Customer Reviews

Amateur Naturalist

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The book is interesting. My kids, 4 and 7, and I like to explore the outdoors. The book includes the 5 major classes of vertebrates and most types of invertebrates, and plants. In addition to a lot of information for adult professional naturalists, it also tells you what you can do for fun as an amateur naturalist right in your yard or at home, e.g., put a beautiful spider web on a cardboard, make an ant town, make your own snake stick, make a pitfall trap, etc. Good for homechoolers or any family who like to explore with their kids. That's why the title is "The Amateur Naturalist."

First chapter is on equipment and hardware. First section in the chapter is on clothing. Lots of photos of the author and very expensive optics, even night vision goggles. Written for today's world--the killing jar, dissecting, and mounting a mouse skeleton are all out. Replaced with making bird boxes and an underwater viewer (cut hole in ice cream tub, stretch plastic wrap over it). However, excellent treatment of estimating tree height. Probably best suited to middle-school aged children.

Purchased this book for our grandson who lives in Honduras with his missionary parents. We were delighted and so was he! The book was wonderfully illustrated; and had many projects that he can do. It was great to see him pouring over the book; gleefully pointing out the many interesting things he could do. His main interest has been in bugs/insects....but this book will broaden his horizons as he explores nature with the suggestions and information in this book.

We would highly recommend this. M&D Hayes

What is a naturalist doing in his notebook? What type of knowledge does he get from it? What quiet advise from nature are they getting when they look at animal behaviour? What can be learned from all plants? How can naturalism set you apart from other students who simply want to major in the life sciences simply to pass tests and get jobs? You should learn wether or not you really are grossed out by nature or if you are simply unfamiliar and therefore can not relate and recognize it. Adorno said to like a thing is to recognize it. Fear is often simply a lack of recognition. You can kill a friend over and over if you mistake it for something else. This takes you into the world of national geographic explorers so that you can become that locally and discover the miracles all around you and enrich life if you choose to meditate and learn from them.

Thia a real good book to help you in your journal writing and study of nature. I bought it for my son who is doing a nature journal of his own. I gave it 5 stars!

This book is made for a kid.....not a thirtysomething like myself who needs a little more beef. Maybe that's why Amazon offered me the option of writing this review as a 13-year-old. That's who this book is for.

This book has a lot to offer, even though it is staged outside of the United States. This would be a good book if you were a Boy Scout. The projects and hints would be appealing to that age group. There are good insites into the way nature works and what to look for when out camping or hiking.