Best Selling Books by Peter Matthiessen

Recounts his safari to the Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania.

Enables researchers to assess the effects of endocrine disrupters as well as comply with new environmental regulations Endocrine disrupters are chemicals both man-made and natural that interfere with the body's endocrine system, potentially resulting in adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects. In recent years, a number of regulatory authorities around the world have drafted or enacted legislation that requires the detection and assessment of the effects of endocrine disrupters on both humans and wildlife. In response, this book provides comprehensive, up-to-date information on the latest tested and proven methods used to detect and assess the environmental hazards posed by endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Endocrine Disrupters is divided into chapters covering each major taxon as well as chapters dedicated to hazard assessment and regulation. The book covers testing methods for all the vertebrate groups and several invertebrate phyla, including: Crustaceans and mollusks Insects Fish Amphibians and reptiles Birds and mammals Moreover, the book emphasizes practical, ethical testing methods that combine sensitivity, efficiency, statistical power, and reasonable cost. Each chapter is written by one or more international experts in ecotoxicology, offering readers step-by-step guidance for implementing each method based on the latest research and the authors' firsthand laboratory experience. Furthermore, all the chapters have been subjected to a rigorous peer review and edited in light of the reviewers' comments. References at the end of each chapter guide readers to the literature in the field. Endocrine Disrupters is recommended for scientists who need to test chemicals for possible endocrine-disrupting properties. It is also recommended for regulatory authorities who need to decide whether particular chemicals can be safely marketed.

Photographic documentation of the necessity to preserve this precious area.

Freshwater field tests are an integral part of the process of hazard assessment of pesticides and other chemicals in the environment. This book brings together international experts on microcosms and mesocosms for a critical appraisal of theory and practice on the subject of freshwater field tests for hazard assessment. It is an authoritative and comprehensive summary of knowledge about freshwater field tests, with particular emphasis on their optimization for scientific and regulatory purposes. This valuable reference covers both lotic and lentic outdoor systems and addresses the choice of endpoints and test methodology. Instructive case histories show how to extrapolate test results to the real world.

* The only photographic book on the largest wildlife area in Africa; four years in the making, the book is full of amazing photographs of wildlife* Great variety of wildlife: from exotic birds to elephants, from crocodiles to wild dogs* Brief but informative texts on the history and ecology of the Selous and the problems/opportunities it faces* Beautiful gatefolds and high quality printing make this book the perfect gift for all nature loversThe Selous was my very first Africa experience, and it remains my favorite. Robert J. Ross's extraordinary photographs take us into a natural world unlike any other on earth. A world of elephants. Of wild dogs. Of nature as it should be, can be, might be - if we keep these breathtaking images firmly in mind. A triumph! Bryan Christy, Director, Special Investigations Unit, National GeographicThe Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania is Africa's oldest and largest protected area. Proclaimed in 1896, and bigger than Switzerland, the Selous is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Selous remains one of Africa's largest and greatest undisturbed ecosystems, teeming with life including one of the two largest elephant populations remaining on the African continent, probably half of all of the wild dogs in Africa, vast herds of buffalo as well as more lions than any other protected area on the continent as reported by National Geographic in August 2013. The game reserve is becoming more important by the day as the pressure on elephants and other species grows - problems that are addressed here in this book.New-York born photographer Rob Ross has spent much of the past four years photographing in this vast and difficult to access reserve. He has compiled more than 100,000 images showing all aspects of the reserves varied landscapes, seasons, flora and large and small fauna. The spectacular large-format photography book features a selection of the very best images including landscapes, wildlife portraits and behavior, night photography, impressionist style work and breath-taking aerials.Of related interest: The Centre Cannot Hold ISBN 9780983270287 - $75.00

Uma extraordinária odisseia espiritual de um homem em busca de si mesmo. Em 1973, Peter Matthiessen e George Schaller viajaram até às remotas montanhas do Nepal para estudarem o Carneiro-azul e observarem o raro e mítico Leopardo-das-neves. Matthiessen estava igualmente numa jornada espiritual para encontrar o lama de Shey no Mosteiro de Cristal. Com o desenrolar da viagem, Matthiessen descreve o seu caminho interior e exterior, aprofundando a compreensão budista da realidade, do sofrimento, da impermanência e da beleza. Um relato extraordinário de uma viagem física e espiritual que se converteu numa verdadeira peregrinação pela essência da vida.

