Rating: 
Summary: Watching Grass Grow
Review: Like Aldo Leopold's "Sand County Almanac",Heinrich has written a book that I find myself going back to with each changing season. His descriptions are those of an experienced naturalist who finds immense pleasure in the diversity and detail of nature. I especially enjoyed the many passages on bird song and his observations of the myriad colours and patterns in Red Maples in the fall. To fully appreciate this book, however, the reader needs to be knowledgeable about natural history. Whereas some other reviewers have said that they found the long passages about a particular plant or animal tiresome, these were the parts of the book that I enjoyed the most.
Rating: 
Summary: a book to go back to with each new season
Review: Like Aldo Leopold's "Sand County Almanac",Heinrich has written a book that I find myself going back to with each changing season. His descriptions are those of an experienced naturalist who finds immense pleasure in the diversity and detail of nature. I especially enjoyed the many passages on bird song and his observations of the myriad colours and patterns in Red Maples in the fall. To fully appreciate this book, however, the reader needs to be knowledgeable about natural history. Whereas some other reviewers have said that they found the long passages about a particular plant or animal tiresome, these were the parts of the book that I enjoyed the most.
Rating:
Summary: A raven review...
Review: Not planning to review this book, I changed my mind after perusing the reviews for "A Year in the Maine Woods." Most of them are by people who miss the point of his book (and, dare I say, life) entirely. Yes, Bernd is foremost a Zoologist, and so does get a bit technical at times, but his over-whelming love of nature--and the sense that he's just a good guy doing what many of us are afraid to do (i.e. kick in our TeeVees and "get back to nature")--is enough for my vote. In addition to the natural science found in these pages, I very much enjoyed his mundane, day-to-day observations (every time he made coffee or drank a beer, I inwardly smiled). He mixes his love for the woods with a few 21st-century earthly pleasures, as well he should. Of course he's no Thoreau, and I don't think he is in anyway trying to be. Still, he's a damn-sight closer to Nature and the ideas and mind of H.D.T than most. Truly a pleasurable read. Thanks, Bernd.
Rating:
Summary: A raven review...
Review: Not planning to review this book, I changed my mind after perusing the reviews for "A Year in the Maine Woods." Most of them are by people who miss the point of his book (and, dare I say, life) entirely. Yes, Bernd is foremost a Zoologist, and so does get a bit technical at times, but his over-whelming love of nature--and the sense that he's just a good guy doing what many of us are afraid to do (i.e. kick in our TeeVees and "get back to nature")--is enough for my vote. In addition to the natural science found in these pages, I very much enjoyed his mundane, day-to-day observations (every time he made coffee or drank a beer, I inwardly smiled). He mixes his love for the woods with a few 21st-century earthly pleasures, as well he should. Of course he's no Thoreau, and I don't think he is in anyway trying to be. Still, he's a damn-sight closer to Nature and the ideas and mind of H.D.T than most. Truly a pleasurable read. Thanks, Bernd.
Rating: 
Summary: SCIENCE AND HUMOR BLENDED ARTFULLY
Review: This book combines the author's zest for life and nature with a keen perception that only a scientist can apply to the experience of spending a full year alone (with occasional
trips to town) observing and coping with the vagaries of
nature in the Cooold north woods. Where else can you learn that flies really hibernate in the nooks and crannies of a log
cabin, only to wake at just the wrong times? The sense of humor evident in this well-written journal illustrates just what it
takes to be alone and make the best of it. This is highly-recommended
for anyone who enjoys nature and musings about the meaning of life.
Rating: 
Summary: It is relaxing to read this book
Review: This book starts out pretty good but eventually becomes fragmented and seems to lose it's continuity. I grew tired of the non-stop dissertations on plant and animal life. The best parts of the book are when the author is interacting with his own species, but even those stories seemed to go nowhere. I wonder though, if the author became more eccentric after his year in the woods, or if he started out that way.
