Reviews (236)

Powerful message
Congratulations to Al Gore for taking on a subject largely regarded as anathema by the US political establishment. Yes the science is still unsure on many of the issues, however, it IS becoming increasingly apparent that C02 emissions from industry, petrol engines etc are contributing to driving global temperatures upwards. That said, there is truth though that global warming is a natural event because thanks to analysis carried out on ice samples from the Greenland permafrost, thousands of years old, we have a clear record of many natural warming cycles going back millennia.
What was Gore's degree in? Oh yeah, journalism
Oh please... what scientific background does this guy have???? What a joke!The stuff in this book is more sophmoric than a prom.This is a political treatise with no scientific value at all.What is my degree in?Well, I have 3: BS chemistry, MS environmental science and a JD (Law).

From the inventor of the Internet????
For the lunatic Lefties and Wingnuts, this is a "Bible".From someone who lost an election, whined and wimpered until told to "shut up" by the USSC, we get this garbage dumped on the fools who would believe it.
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Subjects:  1. Climatic changes    2. Ecology    3. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    4. Environmental Science    5. Environmental Studies    6. Environmental aspects    7. Global warming    8. Nature    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Science / Environmental Science   

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/All Ages    2. General    3. Mammals    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Photography    7. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    8. Nature / Mammals   

Reviews (17)

This book makes the hobby 'real' for my kids
I purchased this book after my children (4, 5) developed an interest in collecting sea glass after finding their first pieces on the beach. This summer we collected pounds of the stuff on vacation, and the children couldn't wait to get home to the book to see if they had found any rare colors (we found gray, pink and black!).
Love it
I love this book. the pictures are wonderful...i am going to look for more seaglass...thank you

Pure Sea Glass
This a wonderful book - whether you are a sea glass collector or not!The photography is beautiful and there is a wealth of information for both the serious and novice collector.I immediately looked through my collection for "finds" and can't wait to get back to the beach to find more. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Glass & Glassware    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Oceans & Seas    6. Sea glass   

Reviews (1)

Everything you wanted to know about Trees
One of the most beloved and memorable of all popular poems is Joyce Kilmer's 'Trees'" I think that I shall never see/ a poem as lovely as a tree'/ A tree whose hungry mouth is prest/ against the earth's sweet flowing breast/.
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Subjects:  1. Essays    2. Natural History    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Trees    6. Trees & Forests - General    7. Nature / Trees   

Reviews (1)

Simply Amazing
Perhaps I am not the best person to review the quality and accuracy of the songs in this book/audio player (I would leave that to Rick Johnson of Osprey Ridge Studios who created the Hearbirds Course on CD available at [..] but as the former publisher of Waite Group Press [..] I must say that this is one of the most innovative and fun to use products to appear in book publishing in a long time.
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Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Children's Books/All Ages    3. General    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Birds (ornithology)    7. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching    8. North America   

Reviews (16)

Great advice
New hobbyist should read this book for advice, then read it again in 6 months.

Wonderful Stony Coral and Clam Reference
The good?
Perhaps the best book on reef care
An exceptional book on the subject. It is comprehensive but I would not say not complete as no book on this subject could be. Still I believe this book to be the best work compiled in book form. Described by many as "the Bible" on the subject it indeed may be but it is not dogmatic as it offers several options and methods and leaves it for the aquarist to use.
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Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Captive marine aquariums    3. Coral reef animals    4. Fish & Aquariums    5. Identification    6. Invertebrates    7. Marine Fauna    8. Marine Life    9. Marine invertebrates    10. Nature    11. Nature/Ecology    12. Pets    13. Tropics   

Editorial Review

Bestselling historian Douglas Brinkley, a professor at Tulane University, lived through the destruction of Hurricane Katrina with his fellow New Orleans residents, and now in Read more

Reviews (73)

The Great Deluge--Great but tragic
Having becoming acquainted with Mr. Brinkley via the tv interview--I knew I must read this book. Having read of the overwhelming sorrows and heartbreaks of this storm, I am now very disallusioned with many of our higher ranking government officials, the first being Michael Chertoff and not stopping at his level either. To really get an accurate fix on what happened with katrina, this book is a must read.

