Reviews (1)

Such a nice piece of information about Plant Nutrition
I just received a copy of this book from Dr. Epstein. After taking a look at it, I must say that it is a great piece of information for those interesting in Plant Nutrition. You must have a copy of this book for yourself. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Assimilation    2. Flowers    3. Life Sciences - Biochemistry    4. Life Sciences - Botany    5. Nature    6. Nutrition    7. Plants    8. Plants, Effect of minerals on    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Plant physiology   

Reviews (16)

teaches you to see
This unique book teaches you a skill quickly and painlessly. Tree identification can be complex and confusing.It doesn't matter about color photographs of trees. It doesn't matter if the book can't fit in your backpack. It doesn't matter if the book doesn't look pretty. What does matter is that the book teaches you how to be alert and observant. You will recognize shapes and outlines no matter what the season. You will know what to look for. From just reading the first chapter on leaf identification I was able to identify at least a dozen trees in my yard and neighborhood, both the genera and species, effortlessly. This is the type of book where you learn something so that you don't have to carry the book around with you. If you can't identify the tree, you at least know what is important and can look up the information based on your intelligent observations. The book is well organized for maximum acquisition of knowledge and as with any new knowledge, one's world expands and one's mind is opened to creative possibilities and greater empathy with all things living on this earth.

this book is worthless
The book is suppose to be a guide to identifying trees by viewing the leaf systems, branches, and bark....it is in black and white, so color, variations, etc are not seen.Therefore, as a identification book, it is worthless.Also, it is a little large for hikers and canoers.
Detailed Tree ID
All black & white WITH detailed descriptions.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening/Plants    3. Handbooks & Manuals    4. Identification    5. Nature    6. Pictorial works    7. Trees    8. Trees & Forests - General    9. United States    10. Gardening / Trees   

Editorial Review

Contrary to popular opinion, the whole of New Jersey is not a continuous Superfund site enlivened solely by poorly labeled Turnpike exits and skanky diners. In fact, thelargest essentially untouched wilderness east of the Mississippi comprises nearly half the state: the New Jersey Pine Barrens. This more than 1,000-square-mile region has only a few thousand inhabitants--the Pineys, whose way of life has remained essentiallyunchanged since the 17th century.McPhee--one of the finest American essayists of the 20thcentury--has written an extraordinarily compelling, informative, and insightful book about the botanical, cultural, hydrological, and historical peculiarities of this region. He also details the efforts to save it from the creeping urbanization of nearby Philadelphia and New York City. Very Highly Recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Ballad of the Old Pineys
Those of us from the Northeast know that wilderness can be found if you're willing to hit the road and search for it, and also that it's precious and worth protecting from the onslaught of industry and sprawl. But even those familiar with the region's wilderness offerings will be surprised by the natural bounty and remoteness of New Jersey's Pine Barrens area. The masterful essayist John McPhee published this travelogue and study of the area back in 1967, when the depths of the Pine Barrens still offered genuine seclusion form the outside world, with hardy folks still living off the land by picking berries or making charcoal. And this beautiful area was surrounded on all sides by the most urbanized and industrialized blight on Earth. Things aren't quite so rustic there anymore, but reading McPhee's engaging treatise on the area should make modern folks wish to both visit the Pine Barrens area as a valuable slice of nature, and to protect it as a precious and dwindling resource. That's what makes this short but lovable book from the great McPhee a timeless classic for nature lovers. [~doomsdayer520~]

The Pinelands
My wife gave me this book in 1978, and I devoured it in one evening. I have since been all over the world, and no matter where I go, the pines are always the reference point for me. My teen years were spent in the pines, with my good friend Tom, where we would travel its dirt roads, canoe its streams and fish its lakes, and hike its trails and roads. Mr. McPhee weaves a story that is so true, so historically rich, and for me, so reminiscent of the years of my youth. Please read this book, and then go and make your own memories.

