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The Souls of Animals
by Gary KowalskiWhy do elephants bury their dead? What makes birds sing and cranes dance? Do animals appreciate art? Do they know the difference between right and wrong? Do they experience awe and wonder? In this revised second edition of his celebrated book, Reverend Gary Kowalski combines heartwarming stories with solid science to show that other creatures are not insensitive objects devoid of feeling and intellect but thinking, sentient beings with an inward, spiritual life.
The Sound Book: The Science of the Sonic Wonders of the World
by Trevor Cox"A lucid and passionate case for a more mindful way of listening. . . . Anyone who has ever clapped, hollered or yodeled at an echo will delight in [Cox's] zestful curiosity."--New York Times Trevor Cox is on a hunt for the sonic wonders of the world. A renowned expert who engineers classrooms and concert halls, Cox has made a career of eradicating bizarre and unwanted sounds. But after an epiphany in the London sewers, Cox now revels in exotic noises--creaking glaciers, whispering galleries, stalactite organs, musical roads, humming dunes, seals that sound like alien angels, and a Mayan pyramid that chirps like a bird. With forays into archaeology, neuroscience, biology, and design, Cox explains how sound is made and altered by the environment, how our body reacts to peculiar noises, and how these mysterious wonders illuminate sound's surprising dynamics in everyday settings--from your bedroom to the opera house. The Sound Book encourages us to become better listeners in a world dominated by the visual and to open our ears to the glorious cacophony all around us.
The Sound Of A Wild Snail Eating
by Elisabeth Tova BaileyIn a work that beautifully demonstrates the rewards of closely observing nature, Elisabeth Bailey shares an inspiring and intimate story of her uncommon encounter with a Neohelix albolabris --a common woodland snail. <P><P> While an illness keeps her bedridden, Bailey watches a wild snail that has taken up residence on her nightstand. As a result, she discovers the solace and sense of wonder that this mysterious creature brings and comes to a greater under standing of her own confined place in the world. <P> Intrigued by the snail's molluscan anatomy, cryptic defenses, clear decision making, hydraulic locomotion, and mysterious courtship activities, Bailey becomes an astute and amused observer, providing a candid and engaging look into the curious life of this underappreciated small animal. <P> Told with wit and grace, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is a remarkable journey of survival and resilience, showing us how a small part of the natural world illuminates our own human existence and provides an appreciation of what it means to be fully alive.
The Sound Of Distant Cheering
by K M PeytonRosy Weeks works for a local horse trainer at a once-successful stable, now fallen on hard times. In love with the morose owner and passionate about her favourite horse, Roly Fox, can Rosy turn the stable's fortunes around?
The Sound and the Furry: A Chet and Bernie Mystery (The Chet and Bernie Mystery Series #6)
by Spencer QuinnIn the sixth installment in the New York Times bestselling mystery series that the Los Angeles Times called &“nothing short of masterful,&” Chet and Bernie are handed a hard case in the Big Easy.Chet and Bernie, the best canine/human P.I. team in the business, encounter a prison work crew that includes Frenchie Boutette, an old pal they sent up the river. Frenchie begs Bernie to go find his brother Ralph, a reclusive inventor who has disappeared—along with his houseboat—from the bayou. Not long after, Bernie fends off a deadly attack from a member of a shadowy gang called the Q’s. The attacker dies without revealing anything. In bayou country, Chet and Bernie meet the no-good Boutette family and their ancient enemies, the maybe-even-worse Robideaus. At first it looks like Ralph’s disappearance is tied to a dispute between the two families over a load of stolen shrimp. But Chet turns up a buried clue that sends them in a new and dangerous direction involving the oil business. The more they find out about Ralph and what he knew, the less their chances of surviving to do anything about it. Now they’re up against Big Oil, shadowy black ops figures, and the Q’s—plus Iko, a legendary bayou gator with a big appetite… A top-notch addition to the “deliciously addictive” (Publishers Weekly) series, The Sound and the Furry is an irresistibly suspenseful and humorous read that will keep you begging for more.
The Sound of Colors: A Journey of the Imagination
by Jimmy Liao<P>In this breathtaking, evocative book, a young blind girl travels from one subway station to another while her imagination takes her to impossibly wonderful places. <P>She swims with the dolphins and sunbathes on a whales back; flies through the air with the birds and travels to the station at the end of the world. <P>Poetic text is paired with haunting and beautiful watercolor paintings in this incredible book that explores themes of overcoming a disability and the power of the imagination. <P>The Sound of Colors is a magical book that will take readers on a journey unlike anything they've ever experienced before.
