Review of Beautiful Swimmers: Watermen, Crabs and the Chesapeake Bay (Paperback)

As a kid in Marblehead, Mass. I liked to catch crabs off the rocks.When I grew up a bit, I learned to eat them too---a very succulent food that I still love.But, I must confess that I never thought of reading booksabout them until one day I ran across William Warner's BEAUTIFUL SWIMMERSin a college bookshop.This wonderful work contains all you ever wanted toknow about the life cycle of one particular kind of crab that lives inChesapeake Bay (the kind you probably smashed with mallets if you ever wentto that area).Surprisingly, for most of its life, the Atlantic blue crabhas nothing to do with beer.Taking it for a focus, Warner drawsconnections with the sea, the rivers, the crab-friendly environment thatproduced such a wealth of the creatures, and then the people who live fromthat wealth, the islanders who lived isolated for centuries, but are nowfirmly within the web of modern life.Warner tells of the marketing ofcrabs, the catching of other Chesapeake products like oysters, and even offestivals like a Miss Crustacean contest ! You can learn about esotericalike crab pots, the Waterman's Union, the religious heritage of crabbers,and lots more. My edition came with a number of excellent pencil drawingsof crabs, crabbers, and maritime scenes from the area.I was disappointedby only one thing----reaching the end of this great book.

Product Description
William Warner exhibits his skill as a naturalist and as a writer in this Pulitzer Prize-winning study of the pugnacious Atlantic blue crab and of its Chesapeake Bay territory. Penguin Nature Library.

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Review of Geology of U.S. Parklands (Geology of Us Parklands) (Hardcover)

I teach a course in geology of America's National Parklands at a community college. I have tried another book for the required text for the course, with mixed success. Thereforewhen I found out thatGeology of U.S.Parklands, fifth edition, was being released, I ordered it for the courseeven before I had seen my review copy.Previously when traveling I haveconsultedThe Geologic Story of the National Parks and Monuments by thesame authors, and was sufficiently impressed with the content, clarity ofwriting,and extent of coverage that I eagerly ordered the revisedversion.In my opinion this new book is THE one to use for similar collegecourses, and should also serve well for travelers with or without geologictraining who want to know more about the geology of the magnificent federalparklands of our nation.There is a sufficient short course on generalgeologic principles in the initial chapter. I like the clarity, accuracy and dry humor of the text, which is better than the style and content inthe book previously used - Geology of America's National Park Areas byBrooks Ellwood.Although the latter is quite a bit less expensive and hasbetter quality if not more useful pictures, it is often too simplistic formy use in this course.I may have more to say after having used Kiver andHarris book as a text for a quarter or two, but my initial reaction to itis very favorable.Other books cover the geology of one or a few parkareas, but this book has the entire country including Hawaii.However, forsome reason the parklands of Alaska are excluded, probably because theirinclusion could add many pages to what is already a massive volume (902pages).I should have liked to see higher quality photographs and a lowercost, but other than those minor quibbles, this book will very likely setthe standard to which all others on the subject will strive.

Product Description
The National Parks of the United States provide some of the world's most spectacular examples of a wide range of geological features. From the shores of Cape Cod to the volcanoes of Hawaii, this book teaches the principles of physical geology by example, re-creating the history of the earth and the development of its landforms, mountains, rivers, and oceans. By presenting a brief outline of the science of geology, and devoting chapters to individual geographical regions, the authors describe in detail the stunning geological features of each park.

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