Customer Reviews

Threads from the Web of Life: Stories in Natural History

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This marvelous book makes me wish I had spent more time at ground level just watching and enjoying the littlest things in life. Mr. Daubert uses magic to bring nature to us. I will certainly use this is my classroom and it will be my "gift of the year' for every party I attend. It's simply a treat!

This book is a unique mix of science & story telling. Really fun to read...plus you learn something about the world we live in.

"Threads from the Web of Life" (subtitled Stories in Natural History) is a wondrous experience in reading. Author Stephen Daubert`s text (with illustrations by Chris Daubert) is enriched by the science notes and reference list that follow each story.

Daubert says his tales "flow from what has been observed, to illustrate what we would predict." He does a superb job of both observation and prediction.
I happened to open the book on page 49 where "The Secret of the Cenotes" begins with this sentence: Despite the rain forest setting, the days can be hot and dry here in the Yucatan. This six page story carries readers into an oasis and its history. If you could have been with the hadrosaurs. . . Daubert tells what they saw sixty-five million years ago, what came next, and what effects the changing environment had on evolution.
One of the most fascinating stories (tho it is hard to choose) may explain what truly WAS seen by those reporting an Unidentified Flying Object event. "Luminous objects. . . pure white lights. . .flying in formation." This five and a half page story and the Science Notes that follow it establish a foundation for skepticism whenever rumors are spread.
The ocean, the forest, the sky: each serve as background for beings and happenings. Day and night, all seasons, many eras : in every one Daubert finds something to tell us. In his final story he honors his readers by saying "you will continue to wonder about it all. . . . . you are part of the picture."

[Personal note: A friend told me that she swam in one of the pools in the Yucatan whose formation is described in "The Secret of the Cenotes." ]

I really enjoyed this book. The author is very descriptive and each chapter was really short. I loved the pictures and the writing equally well. I recommend it to students and adults alike, especially to those whom like environmental studies. This book is a very quick read, I read it in the afternoon.

This was a lovely collection of essays, each focusing on a different scene. From ocean to forest to jungle, this book ranged all over the planet, explaining why nature works the way it does and how it got that way. It's hard to pick my favorite essay, but one standout was the one on the migration of squid. I also loved to read about the mysterious UFO also known as the white pelican. Sometimes the writing was a little too lyrical, but I loved the section at the end of each essay, telling about the science behind the story, and the section at the end, giving the reader options for further reading. A wonderful book for any nature lover.

Vignettes about ecology that are well written and surprisingly engaging. A delightful and very imformative read.