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$9.00
1. Hey, Little Ant
$2.87
2. One Hundred Hungry Ants
$10.85
3. Two Bad Ants
$18.00
4. Adventures among Ants: A Global
$3.09
5. The Life and Times of the Ant
$2.23
6. Ant Cities (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out
$2.66
7. Are You an Ant? (Backyard Books)
$6.91
8. Ant Farm: And Other Desperate
$16.48
9. Black Ants and Buddhists
10. "I Can't" Said the Ant
$18.01
11. Ant: The Definitive Guide, 2nd
$1.53
12. National Geographic Readers: Ants
$7.48
13. Stand and Deliver: The Autobiography
$8.78
14. I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track
$11.90
15. Journey to the Ants: A Story of
$12.74
16. The Leafcutter Ants: Civilization
$99.20
17. The Ants
$11.50
18. Kingdom of Ants: José Celestino
$31.45
19. Ant in Action: Covers Ant 1.7
$0.70
20. Horrible Harry and the Ant Invasion

1. Hey, Little Ant
by Phillip M. Hoose, Hannah Hoose
Hardcover: 30 Pages (1998-07-01)
list price: US$15.99 -- used & new: US$9.00
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1883672546
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
Hey, little ant down in the crack

Can you hear me? Can you talk back?

See my shoe, can you see that?

Well now it's gonna squish you flat!So begins a conversation between a young boy and the ant trembling in the shadow of his sneaker. This playful story brings up questions about the ethics and peer pressure, encouraging the very youngest citizens to decide for themselves: to squish...or not to squish?! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent Condition
This book was in the condition described and was mailed immediately. Will certainly order from this seller again.

5-0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book! Great story and message!
Phillip Hoose spoke at my college graduation which inspired me to look up his book for my baby niece!He was a wonderful speaker and he told the story of "Hey, Little Ant!" and sang the song with his guitar!It is a wonderful story about teaching compassion and understanding of those different from us.

I just love it and recommend it to everyone, adults and children alike.

5-0 out of 5 stars Delightfull book
Engaging book with outstanding illustrations and text.I use this to facilitate persuasive writing with students.I also use it with college students as an example of an appropriate book for generating opinions.

5-0 out of 5 stars great book for kids
We used this book for summer reading this summer which was to catch a reading bug. It is a fun book to read out loud esp if you can do voices for the charaters. I would recommend the book .

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent lesson
I bought this book for my son when he was 4, but the lesson is there for any age.It tells the story from an ant's perspective.A little boy is going to step on the ant, but the ant is begging him not to.Kids are so quick to kill things these days, and they think a little ant doesn't matter at all.It's a wonderful lesson to teach compassion to all creatures.My son is 8 now and he still won't kill anything.He is my catcher of bugs and lets them outside.The story leaves it for the reader to decide the right thing, but it really helps the child to think. ... Read more


2. One Hundred Hungry Ants
by Elinor J Pinczes, Elinor Pinczes
Paperback: 32 Pages (1999-09)
list price: US$6.95 -- used & new: US$2.87
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0395971233
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
Hi dee ho! It's off to a picnic we go! One hundred very hungry ants hurry to sample the delights of a picnic, but marching in single file seems too slow for 100 empty tummies. The smallest ant of all suggests they travel in 2 rows of 50, four rows of 25 . . . and the division begins. One Hundred Hungry Ants is not only a spirited and whimsical story, but also serves as an enjoyable visual introduction to math. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

5-0 out of 5 stars Great!
Product was used. The book cover was missing but that is what you get for the price. There was also the library sticker and stamp in the book. Other than that, pages were in great condition! Thanks!

5-0 out of 5 stars A Science Educator Uses This Math Book to Teach Arrays

This book is fabulous and a staple in any good elementary classroom.I love teaching arrays with this book.I use pattern tiles and 1cm graph paper to create the different arrays and then cut them out and place them on display to understand multiplication, addition and area.I used a visual software called Kidspiration 3 to create these arrays on the Smartboard. (Digital Interactive Whiteboard)

5-0 out of 5 stars My second grade class loved this book!
We are learning different ways to skip count and find patterns in ways to get to 100.I read this to the students in class. They loved the book, the processing, and pictures.They were able to process and discuss the different patterns of the lines the 100 ants formed.Then they were able to relate this to coins in a dollar.They book is ideal for guided reading and discussion.It has rhythm, which is important for young children to recall concepts.It also it is a lot of fun. They enjoyed me reading to them, and then they wanted to hold the book and read it again to themselves.I highly recommend this book, for learning and just for fun reading.

5-0 out of 5 stars Awesome!
This is a fun book and an entertaining story. It's also a good way to teach multiple ways to add to a number and multiple ways to represent a number (2 groups of 25 are equal to 5 groups of 20, both represent 100.) Really awesome book for elementary math teachers.

5-0 out of 5 stars Awesome and clever mathematics book!!
I'm a college student working towards my Elementary Education degree, and a mom of two young children. I purchased this book while taking a mathematics course, so I could introduce some more advanced mathematics concepts to my four year old. He loves this book! It has a silly cute repetitive song, and teaches about division and multiplication. There is a list of other suggested reading material at the end of the book, and I'm going to get each one of them! ... Read more


3. Two Bad Ants
by Chris Van Allsburg
Hardcover: 32 Pages (1988-10-24)
list price: US$18.95 -- used & new: US$10.85
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0395486688
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
The three-time Caldecott medalist tells the tale of two ants who decide to leave the safety of the others to venture into a danger-laden kitchen. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

2-0 out of 5 stars Eye-popping graphics light up a grim, un-funny tale
This book does a great job of portraying the world from an ant's perspective.The woodcut images are more than compelling - I was so excited about this book.And with a title like "Two Bad Ants," how could it go wrong?

Well, it could go wrong from the start by abandoning the sense of mischief, of naughty adventure-seeking, that is implied by that kind of title.Instead, the ants find themselves lost in a not-so-funny but surreal and not exactly scary-enough human world where they eat too much sugar, fall asleep, and wake to find themselves scooped up and tossed in a swirling "bitter, brown lake" of coffee.

The coffee drinker doesn't notice them, but luckily they are saved so that their oh-so-unfunny adventures may continue as they are toasted, tossed into a garbage disposal (which my kids have barely heard of because we compost), and finally seek respite in an electrical outlet (bad choice, guys!).

Luckily, the other ants return that evening and the two "bad ants" (who really just made one "bad" or selfish decision) gratefully and exhaustedly return home once again.Even my fourteen-year-old felt ripped off, shouting out, "that couldn't really happen!"The younger kids, I think, mostly felt confused and didn't understand many of the references right away.

The moral of the story - serve your colony happily; don't be selfish; don't stray? - is not mentioned explicitly, though it's clear at the end that the ants are happy to be back where they belong.I don't even think, if you want to really over-analyze the book, that they were really "bad" - they just made one wrong choice at the beginning... after which they were battered mercilessly for no good reason.

"Two Bad Ants" was a recommended reading selection from Living Learning Science, (our homeschool kindergarten science curriculum), to go along with a unit on ants.

It is definitely about ants.The book does offer a nod to accurately describing ant behaviour; the ants are depicted as a hard-working colony, serving a queen (who is never shown), and they are definitely drawn to sugar, just as real-life ants are.That's the end of the book's educational value, however, and since its humour and playfulness value are just about zero, this is one curriculum "enhancer" that I will haul back to the library just as eagerly as I got it out.

We have read so many other great books about ants at the recommendation of Living Learning Science; I'm just disappointed that this one didn't live up the promise of its unique artwork.

5-0 out of 5 stars Two Bad Ants, one great book!
The first read-through of this book is the best, with new discoveries and a-ha moments on each page.The ant-view perspectives in this beautifully illustrated story keep kids and parents alike guessing as to what the blundering pair of ant protagonists are coming upon in their journey throughout the strange, new world of a human household.Two Bad Ants is hilarious in an intelligent, wry way and has me and my children laughing with delight every time we read it.I've now read a few of Chris Van Allsburg's book, and this one is by far my favorite.It's fun to read aloud, great to look at, fresh, and smart...the kind of book I'd like to share with every kid and teacher I know.

