Pacaritambo

ANTS, INDIANS, AND LITTLE DINOSAURS:
A Celebration of Man and Nature for the 75th Anniversary of Natural History Magazine
edited by Alan Ternes (American Museum of Natural History). Condition: UNREAD 1975 Charles Scribner's Sons paperback, special members edition. Remainder with small edgewear. Interior clean & tight but tanning. Content: Essays on man and nature by: J. Frank Dobie, Marston Bates, Archie Carr, Joseph Wood Krutch, Margaret Mead, Theodore Roosevelt, Edwin Colbert (on Ghost Ranch NM), Colin Turnbull, Oliver La Farge, Paul Erlich, et al. Catch up on your Natural History Magazine reading! A great look into the past. [1 copy available]
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BEYOND GEOGRAPHY: THE WESTERN SPIRIT AGAINST THE WILDERNESS
by Frederick Turner. Condition: NEW 1994 Rutgers Univ. Press Trade Paperback, 5th printing. Content: Reviewer: "Here Frederick Turner advances a spiritual and religious thesis for the destruction of nature by Western civilization. What sets the West apart from almost everyone else in the world is a lack of connection with nature, which has lead to vast environmental destruction and the extermination of entire peoples. With great historical insight Turner traces this tendency way back to the very earliest cultures of the Near East such as Sumer and Mesopotamia, which were besieged by hostile nomads who resisted their attempts at the settled life. This influence continued into the Roman Empire which was constantly on the verge of collapse from barbarians at the gates, and Western culture developed an innate fear of unstructured and unknown nature. Meanwhile, as Christianity became the world's most bureaucratic religion, God was removed from the world and confined to the church, and stifling dogma prevented followers from attaining new revelations and awareness. In turn the outside natural world became the realm of Satan and had to be conquered and controlled. Turner extends these dire trends into the eras of exploration and expansion into the new world, with the stipulation that the inherent Western disconnection from nature led that culture to destroy it out of hatred and repressed desires. This is a very strong thesis and Turner's research and insights are sound, especially for the time he wrote the book (1980). [1 copy available]
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CALL OF THE RAINBOW WARRIOR: An Environmental Fable (Inscribed Copy)
by Twyla Dell. B&W decorations. Condition: UNREAD 1990 Foresight hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), assumed first edition. Signed in 1990. Content: Reviewer: "Simple but sophisticated, this book packs alot of depth. Rich Lawless, a very successful business man in the timber industry finds himself under attack from all sides, regulators, environmentalists, subordinates. Through visits from an ethereal presence, the Rainbow Warrior, Rich learns what his children's environment will be like unless he uses his leadership in this industry to modify their approach to forests and their resources. He also comes to terms with a neglected marriage and the demands of a valued worker who has child care problems. In other words, he moves from short-term to long-term thinking through a process that is as charming as it dramatic. Three colorful dreams bring him face to face with the effects of environmental indifference. The story is fast-paced and a quick, enjoyable read." (Unfortunately, many of the issues discussed in this book are still with us - very little progress.) Questions welcome. [1 copy availaable]
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FULL CIRCLE: A Song of Ecology & Earthern Spirituality
by Lone Wolf Circles. Forewords by Barbara Mor and Bill Devall. B&W drawings by the author. Condition: NEW 1992 Llewellyn softcover, first ediiton. Content: The solution to our severe ecological crisis lies in a personal and spiritual reaction. Full Circle offers spiritual activism as a cure for despair. It combines visionary art with rhythmic lyrics and essay into a cohesive message for personal empowerment and planetary healing. It is a song, a ritual chant that helps us in the urgent return to our wild, expanded selves. [1 copy availaable]
$ 9.75 + $ 3.19 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