Anything by John McPhee
I have read many of John McPhee's works. They are all excellent and captivating. He writes on so many subjects, it is amazing that they are all great. No wonder he teaches at Princeton, or did as I remember. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Essays    2. Nature/Ecology    3. Travel - United States   

Reviews (1)

Buyer Beware!
I ordered the book from Amazon, the book pictured is NOT the one I recieved. That photo is no where in my copy. I do have a book titled Ultimate Treehouses by David Clark but it isn't the same one pictured. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Design & Construction    2. Home Improvement / Construction    3. House & Home    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Outdoor & Recreational Areas - General    6. Outdoor Structure Construction    7. Tree houses    8. Trees & Forests - General    9. Sale Books   

Reviews (10)

I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD ABOUT THIS WORK
I can start with the old line "I I had only one book on cacti....."Well, this would certainly be the one.I spend a great amount of time traveling and photographing flowering and interesting plants, cactus being among them.I also collect this type of plant.I have found this work to be almost absolutely necessary for identification purposes and it certainly enhances by hobby of collecting and attempting to raise.As one reviewer points out, this is not a simple book of pretty plants.This is the real thing.There is absolutely a wealth of information here.I never travel area where cacti grow without it.The text is quite readable.There are indeed many, many wonderful color plates.It makes by hobby much more interesting and enjoyable.Recommend this one highly.

Simply the Best
Where do you start with a book of this magnitude? (well I had to borrow a review copy from an editor friend of mine, unfortunately he wanted it back). The author a Senior Research Botanist spent most of his lifetime amassing the information that forms this book and then sadly died only two weeks after publication. This is a book for the serious hobbyist. If you are looking for nice photographs of plants in pots, this is probably not the book for you. Having said that there are enough photographs in this book to satisfy even the most avid plant spotter (1016 colour plates.) "Is this plant an Acanthocalycium or an Echinopsis?" This book will give you the answer. In one form or another the book covers most of the Cactaceae family. It is certainly one of the first books to use the nomenclature of the IOS Consensus group. This is a big book 776 pages, "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed and some few to be chewed and digested" Francis Bacon 1561-1625. This book certainly falls into the latter category and it is a great shame that the author is not with us to take the acclaim he surely deserved, but what a legacy he has left. I would love to own this book and it will be one of the first things I order from Amazon after I've sorted everyone elses Christmas presents out.

Excellent reference for those avid in the hobby of cacti
This book is a comprehensive reference of cacti. It contains desciptions of most all the species within each genus. It also has a fairly a good section in the front of the book about the origins and botany of cacti. There are pictures for about half of the listings, though because this is more of reference books they are relatively small. Also very helpful, each listing has the previous or other accepted botanical names for each species. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cactus    2. Gardening    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Life Sciences - Botany    5. Pictorial works    6. Plants - Cacti/Succulents    7. Plants - General    8. Science    9. Techniques    10. Gardening / Ornamental Plants    11. Succulents & cacti   

Reviews (2)

Comprehensive Forestry Book
The book helps anyone who owns or is considering buying timberland. He teaches how to value land and timber as an investment, how to market your timber, and debunks popular myths and fallacies.The book is intended to teach people how to make money from growing trees and gives only basic information on growing them. How to make money growing trees
This book covers a broad range of issues that are neccessary for someone to be a successful tree farmer. It could use more depth in some areas but over all it is a very good source of knowledge. It should be on every treefarmer's shelf. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Forest Management    3. Forest Products    4. Forest products industry    5. Forests and forestry    6. Industries - General    7. Lumber trade    8. Management    9. Forestry & silviculture: practice & techniques    10. Management & management techniques    11. Nature / Trees    12. Small businesses & self-employed    13. USA   

Reviews (3)

Good basic information
This book was used by my plant propagation teacher while I was at the university. It explains the basic principles of plant propagation in detail. All the information is back-up by scientific data. Very good for the professional grower or a plant science student; not very appropriate for the common gardener.

Plant propagation-Hartmann
A very informative book with many examples of plant species and their specific propagation requirements.Very detailed but also useful for the beginning propagationist. Great chapters on tissue culture.

So good, so naughty!
For fans of plant propogation, this is a must-read.I read it every night, and I can't get enough of it.Be sure to dog-ear the section aboutthe "stigma fertilizing the stamen."It's hot! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - Agronomy    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. General    4. Horticulture (Specific Aspects)    5. Plant propagation    6. Reference    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Plant reproduction & propagation   

Reviews (16)

