Charles Darwin:
On the Origin of Species

A facsimile of the first edition, with an introduction by Ernst Mayr.

Charles Darwin:
The Voyage of the Beagle

Darwin's record of the expedition during which he made many of the observations leading to his theory of Natural Selection

Jonathan Weiner:
The Beak of the Finch

Rosemary and Peter Grant extend and support Darwin's work with their study of the Galapagos finches.

Steve Jones:
Darwin's Ghost : The Origin of Species Revisited

Steve Jones offers a guided tour of Darwin's Origin, discussing Darwin's argument in the light of modern genetics.

Colin Tudge:
The Variety of Life : A Survey and a Celebration of all the Creatures That Have Ever Lived

This book is an ambitious attempt to describe the vast diversity of life on earth, and includes an extended discussion of how modern biologists try to understand the relationships between organisms.

Carl Zimmer:
At the Water's Edge : Fish With Fingers, Whales with Legs.

Carl Zimmer takes on the problem of macroevolution: how do novel structures arise?

Jeffrey H. Schwartz:
Sudden Origins : Fossils, Genes, and the Emergence of Species

Jeffrey Schwartz also deals with the enigma of macroevolutionary change, with special attention to the role of homeobox genes.

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Encyclopedia of Mammals, Second Edition

This useful reference includes a discussion of the evolution, natural history and conservation status of many mammals, and pictures and descriptions of representatives of the mammalian orders.

Walker's Mammals of the World (6th Ed)

This SERIOUS two-volume reference work covers over 4800 species of mammals.

Franz DeWaal:
Bonobo : The Forgotten Ape

Franz DeWaal compares bonobos with both humans and with chimpanzees, and uses his observations on these creatures to argue that morality may have nonhuman origins.

Jennifer Lindsey:
Jane Goodall, 40 Years at Gombe

Jane Goodall introduces this review and celebration of her forty years studying the chimpanzee families at Gombe.

Shana Alexander:
The Astonishing Elephant

Shana Alexander shares her lifelong fascination with the biology and social lives of elephants.

Alan Turner:
The Big Cats and Their Fossil Relatives

In this great book for cat lovers, Alan Turner discusses the history of the cat family.

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The Encyclopedia of Birds

A good general reference from the "Facts on File" series. Includes general information on the life and history of birds plus many examples of adaptive features of different species.

The Rise of Birds : 225 Million Years of Evolution

Chatterjee discusses the fossil evidence about the origin of birds. Are they the descendants of the dinosaurs?

Alan Feduccia:
The Origin and Evolution of Birds

Another viewpoint on the origin of birds based on Feduccia's study of both fossil and living species.

Christopher Cokinos:
Hope Is the Thing With Feathers

Cokinos tells the stories of six "ghost species" -- recently extinct North American birds.

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Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians, 2nd Edition.

This useful reference work discusses both natural history and conservation issues, as well as offering a well-illustrated survey of representative reptiles and amphibians.

Harry Green:
Snakes : The Evolution of Mystery in Nature

Harry Green intersperses a wealth of information about snakes with stories about his own research with these animals.

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Encyclopedia of Fishes, Second Edition

Classification, evolution and natural history of the most successful group of vertebrates, plus a sampling from over three dozen fish taxa.

A Fish Caught in Time : The Search for the Coelacanth

Samanth Weinberg tells the story of a modern treasure hunt: the discovery of a living coelacanth, a member of a species thought to be extinct.

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Richard Coniff:
Spineless Wonders : Strange Tales from the Invertebrate World

Richard Coniff conveys his fascination with such things as slugs, beetles, spiders, leeches and houseflies.

Deborah Gordon:
Ants at Work : How an Insect Society Is Organized

The real story of A Bug's Life: Deborah Gordon discusses her long-term observations on colonies of harvester ants.

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