Too opinionated!
If you hate President Bush, you'll love this book.But if you are seeking a true historical account (which the book does not contain unfortunately) of a major disaster without all the left-wing editorial padding, skip this book.

CRESENT CITY
Douglas Brinkley loves New Orleans and you can feel his pain for his beloved city in every page.This is a man who wants New Orleans to come back better, as a city that works and where corruption is not rampant and he spells out what went wrong and what can be done to make New Orleans whole again.It is a well written, tough love letter to the city and I hope everyone in New Orleans reads this.I am very familiar with the city and I am very skeptical, especially when they reelected Mayor Nagin, that is old New Orleans, it's really up to the city because if they are not willing to change the culture of corruption and institutional poverty, then the city will end up a Savannah..a quaint strange town of no real national importance..what a fate for one of the great American cities.Come on, New Orleans..look to Houston, Atlanta, and Dallas..those cities work and that is where your middle and upper middle class live now..if you want them back you'll have to change if not..your looking at Galveston, Louisiana... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Disaster relief    2. Gulf Coast (U.S.)    3. History - U.S.    4. Hurricane Katrina, 2005    5. Hurricanes    6. Louisiana - Local History    7. Natural Disasters    8. Nature    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Rescue work    11. United States - 21st Century    12. United States - State & Local - South    13. History / United States / State & Local / South (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV)   

Editorial Review

You probably enjoy eating codfish, but reading about them? Mark Kurlansky has written a fabulous book--well worth your time--about a fish that probably has mattered more in human history than any other. The cod helped inspire the discovery and exploration of North America. It had a profound impact upon the economic development of New England and eastern Canada from the earliest times. Today, however, overfishing is a constant threat. Kurlansky sprinkles his well-written and occasionally humorous history with interesting asides on the possible origin of the word codpiece and dozens of fish recipes.Sometimes a book on an offbeat or neglected subject really makes the grade. This is one of them. ... Read more

Reviews (88)

Cod, who would have thunk it?
This book was utterly full of suprises.Man, how one little fish has altered and played a role in so much political and economic attitudes towards the sea and its treasures.The book also stands as a cautionary tale of what can happen when a natural resource such as cod are recklessly exploited to the point of having the inability to recover their numbers.As a marine biology teacher I was faascinated with this book and plan on having my classes read it to see how the ocean world affects life on land.

A real keeper!!
I just finished reading a borrowed autographed copy of Kurlansky's Cod and decided that this is a book that I must have in my shelf to read it over again. I like fish and I like history. This book has the perfect match to gain my favor. I purchased my own copy.
Cod
This book is better than great. The older I get, it never ceases to amaze me how little I know and how much I have to learn.
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Subjects:  1. Cod fisheries    2. Codfish    3. Cookery (Codfish)    4. Fish    5. History    6. Literary collections    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. World - General    10. Biography & Autobiography / Historical   

Reviews (106)

2 1/2 stars, because it is half a good book
When the author focuses on what she knows - autism, neurobiology, and domestic livestock - this book offers many insights. By applying some excellent existing research in neurobiology about what animals are truly capable of perceiving and feeling (read some of the referenced books for confirmation of emotions in animals) and applying her own experiences with domestic livestock and insights founded in her autism (a much more visual world than "normal" people (her word, not mine)), Dr. Grandin shows how a more visual, detail-oriented animal encounters the world.
NO stars for this book!!
What a bunch of high school hallway gossip! The author does not know the difference between white and albino! The 'genetics' discussions on color (which includes people, chickens, horses, and dogs - all of it suspect) and mutts vs. purebred dogs are total claptrap! I confess, I couldn't get past page 87 when the author explains that 'one of the reasons wolves turned into dogs was that nursing human mothers probably adopted orphaned wolf cubs and nursed them at their breasts along with their human babies.' WHAT?? A waste of my hard-earned $. Having read those parts I cannot believe anything that went before or that follows, not that I'm reading any further. How is a multi-published author allowed to put such uneducated 'information' into print? And now she's influenced readers -- a terrible situation. Publisher, where are your pre-publication reviews? Shame on you for allowing this ignorant speculation to be published!!

