Penguins of the World [Paperback]

Wayne Lynch (Author, Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 2007

The internationally successful movie March of the Penguins showcases the life of these fascinating flightless birds that have become such prominent symbols of the fragile nature of our ecosystem. Faced with global warming, invasive tourism, pollution and loss of habitat, penguins -- if they are to survive -- need protection more than ever.

Over the past 18 years, Wayne Lynch has traveled to Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and a dozen remote island clusters in the tempestuous Southern Ocean, studying and photographing all 17 species of penguins in their natural habitats. In Penguins of the World, he documents the extraordinary life cycles of these tough, resourceful and beautiful animals in the harshest environments imaginable.

This second edition has been revised, redesigned and expanded, with detailed information and the latest facts and statistics on:

• Anatomy
• Egg and chick development
• Mating and feeding habits
• Predators
• Habitats
• Climate change
• Changes to food levels.

Through his engaging text and on-location photographs, Wayne Lynch captures these birds in their wide variety of activities and behaviors. Penguins of the World will appeal to anyone interested in birds, nature and science.

(20071209)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. In 1989, after Canadian science writer and photographer Lynch (Owls of the United States and Canada) saw his first penguin on Phillip Island in southern Australia, he spent the next 18 years in search of all 17 penguin species, traveling over 300,000 miles to Antarctica, the Galápagos, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and remote island clusters in the Southern Ocean. The result is this beautifully illustrated and delightfully written look at Lynch's discoveries about these flightless seabirds in the field and in scientific journals, during day-to-day as well as birth-to-death observations, and from the smallest to the largest type. While Lynch presents detailed descriptions of everything from mating rituals to eating habits, the best parts of his book are the photographs. Lynch's gorgeous and gorgeously printed images—such as that of the head of a young penguin chick disappearing inside the throat of a parent as it reaches for a meal—display such a refined visual sensibility that even without accompanying text, the images would still achieve Lynch's goal of presenting the scientific and aesthetic appeal of this unique family of birds. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Library Journal

Of the numerous books about penguins, this is one of the better ones with 123 superb color photographs and an authoritative text. Lynch, a Canadian writer and explorer, has chapters on penguin species, biology, habitats, courtship, breeding, family life, feeding, and maturation. The penguin hot spots of the Falkland and South Georgia islands are Lynch's primary focus, while penguins restricted to South Africa, the Galapagos, Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica do not come in for as heavy coverage. Nevertheless, libraries where titles such as Roger Tory Peterson's Penguins (Houghton Mifflin, 1979) and Pauline Reilly's Penguins of the World (Oxford, 1994) are in constant demand may want this somewhat pricey book. Warmly recommended.?Henry T. Armistead, Free Lib. of Philadelphia.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books; 2nd edition (August 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1554072743
• ISBN-13: 978-1554072743
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great photos and text between the same covers!, October 16, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Wharton, New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Penguins of the World (Hardcover)

Picture books usually have boring text, and nature books usually have photos that look like the ones used to prove the existence of the Loch Ness monster. This book has great color photos of all 17 species of penguins AND informative, readable text. Lynch obviously cares about his subject and his readers. For those who want to know more, he even includes a bibiliography. If you are a nature photographer, bird lover, or penguin fanatic, this book is for you.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, March 8, 2010

By 

Sunny Smiles "Sunny" (Canada) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Penguins of the World (Hardcover)

I purchased this book for my son, who loves penguins. He loved it!!! Even his small children love it. The book has become a family affair for them.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Why Penguin Can't Fly?, December 26, 2005

By 

bookworm "AL" (Langkawi, MALAYSIA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Penguins of the World (Hardcover)

Quite informative and attractive. But I can't find an "ISBN/Code No." of this book.