Preparing for the Twenty-First Century

Book Description

Kennedy's groundbreaking book The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers helped to reorder the current priorities of the United States. Now, he synthesizes extensive research on fields ranging from demography to robotics to draw a detailed, persuasive, and often sobering map of the very near future--a bold work that bridges the gap between history, prophecy, and policy.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent analysis that has held up well so far.......2007-04-15

Despite being nearly 15 years old, this book hits a lot of the key points on the money.

No, Kennedy didn't know in 1993 how bad global warming might be, nor how strong Islamic fanaticism might become, nor how much rich-poor gaps, both North-South and within some countries like the U.S., might become.

But, that these issues, along with demographics and non-warming environmental issues, would be the touchstones for individual countries, and the world as a whole, he was right on the money.

I think Kennedy could well serve the public by coming out with a revised edition to reflect further knowledge and offer further prognostications.

The World and the American Empire.......2006-07-17

Paul Kennedy's "Preparing for the Twenty-First Century" is an intellectual look at global trends ranging from global warming to the scientific breakthroughs in biotechnology and robotics. He begins his analysis by discussing one of the world's greatest challenges today - population growth. The world today is similar to that of what Thomas Malthus saw in 1798, a population that could and would outgrow the resources available.

One of the more entertaining subjects for students of political thought is his analysis of economic globalization. Mr. Kennedy points to some specific reasons on why the economic progress of globalization has been so slow forthcoming: corrupt regimes, excess military funding, and religious fundamentalism, to name a few. Mr. Kennedy believes that a global shift towards biotechnology would allow us to move away from traditional farming practices; therefore making it easier to fight global threats such as starvation and economic deprivation. There are, of course, many other issues discussed in "Preparing for the Twenty-First Century."

In conclusion, Mr. Kennedy's thoughts on the future of the American Empire are of a pessimistic view. As he states, with a great support of factual information, the continuous decline in economic growth, loss in per capita productivity, and a rising trade deficit are issues of serious concern. Besides the economic threats, the country also faces social challenges in areas of crime, health, and education. A must read for under-graduate and graduate students of political science and thought.

Population control is ridiculous and shouts "no faith" in capitalism.......2006-07-10

The large impact forces will be felt from increased trends and interest for Biotech agricultural Jobs and automated manufacturing robotics. Corporations will embrace strategic position seeking global market share and ravage for larger profits earnings. The borderless nation will take jobs from local communities and local communities will have a difficult time accepting globalization logic but remain obsequiously quiet, as jobs are relocated to China, Mexico, or India. Companies will act according rules of laissez-faire capitalism having insignificant torque apply by political policy restraining hopes and aspirations promised by protectionism. CAFA and NAFA further reinforcing the doctrine that national borders and the fact national governments can not limit commerce. Global financial investment in emerging markets will remain popular, but the most significant upward trend will be the exponential interweaving of communications, computers, and media. New media will enhance the power of the government.

Individual power to direct political change is threatened, weakened by indifference caused by media propaganda. Topics such as illegal immigration, replacement fertility rates, and the direction of currency flows are communicated as both complex and non-understandable with the perception that the individual can not make a difference. People are responding with resignation, as demonstrated by decreased voter participation. However, there will be 1 to 5% of the companies positioned for advantage from the social-economic change in the 21st century. Writers like Kenichi Ohmae, George Glider, and Ben Wattenberg are the evangelical preachers of global capitalist.

Higher quality productivity fundamentals shift rising confidence towards Japan, Korea, East Asia trade states (India, Singapore, Thailand), Germany, Switzerland, and EC as a whole, claim: high savings, impressive levels of investment in new plant and equipment, excellent education, skilled workforce, manufacturing culture with many more engineers than lawyers, trade surpluses, and high quality and high value added manufactured products. Confidence does not necessarily need to be tangibly proven, but may exist in the perceived expectations of higher quality from investors. As a result, financial funds will choose too move billions of dollars into these countries for growth funding.

