Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey

If you haven't noticed I seem to be in the mood for nature books lately. I actually read this a while back but found it when putting up my other books into my science section. I am so fond of this book that I had to pull it out, adore it's pictures and read a few paragraphs. If you don't like science, this would not be the book for you. It is very scientific but to those that have a heart for our world's most magestic animals it reads like a novel. Truly, the courage it was written with, the courage that Dian held within her breast every morning and lived it to the fullest, is encouraging to me. This is a respected read, no one can walk away from it's truth and not feel the same pang of sadness that Dian lived her life to solve. And even today, the Dian Fossey foundation is working miracles for these creatures despite the continued war and poaching and infringment on environment. My daughter was so inspired by this story as I relayed it to her that she adopted an infant gorilla with her birthday money. Truly inspiring, truly sad, and truly the truth.

Robbing the Bees by Holley Bishop

As Michael Pollan says, this book is a "delicious reading experience." I loved every moment. Who knew of all the remedies and healing power of such a sweet product made by such a short lived insect. If you don't before you read it, then surely when you are finished reading this book you will respect the bee like Mother Nature's own daughter.

But it's not just a boring informative narrative, it really is an up close look at the beekeeper and the bees themselves. And when you are done you just must, must, must order some Tupelo honey and languish in it's slow stickiness all over your favorite bread.

jlw

German Shepherds for Dummies by D. Caroline Coile, Ph.D.

I have recently brought home a German Shepherd puppy. And like anything I adventure into, I have to read about it. And I'm so glad I did. As a dog owner all my life I have always tended toward the small/medium gentle dogs. If we had a large dog, he lived outside and roamed the country-side as he wished. But now I live in town, and I want a German Shepherd in my house to alert me and protect me and my children. To keep a German Shepherd happy you have to understand the breed. Without giving him work to do, he will make his own work and destroy your house and your happiness. This book enlightened me to the heritage that my puppy has, his history, his inbred desires and is a tool for me to keep my GSD fulfilled, happy, and obedient. Regardless of the humiliation of actually buying a "Dummy" book for the first time, I am impressed, I am knowledgeable now and I am thankfull that I grabbed this book and read it front to back and then a few places over again. I recommend reading up on any breed of dog that you decide to bring home and the "for Dummies" series covers many of them.

jlw

The Bearded Dragon Manual by Phillippe de Vosjoli

Loved this book. Everything I need to know about a bearded dragon is referenced in this book. I have reread it's pages frequently and it has prepared me well for beardie ownership. For anyone looking to get a beardie this is a must read, they have special needs that many pet shops are not going to go into detail with you when you leave the store. Not following diet and light needs could be tortuous to your beardie, resulting in pain and often death. During my bearded dragon research I also found a great website, the owner of the site has gone to great lengths to make a diet chart that is extremely handy. http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/ is launched by a dragon owner who made those very mistakes but learned from them and now shares her story and her research. I recommend exploration of the site and intense study of this manual before ownership of a dragon. With ownership comes responsibility and when you are responsible to your pets, you truly enjoy them fully.

jlw

The Leopard Gecko Manual by Philippe de Vosjoli

This is probably the best up to date literature available for the leopard gecko. It brings together the expertise of breeders and veterinary science and gives a well rounded education on caring for your own leopard gecko. This delicate lizard should not be an impulse buy and I recommend that this manual be read before anyone brings home a leopard gecko. They aren't just like any other gecko and to be a responsible pet owner, this is a must read.

jlw