4-0 out of 5 stars Two Bad Ants
The children's book Two Bad Ants, by Chris Van Allsburg, not only has simulating pictures, but also a moral and message every child should learn. For some kids paying attention to an entire book may be hard, which is why having large pictures on every page is good. Not only is a majority of Allsburg's pages detailed drawings, but they are done in calming, easy to look at colors and line strokeany child would love. Beyond having arousing images, the moral at the end of Two Bad Ants about the importance of home is wonderful. Having the whole book written from the ant's perspective allows both child and parents and teachers alike to have fun reading something a little different; giving kids a new way to understanding points of view. This book is a classic of Allsburg everyone is guaranteed to enjoy.

5-0 out of 5 stars Great book!
This is a great book for children.I bought it as a gift for a four year-old because I loved it when I was little.The book came quickly & in great condition!

5-0 out of 5 stars Fun!
This is such a cute and fun book and a great teaching tool.I have used it in my Kindergarten and 4th grade classes to teach "Inferring" and other comprehension skills. ... Read more


4. Adventures among Ants: A Global Safari with a Cast of Trillions
by Mark W. Moffett
Hardcover: 288 Pages (2010-05-05)
list price: US$29.95 -- used & new: US$18.00
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0520261992
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
Intrepid international explorer, biologist, and photographer Mark W. Moffett, "the Indiana Jones of entomology," takes us around the globe on a strange and colorful journey in search of the hidden world of ants. In tales from Nigeria, Indonesia, the Amazon, Australia, California, and elsewhere, Moffett recounts his entomological exploits and provides fascinating details on how ants live and how they dominate their ecosystems through strikingly human behaviors, yet at a different scale and a faster tempo. Moffett's spectacular close-up photographs shrink us down to size, so that we can observe ants in familiar roles; warriors, builders, big-game hunters, and slave owners. We find them creating marketplaces and assembly lines and dealing with issues we think of as uniquely human--including hygiene, recycling, and warfare. Adventures among Ants introduces some of the world's most awe-inspiring species and offers a startling new perspective on the limits of our own perception.

* Ants are world-class road builders, handling complex traffic problems on thoroughfares that dwarf our highway systems
* Ants take slaves from conquered armies and create societies dependent on their labor
* Ants with the largest societies often deploy complex military tactics
* Some ants have evolved from hunter-gatherers into farmers, domesticating other animals and growing specific crops for food
... Read more

Customer Reviews (43)

5-0 out of 5 stars Notes from Underground
On first thought, ants are barely noticeable, and when they do garner your attention, it's often because you're annoyed. Ants that trail into your kitchen or pop up in your basement at the first heat wave spring to mind. Or those little piles of dirt pyramiding up in the sidewalk in summer, industrious ants making a mess. But ants are much more than this, as Mark Moffett shows in Adventures Among Ants.

Look close enough, and you'll see new worlds, Moffett shows, as we accompany him on expeditions to India, Singapore, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ecuador, California, and more. Ants evolved from wasps, and are a powerful example of social insects. Their strength is in their numbers and their ability to work together. And why shouldn't they? In any given ant colony, almost all the workers, soldiers, and other ants are sisters, descended from the same queen. (Male ants are very rare; they emerge once a summer from the nest to mate with up-and-coming queens, and then quickly die.)

Ants are territorial, and some species of ants are brutal fighters. Army ants sweep out from their nests, capturing and eating whatever weaker foe lies in front of them; weaver ants, who create nests in the canopies of tropical forests, take on other species of ants with determined ferocity. As Moffett says, "Among animals, all-out war against their fellows occurs only among the largest societies of humans and ants."

Moffett lays out the book in a way to give all the lessons one might need about ants and ant behavior and society. But he does it with subtlety--and with remarkable close-up photos, beautifully displayed. Mostly he's telling tales that fascinate, and all the while, he's educating readers about ants better than any textbook. He's got the ability to make you want to stop and stare closely at the next ant you see on the ground: what is it going? Is it a scout, looking for the day's meal, or a lost soul?

Throughout the book, Moffett hammers away at one of his main lessons: that ant colonies act as superorganisms. There are no leaders, yet ants get things done in a remarkably organized fashion. Every ant has a role to play and performs it, and can even learn new roles when needed. I'd heard the concept before, but Moffett's explanation finally made it all clear. The ant colony is, in a sense, like a human body, but finer tuned. It can also be likened to a brain: each ant acting the role of a neuron, alone not of much value, but exceedingly powerful when linked with large numbers of its equals.

And then there are special cases like leafcutter ants, which harvest leaves, take them back to their nests, and grow fungus--not-so-primitive agriculturalists. Amazon ants--found in temperate zones, like California or Nevada--raid the nests of other ants, steal their larvae, take them back home and raise them to be their slaves. Amazon ants, in fact, are prisoners of their slaveholding ways: they cannot find food any more. They have to rely on their slave ants to forage for food. The only thing Amazon ants do well is raid and capture fresh slaves.

Even though ants rule their owns worlds--and have for something like 100 million years--humans of course help wreak havoc. A particular species of Argentine ant, a fierce fighter but no champion in its own habitat, has hitched rides on boats heading north, and become a dominant species in the southern and western U.S. In fact, one single colony of Argentine ant has on the order of 1 trillion ants in southern California; it fights regular turf battles with closely related colonies of Argentine ants, with some 30 million dying in the skirmishes every year. And needless to say, it has wiped out all native ant populations wherever it goes.

But Moffett is sanguine, and one gets the feeling reading the book that no matter what happens to the human race, ants will be just fine, thank you very much. They were here long before us; they will be here long after we're gone.

Could we learn a lesson from them? That the best organizations don't have leaders? That cooperation is all, sacrifice to the colony, the group, is tantamount? Perhaps, but mostly what Moffett wants to impart is his sheer joy at learning more about the world of ants, even if some do bite him up.

5-0 out of 5 stars At last the ant has his (or her) day!
Part exotic travel-log and part exploration of sublime evolutionary splendor, //Adventure Among the Ants// turns its humble subject into a super star.Mark Moffett, "The Indiana Jones of the Ant World," mixes a memoir of his far flung journeys with the fascinating complexity and variety of ants; his passion for his subject isn't merely palpable, it's infectious. If his goal is to make you pause and appreciate the next time an ant crawls on your kitchen counter, he has succeeded mightily.

The variety of species he explores are literally legion and reads like the stuff of science fiction.An ant suicide bomber that explodes acid upon its nests enemies?A species that enslave other ants who in turn do most of their colony's work?Superhighways stretching vast distances to facilitate travel and foraging?Super colonies the size of half of California?This is just a sampling of the varied cast of this entertaining informative book, only further enhanced by Moffett's award winning photographs that quite literally take us down to their level.Written with a combination of humor, reverence, and a devotion to hard science //Adventure Among Ants// is that rarest of species, a scientific page turner that you will want to read and recommend to a friend.

Reviewed by Jordan Magill

5-0 out of 5 stars Not just for the scientific crowd, "Adventures Among Ants" can be easily enjoyed by anyone
This is my first Amazon book review and I'm writing it because I am so thoroughly enjoying this book.You need not be a scientist to appreciate it - I'm certainly not.

I've always had a curious interest in insects but it moved to another level when I retired and took up macro photography as a hobby with a cheap camera joined to a home-brewed macro lens.

Seeing the faces up-close on my monitor of tiny ants, spiders and other insects who share my house and yard made me think of them less as annoyances and realize they're living creatures like us, trying to survive, again just like us, but in their own very real Jurassic Park.

Insects are really fascinating once you get past the ick factor, and that's what led me to discover Mark W. Moffet and his book "Adventures Among Ants."Mark explains how he started traveling the world studying and photographing ants with a cheap camera/lens (not unlike mine), taking photos that drew the attention of National Geographic editors (unlike mine), and now shares what he's learned with us.