Rating:
Summary: Watching Grass Grow
Review: This is a diary written by a biologist familiar with the names of trees, insects, birds, leaf types, etc. If the reader is also familiar with these terms, the book might be of interest. For me, it was a bunch of terms that I wasn't familiar with, and nothing in the writing made me want to look them up. Why was the author in the Maine woods for a year? The reader is not told until half way through the book. Nothing happens except changes in weather, seasons, and migrations. Even when the author shows enthusiam about something, the reader is not brought in on the excitement, so the overall impression for me was, "So what?"
Rating:
Summary: Looking Close
Review: To appreciate Bernd Heinrich, you have to be prepared to slow down and look close. After all, the author himself has taken a year's leave of absence from a fast-paced university job to do just that. He wants to spend time in his beloved woods, study the creatures that live there and see where long rambles will take him. It not the sort of book to begin with an agenda in mind. That said, I found A Year in the Maine Woods a quixotic mix of science and human exploits - a glimpse at the lives of a whole host of insects, birds, mammals and plant life I never knew existed, and a chance to share in one person's approach to learning. Examples? Let's take Heinrich's penchant for climbing trees. For a full-grown, adult male he really does spend a lot of time in them, and as a result has some interesting stories to tell. There's the day he finds himself scrambling up a tree to avoid a moose who refuses to yield the right of way on a trail, and the time a doe wanders under the apple tree he is sitting in and proceeds to munch away. No amount of noise or movement on Heinrich's part seems to disturb her until he descends from the tree. Then she's off like a shot! Here's another example. Heinrich loves ravens. He is fascinated by their intelligence, close-knit family systems, their flying ability and survival skills, and is not above combing the countryside for roadkill in order to provide food for them. Heinrich's exploits with a pet raven are both hilarious and revealing. Here is a man who delights in life itself and is willing to put up with a fair amount of discomfort and irritation to learn about it. If you enjoy learning about special places on our planet, and the creatures that inhabit them, through the eyes of those who have studied and know them intimately, then this book will delight you. If, on the other hand you like your reading to be full of fast-paced action and spine-tingling climaxes, this is not the book for you. Be prepared to read slowly and savor the pictures Heinrich offers.
Rating:
Summary: Looking Close
Review: To appreciate Bernd Heinrich, you have to be prepared to slow down and look close. After all, the author himself has taken a year's leave of absence from a fast-paced university job to do just that. He wants to spend time in his beloved woods, study the creatures that live there and see where long rambles will take him. It not the sort of book to begin with an agenda in mind. That said, I found A Year in the Maine Woods a quixotic mix of science and human exploits - a glimpse at the lives of a whole host of insects, birds, mammals and plant life I never knew existed, and a chance to share in one person's approach to learning. Examples? Let's take Heinrich's penchant for climbing trees. For a full-grown, adult male he really does spend a lot of time in them, and as a result has some interesting stories to tell. There's the day he finds himself scrambling up a tree to avoid a moose who refuses to yield the right of way on a trail, and the time a doe wanders under the apple tree he is sitting in and proceeds to munch away. No amount of noise or movement on Heinrich's part seems to disturb her until he descends from the tree. Then she's off like a shot! Here's another example. Heinrich loves ravens. He is fascinated by their intelligence, close-knit family systems, their flying ability and survival skills, and is not above combing the countryside for roadkill in order to provide food for them. Heinrich's exploits with a pet raven are both hilarious and revealing. Here is a man who delights in life itself and is willing to put up with a fair amount of discomfort and irritation to learn about it. If you enjoy learning about special places on our planet, and the creatures that inhabit them, through the eyes of those who have studied and know them intimately, then this book will delight you. If, on the other hand you like your reading to be full of fast-paced action and spine-tingling climaxes, this is not the book for you. Be prepared to read slowly and savor the pictures Heinrich offers.
Rating:
Summary: A very enjoyable read.
Review: Very enjoyable. Gained a greater appreciation for the subtle aspects of nature. Made me want to go camping again. Written in a very candid and personal style.
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