Brief, surpringly comprehensive, and nicely done

I really like this book!

I bought it for Bren on a whim one day when I was shopping for birthday presents at Partners Village Store in Westport, but when I bought it I didn't know what a gem it was. I just knew it gave a broad over-view of everything from continental drift to endangered species.

I thought it would be a great book to help us stay one step ahead of our grandchildren on all those topics we love so much, from birds, to sea shells, to native Americans. These are all things that come up in the course of various family field trips. We've both read about such things - and have many field guides - but what I like about this book is it pulls it all together, giving you well-written, brief articles along with excellent photos and illustrations.

It's the writing, however,that amazes me. The authors, Stand Freeman and Mike Nasuti, don't spend a lot of time on any given topic - but they somehow manage to hit all the high points and in each case supply me with some new details of which I wasn't aware.

For example, I've often wondered to what extent earlier humans were like us in the critical areas of thinking and behavior. Most books look at their artifacts and put emphasis on their technology - or lack of it. Because I don't know much about the authors, I'm not entirely sure how accurate they are, but they are unequivocal on this point:

It's true that life for humans has changed dramatically over the centuries as their inventions and discoveries have accumulated. But their basic emotional and intellectual makeup has changed very little.

i believe that's accurate and I know it's important. It's important because we tend to equate technological progress with advanced thinking and culture. That's why we use such words as "primitive" and "advanced" to describe the past and present human race. But even when you know better, it's hard not to develop this mind set where we assume that people living a "primitive" life style were:

a. Stupid
b. Miserable most of the time

The authors paint a much different picture.

If these early human cultures did not advance much beyond the use of simple tools, its because there was little need for them to advance. By many standards they were "rich" people. Their needs could be easily met. Indeed,they may have enjoyed life as much, if not more, than people today.

What? We're not better off with our televisions, medicine, fast foods, fast travel,s tress, heart disease, diabetes and weapons of mass destruction? Well, i don't know. I'm not sure they're right, but I think it's right to raise the issue. Shades of "Ishmael" and the Garden of Eden myth!

But don't get me wrong - that isn't what this book is all about - it's about rivers, ponds, rocks, whales, birds, turtles - the whole wonderful show of creeping, crawling, flying things we find in our own backyards and on our beaches. And it's about the beaches and bedrock and aquifers. If you can find a copy, it's worth the price. Amazon.com won't promise delivery for a month. I guess Hampshire House Publishing company in Florence, MA is small. But in any event, congratulations to the authors and publisher and I highly recommend this as a useful addition to anyone's library - even if you think you already know all there is to know about birds, or foxes, or sandstone and seashells, it's just nice to get it all pulled together in this concise fashion.

Posted by Greg Stone at June 3, 2003 09:16 AM