Book Description

This third edition covers all the species of reptiles and amphibians found in western North America. More than 650 full-color paintings and photographs show key details for making accurate identifications. Up-to-date color range maps give species' distributions. Important information on conservation efforts and survival status rounds out the detailed species descriptions. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great update to a great field guide
Stebbins does it again. As a biologist who works throughout southern California I find this book indispensable. It is a vast improvement to the last edition (which was very good to begin with) with lots of color photos, many more color plates and the range maps are great too, again with color. It has revised the taxonomy of many species and included a many of the lastest subspecies designations. This book is easy to use from the novice to the advanced and should be in any nature enthusiasts library. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Reviews (8)

A Good Beginner's Introduction to Non-Insect Arthropods
I was introduced to the early "Golden Guides" in the 1950s. My very first book on insects was in this series and I wore out numerous copies of the various titles. Of these I have always especially admired H. W. and Lorna Levi's "Spiders and Their Kin." This little guide had (and to a large degree still has) the most complete systematic treatment of any of the taxa covered in the "Golden Guide" series. Few books were available on these fascinating creatures when this work was originally published and "Spiders and Their Kin" was a considerable improvement. The drawings of spider eye arrangements were especially helpful for identification.

Unfortunately time does not stand still and the reprinted version of this book is somewhat behind in its treatment of spider families. There has been some attempt by St. Martin's Press to revise the classification (the sac spiders are shown to belong to several families), but some of the other families have also undergone major changes (e.g. "Ctenizidae" is now at least three families) and "brown spiders" (a name I really do not like- I prefer "violin spiders" as more descriptive) are now members of the Sicariidae. Neither of the last two changes made it into the revised book, either because they occurred after the corrected copy was submitted or because they were overlooked. The current revision does include the statement that urocteids and oecobiids have been united under the Oecobiidae - as it turns out, having a cribellum is a primitive trait and does not indicate relationships very well- but mistakenly indicates that the "oecobiids" are larger than "urocteids". It also still has the two "families" on different pages, so the revision did not include a rearrangement of the figures. In the scorpions there have been major taxonomic changes as well, but most of these were not noted (again several are probably just too recent to have been included). However, Hadrurus is correctly placed in the Iuridae, instead of the Vaejovidae.

Because of these major developments I cannot recommend this book as an up to date guide to currently recognized spider families, but it still is a good starting place for those (especially young people) who would like to know more about arachnids, millipedes, centipedes, and land crustaceans. Fortunately many, if not most, of the families (e. g. Theraphosidae, Oonopidae, Salticidae, Linyphiidae, Selenopidae, Theridiidae, Araneidae, Tetragnathidae, Lycosidae) are still valid as described in the original edition of the book.

A good little field guide
Upon first reading, it is unfortunate that "Spiders and Their Kin" shows but a select few species from among the Arachnid pantheon, but it has been a great read and a great reference over the ten-plus years since I first purchased an earlier edition.

Used as a sole reference, the book is lacking in many crucial details, but there are more specialized books available to those who find that the information within these pages is less than desired.

True, it will not go in-depth with regard to each individual species, and may not show one in particular, but it's a handier starting point for arachnid identification than its larger brethren and, that, I think, is the purpose for which it is intended to be used.

The bottom line: if you know little to nothing about arachnids at this time, or you just need a field guide to get you started on making identifications, go ahead and buy Levi's little gem. If you feel like you need to learn all that can be learned about an individual species of spider or need more specialized/more advanced field guides, then this is probably not the book for you.

Good Starter book
I think this is a good starter book for identfying spiders that are more common. There are a couple of pages on webs that I found interesting. In the front it gives a great visual on how the Arthropod group is broken out and how different spider types break out within that - all helps when trying to do the id. There are so many different amazing spiders - this can only scrath the surface but is a really good place to start. I just like taking pictures and having a general idea of what I'm looking at so for me it works...I will be checking out other books too though like "How to Know Spiders" if there is one in that "How to Know" series.

this is a little kids book
I bought this book because I was expecting to ID the brown recluse which has several variations. This book had one poorly drawn picture and 1 sentence about the Brown Recluse. I was disappointed to say the least. This is one of those little field guides for kids.
This would be a good field guide for someone about 8 years old.

Gross but interesting, even to an Arachnophobe
Last week I woke up when a spider bit me on my forehead. It was a shallow, burning pain rather like someone had injected a weak solution of hydrochloric acid under my skin. About a third of my forehead was flushed red when I first looked in a mirror, but the redness subsided within a few hours, leaving a dime-sized lump that is still visible a week later.

I used "Spiders and Their Kin" to tentatively identify the mangled remains of the spider as a small Brown Recluse ('Loxosceles reclusa'). Just in case I needed to go see my doctor, I put the spider into a baggie and froze it. Luckily, my forehead didn't dissolve---according to the Levis, "In severe cases...the wound grows deeper and does not heal for several months."

At any rate, "Spiders and Their Kin" is a handy book to have around. I bought a copy for my sister when she found what she thought was a Black Widow in her garage, and I also got a copy for myself in order to identify the gigantic black and yellow spider that was hanging head-down in my Japanese Spiraea (it was---or maybe I should say, she was a Black and Yellow Argiope ('A. aurantia').