Environmental reforms will not offer problem solving resolution; instead, they will only slow down the CO2 emissions. Deforestation, famine, and climate disruption will peak. Policies will be moot against practices that deforestation. For example, India's population has lead to 2/3 deforestation. Political perspective will become shorter still rather than designed for long term beneficial prudence. Reforms lack enforcement power as new forces for global change make national instruments irrelevant. The state will remain the local nexus for authority and loyalty. Humankind instinctively avoids the un-comfort of change. Reforms cost money. Debate will materialize as politicians and special interest groups contend between parties to prioritize spending allocations.

Environmental pressures are likely to continue transform factories. Factories will be regulated to reduce emissions by installing more efficient use of energy, filter systems, and extract devices. Public works projects will spend tax dollars at record level rates to build public transportation and subsidies alternative fuels designed to reduce dependency on foreign oil. Government power will futilely believe it can create alternate employment and facilitate participation and cooperation by guaranteeing access to the markets in the hope of gain deeper control of capitalism oriented countries.

Competitiveness in the 21st century starts with incentives that increase national savings, slash budget deficits, enhance R&D levels and bring new products to market, avoid diverting to many resources to the military, focus on well designed and reliable products, gain employment through opportunities through retraining, and raising the educational standards. Rich countries statistically have fewer children than poor countries per capita. The number of children is not the problem. The problem is marketing hype that convinces millions of workers to migrate to cosmopolitan areas seeking work, only to find no work. The mass movement from agricultural supportive geography towards urban real estate scarcity disproportionately burdens the homeowner as wages large percentage of pay are diverted to a mortgage payment or rent. High cost of living reduces family size and hammers at the family as the basic unit.

Conservation does not work. France is a better economic model than Sweden and Israel. Sweden enforces policies to reduced CO2, implements a higher fuel tax than most countries, abolished nuclear energy, launched massive large scale development projects, and forces people to shift transportation from automobiles to cycles. Large scale public projects did not elevate Japan out of depression, nor did Japan's radical monetary supply injections neither stimulate the economy, nor did zero interest incentives making money cheap attract business ventures.

France is better positioned for the future. France is the largest producer of nuclear power in the Europe. France does not have a large standing army nor does it burden itself with heavy military expenditures. Germany may be another hidden powerhouse. Hedge funds are providing the financial availability giving Germany the financial opportunity to grow. Israel of recent has gained in popularity touting world class science and technology prowess.

Women roles have changed. Technology creates new jobs and destroys old ones. The new jobs are being competed for by men and women. When education is widely available to women, average family size drops sharply; women delay starting a family in lieu of getting a career by an average of four years; career women postpone children through heavy usage of contraceptives; and if Japan wants to return to higher fertility rates, more than technology and cash payments to have children will be required.

Economic growth is necessary for a decent standard of living, good health care, excellent education, and more leisure. The benefits of technology and innovation do not flow evenly and the wealth is not distributed to all. Falling behind means failure to rethink the future, retrain, and retool for the new jobs.

The speed of human assault on nature has increased: whole countries may deforest, topsoil deprived, and critical ozone depleted. A threshold point exists where there can not be a response because there will not be sufficient capital, skilled labor, or scientific solutions capable of fixing the damage. The critical issues of deforestation or ignored and animal and plant extinct species are emphasized further exasperating any political hope for prudence and long term management of the forests.

He misses so much.......2006-05-07

It is thirteen years since Kennedy wrote this book. I read it with the idea in mind of comparing his sense of what would be with what there is now. He misses so much, including the worldwide clash of civilizations in which radical Islam has launched a terror war against the West. He does not really focus on the whole 'Eurabia ' phenomenom though he does see how declining birth- rates in advanced countries may jeopardize their future.
Demographically, he does not see how the 'population explosion' has turned into the 'birth dearth'. And he does not give real attention to the ' greying of mankind as a whole'. It is not simply the first world which will be facing these problems but China too will have a 'massive greying' in the years ahead.
He too does not focus on many of the biotechnological changes which are raising questions about the fundamental meaning of our humanity.
He does once again speak about the US' loss of manufacturing power, the deficit the likelihood of its decline.
He does too warn about environmental problems which no doubt are serious and real.
He is not to blame of course for not seeing some of the most important developments of the past thirteen years.. No one can y see the future which always offers surprises.

