INTRODUCTION In the course of a year, I preview several hundred science-related educational books. Too many of these books go in the stack of "Gee, I hope I have time to read more of this one before I submit it to the client." If I'm really lucky, I actually finish reading one or two of them! But when I received a preview copy of a book called Frogs, the photographs caught my attention immediately. I started to read the accompanying text… and stayed up all night, reading the book from cover to cover. In fact, I've since reread the book twice—once while savoring the photography a second time, and once to research information for another project. After my nightlong reading marathon, I knew I had to personally contact the author, David Badger, and the photographer, John Netherton, and let them know how impressed I was with their book. I spoke with David and heard first-hand his delightful story about the green snake and how the green snake led to his meeting, and eventual collaborations, with John. But when I tried contacting John, I learned he had just been taken to the emergency room in a Nashville hospital; he'd had a heart attack. Along with others, I awaited news of John's recovery. As David relates in his chapter on Snake Photography (excerpt is linked to the following interview), there was no stopping John. And perhaps, this summarizes real talent. Whether it is the gift of writing, or the gift of photography, the inner drive to create gives one the energy to move forward against many odds. I have felt honored to know David and John, indirectly, through their work. I hope you agree that they have truly gifted us through their combined talents. - Anne Wallingford Click here to read an interview with David Badger, Natural History Author

Snakes, text by David Badger, photography by John Netherton
........Hardcover, 144 pp. ISBN 0-89658-408-9 (Voyageur Press, July 1999)

Newscraft, co-authored with Larry Burriss (Burgess Publishing, 1982)

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© 1999 Anne Wallingford

Monday, April 14, 2003 23:00