When I first bought this book, just looking at the cover made me itch. However, it is filled with fascinating little tidbits about Arachnids and their kin. I used to think that Hairy Mygalomorphs were the ugliest spiders on Earth (most especially the ones with ten inch leg spans), but now my vote goes to the Pirate Spiders ('Mimetidae'). Luckily, they are small spiders (4 - 6 mm), so you would have to use a magnifying glass to get the full impact of one of these hairy little dudes.

It is really rather impolite of me to make fun of 'Mimetidae,' since they help beautify my backyard by eating other spiders. According to the authors:

"Pirate Spiders invade webs of other spiders. The slow-moving Pirate Spider bites the web owner, which is quickly paralyzed and sucked dry through the legs, one after another."

Sounds like someone dining on crab legs.

The only fault I can find with "Spiders and Their Kin" is that it doesn't go into enough detail on the individual species and subspecies of Arachnids. And that's not a fair criticism to make, since Golden Nature Guides are meant to be used for quick identification, not detailed research.

Now, I've got to work up my courage, venture outside, and try to identify that big brown spider that has built her web from the house electrical line down to the clematis beside the porch door. Her abdomen is wider than it is long, she has striped legs, and she only comes out after dark...

By the way, "Spiders and their Kin" has a useful chapter on 'Collecting Spiders.' If you're an arachnophobe like I am, learning more about these critters might be the quickest way to cure yourself. ... Read more

Book Description

Taking us from the imperial courts of ancient China to a squalid mine in Burma today, THE STONE OF HEAVEN-now in paperback-reveals for the first time the bizarre true story of Imperial Green Jade, one of the rarest stones in the world, more precious than diamonds, coveted for its life-extending powers and its aphrodisiac properties as well as for its astonishing beauty-a stone that has shaped the destiny of nations and changed the lives of all who have worn it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An excellent and thorough read
Levy and Scott-Clark are excellent story tellers, and do they ever have a story to tell. Tracing the history of imperial green jade, or jadeite, they begin in the late 18th century with Chinese emperor Qianlong and 400 rivetting pages later end in present day Myanmar. Along the way the reader is exposed to the unrestrained profligacy of the Chinese emperors and the equally unrestrained ignorance and arrogance of the British colonialists. There is scheming and plots within plots as players in the Chinese dynasties kill their own progeny to ensure a malleable emperor will succeed. The plundering by the British of the old Imperial summer palace is shocking, and the primitive warfare of the Kachin in Burma is horrifying. Levy and Scott-Clark's descriptions put the reader right into the midst of the action: the writing is so effective that you can feel the clinging humidity of the Burmese jungle as 19th century British explorers plod along in search for the mines from whence the jadeite is extracted.

Also of tremendous interest were the passages about the Dowager Empress Cixi. If all you know about the last emperor Pu Yi is from the wonderful movie "The Last Emperor," this book will help round out some of the events and issues driving the Pu Yi story along that were alluded to in the movie. Besides, the movie's only allusion to Cixi is in the very beginning when the toddler Pu Yi is brought to the Forbidden City. Levy and Scott-Clark reveal to the reader from where Cixi came and how her desire for the jadeite was often at the core of her political machinations.

And then there are the final chapters that reveal a scenario so horrifying, so shocking that even the surrealistic visions of Francis Ford Coppola in "Apocolypse Now" cannot compare.

This is definitely the best book I've read so far this year, and probably the best book I've read in the past five years. After reading this book you will not be able to look at another piece of jadeite, no matter how beautiful, and not whince because now you know the stone's infamous history. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Too Few Birds
I was impressed with the reviews for this book, enough to buy it, but I was quite dissapointed. Yes, it is well laid out for a beginner, but only two of seven types of birds that have come to feed on seed I've laid on my deck, in Northern California, were in the book. A more comprehensive book would be much more useful.

Great guide for the novice
I am a neophyte birder and this book was perfect as a beginning guide in identifying and recognizing common birds in the western region. The other bird guides I have purchased (National Geographic and Audubon) were exceptional, but for a novice, they presented too much information and too many birds. This book struck a nice, comfortable compromise. The photos of each bird are excellent and provide you a good look at the features and characteristics of each. They also tell you succinctly where the habitat would be and where you would most likely see each bird.

The best feature was that each bird was divided by color. So if you see a Wilson's warbler in your backyard but don't know for certain if your call is correct, you can quickly thumb to the "yellow" section of the book and see all the yellow birds. Thus you can quickly confirm your identification.

This book would have limited, or no value to an experienced birder, but for the beginning birder, this is a fine introduction to the hobby of birding.

French Version by Broquet
While in Quebec, I purchased Stokes: Guide to Birds of North America, eastern region. The Broquet publishers have done a dedicated job translating this guide. I wanted it in French since the species traveling over "language bounderies" would understandably assume different names. What made me select THIS book over others is that it not only included the English/N. American name of the species but also the binomial nomenclature, which many Canadian books were missing.
Even if your French is minimal, I highly recommend this book if your traveling in Quebec because not every aviary identifies these species in English.

my first bird book
This is the first book I bought to help me identify birds. I know a lot of birds because of previous knowledge of what certian birds look like. I bought this book, because I had birds comming to the ffeders at my house in which, I could not identify. This book helped me a lot. It is easy to use. It gives tips on how to attract certian birds. It helps you know what the birds' songs are like. It also has a map showing you where each bird is normally found. This book is worth spending the money on it, especially if you enjoy watching birds.

