In "In the Shadow of Man", Jane Goodall introduced us to the Chimpanzees of Gombe. If anything, this sequel is even more fascinating.

The whole study reads like a sweeping saga. As "Shadow" closed, the "main characters", the Flo family, were thriving, though there was a tinge of sadness with the realization that Flo wasn't getting any younger.

As "Window" opens, the inevitable happens, and we learn how each of Flo's children coped with her death - including a foreshadowed tragedy. We then watch her sons find their place in the male hierarchy and see what her daughter has learned about successful parenting from her mother.

The "supporting cast" is as interesting as that of "Shadow" - like Jomeo, a large male who never reached the high position one would have anticipated; Goblin, the Machiavellian politician who works his way up the ranks by befriending Alphas; Evered, who never reached a particularly high position but may have had the last laugh on all the males by quietly fathering the most children of the lot of them and Passion, the psychotic, nightmarish baby cannibal who sounds like something out of a horror movie.

The book also documents the brutal, disturbing territorial war that proved that Chimpanzees are capable of violence against eachother. This is a war that would have never been recorded had the study ended when originally scheduled - showing why long term studies are needed for long lived animals like chimps and elephants.

Both books should be among the first in the collection of everyone with the slightest interest in animal behavior. I keep up with the continuing story on internet, but I still can't wait for Ms. Goodall to continue with another book about what happened next.

This book clearly deserves more than five stars.

Through a Window is the popular version of the first 30 years of Dr. Jane Goodall's pioneering primate research at the Gombe reserve in Africa. Arriving in Africa as a young woman who found she did not like office work, she looked for something to do. The legendary Dr. Louis Leakey became interested in the idea of doing parallel research on chimpanzees in the wild to shed light on the development of early man. He persuaded Dr. Goodall to trek into Gombe, and helped her raise money and respectability for the project. From the beginning, he knew it had to go on for at least 10 years. Overcoming great deprivations and dangers, Dr. Goodall turned this into one of the most important animal observation studies ever. In this book, you will get the highlights of what has been learned from that research.

The book emphasizes the closeness between humans and chimpanzees. The two species have 99 percent genetic similarity. Each can catch diseases that no other species can. In fact, Gombe was overwhelmed by a polio epidemic that affected the chimpanzees and the humans in the 1960s.

As you walk through the forest with Dr. Goodall, you will find behaviors that are very similar to what humans do. Is it any wonder that she supposes that chimpanzees feel many of the same emotions that humans do? The only major difference she finds is that chimpanzees never torture each other or other animals like humans do.

You will follow along with families of chimpanzees over three generations, and find out about what works well and what doesn't for them. There are even chapters about memorable individuals who had a large impact on the chimpanzee community.

Before Dr. Goodall did her work, people thought of chimpanzees as being insensate animals. She soon observed that they made and used tools, ate meat, and cooperated with one another in very sophisticated ways both for hunting and child rearing. They have very complicated social rituals designed to keep everyone in place, but feeling friendly towards one another. As Dr. Goodall says, there are some chimpanzees she has liked more than some people and vice versa, because each one is so different.

Having developed a better understanding of and sympathy for chimpanzees, Dr. Goodall then turns her attention to making the case for more preserves for wild living (and observation), eliminating the trade in chimpanzees (which lead to much death, suffering, and disaster for chimpanzees and humans), eliminating and improving the way research chimpanzees are "tortured" and "mistreated," and improving zoo conditions. Chimpanzees are very social creatures and are highly intelligent.

She likens the treatment of chimpanzes by animal researchers, trainers, and zoos to modern day concentration camps. I must admit that she more than convinced me. Clearly, much can and must be done to improve the lot of chimpanzees. If we cannot treat our nearest animal relative well, what does that say about us? Who are the brutes?

The book's title is a reference to the limited perspective we can get by only studying behavior. We do not know what goes on in a chimpanzee's mind. Perhaps someday we will because experiments are showing that chimpanzees rapidly learn to use sign language.

You will laugh a lot about the problems that Dr. Goodall has had in convincing scientists that chimpanzees are advanced and sensitive. It's as though psychologically our self-image depends a lot on making animals "dumber" than they are.

Since I will probably never get to see chimpanzees in the wild, I was delighted that this very interesting book was available to me. It will make you feel like you are on a long hike chatting with Dr. Goodall (but minus the danger and deprivation).

You will also come away vastly impressed by the dedication of Dr. Goodall and her colleagues at Gombe. They have done a marvelous piece of work here that will continue to pay important knowledge dividends in future years.