Very, very interesting
This book was someone else's bookclub selection, and I think having no expectations when I picked it up really helped in my having that WOW experience that some folks report with this book and others miss. Yes, the prose needed much better editing: overuse of repetition, "stock" phrases, and "hanging" assertions that should have been cleaned up.However, I found the discussions of brain development/evolution, similarities between certain animal behaviors and human behaviors, development of language in different animals, and the coevolution of humans and dogs to be facinating (oops, just gave away the ending!).I found the side discussion of outcome-based audits interesting and enlightening.I also liked Dr. Temple's recommendation that people with autism be hired for baggage checking positions.Great idea! Although the book really goes all over the place, I found it a wonderful opportunity to engage my "seeking/hunting" motivation (you'll have to read the book for that one), and worth wading through the flaws to pick up the nuggets of gold. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animal behavior    2. Animals    3. Autism    4. Cognitive Psychology    5. General    6. Life Sciences - Zoology - Mammals    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Science    10. Zoology (General)    11. Science / Life Sciences / Zoology / Mammals   

Editorial Review

With its colorful coral reefs, excellent birding, and tropical temperatures, Florida remains a popular vacation spot for the ecologically minded. In this concisely detailed volume you'll become acquainted with the state's geologic origins, natural history, and diverse habitats (salt marshes, mangrove swamps, prairies, and woodlands). A field guide assists in the identification of some of the region's wildflowers, trees, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, butterflies, mammals, and birds, including the elusive manatee, three species of dolphin, and the rare snail kite. An extensive sampling of the area's best parks, preserves, beaches, forests, islands, and wildlife sanctuaries, with thorough descriptions and visitor information on 50 destinations, is also included. For instance, the section on Everglades National Park includes information on wildlife viewing possibilities, driving directions, and popular touring attractions inside the park (such as Shark Valley, where a 15-mile loop via foot, rental bike, or tram affords close views of alligators, anhingas, and wading birds). Lesser-known areas such as Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge and Withlacoochee State Forest are also featured. More than 1,300 color photographs heighten the quality of this handy compilation. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Good resource
I use this as a guide for creatures in South Carolina. It has helped identify snakes and insects. It has great pictures.

Both more and less than what I wanted
I wanted a bird guide that would cover all Florida birds. It did not include all birds, including the one I needed to identify, which turned out to be an atypical muscovy duck. There are more than 2,000 confirmed sightings of this bird in Florida, so I really think it should have been in there. It had identification for lichens for heavens sake but not all the birds.
Mile wide and inch deep
This is the BEST nature guide I have found for Florida, but unfortunately that is not saying much. I have been spoiled by the wealth of naturalist and natural history books available for all different parts of the west, books which not only tell you how to ID a species, but which also give you enough information to feel like you know it afterwards.
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Subjects:  1. Florida    2. General    3. Natural history    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Reference    7. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    8. Nature / General   

Reviews (1)

Useful
Useful book to collect all in one the main subjects about the topic. Useful handbook to have at hand a rigorous point to start to study the subject without loosing between information. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Energy    2. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    3. Environmental Engineering & Technology    4. Environmental Science    5. Environmental Studies    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Renewable energy sources    9. Alternative & renewable energy sources & technology    10. Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection   

Reviews (14)

not a beginner book
This book goes indepth about the anatomy and physiology of mushrooms, soft corals and anemones. Not a great reference guide for choosing specimens for your It tends to generalize by family and/or genus vs species. If you are new to saltwater and are looking for a reference to choose items for your tank this would not be my first choice.

THE reference for that field
Just like the vol. 1, that is a must-have book. Please note that the vol. 3 should be released late Nov. 2005.
One of the best of the best vol.2
This volume of the series covers the soft corals and sea anemones; very important topics indeed for reef aquarium. The two books together are still not complete as� there are many organisms found in a reef aquaria still not covered. In this series. A fine glossary accompanies this book. Much of what I had to gleen by trial and error and by reading arcane publications over the years is covered in this book. Approachable to the beginner yet� a lot of substance for the expert.
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Subjects:  1. Animals / Pets    2. Aquariums    3. Captive marine aquariums    4. Coral reef animals    5. Fish & Aquariums    6. Identification    7. Marine Fauna    8. Marine Life    9. Marine invertebrates    10. Nature    11. Nature/Ecology    12. Pets    13. Tropics    14. Fish    15. Tropical Fish   