A Great Basic Bird Watching Guide!
I am unabashedly a bird lover. Having birds flock to my feeder is among my top simples pleasures of life. The ability to recognize the variety of birds is very rewarding. "Stokes Beginner's Guide to Birds" is the best basic bird guide book I yet used to quickly identify birds (Eastern Region). The pressing argument among bird guides is whether you identify birds by size/shape or by color (for a good guide that uses size/shapes see "Focus Guide to the Birds of North America by Kenn Kaufman). Stokes has used plumage color to identify over 100 species. His full color photographs (separate images of male / female) are wonderful. I especially like the tips for attracting birds and the condensed information on habitats and population change. This would be a great gift for a youngster that is inclined towards watching birds and I am sure that any adult would be equally pleased. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

Magical avian creatures that dart and hover, the 340 known species of hummingbirds arenative only to the Americas, in habitats as diverse as tropical forests, deserts, and the cold mountaintops of the Andes. Enter the world of these tiny, beguiling creatures, and learn about their migration habits, aerodynamic capabilities, wing speed, and structure. Learn how to attract hummingbirds with plants and feeders and how to photograph them, with tips on equipment, flash and film speed. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Gorgeous photos and fun, informative read!
This is a great introduction to hummingbirds. The text is delightful for all ages, and the photographs are stunning. These creatures are amazing, and I was surprised by so many things about them. I was also surprised that I didn't lose interest reading about them. From a birdwatching relative, I understand that the book has a lot of useful information for the novice as well as the veteran, and I've also been told that some of the species pictured are very rare to see in a book. I had no idea that hummingbirds come in so many different varieties with head crests and odd tails, not to mention their fascinating feeding, nesting and migrating habits. We all know they can fly like no other bird, but they sleep in an almost dead state? Truly amazing! My kids and I have really enjoyed having this book, and I have to say that my birdwatching relative prefers it to most other comparable hummingbird books on the market.

Gorgeous photos, smart writing -- what's not to like?
This is a wonderful coffee-table book! I've read it twice and still find myself picking it up at odd moments, paging through it, lost in the beautiful pictures. I can't qualify as an expert on birds, or even a more-than-casual bird watcher, but even so, I used to spend hours of my vacations in New Mexico on my relative's deck, mesmerized by "hummers." This book has reawakened my fascination with them! The spritely writing compresses a vast amount of potentially soporific information into a lively account of hummingbirds' peculiar aerodynamics and physiology, of habitat and appetite, of "livin, lovin and fightin." (Did you know hummingbird intimacies last from 2-5 seconds? That should make all of us feel better. But since they live only 3-5 years, and have to eat every ten minutes, it doesn't.) It also includes a section on the care and set-up of your own hummingbird feeder, and the hummingbird in myth and folklore. Oddly enough, this book didn't come to me through a love of hummingbirds but of poetry -- I'd read the author in a back issue of a poetry journal, looked her up in a bookstore, and found this. No wonder the prose is so enjoyable! But it is the photos that keep me coming back -- in life you tend to get a glimpse of hummers in your peripheral vision. This book brings them to a full stop, in glowing color. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

A Terrific Book!
I am a garden writer, horticulturist and botanist and I think Golden Books' Trees of North America is a darn good book. It is small enough to shove in a pocket and take along on hikes...it is easy to use, full of good information, and makes tree ID easy in most cases.
I recommend this book as a present for anyone interested in trees, in Nature, in gardening. Although it is a Golden Book and is easy to use and understand, it is by no means a book just for kids. This is an excellent book, as was the older Golden Books Trees of North America, a book I have taken along with me on many a trip. Worth every penny of the price and then some!

First-rate guide
The best book I found for understanding the classification of trees, and for clarifying the differences between the major tree families...

color illustrations make the difference
As a college graduate in Botany, I have seen many field guides. I probably own of 30 in different categories, and this one is one of my favorites. It was the only one I carried on a trip to California to identify trees in the Bay area. The color illustrations make a huge difference as they are very accurate and easy to use a field guides. It does require you to have a little more than a basic knowledge of trees, as it does not start out with a dicotomous key. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best Book on Birds of Alaska!
Robert Armstrong is an incredibly fine and thorough researcher! His books are not only understandably written and informative, but beautiful as well. Every photograph pictures the birds in full color, often showing both the male and female, which adds to the usefulness and value of this book. Definitely a Bible for any nature lover.

GREAT BOOK!
This is *the* book for Alaska birding, and it's well-written enough to serve as pleasure reading even for those outside the state. The birds are organized logically, with detailed descriptions of habitat, similar species, and markings. Each description is accompanied by excellent all-color photos, many showing female and male and sometimes seasonal variations. Unlike other large bird guides, this one's easy to use in the field. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

a bird in the hand...
An outstanding reference. I especially enjoyed the "honey glazed ruby-throated dessert".

a guide book for the hummer lover
A great book for anyone who wants to attract and feed hummingbirds, it's packed with all the basic information you'll need, starting with choosing the right feeder for your area, the sugar solution to put in it, and the maintenance and cleaning of it, which the Stokes say: "We can't emphasize enough how important it is to take feeder maintenance seriously", as any mold or bacteria can be "risking the health, and possibly the lives", of these jeweled wonders of the bird family...and they show you the easy steps to be taken to keep the feeders clean.

