The Natural History of Living Mammals [Hardcover]

William Voelker (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 313 pages
• Publisher: Plexus Pub (June 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0937548081
• ISBN-13: 978-0937548080
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,213,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Pangolins,orcas, sords, April 5, 2009

By 

Emma Hardesty (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Natural History of Living Mammals (Hardcover)

This book, with its somewhat brief index and appendices, has a good bibliography but repeats a habit of imprecision that seems, unfortunately, common to some older natural history books. For instance, the phrase "At one time, peccaries were known to wander..." will only cause you to reach for another book if you want to know WHEN the peccaries were wandering. Or "Humans have kept domestic cattle for centuries...." In about 20 years, one can add another century to that data and be no closer to any truth. But, if you aren't after strict facts, this can be an enjoyable book to peruse, anecdotal and no-nonsense. The color photo of a silverback gorilla is memorable.

5.0 out of 5 stars An Entertaining and Useful Guide to Mammals, February 7, 2009

By 

C. Attila "C. Attila" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Natural History of Living Mammals (Hardcover)

I picked this book up because I wanted some information on Aardvarks. Not only did I get all the information I needed on aardvarks, I got all, well almost all, the information about the mammals on the planet. And it was a delightful, entertaining read. Many "animal" books are boring but this one had me right from the start. It's not an exaggeration to say "I couldn't put it down." It's better than Seinfeld reruns. The author presents presents the family and then describes the species within the family. Then he describes the animals and behavior in approachable and understandable terms. The author's description of rabbits was great -- I didn't know they could kick a stoat that far. Also, the description of the hippopotamus was great. It's a book for getting both some knowledge and some fun.

5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks for the gift Bill!, April 5, 1998

By 

JF ([e-mail]) (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Natural History of Living Mammals (Hardcover)

I found that no one had written a review of your book so I thought I'd write something. You'll probably never see this because of your distaste for computers, but what the hell. I've found many interesting little tid bits about mammals in your book. It's quite a pleasure to know a real life published author! Can't wait for your reptile book!