I have waited all my life for a nature handbook such as this! So many questions I've had were answered in this book. (ie. what DOES poison sumac really look like? Or, is that REALLY just a milk snake -- or could it be poisonous?)Beautiful pictures, and clearly written, informative sections provide excellent information for nature lovers of every age. This book would be a welcome addition to every New Englander's home library and is small enough to be easily portable for hiking etc. I found myself wanting to give one to everyone I know, from grandchildren to grandparents!

My wife and I both really enjoy the descriptions of New England habitats, geology and other natural phenomena, and the information about parks at the end.

We take many drives to different parts of New England, and go exploring. Often we see something and wonder what it is. Now we keep this book in the car. It has greatly increased our knowledge and appreciation of our new England home.

Since reading this one, we have bought others of the series on the strength of the habitat and other "natural history" information. The authors' writing is clear and engaging and makes the material accessible to the tenderest of tenderfeet.

I've been searching for a book like this for the past two years. It contains information on the different types of habitats, birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, trees, lichen, wildflowers, mammals (...the list goes on) found in the New England area. It even has a collection of star maps for people who are also interested in the New England night sky. The information is well laid out and easy to read and is accompanied by detailed color diagrams and photos. What I like best about this book though is I no longer have to carry around 5 different field guides when I go out hiking now. I only need to carry this one.

The Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky has been for many years one of the best guides to the night sky. With hundreds of full color photographs of our solar system, the constellations as viewed with the unaided eyes, meteors, comets and other wonders of the sky this Field Guide is easy to use (it has a section on how to do it) and provides lots of information for the beginner astronomer, the casual observer, the more advanced amateurs or anyone interested in astronomy. As it is written on the Introduction, the aim of the book is to depict the objects of the night sky visible to binoculars, the unaided eye or small telescopes. Its small format and dew resistant cover make the Guide a perfect companion outdoors and the locating monthly charts are a real help in order to find the way through the stars. I own a 1992 Edition of this Field Guide and I still use it a lot. Later editions come with updated planetary posisitons and longitude tables along with the Messier Catalog list, periodic comet and major meteor shower tables and other useful data indicating past, present and future astronomical events. Definitively, this Guide is the first among the best of its kind!

I was looking for a different Astronomy Field Guide and didn't find it - BOY am I glad. Instead I found and purchased this gem, and am very pleased with it. I'm quite the amateur. I wanted to learn more, and to get a good guide to help me find all the Messier objects, NGCs, and others. I also wanted to learn about them. This book has it all - including 136 Sky Charts, Color photos of the Messier Objects (and bunches of others), In Depth Discussion and Descriptions of the Constellations and thier contents (including all the M. objects and many, many NGC objects), Solar System in depth guides, moon photos and guide, and more. Whether using your eyes, a binocular or an 8" telescope, this book will help you to go right to the object of your choice. A handy field guide, yet as readable as a good novel.

If you are going to get one astronomy book get 'The National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky'. This book has monthly star charts, moon maps, definitions of objects in space, and gives information about our planets. Did you ever want to know how far Betelgeuse is from earth, why do 12 constellations make up the Zodiac, or how to find M13 in the sky? This is the book for you.

I purchased one of these for my mother as a gift and once I saw it I knew I had to get one. The pictures are just crystal clear of breathtaking panoramas and animals. The animal pictures were shot at close range and you can see all their body parts and the colors are just absolutely beautiful. I love this engagement calendar. The days have alot of space so you can write whatever you need down on them. I encourage anyone to purchase this calendar. It is probably the prettiest one I have ever had!!

Lisa Nary

It's a 2002 calendar, with beautiful photos. What more can I say? Pages contain the week (Mon-Sun) on one side, and a beautiful color photo on the other. It would be nice to have more space in the back for "notes" but there's plenty of room to write within the space for each day.

The stunning photographs in this engagement calendar, complete with educational descriptions, are only part of the joys to owning it. Unlike other engagement calendars that I have owned, there is a picture for every week. Cross-cultural special days are noted as well as the moon cycles. There is plenty of space to write important information. Something that might benefit the book that other engagement calendars have are a sturdier spiral binding and a durable plastic cover- otherwise, for those who love animals and nature, this engagement calendar is about as close to perfection as you can get!

I ordered this book after reading other peoples reviews. Something in particular I was looking for was information about clouds (types/formations, significance).

This book has exactly the information I was looking for (and more); detailed information about clouds - including hunderds of pictures - allow me to identify and name the different cloud types. It also explains very well how this all relates to the overall weather situation.

Although the book is targetted towards North American weather, I did not find this a major disadvantage. Weather situations in the US and Canada are mostly used as examples, and knowing the general European situation, information is easily put into context.

When ordering I was a little bit worried this was one more popular weather book with the standard stuff. No sir! This book definitely also serves the more serious weather observer.

Recommended!

I bought this book to prepare for a Meteorology course in college. It prepared me well giving great detail that even a beginner could understand. Contains Stunningly Beautiful pictures.