There are also 6 pages on orioles, who can be seen sometimes at hummer feeders. It gives a "quick guide" to 8 species of these beautiful birds, with lovely photos to help identification. It also shows how one can set up feeders specifically for orioles, and the sugar solution to use, which is slightly different from that of the hummer mixture.

Chapters on the "Hummingbird Habitat" and "Gardening", give you a list of plants and flowers that hummers like the most, by geographical region. "Amazing Facts" truly is amazing. Among the many fascinating things you'll learn is that their heart can beat 1,260 times per minute, but can sometimes slow down to 50 beats per minute at night to conserve energy. There are other chapters on "Myths", "Baby Hummingbirds", and "Photographing Hummingbirds".

Nearly half the book is devoted to the identification of the different species, with photos, maps, behaviour patterns, and much more. Once you've identified your visitors, you'll get to know the idiosyncrasies of the species, and it's sure to add to the joy and delight of watching these miraculous little creatures.

The Stokes stroke their stuff...
I was so impressed with the depth of the study, and the over-all content of this book, and yet it is very comprehensive. I am a new Hummer-lover, and I definitely recommend this colorful book to the newcomer because it is so thorough. I was able to easily identify the species that visit my deck every morning, and discover the variety of flowers they prefer, and even predict their behavior. This book is a veritible wealth of information on common and rare Hummers that has made me appreciate these beautiful and delicate little creatures even more that I did before! What an awesome Creator we have! ... Read more

Book Description

Covering all 835 species of birds recorded on the continent, including 116 accidentals, this is the first field guide to North American birds specifically designed to satisfy the interests and needs of the serious birder. Its three volumes contain, in all, 1245 full-color photographs, 193 paintings, 422 drawings, and 650 range maps, while 61 of the nation's top field ornithologists and experts contribute their special knowledge to the 370,000 words of text. Entries are arranged taxonomically according to the new American Ornithologists' Union classification.

This volume contains:

Old World Warblers and Thrushes, Mimic-Thrushes, Accentors, Wagtails and Pipits, Waxwings, Silky-Flycatchers, Shrikes, Starlings, Vireos, Wood Warblers, Bananaquits, Tanagers, Cardinals and Thier Allies, New World Blackbirds and Orioles, Finches, Old World Sparrows

Volume 1 contains:

Loons, Grebes, Albatrosses, Shearwaters and Petrels, Storm-Petrels, Tropicbirds, Boobies and Gannets, Pelicans, Cormorants, Anhingas, Frigatebirds, Herons, Ibises and Spoonbills, Storks, Flamingos, Swans, Geese, and Ducks, New World Vultures, Hawks and Eagles, Falcons, Chachalacas, Pheasants, Grouse, and Quails, Rails, Limpkins, Cranes, Thick-knees, Plovers, Oystercatchers, Stilts and Avocets, Jacanas. Sandpipers

Volume 2 contains:

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers, Auks, Pigeons and Doves, Parrots, Cuckoos, Barn-Owls, Typical Owls, Nightjars, Swifts, Hummingbirds, Trogons, Hoopoes, Kingfishers, Woodpeckers, Tyrant-Flycatchers, Larks, Swallows, Jays and Crows, Titmice, Verdins, Bushtits, Nuthatches, Creepers, Bulbuls, Wrens, Dippers ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Searching for Vol. 2
If you have a copy of Volume 2 (Gulls, Terns and Skimmers) for sale, please notify me.

Kasieluka@aol.com

Where's volume 1 and 2?
Every serious birder should have the Master Guide. Unforntunately it is out of print and until the publisher decides to release it again so that one can have the complete set of all three volumes, it will leave a void in one's birding library. It might be out of date (1983), but the photographs for the most part as well as the text are extremely helpful when used in conjunction with other field guides. Sometimes it is the guide that will finally answer the question of what bird was that when the other guides have left you guessing. Here's hoping the publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, will release all three volumes again real soon! stormpetrel@msn.com

Once very good, now out of date
Despite the pitfalls of trying to accurately and completely represent abird species using just one or two photographs, the original 3-volumeAudubon Master Guide was a ground-breaking resource for intermediate toadvanced birding, with information on many rare and/or hard-to-identifyspecies. Unfortunately, the guide is really showing its age. I used to useit on every birding trip, but so many new species have been recorded, somany names have changed, and so many new resources have become availablethat the Master Guide has been collecting dust on my bookshelf for severalyears now. I now rely on such specialty guides as A Field Guide to AdvancedBirding, A Guide to the Identification and Natural History of Sparrows ofthe United States and Canada, A Photographic Guide to North AmericanRaptors, and A Field Guide to Warblers. I'm also anxiously awaiting therelease this year of the Audubon Master Guide by David Sibley (whichdespite its name will bear very little resemblance to this 3-volume set)and the forthcoming "back-to-basics" field guide by Ken Kaufman.

