Best of
Natural-History

1978

Of Wolves and Men


Barry Lopez - 1978
    Lopez’s classic, careful study has won praise from a wide range of reviewers and improved the way books on wild animals are written. Of Wolves and Men explores the uneasy interaction between wolves and civilization over the centuries, and the wolf's prominence in our thoughts about wild creatures. Drawing upon an impressive array of literature, history, science, and mythology as well as extensive personal experience with captive and free-ranging wolves, Lopez argues for the wolf's preservation and immerses the reader in its sensory world, creating a compelling portrait of the wolf both as a real animal and as imagined by different kinds of men. A scientist might perceive the wolf as defined by research data, while an Eskimo hunter sees a family provider much like himself. For many Native Americans the wolf is also a spiritual symbol, a respected animal that can strengthen the individual and the community. With irresistible charm and elegance, Of Wolves and Men celebrates careful scientific fieldwork, dispels folklore that has enabled the Western mind to demonize wolves, explains myths, and honors indigenous traditions, allowing us to understand how this remarkable animal has become so prominent for so long in the human heart.

Why Big Fierce Animals Are Rare: An Ecologist's Perspective


Paul Colinvaux - 1978
    Paul Colinvaux takes a penetrating look at the science of ecology, bringing to his subject both profound knowledge and an enthusiasm that will encourage a greater understanding of the environment and of the efforts of those who seek to preserve it.

America's Last Wild Horses


Hope Ryden - 1978
    In this provocative account, Hope Ryden--who helped to ensure the passage of the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act, which grants mustangs special protection--combs the history of these proud and noble horses. Descended from the Spanish horses ridden by the conquistadors, they evolved into the tough and intelligent ponies that Indians--and later, explorers and cowboys--learned to rely on. From the period when wholesale extermination of the buffalo was under way until recent times, commercial and political interests have sought to eliminate the wild horses as varmints. In this update to this classic story, Ryden tells of the successes and failures of regulation, and includes stunning color photographs. The subject of a front-page article in The New York Times when it was first published, America's Last Wild Horses continues to be a compelling testament to the life of a uniquely American symbol of grace and wildness, and is a must-read for horse lovers and Western history enthusiasts everywhere.

Bones on Black Spruce Mountain


David Budbill - 1978
    Now they're on the camping trip they've always dreamed of, trekking up the mountain to see if the story is really true. But they will have to live with what they find . . .

How to Know the Insects


Roger G. Bland - 1978
    How to Know the Insects has helped generations of readers learn to do just that. The key to insect orders—the largest section of the book—uses both written text and myriad illustrations to provide identification details down to the family level as well as for common species of each family. In addition, Bland and Jaques provide accounts of insect natural history, the basic biology of each order and of most families, and extensive material in finding, collecting, and preserving insects. The handbook serves as a valuable learning tool or reference for undergraduate and graduate students of entomology, science educators, insect collectors, and anyone interested in the diversity of insects.