Great introduction to aquatic plant care
If you are new to planted tanks, then this is a great book to have. It discusses all of the relevent topics ranging from tank setup to pruning and proprogating to nutrients and equipment. The first half of the book is a guide to all of the aspects of caring for aquatic plants. There are a few places where a little more thorough discussion would have been valuble, but for most cases the book does a good job covering the topics. The second half of the book lists many of the plants that you can keep emersed or submerged in an aquarium. There are very nice pictures to go along with the descriptions, making it a useful reference for most plants you will find in your LFS.
Excellent Book!
Just what I needed. Perhaps not complete in terms of covering every plant you could want, but covers so much more. If you're just starting out, want more than just the basics, then this IS your book.
great but somewhat disappointing
This a great introduction piece to plant aquarium and all should read it. Beginners will benefit immensely with many tips on starting a plant aquarium. Also the photos on the plants were excellent.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Fish & Aquariums    3. Flowers - General    4. Pets    5. Plants - General    6. Pets / Aquarium   

Reviews (3)

Excellent reference book..and pretty too...
In the past few years, I have become more interested in herbal remedies and essential oils.Although I have obtained a few good books from the essential oil sources concerning their products, I have also taken the time to investigate and cross-reference material from other sources.Hence, my purchase of MEDICINAL PLANTS by Ben-Erik van Wyk and Michael Wink.While Rodale's book on Herbs provided me with information about how to grow selected plants, and THE REFERENCE GUIDE FOR ESSENTIAL OILS by Connie and Alan Higley explained how to apply the oils - make infusions and/or nebulize oils, MEDICINAL PLANTS provides information about the botany of these plants as well as a history of their various applications within the framework of health systems such as `Aromatherapy', `Homeopathy', and traditional medicine -- Chinese, Ayurvedic, or something else.
A reference that health care professionals will relish
The collaborative effort of Ben-Erik Van Wyk and Michael Wink,Medicinal Plants Of The World isn't just another casual listing of plants and their homeopathic applications: it's an in-depth, scientifically accurate, superbly presented, seminal survey and guide to the best-known medicinal plants and describes over three hundred plants and relatives with short descriptions, geographic origins, therapeutic category, historical and modern uses, and active ingredients. Add 700 color photos to help identification and a checklist of the top 900 plants listed by scientific and common name and you have a reference that health care professionals will relish and refer to time and time again.

Concise, thorough, user-friendly reference
This really is a great addition to your shelf if you're an ethnobotanist, botanist, or health practitioner.The book is very user-friendly and has all of the medicinal plants from the German Commission E monographs, the new ESCOP and WHO's (World Health Organization) medicinal plant monographs. The entries are short, but packed with synonymous names, origin, useful parts, uses, preparation/dosage information, warnings, and status.The listing of active ingredients is quite nice -- and more explicit than many similar sources.There is additional information on over 900 additional medicinally-useful plants in the appendix. In addition to useful and easy-use-indexes, the book has a nice introductory section. The summary information on botanical medicine use in numerous cultures is more complete than the usual reference of this sort.The text is clearly written and the book itself is of high quality with crisp photos, easy-to-read print, a solid hardcover binding.It's definitely worth the price and makes a good, easy reference. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Herbal Medications    2. Materia medica, Vegetable    3. Medicinal plants    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Phytotherapy    7. Plants - General    8. Plants, Medicinal    9. methods    10. Botany & plant sciences    11. Nature / Plants   

Reviews (10)

Science that trips off the tongue.
A fascinating book about the Saguaro cactus that reads like poetry.Highly recommended.Warning: you will want to take a trip to Arizona.

Superb and Engaging Book
Even though it deals with intricate details of the life of a cactus, it has become my almost 3 year old's favorite book.The visual details are very engaging, and our little one loves to point out each of the animals, and "tap tap tap" along with the woodpecker. This book is delightful, and you will learn as much as your child will, as you read it.

Excellent for young and old alike
Excellent book for young and old alike.As an adult new to the desert, it gave me a good, quick understanding of the 'circle of life' of the Saguaro and the critters involved with it.It is nicely laid out, simple to read, and even speaks of spiders and other sometimes scary beings in a non-threatening manner.Really quite a good book.I even sent a copy to my good friend's 6 and 9 year olds and they, along with their folks, really enjoyed it.I highly recommend it.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Science    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Nonfiction    3. Desert ecology    4. Juvenile literature    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Plants - General    8. Saguaro    9. Science & Nature - Environmental Science & Ecology    10. Science & Technology - Environmental Science & Ecology    11. Sonoran Desert   

Reviews (13)

Read the book and learn
I disagree with the disparaging reviews. I felt like it was very practical and really gave important information for growing in a small area (4x4 ft- hence "closet cultivator").

