Editorial Review

Roger Tory Peterson, one of America's pre-eminent artist-naturalists and arguably the inventor of the field guide, made people love birds like no one since John James Audubon. Read more

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Reviews (30)

Misrepresentation
This book was bundled with another bird book, and the offer appeared directly under the Peterson Field Guide book, which I thought I was ordering. It was not very obvious in the small thumbnail image and description that it was a child's coloring book. I did not get what I wanted and have since returned it.

Perfect book for the older birder
I purchased this book for my mother, who is in her 70s.She recently started birding so this was her first field guide-easy to read, large pictures make identification very easy for the beginning birder of any age.

The first and the best
Peterson first published his revolutionary field guide in 1925, and ever since it has been the trusty companion of amateur and advanced birder alike.The popularity of his field guide was based on the system that he devised whereby he included coloured plates of each bird, and noted key identifying features of each bird, thus allowing the birder to make quick and confident identifications.The system is not fool-proof, of course, as some species closely resemble one another, but oversall, the tricks one learns from the Peterson field guide provides an excellent foundation for the aspiring birder.A number of other guides have come along, but I still find this one more than suitable, and therefore the one that I continue to rely on. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    4. Geographical distribution    5. Large print books    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. North America    9. Birds & birdwatching    10. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching    11. Birdwatching    12. Field guides   

Reviews (14)

guide to insects
book is full of information, and easy to read,plenty of pictures also.

The best field guide to North American insects
"In this century," according to ecologist Paul R. Ehrlich, "no one has done more to promote an interest in living creatures than Roger Tory Peterson, the inventor of the modern field guide." Peterson's "Guide to the Birds" - "the first modern field guide" - was published in 1934. Its pioneering approach was to use visual characteristics rather than technical data to identify species. This was achieved by grouping similar species together on a plate, using clear, two-dimensional illustrations, and pointers to key field marks as well as succinct text, a combination known as the Peterson Identification System. That revolutionary style was later applied to a host of field guides covering anything from the night sky to moths and geology to mushrooms and including the present volume.
Field Guide to Insects
I have used this book many times in my entomology courses.This time, I ordered 2 copies to give as gifts.
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Subjects:  1. Entomology    2. Identification    3. Insects    4. Insects & Spiders    5. Life Sciences - Zoology - Entomology    6. Nature    7. Nature / Field Guide Books    8. Nature/Ecology    9. United States   

Editorial Review

Perhaps no one loves trout as much as James Prosek, who by age 20 journeyed thousands of miles and through 49 states to depict in watercolors all 70 subspecies of North American wild trout at least four times for this definitive volume on the subject. He details the diversity and brilliant range of colors in the species with his paintings, which are accompanied by written snippets, including angling anecdotes, historical sketches and personal reminiscences. At the devastating rate that trout are being lost to hybridization, displacement and extinction, we should be thankful that Prosek's obsession has led to this beautiful document of the species now, before it is too late. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

The eye of the beholder.
This book will be different things to different people.
This Book is a Work of Art
I first saw this book while on vacation in Montana. I thought the pictures were just beautiful. When I got back home I bought the book so that I could have many of the pictures framed for our trout themed bedroom at our lake cabin.

10 star must own for any serious trout fisherman/woman
I know so many fly fisherman who also do water colour painting, and I think the reason is, it takes the same light hand or wrist action to do both. And I know for a fact that the author paints from personal experience, which means he catches the fish and then uses it as his model so that he gets the painting done right.Not from memory or some photograph, but right there on the banks of the river or shore.And he has traveled the world and fished with the best, and his work shows this. Read more

Subjects:  1. Fish    2. Fishing - General    3. Freshwater Fish - Individual Species    4. Nature    5. Nature / Field Guide Books    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Pictorial works    8. Trout    9. United States    10. Fishing, angling    11. Freshwater life    12. Nature / Fish   

Reviews (3)

a wonderful book about turtles that should always be in print
This is an obvious labor of love by a sympathetic and careful observer of a local population of spotted turtles in New England. The writing, illustrations and fine details bring to vivid life the most mundane activities of these gentle beasts. If you have any interest in turtles track down a copy of this book!

david is a fabulous writer and illustrator......
a true example of brillance, in subject matter and illustrations....!!!!!!!!!

