Winter World

The Ingenuity of Animal Survival

By: Bernd Heinrich

Narrated by: Mel Foster

The animal kingdom relies on staggering evolutionary innovations to survive winter. Unlike their human counterparts, who alter the environment to accommodate physical limitations, most animals are adapted to an amazing range of conditions.

In Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival, biologist, illustrator, and award-winning author Bernd Heinrich explores his local woods, where he delights in the seemingly infinite feats of animal inventiveness he discovers there. Because winter drastically affects the most elemental component of all life---water---radical changes in a creature's physiology and behavior must take place to match the demands of the environment. Some creatures survive by developing antifreeze; others must remain in constant motion to maintain their high body temperatures. Even if animals can avoid freezing to death, they must still manage to find food in a time of scarcity or store if from a time of plenty. Infused by the author's inexhaustible enchantment with nature, Winter World awakens the wonders and mysteries by which nature sustains herself through winter's harsh, cruel exigencies.

©2003 Bernd Heinrich (P)2009 Tantor

wonderful

beautifully narrated and very interesting. i loved it so much i listened to it twice in a row! i adore nature books and this one had me listening intently the whole time. i really liked how the story is told so the scientific data is easy to understand and not loaded with confusing jargon.

Great Nature

Heinrich is an incredible translator of what goes on in the natural world for those of us primarily stuck in the work a day world.

So many facts I was unaware!

Very interesting facts told in a way I so enjoyed listening to. Would definitely recommend!

Prose which enlightens and informs

I first read this book about eight years ago, and though it is still on my shelf I did not hesitate to purchase the audio version. While this is highly informative regarding wildlife and nature, this is also such a lovely example of well done prose that I find when I need inspiration for writing or want to clear my head and think better this book does it.

Great Book

This is one of those books that I thought looked interesting. Most of the time this never works out. This book was a exception.