Synopses & Reviews
"A fun and educational visit to some of the world's most intriguing ecosystems with Jeff Corwin as the guide. Whether you are an armchair naturalist or a field biologist, you'll enjoy reading this book!"
--Mark J. Plotkin, Ph.D., President, Amazon Conservation Team
"Jeff Corwin's delightful book about his animal adventures around the globe is an easy and enjoyable read, in the grand tradition of Gerald Durrell. It also establishes him as not just one of today's most popular nature program hosts but also as a serious wildlife biologist and a committed conservationist. Indeed, this book succeeds in capturing both the wonder of nature and the urgent need to conserve it-- and is indicative of Jeff's increasingly important role as a biodiversity crusader."
--Russell A. Mittermeier, Ph.D., President, Conservation International
"One minute Jeff's telling you a story and you're riveted and laughing, and then suddenly you realize that this story is about the mating habits of frogs or the exoskeletal makeup of ants, and then you realize that learning about nature shouldn't be this fun. That's Jeff's genius."
--Josh Dean, Deputy Editor, Men's Journal
Live on the edge and explore the amazing relationships in the natural world.
No one engages (some might say provokes) the natural world in quite the way that Jeff Corwin does. As one of America's favorite television naturalists, he demonstrates not only awe but respect for nature with a delivery that is simultaneously hilarious and informative. In this, his first book, we travel with Jeff as he reminisces about his at-times-perilous journeys and why he fell in love with the locales he visits. Illustrated with his own beautiful photographs, he captures the adventurous and educational spirit that fans of his show expect while exploring, first-hand, the fantastic relationships among the diverse flora and fauna in four exotic ecosystems:
The Sonoran Desert of Arizona, which is unique to North America. When the monsoon rains come, the desert spills over with hawks, Gila monsters, snakes, toads, and the desert horned lizard that ejects a blood-like squirt from its eyes when in danger.
The Savannah of southeastern Africa, where the perpetual conflict between predator and prey reaches its zenith as we witness both the competition to eat-or-be-eaten and survival of the fittest. We follow a day and night in the lives of zebras, crocodiles, cheetahs, hyenas, and rhinos.
The Costa Rican rainforest, with butterflies as big as a hand, snakes as fat as an arm, and trees wider than a truck, the rainforest hosts the creeping strangler fig tree, amazing poison dart frogs, ants with mandibles so strong they can suture a wound, and a number of deadly serpents.
The Llanos, a grassland in Venezuela that houses creatures adapted to both the very wet and the very dry months. Follow Monstra, a giant anaconda, as she feeds and breeds; swim with the giant river otters; wade through a stream teeming with turtles; and meet storks, armadillos, tegu lizards, and perhaps the most bizarre turtle on the planet.
With Jeff as our guide, we'll witness the interdependence and competition among these wonderfully unique creatures in their natural habitats in a lavish book that will entertain and educate readers of all ages.
Review
"A fun and educational visit to some of the world's most intriguing ecosystems with Jeff Corwin as the guide. Whether you are an armchair naturalist or a field biologist, you'll enjoy reading this book!"--Mark J. Plotkin, Ph.D., President, Amazon Conservation Team
"Jeff Corwin's delightful book about his animal adventures around the globe is an easy and enjoyable read, in the grand tradition of Gerald Durrell. It also establishes him as not just one of today's most popular nature program hosts but also as a serious wildlife biologist and a committed conservationist. Indeed, this book succeeds in capturing both the wonder of nature and the urgent need to conserve it-- and is indicative of Jeff's increasingly important role as a biodiversity crusader."--Russell A. Mittermeier, Ph.D., President, Conservation International
"One minute Jeff's telling you a story and you're riveted and laughing, and then suddenly you realize that this story is about the mating habits of frogs or the exoskeletal makeup of ants, and then you realize that learning about nature shouldn't be this fun. That's Jeff's genius."--Josh Dean, Deputy Editor, Men's Journal
Review
"His passion for the wildlife he's studying is so strong... People familiar with Corwin's television specials will savor this book, and other armchair travelers will also find it an enjoyable voyage into exotic locales." --
Publishers Weekly"My two favorite things in life are animals and humor. Although animals can be funny, it takes someone like Jeff Corwin to make them come alive and leap off the page. I highly recommend this book." --Ellen Degeneres
"One minute Jeff's telling you a story and you're riveted and laughing, and then suddenly...you realize that learning about nature shouldn't be this fun. That's Jeff's genius." --Josh Dean, deputy editor, Men's Journal
"A fun and educational visit to some of the world's most intriguing ecosystems." --Mark J. Plotkin, Ph.D., president, Amazon Conservation Team
Review
His passion for the wildlife he's studying is so strong... People familiar with Corwin's television specials will savor this book, and other armchair travelers will also find it an enjoyable voyage into exotic locales. Publishers Weekly
Review
My two favorite things in life are animals and humor. Although animals can be funny, it takes someone like Jeff Corwin to make them come alive and leap off the page. I highly recommend this book. Ellen Degeneres
Review
One minute Jeff's telling you a story and you're riveted and laughing, and then suddenly...you realize that learning about nature shouldn't be this fun. That's Jeff's genius. Josh Dean, deputy editor, Men's Journal
Review
A fun and educational visit to some of the world's most intriguing ecosystems. Mark J. Plotkin, Ph.D., president, Amazon Conservation Team
Synopsis
One of America's favorite nature show hosts gives readers the adventure and education they expect from him while exploring rare wildlife in four exotic ecosystems.
Synopsis
Now Available in Paperback!No one engages the natural world the way Jeff Corwin does. One of America's favorite nature-show hosts, Corwin demonstrates awe and respect for nature in a way that is both wildly funny and educational. In this beautiful book, illustrated with his own photographs, he reminisces about his at-times-perilous and often hilarious journeys as he explores the fantastic relationships among the diverse flora and fauna in four exotic ecosystems: the Sonoran Desert of Arizona; the Savannah of southeastern Africa; the Costa Rican rainforest; and the Llanos grassland in Venezuela. From a lizard that ejects a blood-like squirt from its eyes when in danger to perhaps the most bizarre turtle on the planet-we meet some wonderfully unique creatures and learn about their interdependence and competition in their natural habitats.
About the Author
Explorer, naturalist, and wildlife biologist
Jeff Corwin is the executive producer and host of the popular Animal Planet television series
The Jeff Corwin Experience, currently in its fourth year, and host of the forthcoming shows
King of the Jungle and
Jeff Corwin Unleashed. Jeff firmly believes that it is through education and awareness that the natural resources, wildlife, and ecosystems that make up our planet will be conserved for future generations.
Jeff earned two bachelor of science degrees, in biology and anthropology, from Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts and a masters of science in wildlife and fisheries conservation from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst; in 1999 he was honored with a doctorate in public education from Bridgewater State for his lifelong work in communicating to the public the need for a sustainable approach to using natural resources and the importance of conserving endangered species. Jeff is also the founder of the interactive EcoZone Wetlands Museum in Norwell, Massachusetts. When he's not in the field he resides on a small island off the coast of New England with his wife, Natasha, and baby daughter, Maya Rose.