Do you want to Learn Closet Growing... or Growing?
Five Star Reviews. One Star Reviews. Obviously the One Star Reviews have been written by growers who are fed up with Ed Rosenthal's cryptic way of releasing his encyclopedia of cannabis growing one hundred pages at a time and the Five Star Review is from Ed himself. Debugging the lies
I've read this book several times and found it very useful.Though decievingly complicated, a little extra attention can help you make a cheap and effective system.The top three reviewers are obiously all the same person(they have similar comments and come from the same place; no coincidence).The reviewer didnt even read the book, saying that there is no information on making system.There is plenty of info on making cheap to expensive systems, organic or hydroponic.He then pats himself on the back to sell his own book, whos title i was too disgusted to read. Ignore the above three commments and buy this book, it will change your life. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. General    4. Plants - General    5. Sociology    6. Techniques    7. Popular culture    8. Marijuana    9. Cannabis   

Reviews (4)

Excellent Guide but lacking for gardeners
Agree with all of the other reviews, but have one criticism due to the fact that I am a foreign land owner here. The book does not provide any information on growing the plant. I realise that it is not a gardener's guide but as one doesn't exist that is dedicated to Costa Rica's incredible plant life, several of us who live here have turned to this book for reference and have been disappointed.
A very handy plant guide for visitors to Costa Rica
I have just picked up a copy of this new guide at La Selva last month and already consider it a worthy addition to the small library I carry in Costa Rica. I would even go so far as to recommend it as the most useful single volume work on Costa Rican plants.
The plant book I've been waiting for!
This is the book I've been waiting for! Well-researched and well-written, intelligently organized and beautifully photographed, it stands apart from the dozens of other resources on Costa Rica for its depth and thoroughness. Zuchowski's book features the most common plants encountered in Costa Rica, and if you have even the slightest interest in tropical plants and ecology, you'll be happy to have it along. What makes it particularly useful is how the plants are categorized (gardens,
Read more

Subjects:  1. Nature / Plants    2. Science / Botany    3. Central America    4. Costa Rica    5. Identification    6. Nature / Field Guide Books    7. Tropical plants   

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - Forestry    2. Forests and forestry    3. Mensuration    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Technology    8. Trees & Forests - General    9. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    10. Technology / Agriculture / Forestry   

Reviews (4)

Best avaliable
The best avaliable guide to the wood plants of this region of South America that I am aware of.

Great for advanced amateurs -- or displaced professionals
I'm an amateur naturalist -- and had the plants of the Eastern US pretty well under control.All that went out the window when I moved toNicaragua.This is the first broad, clear, complete guide to neo-tropicalwoody plants (and lots of the herbaceous plants as well) I've seen.Although it was written for Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru, it does wellenough for Central America.Just leafing through the illustrations hasgiven me the family, and often the genus, of lots of the plants I've seenin our cloud forests.The author has a very readable style, laced with anunderstated sense of humour that bubbles to the surface on severaloccasions.See the entry for Euphorbiaceae, for example. Great for advanced amateurs -- or displaced professionals
I'm an amateur naturalist -- and had the plants of the Eastern US pretty well under control.All that went out the window when I moved toNicaragua.This is the first broad, clear, complete guide to neo-tropicalwoody plants (and lots of the herbaceous plants as well) I've seen.Although it was written for Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru, it does wellenough for Central America.Just leafing through the illustrations hasgiven me the family, and often the genus, of lots of the plants I've seenin our cloud forests.The author has a very readable style, laced with anunderstated sense of humour that bubbles to the surface on severaloccasions.See the entry for Euphorbiaceae, for example.Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Colombia    3. Ecuador    4. Gardening/Plants    5. General    6. Identification    7. Life Sciences - Botany    8. Life Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems    9. Peru    10. Plants - General    11. Science    12. Woody plants    13. Botany & plant sciences    14. Pets / General    15. Reference works    16. ANIMALS/PETS    17. Plants   

Reviews (1)

Review of Physiology of Woody Plants
I recommend this book for any student planning to go on to gradutate studies in the fields of botany, forestry or ecology.It is complete and the material is written in a way that is easy to assimilate and understand. I often come back to it for basic tree physiology principles. It won't remain unopened on your bookshelf! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Flowers    2. Life Sciences - Botany    3. Physiology    4. Plant Physiology    5. Plants - General    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Trees    9. Woody plants    10. Applied ecology    11. Science / Ecology   