__________

Helps understand the complexities of the World.......2005-07-26

Paul Kennedy is truly brilliant in providing a synthesis of the major trends of the current World. I read this book 10 years back, re-read it, and found it to be an excellent companion to discern the mega-trends.

Kennedy talks about 3 key trends - Demographic shifts, Economic Aspirations and Ecology.

Developed countries are aging and developing countries are becoming younger. This demographic shift should lead to a need for shifting productive people to the developed economies. With the spread of communication, the poor in developing countries have higher economic aspirations. So they want to shift to richer countries, more than before. As Kennedy points out, the only hitch is resistance to immigration.

And it is interesting to see how the World solved this problem through fiber optic cables. So the developed World now has remote workers. And even Kennedy could not have foreseen that.

The other issue he talks about is not so easy to solve. He forecasts that economic growth aspirations will lead an ecological challenge. The emerging 'energy wars', and the consequence of industrial development in China and India are bringing us face to face with the challenges that Kennedy anticipated. So, the choice is to deny the developing countries the prosperity that the rich countries enjoy, or risk the World blowing up - ecologically. And who can decide. Such is the dilemma posed by Paul Kennedy's brilliant analysis.

A true historian and a forecaster.

Veterinary Management in Transition: Preparing for the Twenty-First Century

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Veterinary Management in Transition: Preparing for the Twenty-First Century
Thomas E. Catanzaro
Manufacturer: Iowa State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Practice Management & Reimbursement | Administration & Policy | Medicine | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0813826268

Preparing Adolescents for the Twenty-First Century: Challenges Facing Europe and the United States (Johann Jacobs Conference Series)

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Preparing Adolescents for the Twenty-First Century: Challenges Facing Europe and the United States (Johann Jacobs Conference Series)

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Adolescent Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

Early adolescence, a critically important developmental phase in the lives of young people, has been neglected in terms of its potential to prevent educational and health problems. Preparing Adolescents for the Twenty-First Century: Challenges Facing Europe and the United States attempts to address this neglect by focusing on cross-national perspectives and linking fundamental research on adolescent development to the challenges of preparing young people for adult life. This volume's contributors describe the theory, design, and implementation of innovative comprehensive education and health approaches. The contributors give serious consideration to increasing the positive influence of education in promoting literacy for a high-technology economy, healthy lifestyles, and responsible citizenship. Co-editor David Hamburg was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on September 9, 1996.

Fixing the Spy Machine: Preparing American Intelligence for the Twenty-First Century

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Portentious in hindsight
A Scholarly Insider's View
US Intelligence is not broken...view from the inside

Fixing the Spy Machine: Preparing American Intelligence for the Twenty-First Century
Arthur S. Hulnick
Manufacturer: Praeger Paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Intelligence & Espionage | Military | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0275966534

Book Description

With the end of the Cold War and the dawning of a new century, the U.S. intelligence system faces new challenges and threats. The system has suffered from penetration by foreign agents, cutbacks in resources, serious errors in judgment, and what appears to be bad management; nonetheless, it remains one of the key elements of America's strategic defense. Hulnick suggests that things are not as bad as they seem, that America's intelligence system is reasonably well prepared to deal with the many threats to national security. He examines the various functions of intelligence from intelligence gathering and espionage to the arcane fields of analysis, spy-catching, secret operations, and even the business of corporate espionage. Hulnick offers a variety of ideas for making the system work better and for attracting the kinds of new intelligence professionals who will build a stronger intelligence system in the next century. Fixing the Spy Machine suggests that the role of the Director of Central Intelligence, the person who runs both the CIA and oversees the U.S. Intelligence Community, should be depoliticized and made stronger. It also concludes that people are responsible for making the system function, not its bureaucratic structure. Still, intelligence managers are going to have to become less risk-averse and more flexible if the system is to function at its best.

