The Nature of Natural History

The Nature of Natural History PDF Author: Marston Bates
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400861543
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 332

Get Book Here

Book Description
This classic work is an exploration of what natural history is, and a sustained effort to see how it relates to other areas of biology. Marston Bates did not attempt to overwhelm his audience with facts or overinterpret those he did use, and, perhaps for this reason, The Nature of Natural History is a timeless work. The author's genuine interest in the tropics has a very current feeling, and the first ten or fifteen chapters of the work have a style that is parallel to that of David Attenborough's verbal presentations of nature. From the book: "I have already made several remarks about the connection between parasitism and degeneracy. I suspect this is a matter of point of view. We are predatory animals ourselves, and consequently admire the characteristics of predationagility, speed, cunning, self-reliance. We feel a certain kinship with the lion, and regard the liver fluke with horror. If a sheep were given the choice, though, it might prefer to be debilitated by liver flukes rather than killed by a lion." Originally published in 1990. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

The Nature of Natural History

The Nature of Natural History PDF Author: Marston Bates
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400861543
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 332

Get Book Here

Book Description
This classic work is an exploration of what natural history is, and a sustained effort to see how it relates to other areas of biology. Marston Bates did not attempt to overwhelm his audience with facts or overinterpret those he did use, and, perhaps for this reason, The Nature of Natural History is a timeless work. The author's genuine interest in the tropics has a very current feeling, and the first ten or fifteen chapters of the work have a style that is parallel to that of David Attenborough's verbal presentations of nature. From the book: "I have already made several remarks about the connection between parasitism and degeneracy. I suspect this is a matter of point of view. We are predatory animals ourselves, and consequently admire the characteristics of predationagility, speed, cunning, self-reliance. We feel a certain kinship with the lion, and regard the liver fluke with horror. If a sheep were given the choice, though, it might prefer to be debilitated by liver flukes rather than killed by a lion." Originally published in 1990. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Ancient Natural History

Ancient Natural History PDF Author: Roger French
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134962673
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 318

Get Book Here

Book Description
Ancient Natural History surveys the ways in which people in the ancient world thought about nature. The writings of Aristotle, Theophrastus, Strabo, Pliny are examined, as well as the popular beliefs of their contemporaries. Roger French finds that the same natural-historical material was used to serve the purposes of both the Greek philosopher and the Christian allegorist, or of a taxonomist like Theophrastus and a collector of curiosa like Pliny. He argues convincingly that the motives of ancient writers on nature were rarely `scientific' and, indeed, that there was not really any science at all in the ancient world. This book will make fascinating reading for students, academics and anyone who is interested in the history of science, or in the ancient history of ideas.

Mountain Nature

Mountain Nature PDF Author: Jennifer Frick-Ruppert
Publisher: Univ of North Carolina Press
ISBN: 0807898260
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 257

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Southern Appalachians are home to a breathtakingly diverse array of living things--from delicate orchids to carnivorous pitcher plants, from migrating butterflies to flying squirrels, and from brawny black bears to more species of salamander than anywhere else in the world. Mountain Nature is a lively and engaging account of the ecology of this remarkable region. It explores the animals and plants of the Southern Appalachians and the webs of interdependence that connect them. Within the region's roughly 35 million acres, extending from north Georgia through the Carolinas to northern Virginia, exists a mosaic of habitats, each fostering its own unique natural community. Stories of the animals and plants of the Southern Appalachians are intertwined with descriptions of the seasons, giving readers a glimpse into the interlinked rhythms of nature, from daily and yearly cycles to long-term geological changes. Residents and visitors to Great Smoky Mountains or Shenandoah National Parks, the Blue Ridge Parkway, or any of the national forests or other natural attractions within the region will welcome this appealing introduction to its ecological wonders.

Natural History

Natural History PDF Author: DK
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0744055873
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 664

Get Book Here

Book Description
A monumental and beautiful guide to Earth's wildlife and natural history--its rocks, minerals, animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms--this landmark of reference publishing has been extended and updated. In the 11 years since this book was released, thousands of new species have been identified, and new revelations have redrawn the tree of life. Already featuring galleries of more than 5,000 species, The Natural History Book now includes discoveries such as the olinguito (the "kitty bear" of the Andean cloud forest) and the painted mannakin of Peru. It takes advantage of the first living observations of the giant squid and the deep-sea anglerfish. And it has reorganized the groups of living things to reflect the latest scientific understanding. All this ensures that this, the only ebook to offer a complete visual survey of all kingdoms of life, remains the benchmark of illustrated natural history references. Written by a worldwide team of natural history experts, The Natural History Book is the perfect addition to every family bookshelf, as well as an ideal gift for any nature lover. From granites to grapevines, from microbes to mammals, The Natural History Book is the ultimate celebration of the diversity of the natural world.

