Nature Science

10 BEAUTIFUL BOOKS ON BEASTS

From Beautiful Love last week, we move into Beautiful Beasts this week. And we’ll look at beasts of all kinds, from wild to lap muffs, and all in between. Today, we have a fresh crop of books -- memoirs of life with animals, fascinating scientific and artistic studies, and more.

ACROSS THE RAVAGED LAND

“Across the Ravaged Land,” by Nick Brandt is the third and final volume in Nick Brandt’s trilogy of books documenting the disappearing animals of eastern Africa.

While the subject matter is sad, no matter how you look at it, this book is stunningly beautiful. These powerful animal portraits will grab your heart and quicken your pulse. You will want to do something to help save these beautiful beasts.

Harry N. Abrams (2013)

THE SNOW LEOPARD

“The Snow Leopard,” by Jackie Morris, is an exceptionally beautifully written and illustrated childrens book. It is the story of Snow Leopard this somewhat mythical animal that sings the stars to life, the sun to rise, and the moon to wax and wane high in the skies above the stunning landscapes of the Himalayas.

Frances Lincoln Children's Books (2014)

IN PREDATORY LIGHT: LIONS AND TIGERS AND POLAR BEARS

“In Predatory Light: Lions and Tigers and Polar Bears,” by photographers Cyril Christo and Marie Wilkinson, is a collection of dramatic duotone images, that capture these three top predators as they roam their natural environments.

In addition to the spectacular photos, Christo and Wilkinson share their memoirs of their expeditions to Africa, Asia and the Arctic, as they witness the dangers these endangered species face.

In Predatory Light is the perfect book for anyone concerned about the conservation of endangered species.

Merrell Publishers (2013)

SHAPING HUMANITY: HOW SCIENCE, ART, and IMAGINATION HELP US UNDERSTAND OUR ORIGINS

“Shaping Humanity: How Science, Art, and Imagination Help Us Understand Our Origins,” by internationally renowned paleoartist John Gurche, describes how he creates forensically accurate models of the prehistoric bridges between beasts and humans.

Gurche gets his reference from fossil remains, as well as comparative ape and human anatomy studies. He has practiced forensic reconstruction for over three decades. His pieces appear in world-class museums, as well as in publications ranging from National Geographic to the journal Science. You’ll see Gurche’s sculptures in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park and more.

Yale University Press (2013)

MORNING COMES TO ELK MOUNTAIN: DISPATCHES FROM THE WICHITA MOUNTAINS WILDLIFE REFUGE

“Morning Comes to Elk Mountain: Dispatches from the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge,” by Gary Lantz, is organized as a series of monthly journal entries, covering ten years jaunts through the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, one of the first national wildlife refuges, first established by President Theodore Roosevelt.

Part memoir, part field notes, part history, part science book, with 20 full-color photos, Morning Comes to Elk Mountain recounts how Roosevelt helped save the Wichitas from miners and land speculators, and instead relegated the land to American bison.

University of North Texas Press (2013)

MIRABILIS: A CARNIVAL OF CRYPTOZOOLOGY AND UNNATURAL HISTORY

“Mirabilis: A Carnival of Cryptozoology and Unnatural History,” by Karl P. N. Shuker, presents a beautiful bundle of fantastic animals that may or may not have ever existed.

This menagerie of cryptozoological mysteries are marvelous and monsterous. Far beyond the Loch Ness Monster and the Yeti, Mirabilis shows off a tree trunk with aligator jaws, a puppy-sized spider, a marine elephant-bear, dino-crocs, horned hares, sea dragons, tusked megalopedus, giant antlered sea-snails, flying turtles and more -- from prehistoric, ancient, and modern times.

Anomalist Books (2013)

GOLD RUSH IN THE JUNGLE: THE RACE TO DISCOVER AND DEFEND THE RAREST ANIMALS OF VIETNAM’S “LOST WORLD,”

“Gold Rush in the Jungle: The Race to Discover and Defend the Rarest Animals of Vietnam's Lost World,” by Dan Drollette Jr. is an adventure-filled account the mission to save Vietnam's most extraordinary animals.

