Elephants Books

"Drop the Pink Elephant" is a book focused on teaching readers how to communicate more effectively. Grounded in many real-world examples, Bill McFarlan organizes the subject manner in a logical and meaningful manner.

Through the extensive use of visual images and anecdotes, McFarlan covers key communication skills in an accessible and humorous manner. It is rare to find a book that bridges the gap between "doing" and "reading" as does "Drop the Pink Elephant."

I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in improving their ability to communicate.

One of the good books I had read this year. Simple and easy reading book, filling with full of tips and rules to help people who read, believe and practice the tips to improve in communication skills. Everyone make mistake, at least I do make a lot of mistake. One of the major one is that I had never think before I speak. I had been holding the wrong perceptions that think and speak are for people who are fake and not genuine.

Now I understand that think before any sentence come out from your mouth is showing respect to the receiver. I felt sorry for those whom had been hurt with my words. I had been using the wrong words to express my concern and anxiety. I am now taking my first step out to improve my choice of words. I know my communication skill and my choice of words will improve by applying all the tips in this book, and continuous observation and study.

This is a refreshing book. It's well-written, entertaining, and practical.

The author is very British, which to me makes it easier to deal with than some of our more crude communication books such as the Gentle Art Of Verbal Self-Defense series. We don't need verbal "self-defense" if we learn to communicate properly in the first place.

This is nothing new in this book. Please read it anyhow. The presentation is clear and polite, and encourages us to communicate clearly and honestly rather than attempt to manipulate the listener. A good idea all around.

The first time I was reading this book my husband phoned from work saying he was going to ditch an after-work meeting and make up an excuse the next day. I read him the three "R"s the author suggests and asked my husband to try using them. He did, with enormous success. He was excused from the meeting, not required to do any "make up" work, and thanked for being up front about his situation.

"Drop The Pink Elephant" is full of simple little gems that have moved me back on track with my own communication. My first college degree was in Interpersonal Communication with an Applied Linguistics minor, but over the decades my communication had gotten sloppy. With the help of this ingenious little book, in my daughter's words, I "make sense again."

"Pink Elephant" should be required reading (and studying) for all high school and/or college students. The world would be a safer, saner place if everyone practiced its simple suggestions.

Most of us grow up with bad communication habits inherited from our parents. Often times, we don't even realize they are bad. This books roots them out and replaces them with magic recipes for being liked, listened to and respected. I highly recommend reading the book and practicing its principles.

Stating the obvious, but, guess what, the obvious are not that obvious most of the time. I am a senior executive in a Fortune 100 company, and I find this very useful for my day-to-day communications with direct reports, with peers, with boss, and even supplier, customers.

The book will change the way people perceive you. The book will also change you.

Loved it! He is such a great writer, I wish he wrote adult novels. The kids who read his books are so lucky to read such great adventure stories.

Do you want to read the best book you will ever read in your life time well than read Elephant run it is an awesome book that you will never want to put down
Elephant run is a very good book made by Roland smith this is one of my favorite historical fiction book if ever read and it is only 318 pages
My favorite part of the book is when Nick, Mya and hilltop dress up as novice monks so they can sneak out of the camp there in
This is a great book about a fourteen year old kid named Nick who goes to visit his father in another country while were his lives is being bombed then the Japanese take over the teak plantation were his dad lives. Nick got separated from his dad and nick tried to go and escape to find his dad but you will have read this book to know what happens. You might also like Sasquatch or thunder cave I think this book is for anybody who wants to read an action packed story that is ten or older.

What if you were captured by the Japanese, separated from your father and then had to work for them? That is pretty much what happens in Elephant Run, by Roland Smith. The book takes place in Africa on a plantation made for mahouts to train their elephants. The plantation is surrounding a village called Hawks Nest that soon becomes a Japanese headquarters lead by Colonel Nagayoshi. A bright side for Nick, who is the main character separated from his father, is there is that a solder named Sonji who is nice to him. Nick and Mya are both prisoners of the Japanese who have the same goal, Mya wants to get her brother Indaw out of a Japanese camp and Nick wants his father, Mr. Freestone, out of the same camp. Hilltop is the most important character in the book. He gets Mya and Nick out of the Japanese headquarters and gives them a chance to get Nick's father and Mya's brother Indaw out of the work camp. The book takes place in 1945 during World War II. The book is very slow in the beginning, but when the Japanese get involved, about half way through the book it gets interesting. Overall, the book was very good. You just need to get half-way through it for it to become exciting. I think the book is between fiction and non-fiction. It does have non-fictional things happening in the book, but it is fiction because of the characters and story about them. If you enjoy something exciting, then Elephant Run is probably a good book for you.