Written in a style that's truly easy for anyone to read, you're at his side lying on the ground as he shows and describes what, how, and why ants do what they do.Descriptions of how they trap prey and use the same combat strategies many successful human armies use are absolutely fascinating, along with his analysis of their ability to act as group `super-organisms' to accomplish what the individuals cannot do.

I can honestly say I am enjoying being with him as he uncovers and explains the strange and complex lives of ants all over the world.

If you have the least bit of curiosity of how such tiny insects can accomplish so much and how they do it, this book will answer all your questions.I highly recommend it.

5-0 out of 5 stars Awesome Adventure
I heard about this book on a podcast and found the author so fascinating, I couldn't resist even though at the time I knew nothing about ants except I didn't want them in my house.

I LOVE this book. My son is three and particularly loves the photos. It is actually used at the bribe to get him to brush his teeth. Pictures are stunning. The writing is engaging. Makes me wish I had stayed awake in biology. If only we had textbooks like this.

3-0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good
The title would have been more suiting if it were "My life and the study of ants."

The ants are great and interesting.The pictures are incredible and will leave you wishing for more.

Like an old man reminiscing, the author tends to ramble regarding his past.It often gets to the point of annoying and definitely overshadows the ants at times.

There is a lot of repetitiveness with an inconsistency of reading levels ranging anywhere from third grade to PhD.

The author is definitely a legend in his own mind while the ants are fascinating. ... Read more


5. The Life and Times of the Ant
by Charles Micucci
Paperback: 32 Pages (2006-04-17)
list price: US$6.95 -- used & new: US$3.09
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0618689494
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description

Not mighty in size, but mighty in resourcefulness and industry, the ant has crawled the earth since prehistoric times. It has dwelt in rainforest tree trunks and acorns of oak trees, beneath logs, and under sidewalks. It has protected forests by capturing insects, cleared weeds away from acacia trees, and by growing gardens has released important nutrients into the soil. Seed lifters, dirt diggers, social beings, ants have the most advanced brain of all insects! So watch where you step, especially on a warm day: a small but mighty ant may be underfoot.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

4-0 out of 5 stars Valuable book for adults and children alike
The illustrations and format of "The Life and Times of the Ant" signal that it is a book for children, so I was a little worried about how my 13 year old grandson would react to it as a gift.On the other hand, I could tell him that as a Biologist, I was delighted with the book and learned a lot from it--or at least I was reminded of many things that had become hazy since my student days.He does like the book.

I think the text is simplified, and the vocabulary is controlled to accommodate younger readers, but in my opinion that turns out to be a plus for an adult reader who just wants to enjoy knowing more about the natural world. The writing does not proffer childish attitudes toward nature or an attempt to make things "cute."Though engaging, it does not insult the intelligence and seriousness of either adults or children.

5-0 out of 5 stars Humor Creates Interest, Leads to Learning
My son is not an insect person.But I looked at this book and found it very funny and very clever.The worker ants wear construction helmets, the queen wears a tiara, you get the idea.I brought it home from the library with a bunch of other books on sea life and outer space, my son's usual topics.After initially rejecting the Ant book, he picked it up and then couldn't put it down.We ended up buying it.He loves it.He takes it in the car and is now full of all kinds of fun facts about ants.He has even become interested in bees and other insects as a result.Who knew.Just goes to show you that a funny and clever presentation can get a kid interested in just about anything.

5-0 out of 5 stars Reading with interest
This is a very informative book that even my 2 year old loves to look at.
It is a book that makes learning fun!

5-0 out of 5 stars Great book for children interested in science
This is a wonderfully illustrated book with great facts about the life and habits of the ants.I highly recommend it for children of reading age who are interested in learning all about insects.

5-0 out of 5 stars Great illustrations and detailed information!
Daughter used this for her 5th grade Science project... studied an ant farm.The book was quite helpful and fun to read as an adult! ... Read more


6. Ant Cities (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)
by Arthur Dorros
Paperback: 32 Pages (1988-06-03)
list price: US$5.99 -- used & new: US$2.23
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0064450791
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
Did you know that ants have jobs? Ants may not look like they are doing anything important, but each ant that lives in a hill has a special job, whether it is cleaning the nest, digging new tunnels or gathering food. And in each ant city there is a queen ant who is busy laying eggs.

In this popular Stage 2 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science book, Arthur Dorros explores the fascinating and complex ways in which these industrious insects work together to keep their ant cities alive.

A Reading Rainbow Selection
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 1987 (NSTA/CBC) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

5-0 out of 5 stars Just Right
Bought this to go along with ant farm for my 5 year old.Just what I was looking for -- easy to follow, not too technical but not silly, intereting, and engaging. Wonderfully illustrated.

4-0 out of 5 stars Terrific Book
Book was entertaining for the kids (2 & 4 yrs old) and very educational.I bought this book to go along with the gel ant farm I also bought for them.Highly recommended!

5-0 out of 5 stars Great book! Went great with the ant farm we purchased!
We purchased an ant farm for our 5 year old DD for Christmas. And I bought this book to go along with it. It is such an informative book! And easy enough for a 5 year old to understand. We really enjoyed reading it and learning about our ants!

5-0 out of 5 stars Ant Cities
This is a very nice and informative book.I got it for my nephew who is 7 and he really enjoyed it.I bought it to go along with the ant farm I gave to him for his birthday.It was on back order but he still was intrigued with it when it came. ... Read more


7. Are You an Ant? (Backyard Books)
by Judy Allen, Tudor Humphries
Paperback: 32 Pages (2004-05-13)
list price: US$5.99 -- used & new: US$2.66
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0753458039
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
Children who love to track ants wherever they wander will enjoy this inside look at the everyday life of this fascinating insect, as they explore the similarities and differences to themselves. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

5-0 out of 5 stars encourages curiosity in your little explorer
We have ordered the majority of the Backyard books for our daughter who loves science.Good explanation, fair illustrations.Has been great for preschooler, early elementary age child regarding understanding material and encouraging interest in science.Our favorites are "Are you a Ladybug" and "Are you a Butterfly" but all books have been informative and fun to read!We have even learned quite a bit as parents and one of us actually has a science background.

5-0 out of 5 stars nice non-fiction
I really like this series of books.The format is interesting.The information is given through questions.My kids will choose this often from the borrow shelf.

5-0 out of 5 stars engaging and interesting
I used this in my second grade classroom.My students were completely engaged in the story and even more amazed at the things they learned about ants from the book.I highly recommend this book.

5-0 out of 5 stars Great kid's book
My granddaughter was fascinated by this book - so much that I ordered others from the set (Are You A Butterfly?). Great read - both for kids and adults! Detailed and accurate.

5-0 out of 5 stars Great ant facts
I purchased this for my child's kindergarten class and they love it.Interesting facts that the author relates to people.Good book and fun to read. ... Read more


8. Ant Farm: And Other Desperate Situations
by Simon Rich
Paperback: 160 Pages (2007-04-03)
list price: US$12.95 -- used & new: US$6.91
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1400065887
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
In Ant Farm, former Harvard Lampoon president Simon Rich finds humor in some very surprising places. Armed with a sharp eye for the absurd and an overwhelming sense of doom, Rich explores the ridiculousness of our everyday lives. The world, he concludes, is a hopelessly terrifying place–with endless comic potential.

–If your girlfriend gives you some “love coupons” and then breaks up with you, are the coupons still valid?

–What kind of performance pressure does an endangered male panda feel when his captors bring the last remaining female panda to his cage?

–If murderers can get into heaven by accepting Jesus, just how awkward is it when they run into their victims?

Join Simon Rich as he explores the extraordinary and hilarious desperation that resides in ordinary life, from cradle to grave.

"Hilarious." –Jon Stewart ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

4-0 out of 5 stars This book is funny!
A great bathroom companion book, these short essays are often laugh-out-loud funny. The humorous insights, often from a kid's eye view, are delightfully wacky at times, and self-consciously tortured at others. Disregard those 1 star reviews. If you fail to understand this humor, stick with Woody Woodpecker cartoons.

