Reviews (4)

Very informative guide
I recently visited Arches and Moab for the first time and picked up this book while down there.This is a great book to carry in your pack as you hike or bike and generally explore the area.There were some facets that I felt were lacking.I found a few plants that I could not identify using this guide, and the I wish that there would have been information regarding seedlings of plants listed in the book.Other than that this is a great book to carry withyou, it is a little wide to carry in a pocket, but great for packs and has a very sturdy binding.

Best single "naturalist" reference for canyon county...
If you can only take one book with you to the Colorado Plateau, this is it! It covers all the basics--wildflowers, animals and geology, as well as clear information and illustrations on topics such as cryptobiotic soil, desert varnish, pothole life and hanging gardens. It also has information on cacti, wildflowers, reptiles, birds, mammals and their tracks. For an "all-in-one" type of book, this is fabulous.After years and a dozen backcountry trips to the San Rafael Swell area in Utah, this is the book we grab when we want more information. It is the only book we put in one of our packs when we go on a hike or mountain bike ride. On a recent trip with family members who have never been to the area-- the book was indispensible. As we came across hanging gardens, potholes, cryptobiotic soil, desert varnish, lizards, bats, cacti, and wildflowers-- this guide provided the information we wanted, and it explained everything much better and more concisely than we could have done.For people interested in detailed information on specific topics like wildflowers or reptiles, then a more comprehensive guide would be a good companion to "A Naturalist's Guide to Canyon Country".(If you want information on hiking or canyoneering, then I would recommend books by Steve Allen and Michael Kelsy.)If you are going to the Colorado Plateau, take this book with you.

Excellent all-in-one guide
"A Naturalist's Guide to the Canyon Country" is an excellent overview of the natural history of the Colorado Plateau, and especially valuable for first time visitors and amateur naturalists. When my sister brought her family to visit this past June, we consulted this book every hour of every day. The adults and the children all found it invaluable for both identifying plants and animals and learning something about their life history. No, the guide is not all-encompassing, but most of the major players are here. I especially appreciated the inclusion of the little guys- especially the beetles lizards! We also appreciated the extremely sturdy binding, which held up well against all of the abuses that a 9-year-old could think of. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Colorado Plateau    2. Ecology    3. General    4. Guidebooks    5. Mountain ecology    6. Natural History    7. Nature    8. Personal & Practical Guides    9. Reference    10. Travel    11. United States - West - Mountain (General)    12. Travel / United States / West / Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, UT, WY)   

Reviews (4)

Excellent read...
Weaving the history of the Black Mtns with the author's personal diary made this book exceptional. I particularly enjoyed the theory on how mountain balds were formed and how native americans survived and made most of the land. I recommend this book to anyone who hikes or camps and appreciates the mountains.

Mount Mitchell
What an excellent book!Timothy Silver has given us a two fold view of Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains of North Carolina.A combination of the natural history of the area, and man's exploration/exploitation of these lofty peaks.I think what I enjoyed most about the book, were the short "interludes" where the writer inserts his many experiences of car camping, hiking/backpacking, trout fishing, or just marveling at nature while sitting at some well known spot, or some "hidey-hole" known only to people who frequent the area.These personal thoughts heightened my reading pleasure, because like the writer, I have spent a great deal of time in the Blacks and know of what he speaks.
The Black Mountains and Nature's Inherent Complexity
Timothy Silver has given us an excellent history of Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains.
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Subjects:  1. Black Mountains    2. Ecology    3. Environmental Science    4. History    5. Human ecology    6. Mount Mitchell (Mountain)    7. Mountain ecology    8. Mountains    9. Nature    10. Nature/Ecology    11. North Carolina    12. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    13. Historical geology    14. Mount Mitchell; Black Mountains; southern Appalachians; Mount Mitchell State Park; Mount Mitchell Game Refuge; environmental history; forest history; forestry; Pisgah culture; Cherokees; Hernando de Soto; Andre Michaux; Elisha Mitchell; Thomas Clingman; Big Tom Wilson; Locke Craig; John Simcox Holmes; balsam woolly adelgid; acid deposition; spruce-fir forests; natural history of North Carolina; Blue Ridge Parkway; automobile tourism; camping; backpacking; hiking; flyfishing    15. Nature / Ecology    16. Places & peoples: general interest   

