In this sequel to the acclaimed "Threads from the Web of Life," Stephen Daubert presents twenty-six new stories that pull the reader into the mystery and immediacy of ecological processes ranging from the microscopic to the tectonic. Many show surprising intersections of creatures from different realms or the hidden interplay of evolving organisms. These gripping stories contain a level of intimacy and detail not usually encountered in other styles of natural history writing.

Praise for the first collection of stories:

Stephen Daubert's "Threads from the Web of Life" is written in the tradition of Aldo Leopold and Bernd Heinrich. It teaches by drawing you into the drama, excitement, and beauty of nature.
--Don Glass, host of the NPR-syndicated program "A Moment of Science"

"Threads from the Web of Life" is a uniquely wide-ranging combination of scientific research and literary imagination that takes the reader on journeys through time and space that even the most elaborate television programs still can't provide. Stephen Daubert's grasp of a variety of botanical, zoological, geological, and climatological disciplines is impressive, and he presents them and their interactions with grace and authority.
--David Rains Wallace, author of "The Klamath Knot, The Monkey's Bridge, " and "Beasts of Eden"

Each of these happenings is a thread in the intricate web of life, and Daubert, a molecular scientist at the University of California, Davis, demonstrates that these threads are easily broken by humans. ... Instructive and entertaining.
--"Publishers Weekly"

"Threads from the Web of Life" takes readers on a journey around the globe as the author describes unique and unusual ecological processes. It is ideal for casual reading as well as a source of selections to read aloud ( ) or to link literature with the study of natural history.
--"NSTA Recommends," National Science Teachers Association

Highly recommended. ... The stories are as much enjoyable as they are informative.
--"Science Books& Films"
In these sixteen stories of the interplay of organisms, weather, and geophysics, many a being succumbs to predation, and many another endures. Evolution happens as species learn the hard way. There is often a tragic element in these fascinating tales. . . . These vivid, poetic tales . . . afford good teaching. "Threads from the Web of Life" will appeal to any reader whose heart is in the living world.
-- "ForeWord"

In Medicinal Plants of the Borderlands: A Bilingual Resource Guide, anthropologist Dr. Antonio "Tony" Zavaleta shares medicinal plant information from his lifetime of experiences with Mexican folk healers known as curandero/a(s). Consulting with their patients, healers issue recetas, handwritten prescribed orders for medicinal plants to be filled at hierberias, herb stores. While many of the more popular plants are well known to patient and healer, many hundreds are less known. Additionally, patients and shop attendants know little or nothing about the wide variety of plants they sell. Zavaleta searched for specific English translations of plant names in order to better understand their respective characteristics as they correspond with various ailments with limited success. Bilingual material on medicinal plants is simply not readily available. Over the years he compiled an impressive list of medicinal plants including English and Spanish names. That list forms the basis for this book. In a semi-bilingual format, five primary cross-referenced categories of medicinal plant information are provided: 1) English Name; 2) Spanish Name; 3) Botanical Name; 4) Properties (of pharmacognosy) which lists their uses; and finally, 5) Used to Treat, which lists a variety of conditions they are believed to or used to treat. Uniquely informative, this resource guide catalogues more than 600 medicinal plants which are either native to the border or traditionally used by curandero/a(s) and draws from the highly informative formularies and pharmacopoeias of the United States and Mexico and other primary sources. Previously not-readily-available data are compiled here to supplement the work of practitioners and researchers as well as serving as an invaluable tool for students of complementary and alternative medicine, botanists, home gardeners and native-plant enthusiasts. In addition, it's a publishing-first for an ethno-botanical book offering detailed English-to-Spanish translations and vice versa.

French Dogs - A Complete Anthology of the Dog gathers together all the best early writing on the breeds from our library of scarce, out-of-print antiquarian books and documents and reprints it in a quality, modern edition. This anthology includes chapters taken from a comprehensive range of books, many of them now rare and much sought-after works, all of them written by renowned breed experts of their day. These books are treasure troves of information about the breeds - The physical points, temperaments, and special abilities are given; celebrated dogs are discussed and pictured; and the history of each breed and pedigrees of famous champions are also provided. The contents were well illustrated with numerous photographs of leading and famous dogs of that era and these are all reproduced to the highest quality. Books used include: My Dog And I by H. W. Huntington (1897), The Kennel Encyclopaedia by J. Sidney Turner (1907), The Practical Dog Book by Edward C. Ash (1930) and many others. This Volume contains information on the French Bulldog, the French Spaniel, the French Poodle and Various other French breeds.

Since the earliest humans walked the earth, the vast mysteries and wonders of the night sky have fascinated and beguiled us, as we’ve struggled to understand our place in the cosmos. Even after the last century, which saw important and startling discoveries about our own planet, our solar system and the stars and galaxies beyond, there remain more questions than answers. But those questions – What is dark matter? Are we alone in the universe? Is time travel possible? – provide a fascinating insight into the vastness and infinite possibilities of space that we’re yet to determine. The sheer scale of the universe can be intimidating, but in this easily digestible book we embark on an incredible journey through all the essential astronomical discoveries, from the beliefs of ancient civilizations, through to the recent groundbreaking observations of the gravitational waves predicted by Einstein over 100 years ago. There’s never been a better time to get to grips with the universe and this essential guide to the cosmos is the perfect place to start!

A history of this national park written in conjunction with its 50th anniversary.