1-0 out of 5 stars I suspect Frank Rich has some information regarding Jon Stewart that Stewart wants to keep secret.
There is absolutely no other reason for Jon Stewart to have endorsed this book, written by Frank's son Simon. There is nothing in this book even remotely clever or amusing. Give an ungifted 11 year old a notebook, and pencil, tell them to write non-stop for 15 minutes and the outcome would undoubtably be more amusing than this book. I am highly envious of the people who give this book high ratings. Life must be grand when you are so easily amused.

5-0 out of 5 stars Need a Break? Grab Ant Farm!
This book is one of the best gifts to pass along to friends who love to laugh. It's comical genius, in very short stories. So if you only have a min or two, you can pick it up and read one, and it really does put you in a better mood. Go to your local book store, pick it up and turn to page 94 to read 'When the "guess your weight" guy from the carnival got married'. There is no way you won't be at least smiling or chuckling to yourself by the end. Be sure to check out Rich's other book, "Free-Range Chickens" which I think might even be better than Ant Farm. We all need more laughter if our life...pass it along! :) Enjoy!

4-0 out of 5 stars Funny, if a little uneven
This is a very short but very funny collection of imagined scenes by a former Harvard Lampoon writer. These whimsical bits range from Abraham's awkwardly quiet ride back to town with Isaac (who he almost just sacrificed), to the reaction of kids who are told for the first time that there are actually machines for computing the math problems they've been tortured figuring out by hand all these years, to ants trying one last time to dig that tunnel that'll get them out of the farm (I know this is our eighth attempt and we keep hitting glass, but I have a good feeling about this one!). Some are better than others, but none take more than sixty seconds to read. I can think of much worse ways to spend my minutes.

2-0 out of 5 stars not that impressed
i was disapointed in this book. there were a few stories i thought were funny but the rest were too far fetched and dull. ... Read more


9. Black Ants and Buddhists
by Mary Cowhey
Paperback: 256 Pages (2006-04)
list price: US$18.50 -- used & new: US$16.48
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1571104186
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description

What would a classroom look like if understanding and respecting differences in race, culture, beliefs, and opinions were at its heart?Welcome to Mary Cowhey's Peace Class in Northampton, MA, where first and second graders view the entire curriculum through the framework of understanding the world, and trying to do their part to make it a better place.

Woven through the book is Mary's unflinching and humorous account of her own roots in a struggling large Irish Catholic family and her early career as a community activist. Mary's teaching is infused with lessons of her heroes: Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Martin Luther King, and others.Her students learn to make connections between their lives, the books they read, the community leaders they meet, and the larger world.

If you were inspired to become a teacher because you wanted to change the world, and instead find yourself limited by teach-to-the-test pressures, this is the book that will make you think hard about how you spend your time with students.It offers no easy answers, just a wealth of insight into the challenges of helping students think critically about the world, and starting points for conversations about diversity and controversy in your classroom, as well as in the larger community.

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Customer Reviews (8)

5-0 out of 5 stars Re-idealising teaching
I have really enjoyed reading through this well-written, easy flowing text for my pre-service teaching course.Author has reminded me that teaching is not only a job but has responsibilities and privileges to be embraced.While the specifics may not be replicable in a classroom, the ideals are.I recommend this book highly to those wanting to embrace strategic thinking in the classroom, and how to integrate the everyday into lessons, planned or spontaneously.

1-0 out of 5 stars Questionable Practices for Elementary School
I found many of the practices that the author details in this book to be inappropriate for first or second grade classrooms.She introduces topics in the classroom that are politically divisive and she uses instructional materials that only present one (very radical) side of history, such as Howard Zinn's book "A People's History of the United States."

Her comments about mistrusting "white men in suits standing in front of flags" to be very offensive.Had she said this about any other ethnic group, she would have been vilified.



5-0 out of 5 stars A Teacher's Perspective
This is a great book, hard to put down!!! She writes mainly about her days, and important things to keep in mind as a teacher.
As a teacher myself, reading this book gave me new insight into various lessons and children's thinking. It also was an affirmation piece, which I feel is important to teachers once in a while to remind us that we are doing the right things.

5-0 out of 5 stars Great Price and Shipped efficiently
This book came in three days which was before it was even supposed to arrived. It was brand new and I have been enjoying reading it.

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for teachers
I would recommend this book to anyone teaches or works with children. This such an inspirational book with great ideas. I think every superintendent all the way down to the para-professionals need to read this book. It will totally change your way of thinking... for the better. ... Read more


10. "I Can't" Said the Ant
by Polly Cameron
Paperback: 40 Pages (1975)

Asin: B001DTGKNS
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

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"Teapot fell," said the dinner bell. / "Is she dead?" asked the bread. / "Broke her spout," said the trout. / "Push her up," said the cup. / "I can't," said the ant. / "Please try," said the pie. "You'll have fun," with this one! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

5-0 out of 5 stars Memorable Rhymes!
Both of my boys, ages 7 and 4, LOVE this book.They have caught on to the fun and have made up their own little rhymes throughout the day.I am very pleased!

5-0 out of 5 stars Been reading for 35 years - good.
A great bit of poetry I've been reading since 1975.
Probably not p.c. to say "stupid" anymore in one of the stanzas but its way better than prime time t.v.

5-0 out of 5 stars A cute little book
When a teapot falls, it is up to the ant to put it back on the sink. "I can't," said the ant, and indeed the ant could not do it...alone. But, with the help of...well, just about everyone, the work gets done!

This is a cute little book. My five-year-old daughter loves the rhyming, especially the line that reads, "'Don't be dumb,' said the crumb." We have had a lot of fun with this book, and he highly recommend it to you and your little reader!

5-0 out of 5 stars Fun Book to Read
My girls (4 and 3) really enjoy this book. The book was in excellent condition. It looked brand new. I am really pleased with this purchase.

4-0 out of 5 stars creative
A little story about how the whole kitchen helps out to help a teapot that fell and broke.Each line is a rhyme and there are many lines.Simple illustrations teach what each kitchen item is. ... Read more


11. Ant: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition
by Steve Holzner
Paperback: 336 Pages (2005-04-13)
list price: US$44.99 -- used & new: US$18.01
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0596006098
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

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Soon after its launch, Ant succeeded in taking the Java world by storm, becoming the most widely used tool for building applications in Java environments. Like most popular technologies, Ant quickly went through a series of early revision cycles.With each new version, more functionality was added, and more complexity was introduced. Ant evolved from a simple-to-learn build tool into a full-fledged testing and deployment environment.

Ant: The Definitive Guide has been reworked, revised and expanded upon to reflect this evolution.It documents the new ways that Ant is being applied, as well as the array of optional tasks that Ant supports.In fact, this new second edition covers everything about this extraordinarybuild managementtool from downloading and installing, to using Ant to test code.Here are just of a few of the features you'll find detailed in this comprehensive, must-have guide:

  • Developing conditional builds, and handling error conditions
  • Automatically retrieving source code from version control systems
  • Using Ant with XML files
  • Using Ant with JavaServer Pages to build Web applications
  • Using Ant with Enterprise JavaBeans to build enterprise applications
Far exceeding its predecessor in terms of information and detail, Ant: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition is a must-have for Java developers unfamiliar with the latest advancements in Ant technology.With this book at your side, you'll soon be up to speed on the premiere tool for cross-platform development.

Author Steve Holzner is an award-winning author who s been writing about Java topics since the language first appeared; his books have sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.

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Customer Reviews (17)

2-0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
I read this book to learn how to read existing Ant scripts, but I'm much disappointed at the many failed explanations of Ant basic concepts. For example, the description of paths and patternset left much to be desired. I HAD to consult another Ant book!!

1-0 out of 5 stars Check out internet instead.
This book is a regurgitation of O'Reilly web material.This book had a real opportunity to discuss Ant internals or at least something that can't be found on tech sites or the software documentation.Project wikis will undoubtedly replace the need for tech books of this sort.

