Man vs. Beast (Cherub)

Book Description

CHERUB agents are all seventeen and under. They wear skate tees and hemp, and look like regular kids. But they're not. They are trained professionals who are sent out on missions to spy on terrorists and international drug dealers. CHERUB agents hack into computers, bug entire houses, and download crucial documents. It is a highly dangerous job. For their safety, these agents DO NOT EXIST.

Mainstream animal protection groups have always stayed within the law, but a new band of radical liberationists argues that if humans and animals are equal, then it's right to kill or threaten one human in order to save the lives of many animals. In a new mission, James and the other CHERUB agents must go up against the most radical group yet in a daring and violent attempt to save hundreds of lives...including their own.

Customer Reviews:

My daughter loves this series.......2007-07-01

My thirteen-year-old daughter has read the entire series. She stumbled upon the first book while browsing through her English teacher's collection of paperbacks. She was hooked instantly. She bought a copy of Man vs. Beast the day it came out; however, she misplaced it so I'm just now getting around to buying her a second copy. I'm not thrilled about the themes, which involve crime-fighting teens who thwart terrorist attacks. In one of the books, the kids are dispatched to capture a group of eco-terrorists, before they do something or other - I don't recall the details. The stories are action packed and each ends in a cliffhanger. Although I find the themes somewhat objectionable, they're mostly harmless and I have no compunction in letting her read pretty much whatever she wants. According to my daughter, the series would appeal to both boys and girls, ages 10 to 14, or so.

THE BEST BOOKS EVER.......2007-04-24

THE WHOLE CHERUB SERIES ARE THE BEST BOOKS EVER. I READ A TON.

The Beast in the Garden: A Modern Parable of Man and Nature

Average customer rating:

Beast in the Garden Review
Beast in the Garden
I loved this book.
The Beast is Brilliant
A Cautionary Tale for Garden Dwellers

The Beast in the Garden: A Modern Parable of Man and Nature
David Baron
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Animal Rights | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0393058077

Book Description

The true tale of an edenic Rocky Mountain town and what transpired when a predatory species returned to its ancestral home.

When, in the late 1980s, residents of Boulder, Colorado, suddenly began to see mountain lions in their yards, it became clear that the cats had repopulated the land after decades of persecution. Here, in a riveting environmental fable that recalls Peter Benchley's thriller Jaws, journalist David Baron traces the history of the mountain lion and chronicles Boulder's effort to coexist with its new neighbors. A parable for our times, The Beast in the Garden is a scientific detective story and a real-life drama, a tragic tale of the struggle between two highly evolved predators: man and beast. 3 illustrations, 2 maps.

Customer Reviews:

Beast in the Garden Review.......2007-09-19

Extremely well written. I've recommended this book to all my friends and family.. not only is it intriguing and interesting, but its also incredibly informative. It opens your eyes to issues that you probably have not ever thought of. I'd give this book 10 stars if I could.

Beast in the Garden.......2007-06-27

I read this book because a friend at work had it.
I bought two copies from Amazon after reading it: one for me, and one for a friend researching/photographing mountain lions in South Dakota. I've already loaned out my copy to another friend who lives in Colorado and Nebraska and he said he remembers when the Idaho Springs incident happened.
This book is well written and does read like a detective story - but the reality is chilling. I couldn't stop reading it. I can't wait to read it again.
Thanks to Mr. Baron for such excellent work.
Tim Reigert

I loved this book........2007-03-08

"Beast in the Garden" was an extremely interesting book. It was full of facts and entertaining, although although a bit disturbing, at the same time. I live in an area where there are bears in many back yards and this book really takes a very informed look into the suburban/wildlife dynamic. I would definitely recommend it. My daughter is reading it now.

The Beast is Brilliant.......2007-01-09

This is a simply brilliant exposition of the Boulder that I grew up in. Baron examines the situation well and pays attention to the wildlife issues that were relevant at the time and are still relevant now. A few historical problems do come up, but they are merely anecdotal and hardly detract from the story.

Two things really make this a great book:
-if you're from Boulder or the Front Range, you'll be saying "Oh, I've been there" or "Hey, I know that guy" throughout the whole book.
-this book is action-packed. If they could make a movie out of it, they should.

Most of all, Baron pays attention to the characters and really goes in depth with who they are. I'm mostly interested in wildlife, however I found his portrayal of the people the most exciting.