Customer Reviews:

unique Contribution.......2006-12-21

This is an excellent book handicapped by a rather silly title. The author of the book is Arthur Hulnick who after seven years with navel Intelligence had a successful career as an analyst with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He has written a very thoughtful and accurate description of the U.S. Intelligence System and the processes of intelligence production. Of course the book tends to be somewhat CIA centric since Hulnick was a CIA employee, but the book still covers the entire system quit well. Although published in 1999, his book has as much relevance today as it did when it was published.

Hulnick provides a very good, if general, account of the processes associated with intelligence analysis and clearly knows what he is talking about. He is also one of the few writers on intelligence to address the issue that the CIA and other intelligence agencies tend to have very poor management and lack management training programs. Although Hulnick devotes some discussion to intelligence reform, the most valuable contribution of his book is his candid discussions of how the U.S. Intelligence System actually works as seen from the viewpoint of someone who was immersed in that system. His careful discussions and observations make good reading for both intelligence professionals and for folks who just wish to know what intelligence is all about. This book would be a good companion to "Secret Agencies" by Loch K. Johnson and "Intelligence from Secrets to Policy" by Mark M. Lowenthal (both available at Amazon.com).

In reading this book this reviewer noted a certain ambiguity that is common to intelligence professionals of long service in the way Hulnick discussed the intelligence system. On the one hand he is clearly proud of the analytic work he and his colleagues performed and of the very real successes of U.S. Intelligence Community; on the other hand he is clearly dismayed by the numerous and egregious failures of a dysfunctional community with a long history of chronic mismanagement.

Portentious in hindsight.......2004-07-23

Excellent analysis of the problems that have plagued the US intelligence system with cogent policy recommendations. Its criticism of the undue reliance placed on technical collection over analysis and human resources was timely advice that was unfortunately not followed.

A Scholarly Insider's View.......2000-05-30

Students of intelligence have been blessed this year with the publication of two outstanding books on American intelligence: Mark Lowenthal's "Intelligence" and Arthur Hulnick's "Fixing the Spy Machine."

Hulnick, a retired intelligence officer and former "CIA Officer in Residence" at Boston University and one of the Agency's first public spokesmen, provides a stimulating overview of the major problems facing the US intelligence community. It is a particularly useful book for those who seek a professional's critical view on issues ranging from the need for better recruitment to improved coordination between civilian and military clandestine activities.

Although Hulnick clearly has considerable sympathy for the needs of the intelligence community, this is by no means an uncritical whitewash. On the contrary, it is a thoughtful probing of present and future problems facing US intelligence and policy makers.

I would rate this book as one of a handful any serious student of US intelligence should read and own --- to come back to often as a reference volume.

US Intelligence is not broken...view from the inside.......2000-04-08

This book has two good features-the author really does understand the personnel issues, and hence one can read between the lines for added value; and the book is as good an "insider" tour of the waterfront as one could ask for. How the book treats the CIA-FBI relationship, for example, is probably representative of how most CIA insiders feel. The book does not reflect a deep understanding of open sources and tends to accept the common wisdom across the intelligence bureaucracy, that all is "generally okay" and just a bit of change on the margin is necessary. In this respect, it is a good benchmark against which the more daring reformist books may be measured.