The Sound of Distant Cheering
by K. M. PeytonThis is an exciting, satisfying story of love and horses, with interesting characters and lots of convincing detail about the world of racehorses. The author's own love and sympathy for horses enhances the story and makes it something special.
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
by Elisabeth Tova BaileyIn a work that beautifully demonstrates the rewards of closely observing nature, Elisabeth Tova Bailey shares an inspiring and intimate story of her encounter with a Neohelix albolabris—a common woodland snail. While an illness keeps her bedridden, Bailey watches a wild snail that has taken up residence on her nightstand. As a result, she discovers the solace and sense of wonder that this mysterious creature brings and comes to a greater understanding of her own place in the world. Intrigued by the snail’s molluscan anatomy, cryptic defenses, clear decision making, hydraulic locomotion, and courtship activities, Bailey becomes an astute and amused observer, offering a candid and engaging look into the curious life of this underappreciated small animal. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is a remarkable journey of survival and resilience, showing us how a small part of the natural world can illuminate our own human existence, while providing an appreciation of what it means to be fully alive.
The Sounding of the Whale: Science and Cetaceans in the Twentieth Century
by D. Graham Burnett&“This wonderful book documents the interplays among science, conservation and politics in the evolving career of the whale over the last century.&” —William Perrin, Senior Scientist for Marine Mammals at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries Service From biblical times, whales have breached in the human imagination as looming figures of terror, power, confusion, and mystery. In the twentieth century, however, our understanding of and relationship to these superlatives of creation underwent some astonishing changes, and with The Sounding of the Whale, D. Graham Burnett tells the fascinating story of the transformation of cetaceans from grotesque monsters, useful only as wallowing kegs of fat and fertilizer, to playful friends of humanity, bellwethers of environmental devastation, and, finally, totems of the counterculture in the Age of Aquarius. When Burnett opens his story, ignorance reigns: even Nature was misclassifying whales at the turn of the century, and the only biological study of the species was happening in gruesome Arctic slaughterhouses. But in the aftermath of World War I, an international effort to bring rational regulations to the whaling industry led to an explosion of global research—and regulations that, while well-meaning, were quashed, or widely flouted, by whaling nations, the first shot in a battle that continues to this day. The book closes with a look at the remarkable shift in public attitudes toward whales that began in the 1960s, as environmental concerns and new discoveries about whale behavior combined to make whales an object of sentimental concern and public adulation. A sweeping history, grounded in nearly a decade of research, The Sounding of the Whale tells a remarkable story of how science, politics, and simple human wonder intertwined to transform the way we see these behemoths from below.
The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology Is Bringing Us Closer to the Worlds of Animals and Plants
by Karen BakkerAn amazing journey into the hidden realm of nature&’s soundsThe natural world teems with remarkable conversations, many beyond human hearing range. Scientists are using groundbreaking digital technologies to uncover these astonishing sounds, revealing vibrant communication among our fellow creatures across the Tree of Life.At once meditative and scientific, The Sounds of Life shares fascinating and surprising stories of nonhuman sound, interweaving insights from technological innovation and traditional knowledge. We meet scientists using sound to protect and regenerate endangered species from the Great Barrier Reef to the Arctic and the Amazon. We discover the shocking impacts of noise pollution on both animals and plants. We learn how artificial intelligence can decode nonhuman sounds, and meet the researchers building dictionaries in East African Elephant and Sperm Whalish. At the frontiers of innovation, we explore digitally mediated dialogues with bats and honeybees. Technology often distracts us from nature, but what if it could reconnect us instead?The Sounds of Life offers hope for environmental conservation and affirms humanity&’s relationship with nature in the digital age. After learning about the unsuspected wonders of nature&’s sounds, we will never see walks outdoors in the same way again.
The Sparrows of Stonehenge
by Don FreemanThe Sparrows of Stonehenge is a new, previously unpublished children's book by the author of the well-known children's book Corduroy. Created in the year before he died, Freeman's rough dreamlike expressive images and simple text tell the story of how Stonehenge came to be – from the point of a sparrow family who have for generations lived in this ancient stone circle. Don Freeman always moved in new directions with his illustrative techniques, making this new book an adventure for readers of all ages!
