Customer Reviews

Costa Rican Natural History

5 star:		(9)
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In this biological bible of Costa Rica, Janzen leaves no stone unturned. From evolutionary history to weather patterns to animals and trees, he covers all facets of basic natural science. This book is a must for anyone pursuing biological study or ecolgical interest in Costa Rica or anywhere in the New World tropics

I wish every book about the natural history of a country were as thorughly compiled as this one. The only drawback is that it's too hefty and too slack to read in bed or in the hammock - you have to sit upright, but that's a small sacrifice for the great amount of easy accessible information. It's hard to stop reading this fascinating book.

I found this hyper-detailed book to be absolutely invaluable while I was in Costa Rica!

A book I found equally indispensable, which I read BEFORE I got there, was "Costa Rica: The Last Country the Gods Made." Both books should more than adequately prepare you for a trip around 1 - 3 weeks.

At a hefty 800 plus pages (with 174 contributors, no less!), this collection has something for everyone--and manages not to skimp on the essentials or pad itself with filler. Though it would serve well as an introduction, "Costa Rican Natural History" is even better as a companion (especially to my favorite book on the country, "Costa Rica: The Last Country The Gods Made").

Janzen's book is over twenty years old but remains an encyclopaedia of tropical America. The 174 authors, all experts in their fields, have penned over 800 fascinating pages. The final product is a milestone, since much of the information presented was previously unpublished.

Introductory chapters cover the history of field biology in Costa Rica, biogeography, climate, geology and soils. The information presented is a thorough background for Costa Rica and provides a wealth of references for those who want to have more detail. These chapters are a useful aid to understanding the biology of any area in the northern Neotropics.

The bulk of the book comprises species accounts grouped systematically with an additional section on agriculture. At the start of each chapter, a well-written introduction gives an overview of the Costa Rican group in question and a taxonomic checklist for the country. However, the meat of the book is the species accounts themselves. Written by a large number of authors, they range from a brief few paragraphs to a couple of pages with two dozen references, depending on the amount of information available. Monochrome photographs illustrate the accounts.

Not surprisingly, Janzen's tome has found its way into universities, research stations and personal libraries throughout the American tropics. For the tropical naturalist who wants to know more than the identity of an animal or plant, this is the book to go for, especially for a trip to Costa Rica. Highly recommended.

There are so many bad books on the market trying to do what this book does so simply and so well. ...few are written with the same authority and attention to detail that Janzen brings to this text. It could be the best money you spend all trip. And I agree with the other reviewers on the book, "Costa Rica the last Country the Gods Made." It's without question a close second to Janzen's masterpiece on the physical world.

I purchased this book used thru amazon.com at a very good price and it arrived in very good condition. I live in Panama near the border with Costa Rica. The book has a lot of information that is hard to find elsewhere and it covers the area where I live. For any expat who is interested in the flora and fauna of this area I would highly recommend this book. I am acquiring all the books I can that cover the Flora and Fauna of Panama and Costa Rica and this is certainly a good addition to my collection. This is the first used book I have bought thru amazon so I recommend trying their used book offers. You get a very nice book for a very good savings.

This book has detailed information about many of the plants and animals one might encounter in Central America. No color pictures, but many black and whites. Book is probably too large and heavy to carry in the field, but is exactly what I was looking for to learn new and obscure facts to impress the non-scientific fellow traveler. I'm very pleased with it.

An amazing reference; everything you need is here, from species accounts to detailed narratives. A perfect reference; my only complaint is that the 800+ pages would have been better as a hardback book - my paperback copy split its spine within a week of purchase and now looks dog-eared and worn!