The New Neotropical Companion - by John C Kricher (Paperback)

About the Book

Revised edition of: A neotropical companion. 2nd ed., rev. and expanded. c1997.

Book Synopsis

The acclaimed guide to the ecology and natural history of the American tropics--now fully updated and expanded

The New Neotropical Companion is the completely revised and expanded edition of a book that has helped thousands of people to understand the complex ecology and natural history of the most species-rich area on Earth, the American tropics. Featuring stunning color photos throughout, it is a sweeping and cutting-edge account of tropical ecology that includes not only tropical rain forests but also other ecosystems such as cloud forests, rivers, savannas, and mountains. This is the only guide to the American tropics that is all-inclusive, encompassing the entire region's ecology and the amazing relationships among species rather than focusing just on species identification.

The New Neotropical Companion is a book unlike any other. Here, you will learn how to recognize distinctive ecological patterns of rain forests and other habitats and to interpret how these remarkable ecosystems function--everything is explained in clear and engaging prose free of jargon. You will also be introduced to the region's astonishing plant and animal life.

Informative and entertaining, The New Neotropical Companion is a pleasurable escape for armchair naturalists, and visitors to the American tropics will want to refer to this book before, during, and after their trip.

• Covers all of tropical America
• Describes the species and habitats most likely to be observed by visitors
• Includes every major ecosystem, from lowland rain forests to the high Andes
• Features a wealth of color photos of habitats, plants, and animals

From the Back Cover

"For visitors from the temperate zone, the nature of the American tropics is exciting but very confusing. The dazzling diversity of plants and animals can seem overwhelming. In The New Neotropical Companion, John Kricher, a gifted scientist and communicator, brings order out of this chaos. With clear, lively language, he describes the patterns of tropical ecology and natural history in an accessible and engaging way--it's both tremendously educational and fun to read. Now enhanced with abundant photographs, The New Neotropical Companion is essential reading for anyone intrigued by the wonderful biodiversity south of the border."--Kenn Kaufman, author of Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America

"My original copy of John Kricher's 'little green book' is stained and battered from three decades of tropical travel--which is why I'm delighted that Kricher has produced The New Neotropical Companion, a truly landmark revision of his classic: bigger, better, lushly illustrated, but with the same chatty, accessible tone that makes John the perfect guide to the most biodiverse regions on the planet. Whether you're going to the tropics for the first time or the twentieth, this superb new edition is utterly indispensable reading."--Scott Weidensaul, author of Living on the Wind

"Seeing my beloved Neotropical Companion updated, laced with new studies, and bursting with lavish color photographs is an answered prayer. Kricher is the ebullient professor we all wish we'd had, truly our companion on a quest to understand what makes the tropics so hot, and so cool. In this compulsively readable volume, he has constructed something much like the tropics themselves: astoundingly diverse, mysterious, colorful, and rich with the unexpected."--Julie Zickefoose, author of Baby Birds: An Artist Looks into the Nest

Review Quotes

"The New Neotropical Companion describes, explains, and provides insight into the unique ecosystems of the Neotropics. . . . Written by an ornithologist who is also a birder and who embraces the world from an ecological viewpoint that sees birds as part of larger systems of evolution, succession, and mutualism, The New Neotropical Companion is the textbook-that-is-not-a-textbook you always wanted to read, though you may not know it yet. . . . [The New Neotropical Companion] will prepare you to walk through the rainforest and observe Neotropical birds. You may even begin to feel a sense of belonging in this very different world."---10,000 Birds blog

"The New Neotropical Companion is a sweeping account of tropical ecology, covering not only rain forests but also cloud forests, rivers, savannas, and mountains. If you plan to travel or have already taken a trip to South America, Central America, or the Caribbean, you will learn a lot in these pages. . . . Who could ask for a more knowledgeable companion than this book."-- "Bird Watching Magazine"

"A well-needed overview of one of the most ecologically complex regions of the planet. . . . Both neotropical neophytes and seasoned biologists stand to benefit from this read. Kricher is to be commended for bringing us this volume. I highly recommend this book for all of the diverse audiences it so aptly serves."---Allen M. Young, Quarterly Review of Biology

"I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in tropical America. I consider it 'must reading' for anyone who will be spending much time in the Neotropics."-- "Wildlife Activist"

"Praise for A Neotropical Companion: "John Kricher's Neotropical Companion is an incredible accretion of facts, figures and anecdotes. Kricher outlines the region's ecology, pharmacology, evolutionary theory, anthropology, climatology, ornithology and conservation, with lots of personal stories to bring it all to life.""---Simon Garrett, Times Literary Supplement

"Praise for A Neotropical Companion: "Kricher has created a highly readable, comprehensive overview of Neotropical ecosystems, which can serve on many levels: as a traveler's companion, as an introductory text for students, or as recreational reading material for those interested in tropical ecosystems.""-- "Choice"

"Praise for A Neotropical Companion: "The book is exactly what it says it is, a companion to take with you on your travels in the New World tropics.""-- "Journal of Natural History"

"Praise for A Neotropical Companion: "Well-illustrated and beautifully written. . . . [A Neotropical Companion] contains a wealth of information, explanations and curious facts about the region's natural history, and is the kind of overview that Alfred Russel Wallace, Henry Bates and other early scientific explorers of Amazonia would have given fingers from their collecting hand to have possessed.""---Adrian Barnett, New Scientist

"This new edition is filled with color photographs of more common species that should give any tropical newcomer much on which to feast."---Gerry Rising, Buffalo Spree

About the Author

John Kricher is professor of biology at Wheaton College. His many books include Tropical Ecology, The Balance of Nature: Ecology's Enduring Myth, and Galápagos: A Natural History (all Princeton).