Synopses & Reviews
"Giraffes are alluring animals about whom we previously knew surprisingly little. Filled with scientific facts and wonderful stories,
Giraffe Reflections reveals many valuable lessons about who these skyscraping beings are. I highly recommend this well-written and beautifully illustrated book to anyone interested in the wondrous animals with whom we share our precious planet."
and#151;Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and editor of Ignoring Nature No More: The Case for Compassionate Conservation
"With that tall neck, striking pelage, gentle face, and graceful gait, surely no land animal is more wondrous and unlikely than the giraffe. In these exquisite pages Dale Peterson and Karl Ammann have captured this remarkable creature as none before. Thanks to these lyrical words and soulful photos, you'll never forget how blessed we are to have these prehistoric-looking animals on our planet--nor forgive the loss we'd endure should we allow them to vanish."
and#151;Sy Montgomery, author of Walking with the Great Apes and Spell of the Tiger
"Karl Ammann's photographs in this book are stunning! They vary from mood sequences that fill the reader with awe to shots of male giraffes fighting in a style that has never before been documented."
and#151;Anne Innis Dagg, author of Giraffe: Biology, Behaviour and Conservation
"A masterpiece about one of the worldand#8217;s most fascinating but least understood animals, Giraffe Reflections is utterly compellingand#151;a page-turner with glorious photographs. A reader cannot ask for more."
and#151;Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of A Million Years with You and The Hidden Life of Dogs
Review
"In this stunning collection of Ammann's photographs, Peterson offers an engaging natural history of giraffes, as well as a look at their behavior and beauty. . . . Ammann's exquisite photos portray the giraffes' majesty and just how impoverished our world would be if they 'march into a night of nonexistence.'"
Review
"Giraffe Reflections is a stunning compendium of animal photography and entertaining history. . . . The real point of the book is Ammann's gorgeous photos of giraffes, both atmospheric shots and more prosaic ones of the animals going about their business. With Peterson's entertaining text as a filigree, the combination is an emotionally satisfying presentation."
Review
"An elegant and comprehensive volume. In a series of lushly visual essays, the authors delve into the evolution of giraffes' strange anatomy and the intricacies of their behavior, as well as their possible futures alongside humans. Marvelouslyand#8212;and despite the book's encyclopedic presentationand#8212;giraffes become even more mysterious by the tome's end than they were at its beginning."
Review
"A magnificent book. . . . Throughout, the story of the giraffe is told as much with images as with text. Each chapter concludes with a series of Ammann's breathtaking photographs, which have been selected and sequenced to illustrate specific themes. This is engrossing natural history about one of nature's most intriguing animals. Highly recommended for all who enjoy learning about African wildlife." STARRED REVIEW
Review
“'Giraffe Reflections' is a rare breed in that it excels both as a photography book and a work of natural history. Karl Ammanns photographs are riveting, but so is Petersons text. Each enhances the other." Cynthia Lee Knight - Library Journal
Review
"Informative and strangely mesmerizing." Jan Gardner - Boston Globe
Review
"This is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful books of the year." Giraffe Reflections
Review
and#8220;'Giraffe Reflections' is a rare breed in that it excels both as a photography book and a work of natural history. Karl Ammannand#8217;s photographs are riveting, but so is Petersonand#8217;s text. Each enhances the other."
Review
"Striking full-page photographs are highlights in this comprehensive text on the biology and behavior of giraffes." Alan Petrucelli - Examiner.com
Review
"Clearly explains why salmon are important to the ecology of the Pacific Northwest and why the habitats should be protected to keep the species healthy and prolific. . . .and#160; Ideal for readers who are concerned with understanding the environment on a deeper level and as a tool with which to inform decision makers."
Synopsis
The most comprehensive book on giraffes to appear in the last fifty years, this volume presents a magnificent portrait of a group of animals who, in spite of their legendary elegance and astonishing gentleness, may not entirely survive this century.
Dale Petersonand#8217;s text provides a natural and cultural history of the worldand#8217;s tallest and second-biggest land animals, describing in detail their biology and behavior. He offers a new perspective on the giraffesand#8217; place in our world, and argues for the stronger protection of these imposing yet endangered creatures and their elusive forest relatives, the okapis.
Some 120 stunning photographs by award-winning wildlife photographer Karl Ammann capture the grace and elegance of Giraffa camelopardalis. Both beautiful and informative, the images document giraffesand#8217; complex interactions with each other and their environment.
Synopsis
The Fish in the Forest is an elegantly written, beautifully illustrated exploration of the complex web of relationships between the salmon of the Pacific Northwest and the surrounding ecosystem. Dale Stokes shows how nearly all aspects of this fragile ecosystemand#151;from streambeds to treetops, from sea urchins to orcas to bears, from rain forests to kelp forestsand#151;are intimately linked with the biology of the Pacific salmon. Illustrated with 70 stunning color photographs by Doc White, The Fish in the Forest demonstrates how the cycling of nutrients between the ocean and the land, mediated by the life and death of the salmon, is not only key to understanding the landscape of the north Pacific coast, but is also a powerful metaphor for all of life on earth.
Synopsis
"Salmon were the most important keystone vertebrates in the history of the North Pacific until we arrived. Stokesand#8217; intelligent text and Whiteand#8217;s luscious pictures will explain why--and why they must be saved."
John E. McCosker, Chair of Aquatic Biology, California Academy of Sciences.
"This is a truly lovely, entertaining, and informative book. It pays homage to the intricacies of salmon, from molecules to ecosystems, with accurate, readable text and great photos. With subtle passion, it makes the case for preserving the amazing salmon-forest connection. Buy a copy for yourself and for a local policy maker; help make Pacific Coast society more salmon-centric."
Peter B. Moyle, author of Inland Fishes of California
About the Author
Dale Peterson is a Lecturer in the English Department of Tufts University and the author of numerous books, including Jane Goodall, Demonic Males, Visions of Caliban, and Chimpanzee Travels. Karl Ammann has photographed wildlife throughout Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. His work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Outdoor Photography, Natural History, African Geographic, and elsewhere. Peterson and Ammann have also collaborated to produce Elephant Reflections and Eating Apes, both published by UC Press.
Table of Contents
1. Spirits
2. Chimeras
3. Unicorns
4. Zarafas
5. Giraffids
6. Bodies
7. Behaviors
8. Mothers
9. Others
10. Kinds
Acknowledgments
Notes
References
Index