A wonderful guide to weather and climate. Stunning photographs with an easy to use reference section. If you're interested in weather phenomena, you really should own this book

I just got back from a two week safari in Tanzania and both of my guides raved about my book. They each had books with pictures of birds and animals, not actual photos. The descriptions in this book are accurate, the photos beautiful, and the price is well worth it. I ended up giving my copy to my guide when he took me to the Serengeti airstrip for my trip home. I'm ordering another copy now!

This is a great reference guide to African wildlife. It could be used on safari to identify some animals or acquire additional information about already well know animals. It can also be used at home to read about the animal behavior, habitats and national parks of Africa. The book has wonderful collection of photographs useful for identification of many species. It also lists national parks and other sanctuaries by country. There are photographs of different wildlife habitats and a chapter explaining the geography of African continent. This is a very useful book, which could be used in many different ways to enjoy or gather information about the wildlife of the African continent. I recommend this guide to anybody interested in the natural history of Africa.

This book gives you everything you need to know about the biogeography of Africa and many of the animals found in Africa. Pictures of the animals and land of Africa make it especialy helpful.

One of the most common stories you hear while visiting purveyors of original Audubon prints is how they constantly receive phone calls asking "is my Audubon print an original?" Of course, this is due to the combination of two phenomena - people have the general notion that Audubon prints are valuable, but there are millions of reproductions out there which, although they may be aesthetically pleasing, are not worth much. How to tell if you hit the jackpot (an Antiques Roadshow moment) without making that phone call? Buy this book. Bill Steiner has written the first extensive treatment on Audubon prints from the viewpoint of the collector. There are lots of books about Audubon out there, and some scholarly books on the original prints (most notably by Susanne Low). But, this book lays out all the knowledge gathered by an avid collector, accumulated over many years of poking through print shops and galleries and examining large numbers of Audubon prints, of all kinds. If you don't have the time to learn all these details the old fashioned way, as Bill Steiner did, then this is your best key to the world of collecting Audubon prints. It is written in an almost folksy style, and is very accessible to the reader. Of great importance to anyone thinking of starting to obtain some of those actually genuine original Audubon prints is an evaluation of how to do this via auction, and in particular, via online auction sites. But, this book is more than just for the beginner, and long-time connoisseurs of Audubon will immensely enjoy it, both for validation of what they already knew, as well as to see if the author knows something they don't!

As a collector and publisher of Audubon prints, I am finding Bill Steiner's fresh and realistic approach to Audubon collecting quite refreshing. With the growing interest in collecting all things Audubon, Bill Steiner separates the dream from the fantasy, and those who are now just setting out in the sometimes confusing world of Audubon print collecting would be well-advised to study this book. Steiner's book is a primer for the novice and a most useful handbook for experienced collectors. Those new to collecting Audubon's beautiful images will be given wisdom beyond their years, and will be spared the common and costly initial mistakes newer collectors often make. Often I have seen Audubon reproduction prints that were worth a few dollars at most, auctioned off on eBay for hundreds of dollars. I have also seen prints described as 'first edition octavos' when they were in reality just pages torn from a modern-day book. Steiner will step by step guide you through this area, and show you what is valuable, and what is worthless. Further, his thorough research will help anyone identify the Audubon prints they may already have, as he lists characteristics of all the major editions available today on the market. There is also excellent background information on the original prints themselves, such as how and when they were produced, how to determine their value, and how to care for them. Chapter 7 speaks about buying and selling Audubon prints, such as through eBay, and is filled with practical suggestions that will make this experience productive. Audubon print collectors, or those who just want to purchase one or two prints for their home, will benefit from this instructive publication.

I was excited to see new and informative information that is finally available and updated in today's terms. No other book that I have read on Audubon prints has been so detailed and easy to read and follow. As a relative new collector in Audubon's work, I have to say this book gets three thumbs up. Time was taken for the reader to explore nearly any avenue of collecting from surfing the web to well established galleries. Equal time was given to all unlike many books who seems to slant their findings to the bigger clients and money. The information presented was enough as to not leave you hanging and buying more books. However plenty of information was provided if one indeed wanted to shop for other material. The guess work is simply gone and good data puts you in the driver seat. Other sources in the book such as Minniesland and Taylor Clark were more than helpful in providing services and information. This book is well worth the money and I would highly recommend it. I read the book in one day, far from the norm. I would buy another book from this author today if it existed.

Without doubt, the best "Colored" pictures and information one could ask for!!

After moving to the Tahoe National Forest in California, we knew we needed a book to identify the wildlife, flora, trees and insects.This is simply the most perfect book. Clearly written, beautiful photos and well organized. We use it all of the time!Karyn Lepley

this guide, as well as the others in this series, are an excellent first book or primary reference for those living or travelling in the areas they cover.

one of best points is that they are not exhaustive in their coverage. instead they focus on the most commonly seen species. so instead of flipping through endless pages of references to rare or seldom seen species, one can quickly find the specific plant or animal they encounter.

if one becomes more focused in study of a given type of plant or animal one can turn to more exhaustive and detailed texts -- such as audobon's own guides to birds, trees, mammals, etc.

i have found that this series is an excellent gift for those who are not specifically focused on nature studies. my parents enjoyed their gift copy -- as it enabled them to identify the trees and animals in their own back yard.

the specific entries are informative and interesting. the production values (photos, indexes) are excellent. and the opening essays are a special treat; they well written and well worth reading. they can inspire one to pay a bit more attention to the natural landscape even if all they do is drive through it.