After you finish enjoying this superb book, I suggest you think about where else you assume that a person or animal is "dumb." For example, children have quite sophisticated ability to understand emotional situations at a young age, but cannot speak about them well. So adults often "talk down" to them, making the child lose respect for the adult.

Why not assume that everyone and every creature has vast reservoirs of understanding that you do not have? Then, you will start noticing what you can learn from them. The many ways that chimpanzees give solace and reassurance would improve the quality of life for almsot any human, for example.

Live more beautifully by grasping all of nature's intelligence, wherever it is!

Goodall is a great writer and will be remembered as something of a scientist. More so than any other, she has been a champion and a poularizer of the study of chimpanzees and baboons; Richard Wrangham and others who are at the forefront of ape-research studied under her at Gombe-- and there is something about the myth of a little lady devoting her life to study in the forest that catches people's imaginations...

The thing that makes this book so compelling, though, is the insight that it gives into the human condition-- not into that of chimps. Goodall forces people to feel because she can show-- minus the scientific dispassionate inquiry-- how these monekys behave-- and how much like us they act. She feels for them, she identifies with them-- and this book, in the end, forces one to see the human condition in a different light....

This is a worthwhile read and fully worth the money it costs. There are times when you can read Goodall's almost religious zeal-- and it is really neat. I highly recommend this book....

This is hands down the best climbing guide I have ever purchased. Not only does McNamara replace the ambiguous beta from past books with straight-up ratings and tips, he also provides entertaining history and profiles to get you psyched. I also recommend "The Road to The Nose" book that Chris sells on his site ...

This is a great source for Yosemite Big Walls. It provides valuable information including strategies, ratings with relative comparisons to other big wall routes, approaches, precise topos, optimum belays and bivy locations, pitch-linking possibilities, weather/seasonal factors, and descent routes. For those interested in Yosemite Big Wall history, there is a section devoted to the pioneers of Yosemite Big Wall climbing that is quite interesting. All in all, a great book for Yosemite's Big Walls. Thumbs up!!

This book sets new standards for climbing guides. The production values are superb, and the information contained detailed and informative. If you're even thinking of climbing a big wall in Yosemite, buy this book. If you're a guidebook author, or thinking of becoming one, buy this and imitate it.

Jay Kaiser has done a wonderful job writting a comprehensive, interesting and helpful travel guide to Acadia. The book has information for any sort of trip: Whether you're interested in adventure (camping and rugged hikes) or relaxation (staying at an inn and finding great restaurants), this book will take you where you want to go. Lots of lovely pictures, helpful maps and lively comentary. I'm so glad to have had this book with me throughout my recent trip to Acadia to make it clear what sights I couldn't miss. I can't wait to return because there is so much left to discover!

For the type of person who needs to know the intimate details surrounding your destination, this book is a must. It touches on history, geography, geology of the region in a concise, logical manner, while offering an encompassing view of the activities, layout, and surrounding area. Pictures and detailed maps are scattered throughout the book providing a sense of place and are a trip planner's dream. PLUS, Mr. Kaiser includes an overview of the Maine lobster including eating instructions. Talk about covering all your bases! All in all, a very informative, detailed covering of Acadia and its surrounding area with an insider's take to avoiding crowds and hitting little known spots.

This book is a must have for those who have experienced the beauty or have the desire to experience the beauty and offerings of Acadia National Park. Mr. Kaiser has finally produced the guide to do Acadia justice. You'll learn all the side trips, cool lunch spots, etc. to enjoy on a Saturday afternoon hike with a buddy, and you'll also have the memory of your journey when you get home through Jay's pictures!

If you've ever kept a scrapbook of old photographs, you'll understand the fascination of this collection. Instead of grandmothers, aged aunts or toddler cousins, this book reveals life from the dimmest past. With photographs and drawings, Briggs and his colleagues have restored to view rare animals that lived in ancient seas. These are our earliest forebears, and for that reason alone, this book is worth repeated scrutiny. The images, with their stories of discovery and restoration, are offered in a spirit of shared discovery. These are very special creatures and it behooves us all to understand their value.

Although the book is targeted for professional paleontologists, the authors give us text nearly as illustrative as the images. They are part of the team who personally enticed many of these fossils from their lithic prison. Beginning with an account of Charles Woolcott's trek into the mountains of British Columbia, they go on to describe the environment in which these creatures lived. The significance of the Burgess Shale fossils, of course, is that they are images of soft body parts, usually lost as fossilization proceeds. At the time of the original find in 1909, such artifacts, especially ones of such ancient deposition were pricelessly rare. Woolcott himself understood their value to science, but never dedicated the necessary time to tease out their full secrets. It took Briggs and others, particularly Simon Conway Morris to apply the painstaking effort to recreate the body forms locked in the shale. In so doing, they overthrew a number of blithe assumptions made by a number of commentators, in particular Stephen J. Gould who had popularized the Shale finds, but sadly misinterpreted what they represent.