Sharing Success--Owning Failure: Preparing to Command in the Twenty-First Century Air Force

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Sharing Success--Owning Failure: Preparing to Command in the Twenty-First Century Air Force
David L. Goldfein
Manufacturer: Air Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1585660981

Children, Families, and Government: Preparing for the Twenty-First Century

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Children, Families, and Government: Preparing for the Twenty-First Century

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Developmental Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0521589401

Book Description

This important text analyzes the relationship between child development research and the design and implementation of social policy concerning children and families. The editors have compiled contributions from leading experts in the fields of developmental psychology, psychiatry, public health, business, political science, and education. By so doing, they present a multidisciplinary account of the controversies and challenges that have emerged in the field of child development and social policy, and an analysis of recent changes in our national ethos toward children and families.

Capital Preservation: Preparing for Urban Operations in the Twenty-First Century--Proceddings of the RAND Arroyo-TRADOC-MCWL-OSD Urban Operations Conference, March 22-23, 2000 (Documented Briefing)

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Capital Preservation: Preparing for Urban Operations in the Twenty-First Century--Proceddings of the RAND Arroyo-TRADOC-MCWL-OSD Urban Operations Conference, March 22-23, 2000 (Documented Briefing)
Russell Glenn
Manufacturer: RAND Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0833030086

Book Description

In March 2000, RAND Arroyo Center, Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense hosted a conference on urban operations. Its objectives were to explain the significance of urban areas in current and future military operations; consider and discuss methods and means of seizing, stabilizing, or controlling such areas in teh 21st century; identify technology requirements across the spectrum of urban operations. and identify C4ISR requirements inherent in military urban operations and ways of meeting these requirements.

Career Developments: Preparing for the Twenty-First Century

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Career Developments: Preparing for the Twenty-First Century

Manufacturer: Counseling & Psychological Services, Incorpor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1561090328

International Handbook of Education and Development: Preparing Schools, Students and Nations for the Twenty-First Century

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International Handbook of Education and Development: Preparing Schools, Students and Nations for the Twenty-First Century

Manufacturer: Pergamon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0080430678

Book Description

This Handbook brings together in one volume an international panel of distinguished authors who tackle the vast topic of the dissatisfaction with education systems worldwide. This collection of chapters attempts to provide a comprehensive definition of the reasons for discontent. Split into two parts, the first part begins with descriptions of the origins of the modern system of public education in various countries and regions. Emphasis is put on the engineering of public education to respond to political and economic requirements of the State. This is followed by a description of how changes in the requirements of the State have led to efforts to adjust to modern education, without radical transformation. The second part describes radical changes in the foundation and structure of life and thought in modern societies, and then argue that education systems must be transformed radically in order to serve changed societies. This volume will define the boundaries of future debate on the radical transformation of education systems.

Managing Change in Higher Education: Preparing for the Twenty First Century

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Managing Change in Higher Education: Preparing for the Twenty First Century
K. Scott Hughes
Manufacturer: College & Univ Professional Assn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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A Future Classic of Nature Literature

Praise for A Wing in the Door

Fine new Milkweed title.

Strong story compromised by some inaccuracies.

A Wing in the Door: Life with a Red-Tailed Hawk (World As Home, The)
Peri Phillips McQuay
Manufacturer: Milkweed Editions
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Binding: Paperback

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Red-Tailed Hawk (Wild Bird Guides)

Red-Tails in Love: A Wildlife Drama in Central Park (Vintage Departures)

How to Spot Hawks and Eagles (How to Spot)

Nature - Pale Male

Great Horned Owl (Wild Bird Guides)

ASIN: 1571312390

Amazon.com

At home from Panama to the Arctic, red-tailed hawks are a common sight in the skies of North America. But because red-tails are understandably shy of humans, they are usually a distant sight, and few people get the opportunity to observe the raptors up close for more than a fleeting second.

Peri McQuay, a Canadian writer and naturalist, is one of those few. Called on to help raise a young red-tail that had been taken from the wild early and trained--but only partly--by a would-be falconer, she embarked upon what she clearly considers to be the adventure of a lifetime. Warned that Merak, the young bird, might have imprinted on humans and therefore likely could not fend for herself, McQuay spent the next several seasons encouraging Merak to find a home for herself in the world to which she belonged, probing the depths of raptor psychology in an attempt to help Merak learn to hunt, find a mate, and return to the wild state that was her birthright.