Reviews (1)

Irresistible Plants, Irresistible Book!!
For such a widely heralded group of plants, hellebores have always suffered from a dearth of supporting literature. Many of the best books are out-of-print and nearly impossible to find. The few volumes available approach the genus from a decidely European vantage point. This book solves both problems -- delivering comprehensive information applicable to a North American audience. Almost all chapters are well-researched and written in a scholarly tone. Quality photographs supplement the text. The book pays tribute to the European influence on raising hellebores to their current lofty position, but at the same time ample attention is devoted to American contributors and the peculiarities of U.S. growing conditions. My one qualm is the book's lack of focus on a major trend in future hybrid hellebore development, namely the mass production of superior named clones (such as doubles) via tissue culture. Barry Glick at Sunshine Farm and Gardens (competition for Tyler's Pine Knot??) is a leader in this effort. Despite this minor flaw, the book is destined to become a standard work consulted by horticulturists for years to come. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Flowering Plants (Angiospermae)    2. Flowers - Perennials    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Hellebores    7. Plants - General    8. Flowers    9. Gardening / Flowers / Perennials   

Reviews (3)

Very good but also accessible
Well written - a very clear and good account of plant biology and the various concepts involved.Very good illustrations.I'm pleased to say that the chemistry aspect of plant biology is not as overwhelming (or as heavily emphasized) as it can be in some books, that are of a comparable educational level.

Excellent!
OK, so I may be a little biased, but I took Linda Graham's general botany class last year, in which this book is followed to the letter.Although I didn't read the book thoroughly, Professor Graham's lectures covered everything in it.I enjoyed learning the material in this book, as is covers a wide spectrum of things about plants.Although the last couple of chapters (dealing with conservation of resources, etc.) were a bit tedious at times (since it's all stuff that has been pounded into our heads for years), the rest of the book is excellent.A nice blend of pictures, examples, and explanations.

Great reference book with lots of nice photos
I've known many biology textbooks, but this has the nicest and best photos you could ever find. Though this book mainly aims for non-majors, I, a botany graduate student, still find it very useful and informative. Highly recommend this for people who want to know about general plant biology, but have been intimidated by heavy, thick textbooks. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biology (General)    2. Botany    3. Botany (General)    4. Flowers    5. Life Sciences - Biology - General    6. Life Sciences - Botany    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Science / Botany   

Reviews (6)

for those having trouble finding this item...
...see also plumeriasandoleanders.com, botanictreasures.com, and stokestropicals.com

Far and away the most comprehensive book on plumerias
This is the bible on plumeria cultivation; there is no other work on the subject that even approaches its scope, thorough attention to detail, and even visual beauty. For twelve years it has been the source to which I have turned repeatedly for inspiration as I amassed my collection in New England; I have also referred scores of people to it for advice and given it as a gift several times. It's hard to imagine a more comprehensive treatment of the subject, from the overview of its history in cultivation, to the listings and descriptions of dozens of cultivars, to the step-by-step course in cultivating, propagating, and hybridizing plumerias. No detail is overlooked, and invaluable tips concerning every aspect of plumeria growing are given throughout. Along the way, the text is enlivened by views and comments on the plant through the eyes of mystics and poets both Eastern and Western. The abundant photographs by the authors are works of art in themselves. For any admirer of this extraordinary flower, this book is essential; by far the best and most beautiful work available on the subject. Everything you need to know.
This is a very informative, thoroughly researched book; from history to propagation, it has it all.The amateur will especially appreciate the succinct information to be found within its pages, without being too technical.If you've bought those plumeria cuttings at various fairs and garden shows, as I have, this is the book you need to really get those cuttings to produce healthy, blooming plants.The numerous colored photos throughout are a definite plus. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Flowers    2. Flowers - General    3. General    4. Life Sciences - Botany    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Reference   

Subjects:  1. Adaptation    2. Animal-plant relationships    3. General    4. Phytochemistry    5. Plant Ecology    6. Plant chemical defenses    7. Plant metabolites    8. Plants    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Animal ecology    12. Insects (entomology)    13. Plant physiology   

Subjects:  1. Classification    2. Dicotyledons    3. Flowering Plants (Angiospermae)    4. Flowers    5. General    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Plants - General    9. Botany & plant sciences    10. Science / Botany    11. Taxonomy & systematics    12. biodiversity    13. plant taxonomy    14. systematic botany