The Life of Mammals, Vol. 1

Rating:
Summary: Egg-laying mammals, marsupials, insectivores, herbivores
Review: This, the first volume of an excellent four-volume series on mammals, balances the expected with the unexpected, the large with the small, and the well-known with the less well-known. It contains three hour-long episodes: _A Winning Design_, which focuses on monotremes (egg-laying mammals) and marsupials (primitive live-bearers); _The Insect Hunters_, which focuses on the diverse group of insectivores; and _Plant Predators_, which focuses on the herbivores. Attenborough has obviously filmed these animals extensively, and his films benefit from being viewed multiple times.

Because he is able to find beauty in things other people would not notice, Attenborough is at his best when he describes behaviors and animals which are neglected by other popular filmmakers. His awe of all creatures great and small is apparent in every movie in the series. Of the three movies in this volume, _The Insect Hunters_ is the best because it is the most informative, although the others also contain many interesting scenes and are worth viewing. To me, the dynamics between the hyenas at the end of _Plant Predators_ are also particularly interesting, even though Attenborough's commentary is from the topi's point of view.

Rating:
Summary: Egg-laying mammals, marsupials, insectivores, herbivores
Review: This, the first volume of an excellent four-volume series on mammals, balances the expected with the unexpected, the large with the small, and the well-known with the less well-known. It contains three hour-long episodes: _A Winning Design_, which focuses on monotremes (egg-laying mammals) and marsupials (primitive live-bearers); _The Insect Hunters_, which focuses on the diverse group of insectivores; and _Plant Predators_, which focuses on the herbivores. Attenborough has obviously filmed these animals extensively, and his films benefit from being viewed multiple times.

Because he is able to find beauty in things other people would not notice, Attenborough is at his best when he describes behaviors and animals which are neglected by other popular filmmakers. His awe of all creatures great and small is apparent in every movie in the series. Of the three movies in this volume, _The Insect Hunters_ is the best because it is the most informative, although the others also contain many interesting scenes and are worth viewing. To me, the dynamics between the hyenas at the end of _Plant Predators_ are also particularly interesting, even though Attenborough's commentary is from the topi's point of view.