This is the second volume I've reviewed in the now very well established, BBC wildlife photographer of the year competition. Portfolio 15 was the first one I bought and because of the amazing pictures I've continued to buy it each year, however I did not review 16 or 17 because there was little else to say. Now, I feel there is.
I don't know what the photographers out there have been doing this year but the level in quality has jumped to a whole new level and it will be amazing to see if they can sustain it. The number of pictures produced from film rather than a digital sensor seems to have fallen almost to nothing but if the quality is improving for that reason then who would complain? The photos in this volume transcend wildlife ... Read More:
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Love Martin Clunes, love dogs, loved his recent documentary about dogs - so all good. This book does tally with the tv programme about history of dogs but the bits I actually enjoyed best are his own personal history with dogs and his present day trials, tribulations and joys with them. Just one thing - I'd love to know how Mary is these days.
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I do like a bit of hedgerow and it's great to enjoy the free gifts from Mother Nature, but until I got my hands on a copy of this pocket sized guide, it was a little unclear.
This book is ideal and helps you understand what's under your nose in the gardens! So many common plants can be used in cooking and yet still we pay mini-fortunes for little bags of this and that in the shops. This book certainly helped me to identify and try some of the more obscure plants that I had absolutely no idea I could eat.
It's clear descriptions of what they look like alongside nice imagery of the plants themselves help you feel brave enough to give them a pluck and cook and the warnings are there to be heeded, particularly when it comes ... Read More:
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A nice hardback, with a good feel to the paper and binding. And this is just the kind of book you would want in hardback, as you will probably dip in for many years to come.
These are rather spare, often unconnected musings. Unconnected in the sense that, unlike in his "Waterlog" or "Wildwood", there is no particular theme. But as he is a pretty holistic person, there are links and mental ley-lines all over the place, so the musings flow into each other smoothly, like water off a spinning ball. It is nice to see the links to his other books: swimming in the moat, memories of Kyrgyzystan.
After water and wood I find myself looking for the third leg of a trilogy, a common theme. That is not there. He comes back to water, and to wood, and to ... Read More:
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"Cesar's Way" is truly a bible for us who love and have dogs. Growing up, my family always had two dogs. We always gave affection first, then discipline, and then exercise. No wonder we always had unbalanced pets who ran the household - it was opposite of what Cesar Milan teaches. Cesar suggests a simple formula in order to have a balanced dog. Exercise, discipline, and affection... in that order! Who knew?!
Cesar writes that dogs live in the moment and that they communicate using energy, constantly. We can learn a lot from our dogs. If we are lost in thought and neurotic in our behavior, our dogs will mirror our energy. When we are in the moment with our animals, our dogs have new possibilities with their behaviors, living a balanced life. ... Read More:
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This is one of those books you can just dip in and out of every time you're feeling a little stressed with urban life. Each chapter is devoted to a different aspect of the world of wood and trees. Deakin, a true English eccentric, owned woodlands in Suffolk and loved and nurtured them like his children.
In this book he travels the world from the new forests of Hampshire to the Australian outback in search of new woodland experiences and other people as obsessed by wood as he is. The pace is gentle, his love of nature and his ability to write with fluid beauty about it is a joy and even though I am a townie through and through I found myself longing to wander through the woods with him.
Wow,this is a book that you will look at time and time again. The photographs are stunning and beautiful at the same time. What will Tim be photographing next?
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I am a member of a canine helpline, this book is invaluable to me. His understanding of dog physchology in simple to understand terms that anyone can practise is incredible. If you own a dog makes its life and yours better by buying this book.
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My almost 9 month old boy LOVES this range of books. He loves touching all the different textures on the pages and is learning to turn the pages himself now. My just turned 3 year old boy still enjoys them too, so these are a nice choice of book to read to them both together. They're very sturdy and quite toothproof too!
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I read the reviews and decided to buy the book based on the high proportion of 5* ratings. I was not disappointed!
The book is the size of an average paperback, has a protective clear plastic sleeve, glossy pages, stunning photographs & great summaries on key facts of interest about each bird - definitely the best £7.99 I've spent in a long time!
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