As you slowly turn over the pages of this book, reflect on the vast ages separating you from these creatures. The sea has always kept some bizarre secrets, but few can match the multi-spined Hallucegenia or mud-burrowing Ottoia. Haplophrentis might be mistaken for a Roman dagger lost in the sea until you read that its maximum length was but 30 millimetres long. A more formidable denizen of these waters is the Anomalocaris, with its hooked feelers and rasping mouth. Swimming in a sea with this half-meter long predator might not have been dangerous, but observing it might best be done from the beach.

This book is a clearly valuable contribution to our understanding of life's history and the process of evolution. It belongs on the shelf next to the other albums of family history. Take it down from time to time and simply open it at random. With half-closed eyes it isn't difficult to see these creatures in their daily lives, clutching rocks, swimming through the water, or burrowing into the bottom. They are your forebears, and deserve as much of your respect as does Aunt Matilda.

This is a wonderful book. It is chock-full of photographs of Burgess shale fossils. The photographs are full page photographs and are accompanied by drawings that illustrate what the plant or animal probably looked like. The text is informative and easy to follow for a layperson.

"The Fossils of the Burgess Shale," the non-geologist will find this book fascinating and understandable - yet the author did not "water down" the facts for those of us who have the technical background in the fields of geology and paleontology. The only drawback of the book was that some of the species listed in the back were not included in the pictorial portion of the book. I do understand that if Briggs had placed them all in the book the volume would have been over a 1,000 pages in length; however, several of the species not included are equally spectacular!

The first third of the book provides a brief history of the site and it's significance within Cambrian paleontology; the remaining two-third portion of the book provides clear photographs and line drawings of the animals entombed in this special location. I have used this book in teaching about the Cambrian explosion. Students were awed by the content of the book. If you are interested in invertebrate paleontology; this book is a must!

As someone who has loved dolphins her entire life (when I was little I wanted to be a dolphin trainer), this book intrigued me just because it was about dolphins and written by a dolphin trainer. I was pleasantly surprised on how much I was actually able to learn by reading it. Not only is it a great wealth of information about cetaceans (dolphins), it is also a very interesting read on training. It is full of anecdotes, making the book entertaining, and scientific data and fact, helping to lend a bit of seriousness. The unique training ideas that Karen Pryor discovered by trial and error can be, and are, used on every animal from a dolphin to a cat to a human. I highly recommend this book.

This book provided a great insider's look to what is means to be a dolphin/marine mammal trainer. I would recommend this book to anyone who is considering this for a career path. I know I am and that this book has helped me gained a great perspective and tips on dolphin training. The stories are really touching and before you know it, you're feel like standing right next to the author feeding and playing with the dolphins. This book is a definite must-have!

This book was great!!! Karen Pryor is a great writer and a wonderful scientist!!! I have never read a more inciting book! It was great, it gave me different perspectives on dolphin training and even some insight on careers!! Buy this book, you won't regret it!!

Part of Brooklyn based Akashic Books' Urban Surreal series, BOYGENIUS an example of a) the continued gutsiness and necessity of small presses and b) what really should be a cross-over hit.

In this hilarious and perfectly paced Candide update, Boy Genius tumbles the journey from KBS television-star-child-prodigy to east coast street urchin to west coast new economy suit to avenging ghost. Yet the story never succumbs to its (lesser) cartoon possibility, but functions, despite its fantastic plot, within the wound of reality. And it is a wound, a constantly renewed scarification that Boy Genius first discovers, then weeps for, and finally raises a finger to.

A fierce satire which maintains its humanity, Boy Genius is also a unique event in Korean-American fiction. It recasts the confessional prose of assimilation-conflict driven narratives -- via the imagination -- into a scathing accusation of geopolitical corruption as well as a description of the defiance immigrants currently wage in (as they always have) of bricholaging a consistent sense of self. A new landmark in the landscape of Korean-American literature.

