Natural History in The Books Store

Photography master Art Wolfe shares all-new artwork in this breathtaking journey by boat from Seattle to Glacier Bay. Capturing quaint islands, wild forests, ancient glaciers, and thriving Alaskan wildlife, Art Wolfe allows the region's beauty to inspire his outstanding photography. These images, imbued with Wolfe's signature sense of color, composition, and sensitivity to the natural world, will delight any viewer — no matter what their relationship to Alaska may be. Showcasing whales and salmon, icy waters and frozen landscapes, these pictures take readers to a place many of will never see, and the accompanying facts, quotes, and reflections make this an ideal visual reference to a remarkable place at the edge of the world.

Toward the end of his life, Loren Eiseley reflected on the mystery of life, throwing light on those dark places traversed by himself and centuries of humankind. The Night Country is a gift of wisdom and beauty from the famed anthropologist. It describes his needy childhood in Nebraska, reveals his increasing sensitivity to the odd and ordinary in nature, and focuses on a career that turns him inward as he reaches outward for answers in old bones.

Three Among the Wolves is a highly readable true-life adventure tale combined with a fascinating natural history of the wolf. Helen and Bill Thayer, accompanied by their part-wolf, mostly Husky dog, Charlie, set out on foot to live among wild wolf packs — first in the Canadian Yukon and then in the Arctic. They eventually set up camp within 100 feet of a wolf den, and are greeted with apprehension at first. They establish trust over time, because the wolves accept Charlie as the alpha male of the newly arrived "pack."

The Thayers discover the complexities of wolf family structure, including how pups are reared and how the injured are tenderly cared for. They view the intricacies of the hunt firsthand — how ravens direct wolves to prey in exchange for carrion — as well as the wolves' finely honed survival skills and engaging playfulness. Readers observe the ways Helen and Bill model pack behavior and how they address an unforeseen event: the Arctic wolves attempt to lure Charlie to join them.