5-0 out of 5 stars Got Me Going Quickly
Web research on Ant revealed a lot of explanations, but they were very hard to understand.And I didn't want to waste time scratching my head.This book explained what Ant is and how it works in an approachable way without insulting my intelligence.The author obviously has a lot of experience in Ant and many of the other technologies it interacts with.While other comments have pointed out that it's not a reference, I can easily get those other details on the internet.This book got me up and running with Ant quickly and painlessly.It contained useful examples that actually worked when I tried to follow them.

5-0 out of 5 stars The best book on Ant
Apache Ant is the primary build tool for Java projects and this book is excellent introduction to it. Although the title is misleading - this is not really a definitive guide (its not really reference book for starters), it is well written and easily understood. If you work through this book from start to finish then I'm confident that you'll come out the other end as an Ant expert.

3-0 out of 5 stars A Good Introduction, but Only an Introduction
This book provides a good enough introduction to Ant, but it only takes you to the point of knowing how to use Ant and not the point of knowing how to use ant on a project of any size.As an introduction it works well.You learn how to get up and running with Ant very early on in the book, and you learn all of the key tasks rather quickly as well.Everything is explained clearly, and it seems reasonably organized.What it lacks is really any explanation of various best practices for using ant, whether on a small program or a large one.For a book of this size, I was surprised at the absence of this info and ultimately I felt that it was only a bit more useful than the free online docs for ant. ... Read more


12. National Geographic Readers: Ants
by Melissa Stewart
Paperback: 32 Pages (2010-01-12)
list price: US$3.99 -- used & new: US$1.53
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1426306083
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Editorial Review

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Ants are everywhere. They creep, they crawl, they climb, and they fall. But they get up and they keep on working. Ants come in all different shapes, different sizes, and different colors. And they do a lot of different jobs. These hard-working little creatures thrive wherever they go, making whatever adaptations necessary in their ever-changing world. ... Read more


13. Stand and Deliver: The Autobiography
by Adam Ant
Paperback: 320 Pages (2007-09)
list price: US$11.25 -- used & new: US$7.48
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Asin: 0330440128
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

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One of the most successful pop stars of the 80s, his face adorning posters on teenager's walls from Acton to Akron, Adam Ant was a phenomenon. Now in this frank and revealing autobiography, he tells the full story of his amazing life from his dysfunctional childhood to his key role in the punk movement and creation of a unique musical style that brought him a string of hits (both singles and albums). At one point he was so famous other stars sought his company and advice - even Michael Jackson called in the dead of night to ask about music and clothes. His many girlfriends included Jamie Lee Curtis and Heather Graham and for a time he lived in LA, acting in fifteen films. Adam also writes honestly about his life-long battle with manic depression. His first episodes were triggered by the stress of living with a violent, alcoholic father, and he tried to commit suicide when he was at art school. A gruelling episode with a stalker in LA precipitated a mental breakdown, and a stalker in London led to his well-publicised arrest and hospitalization in 2001.At times funny and at other times tragic, this is gripping account of the turbulent life and times of one of music's most fascinating figures. 'A whirlwind story of sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll, suicide attempts and deranged stalkers.' - "Time Out". 'With plenty of lessons to be learned about fame's downside, [this] is an intriguing tale, well and honestly told.' - "Q Magazine". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

3-0 out of 5 stars impressive and disappointing
"Stand and Deliver" is impressive in the sense that Stuart Goddard was able to step up and give us some of the gritty details about his personal life. We get to explore everything from his childhood up until his current state of being. What I like about this book is Adam's ability to entertain the reader with his stories involving other famous celebrities, but what hinders the book is his lack of insight involving his actual body of work. I was hoping to get the inside scoop on what inspired songs like Apollo 9 or The Human Beings, but instead I was given the impression that Adam Ant didn't really care about his work as much as he did about being famous... In fact, it would seem like his professional life was secondary to his personal life and his personal affairs in this book. If you like Adam Ant, then you'll like the book, but it won't compel you I'm afraid.

4-0 out of 5 stars Always a fan, now even more so
I have always been fascinated with Adam Ant.Something about him has always drawn me in.In recent years, I have heard some of his mental health issues along with his awful stalker issue.His honesty is both refreshing and a little heartbreaking too.I applaud him for having the bravery to put himself out there for the world to know.Great book about a great man.

5-0 out of 5 stars Book as promised
Book was received just as promised. It's a gift so I didnt read it first! :) I wish it was more of a coffee table book...but it is more of a novel type book.

5-0 out of 5 stars Genius!
Yes He can be arrogant and is crazy! But He is a Genius! Such a great and fun book for all fans!

2-0 out of 5 stars disappointing
I loved him as a kid. This book is just a series of name drops and is badly written. ... Read more


14. I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track
by Joshua Prince
Hardcover: 24 Pages (2006-04-28)
list price: US$14.95 -- used & new: US$8.78
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1402721838
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Customer Reviews (18)

5-0 out of 5 stars Be prepared to read it a lot.
The book has good rhythm and rhyme. Our original, two-year-old giftee wanted it read over and over again. We passed the book aroudn the room, taking turns reading it. I was pleasantly surprised to realize that everyone read the book with different cadence and inflection. I've since given the book to another two-year-old, and he loves it, too.

5-0 out of 5 stars great book
This is an adorable little book.It's quite a little tongue twister.I'm sure my daughter will love it when she is a little bit bigger.

5-0 out of 5 stars Not just a favorite - this will be a keepsake favorite!
I purchased the softcover edition at a book fair a several years ago having no idea how great it would be (it has held up nicely despite "the love" we've shown it).My son is 5 1/2, and we just read it again tonight!This is by far one of his all time favorites, and one of mine too!I can't begin to tell you how many times we've read this book - and "I" never get tired of it either!The book is cleverly written and a joy to read with a lot of expression."And on the horizon, sure as shellac, was a frieght train freighting down the track, heading straight for the ant walking tickety-tack.Ten tons of iron, coal-pitch black!Now what to do?Think quick! Think, Jack! Before that train and ant go whack!So I grabbed the switch and dropped my sack, pulled with my arms, pulled with my back...."It was also a great book for practice counting - my son loved to count the number of "train coaches" and is always amazed at how many coaches there are.I must also say that this book is remarkably and beautifully illustrated, which goes that much further to make the book so great!I actually am here to purchase a hardcover edition as a keepsake, and it dawned on me to add this review. Buy the book!!

5-0 out of 5 stars Share this book with a kid!
Perfect bedtime read for my 6 and 3 year old boys.We consume huge stacks of library books each week, and I keep a list of our favorites.When considering gifts for their cousins (same aged boys) I scanned the list and this one stood out among all the other books we loved.Catchy fun ryhme, wonderfully expressive illustrations inviting kids to recognize emotion on the faces of others, creativity in the art and words to engage the mind, and a good message of caring, all wrapped up into just plain FUN.
Wonderful.

5-0 out of 5 stars Our Son's Favorite
This is the only book our 13 month old son will let us read to him at night.He wants to read it over and over again.It is an adorable story with very vivid colors and pictures.He loves to point at the ant on all the pages.It's one of the few books that I don't mind reading over and over again. ... Read more


15. Journey to the Ants: A Story of Scientific Exploration
by Bert Hölldobler, Edward O. Wilson
Paperback: 304 Pages (1998-07-21)
list price: US$24.50 -- used & new: US$11.90
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0674485262
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Product Description
A prize-winning behavioral scientist and the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Diversity of Life interweave their personal adventures with the social lives of ants, building, from the first minute observations of childhood, a remarkable account of these abundant insects' evolutionary achievement. 173 illustrations, 95 in color.Amazon.com Review
"Look to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways and bewise," says the proverb. Bert Hölldobler and E.O. Wilson havejoined together to tell how they took this advice and to share thefruits of their wisdom. As Nature said, they "have done forants what Levi's did for denim." Not just a good-parts version oftheir magisterial, Pulitzer-winningThe Ants,Journey is also a double autobiography--the history of howearly enthusiasm developed into an enormously fruitful scientificcollaboration. "We, having entered our bug period as children, wereblessed by never being required to abandon it," the authorswrite. Their devotion to their chosen field shines through.