Reviews (4)

Sensuous detail and immediacy
The question is not whether Muir is a terrific writer-but how he got that way, and secondarily, why it is important.The Mountains of California was his first book, published n 1894, and was an instant success. This book contains not just some of the best nature writing, but for its vividness, immediacy and vision some of the best writing in English in any genre. Modern Library's edition is quite special with its introduction to Muir by Bill McKibbon and about 50 illustrations, though I wished there were better maps for following the footsteps of Muir's many greatnarratives among the fabulous natural wonders of the Sierras.
What inspiration...
As a Birder, I spend a lot of time travelling outdoors.I also have a large collection of Bird and Nature books and spend a great amount of time in them.For pure enjoyment;I found this one of the finest.Muir was as one of America,s greatest partakers in and writers of Nature and Enviroment and was in every wayas much a giant as the Sequois and Mountains he wrore about.I read this Classic a short time before I visited Yosemite National Park and having done so,encreased my enjoyment and appreciation immeasurably. Muir, from Shasta to San Diego, but mostly in the Sierras.
Some say this is Muir's finest work. As the only other Muir book I've read (at this writing) is Travels in Alaska, I cannot comment on this, other than to say that I enjoyed this book a great deal. Read more

Subjects:  1. California    2. Ecology    3. Essays    4. Mountain ecology    5. Mountains    6. Muir, John,    7. Natural History    8. Nature    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Neva    11. Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nevada)    12. Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection    13. Travel writing    14. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (2)

Perfect
The Wind River Range is spectacular and lonely, and this book takes you there -- nature, history, glorious photographs. I can't recommend it enough, both for the arm chair traveler and for the visitor to Wyoming.

Pictures for Thousands of Words
Joe Kelsey's love letter to Wyoming's Wind River Range finally brings pictures to match the mountains.An acknowleged expert on the peaks and valleys of the Winds, his selection of photographs is perfect counterpointto the crisp, slightly awestruck descriptions of the range.This is theperfect book for those long winter nights spent waiting for the mountainsto open up again. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Geography Of The United States    3. Mountain ecology    4. Natural history    5. Travel - United States    6. United States - General    7. Wind River Range    8. Wind River Range (Wyo.)    9. Wyoming   

Subjects:  1. Business/Economics    2. Colorado    3. Ecology    4. General    5. Life Sciences - Ecology    6. Life Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems    7. Mountain ecology    8. Natural History    9. Niwot Ridge    10. Science    11. Applied ecology    12. Ecological science, the Biosphere    13. Forests, rainforests    14. Life Sciences | Ecology | Conservation Biology    15. Science / Ecology    16. USA   

Subjects:  1. Alps    2. Civilization    3. Description and travel    4. Ethnic Studies - General    5. Europe - General    6. Europe - Western    7. History    8. Human ecology    9. Human geography    10. Mountain ecology    11. Travel    12. Travel - Foreign    13. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    14. Social Science / Sociology / General    15. Travel writing   

Subjects:  1. Forest ecology    2. General    3. Life Sciences - Ecology    4. Mountain ecology    5. Nature    6. New England    7. New York (State)    8. Plant communities    9. Travel / United States / Northeast / New England (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)   

Subjects:  1. Colorado    2. Mountain ecology    3. Plant communities   

Subjects:  1. California    2. Description and travel    3. General    4. Mountain ecology    5. Mountains    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Photography    8. United States - Pacific - California   

Reviews (3)

