Recommendations for a good book on natural history

[Ladyhawk]

I was educated as a fundy, so I missed out on a lot of really good science. I'm fascinated by natural history. I can't get enough of Discovery Channel programs like Raising the Mammoth, Walking with Dinosaurs, etc. I especially like learning things about evolution, since all my school "science" books did was debunk evolution.

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Life on Earth by David Attenborough

25 years old now, and based on the BBC TV series (ie the people who did Walking with Dinosaurs and much more). Available used at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0002190915/qid=1077110640/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/102-9232591-3934530?v=glance&s=books

It's chronological, and very much based around evolution - a general introductory chapter, one on early sea creatures, one on land plants, one on insects, then fish, amphibians, and so on.

It's not 'technical' at all, but not dumbed down (NB: there is also a children's version calling Discovering Life on Earth, which is more simplistic).

[Bridget Burke]

2. A couple of suggestions

Loren Eiseley was a scientist (evolutionary anthropoligist?) and a poet, with numerous books to his credit. Amazon.com is, of course, a good place to check out what's available.

More recently, Stephen J Gould, an evolutionary biologist, became a well-known popularizer of science. His essays in Natural History magazine cover a wide range of topics and have been anthologized several times. In "Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History" he presents amazing creatures of the Cambrian period--and his own ideas on evolution. Some of his ideas are controversial; science is not cut & dried, some details of evolutionary theory are still being worked out.

Both these gentlemen were men of science, who also wrote beautifully.

[Ladyhawk]

4. Cool! Thanks all!

I've also wanted to get a sense of the various epochs and learn their names. All this relates to my interest in current wildlife. To me, it's just incredibly cool that certain animals existed that exist no longer. Like many people I've fantasized about being able to go back in time, but I'd be much more interested in observing the creatures of time than observing human history.

[Gildor Inglorion]

5. Also "The Flamingo's Smile"

By Stephen Jay Gould. It's excellent.

[buddhamama]

8. second those choices

Loren Eiseley IS my favorite naturalist/science writer.
He is a masterful, loving writer; one of a few in his field to receive Literary Awards. I'd also recommend reading his autobiography "All The Strange Hours".

Another recommendation, read anything by E.O. Wilson.

[Ediacara]

3. Wonderful Life and Crucible of Creation

Wonderful Life was written by Stephan Jay Gould, and Crucible of Creation by Simon Conway Morris. Both books have to do with the Burgess Shale fauna of British Columbia, which is one of the very oldest fossil localities in the world, but each book offers a unique and contrasting view of the speed and randomness of evolution.

Crucible may be impossible to find though.... It's tough to be a book on invertebrate fossils if you're not written by Stephan Jay Gould....

[Crunchy Frog]

6. Anything by Franz de Waal

He's a primatologist, and writes alot about primate behavior in relation to the evolution of human behavior. Chimpanzee Politics, Good Natured, and The Ape and the Sushi Master are all really good.

[Crunchy Frog]

7. A good basic introduction to evolution

is The Blind Watchmaker, by Richard Dawkins. I don't like his other books so much, but this one is really good.

[Ernesto]

9. Anything by Carl Sagan

I've read most of his popular works, but "The Demon Haunted World" goes far to explain man's fear of the unknown & subsequent creation of mythology.