'Boy Genius' by Yongsoo Park is as invigorating as the original screenplay by Terry Southern for 'Dr. Strangelove'. (The movie was terrific, of course, but Southern's screenplay was even more so.) Park dissects, then Frankenstein's, then dissects again every conceivable myth about global capitalism with high hilarity and maximum inventiveness. The Boy Genius of the title grows up in the slums of Seoul, but soon his brilliance comes to the attention of the All-Supreme Dictator who quite surprisingly grants him enormous privilege, then in a fit of pique the A-S-D chews him up and spits him out. And then we see what BG is made of. He finds his way to present day America under the most appalling circumstances (the plight of a Filipino migrant farm worker in the 30's comes to mind), begins to rebuild his life and that of his family (also vilified by the A-S-D) and finally, yes finally, has his revenge. Characters as vivid as those played by Peter Sellers and George C. Scott in the Kubrick movie and every bit as outrageously funny and mordantly satiric. This is a rollercoaster with all the splendor of the one in 'The Third Man' and all the tension and excitement of that confrontation between Joseph Cotton and Orson Welles. (Hey, am I saying this is a prime candidate for a terrific movie? You bet.) Can't wait for the next Park....

This novel is a Buddhist roller-coaster. It is a Zen koan in the tradition of those ancient masters who would smack the students with a stick at just the right moment to hurl them towards satori. The best part about the book is that it is a page turner. Suspence looms as our enigmatic protagonist takes on the world. I'm sick of the apathy in Catcher in the Rye and The Stranger (Camus). I don't care about the prep school wasp of the former or the the existential murderer of the latter. I care about Boy Genius because Boy Genius cares about me. I am grateful to Yongsoo Park and will continue to pray for his freedom. God Bless Yongsoo Park!

George N. Park's is my idol, and when I read this book (cover to cover in one sitting) I was amazed. He starts off with a trip back in time to what the art of drum majoring is all about, then slowly brings you to now with tips and tactics on everything you need to know. From conducting, to commands, to whistle use, even down to how to wrap a mace, Parks has it all. From the book alone, you learn how to be the best drum major you can be. With one of his Drum Major Acadamy experiences (2 years for me and running) it's a perfect way to become one of the best. All I can say is, EYES WITH PRIDE!!!

The Dynamic Drum Major (although written in the mid eighties) is the know all guide to being a drum major. It is very extensive and very down to earth! It caovers everything about being a drum major from marching to conducting to leadership to even the mindset of a drum major!! Parks to this day instructs Summer camps and he still uses the book and says it needs no update! If want to know how to be a drum major or are interested in improving your skills, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!

I just got appointed Drum Major for my High School Marching Band, and immeadiately bought this book. While many of the calls to attention and other commands do not coincide with my director's style, the chapters on leadership, and attitude are excellent. They cover everything from preparing for your first rehearsel, to the largest production of your career. George N. Parks teaches the best Drum Major Camp in the country, and he really knows what he's talking about. While some of the pictures are amusing (written in '84), the knowledge gained from the text is priceless. I have passed the book on to the two other drum majors leading our band, and I am sure that it will improve our individual scores a great deal. If you are new Drum Major, or even a pro DM, this book is a great tool to strengthening your abilities as a leader, and role model. Highly reccomended. I only wish he would come out with another one.

The Franciscan is a well written book. The plot weaves mystery and intrigue into the inner workings and leadership of the Catholic Church. The characters of Dom and Symon have dynamic personalities, and are the kind of people I would love to join and have an adventure with.

It was a thriller that I couldn't put down until I finished it, and it had an unexpected ending that couldn't have been better. I look forward to reading the second book in the series.

It's here! It's published (The Franciscan)! It's about murder, suicide, extortion, assassins, devilish plots - and the result is a narrative with more twists, turns and terror than a roller coaster ride through purgatory. It's a ride worth taking.

It's here! It's published (The Franciscan)! It's about murder, suicide, extortion, assassins, devilish plots - and the result is a narrative with more twists, turns and terror than a roller coaster ride through purgatory. It's a ride worth taking.

This book is basically another in a long line of coaster thrill books designed to prolong the excitement of riding these amusement park behemoths. This latest book is tastefully done and includes the requisite history with lots of familiar and some rediscovered photos and prints of old timers. A few of the newer beasts are included with enticing views of riders being turned in spine tingling directions. Coker's text is well written. This book has enough new stuff to warrant it's inclusion in your coaster book library.

This is a great book for anyone who is interested in roller coasters. It includes history of roller coasters, wooden roller coasters, steel roller coasters, and extreme machienes. It also has great pictures. Take my advice, this book is great!

Roller Coaster is colorful and informative history of roller coasters by Robert Coker covers early models in an introductory chapter than focuses on the heart of the topic: innovations in roller coaster models and modern coaster innovations. The colorful coverage provides a solid, appealing leisure read which should attract a wide audience of those young at heart.