Renowned photographer and author of the critically acclaimed book Macro Photography for Gardeners and Nature Lovers Alan L. Detrick is the subject of an on-going six part podcast interview by Timber Press. Two (part 1, part 2) of the six sections of the interview have thus far been released and true to form, Mr. Detrick has been both engaging as well as insightful in his discussions of macro and close-up nature photography. As Mr. Detrick’s book was the first title reviewed here on The Well-read Naturalist, it is a particular pleasure to hear him discourse on the subjects that he explained so exceptionally well in print. Both experienced macro and close-up nature photographers, as well as those new to or even unfamiliar with the practice, will find the time spent listening to Mr. Detrick sharing his vast knowledge of the subject enjoyable indeed.

With the recent announcement from Apple regarding the forthcoming iPad product, particularly its applicability as an electronic text (e-book) reading device, a number of questions regarding the possible effects it may have upon the book trade should begin to be contemplated. As many people are touting the iPad as being as revolutionary to the written word as the iPod was to recorded music, the potential for it dramatically to change the way books are published, bought, collected, and read is indeed very high. That said, what follows are a few of the questions I have been pondering since the announcement of the iPad. The posting of them here is intended as an invitation to all who may also be contemplating these as well as their own questions on the subject to engage in a discussion that may help all concerned to develop a more rich and nuanced understanding of the topic. Read the rest of this entry »

At long last the much anticipated second edition of the Collins Bird Guide: The Most Complete Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe by Lars Svensson, Killian Mullarney, Dan Zetterstrom, and Peter J. Grant is now available in a jacketed hardcover edition with the paperback edition still scheduled for release in March of 2010. NHBS Environment Bookstore in the U.K. lists the hardcover edition as being in stock; however Powell’s Books in the U.S. is not yet showing the book as available through their own locations. As this book has been so long anticipated and will be in such high demand, it may take the distribution links outside the U.K. a bit more time to secure copies of the book for sale. As of this writing, The Well-read Naturalist has not yet received a review copy. Be assured that once we have, a review will be published in as timely a manner as possible.

Lee Welles, author of the award winning Gaia Girls novels, recently provided her readers with a sneak preview of the long-awaited third volume in the series. Ms. Welles read from the first chapters of the forthcoming book, titled Air Apparent, during the December 31, 2009 “Blue Moon Special” webcast of her Blog Talk Radio program. Judging from the portions of the work Ms. Welles read during the webcast, readers can expect Air Apparent to be just as captivating and enlightening as were the first two Gaia Girls volumes – Enter the Earth and Way of Water. No date for the publication of Air Apparent has yet been announced.

In an effort to bring the continued plight of book reviewing as well as the changes occurring in book retailing to the attention of the wider general public, I took up the subject of the announced closing of Kirkus Reviews in my most recent “From Under My Hat” editorial column.

NHBS Environment Bookstore is reporting that the much anticipated publication of the second edition of the Collins Bird Guide: The Most Complete Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe by Lars Svensson, Killian Mullarney, Dan Zetterstrom, and Peter J. Grant has been delayed until 2010. The website for Harper Collins UK now lists the publication date for the cloth bound edition as January of that year. They do not list the paperback edition at present but NHBS’ own website indicates that it is expected in March of 2010. The original Collins Bird Guide, published in 1999, is widely considered to be a cornerstone reference for the birds of Britain and Europe. This new edition has been much anticipated since word of its future publication was first made known. Those who have seen advance copies of it have indicated that the wait for the release of second edition is well worth it.

More bad news from the world of professional book reviewing: Publisher’s Weekly is reporting that Nielsen Business Media has announced that it will close the highly influential book review publication Kirkus Reviews as well as Editor & Publisher magazine. In publication since 1933, Kirkus Reviews publishes roughly 5,000 book reviews annually covering a wide variety of genres. Its closing will undoubtedly cause a significant decrease in the availability of professional, well-written book reviews. Editor & Publisher, the “bible of the newspaper industry” has been in print even longer; tracing its origins as far back as 1884.

Last night in New York, the National Book Foundation announced the recipients of their 2009 awards. As previously reported here on The Well-read Naturalist, two natural history titles, Sean B. Carroll’s Remarkable Creatures: Epic Adventures in the Search for the Origins of Species and David M. Carroll’s Following the Water: A Hydromancer’s Notebook, were in contention for the non-fiction award. Sadly, it was not the year for either of these two very fine books to be honored with the award, which was bestowed upon T.J. Stiles’ The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt.

The results of the awards notwithstanding, I have found both Remarkable Creatures as well as Following the Water to be well worth the attention of all those interested in natural history. Look for reviews of both these titles to appear on The Well-read Naturalist in the weeks to come.

Natural history podcast enthusiasts will be very pleased to learn that Timber Press, the acclaimed Portland, Oregon based publisher of books on gardening, ornamental and edible horticulture, garden design, sustainability, natural history, and the Pacific Northwest in general, has begun a regularly updated podcast. Inaugurated with a four part interview of Tracy DiSabato-Aust, author of The Well-designed Mixed Garden, the discussion topic has now shifted to a fascinating interview with Douglas Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, about the importance of cultivating  truly healthy landscapes at all levels of the biome through the use of native plants and developing a more holistic understanding of the role insects play in the ecological health of an area. Read the rest of this entry »

It was with great pleasure that I noticed among the recently published list of finalists for the 2009 National Book Award not just one but two titles that fell squarely inside the category of natural history: Sean B. Carroll’s Remarkable Creatures: Epic Adventures in the Search for the Origins of Species and David M. Carroll’s Following the Water: A Hydromancer’s Notebook. While I have not had the opportunity to read and review either of these books (yet…), the mere fact that two natural history titles are in the running for the non-fiction category of the 2009 National Book Award fills me with great satisfaction as to the level of natural history writing presently being published in our country.

The winners in all categories will be announced at the 60th National Book Awards Benefit Dinner and Ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City on Wednesday, November 18, 2009. I will not be there; however I will certainly be reporting the results here on The Well-read Naturalist.