Best of
Nature

1957

The Immense Journey


Loren Eiseley - 1957
    Anthropologist and naturalist, Dr. Eiseley reveals life's endless mysteries in his own experiences, departing from their immediacy into meditations on the long past, wandering—intimate with nature—along the paths and byways of time, and then returning to the present.

Two in the Far North


Margaret E. Murie - 1957
    In this moving testimonial to the preservation of the Arctic wilderness, Mardy Murie writes from her heart about growing up in Fairbanks, becoming the first woman graduate of the University of Alaska, and marrying noted biologist Olaus J. Murie. So begins her lifelong journey in Alaska and on to Jackson Hole, Wyoming where along with her husband and others, they founded The Wilderness Society. Mardy's work as one of the earliest female voices for the wilderness movement earned her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Over in the Meadow


John Langstaff - 1957
    But never has it been presented in such gay and happy form. Feodor Rojankovsky's pictures are filled with the beauty of meadow life from morning till the end of day, and the amusing verses and simple melody will give pleasure to children and grownups whenever they gather to sing. "Over in the Meadow" is the creation of two very gifted artists, whose previous book, "Frog Went A-Courtin'," was awarded the Caldecott Medal.

Zoo Quest for a Dragon


David Attenborough - 1957
    The series called "Zoo Quest" was the start of his long career.

Interpreting Our Heritage


Freeman Tilden - 1957
    By means of guided tours, exhibits, and signs, visitors to these areas receive a very special kind of education through their interpretation of informative materials.For over thirty-five years, Interpreting Our Heritage has been a source book for those who are responsible for and who respond to such interpretive materials. Whether the problem is to make a prehistoric site come to life or to explain the geological theory behind a particular rock formation, Freeman Tilden provides helpful principles to follow. For anyone interested in our natural and man-made heritage, this book offers guidance for exploring educational and recreational resources.

Trees of the Eastern and Central United States and Canada


William M. Harlow - 1957
    It covers all the important native trees found in this area. A concise introduction provides all that you need to know for general identification of trees. Then, an eight-page, easy-to-use synoptic key enables you to locate at a glance the group or genus of any tree you are likely to encounter. Supplementary keys in the main text help you easily locate the various species.More than 140 different trees are described in detail, with information on general appearance, habit of growth, leaf forms, flowers, fruit, twig appearance, bark, and other features. Additional information includes habitat, distribution by states, commercial use, and even woodlore.Treatment throughout this fascinating book is semipopular; it is neither a slight sketch, nor a monograph for the specialist. It is a middle-range book, carefully written for the intelligent reader who is sincerely interested in accurate information about trees. With it you will be able to identify at sight almost any tree, not only by group but also by species. You will be able to tell a sugar maple from a Norway maple, a black oak from a white oak, a horse-chestnut from a chestnut. You will know which trees have edible fruit, which are suitable for house plantings, what climate and drainage conditions trees need, and a multitude of facts about each of more than 250 trees.

The Desperate People


Farley Mowat - 1957
    Their dogs were many and strong. The children in the tents were happy, and there was never any fear of going hungry. Then came the ruthless white man's civilization. And with it came slaughter of the herds, starvation of the flesh, and torture of the spirit.