THE GARDENS OF THEIR DREAMS: Desertification and Culture in World History
by Brian Griffith. Condition: NEW 2001 Zed Books Trade Paperback, first printing. Content: This magnificent history of the desert relates the human consequences of its relentless expansion. As a result of the past several thousand years, the Great Desert now stretches in almost unbroken continuity from Mauritania's Atlantic seaboard through the Middle East and Central Asia to the Great Wall of China. The author seeks to understand how the great civilizations in the original "green lands" of North Africa, Ancient Egypt, the Middle East, South Asia, and China responded and changed under the pressure of invaders fleeing growing environmental degradation in the surrounding deserts. In fascinating detail, Brian Griffith's cultural history of the deserts of Africa and Asia shows how the expanding wasteland fundamentally reshaped people's images of nature, women, politics, and religion. Questions welcome. [2 copies available]
$ 7.49 + $ 3.19 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

GREAT BASIN DRAMA
by Darwin Lambert. B&W photos, maps, drawings. Condition: NEW 1991 Roberts Rinehart/Great Basin Natural History Association Trade Paperback. Tiny edgewear. Content: A close look at the rich history of the region of Great Basin National Park of Nevada. [1 copy available]
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THE GREENING OF AMERICA
by Charles A. Reich. Condition: UNREAD 1971 Bantam paperback, third printing. Light tanning to white cover edges and to interior page edges. Content: There is a revolution coming. It will not be like revolutions of the past. It will originate with the individual and with culture, and it will change the political structure only as its final act. It will note require violence to succeed, and it cannot be successfully resisted by violence. This is the revolution of the new generation. From Reich in 1995: "If there was any doubt about the need for social transformation in 1970, that need is clear and urgent today....I am now more convinced than ever that the conflict and suffering now threatening to engulf us are entirely unnecessary, and a tragic waste of our energy and resources. We can create an economic system that is not at war with human beings or nature, and we can get from here to there by democratic means." [1 copy available]
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AN INSTANT GUIDE TO TREES
by Eleanor Lawrence and Cecilia Fitzsimons. Full color illustrations. Condition: New 1998 Gramercy pocket-sized hardcover (pictorial boards) 14th printing. 128 pages. Content: This book is an ideal compact identification guide to trees commonly seen in gardens, parks, and in the countryside. This user-friendly guide assumes no previous knowledge: an easy-to-follow system of color-coded bands and symbols (denoting different leaf shapes) leads quickly to the correct section of the book. Detailed, full-color illustrations of leaves, shape of tree, fruit and flowers, plus a concise but informative text, make it easy to identify positively nearly 200 trees found in North America. "Lookalike" panels help prevent confusion between trees of similar appearance. Excellent and detailed reference. [1 copy available]
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ISAAC'S STORM: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History
by Erik Larson. B&W maps. Condition: UNREAD 2000 Vintage Trade Paperback, 9th printing. Light upturn front cover fore edge. Content: On September 8, 1900, a massive hurricane slammed into Galveston, Texas. A tidal surge of some four feet in as many seconds inundated the city, while the wind destroyed thousands of buildings. By the time the water and winds subsided, entire streets had disappeared and as many as 6,000 were dead -- making this the worst natural disaster in America's history. Larson blends science and history to tell the story of Galveston, its people, and the hurricane that devastated them. Drawing on hundreds of personal reminiscences of the storm, Larson follows individuals through the fateful day and the storm's aftermath. There's Louisa Rollfing, who begged her husband, August, not to go into town the morning of the storm; the Ursuline Sisters at St. Mary's orphanage who tied their charges to lengths of clothesline to keep them together; Judson Palmer, who huddled in his bathroom with his family and neighbors, hoping to ride out the storm. At the center of it all is Isaac Cline, employee of the nascent Weather Bureau, and his younger brother--and rival weatherman--Joseph. Larson does an excellent job of piecing together Isaac's life and reveals that Isaac was not the quick-thinking hero he claimed to be after the storm ended. The storm itself, however, is the book's true protagonist--and Larson describes its nuances in horrific detail. [The storm affected lives in Texas as far north as little Grandview, Texas, whose old Methodist Church had a grand piano with a plaque dedicated to Mary Hayden who died in the hurricane. I never found out who she was.] [1 copy available]
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NEAR ZERO: The physics of low temperature
by D. K. C. MacDonald. B&W drawings, charts, figures by Robert Kelly. Condition: Good+ 1961 Anchor Books paperback, first printing. Pale spine crease, tiny edgewear, with small thin stain lower front cover (coffee cup ring?). Interior is clean but has slight break at page 51. Content: Absolute Zero ( - 273.15 degrees Centigrade) is a state than can never be reached. Nevertheless in cooling things close to Absolute Zero the modern physicist learns much about the nature of matter and energy. Within a few degrees of Absolute Zero resistance vanishes, helium becomes a liquid, and atomic activity falls into a sort of super-hibernation. Of course, more work has been done on "Near Zero" since 1961, but one of the first works for the layman and student is worth reading for the early thinking on the subject. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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NO APPARANT DANGER: The True Story of Volcanic Disaster at Galeras and Nevado Del Ruiz
by Victoria Bruce. B&W drawings illustrate. Condition: NEW 2000 HarperCollins hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition, first printing. Remainder mark. Content: If you have ever been angry at Congress for being mired in stalemate and acrimony, then read this book and you can feel the same way about the scientific community. It's time for both bodies to get their act together! Victoria Bruce retells the story of Galeras--the Columbian volcano that erupted in 1993 killing nine researchers--with the tenacity of an investigative reporter. She contests Stanley Williams' account of the events at Galeras, and to support her argument brings in the history of Nevado Del Ruiz--an earlier volcanic eruption that erased an entire town. Her story brings together the danger inherent in the natural world and the hubris and politics of the scientific community. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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NOTES FROM THE WILD:
The Nature Recording Expeditions of Bernie Krause (CD included)
by Bernie Krause. Woodcuts illustrate. Condition: NEW 1996 ellipsis arts small hardcover [0.5 x 5.8 x 8.2 (80 pages)] (no DJ issued) with tiny edgewear & pale tag removal mark. Interior perfect. CD included is also perfect. Content: What an unusual, fascinating, stimulating book and CD! The Krause subject matter ranges from the singing ants of the New Mexican desert to his experience cataloging and recording the oral traditions of the Nez Perce tribe. Defies categorization. A treasure! Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 8.79 + $ 2.89 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

