Planet Earth

Breathtaking! What an incredible collection of photographs of our amazing planet. A great addition to the dvd collection.

Planet Earth would make a great present for a young person who is interested in the natural world. It opens up views from the microscopic level up to the perspectives from the moon that unveil the Earth and its animals and plants in new ways. It's almost as though you have just arrived on a spaceship to an unknown world. Most of the book will seem unfamiliar to you. Where many books about the natural world are filled with seeming hyperbole ("you can see this feature from space"), Planet Earth does its best to display the basis for those references by making the statement and showing the photographic evidence. As a result, this book makes a serious impression on the range of challenging environments on Earth, the reasons for each challenge, and examples of how animals and plants have successfully adapted to those challenges. Darwin would be envious that you can see more in one book than he could in a lifetime of study. If you didn't see the television series or the DVD, here's the structure: Whole Earth (overview of how the various regions differ and why) Frozen Poles (the Arctic and the Antarctic and why they differ) Great Forests (huge bands of trees in temperate climes) Great Plains (the semi-arid regions) Grand Sands (extended deserts both hot and cold) Mountain Heights (the highest peaks and their environments) Underworld (caves) Fresh Water (lakes and rivers) Rainforests (tropical jungles) Shallow Seas (Coral-inhabited areas) Open Ocean Depths (the bulk of the seas) Each section contains information about the geology, physics, and chemistry of the region's character and origins. A number of stories about the plants and animals that inhabit the areas are included. The section also displays some of the most magnificent views. The book is generously illustrated with the text being less than half of the pages printed. The book's main drawback is that the photographs are often not reproduced very well. As a result, views may be muddy, indistinct, and hard to interpret. Take a few extra seconds and stare closely, and you'll usually see something remarkable. The book was obviously edited to provide the most unusual views, even where reproduction would suffer some. I think the decisions were usually pretty wise. I cannot emphasize enough how fascinating I found the book. By taking me to so many places I will never see (restricted caves, unusual mountainsides, rare tropical locales, and Antarctica), I was able to extend my understanding of life on Earth in important new ways. I'm sure I'll be integrating the views for years to come. I especially commend the sections about the whole Earth, Antarctica, untouched forests, limitless deserts, and caves as showing me new dimensions of why wilderness is important to us. Ansel Adams would have liked to see and photograph these sites. Take a good look!

First things first, there is no way the spectacular Discovery Channel/BBC series Planet Earth could be captured in its sensory overload glory in printed form. However, series producer Alastair Fothergill has done a fine job capturing the highlights while summarizing the key facts shared in the series in an eminently readable fashion. In an inevitable coffee-table book format, the impressive result is still so far above any other book in its category that a purchase is most worthwhile. The book divides neatly into eleven chapters which approximate the eleven parts of the series beginning with a more holistic view of the planet and then tackling the major ecological biomes - mountains, deserts, plains, oceans, shallow seas, fresh water, rainforests, jungles, the polar caps, and most intriguingly, the underworld of mostly unexplored caves. Made up of what looks to be screen captures of the vivid images that startled onscreen, the chapters bring each biome to life mainly through the flora and fauna that inhabit them uniquely (with the exception being the crossover intrusion of man). The book's subtitle - "as you've never seen it before" - is no misnomer, as you will likely be as floored as I was in seeing images both intimate and majestic in scope. Although secondary to the photos, the text is genuinely educational without the intellectual tone that alienates the layman with an excess of scientific names and facts. Even if you have seen Luc Jacquet's documentary, March of the Penguins, the chapter on the polar caps will strike you with another fresh perspective on Antarctica, for example, the rare sight of a mother polar bear and her cub emerging from their den. Fans of Jacques Cousteau's early 1970's TV documentaries will be regaled by the three chapters devoted to varying marine life. The most fascinating chapter is focused on the so-called underworld where we learn over 90% of the world's limestone caves have yet to be explored. Here you will see amazing images of the variety of depths and textures these caves have, as well as the nocturnal wildlife. Mexico's Cave of Swallows can hold the Empire State Building, and the Lechuguilla Caves in New Mexico have recently been discovered as a marvel of intricate gypsum crystal formations. You need not have been enthralled by the TV series to buy the book. It stands on its own.

The first thing that a reader notes, as he or she leafs through the pages of this volume, is the spectacular color photos. This work is a companion to a series on Discovery Channel and BBC. The goal of the series and the book is described by David Attenborough in the Foreword: "So this remarkable and beautiful book should stand not just as a revelation and celebration of the wonders that our planet still retains at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It must surely also be seen as an eloquent rallying call to all of us who care for the Earth's welfare to redouble our efforts to protect those wonders that still survive." The "chapters" of this work include the following: The Whole Earth, Frozen Poles, The Great Forests, The Great Plains, The Great Sands, Mountain Heights, The Underworld, Fresh Water, Rainforests, Shallow Seas, and Open Ocean Depths. Some wonderful photos. . . . In "Frozen Poles," we see some of those great photos of Emperor Penguins huddled together to protect themselves against the cold, we see the marches from the sea after having filled their bellies with food, and so on. The photos remind us of that great recent movie on the lives of Emperor penguins. On pages 44-45, there are three wonderful photos of a polar bear family. Some stunning satellite photos are included. On pages 160-161, there is a satellite view of rain clouds being pushed across India by monsoon winds. On pages 222-223, there is another wonderful satellite photo of the world's largest river delta. The chapter on rainforests (Chapter 9) is also beautiful. Whether satellite photos or more "up close" pictures, this chapter shows us the lustrous appearance of rainforests. We also see the animals living in the rainforests. And so on. And though the photos are breathtaking, the text itself speaks to the issues raised in each of the chapters. Pages 188-193 combine text of a recent cave discovery (in New Mexico) with some neat pictures of those same caves. The combination of text and photos is compelling. I must confess that this review does not contain much analysis or critique, but this is one of those books where I choose simply to appreciate the artistry of the photos and go from there.

Its Loaded with pictures from the series on DVD set. At first I found the DVD set to be terribly expensive for my pocketbook (limited income), and while looking for this DVD set, I came across this book and ordered it INSTEAD, thinking it would be the only thing I could afford. I love it!! Worth the money! BUT after having seen some of the series on TV and hearing what they had to go thru and the years it took to get this series made for us, I thought WOW, it is TOTALLY worth the price and More even!!! I am so grateful to the makers of this series for bringing us a message of the earth and its occupants and how fragile and strong it is at the same time.. Brings a new appreciation of it all !! I highly recommend the book for those who maybe cannot afford the DVD set, but I hope all who can will consider getting both!!! I DID!!