What if you were captured by the Japanese, separated from your father and then had to work for them? That is pretty much what happens in Elephant Run, by Roland Smith. The book takes place in Africa on a plantation made for mahouts to train their elephants. The plantation is surrounding a village called Hawks Nest that soon becomes a Japanese headquarters lead by Colonel Nagayoshi. A bright side for Nick, who is the main character separated from his father, is there is that a solder named Sonji who is nice to him. Nick and Mya are both prisoners of the Japanese who have the same goal, Mya wants to get her brother Indaw out of a Japanese camp and Nick wants his father, Mr. Freestone, out of the same camp. Hilltop is the most important character in the book. He gets Mya and Nick out of the Japanese headquarters and gives them a chance to get Nick's father and Mya's brother Indaw out of the work camp. The book takes place in 1945 during World War II. The book is very slow in the beginning, but when the Japanese get involved, about half way through the book it gets interesting. Overall, the book was very good. You just need to get half-way through it for it to become exciting. I think the book is between fiction and non-fiction. It does have non-fictional things happening in the book, but it is fiction because of the characters and story about them. If you enjoy something exciting, then Elephant Run is probably a good book for you.

I am a mother of four children under 14, and always looking for well written historical fiction for my boys. My 10 year old needs the action in a book to start pretty quickly, or he will lose interest. I just finished reading this today, and I can't wait for him to read it. Smith is able to take a fairly complex subject, and make it interesting, and understandable, while teaching the reader a piece of the history of Burma during WWII. By the middle of this book, I could not put it down, I was so anxious to discover the outcome of Nick Freestone's fate. Fantastic!

I purchased this along with the horton blankie from Manhattan toys. The book is wonderful and good quality. My grandson loves it.

Setting a classic tale to pop up is one thing, but using only original illustrations from a two-dimensional book to create a three-dimension one seems like a challenge. David Carter adapts this Dr. Seuss's classic into a pop-up book without it feeling forced or lacking.

THE STORY -- Seuss's tale is about an elephant who hears something and believes it is tiny people on a speck of dust. He decides he will protect them because "A person's a person. No matter how small." It turns out they are Whos. No one else in the jungle can hear them, and they decide Horton is crazy. They steal the speck. Horton rescues the Whos again, and tells them they must make a lot of noise so others know they exist. Only when the smallest Who yells does everyone hear them, too.

THE POP UPS -- The book has 10 two-page layouts, but it also has numerous booklets, little fold-out pages on the larger pages, that have pop ups, tab pulls, or slides. (Note: the first and last layouts do not have any pop up or interactive pieces.) A couple of the large pop ups incorporate interactive elements like a pull tab or a spin wheel. Numerous pop ups have media other than paper, including ribbon, string, clear plastic, and mesh. One such use in several pop ups is some red string/rope. Seuss had depicted the monkeys tying Horton with red rope, and Carter transfers this into the third dimension by using actual red string.

I enjoyed this adaptation. The pages open and close with ease, making this book okay for young readers who would be reading the regular version.

My only complaint about the book is in the first pop up, there are several clear plastic bits supporting a blue string connected to the speck. In the storyline the speck is supposed to be floating by, and, with the clear plastic supports and string, I keep expecting the speck to move somehow. I think my book is functioning correctly, but I can't help but feel something is amiss in design here.

Horton Hears a Who Pop-up! This is a very interesting "Pop-up" book. The engineering that makes it work is fantistic. This is not a book for small children as it is to delicate.

This is my sister's favorite Dr. Suess story, so when I saw it came in a pop-up version, I had to order it. It is a beautiful book and it is more diverse than your ordinary pop-ups. Each page is not just a 3-D version of whichever part of the story is being told. It's supercool and unique, just as you would expect a Dr. Seuss book to be. The price was half of what was wanted in retail stores and the service was impeccable. I would definately order from this seller again. I'm very satisfied.