The Special Gift
by Ruth DoyleA magical, festive tale of friendship, resilience and the true meaning of gift-giving. Written by Ruth Doyle and beautifully illustrated by Carmen Saldaña, this is a Christmas story to treasure year after year. On a night of swirling snow, the storm carries Donkey far from the farm where there is no longer room for him. He's lost, alone and certain he has nothing to offer the world. But when a message from a magical bird leads Donkey to follow a bright star, he finds new purpose: to reach the forest and learn what gifts and treasures he has to share.On his travels, Donkey meets other animals who are lost in their own way: a lonely lamb, an old sheepdog who longs to be useful and a robin searching for a reason to sing. Guided by Donkey, the new friends help each other to navigate the storm to safety . . .And it is there, in the forest, where they find somewhere to belong . . . and learn that the greatest gifts we can share, are those we carry inside us.This is the perfect story to share at Christmastime to remind us of the most special gift we can offer - our own kindness.
The Species Problem: A Conceptual History
by Igor Ya. PavlinovThe general notion of species is one of the most fundamental in biology. But an idea of species is also one of the most persistent unresolved obsessions of biologists, philosophers and theoreticians. This new book investigates the multifaceted problem species as a "conceptual envelope" of that notion. Contemporary conceptualists and evolutionary epistemology allow for a fresh look by analyzing the framework of history viewed as changes ordered by changing philosophical-scientific contexts. In this analysis, the species problem is characterized in a pluralistic non-trivial manner, in contrast to a more monistic "accepted view." Key Features Provides new insights into the persistent species "problem." Focuses on conceptual history and identifies pivotal landmarks in the history of the concept of species. Argues for a scientific consistency of species pluralism. Discusses the "evolving species-hood" in the context of new essentialism. Related Titles• Wilkins, J. S, et al., eds. Species Problems and Beyond: Contemporary Issues in Philosophy and Practice (ISBN 978-1-0322-2147-2)• Mishler, B. D. What, if anything, are species? (ISBN 978-1-4987-1454-9)• Wilkins, J. S. Species: The Evolution of the Idea, Second Edition (ISBN 978-1-1380-5574-2)• Sigwart, J. D. What Species Mean: A User's Guide to the Units of Biodiversity (ISBN 978-1-4987-9937-9)
The Speckled Beauty: A Dog and His People
by Rick BraggFrom the best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All Over but the Shoutin', the warm hearted and hilarious story of how his life was transformed by his love for a poorly behaved, half-blind stray dog. <P><P>Speck is not a good boy. He is a terrible boy, a defiant, self-destructive, often malodorous boy, a grave robber and screen door moocher who spends his days playing chicken with the Fed Ex man, picking fights with thousand-pound livestock, and rolling in donkey manure, and his nights howling at the moon. He has been that way since the moment he appeared on the ridgeline behind Rick Bragg's house, a starved and half-dead creature, seventy-six pounds of wet hair and poor decisions. <P><P>Speck arrived in Rick's life at a moment of looming uncertainty. A cancer diagnosis, chemo, kidney failure, and recurring pneumonia had left Rick lethargic and melancholy. Speck helped, and he is helping, still, when he is not peeing on the rose of Sharon. Written with Bragg's inimitable blend of tenderness and sorrow, humor and grit, The Speckled Beauty captures the extraordinary, sustaining devotion between two damaged creatures who need each other to heal. <P><P><b>A New York Times Best Seller</b>
The Spectacular Adventures of Sophie and Sebastian
by Ruth JeyaveeranSophie is a hippo with dreams-BIG dreams that involve flying high through the air on a skateboard. But even Sophie’s best friend, Sebastian, isn’t sure that it’s such a great idea for an O V E R S I Z E hippo to soar and glide. So what’s a hippo like Sophie to do? All day long the other hippos grumble and gossip about her daydreaming ways. If only she could figure out how to make her wish come true . . . Sebastian says Sophie needs a little inspiration. But where will she find it? And, more important, what sort of adventures will she have when she does?
The Spectacular Spencer Gray
by Deb FitzpatrickSpencer Gray is just an ordinary kid, but he manages to get in to some pretty extraordinary situations. Playing soccer at school with his mates he accidentally uncovers a sinister animal smuggling operation and rescues a super-endangered potoroo. But when the smugglers discover him trying to release the potoroo, he risks becoming super-endangered himself. Trussed up and left in the bush, he needs to use all his inner strength and ingenuity to break free and get help. With good friends and a great family to back him up, Spencer manages to triumph in the end. A page-turning adventure story for middle readers.