I recently purchased THE AUDUBON BACKYARD BIRDWATCHER, as well as WHERE THE BIRDS ARE published by the National Wildlife Federation and BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA from the Smithsonian. All three books have something to recommend them, and if you are an avid bird watcher or want to become one you will want all three. The Audubon book will have the greatest appeal to the backyard bird watcher who has neither the time nor inclination to travel to the wonderful sites listed in the NWF publication. The Audubon book is not exhaustive or even nearly so. For a more complete listing of birds, turn to another Audubon publication or the Smithsonian publication I mentioned above. Audubon offers complete listings of birds by geographic regions in other publications. You'll find only birds adapted to areas inhabited by humans in the AUDUBON BACKYARD BIRDWATCHER -- familiar friends like Robins and Finches, Pine Siskins and Chickadees. Each bird entry contains a photograph of the bird under discussion, sometimes in flight, sometimes posing and sometimes feeding itself or it's young. This book is wonderful for kids and I am using it to teach my grandchildren about birds just as my grandparents taught me!! The book contains sections on bathing, bird calls (including call notes and mimicry), and baby raising, and all are illustrated with many wonderful photos including some amazing shots of babies hatching, babies being fed, and babies launching into independence. Sections on bird pests, bird deaths, and bird rescues explain foiling predators, warning birds about glass windows, and banding and tracking birds. The child exposed to this book will learn someting about birds and life. Probably one of the most informative sections for the new birder or even old birders like me includes suggestions about what to grow in your own backyard to attract the birds. It's not enough to put out seed in a birdfeeder if you want diversity, though the book covers what to use in bird feeders. If you want to see anything other than seed eaters however, you'll have to provide other types of foods including bugs and berries. Usually where you grow berries, you'll have bugs. The book contians sections on hedging, vegetation variety, leaf litter (for cover, food, and nest-building), dust for baths, and water requirements. While the Audubon book isn't a gardening book per se, you'll find more information about building a bird friendly garden in this book than in most gardening books. I recommend the Audubon book as a teaching and instuction tool for the new birders and old birders alike. Oh--my favorite baby picture? -- the short-eared owls. If you don't think owls can come to your back yard guess again. I've had them in my backyard and I live 10 minutes from the White House. I won't tell you want owls eat. You just go right on thinking it's mice.

Before I purchased this book, I struggled to find something that I could refer to quickly when I spotted a bird at my feeder. Not only did this book provide me with basic features such as nesting habits, song descriptions, and typical diets of each bird, it also gave vital information on how to attract these fascinating little guys into your yard through the use of water, food, shelter, & shrubs and flowers. The photos are fantastic as well. I find myself referring to this book constantly, and keep it right by my binoculars.

Bird profiles, behavior guide, nesting, eggs, curious behavior, songs, displays. Ways to attract birds to your backyard no matter what kind of area you live in... landscaping, supplemental feeding, water. The photos are fantastic and are very valuable to the backyard birder. Great book.

I love this book. Filled with VIVID photographs, this guidebook is compact and durable and begins with a short introduction (a few pages) devoted to teaching about anthropods in general. We use this book all of the time, from identifiying bugs on neighborhood walks, excursions to area parks, or just in the backyard (and sometimes in the house). I can also credit this book for curing my son's phobia of insects. When we saw a bug he was scared of, we'd grab this book and identify it. Looking at the bug and identifying its parts and then being able to call it by name did wonders in alleving his fears! I do wish that this book had more information associated with each insect...such as what it eats and what eats it. But, as a beginner guidebook, this one is exceptional!

This is THE best field guide for kids. It has excellent photographs and covers many different types of insects, including some regional ones. It is not only appropriate for young children who can only enjoy the pictures, it is also a great book for older children, up to about 12 or so. Any child who has an interest on learning about insects, spiders included, will enjoy this book and its wonderful pictures.

As a hmoe schooling mom this has been an excellent tool for the kids. They can look up all the bugs they find at anytime the decide to go bug hunting. It is simple and easy to use. a wonderful resource.

This book is a really nice reference book for the backyard birdfeeder. It's not just a bird identifier book, it has chapters on bird survival and behavior. I'm glad to have it my small bird library and refer to it often.

...to receive this fine book! Trying to identify the birds visiting my backyard feeder with old field guide books was not working. They simply had too much information geared for experts. This book is nicely laid out and clear, offering tips for attracting, feeding, watering and identifying the birds visiting your backyard, as well as instructions for building bird houses, feeders, and so on. I put several of the ideas to use immediately! If you are an amateur backyard birder, this is the book for you!!

I am a beginner backyard bird watcher and I really enjoyed this book. It has some great pictures to help you identify birds, or even just to look at. The book doesn't stop there, however, it gives you nice detailed information of bird behavior, sounds, nests and habitat. I recommend this book to beginner or intermediate bird watchers.