Best on the market!
I looked for a long time for the best book with photos not someones idea what the birds look like.Also it gives excellent data on identification, breeding, habitat and comparisons

best of any bird identification book on the market (3 vols)
the best of the best,be sure to get all three volumes, i have found these books to be the most accurate from florida to canada, and new jersey to california ... Read more

Amazon.com

Modoc is the joint biography of a man and an elephant born in a small German circus town on the same day in 1896. Bram was the son of an elephant trainer, Modoc the daughter of his prize performer. The boy and animal grew up devoted to each other. When the Wunderzircus was sold to an American, with no provision to take along the human staff, Bram stowed away on the ship to prevent being separated from his beloved Modoc. A shipwreck off the Indian coast and a sojourn with a maharajah were only the beginning of the pair's incredible adventures. They battled bandits, armed revolutionaries, cruel animal trainers, and greedy circus owners in their quest to stay together. They triumphed against the odds and thrilled American circus audiences with Modoc's dazzling solo performances, only to be torn apart with brutal suddenness, seemingly never to meet again. Hollywood animal trainer Ralph Helfer rescued Modoc from ill-treatment and learned her astonishing story when Bram rediscovered her at Helfer's company. His emotional retelling of this true-life adventure epic will make pulses race and bring tears to readers' eyes.--Wendy Smith ... Read more

Reviews (97)

Best show & Elephant on earth - Best book on earth
"Modoc is a love story, a gut wrenching saturday afternoon kind of love story that should not be attempted without a full box if tissues within easy reach."- Detroit free press This quote is on the front cover of Modoc and is definetly true. Modoc is the best yet saddest book i have ever read. i have read a lot of books and Modoc is the only one in which i have actually cried in. This book doesn't even have to be for animal lovers to like. Modoc shows how close animals and people really are and how smart animals really can be. Modoc is a story of a boy named Bram and his elephant Modoc and the journeys he and the boy have together. some sad, some exciting, and some just plain fun. i reccomend this book to anybody of any age i am only 11 years old and still truly enjoyed this book. It is truly the best book i have ever read.

heartwarming, breathtaking, and wonderfully written for all
Modoc has to be the most amazing story ever told about one's love for the animal kingdom. I was astonished with the retold accounts throughout the text........always reading on to find out what happened next to Bram and his beloved Modoc. I can honestly say it is my favorite book of all time for it touched my heart and actually did bring tears to my eyes as I completed it aboard an airline. I've handed it down to my sister to be read to my 6-year-old nephew. He's intrigued with the story and loves hearing it aloud. It's a book for all ages indeed!

Awesome book!
I normally dont like reading books at all. I always catch myself thinking about different things like whats going on in my life, and not remebering anything that i just read. When i read Modoc, i caught myself thinking about other things, however those other things were everything thats been going on in modoc's life other than my own.

Fascinating Story
This is truely one of the best books I have ever read. It is a touching and poignant story of the relationship between a boy/man and his elephant. No other story that I have read has captured the bond between human and animal as convincingly as this. Other reviewers are too hung up on the accuracy of the author's claim that the story is true. He clearly states at the beginning that there is a certain amount of "hearsay" and poetic license taken with the story. I could not put this book down. It hooked me from the beginning and didn't let go until long after I had read the book. This book begs to be made into a movie. Don't miss it.

AN ENDEARING STORY FOR ALL
This is the most touching and beautiful story I have ever read. I am grateful to Ralph Helfer for telling it. I would recommend the book to everyone. ... Read more

Book Description

The first comprehensive field guide to freshwater fishes - covers all 790 species known in the United States and Canada. More than 700 illustrations, most in color, show identifying marks.Also includes 377 distribution maps and additional drawings of key details. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Finishing the Trilogy
It might interest the reader of this review (since your looking at the book) to know that while fresh water only represents about 1% of the available aquatic habitat on earth over half of the known species of fish live in it. I'll leave it up to you to find out why. Peterson Field Guides have a winning formula, find an expert, set them up with a good illustrator and see what comes out. This book finishes the trio that covers all of the fishes likely to be encountered by a North American fisherman, diver or naturalist. Like the Fishes of the Atlantic Coast and the Fishes of the Pacific Coast it is well organized, well written, all inclusive (of species) and as informative as space will allow. If you are curious about fishes in general or encounter fresh water fish with any kind of regularity you owe it to yourself to find out what they are. And, if you live in North America you should have this book.

A Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes
This book has informed me on the many fishes I catch ranging from California to New York. Every year when I go down to Arkansas I alwyas bring it with me on my fishing journeys so that I no whati am catching. It has over 700 illistrations and over 300 maps. In all of my searching for book this has been the most helpful book I have used. I recamend buying it for yourself. It will help you alot.

ID only
Do not expect more than ID from the book. It is excellent at ID but that is all you will get for sure. I bought it for ID and it serves the purpose very well. One must also question the range maps since as explained in the text of the book they are compromised.

The best field guide written for freshwater fishes.
It is by far the best field guide for freshwater fishes in North America. Each description of the fish are accurate and the plate drawings are great.