Journey to the Ants gives an outstanding overview of theenormous variety and fascination of myrmecology, from the primitivebulldog ants of Australia to the complexities of weaver ant societies,slave-making ants and agriculture, army ants, and the social parasitesconcealed within anthills. There is an appendix with practicalinstructions for collecting individual ants or whole colonies, dead oralive. Hölldobler and Wilson clearly want other children tofollow in their footsteps, growing from simple bug love to insightsinto evolution and society. --Mary Ellen Curtin ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

5-0 out of 5 stars Passing on a generation of knowledge
Bert Hölldobler and Edward O. Wilson share a lifetime of love for ants and Journey to the Ants is as much about themselves as about arthropods. The most remarkable aspect of the book is its power to reveal the uniqueness of something as commonplace as ants. Beyond the fascinating descriptions of ants there is an almost zen-like air to the scientific endeavour as such: "strolling through the woods of germany... walking slowly and quietly through through a tropical forest in the morning, just listening... Naturalists (...) love not merely the subject but the whole idea of the subject". Journey to the Ants is a book about reflection, about stopping and giving in to passionate curiosity. It is science reading at its very best. Also, don't forget For Love of Insects and Evolution of the Insects (Cambridge Evolution Series) while you're at it.

4-0 out of 5 stars A long journey to the ants
Since I've pounced on Edward Wilson's sociobiological books in another review, I guess it's time to give the devil his due. Yes, Eddie is a very good myrmecologist! "Journey to the ants" is his popularized book on the subject, co-authored with fellow myrmecologist Bert Hölldobler.

The book isn't suited for absolute beginners, since the reader is almost immediately thrown into the complicated world of ants, with little or no preparation. However, it's excellent for people who already have at least a working knowledge of these ubiquitous and somewhat annoying insects.

All the usual ground is covered: leaf cutter ants, weaver ants, soldier ants, honeypot ants... There are chapters on slave-raiding among ants, the strange symbiosis between aphids and ants, and between ants and the larvae of blue butterflies. Hölldobler and Wilson have also included a chapter on themselves!

Frankly, I knew most of this before, already as a kid. Bug period, anyone? But yes, "Journey to the ants" also contained some new and intriguing information. For instance, that the ants probably evolved from wasps. The missing link was found in a middle class neighbourhood in New Jersey! Equally fascinating is a species of almost degenerate parasitic ants in Switzerland, which live out their lives in the nests of other ants, indeed on their very backs, without the hosts ever noticing. Some species of ants are still virtually unknown, such as a termite-like ant in Costa Rica, observed by Hölldobler just once, and never heard from ever again. Another rare species of ant, with a very primitive social organization, was discovered by chance during a chilly night in the Australian outback when only the most enthusiastic of scientists were collecting insects. There is even a species of ant that uses tools (no kidding): they drop small pieces of pebble into the nest holes of competing ants, as a way of attacking them! Equally weird is a species of ant in India with social mobility: the sterile workers can actually become fertile "queens" (or something like it), but only at the expense of somebody else, who is thus demoted to lower rank. And yes, it's all decided by personal combat. An ant meritocracy?

In a way, I found the book entertaining. As a child, I was afraid of most bugs, except butterflies and...ants. I'm not sure why ants didn't scare me. Children's books with ants as heroes? Epigenetic constraints on phobias? Thank god they didn't scare me, because they had an intense liking for our balcony!

Well, with Ed and Bert talking about their childhood, I guess I might as well chime in!

I give this book four stars out of five, and recommend it to anyone who wants to journey to the ants.

5-0 out of 5 stars Journey of the Ants
I have to admit I did not expect to find this book as interesting as it turned out to be. I was only interested in identifying some species within my yard and discovered quite a bit about ants. This book won't make you an expert, but it has made me see ants from a whole new perspective, so much so that I have come to like them instead of disliking them. I can also see why it is possible to kill a colony so easily. Never knew that once the queen is gone, there is no colony. I think if ants had atom bombs they would have destroyed the earth by now - killing each other. I had no idea they were so aggressive towards one another. Anyway, great book to read.

5-0 out of 5 stars Start point book
Apart from being a great book for all kind of reader, it was, for me (eight years ago!), a start point and it was probably the cause I focus my career nowadays in these small insects. It's quite nice for a child (then better with adult, not to read alone) or young people interested in natural sciences.

5-0 out of 5 stars Truly a fascinating adventure to another world
Journey to the Ants is a shorter version of the authors' monumental The Ants (1990), a 732-page tome aimed at professional biologists with a lot of technical language and a clear encyclopedic intent.This book, as Holldobler and Wilson explain in the Preface, is of "a more manageable length, with less technical language and with an admitted and unavoidable bias toward those topics and species on which we have personally worked."

It is a terrific book, lavishly illustrated with many color plates, line drawings, black and white drawings, photos, etc.Especially wonderful are the color prints of paintings by John D. Dawson showing ants in various activities.His style reminds me a bit of M.C. Esher.Also notable are the many photos taken by Holldobler and Wilson during their many travels and studies.They are both renowned experts on ants around the world.

The text is both informative and entertaining.Wilson in particular is a world class science writer as well as a great scientist, and his clarity of expression and enthusiasm show through.The chapters examine and illustrate how ants live in their colonies, how they hunt prey, tend aphid "cattle," cultivate fungi, raid other ant colonies; how they fight and how they reproduce.Other chapters focus on particular species, like army ants or leaf cutter ants, or "strange" ants.Still other chapters show how ants communicate especially through pheromones and touch.There is some theory on ant origins (about 100-120 million years ago) and their evolution and present distribution.I was particularly interested in and appalled by both the way some ants are parasites and how they themselves are exploited by parasites.Our esteemed authors show how ants, for all their power and evolutionary success, can be the most naive victims of beetles, flies, butterfly larva, etc. simply because they can be fooled by smells that mimic those of the colony and/or because they can be given irresistible concoctions of food or what might be called "drugs" that make them passive and acceptive of insects that will eat their eggs and larva.They are also tricked into feeding strangers on the trail and alien larva in the colony nest!

I purposely first read a couple of other books on ants (The World of Ants: A Science-Fiction Universe (1970) by Remy Chauvin, and Ants (1977) by M.V. Brian), written by myrmecologists of an earlier generation so as to be able to better appreciate this famous work.But you need not do that.Journey to the Ants is eminently accessible to just about any literate person.

While reading I had some thoughts (as Wilson famously has had) on the differences and similarities between ant societies and human ones.Ants are not governed as we are (and as was once thought) in any way by a central authority.(They are influenced by the queen's pheromones and her behavior.)Instead ants are examples of "swarm intelligence," that is purposeful and coordinated behavior that arises from each individual doing what comes naturally to that individual.This sort of intelligence was just beginning to be appreciated when Holldobler and Wilson wrote this book.The phrase "swarm intelligence" does not appear anywhere in the book, and yet it is clear that our present understanding of how this intelligence works was gleaned in part from the work of biologists and ethologists like Holldobler and Wilson.

Ants are famous for doing human-like things that no other animals or few can do, such as gardening, tending herds, making war, and constructing elaborate living spaces.It is usually said that ants do it from pure instinct whereas we use our intelligence and the experience.Humans and ants cannot be defined independently of their respective cultures.What I wonder is, is it an artificiality to say that their intelligence, spread out as it is among the individuals and their genetic endowments, is fundamentally different from our own?Clearly ants are limited in what they can construct, what they can understand, and what tools they can make and use.I read somewhere that ants never developed fire because no ant could get close enough to a sustainable fire to tend it.