Carroll's book is an incredibly beautiful natural history.
David Carroll marvelously mixes the arts with science: true to his art, heis a refined Thoreau.His love and understanding for his subject isclearly evident. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Carroll, David M    2. Diaries    3. Natural History    4. Nature / Field Guide Books    5. Nature/Ecology    6. New Hampshire    7. Reptiles    8. Reptiles & Amphibians    9. Turtles   

Subjects:  1. Brookfield Zoo (Ill.)    2. General    3. History    4. Nature / Field Guide Books    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Zoological Gardens    7. Zoos & wildlife parks   

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching    3. Identification    4. Israel    5. Nature / Field Guide Books    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Ornithology   

Subjects:  1. Florida    2. Mammals    3. Marine Life    4. Nature    5. Nature / Field Guide Books    6. Nature/Ecology    7. West Indian manatee   

Reviews (2)

Everything You Might Have Wanted to Know about Flowers
William C. Burger's "Flowers: How They Changed the World" is certainly a labor of love. His clear and enthusiastic prose transported me back to a course in botany I had at the University of Arizona around 1970.As a zoologist I had had little contact with botany, but I had always been interested in the subject.The course I took in botany opened up this fascinating world and I now remember the hours I spent in class and in hunting flowering plants in the desert as golden.This book brought all that delight back.
A top pick for college-level students and leisure readers who like science and gardening books
Flowers are one of the most attractive aspects of the outdoors; but they didn't evolve just for humans to appreciate. Botanist and science writer William Burger examines the role of flowers in the natural world, from how their bright colors and shapes attract and induce animals to help with pollination to how they serve as an energy resource. Chapters survey flowers, their pollinators, and how flowers have enabled ecosystems to survive in his lively blend of botanical research and wide-ranging natural history insights. A top pick for college-level students and leisure readers who like science and gardening books.
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Subjects:  1. Botany    2. Botany (General)    3. Flowering Plants (Angiospermae)    4. Flowers    5. General    6. Life Sciences - Botany    7. Miscellanes    8. Nature    9. Nature / Field Guide Books    10. Nature/Ecology    11. Plants    12. Plants - General    13. Trees & wildflowers   

Subjects:  1. History    2. History Of Science    3. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    4. Philosophy & Social Aspects    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. United States    8. Zoology (General)    9. Zoos    10. American History    11. Biological Sciences    12. Cultural studies    13. History of Science and Medicine, Philosophy of Science    14. Science / History    15. Social history    16. USA    17. Zoos & wildlife parks   

Reviews (6)

Excellent
This is a great book for Salamander lovers, like myself. Petranka provides well gathered information and writes it out on paper well. I would not change a thing. I am astudent and have used this on all my papers and Reports. i has given me well grades and it provides excellent information. i Rate it 5 stars. So give it a try! Then go out and turn over a few logs youll love what you see!

Essential reference for serious herpetologists
Petranka provides a masterful summary of our current state of knowledge about the taxonomy, natural history, ecology, and behavior of North American salamanders.No other work comes close to matching the depth ofcoverage of this book.It is no surprise that this work received theWildlife Society's prestigious Book of the Year Award.

Not a well done book
Good photographs and maps. Text okay. Taxonomy is completely out of date and common names are the tongue-twisters used earlier in the last century (instead of standardized common names, which have been adopted nationwidesince 1978). These errors make the book difficult to use. Publishers shouldhave sent it out for review by a younger generation of herpetologistsbefore approving it. Not recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Canada    2. Fish    3. Freshwater Fish - Individual Species    4. Identification    5. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Reptiles & Amphibians    9. Salamanders    10. Science    11. United States    12. Amphibians    13. North America    14. Reptiles    15. USA   

Reviews (10)

T.T
This book is the ultimate book on all birds of prey. There is no other book that can eclipse the effort the two authors put into this book. The Helm field guide series( which this book belongs) is the most through study of any bird gruop. This book has exhausting information from description, feeding habits, to population and movements(migration habits). This book might be exspensive, but it is worth every penny. Raptors are among the most challenging bird groups to study, and this book is need to indentify them accurately. Also, if you like studying Gulls, the book "Gulls of North America, Europe, Asia" is another good book to buy. It's said that gulls are the most challenging bird groups to identify. Buy this book with this one, and you will have a less of a hard time indentifying this two of the most difficult bird groups.

The Eagle Has Landed
I have about 1000 books on Birds and Natural History and recently added this gem to my collection.Trying to write a review on this volume is akin to trying to do one on the Bible.One could easily write 25 pages and the surface wouldn't even be scratched.
The Best One For Such Magnificent Bird Group
One of the best and authorative book ever since publish on the Raptors of the world. Covering 313 species of the raptors across the world. It has vast bibilography and information on each species like habitat, ecology, behaviour etc. The book contains a wealth of detailed information on identification and distribution, with a full description of each species, including reference to all recognized races.Habitat and range for all species, together with information on movements and breeding behavior, are also covered. The depictions differentiate adults, immatures, and most of the distinctive races.The detailed and accurate text and spectacular color illustrations will make this book indispensable to all ornithologists and birders. This will be, undoubtedly, the standard work on thrushes for many years to come.
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Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    3. Nature    4. Nature / Field Guide Books    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Biological Sciences    7. Birds & birdwatching    8. Birds and Natural History    9. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (3)