This is a very innovative and creative book. The artistic value along with a great story, keeps my son wanting me to read this book every night. It is great to see that David A. Carter keeps the story intact while providing beautiful pop-ups. Just make sure you're child is old enough not to destroy the pop-ups as you read.

I grew up reading Amar Chitra Katha comics that tell Hindu (and other) religious stories and Indian Folk Tales in a very straightforward (sometimes slightly graphic way). I still have a large collection I'll pass on to my kids, and their telling of Ganesa is my favorite.

Compared to those, this is a slightly less appealing though still decent telling of the Ganesa story. It takes some creative license (it leaves out some of the "color" to how Ganesa received the elephant's head, for exxample) that results in a story that is a bit too toned down/altered for my tastes, but it's still good.

My daughter loves the pictures. The story itself was a little over here head , but she did love that it was a bout a mother and her son.

This is a great introduction to (or addition to a collection) centered around Ganesh. The story is brilliantly illustrated and the text is great. I was very happy with the purchase.

Beautifully illustrated, wonderful story told in an interesting style for children (and adults).
Highly recommend for anyone interested in Hindu culture.

My son loves the book How Ganesh Got his Elephant Head! I have read it to him and his friends at least a hundred times! Although the author's choice of vocabulary is complicated for a five year old, my son has learned many new words and their meaning.
He says, "I like the pictures and learning about each of the Gods is fun. My favorite part is matching each God with his or her vehicle. How come Ganesh does not squish the mouse his rides?"

Adults say this is a book that deals with loss. I'm sure that when my daughter is older, she will see it that way. She does not now. That is one of the beautiful things about this entertaining, wonderful book - that the aspects of loss in this book are presented in a way that they can be completely ignored by children who aren't ready, acknowledged by children who are just discovering these ideas, and can be discussed with older children.

I think it is inaccurate to say this is a book "about loss." This book is written from the child's perspective, and it is primarily a book about his visit to his uncle. As an adult, we catch what is going on - the child's parents are lost at sea - presumed dead - and his uncle (although I think it is the parent's uncle) comes to take a nephew he has never seen to live with him. But that's not what the book is about, and that's not what your child takes away from it. It is just a delight watching the two elephants interact.

I don't want to spoil the ending. Darn - I want to talk about it.

Arnold Lobel's books are part of the regular diet in our house and the recent addition of uncle Elephant looks to be a worthwhile one. It'a caring and sensitive story that deals with the unhappy disappearance of parents without becoming sentimental. My son listens intently and asks me to repeat specific sections: when uncle trumpets the morning: "varoomaroom" (in your best elephant voice), and when he composes a cheerful song for his nephew (sing it to any tune you like and change a word or name here and there), it picks up everyone's spirits and the happy ending makes it fine for bed time.

What happens when an uncle is faced with the possibility that his nephew is now an orphan? That's the story of Uncle Elephant. Arnold Lobel treats this tough story with kindness, humor and heart. His illustrations show the heart break on both the uncle and the nephew even though neither character ever admits his pain to the other. The words, though chosen to be easy for young readers, are put together to show just how people in grief take measures to put up a strong front to the world. Although Uncle Elephant has a happy ending, the book still serves as gentle advice for dealing with real loss.

Uncle Elephant was by far my daughter, Nikki's favorite book of childhood. It is a timeless tale of love, devotion, and the true meaning of family.

When she was in first grade, Nikki wrote to Arnold Lobel. He wrote back to Nikki and even hand drew a picture of Uncle Elephant for her. It is a treasure.

The message of the book is a simple one - the love we have and show each other can sustain us even in our darkest hours, giving us hope and strength to face - and even find joy in- the day.

this funny, sad, and thoughtful story of a little elephant who loses his parents in ship wreck is a great book to talk with your young children about loss and family. Little Elephant must go to stay with his Uncle. Many adventures ensue, as well as lil elephants understanding of older folks. A surprise awaits lil elephant and the end and you'll find yourself shedding a tear for good old Uncle Elephant.

Good for boys or girls-up to about 8 years.

5 stars!

This book was for my grandson...he loves it. It arrived on time, and I am very satisified.

Of all the childrens books I have bought, this is my favorite. I frequently buy this book as gifts for boys and girls.