A Cautionary Tale for Garden Dwellers.......2006-11-03

A fitness freak teenager, Scott Lancaster, skips his lunch period to run - his track a mountain trail just upslope from his Idaho Springs, Colorado, high school. The track lies within a few hundred yards of I-70, not far from Colorado's gambling towns, Central City and Black Hawk, about 40 miles west of Denver. Not unusual behavior for a youngster who often cut classes to go running.

But Scott Lancaster did not come back to school or to home. Two days later, a search team including many of Scott's fellow students, about ready to give up looking, found his brutally assaulted body in heavy underbrush, just off his trail.

A Beast in the Garden killed Scott.

The book tells the tale in a readable way. How the Garden came to be. How the wilderness areas at the edge of human development along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains were set aside as nature preserves in which the Beasts could live undisturbed. How the Beasts' natural predators were driven off. How the Beasts adapted to co-existence with the humans at the edges of the Garden. How the Beasts were seen moving further and further into developed areas like Boulder and Idaho Springs. How the Beasts showed their killer instinct with dogs and cats and sheep and other smaller animals. How the Beasts changed their ways, hunting in broad daylight, killing animals people said it feared. How the Beasts repeatedly attacked humans, even though it was said they would not. How a Beast treed Lynda Walters. How Andy Peterson saved himself by gouging out another Beast's eye. How a Beast killed Scott.

The Beasts in the Garden were mountain lions.

The book is the story of a killing and the hunt for the killer. It is also a story of a young naturalist, Michael Sanders, then of the Boulder County Parks and Open Space District, helping humans learn to live with the raccoons and other small invaders from the Garden. Mountain lion sightings piqued Sanders' fascination for big animals. Sanders and others began to build a systematic knowledge base of verified mountain lion sightings. They showed how the population of mountain lions appeared to be growing. How the sightings were of behaviors that proved more and more dangerous to domestic animals, even to humans. How Sanders warned that mountain lions posed significant danger - and was often ignored.

Finally, the book is a study in eco-sociology. Of the forces that created and still maintain the Garden as a preserve for wilderness creatures. Of the conflicting values of those living on the edge of the Garden, those who would remove mountain lions from the Garden, those whose saw humans as the intruders onto the mountain lions' natural home. It is a story that pits neighbor against neighbor. More instructively, it pits Sanders and his friends against the State and Federal park and wilderness managers. It pits emerging reality against common wisdom.

David Baron is a reporter on science and the environment for National Public Radio who first became interested in the behavior of mountain lions in developed areas while doing a 1996 story on a hiker who was killed by a mountain lion near Auburn, CA. His interest took him to the Garden that is the wilderness near Boulder and to Scott Lancaster's and Michael Sanders' stories. Beast in the Garden is a very good read, a well-written mystery that would be thoroughly satisfying were it not for the macabre reality.

The reality is not unique to Colorado's Front Range. My local newspaper has reported many sightings in the town north of my community, sightings and attacks on sheep, goats, and other small animals. A cashier at the local supermarket lost her dog to a mountain lion that is a frequent visitor in the community 15 miles south of mine. A nearby vineyard owner reports a female that has given birth to twin kits annually for several years. The regional paper has reported mountain lion sightings in urban areas, one just a few blocks from the county's community college. On a recent ten-day swing through the Pacific Northwest, there were reports of mountain lion sightings in developed areas in the Tacoma News Tribune, the Vancouver Sun, the Lewiston, Idaho, Tribune, and the Portland Oregonian.

So reality reminds us that my community, a former sheep ranch of about 3000 acres that has been developed with 2300 properties and more than 1500 acres of common land - forests and meadows - is a Garden, too. We, too, are seeing mountain lions. Not just in the forests, but in our meadows, close to the trails along the ocean bluff. Deer kills are reported routinely. We, too, have lost some of the sheep we keep to reduce fire risk, and there are musings about pets that have gone missing. No attacks on humans - yet.

The lessons in Beast in the Garden do not stop at the Front Range; they are applicable in my community - and maybe yours.

Albertus Magnus, being the approved, verified, sympathetic and natural Egyptian secrets, White and black art for man and beast ... being the forbidden knowledge of ancient philosophers

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Albertus Magnus, being the approved, verified, sympathetic and natural Egyptian secrets, White and black art for man and beast ... being the forbidden knowledge of ancient philosophers
Albertus
Manufacturer: De Laurence Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Magic | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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Man and the Beasts (Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies)

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Albert the Great - Man & Beasts: A Handy Companion...