The experiment, as McQuay writes in this thoughtful memoir, had mixed results. Her portrait of Merak is sympathetic, affectionate, and full of surprises (among them the humorous revelation that a bird of prey and a cat can arrive at an accommodation, and even live in peace), if tinged with sorrow for what has become of so much of the wild. McQuay's affecting tale of "the gift of this pitiably damaged yet magnificent hawk" will inspire any student of wild birds. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

Illegally plucked from her nest when only a month old to be trained for falconry, Merak is two when finally released. She isn’t used to foraging for herself, however, and wanders into a nearby town. As Peri McQuay quickly learns, this human-imprinted hawk is not quite ready for the wild. As Merak’s caretakers, the McQuays try to coax the bird to independence. In journal form, Peri McQuay writes about her life with Merak, relating the hawk’s antics — chasing a garden hose that looks like a snake, rearing up to magnificent size to threaten a house cat — and her difficulties. McQuay becomes increasingly attached even as she hopes that Merak will become fully wild again. This unusual book about a little-known topic testifies to the powerful connections between humans and animals.

Customer Reviews:

A Future Classic of Nature Literature.......2001-10-24

The fact that Milkweed Press has wisely chosen to reprint Peri Phillips McQuay's A Wing in the Door: Adventures with a Red-Tail Hawk (originally published in Canada in 1993), bespeaks its enduring value, and I think helps ensure its survival into the future as a classic of nature literature. Like another great Canadian nature writer, Farley Mowat (Never Cry Wolf), Peri Mcquay explores the relation between human and wild with wisdom, intelligence, and spirit. McQuay adds to these qualities a remarkably poetic prose which deeply involves the reader in the inner experience of her story-- which is also the story of Merak the hawk, who becomes movingly real to us through the pages of this wonderful book. 'A Wing in the Door' is even more convincing and enriching because it includes not only the human-imprinted hawk and her caretakers who are attempting to help her live as close to the wild as possible, but much of the other wildlife surrounding them as well. The world of 'A Wing in the Door' is broad, rich, and varied, as well as exciting and deeply poetic. To quote from a moment in the book when the author is enjoying watching Merak in flight: 'To fly through the wings of a hawk is like flying through a kite, only far better." As a scholar and teacher of nature literature and editor of two books on naturalist John Burroughs, I find this book a treasure, one that I hope to use in the classroom.

Praise for A Wing in the Door.......2001-08-07

Toronto Globe and Mail, June 23, 2001: "In the style of Jane Goodall and other...animal behaviourists, there's a magnificent tenderness in these narratives--emphatically not to be confused with sentimentality....[A] rare and enlightened witness to the truth of non-human nature."

Washington Post Book World, April 22, 2001: "McQuay knows her land, knows its inhabitants, both plant and the animal, like a first language. Because of this she has written a compelling tale about wild places and wild and half-wild creatures and what it feels like to be around them that rings with authenticity."

Fine new Milkweed title........2001-08-02

This gentle, closely-observed, radiant work explores new territory in the genre of writing about animals. The red-tailed hawk, Merak, never gets more than a wing in the door, literally. She is neither reared nor rehabilitated in the McQuay house. She is brought to them Ñ on their 800 acre conservation area in Ontario Ñ by the local rehabilitator to be released back into the wild. It is only almost as the door to the cage is being opened that the McQuays find out that the hawk may be human imprinted, and thus Merak may be within the circle of their lives for the rest of her own. This book, like a crafted journal, tells the story of several years of Merak's life interwoven with the lives of the people who choose to feed her (mice and rats and muskrats) and look out after her. It is always the hawk who is the focus. Merak is neither wild nor domesticated, but lives in that space where more and more nonhuman creatures will be found, as human existence encroaches upon the natural states necessary for animals to be completely themselves. McQuay is all too aware of the losses that Merak must live with, and records them with the clarity and honesty available to someone who lives amidst such hard lessons.