Here are some stunning and colorful illustrations, mostly in an African style, which illuminate some wonderfully descriptive and fun poetry full of clever imagery that shows us how words can actually create a picture in one's mind - great examples for classroom teaching. One of my favorites... "Blue Turtle, slow in the blue shade of a blue-leafed garden." Some work better than others, but in general the artistry of both poet and illustrator come together to make a most delightful menagery that will appeal to children as well as adults.

See also Cool Melons - Turn To Frogs!: The Life And Poems Of Issa

Rarely have I come across such a wonderful poetry book for young children. My 3 year old is mesmerized by this book--its lovely verses about animals and the beautiful illustrations make this a favorite in our house.

This is a book of poems about various animals. The poems are great; their content is funny and rhythmic. Through the poems we learn about the various animals. The illustrations are very creative collages that are unique compared to most other children's books.


The poems are short and to the point, and his illustrations are extremely creative.

This would make a great read aloud during a unit on poetry animals.

Need a new perspective? Thumb through this delicious collection of quotes. This book is my new I Ching. Close your eyes, pick a page and stumble across another fresh idea. Even if you hate books of quotations you might very well love this one. I did. It's sort of a jump start for your brain. Great present too.

I received this as a birthday gift and just love it! It's about as far as you can get from the familiar books of quotation - wonderfully artful and quirky. I enjoy opening the pages randomly and never fail to find something unique and memorable.

This collection was obviously collected with love... the table of contents will lead you to something you desire or you can randomly have a good time just flipping to any page.... I found it remarkable when looking for a quote to express my thoughts after September 11th. Highly recommend to writers and lovers of great quotes.

As an avid quotes collector, I really appreciate that this is Richard Kehl's personal collection culled from various areas of his life, instead of a trite regurgitation of the same old tired quotes that appear in every anthology. And as with all collections, I loved some parts more than others. Some of the quotes were fabulous; others seemed weak and somewhat baffling when printed out of context. A line severed from the conversation in which it took place doesn't always make sense. Sometimes you need the framework of the conversation, either in part or in full, in order to understand what that line means--or to better understand its impact.

My biggest gripe with this book is that Kehl cited only the quotees' names and gave no additional information about where the quotes came from. And some of the quotes had no citations at all! I was thinking, "Okay, great, so this line was said/written by WS Merwin, but where? In one of his poems? If so, which one? Or was it something he said in an interview? Did he write it in a letter to a friend? And this next quote has no name or source affixed to it; where did it come from?"

On one hand, this is just a personal pet peeve of mine: I hate partial citations. Sometimes they can't be avoided, especially if quotes are obtained from secondhand sources. I myself unfortunately have a few such quotes in my collection. But the problem is that Kehl's entire collection is set up this way.

On the other hand, pet peeves aside, I think Kehl missed a great opportunity to open readers' eyes to literature and poetry that they might not have otherwise discovered. For example, maybe a reader will see in this book a quote that he absolutely loves, and it will spark a desire to read the entire poem/book in which the quote appeared. But if no poem/book is cited, how will he find it? Maybe he doesn't have the time or energy needed to read everything ever written by Rainer Maria Rilke in order to find the excellent work in which that one particular quote appeared. Googling the quote sometimes solves the mystery, but not always.

Aside from the citation issue, I did enjoy this book. I think it contains a fresh collection scattered throughout a wide array of subject categories--some of which are delightfully unconventional.

Wherever you dip your mind in this one-of-kind collection -- and you are, after the first taste, tempted to dip it often and at length, you find words and ideas from memorable figures, from poets to philosophers, that move you, move your heart or soul or intellect in myriad directions; quotations that intrigue, inspire, provoke, stimulate, delight, encourage. For anyone with a desire to light some sparks in their own mind's eye, this is definitely a book worth having on the shelf and savoring. I own many books of quotations, and this is far and away my favorite.

My kids love the story of this book. But the print quality is just ok. On several pages, the ink is very light.

My grandchildren loved hearing this story for the first time last week. When requested to read it again, my 8 year old granddaughter read to the other 3... Took fotos as I was struck my their interest...
Thanks for another great buy!

Our 28month old son loves this book and it became the first book he asked to keep in his crib at night while he slept. The original ("Caps for Sale") was also a favorite but our little music lover likes this one better because of the band and instruments. Great book to read soon after a child experiences a fair, carnival or circus because they can relate their experience to the book's pictures and story. The text is very good (but not as good as the first book, simply because I think the first book has truly outstanding text.) The book is very slightly, but not objectionably dated, with regard to race and gender depictions but the values depicted in the story are good and developmentally appropriate for toddlers on up. Definitely worth reading.