A striking conclusion is that perhaps the real difference between us comes from our ability to grow a million times bigger in size which allows us not only to tend fires, but to develop brains large enough to handle abstract thought such as in language, which further allows us to develop and share ideas, concepts, practices, and all the other aspects of our culture in a way that is impossible for ants, whose brain size is limited by their anatomy.

So, although ants were here long before we arrived, and although they probably will be here long after we are gone, it is impossible to say which life form is the more successful.We do have at present the capability, which ants do not, of enhancing our ability to survive through genetic engineering and the development of biologically friendly machines, and even the ability to migrate away from this earth so that our genes and ourselves are not in one basket, so to speak.Should a planet-sterilizing event hit the earth, we could be on Mars and still survive.

But then there is this insidious thought: perhaps the ants, like our resident microbes, will find a way to come with us!

Don't miss this book.You are in for a treat. ... Read more


16. The Leafcutter Ants: Civilization by Instinct
by Bert Hölldobler, Edward O. Wilson
Paperback: 160 Pages (2010-11-15)
list price: US$19.95 -- used & new: US$12.74
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0393338681
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From the Pulitzer Prize-winning authors of The Ants comes this dynamic and visually spectacular portrait of Earth's ultimate superorganism.The Leafcutter Ants is the most detailed and authoritative description of any ant species ever produced. With a text suitable for both a lay and a scientific audience, the book provides an unforgettable tour of Earth's most evolved animal societies. Each colony of leafcutters contains as many as five million workers, all the daughters of a single queen that can live over a decade. A gigantic nest can stretch thirty feet across, rise five feet or more above the ground, and consist of hundreds of chambers that reach twenty-five feet below the ground surface. Indeed, the leafcutters have parlayed their instinctive civilization into a virtual domination of forest, grassland, and cropland—from Louisiana to Patagonia. Inspired by a section of the authors' acclaimed The Superorganism, this brilliantly illustrated work provides the ultimate explanation of what a social order with a half-billion years of animal evolution has achieved. Four-color throughout, 56 photographs ... Read more


17. The Ants
by Bert Holldobler, Edward O. Wilson
Hardcover: 752 Pages (1990-03-28)
list price: US$124.00 -- used & new: US$99.20
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0674040759
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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View a collection of videos on Professor Wilson entitled "On the Relation of Science and the Humanities"

This landmark work, the distillation of a lifetime of research by the world's leading myrmecologists, is a thoroughgoing survey of one of the largest and most diverse groups of animals on the planet. Hölldobler and Wilson review in exhaustive detail virtually all topics in the anatomy, physiology, social organization, ecology, and natural history of the ants. In large format, with almost a thousand line drawings, photographs, and paintings, it is one of the most visually rich and all-encompassing views of any group of organisms on earth. It will be welcomed both as an introduction to the subject and as an encyclopedia reference for researchers in entomology, ecology, and sociobiology.

Amazon.com Review
This is the definitive scientific study of one of the most diverseanimal groups on earth; pretty well everything that is known about ants is inthis massive work. But books do not win Pulitzer Prizes, as this one did in 1991, for exhaustiveness;besides being the last word in science, this work is beautifully written, andaccessible to the lay reader. Wilson, ofHarvard, and Holldobler of theUniversity of Wurzburg, may inspire a whole new generation ofbuddingentomologists. Every branch of biology is covered, from evolution to taxonomyto physiology to ecology. Lavishly illustrated, it is full of amazing facts,many concerning the incredible social behavior of these creatures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

5-0 out of 5 stars The Bee's Knees of Ant Books
For me, what fig trees are to the plant world, in terms of adaptive strategies, ants are to fauna; they have fascinated me since I was a child, squatting in the garden to watch them go about their business.And this is the book I have been searching and waiting for about ants ever since then.If you are a non-biologist who is curious about the natural world this is a captivating book, that you can open at any page and read with pleasure and profit for as little or as long as you like.Discover life on another planet - the one you thought was yours.

5-0 out of 5 stars The Magnum Opus of Ant Studies
Among the most stupendous publications of modern biology, "The Ants" is the cumulative achievement of two of the world's premier students of these remarkable social insects. German Bert Hölldobler and American Edward O. Wilson, major figures in the field of Entomology and life-long associates and friends have managed to convey their own delight and consuming passion for the universe of the ants in an exalted publication, a most deserving winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Filled with lavish illustrations on the grandest scale, teeming with a life's work of textual discussion and analysis, "The Ants" as a study of these infinitely fascinating social insects, will probably never be surpassed.

What gives the book - or tome - it's a humongous volume - it's reach beyond the circles of Myrmecologists, students of ants and their behavior, is a remarkably readable text, largely, I suspect, due to the presence of Wilson, an excellent writer, who had previously won a Pulitzer prize in General Non-Fiction. What this does for what could have been a dry treatise cannot be overstated - "The Ants" is actually eminently readable, and makes for enjoyable browsing. While there remains plenty of Scientific terminology and a considerable portion of the book falls under the heading of tables and graphs and highly statistical information, the miracle is that so much else remains that can be read and understood and appreciated!

This is a very expensive book, and many readers may prefer a simpler less massive introduction. Well, you're in luck! You can now buy the authors 1994 follow-up, "Journey to the Ants". Journey to the Ants: A Story of Scientific Exploration Now available in paperback, it's a normal size book, costs around 15 dollars as opposed to almost a hundred dollars, and yet manages to pack in a truly remarkable amount of information gleaned from the major work. My hardback copy is not some cheap watered down version of the original, but an intelligently reworked approach, focusing on the two authors' careers as the book walks a reader through the entire universe of ants. Belying it's inexpensive price, "Journey to the Ants" holds a range of magnificent images, often taken from "The Ants". Of course these are slightly reduced compared to the portfolio pull-outs populating "The Ants", but the images are reproduced to a high standard - this is a an outstanding book in its own right. Most readers will learn all they could ever want to know about ants and I highly recommend "Journey to the Ants" to anyone who balks at the high price of the 'big book'!

Wilson and Hölldobler have just published a follow-up book to "The Ants", a book about Socialbiology, offering the two entomologists theories on fundamental rules of social behavior extrapolated from decades of close study of several insect societies, including ants, bees, wasps, and termites. The Superorganism: The Beauty, Elegance, and Strangeness of Insect Societies

5-0 out of 5 stars Amazing
I have read a few reviews of this book in the past and they fell into two categories. Either people who had training in this field who loved it, or people who picked it up because it was an award winner or looked interesting and hated it. Well let me give you some background. I'm 14, very interested in ants, and think this book is great. However, it is all about your view. First of all, it isn't a light read. I haven't taken any entomology courses and can enjoyably read it, but having a computer close by to look up words is essential. If you are not interested in ants, then this book isn't for you. Secondly, I do not suggest treating it like a chapter book. It is long and technical, making it like reading and encyclopedia. That brings me to my next point. I like to treat this book as an ant reference. If something specific comes up, you can flip to the index and quite miraculously, it's there. I mean really specific. For example; I recently collected a specimen of Sturimigensys louisianae (that's misspelled), and there was a section on them! So if you are interested in ants, this is a great book.

1-0 out of 5 stars A word of caution
This is the first review on Amazon I have written of a book which I did not finish.I probably have quit reading a book about 30 times in my long life.I do not subscribe to the "right" in the Readers' Billl of Rights that I can quit any time I want to when I am reading a book.Furthermore, I try to read all Pulitzer prize-winning books, and have read 100's of such.So I thought I would read this book.About page 160 I decided life was too short to plod thru this very technical book on a subject which I could not get very excited about.I decided to quit reading it; something, as I said, I very seldom do.I was surprised how much better I felt when I realized I was not going to be reading further in the book.So, if you are not "into" biology or the related sciences, I suggest you consider whether you really want to read this book.I decided I did not.