PILGRIM AT TINKER CREEK
by Annie Dillard. Condition: UNREAD 1973 Bantam MMPB ed, 7th printing. Pale short crease bottom front cover, tiny edgewear, light tanning to page edges. Unread but not perfect. Original Dillard cover photo. Content: An American classic, this book is a series of essays that combines scientific observation, philosophy, daily thoughts, and deeper introspection with glorious prose. On the surface, Annie Dillard is simply exploring a place called Tinker Creek and its inhabitants: "It's a good place to live; there's lots to think about." But as her observations range well beyond the landscape into worlds of esoteric fact and metaphysical insight, each paragraph becomes suffused with images and ideas. Whether she is quoting the Koran or Albert Einstein, describing the universe of an Eskimo shaman or the mating of luna moths, Annie Dillard offers up her own knowledge with reverence for her material and respect for her reader. She observes her surroundings faithfully, intimately, sharing what can be shared with anyone willing to wait and watch with her. In the end, however, "No matter how quiet we are, the muskrats stay hidden. Maybe they sense the tense hum of consciousness, the buzz from two human beings who in silence cannot help but be aware of each other, and so of themselves." The precision of individual words, the vitality of metaphor, the sheer profusion of sources, the vivid sensory and cerebral impressions - all combine to make Pilgrim at Tinker Creek something extravagant and extraordinary. One of those "must-read" books. Questions welcome. [2 copies available]
$ 4.89 + $ 2.94 shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

THE PRACTICAL PALEONTOLOGIST
by Steve Parker. Raymond L. Bernor, Editor. Wonderful detailed color photos & drawings illustrate. Condition: Gently pre-read 1990 Little, Brown hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first American edition, first printing. Gift inscription hidden on half-title page. Content: A step-by-step guide to finding, studying, and interpreting fossils--from searching for sites to extracting, cleaning, and restoring finds." All of this and more is described inside using simple, nontechnical language and lots of color illustrations and photos. The advice, aimed at absolute beginners, details such topics as how to keep a field notebook, how to label a collection, and how to learn more at museums and libraries. This is presented together with short explanations of geological concepts, some history of the field of paleontology, and encouragement that a dedicated amateur really can develop a valuable and interesting collection of fossils. This book would be especially good for young people who are interested in fossils or who need ideas for science fair projects. A bit large for dragging around in the field, but take it anyway - it's essential for beginner fossil hunters, IMHO. Questions welcome. [1 copy available-
$ 8.95 + $ 3.29 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