The Spectacular Tale of Peter Rabbit (Peter Rabbit)
by Emma ThompsonEmma Thompson sends Peter Rabbit to the fair! A fair has come to the Lake District! And Peter and Benjamin are forbidden to go. Driven by their ever-insatiable curiosity, the rabbits sneak into the fair to have a look-around. Mesmerized by all the activity, the rabbits stand incredibly still, watching. Suddenly, a little girl picks up Peter, declaring him to be her stuffed animal prize! Covered in kisses and stuffed in her bag, Peter Rabbit is taken on his first-ever roller coaster. Benjamin is barely able to rescue Peter, and the two bound home, smelling of the fair.
The Spectral Tarsier
by Sharon L. GurskyPart of Prentice Hall's Primate Field Studies series.The Spectral Tarier shares the results of long-term field study by Sharon L. Gursky with a broad audience.
The Spell of the White Sturgeon: The Spell Of The White Sturgeon, The Lost Wagon, Trading Jeff And His Dog, Double
by Jim KjelgaardThe Spell of the White Sturgeon, first published in 1953, is a classic coming-of-age tale of a young man, Ramsay Cartou, making his way north from Chicago to find work in Wisconsin. However, during his trip on Lake Michigan, his boat sinks during a storm. Ramsay makes it ashore with the help of a horse and arrives at Three Points, ready and eager for the job at a tannery. Cartou cannot force himself to work under the tannery boss and finds refuge with a farmer and eventually learns to be a fisherman on Lake Michigan.
The Sphynx Cat (Learning About Cats)
by Joanne MatternDescribes the physical features, habits, history and current uses of the Sphynx cat breed.
The Spider Lady: Nan Songer and her Arachnid World War II Army
by Penny Parker KlostermannPerfect for kids who are fascinated by insects and American history, here is the story of Nan Songer, a little-known hero of World War II, who collected and bred spiders in her home and found new ways to use their silk to help the United States win the war.Venomous spiders, delicate silk, and science experiments filled Nan Songer&’s days and nights—her home in California overflowed with many-legged critters. With inspiration from a friend, Nan began to study how spider silk could be harvested. The finely woven material spiders used to create webs was much stronger than it looked, and Nan was eager to unlock its potential and hopefully help her country at the same time. At the height of WWII, she studied different spiders before landing on the poisonous black widow as the perfect spider to experiment with. Their strong silk could be used for crosshairs on rifles, which Nan used to fill massive orders for the US military. Despite the danger posed by black widows, Nan wasn&’t deterred—she wanted to play her part. Using a device she built for extracting silk, Nan humanely used it on the deadly spiders to get both extra fine and super heavy silk.
The Spider Man
by Dean DurberAnansi is a big and hairy spider with long, tickling legs! To prove his bravery, he decides to join a ghost fight and wins battle after battle. After waking up from an odd dream, however, his outlook on life changes. He learns the lesson of a lifetime—the power of love and never giving up! Can Anansi teach his friends the same important lesson?
The Spider Siege (Battle Bugs #2)
by Jack PattonNever leave a bug behind-- collect all the Battle Bugs books!Back to Bug Island!General Komodo and his army are on the attack. Komodo has assembled a fleet of fearsome horned lizards for a mountain assault. The Battle Bugs have to come up with an airtight plan-or risk losing everything.Max's return to Bug Island is dangerous--but the Battle Bugs need his help !
The Spider Who Blew Bubbles
by Marianne V. MartinoSpencer is a curious young spider who decides to disregard his mother's warnings and ventures beyond the safety of their tree-bound web to explore the neighbouring apartment complex parking lot. He accidentally lands on Charlie Car and catches a soapy ride to the car wash. After a dizzying 'day at the spa,' as Charlie calls it, Spencer emerges squeaky clean, wax-coated, and burping bubbles! This charming story follows Spencer's disobedient adventure and the funny mess he gets himself into when he doesn't listen to mom. Children will love the humour and relatable characters as they learn about the importance of heeding parental advice.
The Spider and the Fly
by Derek W SmithThe very second Eddie the fly flew into the spider's web he knew he was in trouble, big, big trouble. No matter how much he wriggled or kicked, he just kept tying himself into tighter and tighter knots. He would still be there today, had it not been for the kind-hearted Sybil, who just happened to be coming along at the very time that Eddie couldn't move and offered to lend him a helping hand, even though Sybil is a spider!