The journey of Buddhism over centuries, from India to China and then to Japan, is the stuff of mythology. But now, in our own time, we have witnessed and documented its historic crossing of the Pacific and its subsequent evolution in the Americas and Europe. In 1982, writer Peter Muryo Matthiessen, the first dharma successor of Roshi Bernie Glassman, traveled with Glassman to pay respects to the teachers in their lineage, some of the great living Zen masters of twentieth–century Japan. What took place was an important meeting of minds representing the past, present, and future of Zen practice, an intimate connection between ancestors and descendants marking a critical point in the Zen journey from the East to the West. This historic event was captured in the moment by the selective lens of Peter Cunningham. Matthiessen's exquisite poetic accounts of this pilgrimage, which formed a part of his book Nine–Headed Dragon River, accompany the photos.

Nella primavera del 1972, Peter Matthiessen si imbatte a New York nel celebre naturalista e zoologo George Schaller, che gli avanza subito una proposta: unirsi a lui, nell’autunno dell’anno successivo, per una spedizione fino al Nepal nordoccidentale, vicino alla frontiera tibetana, dove non è raro avvistare il più bello e più affascinante dei grandi felini: il leopardo delle nevi, il mitico animale di cui tutti parlano e che nell’ultimo quarto di secolo solo due occidentali, tra cui Schaller stesso, hanno visto davvero. L’idea di visitare il Nepal, di approssimarsi passo passo alla più imponente catena montuosa del mondo, di arrivare alla Montagna di Cristallo e andare alla ricerca di una leggendaria creatura, è così allettante per Matthiessen che, il giorno di settembre del 1973 fissato per l’appuntamento con Schaller, si presenta puntualissimo, e perfettamente equipaggiato per la spedizione, all’albergo di Katmandu prescelto. Pubblicato per la prima volta nel 1978, Il leopardo delle nevi è considerato da allora non soltanto uno dei grandi libri di viaggio di sempre. Il grande racconto di un viaggio avventuroso tra le gole profonde e le montagne del Tibet, alla ricerca di un mitico animale e dell'essenza stessa della vita. «Un vero e proprio capolavoro della letteratura d’ogni tempo». John Hillaby «Un grande libro che compie un viaggio parallelo, accompagnando i passi fisici di un pellegrinaggio con i passi metafisici di una ricerca». Pico Iyer

有史以來最偉大的旅行和自然書寫作品 ★知名作者彼得．馬修森穿越喜馬拉雅山的難忘精神之旅★ 「人生的荒謬可能在我們未理解之前就結束了，可是我們（對於跟別人不可分的那個自我）仍有義務盡可能勇敢、恢弘地活過一生。」──彼得．馬修森 ★榮獲1979年美國國家圖書獎「當代思想類」 ★榮獲1980年美國國家圖書獎「一般非小說類」 ★巴黎評論創辦人自然書寫經典 ★名家宋碧雲經典譯本 一部匯合旅遊經歷、自然書寫與性靈禪修體悟 持續40年的經典著作 《雪豹》 ●國內名家一致推薦● 作家 陳德政──專文推薦 作家 謝旺霖 作家 顏擇雅 ──一致推薦 「喜馬拉雅空氣清新，山顯得近在眼前，面對這壯觀的山水，淚水靜靜浮上眼眶。這幾週來不受干擾──沒有信件、電話、不必應付旁人的需求──我的腦袋很清楚，自動自發回應萬事萬物。這種感覺很驚人。……」 1973年，作者彼得‧馬修森與動物學家喬治‧夏勒深入西藏邊界尼泊爾境內的多爾泊區，目的是研究當地特有的喜馬拉雅藍羊。不過，兩個人還有另一個目的，就是希望能一窺雪山中最珍貴美麗的傳奇生物－－雪豹。 「自然以待」及「科學研究」兩種文化態度上的差異，在作者以研究者的身分進入佛學的精神發源地「藏區」時，一股隱隱約約的、一再挑戰讀者心念的對立不斷地衝擊。我們如何看待事物、如何安置自我，都在這主觀與客觀、主體與客體的對應中遊移流轉。 師從禪宗的馬修森，在水晶山的古老寺宇間的精神追尋，最終卻成為對於身體和精神之旅的非凡描繪。因為艱苦的攀登，讓馬修森對現實、苦難、無常和美麗有了更深的佛教理解。 國內外好評 「一本美麗的書，配得上他身處的群山。」——保羅．索魯，《赫丘力士之柱》作者 「最初是對受人尊敬的佛教象徵、稀有的雪豹的探索，後來發展成為對存在意義的探索。一部登山與性靈追求，別致有趣的結合」——觀察者報 「這是一個內心為平靜而博鬥的故事，將成為鼓舞人心和支撐人的荒島最佳陪伴讀物。」——艾米莉．巴爾，作家 「既是內心旅程的編年史，也是對陌生領域的博學記錄……一部永恆的記錄」——獨立報 「對一個遙遠而永恆的地方及其人民的令人回味的描述」——星期日泰晤士報