SNOW
by Lisbeth Mark and Babs Lefrak. B&W illustrations. Condition: NEW 1996 Lefrak Books (Perigee) small softcover, first edition, first printing. Tiny edgewear. Content: Everything you ever wanted to know about Snow! This is a book of facts, fallacies, and folklore for everyone who loves and hates snow. Birth & Journey of a Snowflake is my favorite. Questions welcome.
$ 3.49 + $ 2.89 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

TWISTER: The Science of Tornadoes and the Making of an Adventure Movie (Abridged Edition)
by Keay Davidson. 8 pages of color photos and movie stills. Condition: NEW 1996 Pocket Books Trade Paperback, first printing. Pale diagonal shelf wear crease bottom back cover corner. Light tanning to page edges. Content: Award-winning science writer, Davidson, takes you where only the bravest souls have ventured, and survived - into the frightening path of these violent twisters. He also gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Warner Brothers movie of the same name. In collaboration with the makers of the film, Davidson explores the many challenges faced by the producers, the stars, the director and the special effects experts who re-created this wild, mysterious experience. Through fascinating interviews, you'll come to understand just how these incredible storms came to life on the big screen. Of all the atmospheric storms, tornadoes are the fiercest, concentrating as much energy into a small space and time as numerous atomic-bomb blasts, and posing grave danger to the scientists who study this incredible phenomenon. Swirling at speeds of up to three hundred miles per hour and spewing debris as far as two hundred files away, a writhing tornado leaves behind a trail of tragedy: lives are ruined, families are wiped out, and entire towns are erased from the face of the Earth. Enhanced with spectacular close-up photographs and easy-to-grasp graphics, this book offers an enthralling profile of these powerful storms, including an in-depth look at the leading tornado-monitoring project, VORTEX. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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VIOLENT STORMS (Discovering Earth Science series)
by Jon Erickson. B&W and color photos with charts. Condition: Gently pre-read, if at all, 1988 Tab Books soft cover (227 pages), third printing. Light edgewear. Interior clean & tight. Content: From typhoons to monsoons, floods to famine, weather-related disasters occur on an almost weekly basis. This book examines the internal and external mechanisms that cause weather on the Earth. It tells the story of weather through the ages. Ancient folklore that governed people's beliefs and superstitions about weather are considered, and present-day technologies used to predict the weather are presented. Historical storms are revisited (Katrina not included). Questions welcome.
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WOMEN IN THE FIELD: America's Pioneering Women Naturalists
by Marcia Myers Bonta. B&W era photos illustrate. Condition: NEW 1991 Texas A&M Univ. Press, first edition, assumed first printing. Content: The lives of 25 women, many of whom were born well before the turn of the century, bring to mind an old-fashioned word: gumption. Unfazed by the hazards of their chosen careers, they simply "went at it," as entomologist Anna Botsford Comstock said, "with their usual daring on untried paths," fueled in many cases by nothing more than an abiding curiosity about the natural world and a passion for collecting. Ynes Mexia, a "botanical adventurer," traveled some 3000 miles down the Amazon in only 10 years and on one trip alone gathered 33,000 specimens. Annie Montague Alexander, whom Bonta calls "a quintessential naturalist," was raised on Maui by an adventurous father who encouraged her interest in the natural world. Alexander traveled extensively in Alaska and California, and in 1947 at the age of 79, set off for Baja to collect botanical specimens. Divided into sections on naturalists, ecologists, ornithologists, botanists and entomologists, with an abbreviated biographical format, the book occasionally reads like a catalogue, making one wish for longer, more detailed studies on these remarkable women. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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