Our 3 1/2 year old thoroughly enjoyed this book - first he loved the caps and then he loved all the circus going-ons. The sharing time served as a great introduction to a peddler and then had us empathize with his feelings and experiences as the caps were taken from him and then his unique personage recognized by the circus people. We highly recommend this book!

My nieces and nephews love the Caps for Sale and Circus Caps for Sale books. I gave them the music and narration cassette version of the original Caps for Sale (with Ann Marie Mulhearn) to help them learn to read and they wanted more. So then I gave them Circus Caps for Sale. They love the illustrations and think the story is "neat." I've tried to find the music version of this as well--I understand it should be available soon but I haven't been able to find it. I hope Slobodkina's publisher(s) will re-release more of her children's books--they are a treasure.

This is one of the most informative and complex book I have read about Elephants so far, and I've read a lot! It is an easy read, which is great for all the info that's inside.

This is for people who are interested in learning a bit more about the history of the elephants and how and when it all started that humans used these majestic animals for wars and started hunting them for ivory.

The book ends with some wonderful thoughts about the future co-existence between humans and elephants and what's at stake.

_Elephant Destiny_ by Martin Meredith is a well-written and fast-reading account of the human and natural history of the African elephant. Roughly two-thirds of the book is an account of human interaction with this species, what impact it has had on art, culture, and its uses in human warfare, its role in providing an impetus to the exploration of Africa and most importantly of all the ivory trade. The other third provides interesting information on its biology, particularly its behavior and interaction within elephant herds.

Elephants were long sought after by various ancient civilizations. As early as 3000 BC the Egyptians had developed different hieroglyphs to distinguish between wild elephants and trained ones, and when elephants disappeared from Egypt they organized a number of expeditions southwards to Nubia and beyond (the land they called Punt) in large part to acquire ivory, which was used in everything from combs to gaming boards to especially goods to fill the graves of the pharaohs. In ancient Israel ivory was so revered that in 1000 BC King Solomon ordered the construction of a great ivory throne, overlaid with gold. The Greeks in the fifth century BC even developed a type of statuary known as chryselephantine in which ivory represented the flesh of a figure while gold stood in for clothing and hair. To help fill the insistent Greek demand for ivory local specialized Ethiopian elephant fighters known as Elephantomachoi arose. Two rival dynasties arising from the death of Alexander the Great both used war elephants, though while the Seleucids were able to obtain new elephants from India, the Ptolomies had to undertaken epic supply trips to get African elephants. Later the Carthaginians, particularly under Hannibal, were big advocates of war elephants, something that was at first successful against their Roman adversaries but later was countered by new Roman tactics. Though the Romans did not use African elephants in warfare they were fond of their use in entertainment, either trained elephants to be put on display or combatants to fight other animals or gladiators. The Romans also had an insatiable demand for ivory, particularly as insignia of office, to decorate temples and palaces, and in a wide range of luxury goods.

Much of the human history portions of the book are accounts of the discovery of new elephant herds in different parts of Africa, of how perhaps the natives did not know the value in overseas markets of the ivory in their vast elephant herds, and the "ivory rushes" that occurred as European and Arab hunters, traders, and others flooded in to take advantage of the new resource, be it the veldt of southern Africa, the jungles of Central Africa, or the game plains of East Africa. Though well-written and one cannot discount the bravery of many of the ivory hunters (Meredith provided many contemporary, first-hand accounts of the great difficulty in hunting elephants, often on foot as horses could not survive in much of Africa), it was somewhat depressing to see such magnificent animals suffer (even some of the hunters seem to realize this, if only for a moment) as well as to see the many associated unsavory aspects of the ivory trade. One observer, a British mariner by the name of Alfred Swann, wrote after encountering a huge caravan of slaves bearing ivory "Ivory! Always ivory! What a curse the elephant has been to Africans! By himself the slave did not pay to transport but plus ivory he was a paying game!" Sometimes it seems the slave trade would not have existed had there been no ivory in the region, slaves were often used primarily to transport ivory from the interior to the coast, and even in areas where the Africans were not enslaved any ivory they possessed was outright stolen and they were often forced to fulfill quotas of ivory (and punished severely if they failed).

