be able to read it in a few short days because your brain will go into information overload. Be sure you've got a highlighter along with a note book to jot down and highlight the information that you think is important to make it easy to find it again. That is what I've been doing. I'm almost finished with this book.

Weighty,but fulfilling
This book is mainly a scholarly work,with chapters by various biologist wolf experts,some of which are well writen and others more text-book style,and full of charts, graphs, tables and reference notes. If you love canines though-wolves or their dog brothers, you will want this book.Some of these experts have spent years studying and observing and living with wolves and they have extremely interesting stories to tell. Especially interesting are the chapters on sex,raising of young,survival and the domestic dog descent from wolves.Depressing is the number of wolves killed for no reason other then people wanting to kill.
A good encyclopedic work for canine lovers
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (14)

Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation
Anyone wishing to extend their knowledge of Wolves will find a tremendous number
of books on this subject. Wolves: Behavior,Ecology and Conservation is not for those
seeking a "Disney" like rendition of this animal. Those seeking a mystical, science
fictional portrayal of this mammal would be advised to look elsewhere. For those seeking
the facts about this animal, this volume is likely the most definitive compilation
of scientific research available on the subject. Documenting the work of the world's foremost
experts on this subject, the authors and editors have combined several hundred years of
scientific research and, in my opinion, presented observations while maintaining the highest
degree of scientific objectivity possible. This book in no way reads like a novel, and those seeking to confirm a preconceived outright protectionist or complete anihilation philosophy, would best be served looking elsewhere. Given the highly controversial public image associated with this mammal,
great progress could likely be made in the management of this species if more individuals
with an interest in this subject would read this definitive work.

Kent Kinyon
Lewiston Idaho

David Mech has truly devoted his life to helping our understanding of wolves a great text
David Mech has devoted much ofhis life t the study of wolves in an effort to help us compreend their behavior and function in the environmental lin that connects us all on this planet we call earth. To him I am eternally grateful. THis book is a combination of beautiful photography and technical information written in a relaxing style that most readers will enjoy and some will find very exciting. THe information in accurate and often opens our eyes to current popular trends in dog training... the thought of the Alpha in a pack and the study of wolves in captivity as opposed to wolves in the wild. A must read.

The MOST ULTIMATE COMPLETE book you'll ever find on Wolves
I recently received my "Wolves: Behavior, Ecology and Conservation" book and immediately began reading and doing more study of my favorite animal, the wolf.This book has provided me with so much information about the wolf that I am even more fascinated by this wonderful creature.I have read many books on wolves and wolf behavior, but no other book has provided the detail that this book offers.Mr. David Mech and his team of writers have my utmost respect for putting together such a wonderful book.This book is the Wolf bible.

Great book
This is a great book, especially if you want to know more about wolves or if your thinking about getting a wolfdog-hybrid. There is a lot of information to absorbe though. You won't be able to read it in a few short days because your brain will go into information overload. Be sure you've got a highlighter along with a note book to jot down and highlight the information that you think is important to make it easy to find it again. That is what I've been doing. I'm almost finished with this book.

Weighty,but fulfilling
This book is mainly a scholarly work,with chapters by various biologist wolf experts,some of which are well writen and others more text-book style,and full of charts, graphs, tables and reference notes. If you love canines though-wolves or their dog brothers, you will want this book.Some of these experts have spent years studying and observing and living with wolves and they have extremely interesting stories to tell. Especially interesting are the chapters on sex,raising of young,survival and the domestic dog descent from wolves.Depressing is the number of wolves killed for no reason other then people wanting to kill.
A good encyclopedic work for canine lovers
... Read more