A Natural History of Nature Writing

A Natural History of Nature Writing PDF Author: Frank Stewart
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 1610912470
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 304

Get Book Here

Book Description
A Natural History of Nature Writing is a penetrating overview of the origins and development of a uniquely American literature. Essayist and poet Frank Stewart describes in rich and compelling prose the lives and works of the most prominent American nature writers of the19th and 20th centuries, including: Henry D. Thoreau, the father of American nature writing. John Burroughs, a schoolteacher and failed businessman who found his calling as a writer and elevated the nature essay to a loved and respected literary form. John Muir, founder of Sierra Club, who celebrated the wilderness of the Far West as few before him had. Aldo Leopold, a Forest Service employee and scholar who extended our moral responsibility to include all animals and plants. Rachel Carson, a scientist who raised the consciousness of the nation by revealing the catastrophic effects of human intervention on the Earth's living systems. Edward Abbey, an outspoken activist who charted the boundaries of ecological responsibility and pushed these boundaries to political extremes. Stewart highlights the controversies ignited by the powerful and eloquent prose of these and other writers with their expansive – and often strongly political – points of view. Combining a deeply-felt sense of wonder at the beauty surrounding us with a rare ability to capture and explain the meaning of that beauty, nature writers have had a profound effect on American culture and politics. A Natural History of Nature Writing is an insightful examination of an important body of American literature.

The Natural History Book

The Natural History Book PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780241393345
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 664

Get Book Here

Book Description


Natural Histories

Natural Histories PDF Author: American Museum of Natural History
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781454912149
Category : Illustrated books
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
Highlights 40 masterworks of illustrated scientific art from the Rare Book Collection of the American Museum of Natural History.

From Natural History to the History of Nature

From Natural History to the History of Nature PDF Author: John Lyon
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 432

Get Book Here

Book Description
This collection of readings, published for the first time in any language, presents a selection of critical responses to the original publication of the Natural History by George Louis Le Clere, Comte de Buffon (1697-1788). Comments by Albrecht von Haller, Lamoignon de Malesherbes, H�ault de S�chelles, and anonymous reviews from leading periodicals of the period are included. Substantial selections from the first volumes of the Natural History itself, and important documents from Buffon's earlier works are also included. As much as possible, the authors have used entire selections, rather than brief excerpts. "This scholarly and conscientious book makes an important . . . contribution to the study and interpretation of Buffon, and so, too, to the Enlightenment generally. What John Lyon and Phillip Sloan have done is present English texts under four headings, so that we have successively: a selection from Buffon's writings prior to the first (1749) volumes of his Histoire naturelle; pieces from these first volumes of 1749; immediate responses by the earliest critics, writing about the 1749 texts, and finally H�rault de S�chelles' essay on Buffon, Voyage a Montbard. Much of the material is in translations made by Lyon and Sloan themselves, and in many cases the texts are ones not previously translated into English. Moreover, at every turn Lyon and Sloan have provided highly informative notes and commentary. In a substantial and original introduction, they have discussed the nature of Buffon's natural history especially from an epistemological point of view. . . . The translations by Lyon and Sloan quite rightly put accuracy before stylistic appeal. . . . Altogether, then, the book is a very welcome addition to the Buffon literature." --Medical History "[This] volume of selected translations from Buffon and his commentators focuses on Buffon as a central figure in the French Enlightenment. . . . [T]he readings are unified and enlivened by the common theme reflected in the title and highlighted in the long scholarly introduction. . . . [T]he texts trace Buffon's early work through the publication of the first three volumes of the History naturelle in 1749 and record that work's immediate reception." --Isis

The Nature of Nebraska

The Nature of Nebraska PDF Author: Paul A. Johnsgard
Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
ISBN: 9780803276215
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 438

Get Book Here

Book Description
Where the eastern and western currents of American life merge as smoothly as one river flows into another is a place called Nebraska. There we find the Platte, a river that gave sustenance to the countless migrants who once trudged westward along the Mormon and Oregon trails. We find the Sandhills, a vast region of sandy grassland that represents the largest area of dunes and the grandest and least disturbed region of mixed-grass prairies in all the Western Hemisphere. And, below it all, we find the Ogallala aquifer, the largest potential source of unpolluted water anywhere. ø These ecological treasures are all part of the nature of Nebraska. With characteristic clarity, energy, and charm, Paul A. Johnsgard guides us through Nebraska?s incredible biodiversity, introducing us to each ecosystem and the flora and fauna it sustains and inviting us to contemplate the purpose and secrets of the natural world as we consider our own roles and responsibilities in our connection with it.

A Natural History of California

A Natural History of California PDF Author: Allan A. Schoenherr
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520069218
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 784

Get Book Here

Book Description
Includes introductory chapters on basic ecology and geology to familiarize the reader with the climate, rocks, soil, plants, and animals in each distinctive region of California and shows how the state's natural history is uniquely interwoven with its human history.