Nevertheless the European, Arab, and Asian demand for ivory was impossible to satisfy. African ivory was prized above Indian ivory, as it was finer-grained, richer in tone, and larger. East African ivory was known as "soft" ivory and was white, opaque, gently curved, smooth, and easy to work. West African ivory was "hard" ivory and was less intensely white but glossier and more translucent. As Europe and the United States entered the industrial revolution not only did rising prosperity increase demand for such items as ivory combs, cutlery handles, and ornaments, the invention of new machinery made possible completely new mass-produced products such as piano keys and billiard balls (both required vast amounts of ivory, as each keyboard needed a pound and a half of ivory while billiard balls, in order for them to roll properly, had to be cut from the dead center of the tusk and thus a tusk could produce at most five balls). No other material responded so well to the industrial machinery of the Victorian era, as ivory could easily be cut, sawed, or etched, was quite flexible, and could be sliced into transparent paper-thin sheets; "[i]vory was in many ways the plastic of the era." Even shavings and scraps were used; boiled down to make gelatin, burned to make Indian ink, or used in fertilizer and in hair dye.

Of course the entire book is not just the ivory trade. Surprisingly the first scientific African elephant dissection did not occur until the 1940s! There was so little research on the species that scientists were surprised to find that elephant herds are organized into family units of closed related cows and their offspring (first suggested by researcher Irven Buss), not lead by "herd" or "sire" bulls and that elephants use long-distance calls made with sounds well below the range of human hearing to coordinate their movements.

The closing chapters of the book chronicle the ivory wars of the latter part of the 20th century and the ongoing and contentious debate over whether culling is needed in national parks and whether ivory is a sustainable resource or not.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the fate of endangered wildlife, not just elephants. And to anyone interested in Africa, for it is the story of much more than the elephant. Meredith has written a beautiful, captivating, and often heartbreaking and enraging account of the African elephant's encounter with mankind, and how the species has suffered from man's insatiable greed, in particular for the ivory of this beautiful animal. There is also an excellent account of efforts to reverse the catastrophic decline in the African elephant population, due to the ivory trade.

As readable as a fine novel, this book also offers a great introduction to the unique nature of the elephant--the largest land mammal, and yet one of the most intelligent, sensitive, and emotional. If you do not know much about elephants, you will never look at an elephant the same way again.

As other reviewers have pointed out, most of this book is not about the elephants themselves. I knew this going in, but as I enjoyed looking at history from the perspective of salt (Mark Kurlansky, "Salt"), I was hoping I would enjoy "Elephant Destiny" more than I did. The chapters on the elephants are toward the end (chapters 18-22), and are fascinating: it would be hard for them not to be, the social life of elephants is so interesting. For those of you who are not going to read this book, or parts of it, the two main researchers into elephant behavior are apparently Cynthia Moss and Joyce Poole, and Katy Payne has a book on elephant communication. Meredith mentions elephants swimming across rivers. Fossils of pygmy elephants have been found on some Asian islands, and it is speculated their ancestors actually swam to the islands.

This is a wonderful, well written, illustrated book about elephants and their role throughout history, as well as their present state in the world. I confess, I did not know much about elephants before reading this book. I now feel I know something about them, and what I have discovered is fascinating. I did not realize how complex and intelligent these magnificent creatures are, nor how dangerously close to extinction they have become. It would, indeed, be tragic were that to happen, for elephants are sociable, sentient, and intelligent.

The author takes the reader on a tour throughout history, describing the elephant's interaction with humanity and its role in the affairs of mankind and its impact on the environment. The book traces the influence of the elephant and the various uses to which mankind has put this great creature. From being used as a conveyance in times of war, to being paraded as an object of wonder and curiosity, to being hunted down mercilessly for its ivory tusks, the elephant has had a somewhat checkered history in terms of its interaction with human beings.

The author also carefully relates the elephant's own social structure, which is a sophisticated and complex one. Their mating rituals, their family life, and their handling of death are all addressed by the author, who paints a picture of a multi-faceted and remarkable society of elephants. It is only in the twentieth century that its complexity has begun to be understood by man. It is hoped that this is not a case of too little, too late.

Unfortunately for the elephant, however, its positive qualities have taken a backseat to its value as a commodity. Elephant tusks may eventually bring about the demise of the entire species, if the world does not take heed. A portion of this book is devoted to the ivory wars that have decimated the great elephant herds of Africa, turning elephants into an endangered species. Were elephants to be driven to extinction by pure, unadulterated greed, it truly would be tragic. This book effectively drives that point home.

