The Bird in the Waterfall: A Natural History of Oceans, Rivers, and Lakes [Hardcover]

Jerry Dennis (Author), Glenn Wolff (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1996

Explores the mysteries of the world's oceans, rivers, and lakes, in a nature study that addresses such topics as the sources of hot springs and geysers, marine animal migration, and waterfalls.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Nature writer Dennis (It's Raining Frogs and Fishes, HarperCollins, 1993) conveys his deep feelings for all aspects of the aquatic realm. Personal experiences, scientific explanations, mythology, folklore, and history are brought together in his discussion of the earth's water system, the chemical and physical properties of water, the characteristics of bodies of fresh and salt water, and marine life in all its forms. Dennis also traces the influence of oceans, seas, rivers, and lakes on human activity and development. This pleasant potpourri is enriched with line drawings and will be of interest to general readers, though it cannot be considered an essential purchase. (Index not seen.)?Judith Barnett, Univ. of Rhode Island, Kingston
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Dennis, a frequent contributor to Smithsonian and Wildlife Conservation, lives near Lake Michigan and has always been curious about bodies of water. He shares his fascination while discussing why water changes color, how dowsing locates subterranean springs, what causes ocean currents, how a lake freezes, and why rivers meander. Contrary to what seems most logical, rivers meander because flowing water seeks consistency and tries to deepen shallows, fill in deep spots, and smooth out rapids and waterfalls. Dennis also describes the organisms that live in water: algae and bacteria that give color to the hot springs in Yellowstone National Park; North American dippers and torrent ducks of the Andes that thrive in rushing white water; pupfishes that can survive in hot water up to 113 degrees; and flamingos whose specialized beaks are adept at filtering algae and diatoms from the saline and soda lakes in which they feed. This delightful book about watery places and the life therein contains 79 line drawings by Glenn Wolff, who has collaborated with Dennis on other projects. Jennifer Henderson

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins; 1st edition (August 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060170948
• ISBN-13: 978-0060170943
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #996,651 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jerry Dennis (www.jerrydennis.net) is an acclaimed nature, science, and outdoor writer whose essays have appeared in such publications as Audubon, Smithsonian, Orion, National Geographic Traveler, and the New York Times. His books have appeared on national bestseller lists, have been translated into five languages, and are taught in many universities and high schools. Among Dennis's awards are the Michigan Author of the Year Award, the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award, Michigan State University's Great Lakes Culture Award, and three Best Book of the Year awards from the Outdoor Writers Association of America.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An educational and entertaining look at the water around us., February 18, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Bellingham, Washington USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bird in the Waterfall: A Natural History of Oceans, Rivers, and Lakes (Hardcover)

Birds in the Waterfall takes you on a round-the-world tour of the water in, over and all around us. You will never look at water the same way again. Filled with facts to challenge any textbook, it nevetheless reads like an adventure novel. A great read!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remembering a great book., August 18, 2008

By 

Thaddeus (nyc) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bird in the Waterfall: A Natural History of Oceans, Rivers, and Lakes (Hardcover)

I read this book when I was 17, about eleven years ago. I remember it often and fondly. The crisp illustrations and concise words stirred my imagination, helping me envision the way the natural world's interlaced threads in a way that dry textbooks never could.

And how much more valuable is a book describing the history and science behind water, the variable substance that makes our lives and world possible, than the current trend of microhistories of such slight subjects as toothpicks or oysters?

There was only one review posted for this book at of the time of my writing, and this book greatly affected my thinking at a pivotal time of my life: I had to put in my two cents before I purchased another copy.