The “lost world,” the jungle that sits at the junction of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, is home to large mammals never seen before by Western science. In the last decade, a half-goat/half-ox, a deer that barks, and a close relative of the nearly extinct Javan rhino have been identified.

Finding and naming one new large terrestrial mammal is an incredible feat, let alone a cadre of them in one region alone. Wildlife biologists from all over the world are flocking to this dangerous region.

This book contains research gathered from famous biologists, conservationists, indigenous peoples, former POWs, ex-Viet Cong, and the first U.S. ambassador to Vietnam since the war's end. It delves into subjects such as international trade in endangered species and the lingering effects of Agent Orange. And it shines a light on the effort of a handful of biologists as they endeavor to save the world's rarest animals.

Crown (2013)

THE BOOK OF BARELY IMAGINED BEINGS: A 21ST CENTURY BESTIARY

Imagined beasts are like psychedelic evolutionary experiments. But some real beasts are so extraordinary, it is hard to believe they live and breathe.

“The Book of Barely Imagined Beings: A 21st Century Bestiary,” by Caspar Henderson, offers readers a fascinating, beautifully produced look at some of the most fantastical creatures that walk, crawl, slither, and fly across the planet.

But it isn’t looks alone that make these beasts unbelievable, it is their very nature. The yeti crab, for example, uses its furry claws to farm the bacteria on which it feeds. The waterbear, meanwhile, is among nature’s “extreme survivors,” able to withstand a week unprotected in outer space.

University Of Chicago Press (2013)

UNSCHEDULED MEETINGS: LIFE CHANGING ENCOUNTERS WITH WILDLIFE FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

“Unscheduled Meetings: Life-Changing Encounters with Wildlife from Around the Globe,” by Rachel Oliver, includes 25 essays, describing the author’s personal experiences in serendipitous encounters with incredible wild beasts around the world.

Oliver runs into a bull elephant on a riverside trail in Africa. She inadvertently stalks a mountain lion on a ridge top in the Sierra foothills. She happens upon many beasts, yet none turn on her. Nobody gets hurt. All are beautiful.

Waterfront Digital Press (2013)

SAVING THE WHITE LIONS: ONE WOMAN’S BATTLE FOR AFRICA’S MOST SACRED ANIMAL

“Saving the White Lions: One Woman's Battle for Africa's Most Sacred Animal,” by Linda Tucker, with foreword by spiritual activist Andrew Harvey, is a captivating, suspenseful memoir.

Tucker, a white lion conservationist, describes her mission and struggle to protect the sacred white lion from the merciless and mafia-like trophy-hunting industry.

When Maria Khosa, a local medicine woman rescued Tucker and a group of fellow travelers from an imminent lion attack in 1991 in the Timbavati Reserve of South Africa, a new spiritual partnership emerged.

Khosa helped Tucker to find her sacred destiny: to be the “keeper of the white lions.” Khosa also envisioned the queen of the white lions—the embodiment of the mother of Ra, the sun god—would soon be born, on a day and in a place considered holy by Westerners. And a white cub, named Marah, was born on Christmas Day, 2000 in the little South African town of Bethlehem.

Tucker’s story unfolds as she meets Marah and endeavors to save her, and her siblings, from the trophy-hunters.

It’s an unforgettable tale of adventure, romance, spirituality, and justice.

North Atlantic Books (May 7, 2013)

WILD CONNECTION: WHAT ANIMAL COURTSHIP AND MATING TELL US ABOUT HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

“Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships,” by Jennifer L. Verdolin, is a window into wild sex -- both in wild animal and human worlds.

Verdolin, a specialist in animal behavior, compares the courtship rituals and mating behaviors of animals to their human equivalents. A fascinating set of revelations about how we are similar to and different from each other will surprise you.

What turns us on? What works? What doesn’t? Why are love and sexual relationships so hard for humans, yet relatively easy for practically every other species?

Wild Connection points out, for example, that in most species, smell is an important component of determining compatibility. Yet humans mask their smell as much as possible. Royal albatrosses date for years before they tie the knot. Yet many humans rush into things, only to find their choice was questionable, at best. And older female chimpanzees often mate with younger males. Yet this is frowned upon in most human cultures.

What can we learn from wild beast lovers? Find out in this book!

Prometheus Books (2014)