The definitive guide to freshwater fishes.
This volume by Page and Burr is the definitive guide to freshwater fishes of North America, written by two leading ichthyologists. The illustrations are excellent, the distribution maps are useful, and the data are precise. If you're looking for a fieldguide to freshwater fishes, buy this one before any other. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

The quintessential parrot reference
It's unfortunate that this book is out of print, as it's a parrot fanatic's ultimate reference to parrots in the wild. Beautifully illustrated with full-color plates, it covers every known species of parrot, and some that are sadly extinct since its printing. It provides information on all aspects of psittacines in the wild as far as they are known, from size to range to breeding habits to habitat, but it's really the illustrations that make this book so valuable. If you're at all interested in wild parrots, this book is among the best.

Note the size!
If you are a collector of books on parrots, and simply must have them all, then by all means get this book. Otherwise, beware, this is a large book that does not fit on an average height bookshelf! It also has the look and feel of an older book, compared to some of the many fancy guides that have come out in recent years.

Parrots of the World,Raptors of the World,Sibleys guide of B
It's the most complet guide of parrots and raptors publicated in the world.

A reference book for school and for fun.
This has been a great book for reference. It is very organized. I wrote a report about a Scarlet Macaw and it was a big help. I hope bird-lovers everywhere read this book!

This is a great reference for parrot lovers of all ages.
My mother bought me this book for my tenth birthday and my appreciation of it has grown each year as I am now twenty. As a child I enjoyed it's fantastic illustrations and as an adult I've used it as a reference in my college research papers. I recomend it highly to anyone of any age with a love for parrots. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Must have.
This book is an absolute must-have for anyone who wants to draw these birds... or simply appreciates their beauty. These aren't simply glamor-shots, they're close-up detailed images, from a number of different angles. Every one is well lit, in crisp focus, and shows wonderful detail.

Excellent Reference
This wonderfully photographed book is an excellent reference for anyone interested in carving birds of prey. An extremely thorough series of photographs is included for each bird covered in the book. Additionally, patterns and other carving consideration are included for each specimen. The book concludes with a chapter on creating acrylic eyes for carvings, a chapter on carving and painting a kestrel, and a chapter exhibiting some of the authors carvings. Incidentally, the author's carvings are great.

Scholtz's other book, Carving a Red Tailed Hawk, does not do this book justice. This book contains better photographs and better carving.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in carving birds of any type.

Gorgeous photos, facinating ifo
This is a gorgeous book packed with large color photos of many beautiful live birds. Its intended purpose is as a sourcebook for artists, but it will universally appeal to any bird lover.

The introductory chapter illustrates common features of raptor anatomy. Detailed chapters follow on 17 major North American species with numerous color photos and line drawings with dimensions.

A practical application is included with a step-by-step section on carving and painting a finely detailed kestrel in wood. There are even instructions for making remarkable lifelike eyes from acrylic plastic.

The book concludes with a gallery of the author's own fabulous museum quality carvings. This is a great combination of nature photography and fine art.

Terrific resource!
Not only bird artists, but any bird lover would enjoy this book. The pictures are excellent, in focus and from all angles.

This book is often in use at my lab table.

Excellent technique & reference guide.
The book is a nice blend of reference photos & applicable techniques. Mr. Scholz is one of those rare "birds" who is confident enough in his work and in himself to be able to share his secrets freely. His work and his attitude is top notch. The hints and ideas he gives a useful to the beginner as well as the more advanced carver. The book is a joy to read or to use as a reference. The real kicker is the section in the back where some of his work is diplayed with a comment from Mr. Shcolz about each carving. His unpretentiousness combined with the quality of his work can certainly cause the aspiring carver to need a reality check! GREAT BOOK! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This is the best introductory guide I've ever used.
You can throw away those rock and mineral guides you've been collecting through the years; this well-written and well-thought out guide makes them pale and obsolete. I bought this for myself, then needed another one for a young niece who was captivated by its straightforward style and unbelievable photos. It is clean and organized and easy to use as a reference. It would also make a great text for self-education as it places rocks and minerals in context, including photos and descriptions of famous cliffs, sills, and other geologic formations around the world. ... Read more

Book Description

An award-winning nature writer weaves natural history and personal experience into the dramatic story of the last days of six North American bird species.

Journey with Christopher Cokinos to a time when flocks of Passenger Pigeons blocked the sun and Carolina Parakeets colored the sky--according to one pioneer--"like an atmosphere of gems."

Driven by a desire to understand the lives of these now-extinct birds and how and why they vanished, Cokinos excavates crumbling newspapers and forgotten reports. From Bird Rock in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Louisiana's tangled bayous, he searches for those who loved the Passenger Pigeon, the Carolina Parakeet, and the Labrador Duck; for the people who stalked the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, the Heath Hen, and the Great Auk; and for those who tried to save them.

A compelling blend of science, history, politics, and memoir, Hope Is the Thing with Feathers draws on previously unpublished photographs and original documents to make these long-vanished birds come alive. Cokinos delves into the mysterious sighting of Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers in April 1999; the incredible plan to create new Heath Hens on Martha's Vineyard; and the astonishing possibility that these extinct birds could be resurrected through the science of cloning. Published to mark the 100-year anniversary of the shooting of the last wild Passenger Pigeon, Hope Is the Thing with Feathers is a wonderfully textured and ultimately uplifting narrative.