Very Accessible Introduction Even for a Non-Specialist
Moyle and Cech's text reads like two books, Cech's introduction to fish anatomy and Moyle's discussion of behavior and conservation (which is precisely how they use the text in their UC Davis classes).While first half of the book is much more technical than the second half, both are accessible to the non-specialist.I hadn't taken Biology since High School and was able to process most of the material with minimal referencing of secondary sources.Both authors are good writers who incorporate subtle humor and have the ability to convey some of their passion for fish making this a somewhat less dry text book than the general tendency.I learned an incredible amount from these pages and highly recommend this text.

Great book
This is really a great text book that covers everything from anatomy, behaviour and fish senses, passing through each fish order, until reach valiable aspects of fish comprehension, like zoogeography and aquatic ecology. Because it's scientific writing, the book is fullfilled with graphics and diagrams, so in the beginning the unaware reader should feel such level of difficulty, but it doesnt compromises at all the inner knowledge the book wants to pass.
THE text on the fishes...
I am an avid fish fanatic. Moyle and Cech have produced what should be the greatest book of scientific interest on the subject.Seems like there is a but there?There is, this is a text book.If you are taking ichthyology, an upper level (sometimes graduate level) course on fishes this book will be your best friend.It is critical to understanding the largest group of vertebrates.It is well organized, fact filled and well cited.But, if you don't have Biology one and two, some chemistry, physiology and an introductory zoology course behind you it will lose you at the introduction.Even though I rate it high I would wait until a professor says you have to buy it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fish    2. Fishes    3. Ichthyology    4. Nature / Field Guide Books    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Fishes (ichthyology)   

Subjects:  1. Bird watching    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Guidebooks    4. Gulf Region    5. Gulf Region (Tex.)    6. Nature / Field Guide Books    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Texas    9. Birds & birdwatching   

Reviews (3)

It's really friendly, and really good
Patty Leslie Pasztor and Paul Cox are two of the great gurus of native plant life in Texas. And they are just as friendly as this book is. I have many Texas native plant books on my shelf, but this if my first "go to" volume. I especially love Patty's ethnobotany commentaries. They add a great breadth of understanding to Texas human history, as well as its natural history.

Indispensable
If you are interested in trees and live in Texas, this is the ONE book you must have. So often you have to buy a Western U.S. book for West Texas and an Eastern U.S. book for East Texas - and you still don't have all the trees in the Rio Grande Valley that are primarily Mexican. ItReally Works!
Ever wonder what kind of tree you're looking at? If you're in Texas, you can't miss with this book.Read more

Subjects:  1. Identification    2. Nature    3. Nature / Field Guide Books    4. Reference    5. Texas    6. Trees    7. Trees & Forests - General   

Subjects:  1. Identification    2. Nature    3. Nature / Field Guide Books    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Shrubs    6. Texas    7. Texas - State Government    8. Trans-Pecos (Tex. and N.M.)    9. Trees    10. Trees & Forests - General    11. U.S. House Of Representatives    12. Botany & plant sciences    13. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    14. Nature / Trees    15. USA   

Reviews (2)

The Backyard and Beyond for Birds
What I love most about this book is that it combines everything that a homeowner, landowner, bird watcher needs to attract birds to their surroundings. After collecting many different books on bird feeding, gardening for birds, landscaping for birds and managing land for birds, I am thrilled to be able to recommend a book that "has-it-all".
Nearly Perfect
This book condenses from previous Audubon publications and adds a wealth of new information as well. While it is an impressive effort,I have to wonder why such crude illustrations?Especially when it comes to bird & plant identification.Anyway,the price of admission to Mr. Kress' writings is entirely worth it. Within a week I've attracted Orioles and Bluebirds....Amazing!I just wish the visuals were as clear as the writing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Bird attracting    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Landscape    5. Landscape Design And Planting    6. Nature    7. Nature / Field Guide Books    8. Nature/Ecology   

Subjects:  1. Chemistry - General    2. Fish    3. Fisheries    4. Hake    5. Hake fisheries    6. Lakes & Ponds    7. Nature    8. Nature / Field Guide Books    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Economic aspects    12. Geographical distribution    13. Nature / Fish    14. Nature / Lakes & Ponds    15. Nature-Lakes & Ponds    16. Science-Chemistry - General   

Reviews (4)

