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Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora (James Cameron's Avatar) [Paperback]

Maria Wilhelm , Dirk Mathison
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)

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Book Description

November 24, 2009 James Cameron's Avatar

A field guide to Pandora—the mesmerizing world of James Cameron's Avatar.

Four years in the making—and 15 years since its conception—Avatar is a live action film with a new generation of special effects, delivering a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film disappears into the emotion of the characters and the sweep of the story.

In Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora we are introduced to Pandora—a pristine and beautiful moon in a distant solar system—its exotic ecosystems, and the indigenous race called the Na'vi. By piecing together photographs, scientific field notes, and research data, citizens on Earth have collected the information in this field guide as a way to highlight the lessons Pandora can teach the people of Earth, who have struggled to survive as their planet's critical resources are depleted.

Though Pandora has proven to be an exceedingly profitable source of natural resources, the environment—from its gravity-defying floating mountains to the small but venomous hellfire wasps and the gigantic carnivorous thanator—poses continual dangers to RDA. Catalogued with unparalleled precision and access, this field guide provides highly detailed descriptions of the unique creatures and plants found on Pandora, the culture, language, and physiology of the native population, as well as RDA technology and weapons.

Eager to save the Earth, the activists have culled this information in hopes to expose the corporate greed and disregard for the native inhabitants and their environment that governs RDA's presence on the foreign moon.

This is the evidence in their case to save Pandora—and themselves.


Frequently Bought Together

Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora (James Cameron's Avatar) + The Art of Avatar: James Cameron's Epic Adventure
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Cameron is an Academy Award-winning director, producer and screenwriter. He has written and directed films as disparate as Terminator and Titanic, which earned 11 Academy Awards and still holds the title for the highest grossing film of all time for nearly a decade now. James Cameron is a fantastic storyteller and great visionary, often leading the way technological innovation. He has tremendous credibility as a filmmaker and continues to raise the bar in the movie going experience.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: It Books; 1 Original edition (November 24, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061896756
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061896750
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #385,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
108 of 113 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Very comprehensive December 7, 2009
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Length: 0:17 Mins
Someone from the Resources Development Administration (RDA) labs has leaked this confidential report. Not only that, he/she has successfully sold this online (where I bought mine) and at major bookstores! That's one smart, profiteering, mole.

This is the fact book on Pandora, the kind of book issued to soldiers who are about to invade that planet for its precious resources. It has all the information on the ecosystem, resources, flora, fauna and the native population called Na'vi, complete with all their culture and behaviour. There are classified information on the weapon systems used by RDA, including the Avatar project. And everything is accompanied by CG images.

I had some hesitation before buying this survival guide and it's not because I'm afraid that James Cameron might send Avatars to get me. I like art books and books on movie production, this book is neither of those. This is really a visual companion to all the stuff that's shown in the movie. It's for the ultimate fans, those who need to know every little detail, from the ferns on the ground to the mating habits of the Na'vi.

It's an interesting book but recommended more to the hard core fans of the movie.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)
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35 of 35 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent comprehensive guide to the world of Avatar. December 29, 2009
By David.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you have seen the movie and had and/or developed lots of questions about Pandora, the Navi, Earth's current state (in regards to the film),etc or if you just want everything fleshed out for you, then this book is for you.

It's VERY comprehensive. It's almost as if one has a textbook of everything and anything about Pandora. I love it. To see how much detail has been given to everything (and I literally mean everything) just makes me sit in aw of what James Cameron has created and the world that he (with the help of others) has developed. Everything just comes to life and so much detail is put into everything that Pandora could easily exist.

If you are looking for a book that has some sort of "making of" material in it, then you won't find it here. There is nothing related to making of the movie in the book.

From now on when I watch the movie, I am going to enjoy it a lot more knowing all the specific little details behind the story and Pandora. It just helps me enjoy the masterpiece that is Avatar even more.

