Abstract

AWARDS:
2006 Outstanding Academic Title, by CHOICE
The 2005 Award for Excellence in Professional and Scholarly Publishing by the Association of American Publishers (AAP)
Best Reference 2005, by the Library Journal
Rivers of North America is an important reference for scientists, ecologists, and students studying rivers and their ecosystems. It brings together information from several regional specialists on the major river basins of North America, presented in a large-format, full-color book. The introduction covers general aspects of geology, hydrology, ecology and human impacts on rivers. This is followed by 22 chapters on the major river basins. Each chapter begins with a full-page color photograph and includes several additional photographs within the text. These chapters feature three to five rivers of the basin/region, and cover several other rivers with one-page summaries. Rivers selected for coverage include the largest, the most natural, and the most affected by human impact.
This one-of-a-kind resource is professionally illustrated with maps and color photographs of the key river basins. Readers can compare one river system to another in terms of its physiography, hydrology, ecology, biodiversity, and human impacts.
* Extensive treatment provides a single source of information for North America's major rivers
* Regional specialists provide authoritative information on more than 200 rivers
* Full-color photographs and topographical maps demonstrate the beauty, major features, and uniqueness of each river system
* One-page summaries help readers quickly find key statistics and make comparisons among rivers
"...They have provided a starting point for investigating our rivers and given us the tools for understanding how our rivers function..."
-David R. Lenat, Raleigh, North Carolina, JOURNAL OF NORTH AMERICAN BENTHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
"...Art Benke and Bert Cushing have produced a monumental work that will serve as a basic comparative reference for many years."
-Whit Gibbons, in AIKEN STANDARD
"...unique and beautifully illustrated..."
- Robert Ridinger, Electronic Information Resources Management, Northern Illinois University, for E-STREAMS
"...outstanding reference...an enormous amount of excellent information that is not available from any other single source... new source of knowledge...Essential."
- M. J. Zwolinski, University of Arizona, in CHOICE
"...an encyclopedic resource for anyone who loves rivers or wishes to learn about them... Well structured, clearly written, and beautifully illustrated..."
-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION
"...an excellent compendium, the first comprehensive treatment of North American rivers."
- Elizabeth A. Bergey, University of Oklahoma, for LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY BULLETIN
"This is a remarkable accomplishment...Well structured, clearly written, and beautifully illustrated with photos and maps..."
- Kaye L. Brubaker, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park
"This is a volume that all devotees of rivers--scientists, resource managers, anglers, boaters, and the lay reader--definitely will want to own."
- Kenneth W. Cummins, Co-Director, Institute for River Ecosystems, Humboldt State University, California
"Grand in design, scope and execution...an indispensable guide...Superb graphics and stunning photographs enrich the book’s wealth of scientific detail."
- James R. Karr, Professor, University of Washington, Seattle
"Encyclopedic in scope...condenses the wisdom and insight of regional experts into readable syntheses and informative one-page fact sheets...an invaluable resource."
- Judy L. Meyer, Distinguished Research Professor of Ecology, University of Georgia
"Rivers of North America...could be as useful on a cross-country trip as in a personal library for reading and reference."
- William M. Lewis, University of Colorado, Boulder
"The first interdisciplinary perspective on...rivers and associated ecosystems...an invaluable reference and benchmark for biologists, hydrologists, planners, and policy makers."
- Alan P. Covich, Professor and Director, Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia
"This volume is a must....It should be the standard reference on North American rivers for a long time to come."
- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President, Waterkeeper Alliance, from the Foreword