An Aukful story of extinction
Ask anyone you know with even a cursory knowledge of birds and animals to name you an extinct species. After the Dodo, the Great Auk will probably be the most frequently mentioned name. The reason the story of the Auk's extinction has remained in our brains, in the recesses yes, but remembered nevertheless, is because of the sheer size and horrific destruction associated with the hunting to extinction of the bird. The best book ever written on a single account of extinction
Fuller's book cannot possibly be surpassed on its subject, the extinction and remaining artifacts of the The Great Auk. A truly amazing book which details every stuffed auk from around the world, as well as all the eggspecimens. Mostly with photographs, the history of how each specimenfinally came to its current residence of display is a story in itself.Great detail is given to theobsessive collectors and dealers through thelast 150 years also. Forget the price, just buy this book! Fuller's own Aukis photographed extensively in colour. Only question remaining on thesubject is, What did Eric Fuller pay for his Greak Auk?"

stunning
a volume with meticulous research, and also a sad inventory of the last specimens of this extinct bird. Let us hope there won't be too many books in this serie. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Ecology    4. Great auk    5. Natural History Illustration    6. Nature    7. Nature / Field Guide Books    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Animals depicted in art   

Reviews (1)

Good book, not the best organization.
I found this book to be informative as a guide to what I would find in Europe, but it received a poor grade in the field due to the poor organization.I had to flip through three sections to find a picture,description, and range-map for each bird.The maps were really too smallfor a US native to be able to tell which country was which, and theillustrations were consistantly exagerated to the point that you could onlyidentify the so-called important features (which often were the same asimportant features of other birds) were all you could be certain wereaccurate to some extent.Even though I don't speak German, I actuallyfound a book in German which was more useful to me than Peterson's.TheGerman book, entitled GU Naturfuhrer "Vogel" (Birds), hadaccurate photos of every bird I saw on my trip.The maps in Vogel,although lacking lines seperating the countries, were much moreidentifiable to an American due mainly to size.After identifying thebirds by the photos, I compared the scientific names to Peterson's, and wasable to identify the birds with their English names (although usually thepictures in Peterson's looked nothing like those in "Vogel").Soas a field guide, Peterson's gets no stars, but for the descriptions andscientific names, it deserves a little credit. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching    4. Europe    5. Great Britain    6. Identification    7. Nature / Field Guide Books    8. Nature/Ecology   

Editorial Review

Naturalist and bioacoustics researcher Katy Payne stood near an elephant cage at a zoo and felt a strange "throb and flutter" in the air. When she later realized that the feeling was very like that caused by the lowest notes of a pipe organ, she embarked on a journey of scientific and personal discovery that took her to Africa to study how the huge mammals communicate. For years, she lived close to the elephants she loved, getting to know individuals and describing their long-distance infrasound "conversations." After her fifth such expedition, one third of the elephant population she was studying was killed in a planned cull by the Zimbabwean government. Whether or not you accept Payne's hypothesis that elephants are extraordinarily intelligent and capable of communicating with each other and with other species (including humans), you will find her descriptions of the animals compelling and compassionate. Her grief at the loss of her elephant friends is palpable, and she uses it to utmost effect in decrying not only the ivory trade, but the way in which humans have decided to live on the planet. Read more

Reviews (10)

Marvelous Bush Stories About Elephant Communication
Did you know that elephants communicate with sounds that are below the range of human hearing? Similar to whales, they can speak over long distance with each other using infrasound. I can't help but wonder if their infrasonic vocalizations are what contribute to the palpable energetic vibrations I felt, sitting amongst the clusters of elephants in Northern Kenya.
silent thunder is the new star wars
silent thunder has been the best book ever it teaches you about elephants and it is a great read. i wish that i could on the book but i can't i only rented it but finished it in one day. the charecters are great and it is really nice but not many people read it.

A Wonderful Writer with Tremendous Talent
Katy Payne is a wonderful writer with a tremendous talent for integrating life with her research. This book is about elephants, about Katy, about the men and women and societies that she meets in a wonderful pilgrimage. You experience her joys, her sorrows, her love for elephants, her research breakthroughs and the distress of the wildlife situation, especially within Zimbabwe. Katy also has a beautiful talent for gracefully understanding how other societies function and for developing a culturally sensitive learning posture. This is a great book. For those reviewers who want "more pictures," there are thousands in this book that Katy brings to your mind when you READ it. I learned a tremendous amount about elephant behavior/communication, wildlife biology and the lifestyle of a wildlife biologist in this book. Wonderful, wonderful work! Thank you Katy! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. Animal communication    3. Behavior    4. Elephants    5. Individual Species Of Mammals    6. Mammalian Behavior    7. Mammals    8. Nature    9. Nature / Field Guide Books    10. Nature/Ecology    11. Weather    12. Nature / General    13. Payne, Katharine