Audubon 365 Songbirds Calendar 2010 (Picture-A-Day Wall Calendars)

Best Calendar Ever

For America's birders, this perennially best-selling calendar celebrates the backyard songsters that enrich our lives with their jewel-like hues and cheerful songs. Spot a Rufous Hummingbird homing in on a flower. A trio of Barn Swallow chicks, a stunning Pileated Woodpecker, plus jays, tanagers, bobolinks, and a clutch of blue Robin's eggs. In addition to the daily photographs, one species is spotlighted every month with a large photograph and detailed text.

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America

I bought this book because I live in the Northeast. However, I was surprised to discover that this edition actually has most species of birds, including those that live in the West or South, with ranges through and including Mexico. This was a wonderful surprise as I actually travel quite a bit, so I don't have to buy additional editions of Sibley's bird books.

Eating Animals

The buzz about this book was so incredible I had to get my hands on an advanced copy. The book is like nothing else ever written on the food industry. It reads like a novel, is funny, incredibly well documented, and lets factory farmers and animal activists speak in their own words. I've read a lot of books on the food industry and this is by far the best. It makes other writers, even Michael Pollan, look a bit timid. Foer never preaches.

The Backyard Beekeeper: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden

My bees are coming in less than 2 months, and this book is the first and only one I have bought. I am glad that I did!

He starts with a brief explanation of the history of bees and beekeeping as well as bee biology and basic behavior (which is important to understand in order to know what the heck they are doing at any given time).

Then he clearly explains what types of bees you can order and in what "packaging" and the equipment that you need as a beginner and what its use is.

He provides good pictures and diagrams that detail out what he is talking about, so you know what a queen looks like, what the entire stack of equipment looks like and where each goes in the hive.