In The Birds of Heaven, Peter Matthiessenweaves together his search for fifteen species of cranes in Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and Australia. Matthiessenexplores the dilemmas of a planet in ecological crisis and the deep loss humankind will experience if these beautiful birds are allowed to disappear. The compelling text is accompanied by stunning colour plates by renowned wildlife artist Robert Bateman, whose exquisite renderings capture the essence of cranes.

En septembre 1973, Peter Matthiessen part pour le Dolpo, une région du Népal située à la frontière du Tibet, avec le zoologiste George Schaller qui veut observer des léopards des neiges. Dans ce journal de route, il apparaît très vite que Matthiessen vit cette expédition comme une aventure plus spirituelle que véritablement scientifique. Pour lui, adepte du bouddhisme zen, ce sera surtout un pèlerinage à l'ancien monastère de Shey Gompa et, enfin, un voyage hors de la "civilisation" du XXe siècle.

A travers ce livre, Peter Matthiessen, auteur et naturaliste américain, dénonce la situation critique du tigre de Sibérie. Retraçant le déroulement d'une expédition scientifique à laquelle il a participé, il évoque les origines et l'évolution de cet animal impressionnant, sans oublier son rôle crucial, parfois totémique, au sein des cultures et des mythologies. Le destin du tigre de Sibérie devient ainsi le territoire d'une histoire magnifique qui entraîne le lecteur au cœur de la bataille engagée par les chercheurs pour sa défense. Les photographies de l'animal dans son élément naturel ont été réalisées par Maurice Hornocker.

«Un hombre sale de viaje y es otro quien regresa.» Éste es el sentido del viaje de Matthiessen, y de todo auténtico viaje. En otoño de 1973 el escritor Peter Matthiessen y el zoólogo George Schaller emprendieron una expedición a la Montaña de Cristal, en la meseta del Tíbet, para estudiar los hábitos de un animal no muy conocido: el bharal o cordero azul himalayo. Pero su auténtica esperanza era poder ver al más hermoso y raro de los grandes felinos: el leopardo de las nieves. Para Matthiessen, adentrarse en la tierra de Dolpo significará mucho más que una expedición naturalista o una aventura: despojarse de las ventajas y las ataduras de la civilización, convivir con hombres y paisajes en su más elemental belleza, adentrarse en él mismo por las vías que le proporcionan el budismo o el zen. «Lo que comenzó como una búsqueda del leopardo de las nieves, ese animal raro, venerado y emblema budista, se convirtió en una búsqueda del sentido del ser. Una soberbia combinación de montañismo y misticismo». Observer «Tanto una crónica de un viaje interior como un testimonio de lo aprendido en un territorio desconocido... Una historia atemporal». The Independent