Man and the Beasts (Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies)

Manufacturer: Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Medieval | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Customer Reviews:

Albert the Great - Man & Beasts: A Handy Companion..........2000-06-24

As an Albertist for over ten years now, please do accept my judgement on this book where it may be found. As publisher of the only Complete Works of Albertus Magnus, I was delighted to read this translated summary from Albert's Opera Omnia. Amazon is offering another work, much fuller in scope on the De Animalibus of Albert, but I have not read it yet. Still, that is probably a very good offering as well (as Father Wallace O.P., the fine Dominican Scholar, guided Ken Kitchell, editing author of the newer work).

Customer Reviews:

A book too little read.......2006-10-02

Many people assume that the only ones who flinch from reductionist accounts of human nature are religious believers who 'lust after skyhooks' pace Dennett and are afraid of losing a sense of mystery, or have a godlike view of human nature they are anxious to preserve. Not so. This book, certainly one of the best introductions and critique of Darwinian theories of human nature on the market, shows that you do not have to be religious to feel concerned (and rightly so) about the extravagant claims of some 'Universal Darwinists' when it comes to what makes us human. Kenan Malik takes us on a fascinating journey into history, revealing the roots of the current obsession with dehumanizing views of human nature. Especially after the 2nd World War many people lost all faith in human decency and thus were more disposed to view people as 'zombies' or 'beasts', essentially survival machines with no higher qualities. Also contributing to the dehumanizing was the struggle of evolutionary biologists to defend the legitimacy of evo-bio as a 'real science' against the imperialist reductionism of molecular biology.

Malik makes observations which should not be overlooked or taken for granted by anyone interested in what it means to be human. He rightly observes that at the root of the current confusion over human nature is our lack of a way to conceive of ourselves as both subject and object; as a subject we are (presumably) social, reflexive, rational beings who have real responsibility and agency, but as objects we are obviously biological machines, made of hydrocarbons and molded through natural selection. To study human nature scientifically is to encounter this paradox at its most profound, since in this case we are both the subject performing the inquiry and the object of our investigation. He is surely right that while human beings are immanent in nature, in the sense that we and our minds are products of biological evolution, we are also in some sense transcendent to it, as revealed by our ability to do science. For many modern thinkers the temptation is just too great to deny human transcendence and view human beings solely as objects, even though this view is self-refuting: if we are just biological machines obeying the dictates of genes and culture, how do we know that science isn't just another adaptive fiction? How we make sense of ourselves as rational creatures?

Interestingly, although Malik makes telling, scientifically informed (he is a research psychologist) critiques of current trends in evolutionary psychology and stresses the need to hold a view of human nature adequate to our self-understanding as rational, responsible creatures, he does not go very far in resolving the paradox he reveals. He makes some interesting remarks on the need for a theory of 'social selection', the semiotic capacities of language and the 'extended mind' all of which are probably in the right direction, but his own account of human distinctiveness falls short of his own goal. Clearly we still have a long way to go in our study of human nature.

The one glaring omission in this otherwise magisterial manifesto is attention to religious perspectives on human nature. Beliefs about the soul are mentioned only in passing in his historical analysis, and Malik does not consider the possibility that religious perspectives, such as the Christian theory of human nature, might go a long way towards resolving the paradox of object/subject distinction. Indeed, Malik almost betrays a religious orientation himself, but in the end affirms his belief in the Enlightenment ideal of human goodness, which may be, in the words of Jeffrey Burton Russell, "the most counterfactual idea in human history".

All in all an enormously important, controversial book which has not received its due attention because of the celebrity-mongering of Darwinian superstars like Steven Pinker and Jared Diamond. One can only hope that more people will read this book and start asking questions before the view of man-as-zombie or man-as-beast becomes too firmly entrenched in our cultural understanding, with possibly disastrous consequences. Finally, it has great potential, which is not recognized by its author, to harmonize religious and scientific perspectives on human nature. Our self-understanding as rational, responsible creatures is simply not up for grabs, something that religious voices in the science-religion dialogue have been stressing for decades. Another highly recommended, indispensable read.