"This story--the ghost species still haunting this continent--is full of power and mystery."--Bill McKibben

Illustrated with 30 black-and-white photographsBibliographyIndex ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Perched in the soul...
...From the second line of the Emily Dickinson poem that both inspired Cokinos and gave him his title for the book. It is only natural that a poet would look to Dickinson and it is appropriate that it is this form which guides this book. HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS is indeed a poetic and lyrical description of the symbolic significance of six vanished species of North American birds.

The Carolina parakeet, Heath Hen, Great Auk, Passenger pigeon, Labrador duck and Ivory-billed woodpecker have with their passing come to represent for Cokinos a lot more than simply another group of vanished species. They are emblematic of lost time, effort, habitat, environment, and are missing slice of life. Poignant as his descriptions of their loss is, there is always an element of hope that suffuses each of his chapters.

Cokinos with this book successfully blends history with a little bit of biology and adds just enough personal observation and insight. The mix works and his writing is excellent. There is enough science here to satisfy those who wish to remain at a respectable distance. For those who don't mind getting close there is sufficient reason - through what these birds represent about our past and future on this planet - to allow them to come and perch in your soul.

Excellen Book with tons of information
Cokinos, an amateur birder, explores the life histories and conservation problems of North America's extinct birds, and then visits some of the famous zoos and nesting sites that marked the end of a species. Each section is filled with personal stories about the birds to give the reader a better feel for how the birds reacted to their habitats.

The book covers the Passenger Pigeon, Heath Hen, Carolina Parakeet, Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Labrador Duck and Great Auk. Every birder has seen large flocks of Cedar Waxwings practically stripping all the berries from a tree- but imagine a flock of 3,000 Passenger Pigeons (considerably larger than a Mourning Dove, and much noisier) flying into a forest and deciding to nest there. That would be a small colony. It was the most populous bird on earth just a hundred years ago- and now it's gone.

The book is filled with interesting, and sometimes witty stories that will keep the reader from closing the cover. Sometimes, though, Cokinos drags on with information that doesn't seem necessary to the rest of the text- but this, by no means, should discourage you from buying the novel. I definitely recommend it.

A wonderful book - definitely required reading
Although it chronicles several chapters of bull-headed human stupidity, this book also documents the painstaking efforts of the many people who worked hard to save these vanished creatures, and offers some hope that the future need not repeat the past. At times sad, but also funny, and even joyful despite the material.

One of the best books I have ever read...
This book touched me deeply, made me both laugh, made me cry, made me angry...and also made me marvel at the what nature created, that I will never see. Months later, this book still touches me, and I often think of the stories in it. I didn't think a book on this subject could be as engaging, interesting and sad. It took me into the lives of these birds, explained their demise, told me about the last of their species. This really is a story that should be required reading for everyone...something that shows us that our actions have costs, shows us how greed and selfishness can really hurt the world around us, permanently...

Interesting, well-written, for lovers of wild birds
For the most part, Christopher Cokinos' "Hope is the Thing With Feathers" is an excellent and comfortable book. The author's writing style makes reading this book almost effortless. The pages flew by almost as if I were watching a movie.

The book chronicles, from a very personal level, the author's research on some of America's more recently extinct birds: the Carolina Parakeet, Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Heath Hen, Passenger Pigeon, Labrador Duck and the Great Auk. I imagine that this book would only be of interest to someone who has, at the least, a passing interest in birds. Although the historical context is well represented, it's still a book about birds.

The book is 336 well-written pages with about 30 or 40 black-and-white photographs and drawings. The author included a selected bibliography, index and an interesting Frequently-Asked-Questions (FAQ) style interview at the back of the book.

The only drawbacks were the very few occasions where the wonderful prose gives way to a dry, almost painful, regurgitation of historical fact. In addition there are some brief but awkward inclusions of political correctness that don't seem to fit with the overall text.

I would buy this book again without a second thought! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

A good guide for beginners.
This was either the first or second guide that I started out with when I was very young. I will always have respect for it. It contains full-color drawings of the most common birds that a person is likely to see. A total of 129 of the most common American birds is included. Text and range maps are also included in this pocket-sized guide. The drawings display spring plumages of adult male birds, and normally females or young if they are very different. The text is good and gives the common name, length, description, behavior, verbal descriptions of vocalizations, and sometimes abundance. The text also points out the differences between males and females, and related birds that are similar. This guide contains some nice introductory information. Some of the information deals with how to use the guide, how to identify birds, equipment, where to look, bird classification, and attracting birds. There are also two illustrations that detail the parts of a bird. I find all of the drawings throughout this guide to be pretty good. Most of the drawings share the same page as the text and range map, but a few of the drawings are on the right page, while the text and range maps are on the left page. This guide has some very useful information that is located in the back. For each bird that is illustrated, there is information dealing with migration, eggs, nests, and feeding habits. The back of the guide also contains a listing of scientific names for the birds illustrated and an index. I used to take this guide out with me when I first started birdwatching. I still have the older and also the newer edition. Whenever I would identify a particular species of bird, I would write all of the important information about it on the page. Even though I don't take this guide into the field anymore, it's not because I don't like it. I feel confident with the organization, drawings, and information; however, this guide does not contain all of the birds of North America--only the common ones. That aside, I still think that this guide is a good choice and starting point for beginners.

