Animals

"Birds of North America" is the ultimate family reference on the birds of the United States and Canada, in an accessible format that is perfect for field use.

Written by a team of more than 30 birders and ornithologists, each an expert on certain species or family bird groups, "Birds of North America" brings a whole new level of expertise to the birder's library, all in one category-killing volume. Information on behavior, nesting, and habitat, omitted from many field guides, is included throughout, while books on behavior don't include the wealth of identification information, in as accessible a format, as does this book.

There's no sound quite like it, or as viscerally terrifying: the ominous rattle of the timber rattlesnake. It's a chilling shorthand for imminent danger, and a reminder of the countless ways that nature can suddenly snuff us out.

Yet most of us have never seen a timber rattler. Though they're found in thirty-one states, and near many major cities, in contemporary America timber rattlesnakes are creatures mostly of imagination and innate fear.

Ted Levin aims to change that with America's Snake, a portrait of the timber rattlesnake, its place in America's pantheon of creatures and in our own frontier history--and of the heroic efforts to protect it against habitat loss, climate change, and the human tendency to kill what we fear. Taking us from labs where the secrets of the snake's evolutionary history are being unlocked to far-flung habitats whose locations are fiercely protected by biologists and dedicated amateur herpetologists alike, Levin paints a picture of a fascinating creature: peaceable, social, long-lived, and, despite our phobias, not inclined to bite. The timber rattler emerges here as emblematic of America and also, unfortunately, of the complicated, painful struggles involved in protecting and preserving the natural world.

A wonderful mix of natural history, travel writing, and exemplary journalism, America's Snake is loaded with remarkable characters--none more so than the snake at its heart: frightening, perhaps; endangered, certainly; and unquestionably unforgettable.

Foreword by Jane Goodall

A former student and colleague of Jane Goodall shares stories of chimps and their heroes, and takes readers on a journey to save man's closest relative.

Unbeknownst to much of the public, chimps are in trouble: censuses show them to be extinct in four African countries and nearly so in ten others. A large percentage of the remaining populations live in unprotected, increasingly fragmented forests.

When Nancy Merrick learned these startling facts in 2009, she decided it was past time to discover the extent to which chimpanzees are at risk across Africa and what can be done. Merrick had begun working with primates in 1972 as a young field assistant in Jane Goodall's famous Gombe camp. Like the rest of the world at the time, she was swept up in the excitement of discovering the remarkable world of chimpanzees--their ability to fashion tools, their dazzling intelligence, and their complex relationships and societies. From that moment on, her human-centered worldview shifted, and she became a devoted advocate for our closest genetic relatives.

When Merrick returns to Africa decades later, she's alarmed by how much has changed. Human activity, such as agriculture and logging, has encroached on natural habitats throughout equatorial Africa, endangering chimpanzees, gorillas, and bonobos. In an effort to understand what we can do to save great apes, Merrick connects with primatologists and conservationists who are trying to protect the last great forests. Visits to some of Africa's parks, sanctuaries, and expanding agricultural areas reveal the urgency of the problems and the inspiration of the people leading the search for solutions. Along the way, Merrick demonstrates that the best hope for chimps and other great apes lies in connecting conservation to humanitarian efforts, ensuring a healthy future for animals and humans alike.

Among Chimpanzees is at once an inspiring chronicle of Merrick's personal search to learn how chimps are faring across Africa and in captivity, a crucial eyewitness account of a very critical period in their existence, and a rousing call for us to join the efforts to be a voice for the chimpanzees, before it's too late.

Angel Animals is a collection of stories by ordinary people about the spiritual lessons and truths they've learned from animals. Part one focuses on what angel animals teach people about relationships. Part two covers how angel animals provide lessons on handling life's challenges. In part three angel animals impart lessons on death, dying, and the afterlife. Whether these animals are daily companions or creatures observed in nature, they demonstrate gratitude, survival, courage, and forgiveness. The stories are touching, humorous, and remarkably inspiring. Each one includes a meditation or a question or comment to help readers carry the spirit of these angel animals into their own lives.