Editorial Review

This is the be-all and end-all of mushroom books! Truly an encyclopedia of mushroom facts and lore, lavishly illustrated with full-color photographs, literally everything you need to know about mushrooms, edible or not. Arora has taught mycology for close to twenty years and has hunted and photographed mushrooms across the North American continent. Threaded through the book are his wry and humorous observations and comments, making what could have been a rather dull, "just-the-facts, ma'am" reference book into a really enjoyable read. The stunning photographs of the incredible variety of fungi are fascinating and eye-opening, and while the author gives clear and factual information, the mysterious allure of mushrooms in their countless shapes, sizes and colors is only increased by this huge and delightful book. --Read more

Reviews (29)

A Must Have
I am a biology teacher and own two tracts of woods.I bought two cheaper books thinking, foolishly, that I would then be able to identify most mushrooms.Cheap and thin is easy to carry in the woods, but this is the "mushroom bible" all naturalists should own.Arora handles a jargon rich science exquisitely.His use of humor in a virtual textbook takes away the thick book intimidation factor.Academia could learn a lot from David's style.I wish all the pictures were in color, but that would increase the price and thickness of the volume tremendously.I will add a few other field guides with color pictures for referencing. I now have a hard time believing there are still copies available for sale.I don't know who in their right mind would sell such a volume.I'll have mine until the end.

actually good beginner book
I love this book.
This Book Is Great!
After reading this book, I have a hard time reading other mushroom books.This one is just such fun to read!I subconsciously am looking for other mushroom books to be less dry and as funny as this one, but it just ain't happenin'.I really recommend this book both for the information it contains and the pleasure that you get from reading it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. California    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. General    4. Identification    5. Life Sciences - Bacteriology    6. Mushrooms    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Pacific States    10. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS   

Reviews (14)

I LOVE THIS BOOK
I LOVE THIS BOOK, THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE BEAUTIFUL!I BOUGHT THE BOOK FOR MY 8YR OLD NIECE, EACH TIME I VISIT, SHE WANTS ME TO LOOK AT IT WITH HER! YOU WILL NEVER BE BORED! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND EVERYONE TO OWN THIS BOOK.IT ALSO LAYS GOURGOUSLY ON YOUR COFFEE TABLE.
Great book for non-readers
This was a gift to my dad who spent many years in South America as a young boy and has worked with zoos providing animals for care and protection.He was amazed at the book and never put it down for several hours after reading it.A great conversation piece for the coffee table.

Untamed
This was an awesome book witht he pictures and everything. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1953-    2. Animals    3. Bloom, Steve,    4. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    5. Individual Photographer    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Photography    9. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    10. Wildlife photography    11. Individual photographers    12. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    13. Nature / Animals    14. Photographs: collections   

Editorial Review

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Features

• Special Edition

Reviews (123)

Can you believe people are still disbelieving after 40 years!?
It certainly doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that whatever "inputs" we put into a system (Earth, humans, water, air, etc.), will in turn impact the system and the systems "outputs."If we put poison into the soil, air, and water, we will ultimately re-ingest these materials and create a toxic environment that will be unable to support the system that we are purportedly trying to save.Do the logic yourself.What kind of logic is it that would say that malaria deaths justify the use of DDT?We have no idea of how many millions, or billions, of people globally have been impacted by its use in the forms of debilitating illnesses and death from cancer and the like.With this false rationale, just as in the current debate over the use and subsequent output of carbon materials, we are again showing our naivete in believing that we can put a "technological" fix on an issue that is better addressed by the way we live and consume.So, we save all these poor souls from malaria, but then we give them a planet that is poisonous?Nonsensical at best.

Very Informative
Although this book was published more than 40 years ago, it's still worth a read. I found it interesting, informative and disturbing. Although I know DDT has been banned, I can't help but worry about some of the lasting effects of it and other chemicals used as pesticides or insecticides.