'This is a first-class book. If you are interested in wildlife and the outdoors, you will find it an essential addition to your natural-history library. The author's knowledge and enthusiasm come right through, and the illustrator's work greatly enhances the book's usefulness. Organization of the book makes identification easier than with other track books I know and should enable beginners to use the text with ease.'--Jim Rantz, Executive Director, The National Outdoor Leadership School.

This is a fascinating read for any guard dog enthusiast or historian of the breed, but also contains much information that is still useful and practical today. Ten photographic illustrations accompany an absorbing and informative text. Contents Include: The Obedient Dog; The First Step; Elementary Lessons; Further Progress; The Intermediate Stages; Advanced Work; Tracking; How Dog Training Has Developed; Rules for Working Trials; and Obedience Tests and Trials. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Published in 1850 this is the forth edition of the Bee Keepers Manual, this early works is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. This is a fascinating and well illustrated read for any Bee Keeping enthusiast or Historian and contains much informatiion that is still useful and practical today. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

The field dog stud book, volume two, is an authentic record of all field dogs registered therein during the year 1901, also a list of all the winning dogs in the various Setter, Pointer, Beagle, and foxhound trials held during the same year. This is a fascinating look at the field dog and is thoroughly recommended for inclusion on the bookshelf of any enthusiast. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork

The French Bulldog - A Complete Anthology of the Dog gathers together all the best early writing on the breed from our library of scarce, out-of-print antiquarian books and documents and reprints it in a quality, modern edition. This anthology includes chapters taken from a comprehensive range of books, many of them now rare and much sought-after works, all of them written by renowned breed experts of their day. These books are treasure troves of information about the breed - The physical points, temperaments, and special abilities are given; celebrated dogs are discussed and pictured; and the history of the breed and pedigrees of famous champions are also provided. The contents were well illustrated with numerous photographs of leading and famous dogs of that era and these are all reproduced to the highest quality. Books used include: The Twentieth Century Dog by Herbert Compton (1904), Dogs Of The World by Arthur Craven (1931), Hutchinson's Dog Encyclopaedia by Walter Hutchinson (1935) and many others.

Discover the answers behind the mysteries of the countryside in all their fascination and beauty... Ever wondered about the masses of twigs in bare-branched trees that look like abandoned nests? Seen fuzzy red balls on roses? A stranded pond on a hilltop? Or even considered the shaded ways we walk along? One of Britain's best-known naturalists, John Wright describes and explores fifty of the natural (and unnatural) puzzles of the countryside that might confound the ever-curious. He reveals the histories and practicalities of those that are man-made and the astounding and intricate lives of the natural wonders around us. From the enormous to the truly tiny he illuminates the oddities that pepper our countryside and reveals the many pleasures of spotting and understanding them. Informative, entertaining and beautifully illustrated, this is for anyone who has ever gone outside and wondered what is that?

Popular Nineteenth Century nature writer and essayist John Burroughs on the following topics: "The Pastoral Bees," "Sharp Eyes," "Strawberries," "Is It Going to Rain?" "Speckled Trout," "Birds and Birds," "A Bed of Boughs," "Birds'-Nesting," and "The Halcyon in Canada." Originally published in 1879.

The animal kingdom operates by ancient rules, and the deer in our woods and backyards can teach us many of them--but only if we take the time to notice.

In the fall of 2007 in southern New Hampshire, the acorn crop failed and the animals who depended on it faced starvation. Elizabeth Marshall Thomas began leaving food in small piles around her farmhouse. Soon she had over thirty deer coming to her fields, and her naturalist's eye was riveted. How did they know when to come, all together, and why did they sometimes cooperate, sometimes compete?

Throughout the next twelve months she observed the local deer families as they fought through a rough winter; bred fawns in the spring; fended off coyotes, a bobcat, a bear, and plenty of hunters; and made it to the next fall when the acorn crop was back to normal. As she hiked through her woods, spotting tree rubbings, deer beds, and deer yards, she discovered a vast hidden world. Deer families are run by their mothers. Local families arrange into a hierarchy. They adopt orphans; they occasionally reject a child; they use complex warnings to signal danger; they mark their territories; they master local microclimates to choose their beds; they send countless coded messages that we can read, if only we know what to look for.

Just as she did in her beloved books The Hidden Life of Dogs and Tribe of Tiger, Thomas describes a network of rules that have allowed earth's species to coexist for millions of years. Most of us have lost touch with these rules, yet they are a deep part of us, from our ancient evolutionary past. The Hidden Life of Deer is a narrative masterpiece and a naturalist's delight.

Dr. Klaus L.E. Kaiser is a professional chemist who has been conducting research in environmental chemistry for almost 40 years. He is an author of nearly 200 publications in scientific journals, government and agency reports, books, trade magazines, and newspapers. He has been president of the Intl. Association for Great Lakes Research, a peer reviewer of numerous scientific papers for several journals, Editor-in-Chief of the Water Quality Research Journal of Canada, adjunct professor, and recipient of the Intl. QSAR Award. He is currently Director of Research of TerraBase Inc., and is a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada. He is widely recognized for his expertise in environmental chemistry and his "no-nonsense" approach to issues.

Leander McCormick literally fished his way around the world. These many miles produced a catalog of stories in his book. From his first perch on the shores of Lake Michigan, to youthful pursuits of eels in England, to ultimate angling for the giants of the sea, he demonstrates a deep insight into both the fish and the people who pursue them. Having angled for and caught dozens of different species of fish, McCormick dryly comments, "Some were more sport to catch than others, but I assert that all fishing is good, though some is better."