While dogs get more credit, cats have perennially proven themselves to be every bit the equal of their canine brethren as humankind's best friend. Angel Cats, inspired by a contest authors Allen and Linda Anderson ran to find the Best Angel Cat story, shows the often extraordinary ways in which these fascinating creatures have responded to human need. Stories feature Paprika, the kitten that may have saved a little Hungarian girl from Russian soldiers; the cat who helped a woman make friends in a hostile workplace; the cats who acted as pacemakers for a sleeping woman with undiagnosed heart problems; and many more. Interwoven with the stories are brief meditations as well as fun facts about cats, such as that cats purr at the same frequency that increases bone density and strengthens and heals fractures. An Ask Cuddles section answers frequently asked questions about the fabulous feline.

David Frei's heartwarming collection of stories about the therapy dogs in his life and the people whom they touch, Angel on a Leash celebrates the "ministry" that Frei shares with his wife, Chaplain Cherilyn Frei, the director of spiritual care at the Ronald McDonald House of New York.Frei may be the most recognizable face and name in the dog sport, as "the Voice of Westminster," the famous New York kennel club for which he has worked for the past two decades, but his true passion in dogs is therapy work.

In the book's eighteen chapters, Frei retells the stories of the everyday miracles he's witnessed his therapy dogs perform over hundreds of trips to their favorite places. Currently in his second generation of therapy dogs, Frei gives his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel "Angel" and Brittany "Grace" all the credit for the life-altering work they do cheering up ailing children at Morgan Stanley's Children's Hospital, spending time with recovering patients at NewYork- Presbyterian Hospital, and placing a paw in the hand of world-weary veterans at the Washington DC VA Medical Center.

Never sappy or sentimental, Frei's writing style is straightforward and honest with a swiftness that keeps the reader turning pages (and wiping tears). Beyond the inspiring storytelling, the book also offers practical advice to potential therapy dog handlers about how to get a dog certified with a proper registry, the responsibilities that accompany therapy work, and the importance of community involvement.

Frei's association with Westminster yielded the formation of a nonprofit organization called Angel on a Leash (the book's namesake), which Frei was the key founder. Although the organization is now a separate entity from its famous "parent," Best in Show winners of Westminster have frequently retired from the show ring into the realm of therapy work, receiving Frei's encouragement and guidance. Among the many exquisite moments captured in the book's photography section are portraits of Rufus, the Colored Bull Terrier; James, the English Spring Spaniel; and Uno, the Beagle, all supreme victors of the famous show, spending time with children on therapy visits.

View the animal kingdom up close as never before in this breathtaking title, which has already sold over 1.5 million copies.

Written by 70 specialists, it features stunning wildlife photography of more than 2000 of the world's most important wild mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects.

With around two million species identified to date, animals are the dominant and most varied form of life on the planet. Animal presents a representative selection, ranging from the giant baleen whale, to fast-moving predators such as sharks, big cats, and birds of prey, as well as microscopic beetles barely 1mm long and other insects. It presents some of the latest species to be described: meet the cute but elusive olinguito from South America, which was only identified in 2013, or the skywalker hoolock gibbon that was named after a Star Wars character in 2017.

Animal also explains how the earth's biodiversity is in sharp decline and the conservation projects underway to safeguard precious species. For each one, it gives a locator map and statistics, including its conservation status.

For anyone who wants a reliable and enthralling reference, in which you can find the answers to everything - from why zebras are striped or how the sunbear got its name - Animal is your essential one-stop guide.

What most think of as the animal kingdom--from elephants to amphibians--in fact accounts for only a tiny portion of the tens of millions of species which scientists speculate inhabit planet Earth.Animal Earth is an unbiased tour of this still largely undiscovered world, illuminating the bizarre appearances and hidden lives of the creatures who share our planet.

What is perhaps more surprising is that this bewildering range of animal species are all offshoots from a relatively small number of lineages, sharing a common body plan and evolutionary history. Animal Earth not only provides an even-handed summary of each, but reflects the latest research on the evolutionary relationships between species. How they all fit on the "tree of life" is a topic that has been debated for decades, not least because new species are being discovered all the time; some lesser-known lineages, such as Chaetognatha (arrow worms) and Xenoturbellida (strange worms) continue to defy classification.

Humans are in a uniquely privileged position, given our technological achievements, to protect animal diversity. As Piper makes clear, each species is an integral component of the ecosystem we live in, and we protect animal diversity not only for its own sake, but to maintain the natural systems that keep us all alive.