Customer Reviews

The Rarest of the Rare: Stories Behind the Treasures at the Harvard Museum of Natural History

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(1)
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This is a beautifully produced book, as carefully designed as a "coffee table" book, but without the cumbersome size and off-putting price. The book will appeal both to those with a cabinet-of-wonders curiosity and to those who are more interested in the scientific relevance of this great museum's holdings. Aside from its production, there are three great stars to the book. First, its writing: clear, humorous, informative and narratively driven. Second, its photographs: gorgeous, telling, often interestingly angled. Finally, its selection: a wide-ranging collection of different kinds of objects with very varied histories and significances. -- Again, everyone will find something in this book, and most people will find a lot indeed.

In an age increasingly dominated by TV and the Internet, it's great to find
a book that both captures your imagination and caters to people with a short
attention span!!! The Rarest is a series of fascinating stories wrapped
around artifacts from the Harvard Museum of Natural History. The coolest
thing about this book is that each story is self-contained. Just open the
book to a random page and get the skinny on "The Last Wolf Nose." Flip to
another section and learn about "The Mastadon Murder." If you have kids who
like to learn about nature, these little vignettes are perfect educational
bedtime stories. Photos are beautiful.

This is a gem of a book. A rare combination of science, history, and photography. The book presents the history of Harvard's Museum of Natural History and the great scientific treasures it holds. Nancy Pick's wonderful writing style includes historical information on how the specimens came into the collection and on the scientific importance of these specimens. You get to see material collected by Lewis and Clark, Captain Cook, Darwin, Nabokov, and many, many others. There is something here for everybody: birds, insects, orchids, mammals, fishes, reptiles, etc. This is truly an outstanding book.

Museum enthusiasts and natural history buffs alike will find the museum stories in The Rarest of the Rare: Stories Behind the Treasures at the Harvard Museum of Natural History are enhanced with nearly a hundred color photos by Mark Sloan as images accompany descriptions for some of the unusual specimens housed at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, with Nancy Pick explaining the special importance of each. The Rarest Of The Rare is more than a mere listing or summary outline of specimens as author Nancy Pick reveals just how the item was collected and where, as well as noting the diverse financial and collector contributors who often performed extraordinary feats to get the specimen to the museum.

The Rarest of the Rare is an excellent and entertaining look at many of the truly unique and historically-significant treasures found at the Harvard Museum. It is very well written, with just enough information to capture your attention and imagination, but not so much as to be boring; together with the exceptional photographs, this makes for a wonderful addition to any natural history or museum buff's library.

I had looked forward to getting this book for a while and have enjoyed it very much. This would make a nice gift book for a museum or natural history lover. It makes a lovely coffe table book as well but not just for looks but for reading.

I've wandered through that musuem and been impressed, but this book brings my appreciation and awe to an entirely new level. I don't know whether to make a return visit or just reread the book whenever I need to be reminded of that treasure house in Cambridge. Nancy Pick's text is like a curator tour of the collection highlights; the best tour you could imagine.

Thank you to Nancy Pick and Mark Sloan for solving all my holiday gift problems! This is the perfect present for anyone interested in nature or natural history. The text is sharp, snappy and smart, and the photos are stunning. I'm giving it to everyone I know.

The idea behind this book was great: pick some of the more interesting specimens out of the thousands held at the Harvard Museum of Natural History & write the story behind each. Alas, the outcome is boring & unimaginative. Most accounts are simplistic & unsophisticated. Moreover, the photos of many specimens were taken on distracting backgrounds such as human hands, maps, notebooks, etc. I am glad I bought a cheap secondhand copy.