[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Encyclopedia-Worlds-Zoos-Catharine-Bell/dp/1579581749/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252846948&sr=8-1"]Encyclopedia of the World's Zoos[/ame] Does anyone know anything about this book? I'm very curious about why it is so expensive, anyone seen a copy?
Encyclopedia World's Zoos It's actually three books. They came out in 2000 I think. They've always been expensive. They are in A to Z form and don't really work that well. Too broad a subject to work in a dictionary style).
They are in my local reference library and, personally, I think they do work well and are really helpful when researching new zoos, directors, animal exhibition etc. Having said that, I too have researched the cost and they are mighty expensive.
Before I hit the road I sold my house and all my possessions. This included the three volume Encyclopedia of the World's Zoos. They are one of the things I regret selling but where was I going to keep them? And I certainly could not carry them with me. The Encyclopedia were multi authored. In fact I was asked to contribute at the outset but declined due to time constraints. The volumes are not just a list of zoos but information related to history, species, zoo biology, management and much too. It was an immense undertaking but I believe them to be excellent if you can afford them. You may not agree with every contributor (rather like ZooChat) but you will learn a great deal. At $680 it is a huge chunk of cash so the question is. Would I buy again? Yes definitely if I had a home and a living wage.
Blackduiker I've considered buying them, but I would like to see a more updated revised edition. 2000 is a long time ago in zoo statistics.
I just thought I would add that I found a set on Amazon - second hand - for £53! It's coming from the States. Even if it is flawed it will be an enjoyable read to dip into now and then.
Encyclopedia of world zoos I was given the books as a retirement present from my workmates 12 years ago. I still dip into them now and then but like most zoo books they quickly go out of date. Still worth having. dhole123
Wiki-ise the important content (by rewording and simplifying it) and update it to remove errors. Its not hard if you grasp wikis, which are not that easy tbh, but are a standard format. Even Britannica stopped selling its print version for the reason it goes out of date: the internet is awful for many things, but not encyclopedias.
I was able to buy a set several years ago on EBay for less than $20. It was certainly worth it. I look through them frequently.