A misguided mass killer
Before this misguided book was published, DDT was successfully reducing malaria deaths across the globe.After it, and the subsequent ban on DDT, millions of people have suffered and died needlessly.For example, in Sri Lanka in 1948, there were 2.8 million malaria cases and 7,300 malaria deaths. With widespread DDT use, malaria cases fell to 17 and no deaths in 1963. After DDT use was discontinued, Sri Lankan malaria cases rose to 2.5 million in the years 1968 and 1969, and the disease remains a killer in Sri Lanka today.
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Subjects:  1. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    2. Environmental Science    3. Environmental aspects    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Pesticides    7. Pesticides and wildlife    8. Toxicology    9. Conservation of the environment    10. Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection    11. Pollution & threats to the environment   

Editorial Review

For the untrained observer, it can be quite a challenge to sort out the many trees that make up a stand of older forest in, say, New England or the Ozarks. This well-illustrated guidebook, covering 364 species, comes to the rescue with photographs organized in several ways: by, for example, the shape of the leaf or needle, by the fruit, by the flower or cone, and by autumn coloration. Following one visible characteristic or another, the reader can narrow the range of possibilities, then turn to an informative text that describes a tree's physical characteristics, habitat, and range.Many of the species covered are relatively rare, such as the "stinking cedar" of the Georgia-Florida border; others are locally abundant, such as the paper birch of the boreal forest, used to make ice-cream sticks; still others, such as the smooth sumac, are widespread. The guidebook also covers ornamentals introduced from other continents, such as the Chinese privet and Mahaleb cherry. Read more

Reviews (19)

Great for the Boy Scouts
This field guide is just what the doctor ordered for teaching young Boy Scouts about trees.The leaf and bark pictures are excellent, and the organization of the book is superb.Spend a few minutes going through the examples in the front as to how to most effectively use the guide.I was so impressed with this guide, that I went back and ordered another guide in the series that the Boy Scouts will find helpful - the guide to the night sky and constellations.

Great Book
We took this book on a camping trip last weekend in North Mississippi and were able to identify every tree that we attempted to.This is a VERY GOOD field guide.

What you would expect
I needed this book for my science olympiad team.It is exactly what you would expect from the Audubon society.Great colors, good quality, great examples. I ordered many other field guides at the suggestion from other teachers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Canada    2. Identification    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. North America    6. Trees    7. Trees & Forests - General    8. United States    9. Botany & plant sciences    10. Nature / Trees    11. Trees & wildflowers   

Editorial Review

More than 10 years in the making, David Sibley's Read more

Reviews (97)

By far the best guide book on North American birds, PERIOD!
Ahh, the book with an identity problem. Is this a coffee table book or is this a field manual? It's far too small to be a coffee table book, yet far too large to be a practical field guide. I think Knopf (the publisher) tried to make it fulfill both roles so they decided to split the difference in sizes and in and so doing, they fulfilled neither role. Regardless, this book is astonishing to behold. It is as much a work of art as anything else. If you can have just one book on birds for the rest of your life, make it this one. I think the author said it took him something like 11 years just to carefully hand paint each of the bird illustrations in this book. Well it definitely shows! When this book was first released, it caused something of an uproar because it was way too large and heavy to carry with you out in the field. Yet, it was way too useful not to. I wrote the author telling him he should come out with a much smaller version of this guide that is more compact and lightweight for field use. Well, he listened to me because he did just that. My only complaint about this book (and the smaller version), is that the illustrations of the birds are just a wee bit smaller than what they should be. And with the target audience of this book being primarily baby boomers, this might not go over too well with their aging eyes. The somewhat smallish illustrations make it far too difficult to effectively identify many birds, especially birds of the sparrow family which are extremely tricky to visually seperate by their field markings. The author told me he did this for artistic reasons (to keep large areas of white page around the birds to visually seperate the illustrations). All fine and good, but you aren't trying to make an art book (at least I didn't think you were), you're trying to make something people can use out in the field (at least I thought you were). Still, this is by far the best identification book on North American birds availible and trust me, I've looked at them all. Go with the smaller version if you plan on carrying it with you out in the field. The large edition, though a bit small for a true coffee table book, will have to sufice in that role until Knopf finally decides to come out with a lager coffee table version of this book. Needless to say, I have them both and love them both.

Sibley Guide
This is the best bird book of its kind on the market.While it is a little too large to be as handy as Peterson's for a field guide (unless you have very large pockets), it is indispensable for the serious birder.The convenience of having all of the information about a particular bird on one page cannot be overstated, and the illustrations are not only accurate but -- like Audubon's -- are works of art.