5-0 out of 5 stars A myrmecologist's dream book
The Ants is the most comprehensive referance book available on the subject. It's extremely well written, but the language is generally geared towards entomologists. If you have at least a bit of a background in entomology, The Ants is a great referance (and even a decent read). However, if you are not so inclined to trudge through the more technical aspects, I'd recommend Journey to the Ants by the same authors, which gets much of the wonder and beauty of ants across in more of a novel format. ... Read more


18. Kingdom of Ants: José Celestino Mutis and the Dawn of Natural History in the New World
by Edward O. Wilson, José M. Gómez Durán
Hardcover: 120 Pages (2010-09-28)
list price: US$24.95 -- used & new: US$11.50
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0801897858
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Editorial Review

Product Description

One of the earliest New World naturalists, José Celestino Mutis began his professional life as a physician in Spain and ended it as a scientist and natural philosopher in modern-day Colombia. Drawing on new translations of Mutis's nearly forgotten writings, this fascinating story of scientific adventure in eighteenth-century South America retrieves Mutis's contributions from obscurity.

In 1760, the 28-year-old Mutis -- newly appointed as the personal physician of the Viceroy of the New Kingdom of Granada -- embarked on a 48-year exploration of the natural world of northern South America. His thirst for knowledge led Mutis to study the region's flora, become a professor of mathematics, construct the first astronomical observatory in the Western Hemisphere, and amass one of the largest scientific libraries in the world. He translated Newton's writings and penned essays about Copernicus; lectured extensively on astronomy, geography, and meteorology; and eventually became a priest. But, as two-time Pulitzer Prize--winner Edward O. Wilson and Spanish natural history scholar José M. Gómez Durán reveal in this enjoyable and illustrative account, one of Mutis's most magnificent accomplishments involved ants.

Acting at the urging of Carl Linnaeus -- the father of taxonomy -- shortly after he arrived in the New Kingdom of Granada, Mutis began studying the ants that swarmed everywhere. Though he lacked any entomological training, Mutis built his own classification for the species he found and named at a time when New World entomology was largely nonexistent. His unorthodox catalog of army ants, leafcutters, and other six-legged creatures found along the banks of the Magdalena provided a starting point for future study.

Wilson and Durán weave a compelling, fast-paced story of ants on the march and the eighteenth-century scientist who followed them. A unique glance into the early world of science exploration, Kingdom of Ants is a delight to read and filled with intriguing information.

... Read more

19. Ant in Action: Covers Ant 1.7 (Manning)
by Steve Loughran, Erik Hatcher
Paperback: 600 Pages (2007-07-12)
list price: US$49.99 -- used & new: US$31.45
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 193239480X
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description

This second edition of a Manning bestseller has been revised and re-titled to fit the 'In Action' Series by Steve Loughran, an Ant project committer. Ant in Action introduces Ant and how to use it for test-driven Java application development. Ant itself is moving to v1.7, a major revision, at the end of 2006 so the timing for the book is right. A single application of increasing complexity, followed throughout the book, shows how an application evolves and how to handle the problems of building and testing. Reviewers have praised the book's coverage of large-projects, Ant's advanced features, and the details and depth of the discussion-all unavailable elsewhere.

This is a major revision with the second half of the book completely new, including:

How to Manage Big projects Library management Enterprise Java Continuous integration Deployment Writing new Ant tasks and datatypes
... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

4-0 out of 5 stars Good book for learning Ant and good reference for continued use
The book does a good job of explaining how Ant works and is also a good reference for the tasks once using Ant.

The one downfall (not sure if Manning the publisher or Amazons fault) but Manning has an ebook version but it is not sold on Amazon. It is in pdf format and a native mobi for the Kindle would be nice.

5-0 out of 5 stars ANT can do almost anything
This book is easy to read.It's not written like a reference book, but the contents are indexed well enough so that you can use it as one.

With the help of the book, I wrote a customized task in Java which is used by my build script.

2-0 out of 5 stars Ant In Action - A reference book only
Ant in Action" might end up being a good reference book but only after you learn ANT and this book is not the best as far as helping you learn ANT.

I was very frustrated with isolated example code that was not explained at all.Ant'ssyntax is not the most straight forward so explanations would have helped.


I would give this book a two star rating at most - for what I paid for the book I expected a lot more.

5-0 out of 5 stars Only one you need
As the title says, this is the only ANT book you need.
It is good for beginner to expert.

5-0 out of 5 stars Everything you wanted to know about Ant and more
At over five hundred pages in eighteen chapters this book is a comprehensive reference on all aspects of Ant, from building scripts to compile, test, package, execute and distribute an application, to advanced topics like testing and deploying database oriented enterprise Java applications.All core Ant tasks and many contributed and third party tasks are covered in considerable detail: the discussion of alone extends over eight pages.Advanced topics include projects with multiple build files and writing your own Ant tasks in Java or using a JVM based scripting language.Ivy is covered in detail and comparisons made with Maven.In short this is an excellent resource for anyone wishing to master the many aspects of Ant to create flexible and effective build files. ... Read more


20. Horrible Harry and the Ant Invasion
by Suzy Kline
Paperback: 56 Pages (1998-06-01)
list price: US$3.99 -- used & new: US$0.70
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0141300825
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
Harry is back, along with Miss Mackle and the entire class of Rooom 2B. Harry's name always spells trouble, but no matter what he does, it's always hilarious. "Room 2B is every child's dream."--School Library Journal. Illustrated. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

5-0 out of 5 stars Horrible Harry And The Ant Invasion
This book is reaaly funny and filled with horrible thinking. I like this beause it's about this boy and every-time something happened he's always the one getting in trouble for it or thinking about something horrible to do. This book puts me in the mind of myself, and I also liked this book because there are so many books that are by this Author and it's filled with lots of laughter. "Great pictures and Good Jokes!"

4-0 out of 5 stars Adventures in elementary school similar to mine
Harry is a boy whose ambition is to be a great scientist. His red curly hair is a distinctive feature and he is an example of the type of child that seems to be found in every second grade class. While his intentions are good, he always seems to be in the wrong place when something goes wrong. Hence his is tagged with the "horrible" prefix.
There are four adventures in this book. In the one that gives the book its' title, Harry's class acquires an ant farm for study. When a small number escape, Harry is ingenious in capturing them without injuring them. The second story describes the effort the teacher makes to teach the children how to square dance. As is typical of second grade boys, most have no interest in dancing with girls. However, Harry is interested, especially when it is Song Lee, his favorite girl in the class. In the third story, the class has a fish tank and someone turns the temperature up so that one dies. Harry is blamed for this, but of course he didn't do it and the culprit is discovered. The final story is about the class photograph and the antics of the photographer in trying to get the children to smile for the photos.
Elementary school is an adventurous time in the life of a child and this book contains four adventures that are very typical of what happens. We did not have an ant farm when I was in elementary school, but each of the remaining three things happened when I was in elementary school. For these reasons, I recommend this book for young children.

5-0 out of 5 stars a great book
This book is about when Harry went to go on a Field Trip. And Harry fall in the pound .He got out of the pound. And he was so wet. He went home to tell his mother. What would happen next?
Look at the book to find out what happens next.

I liked the book because my favorite port of the book is when Harry Fell in the pound .It was funky. This happed to me. Once I fell in the pound. Was soaking and wet. Just like Harry? I was sad and he was mad.
I recommend this book to the 5th graders they will be able to read it and they will be able to solve the problem. The book is a mystery book, andthe book is hard to solve. I like mystery

3-0 out of 5 stars Horrible Harry and the Ant Invasion
I give this book three stars because you enjoy it when you read it but it is not a book that deserves five stars.I recomend this book to somebody because sometimes you get board reading the same book there are four stories in this book and they are interesting because they have many details about the characters and when things happen that have to do something with them you wont think it is wierd.

5-0 out of 5 stars Horrible Harry and the Ant Invasion
This book is about Harry and his classmates.They had a Show and Tell fun day, and one out of six students brought a container of ants into school.Harry dropped his container and there was an invasion of ants.A while later the teacher came in and screamed, "Ahhhhh!"Harry comes to the rescue.Read to find out how Harry solves the problem.This book reminds me of when I went camping and we had a snake attack. ... Read more


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