| Extreme Nature (Smithsonian Institution) | 
 enlarge | Authors: Mark Carwardine, Rosamund Kidman Cox
Publisher: HarperResource
Category: Book
List Price: £17.78
Buy Used: £17.20
You Save: £0.58 (3%)
Used (7) from £17.20
Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 1811786
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4.1
Dimensions (in): 11.1 x 9.8 x 1.3
ISBN: 006082574X
Dewey Decimal Number: 570
EAN: 9780060825744
ASIN: 006082574X
Publication Date: November 30, 2005
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
Mind-boggling September 3, 2007
Put briefly this is an amazing book! Whether its the vast amount of research carried out, the fantastic photography or the accessibility of writing, Extreme Nature is masterly in almost every way.
It is written in the from of about 150 'record breakers' each taking up a double page spread. On one side is an invariably brilliant photograph featuring the organism in question and taking up the whole page, while on the other are a few short paragraphs explaining the record the animal sets and how & why it does it. The records range from the usual (largest egg) to the more obscure (most imaginative use of dung) and the humorous (sexiest beast)!
One of the best things about this book is the simplicity of writing. Carwardine resists the temptation to write reams about each animal, and condenses the facts down to a couple of well written paragraphs which are easily understood. There are many statistics but he only mentions those that are necessary and they do not stifle the fluidity of the reading.
The wealth of experience and knowledge that Carwardine has brought together in the creation of Extreme Nature is extraordinary. The acknowledgements section covers two pages and contains well over 100 names - world leaders in their various fields of science and photography which accounts for the undeniable quality of the photos as well as the information.
I read Extreme Nature cover to cover but it can also be used as a 'dip in' book to be used now and then. The book shows off evolution and the natural world in all her glory and hopefully will play a part in persuading more people to hep conserve these fantastic animals and plants. Buy, read, enjoy, and be amazed.
Beautiful and interesting January 29, 2006
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book is a great book for anyone interested in animals and nature. It is filled with beautiful photographs of animals, accompanied by interesting facts about their life and existance. Each big photo is joined with a paragraph of text about the creature. The paper quality is high, and printing is good. The photos are colourful and interesting, and the prose is well written and informative. There is just the right amount of text for each photo; enough to offer a proper explanation, but not so much that it looks unaccessible or seems dull. Bullet point style info at the start of each paragraph introduces the main feature of the animal photographed, so you can find basic info at a glance. It is an ideal gift for adults or childen, a great coffee table book or just a nice thing to own if you like nature and photography.
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