Excellent overview of current theories of human nature.......2006-07-21

First-rate guide to the history and current status of human nature. Overall it's depressing, which I took to be accurate reporting.

The first 100 pages are wonderful. Malik's history of human nature up to the mid-20th century I found brilliant, extremely insightful, the best account of that history I could imagine. Just those 100 pages would make this an extremely useful and valuable book. He does go at a fair clip, though, so it might not mean much to someone altogether new to the material. But it's clearly expressed and it makes a masterful refresher to the resources propping up our current notions of human nature.

Great, I thought. I'm in the hands of the perfect guide--well-informed, intelligent, sensitive--to the next 50 years, to which Malik gives the next 200 pages, bringing the story up-to-date.

Those 200 pages were a slog. They seemed rambling and repetitive. The subject matter seemed trivial compared to what had come before. I wondered why he and I were bothering with it. Where was the meat and potatoes?

And that, I think, is the real story of this book. There is no meat and potatoes any more. The tradition's stopped, and Malik's failure to make the story gripping is a due reflection of that---he's reporting fairly. As he describes it, the main intellectual activity over the past 50 years---at least as far as science is concerned--has been coming up with paradoxes and pitting one paradox against another, like boys playing scissors, paper, stone in the schoolyard. "You attack mine, and I'll attack yours, and we both get to publish," something like that. But who else, Malik seems to feel, needs to care? He does due diligence, but his heart's not in. So he regurgitates one minor variant on determinism after another, ranging from beast to zombie and back again, to each of which he makes not very convincing objections. He does, though, explain several times why this all matters, what's at stake when we shrink human nature down to a one-inch square box.

Most disappointing to me were the final two chapters where he gives his own account of the rudiments of human nature. Clearly he's master of the material, both the history and the current theories. But he's unable to break out of the box limiting the theories he criticizes. He says, on the one hand, that human nature can come only from either genes or culture (including socialization) or a combination of both. But then he says humans can "transcend" those, without explaining where that ability comes from. He seems to assume that this is a universally shared belief. Coming from him, I felt I had to assume it is indeed universally assumed.

So, no magic bullet, no penicillin, but a thorough round-up of where we stand today with respect to human nature. Not a pretty picture.

A Balanced Assessment of the Evolutionary Psychology.......2003-05-03

Ever since Richard Dawkins preached modern 'Neo-Darwinism' in his book, 'The Selfish Gene', a tremendous debate has been raging in academic departments, and amoungst the general public, as to how influential the entities we call 'genes' are in determining human nature. .....

Those who know their history will recall that the current debates about genetics seem disturbingly close sometimes to the ideas about race, genetics and human nature in the early 20th century which ultimately culminated in nightmarish and barbaric events such as the forced sterilisation of 'unfit' people, even in bastions of freedom like America and Europe, and in Nazi Germany, the attempted extermination of an entire people solely on the base of their 'race.' Malik's study attempts to understand the intellectual and historical basis of these ideas, and updates them in light of recent scientific developments in evolutionary biology.

Malik carefully traces the historical outlines of the debate over exactly what role inheritance plays in human nature, drawing on a remarkably broad and eclectic base of history, philosophy, biology, anthropology and psychology. Malik carefully argues a human nature is not entirely determined by ones genes, but is rather something constructed from both one's genetic inheritance and culture.

What makes this book so good is that Malik presents a balanced assessment of this controversial issue-'nature vs nurture'- without descending into the dismissive, arrogant and narrow viewpoint of an idealogue. His wonderful assessment of one area, sociobiology, and the tragic and colourful human figures who invented it, is just one fine example out of many. It makes a refreshing change from Dawkins or Dennett, or their creationist/constructionist enemies, who seem to base their works on dismissive rhetoric rather than the good, solid argument coloured with sound historical understanding and an awareness of the human condition that characterises Malik.

This book is thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended for insight into the debates about evolutionary psychology around today.

The dehumanizing power of the scientific world-view.......2002-05-19

Is there such a thing? And if so how has this contributed to our confusion in defining ourselves? Pick one: man, beast or Zombie. Notice that I said pick one while Malik's title MAN, BEAST, AND ZOMBIE implies that the choices are not mutually exclusive; choosing all three is a valid selection. I'll defer to Malik and simply say that he's convincing with his arguments in this well written and thoughtful book.

Malik's main purpose with this book is to show that much of our current thinking about human nature is incorrect. The focus is on evolutionary theory, sociobiology, evolutionary psychology, and cognitive science. Malik highlights the areas within each field that are seemingly in agreement on what makes us human, but the real value of this book, and what Malik does exceptionally well, is show how the abiding contradictions are largely steeped in politics and that by understanding this we can emerge with a clear idea of human nature. Far from arguing that science has contributed to a dehumanizing vision of ourselves and that genetic determinism and Darwinism is off, Malik says it's "mostly right" but that "when it comes to the science of Man" things are different. Malik shows how one can support Darwinism but still have a humanistic view of our nature. He's certainly not saying that science is a social construction, but he also does not agree with Daniel Dennett who explains all mental and social aspects of humanity in mechanistic terms as adaptations of evolution. In Malik's capable hands the divide between evolutionary psychology and sociobiology is illuminated and is seen in terms of a philosophical and political argument, but one that is still about the same underlying evolutionary truth. The same can be said for the seeming uncrossable chasm between evolutionary psychology and cognitive ethology. Malik himself takes a position. He sides with Dennett and says that animal behavior tells us nothing about human nature and that studying modern hunter-gatherers can't tell us much about stone-age man. He spends a bit of time refuting Jared Diamond's arguments and pretty much ignores cognitive ethologists. Malik believes that the idea of "self" or consciousness is created by language and thus defines what makes humans unique. Malik's view however is no more than just another position, as is any other, on the same philosophical/political spectrum.

This book is a very useful contribution to the ongoing debate about human nature. It is eloquent in arguing against a deterministic, materialistic, and mechanistic view of humanity. Equally cogently argued is Malik's belief that we should steer clear of an overly humanistic view that borders on mysticism. I'm not disappointed that Malik doesn't (or can't) define an ideal resting point, as it simply proves that reality remains a mix of both the physical and that which is in the consciousness. And where we place reality is still a function of where each of us sits on that all important philosophical/political spectrum.

Average customer rating:

Pretty Sweet

A long book

Noah took two of everything?

A good read for the Art Bell crowd

Unique and inherently fascinating reading

The Beasts that Hide from Man: Seeking the World's Last Undiscovered Animals
Karl P.N. Shuker
Manufacturer: Paraview Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Animals | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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Cryptozoology: Science & Speculation

Cryptozoology A To Z: The Encyclopedia of Loch Monsters, Sasquatch, Chupacabras, and Other Authentic Mysteries of Nature

Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents, and Other Mystery Denizens of the Deep

Thunderbirds: America's Living Legends of Giant Birds

Rumors of Existence: Newly Discovered, Supposedly Extinct, and Unconfirmed Inhabitants of the Animal Kingdom

ASIN: 1931044643

Book Description

Cryptozoology -- the study of hidden animals -- is gaining attention thanks to a startling number of zoological discoveries. Karl P.N. Shuker has collected evidence of these mysterious, somewhat mythical creatures in THE BEASTS THAT HIDE FROM MAN. Shuker provides entertaining, solidly researched tales about extraordinary animals. Shuker also provides a supplement to Bernard Heuvelmans's checklist of cryptozoological animals, which contains updated information on unknown creatures.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty Sweet.......2007-02-07

This book is great for anyone who is into CryptoZoology, and I mean people who are HARDCORE into it, and don't want to hear about the same old bigfoot, Aliens, and Chupacobra stories, I have to say every single one of the creatures in this book I have never heard of, it is truly great. Only problem is the author gets way into things, and explains things you really dont care about, like the mongolian deathworm section, he goes on comparing it to different lizards. Other than that, it is a great buy, and I would suggest it for anyone who is into the paranormal

A 4...out of 5.

A long book.......2006-09-10

I felt the book could have been condensed in half. The section on the Mongolian Death Worm was over 50 pages, and could have been condensed to a half dozen pages. I thought many of the subjects were a little drawn out and I lost interest. The subjects on the giant black panther in South America and the unicorn on the other hand could have been more detailed. The book definitely covers a lot of material and mentions many animals and plants that I have never heard of. There is no question that Dr. Shuker is totally objective in his analysis of these subjects and is a very knowledeable zoologists. The accusation in one review that Dr. Shuker is fantasizing over these creatures and belongs on the Art Bell show is not true. In fact, I felt that he was too cautious and dismissive of witness' accounts when it came to these unknown creatures. This book is not the interesting mystery reading of Loren Myer, but it definitely is scholarly written and suited more for the educated sceptic that wants to learn more about the subject of unknown animals.

Noah took two of everything?.......2006-01-26

Author Karl P.N. Shuker certainly is more liberal than I in assessing the legitimacy of strange animal sightings, myths, and legends. However, he is also much more conservative than others claiming Bigfoot exists behind every door!

Shuker, in his book The Beasts That Hide from Man: Seeking the World's Last Undiscovered Animals, tries to ferret out the truth when it comes to purported sightings or knowledge of mysterious beasts, such as the Mongolia Death Worm. From giant birds to sea serpents, he works to uncover connections between what IS known with what MAY be. For example, he reviewed what is known about giant birds, and discussed theories as to why a few very large eggs have been uncovered in Australia. Clearly he takes his investigations seriously.

It is very easy to be critical of this search for ..."the World's Last Undiscovered Animals." I have stuffed in my copy a review of a book discussing the "rediscovery" of cougars in Michigan and an article on cougars in Illinois (see pages 276-277 in The Beasts That Hide from Man), and articles about scientists discovering a new species of monkey in Africa, the highland mangabey, and a new rodent discovered in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (25 cm long... and found in a food market). There are animals waiting to be discovered!

I wish Karl P.N. Shuker was more critical in his approach to crytozoology. However, as I said above, he is more critical, and demanding of evidence, than most cryptozoologists. As far as this book, a number of the artist renditions were of poor quality, and the book would have been well served with Shuker partnering with an artist to develop new sketches. For these reasons, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

I look forward to using examples from this book to get budding naturalists to observe well, report accurately, and think critically. And if you've seen ANYTHING out of the ordinary, I suspect Karl P.N. Shuker would like to know.

A good read for the Art Bell crowd.......2005-06-24

A scintillating waste of good vocabulary and research about pure mythology. No, it's not worth the price.

Unique and inherently fascinating reading.......2004-04-03

Cyptozooly is the study of hidden animals-- those lifeforms that were so unseen as to often be thought of as mythical creatures. In The Beasts That Hide From Man: Seeking The World's Last Undiscovered Animals, Karl P.N. Shuker (Scientific Fellow, Zoological Society of London) draws upon his many years of experience and expertise in zoology, cryptozoology, animal mythology, and wildlife anomalies to provide his readers with amazingly accessible and "reader friendly" accounts of such diverse fauna as the "dobhar-chu" (Ireland's murders master otter); Mongolia's "death worm" (which is reported to electrocute its victims); Ethiopia's blood-drinking "death bird"; the "tzuchinoko (a bizarre Japanese snake); as well as sea serpents, hairy reptiles, furry fish, living unicorns, and a great deal more. Strongly recommended to the attention of zoology students as well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in wildlife and animal-related mythos, The Beasts That Hide From Man is unique and inherently fascinating reading from cover to cover!

A Cordiall Water: A Garland of Odd and Old Receipts to Assuage the Ills of Man and Beast

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Literary Medicine

A Cordiall Water: A Garland of Odd and Old Receipts to Assuage the Ills of Man and Beast
M. F. K. Fisher
Manufacturer: Shoemaker & Hoard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gastronomy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

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Accessories:

ASIN: 1593760299

Book Description

First published in 1961, A Cordiall Water collects a charming mixed bag of nostrums, elixirs, restoratives, and fortifiers and intersperses them with autobiographical anecdotes from M. F. K. Fisher’s life in California, Provence, Mexico and Switzerland. These engaging recipes, “a perfect combination of superstition, instinct, and primitive knowledge” deal with commonplace ailments—sore throats, cures for cats, aging skin, fevers, PMS and hangovers. Ingredients of these extraordinary receipts are transformed into cures and preventatives told in the inimitable style of this master of the finely observed life.

Customer Reviews:

Literary Medicine.......1998-09-25

With her distinct voice, M.F.K. Fisher discusses the medical, cultural, social, and emotional attributes of traditional folk remedies and medical treatments. This small, gentle book is a "must" read for those interested in new age, herbal, and alternative treatment for maladies, illnesses, and the physical and mental stresses of contemporary society. It could be effectively argued that this book is a classic in the way it discusses our reliance, and more effective usage, of plants, elixers, and other "cordial waters" to enhance our sense of wholeness.