Birds of My Region
I am using this product as a study guide for a field elective class in college.It has supplied me with great pictures and information for almost every bird I have had to study so far.I love the quizzing feature the most.It has been the highest effective learning tool I've used with this DVD.
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Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    5. Identification    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. North America    9. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (26)

Great resource for newbies.
While there is not piles of detail about each fish, there are important specific descriptions about the different fish within thefamily. (i.e. They don't always say the same thing about all the small angelfish like some websites I have visited.) I really like the rating about how easy or difficult each fish is to keep in captivity.
Don't go Fish shopping without it!
This book and also the 500+ Invertebrates are great books for all reef tank enthusiasts.It is so useful when you go into your LFS and see some gorgeous new fish,as you can determine how suitable it is to you. You know whether they are compatable with other tank occupants, how large they will grow, what kind of food it requires etc. Can help to save you $ in the LFS! I have steered clear of a few species that would not survive with the help of this book.

Marine Fishes: 500+
Great reference for determining which fish will fit well into your aquarium, ease of keeping, feeding, and compatability with others. A must have reference for looking up those fish at the LFS. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fish    2. Fish & Aquariums    3. Marine Life    4. Marine aquarium fishes    5. Marine aquariums    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Pets    9. Fishes & aquaria   

Editorial Review

There are about 100,000 kinds of insects in North America, so obviously they can't have a field guide in the same way the 650 species of birds do: something both portable and complete. The National Audubon Society has produced a remarkably useful compromise. This guide has photographs and descriptions of 550 insect species and 60 kinds of spiders. Most of the families of arthropods on the continent are covered, as are all of the most common species. It's a very useful resource for any North American naturalist, and the best choice for an adult who is not an expert entomologist. Read more

Reviews (33)

Great Guide
This Is a field guide and it is a good one, you may not be able to ID what you are looking at but you can narrow it down for further research. I use this with two other books one on spiders and one on dragonflys and have been able to ID everthing pretty easyly

Fantastic For A "Guide"
I bought this book because I am a photographer with a growing interest in spiders and insects, and I need to know what my subjects are.Before I bought this book, I mostly did Internet research to try to find the exact species.Since I'm not an entomologist or arachnologist, I'm sure you can imagine that my search words often weren't very effective (for example, brown spider in California).Now that I have this book, IDing spiders and insects is much easier.I'm not saying that everything I take a picture of is in here; in fact, the exact species often aren't.But most of the time I can narrow it down to the point where further research is much more successful.This book also explains the correct terminology, which is extremely helpful when searching online or in other books.I know a lot of people out there are disappointed because this book is missing so many species.But honestly, they should have known better than to expect a small FIELD GUIDE to contain so much.If you're looking for a complete encyclopedia of insects or spiders, this book will very disappointing.But if you're looking for a GUIDE (i.e., you're an amateur and you just need to be pointed in the right direction), then you should find this book extremely helpful.

For beginners only
I found this book to be overly broad, which should not have surprised me, given the subject.
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Subjects:  1. Arachnida    2. Entomology    3. Identification    4. Insects    5. Insects & Spiders    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. North America    9. Spiders    10. Animals    11. Nature / Insects & Spiders   

Reviews (24)

My field guide of choice
At one time I owned nearly every field guide availible on North American birds. I have since gotten rid of all of them and kept only this one because it far exceeds the others. Enough said.

Well worth the bux!
Admittedly I'm an amateur bird watcher, so I don't speak from a great amount of experience, but I did have certain expectations as to the quality and quantity of information to be found in this book.Both have been completely met.The layout is intuitive and the illustrations clear and informative.The size lends itself to slipping in an outside field-jacket pocket and the binding and covers seem rugged enough for many years of use....good show!

Great Book for Beginners
Unlike a lot of 'beginner guides,' this book shows very accurately what birds actually look like - from multiple points of view.The drawings are exquisite, and are more accurate than photos - a photo shows only 1 bird at one point in time; a drawing allows an artist to convey the total bird, eccentuating some features and dulling others for more easy identification. Additionally, descriptions are great, detailing habitat, range, commonality, nesting habits, and more. This fairly small book can be brought on day hikes, and also on some backpacking trips, depending on conditions.Realistically the best and only guide most people in the east will need. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    4. Identification    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. North America    8. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching