Bonner is a master developmental/evolutionary biologist who is best known for his work on the development and morphogenesis of a little known group of organisms called slime molds. A wonderful group of organisms, by the way. In this book, however, Bonner takes on the task of explaining how natural selection can produce increasingly complex systems of living things. A formidable challenge.

The book contains 8 chapters, as follows:

1. A brief summary of Darwinian evolution, along with an indication of the purpose of the book.

In this section Bonner addresses issues such as time, what natural selection is, and the roles that factors such as development, ecology, behavior, and genetics play in the processes of evolution. This chapter is a great primer on ideas regarding natural selection.

2. Evidence for the evolution of size increase (and decrease) from the fossil record.

In this chapter Bonner presents data from the fossil record (which is unavoidably biased) that indicates how the size of things have changed over time. He makes a case that, generally speaking, things have tended to get larger over time.

3. The size of organisms in ecological communities.

Here is a good thought to consider while reading this chapter...organisms of increased size are necessarily more structurally complex than smaller organisms, but, complexity that allowed increases in size to occur existed BEFORE those size increases took place (e.g., mammals). In this chapter Bonner considers topics such as relations between the size and abundance of organisms, size and life histories, size changes wtihin a species, and size in sexual selection. A great chapter full of thought provoking ideas!

4. A problem in developmental biology: Why and how larger plants and animals are built.

In this chapter Bonner addresses these topics: ways to become multicellular; selective forces for multicellularity; development of support structures (thus allowing increased size); proportions and size; developmental steps and size; and the legacy (opportunities and constraints) of past developments.

5. The relation between the complexity of communities and the size, diversity, and abundance of the organisms within them.

This is the chapter that will catch ecologists' eyes. In this chapter Bonner discusses what complexity is, relationships between diversity, abundance, and size, connections between diversity and habitat, and the evolution of diversity. Great stuff!

6. How size affects the internal complexities of organisms in their evolution and in their development.

This was my favorite chapter in the book. Since I have done a good chunk of research on clonal animals, I was interested in reading Bonner's thoughts on clonal versus aclonal animals (the first topic in this chapter). He also addresses topcis such as size and internal complexity, cell size and internal complexity, how large complex organisms are built, plasticity in development, the evolution of internal complexity, and related ideas. This chapter will catch the attention of developmental/evolutionary biologists.

7. Animal behavior: The pinnacle of biological complexity.

In this chapter Bonner looks at relationships between behavior and nervous systems, and natural selection and behavior.

8. The evolution of complexity: A conclusion with three insights.

Bonner concludes with three insights: 1) somatic versus genomic complexity; 2) size-complexity connections; and 3) and connections between integration and isolation.

Though this book is now 12 years old, it is well worth the effort. Bonner does a great job of making complex ideas understandable, and he is able to bring the professional and advanced amateur along for the ride. At 241 pp. this book is not a daunting challenge. It is a great addition to anyone's library!

5 stars, no doubt about it!

Alan Holyoak, Dept of Biology, Manchester College, IN

I brought this book from a book store overseas. The drawing of the pictures inside are very delicate and full of christmas joy. Besides the main theme of the story, there are things like searching for the cute kitten and ducklings inside the pictures. My four years old daughter keep on flipping through the pages reading the book and adding a lot of imagination to the story when she open the flaps inside. She managed to read the story again herself after I have read it once to her.

My 2 year old daughter loves this book! She has memorized it and can "read" it to herself! Fat Cat finds himself in a tree and becomes responsible for the eggs in a birds' nest. Fat Cat's friends want him to play but he declines as he is helping the little birdies hatch from the eggs. It teaches a a very timely lesson of accepting responsibility for your actions. This is not a lift-a-flap book, however there are 2 pages that unfold to advance the story. My daughter loves to open those pages. Also, with its big print and simple text, it is a great book for children who are just learning how to read.

Our children loved the Felix Activity Book and could not wait for the sequel. They absolutely love Felix Explores Our World even more! This wonderful book is full of challenging adventures for children of all levels.

Review by Jeff VanderMeer Jeffvan@freenet.fsu.edu

THE FINAL DREAM AND OTHER STORIES by Daniel Pearlman

268 pages/ Short Story Collection/ ISBN#1 882633-05-9 /Trade Paperback $14.95 list price /Permeable Press 47 Noe Street #4 San Francisco, CA 94114-1017

Daniel Pearlman writes science fiction stories in which the ideas are often so interesting that characters may seem secondary to his purpose. The key word is "seem" because I hasten to add that Pearlman's characters are rarely wooden, but, like Stanislaus Lem, Pearlman's fictions build on a foundation of crosshatching and cross-referenced ideas; often, very whimsical and playful ideas.

The three best stories in The Final Dream-- "Taking From the Top," "Megabride," and "A Moebius Trip"--demonstrate a dazzling ability to play with the conceptions and conventions of science fiction. In a better world, these stories would have won or at least been finalists for the Nebula Award.

"Taking From the Top," first published in Synergy, concocts a future in which senior citizens must gather "life points" by buying them or earning them through community service. If you need hospitalization and don't have enough life points (no one is sure of how many life points they have), the doctors put you to sleep instead of operating on you. The hero of the piece, John Cedars, a scholar of Robert Frost, needs heart surgery, but isn't sure he has enough life points. Without heart surgery, he won't be able to finish his book on Frost, excerpts from which are strategically placed throughout the novella for maximum thematic resonance. In Cedars quest to determine his life point status, Pearlman gives the reader a brilliantly satirical (and, frankly, laugh-out-loud) scene in which a life points adjuster tries to rate Cedars school of literary theory against more current schools. Cedars other life points come from community service, such as cleaning up trash. At one point, the adjuster tells him he needs "eighty- seven pounds of litter, or thirty-seven pages of the sort of literary criticism you've been producing" to bring him up to ten "LP's." A second remarkable scene occurs when Cedars tries to buy life points off a woman through a life points dealer. The pathos of this scene contrasts starkly with the story's satirical element; it is Pearlman's ability to balance such disparate elements that makes "Taking From the Top" such a marvelous work of fiction.

"Megabride" features the detective Merkouros and a case of apparent plagiarism. Merkouros is a magnificent creation--a dedicated, somewhat overzealous investigator from another dimension who tracks criminals from Earth to Earth. In less skilled hands, this concept might have made for a cheesy 1950s sci-fi piece, but Pearlman manages to create a work of real daring and precision. The experimental use of point-of-view, the magnificent conundrum of ideas, and some very playful misdirection, give "Megabride" the beauty of a mathematical equation. "A Moebius Trip," which also features Merkouros, shares these qualities, although "Megabride" is the more elegant story.

The title story "The Final Dream" postulates a future in which, to avoid nightmares, people plug in to dreams created by dreamspinners. Then the dreams start turning sour. The story is as ambitious as "Taking From the Top," but the plot falters toward the end as the reason behind the bad dreams lacks the imaginativeness of Pearlman's other fictions; in the absence of same, "The Final Dream" provides solid entertainment. Other stories of note include "The Defenders of the Golden Tower," "The Ground Under Man," and "And Baby Makes Five." Stories such as "The Heart of the Overchild" and "From Here to Eternitape," however, seem clunky by comparison, the satirical element completely overwhelming character; they also lack the playfulness evident in Pearlman's other fiction.

The majority of stories in The Final Dream work precisely because Pearlman's ideas are, unlike those of so many science fiction writers, firmly grounded in precise observations about human society and the human condition. When character and idea are in balance, Pearlman's stories positively shine; when this balance is upset, Pearlman's stories seem heavy-handed and derivative. Luckily, the delights of The Final Dream far outweigh the few misfires. In addition, Permeable Press must be commended for producing such a fine-looking book with a spectacular cover painting and design by Ellen Alva Hales.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to give a young child (or even adult) the gift of language. This book provides step-by-step language learning with phonetic pronunciation along with cultural tips, idiomatic expressions, and visual appeal. It is perfect for children who want to learn French as they will be captured by the presentation of the language in this book.

I really enjoyed this book. It has great graphics with fun activities to help you learn. Most of the page layouts are big pictures with the German words or phrases pointing to the items they correspond to. There is a word box on each page with the German word and English translation along with how to pronouce the German version. The pronunciation is very helpful if you are not familiar with how the language sounds. It covers rooms in the house, buildings in the city, counting, foods, furniture items, times of the day, some common verbs, colors, etc. It includes games, puzzles, jokes, and some songs to help with the learning and to keep it interesting. It also has a word list at the end of the book with all the words and phrases used in the book. The only negative comment I have is it doesn't include the singular and plural form of each word. Usually it just states the singular. A great book for the biginner.

This is a delightful book! The pictures are darling, and the selection of basic vocabulary words is perfect for a young reader learning a new language. I especially like the pronunciation guide in back of the book. It can really help parents/caregivers along in correct pronunciation. There's also a little "find the duck" game on each page that adds to the fun. If you're interested in teaching a young child French, this is a great starter book.

More than 20 years after its release, FLIGHT FROM BUCHAREST remains one of my favorite books. Set in the final days of WWI, it has a marvelous British hero who must smuggle a spoiled princess out of Austria, but she...oh, I can't do it justice! READ this book!

All of the Easy Words To Read series are fantastic for children just learning phonics. My reading delayed and dyslexic students finally have something fun to read. Great illustrations, nice little story line and best of all, they are made up of mostly phonetic words that repeat. This repeation and phonetic approach is of major importance when instructing young readers with reading difficulties. I use these books with my private students and in the early grades in the primary school where I run a volunteer reading program. I hope that more of the same will soon be on the market.