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Man and Beast in Africa
Francois Sommer
Manufacturer: Herbert Jenkins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MADZ32

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SHAITAN A NOVEL ABOUT MAN INTO BEAST

Manufacturer: Arbor House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H1YPZ8

Land of Lost Monsters: Man Against Beast--The Prehistoric Battle for the Planet

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Land of Lost Monsters: Man Against Beast-The Prehistoric
The Land of Lost Monsters

Land of Lost Monsters: Man Against Beast--The Prehistoric Battle for the Planet
Ted Oakes
Manufacturer: Hylas Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Early Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 159258005X

Book Description

After the huge success of Walking With Dinosaurs and Walking With Beasts, we now have from the same BBC stable Land of Lost Monsters. New archaeological evidence suggests that as our ancestors spread out across the planet they battled with colossal predatory mammals, strange birds, and chilling reptiles. Land of Lost Monsters reconstructs the extraordinary moments when modern humans first encountered these creatures. The first humans never saw dinosaurs, but they certainly fought with their ancestors. After the dinosaurs, huge ripper lizards, carnivorous kangaroos, doglike bears and woolly rhinoceros roamed the earth, but few know our ancestors lived with these now extinct beasts. Land of Lost Monsters looks at what happened when our ancestors met these extraordinary creatures. Did we hunt them or were we hunted? And why did they disappear? Supported by a major event on Animal Planet (July 27, 2003). Using dramatic reconstructions and spectacular "photographs" of prehistoric monsters combined with the latest archaeological and scientific discoveries, Land of Lost Monsters tells the universal story of our journey out of Africa across the continents.

Customer Reviews:

Land of Lost Monsters: Man Against Beast-The Prehistoric .......2004-11-24

"Land of Lost Monsters: Man Against Beast - The Prehistoric Battle for the Planet" written by Ted Oakes with Amanda Kear, Annie Bates, and Kathryn Holmes is a book the chronicals the BBC series of the same name and has some brilliant photography work associated with it. This chronilogical narrative takes us on a jouney as to what our ancestors must have seen as they began to migrate from Africa to all parts of the Earth.

"Land of Lost Monsters" takes us on a prehistoric journey throughout the world as man moves to find different parts of the globe through exploration and the animals that they met along the way. The book is divided into sections or chapters covering man's exploration as follows:

Africa
Australia
Europe
New World
Islands

Each of these sections reveals to the reader what early man found upon landing in these areas, and whether man was the hunter or were they prey according to what was found in these different areas. I found the book to be a very easy read and it is geared toward the young reader with inherent knowledge toward exploration and the dangers that accompany it. The book is appointed with very well placed photographic illustrations annotating and emphasizing and evoking interest to the subject matter at hand.

But during the last stages of the Pleistocene epoch, the most amazing creatures started to disappear, victims of a mysterious extinction. The scale of the vanishing is startling: South America lost 80 percent of its large animal genera, North America lost 73 percent, Eurasia 30 percent, Australia lost 86 percent, and the oceanic islands lost a staggering 95 percent of their large birds and animals. So what happened to the Earth's monsters? The answers are within the pages of this book and they make sense, but imagine this... killer plagues, climate changes, and human arrival all played a part and you'll read as to what extent each played.

"Land of Lost Monsters" is a solid 4 star book and is written for the lay-person to easily understand and keep your interest. There is an adequate further reading index if you want to learn more about this subject and the index is comprehensive. I liked the book for it's readability and it's logical presentation with plausible answers to the questions posed making this book a fast and interesting evocative read.

The Land of Lost Monsters.......2004-10-17

Phew! 'Am certainly glad these monsters are extinct! Terrible Cats, 15-foot shot-faced Bears, Eagles that hunt 7-foot flightless birds and huge, hairy elephant-like creatures are all among the animals featured in this wonderfull book - Land of Lost Monsters (known as Monsters we Met in countries apart from the U.S). One thing I like about this book is it goes into the nitty-gritty details about the megafauna our own species, Homo sapiens sapiens, met. From 65,000 years ago in Australia to as little as 1200 AD (about 700 years ago) in New Zeaand, Land of Lost Monsters covers the whole Ice Age period when Homo sapiens travelled aorund the world. Get it now, but make sure you don't miss out Walking with Beasts and Walking with Dinosaurs!

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