Strong story compromised by some inaccuracies........2001-05-10

Take a strong premise-the observations and interactions of a human family with a partially tamed Red-tailed Hawk, evocative, often lyrical writing, add some anthropomorphism and a few factual errors, and you have A Wing in the Door. I really wanted to like this book more than I did. Like Marie Winn's Red-tails in Love, it covers a subject very near to my heart, humans and their relationship to birds of prey (I teach environmental education using non-releasable hawks, and one of the birds I use is a big female Red-tailed Hawk). The opportunity to interest a wider audience in the "personal" lives of these birds could be a valuable asset in promoting greater understanding of and appreciation for not just the subject species, but all wildlife and the environment in general. To do that effectively, anthropomorphism is a legitimate tool to make the birds seem more human and give them recognizable character traits to which the reader can relate. However, you shouldn't go too far. Too often, I thought, Ms. McQuay ascribed feelings, motivations, and premeditation to the bird's actions that I felt were a stretch. She addressed this issue in an opening note, explaining her use of anthropomorphism as a conscious, necessary antidote to the alternative worldview that we humans are somehow above other animals. I agree, in principal, up to a point, but felt that the author went too far in many cases, thus undermining the non-fiction objectivity of her narrative. In a similar vein, there were some inaccuracies, mainly having to do with aging and plumage characteristics. Early on, she discusses the bird's age when it came to her family, spring of the year following the year it hatched. The bird still has the brown and gray banded tail typical of an immature redtail, as it is coming up on its first molt. Yet, the bird is called a two year-old in the text (it is, in fact, just coming up on one year). I found this confusion about the bird's age as the years cycle throughout the narrative a bit distracting. The process of molting (shedding old feathers and growing in new ones) was often described as being uncomfortable for the bird, with allusions to ill-temper and bad behavior related to being thus indisposed. In my experience and from everything I have read, I have never seen reference to molt being a particularly discomforting process, any more than is the shedding of our hair. Out with the old, in with the new. Molt does change the bird's energetic requirements, but doesn't seem to actually cause them pain. These and similar problems with raptor biology aside, there is much to enjoy in A Wing in the Door. I welcome the effort to interest the general public in some of the fascinating details of the lives of raptorial birds. In the end, the author spins a pretty good tale about her experiences. For myself, I would have liked it better with a little more about the bird and a little less of the human.

Birds of Voyageurs National Park: A Guide to the Minnesota-Ontario Border Country

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Birds of Voyageurs National Park: A Guide to the Minnesota-Ontario Border Country

Manufacturer: University of Minnesota Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Nature/Regional

An essential guide to bird identification in this wilderness region.

Voyageurs National Park, on the Minnesota-Ontario border, is beloved by campers, canoeists, kayakers, hikers, and especially, bird-watchers. Its solitude offers a relatively undisturbed habitat, and its unusually varied ecosystem-the open water of large lakes, wetlands, and upland forests-provides a unique home for its bird population. Indeed, Voyageurs encompasses some of the greatest diversity of bird life in North America with over one hundred species known to breed within the park and even more nonbreeding visitors.

This book describes one hundred of Voyageurs' most commonly seen birds-from the familiar Common Loon to more unusual species such as the Black-Backed Three-Toed Woodpecker and the Mourning Warbler. Each entry provides a full-color photograph, a detailed description, behavioral information, and tips for where to go in the park to see these birds. Here we learn that more than half of the warblers of eastern North America can be found in the Voyageurs environs. And we are provided with explanations for surprising facts such as the paucity of sandpipers in the park (it has few of the sandy beaches and mudflats they require) and how beavers influence the bird species that reside there.

Voyageurs is one of the best birding destinations in the national park system. Until now there was no adequate resource for those wishing to enjoy its singular combination of species and habitats. This richly illustrated volume fills that void. Not only informational, it will also be a cherished memento for visitors to the Minnesota-Ontario border country and an inspiration for those planning such a trip.