Don't hesitate to buy it. There is a narrative to the book at the beginning but then it divides itself up like a textbook (although there is commentary by a specific individual within each section). I think it's great for all ages.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for hard-core AVATAR enthusiasts December 28, 2009
By JaredZ
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
A very content rich book on the background, history and "survival guide" to the world of Pandora (James Cameron's movie setting for his latest block buster hit, AVATAR)
This book describes Pandora in great detail, from botany to history to anthropology. Included is a glossary of translated terms or words used in the fictitious language of the "Na'vi". Screen shots of this book can be found at the publisher's site: [...]
Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora (James Cameron's Avatar)
I suspect that there will be a sub-culture following of the theme of AVATAR's Pandora. I recommend this for enthusiasts, as well as for the lay person wanting to skim over insight to the character development process of the "fantastic" society of the "Na'vi".
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect companion to the movie December 29, 2009
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Wow. This book was as mind blowing as the movie. Heck, it even has a section on on Na'vi baby carriers. While the movie was heavy on effects and short on depth, this book makes up for that perfectly. With sections on pretty much every plant and animal on Pandora, this book shows just how much thought Cameron and crew put into creating their universe. The book is written in an in-universe style, which adds the enjoyment. Yeah, it is kinda preachy, but who cares? For its length and content, its a great price at eleven dollars, especially if you have any interest in the background of Avatar.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have to say that I am very pleased with this book! From the layout to its written style (has sort of a viral campaign touch) which immerses the reader. At times I forget I am reading a fictional book, partly based on the fact that a lot of the info is based on real science or inspired by it. James Cameron has done a spectacular job in bringing this universe to life.

Can't wait to December 18th, until then this book will keep me up to speed!
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Avatar: An Activist Survival Guide January 5, 2010
Format:Paperback
Avatar: An Activist Survival Guide, by Maria Wilhelm and Dirk Mathison

Written as a survival guide for Pandora, this book provides in-depth information on the flora, fauna, and Na'vi people on the moon, as well as details on the human weaponry and military vehicles imported from Earth. The plant and animal descriptions include classifications, Latin names, ecology, pictures, and their use on Pandora, as well as possible uses on Earth. The information on the Na'vi people tells about their customs, culture, and how they live. There's also some pseudo-scientific explanations for the formation of Pandora and its inhabitants.

"Avatar: An Activist Survival Guide" is full of beautiful glossy photos and is a good companion for the movie. While I haven't seen Avatar yet, I'm more eager to after reading this book, as there are things I'll probably look for in the movie now. This seems like the perfect book for anyone who is really into Pandora and the Na'vi, or maybe someone curious about something specific, such as Na'vi mating habits.

One of my few complaints for this book is the design of the pages. While the pages are designed to look like crumpled paper, going with the survival guide/smuggled information theme, it does make it difficult to read the text. If the gray of the pages were a little lighter I think the text would be easier to read. Otherwise, it feels as if a lot of time and thought went into the appearance of the book, and the visuals are very nice.

3/5.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Great info
I liked this book a lot, especially the way the information was layed out -short bites with great illustrations. A cool read.
Published 24 days ago by Audrey
5.0 out of 5 stars Avatar fan
This book helped me understand more about Pandora and its inhabitants and their way of life. I had to watch the movie again so I could relate to what I was seeing more and look for... Read more
Published 26 days ago by Linda Hooper
5.0 out of 5 stars I Love It!!!
This is the best out of all the AVATAR merchandise I have bought! Explains a ton of things in detail about the movie. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jennifer
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
After seeing the movie this was the best compliment to show how and why things happened as they did. Enjoyed it
Published 2 months ago by Maureen M. Markunas
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
It's amazing how far they went to create a complete and beautiful culture for the movie Avatar. The flora and fauna of Pandora is here, plus the culture of the Na'vi. Great book.
Published 3 months ago by Marion Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to Read and Gives You a Lot of Interesting Facts That You Don't...
My son got this book but the whole family has read it. It is full of interesting facts and information that allow you to explore and get a better understanding of Pandora and the... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Roger Weathers
5.0 out of 5 stars Really Good
Love this book, interesting and written like it is a true story! It gives you information not in the flim.
Published 4 months ago by Joe Maino
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Gift for and Avatar Lover
I gave this to my boyfriend for his birthday and since he is a materials engineer and an avatar fan, he found the book fascinating. The fantasy science they use is very believable.
Published 4 months ago by LovesToBuy
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Book
I have never been a big fan of movie book, but this one is fun. There is a lot of information in this to make light of the movies features and creatures.
Published 5 months ago by Brian Schoenly
4.0 out of 5 stars For those who want to learn more about life on Pandora
An encyclopedic collection of facts about Pandora, its various flora and fauna, the Na'vi culture and the RDA technology, written from an in-universe point-of-view (so there is no... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Dovile
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