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If this seems like a gigantic figure, conservationists should remember that 
the Pentagon spends $53,000,000,000 every year, and that the debatable 
war in Southeast Asia now costs over $25,000,000,000 a year. It is ridiculous 
for us to accept a statement by any Congressman or other authority that 
America “cannot afford” to clean up its polluted rivers. 
Much of Mr. Graham’s book is concerned with government hearings 
on the pollution of Lake Michigan by steel firms; the notorious Mississippi 
River fish kill, and the smelly shellfish beds off Raritan Bay in New 
Jersey. Do-nothing ‘“state’s righters’”, private industry, and an apathetic 
public all come under attack by the author. The appendix contains a sum- 
mary of federal water pollution control legislation and a list of state 
agencies concerned with pollution problems. 
Raymond Mostek, 615 Rechdale Circle, Lombard, Illinois 60148 
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BIRDS IN OUR LIVES, edited by Alfred Stefferud and Arnold L. Nelson, 
with drawings by Bob Hines. Published by the Bureau of Sport Fisheries 
and Wildlife of the U. S. Department of the Interior, and printed by the 
Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, 
D. C. Cloth bound, 8% X 11 inches, 561 plus xili pages, with 80 wash 
drawings and 372 halftone illustrations. 1966. $9.00. (Available through 
the I.A.S. bookstore.) 
Here is a potpourri of stories and articles on birds and their effect on 
the world of man This volume is not meant to be a serious scientific text, 
but rather a popular, easy-going reader’s guide to the many ways in which 
birds may be seen, studied, understood and enjoyed. This js the second in 
a series of books on American wildlife resources planned for publication 
by the Bureau; the first volume, Waterfowl Tomorrow, was also full of 
pieasant and informative reading, and has wide acceptance. The present 
book is just as readable, with a wealth of eye-catching illustrations; Bob 
Hines has created many outstanding drawings, and his full-color irontis- 
piece, a portrait of a Bald Eagle, is magnificent. 
The book surveys man’s relationship with birds in 54 chapters grouped 
into nine major sections: “In Perspective” reviews the role of birds in our 
lives, how man uses them, and their importance in research; “Literature 
and Arts” covers the influence of birds on literature, painting, music, 
folklore, geographic names, even design (as on stamps and coins); “Sports 
and Recreation” discusses bird watching, photography, the Christmas bird 
counts, aviaries, falconry, and bird rearing for profit, as well as the 
obvious aspect of hunting; ‘“Nature’s Scheme” portrays the great value 
of hawks and owls, carrion feeders, and insect-eating birds in controlling 
the balance of nature; “Science and Husbandry” explains the economic 
importance of birds — in the poultry industry, medical investigation, the 
production of pharmaceuticals, and the contribution that study of birds 
has made to the development of aviation and navigation; “The Hand of 
Man” contains critical and controversial chapters on pesticides, game 
management, conservation, pollution, and the effects of birds on our use 
of natural resources. 
In other sections, ‘For Better or Worse” considers proposed solutions 
to problems caused by unwanted intrusion of birds into man’s activities, 
as in airports, power systems and agriculture; “Answers to Conflicts” 
reports the damage and the efforts to overcome losses caused by the over- 
abundance of a few pest species; and finally ‘Working for Their Survival” 