The Voyageurs Region National Park Association was formed in 1965 to work for the creation of Voyageurs National Park. Since the park's authorization by Congress in 1971, the organization has worked to preserve the natural, recreational, and historic resources of Voyageurs National Park and to promote public enjoyment of the park.

Distributed for the Voyageurs Region National Park Association

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The ROM Field Guide to Birds of Ontario
Janice Hughes , and Royal Ontario Museum
Manufacturer: McClelland & Stewart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0771076509
Release Date: 2001-04-24

Book Description

This unique publication, produced in association with the Royal Ontario Museum, is the guide Ontario birders have been waiting for…

The ROM Field Guide to Birds of Ontario is researched and written specifically for the Ontario bird watcher. It is the most authoritative, easy to use, and beautifully designed guide to Ontario birds available.

This landmark publication features:

• Detailed and clearly written descriptions of more than 300 migrant and resident Ontario bird species and accidentals, including notes on Appearance, Voice, Habitat and Behaviour, and Status.
• Close to 400 stunning full-colour photographs from Canada’s top wildlife photographers, carefully selected for quick and easy identification in the field.
• Over 300 easy-to-read colour distribution maps, showing summer and winter ranges and breeding grounds.
• Handy page-per-species format, with photo, description, and range map all in one place.
• Glossary, Checklist of Ontario Birds, and Index.

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Best of a Good Series

Birds of Ontario
Andy Bezener , Gary Ross , and Ted Nordhagen (illustrator)
Manufacturer: Lone Pine Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Learn about 318 species of Ontario birds in fascinating detail. Descriptions of each bird, illustrations and range maps help you identify birds and understand their habits. A checklist helps you keep a list of your birding accomplishments. Technical review by Ross James, former Curator of Ornithology, Royal Ontario Museum.

Customer Reviews:

Best of a Good Series.......2003-12-07

My wife and I often go bird watching while we travel. As a result, I often feel like a beginner, not even knowing which species I can expect in the locality I'm visiting. So, we usually have two bird guides with us and one of them is the Lone Pine field guide of the area.

The Lone Pine field guides all cover roughly 300 species with one page per species. A map showing where the species can be seen within the area covered by the field guide accompanies every description.

In some cases, the drawings of the birds are more accurate than that of the more comprehensive field guides.

Book Description

The Pocket Naturalist card is a pocket-sized, folding card which provides simplified, easy-to-use reference to what everyone should know about familiar plants, animals, and natural history. Maps are included to highlight prominent sanctuaries and outstanding natural attractions. Every card is laminated so that it is waterproof and practical for use in the field. This card highlights over 100 of Ontario's most common breeding birds and familiar migrants.END

Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Ontario (Life Sciences Miscellaneous Publication)

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Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Ontario (Life Sciences Miscellaneous Publication)
Ross D. James
Manufacturer: Royal Ontario Museum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Birds | Field Guides | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Ontario.

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Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Ontario.
ROSS D.: JAMES
Manufacturer: Royal Ontario Museum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UCV9BM

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Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario
Michael D. Cadman , and Paul F. J. Eagles
Manufacturer: Univ of Waterloo Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The Avian Ark: Tales from a Wild-Bird Hospital

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It is like visiting a wildlife refuge for a day

The Avian Ark: Tales from a Wild-Bird Hospital
Kit Chubb
Manufacturer: Ruminator Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Veterinary Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Endangered Species | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Birds | Field Guides | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 188691303X

Customer Reviews:

It is like visiting a wildlife refuge for a day.......1999-02-17

Kit Chubb's witty sense of humor comes through perfectly in this book about some of the most fascinating and incredible wildlife rescues and rehabilitation stories found anywhere. It is easy to understand the brain behind the phenomenon that is Kitt Chubb and a day in the life of the Avian Care and Research Foundation.

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