Cynthia Moss spent thirteen years in Amboseli National Reserve studying the elephants there. This book is the culmination of her work. Cynthia writes about the elephants as if they were her friends or her family. She is obviously as attached to them as one gets attached to a pet cat or dog.

Cynthia keeps family trees of the Amboseli elephants - noting births, deaths, etc. The names of members is the same family all begin with the same letter. That makes it very easy to keep track of each family as you are reading the book. Cynthia talks about the death of one of the elephants as if it were a part of her family.

That was a very sad section of this book. Ok, I admit it, I cried. Cynthia shows how the elephants care about each other just as humans do. They are sad, just like we are, when a family member dies.

In Elephant Memories, you get to learn about the everyday activities of the elephants, how they play, eat, drink, mate. You learn what the elephants do during the dry and rainy seasons, what they do to survive a drought.

A nice thing about the book is the chapters are written in such a manner that you could simply pick any chapter, read it, and still get a lot out of it. Each chapter is its own story - no need to read previous chapters. If you were interested in the births of elephants, you could read just that chapter with having read the previous ones. If you are at all interested in elephants, definitely read this book.

IT IS AMAZING TO ME THAT MAN DOESNT KNOW OR CHOOSES NOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW INTELLEGENT AND WONDERFUL THESE BEAUTIFUL CREATURES OF GOD ARE AND THIS BOOK MAKES IT REAL CLEAR.

This is an excellent book. At first, the book seems confusing as the author continuously refers to the individual elephants on a first name basis when one has no idea of who these "people" are. As the names become more familiar and the individual stories develop, the strange names develop into a wonderful, although at times anthropomorphic story on the natural history of these gentle animals. As she warns us, the author takes the liberty of adding unwitnessed, fictional pieces to most stories, which can be confusing and at times blur the objective observations that she makes with subjective, although probably real, assumptions.
But this book is not a hard core technical text, despite glimpses of it being so in the beginning. The book is about remembering the wonderful social and behavioral characteristics of individuals that make up a population. From matriarchs to lonely males, from birth to death during periods of drought or at the hands of Masai warriors, this book gives a comprehensive insight into relevant issues affecting the survival of the African elephant. The author comes across as a human being, with emotions that go beyond the hard-core science. Although her prose is dry at times, this book is very enjoyable and opens a magnificent window into the world of the Amboseli elephants.

This is a wonderful book. Cynthia Moss takes the reader deep into the intricate social lives of Africa elephans in Amboseli National Park (Kenya), and leaves a profound impression. How very sensitive these animals are, and how endearing. It is entirely clear how these creatures have suffered at the hands of humans, but also nobody can read this book and not feel the urge to conserve this fantastic species. Also it may inspire some to travel to Amboseli to see the elephants 'in person' - an experience that you will never forget!

Moss takes you on an incredible journey into the lives of African elephants and allows you to take a bird's eye view of the research she has done. The book, while captivating, can seem a little discombobulated to some, however. The book divides itself into the different years Moss is writing about, each chapter being a different year. This set up, however, is a bit confusing as the chapters do not limit themselves to that particular year, but instead discussed a myriad of years all while focusing on a particular topic. That said, you do see progression in the timeline as the book reads on.

The only downside I saw to this book was the fictional retelling of circumstances that she was not witness to. She describes the deaths of a few elephants as well as some mishaps involving the elephants in near poetic detail, though she never actually saw what happened, or she only witnessed the very end of the circumstance. She does not note where the fictionalization begins, and you only understand what parts are ficionalized after reading on and seeing where she says "I don't know what happened." These are merely assumptions made on the part of the author and though they could have very real merit, it can hurt the integrity of the book when read by someone who is looking for a purely factual account of African elephants. While Moss does warn that she does make assumptions, it would have been better if she noted right before each fictionalized story that it was an assumption. That said, the stories do involve true elephant behavior and shows the audience how elephants may react in certain situations.

There is an incredible amount of insight in this book. You become attached to certain elephants, feel joy over new births, celebrate victory over hardship, and mourn the deaths of these creatures. It teaches the reader about their behaviors, environment, and most of all, the conservation of these majestic animals.