Recommended, but with some caveats
The "Secret Sierra" referred to in the title is the high altitude portion of California's Sierra Nevada.After 14-page introductory remarks on the "History and Philosophy of Natural History" the bulk of David Gilligan's natural history survey consists of 43 chapters, averaging less than seven pages each, on various aspects of Sierran geology, geomorphology, biology and environmental transitions over time, interspersed with lyric descriptions of some the author's Sierra experiences and quotations from other authors and naturalists.The main text is followed by eight pages of appendices listing an inventory of the Alpine Sierra's plants, bird and mammals, the author's references and an index. A Must for Students of the High Sierra!
As a 'student' of the High Sierra, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it for anyone with a love for the precious Sierra Nevada. Its only shortcoming (is it a shortcoming?) is that for anyone with little to no previous understanding of geologic processes, biology, botany, et al, they may feel slightly lost at times. Mr. Gilligan rarely gives a background to the process, event, or adaptation he is about to describe. Those who have studied the aforementioned subjects will appreciate that the author delves straight into a subject without prefacing it with general background. The Secret Sierra, Secret no more
Mr. Gilligan brings the reader as close to "The Range of Light"as one can get without being immersed in it.He is quite unapologetic forhis subjective approach in studying the ecology of the Alpine SierraNevada, and rightfully so.The reverence for which Mr. Gilligan has forthese mountains assists the reader in transcending the boredom of scienceinto the exciting realm of the personal and graspable.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cold regions    2. General    3. Mountain ecology    4. Natural history    5. Nature    6. Nature / Field Guide Books    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nev    9. Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nev.)   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Montana    3. Mountain ecology    4. Mountains    5. Study Guides    6. United States - Mountain - Montana   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Environmental Engineering & Technology    4. General    5. Industries - General    6. Industries - Hospitality, Travel & Tourism    7. Life Sciences - Ecology    8. Mountain ecology    9. Mountains    10. Recreational use    11. Tourism    12. Travel    13. Use Of Recreational Lands    14. Business & Economics / Hospitality, Travel & Tourism    15. Travel, Sports, & Recreation | Travel | Tourism Studies   

Subjects:  1. Lesotho    2. Mountain ecology    3. Mountains    4. Namibia    5. South Africa    6. Sale Books   

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - General    2. Earth Sciences - Geography    3. Earth Sciences - Geology    4. Life Sciences - Ecology    5. Mountain ecology    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Timberline    9. Biogeosciences    10. Climate Change    11. Environmental Monitoring    12. Forest Ecology    13. Geoecology    14. Science / Geology   

Subjects:  1. Ecology    2. Ecophysiology    3. Forest ecology    4. General    5. Life Sciences - Botany    6. Life Sciences - Ecology - Forest Ecology    7. Mountain ecology    8. Mountain plants    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Timberline    12. Medical-General    13. Nature-Ecology    14. Science / Botany   

Reviews (1)

An oldie but goodie from a legendary mountain ecologist
Maurice Brooks is a legendary mountain ecologist. The West Virginia University Professor comes from a family of nature lovers...his father and three of his brothers are professional naturalists or biologists. Moreover, over the years Brooks has explored the Appalachian Mountains from Quebec to Georgia and is the author of the highly regarded book, "The Appalacians." Read more

Subjects:  1. Ecology    2. Mountain ecology    3. Mountains    4. National parks and reserves    5. United States   

Subjects:  1. Betula pubescens    2. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    3. Forest Ecology    4. Life Sciences - Botany    5. Life Sciences - Ecology    6. Life Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems    7. Life Sciences - Ecology - Forest Ecology    8. Medical    9. Mountain ecology    10. Plant Ecology    11. Scandinavia    12. Science    13. Trees & Forests - General    14. Conservation of wildlife & habitats    15. Ecological science, the Biosphere    16. Forests, rainforests    17. Nature / Ecology    18. Northern Europe, Scandinavia   

Reviews (1)

fantastic
For anyone who enjoys hiking in the high peaks of the Adirondaks this is amust have companion. Informative with wonderful photographs enables eventhe novice to learn a great deal about the flora of the high peaks ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adirondack Mountains    2. Adirondack Park (N.Y.)    3. General    4. Guidebooks    5. Mountain ecology    6. Mountains    7. Natural History    8. Nature    9. Nature / Field Guide Books    10. Nature/Ecology    11. New York (State)    12. Parks   

Subjects:  1. Biotic communities    2. Ecology    3. Mountain ecology    4. Rocky Mountains   

Subjects:  1. Congresses    2. Earth Sciences - Hydrology    3. Environmental Engineering & Technology    4. Environmental Science    5. Mountain ecology    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Technology & Industrial Arts    8. Hydrology (freshwater)