Inside the American Museum of Natural History is an eight-story library—one of the largest natural-science libraries in the Western Hemisphere—that contains over 450,000 volumes of monographs, pamphlets, reprints, and original rare books. Natural Histories allows readers a privileged glimpse of these seldom-seen, fully illustrated scientific works. Forty essays from the museum's top experts in a variety of disciplines enhance each rare tome's unique qualities and scientific contribution, and three to four illustrations accompany each one. This beautiful book will fascinate natural science and art lovers alike. ". . . a truly stunning collection . . . Remarkable for its editing as well as its breadth of scope (even the binding of Victorian natural history books is studied), this gem of a book is one of the best in its class.” — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) Tom Baione, an active member of the Grolier Club, is the Harold Boeschenstein Director of Library Services at the American Museum of Natural History Library and oversees all aspects of the library's functions. He divides his time between Manhattan and Long Island.