A great guide for beginning birders and children
This was either the first or second bird guide I ever owned. It's a birding guide that contains the most common species of birds that you'll see. The maps are good, the drawings are excellent, and the information on each bird is great. Greater starter guide for beginners and children. ... Read more

Book Description

This field guide features detailed descriptions of 455 species of trees native to eastern North America, including the Midwest and the South. The 48 color plates, 11 black-and-white plates, and 26 text drawings show distinctive details needed for identification. Color photographs and 266 color range maps accompany the species descriptions. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great book
This has been wonderful us as a homeschooling family. It has been an excellent resource to identifying trees in our area. I recommend it to anyone teaching their children at home about trees.

A good guide to a difficult subject
Peterson's has about the best pocket-sized tree guide out there (I much prefer it to the Audubon guide, which I also own), but I won't kid with you - identifying trees is hard. It takes time, patience, and a keen eye. Just looking at leaves is usually not enough to make a positive identification. Depending on the species and the time of year, you may also have to examine bark, the twigs, flowers, buds, or fruits. The best part of the Peterson guide is that it has summer and winter keys in the back - don't ignore them just because the keys have no pictures! They are invaluable. Without them, you might find yourself lost among the many pages of illustrations. Perhaps the best resource to supplement this guide would be contact with an expert on the flora of your area - perhaps a naturalist at a local park or a forestry professor at a nearby university.

So-so book. Spend your money elsewhere
I know quite a bit about trees [boy scout, landscaping, etc], and I found this book to be very confusing in its layout. Not all of the trees described have all identification visually depicted -- leaf, bark, twig, seed -- and what pictures it has are separated from the text description by hundreds of pages. "Okay, this is an oak leaf, and they're described here... hmm, the pictures are back there ... hold on, let me use the leaf as a bookmark ..." Not handy at all.

The text itself is very detailed, but the "how to use this book" chapter doesn't show pictures to describe what is meant by the specific terms it uses. So even though I know quite a bit about trees, I found myself having to go back to botany books to look up 'bundled leaf scar' [and other terms] so I could try to determine from text only the difference between one specific tree from a similar one, only one of which is poisonous to my horses.

As a result, I am confused, and we have to wait until the tree completely leafs out in a month or two before we can make the determination whether to cut it down or not.

Additionally, only a fraction of the trees it contains has habitat or range maps, so I can't even tell whether I need to be concerned about a specific tree being native in my area. And in one case, the Osage Orange which grows like weeds here and has for at least a hundred years, shows a range limited to TX and S.W. AR ... 300 miles away. I've seen better tree-ident books in the book stores when I needed to look up one specific item. I wish I could remember the names of them.

On the plus side, the text descriptions are very detailed, and contain lots of interesting tidbits that you wouldn't find elsewhere. I'd suggest that you use other books unless you're actually a forest ranger or a PhD in trees.

Good reference material
This book was very informative for both my schooling and my job. It has helped me with both my classes and my job. All of the Peterson Field Guides are helpful and informative. They are relatively easy to use for people that have some knowledge of the species. Overall good books.

Not the flashiest, but the clearest
I use other field guides for browsing, but this is the guide I use when I go out into the field and I really want to identify things. It uses a very clear key to subdivide trees into specific groups (like needleleaf/broadleaf or opposit-leaved/alternate-leaved), narrowing down the choices and making identification much easier. The drawings are very clear, and as a bonus, you get a tiny map for each species identifying its exact geographical range. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Pocket Guide to the Birds of Britain and North-west Europe.
I checked this book out of the library prior to a trip to London, and now I'm going to buy a copy for my library.This is such a well laid out book, and the perfect size for the field.The information on the covers is particularly nice, with black and white illustrations of members of all the families so that you can quickly determine where in the guide to look for details.This is very helpful because there are many unfamiliar birds there that don't fit into the categories of birds we're used to in the states.And right inside the front cover is a color-coded index to help you quickly get to the section you need.I also liked the interesting facts about the birds that you don't see in many field guides.If you need a guide to birds for this area, this is definitely the one to have!

Pocket Guide to the Birds of Britain and North-West Europe
I ordered this book for a trip to Northern Germany and really lucked out.I read previous reviews, liked the format and size and gave it a shot.It was perfect for my needs. I recommend it highly.

Please let them publish one for North America!
Before our vacation in Denmark this month, I purchased this guideand based my selection on the 2 previous reviews and its small size. Boy, did I get lucky! This is one great field guide! Not only is all the pertinent information for each species located on one page, but that one page is also full of all sorts of interesting items (such as behaviors and flight patterns), written and/or pictured. If the authors would compile a similar guide for our North American species, it would surely replace my almost-worn-out National Geographic (my previous favorite)!

an excellent field guide
This is a very intelligently laid out guide for the field.Pictures, copy and maps are all on the one page; no thumbing from picture to map to copy, as with Peterson's field guide.No space is wasted, even the inside coversare full of information, and there is a color code index.This wasdesigned by persons who know what it is to hurry, in wind, rain or badlight, to identify a bird.

Haven't personally tried, but ranked very high on Usenet.
Visit rec.birds newsgroup and ask for the UK Field Guide FAQ.This is one of the winners out of many guides available. ... Read more