Well I consider that this is a very well illustrated book as well as all those from Audubon Society, pictures are impressive.

The information on the book is very useful, it is also very detalailed for a pocket guide, and I consider a good aspect the way to find clouds, is quick and you will easily learn to classify them.

Nice pics. Nice info. Good boo

This book is similar, though much more condensed, to the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Weather. It has some of the most beautiful weather pictures I've ever seen! The text is also right next to its corresponding picture, making it very easy to use. The small size makes it perfect to carry along with you everywhere!

This book is really well done. It introduce the theory of conformal fields in a really pedagogical way so that any person not familiar at all with the subject can enjoy it. The review of quantum field theory and statistical mechanics at the begining is excellent and it is of great help if you haven't work with these subjects recently. The book is also filled with many basic applications that make the theory closer to real life.

Congratulations for this nice book!

This book is a fine contribution to the literature on conformal field theory and will no doubt become one of the standard references on the subject. It is well worth the price as it gives a comprehensive introduction to the subject. Chapter 5 is a good discussion of local conformal invariance and clears up some of my own misunderstandings of this invariance. The later chapters discuss affine Lie algebras and algebraic considerations in detail.

Probably the best book to introduce you to conformal field theory. It starts from basics and go up to coset constrcutions, WZW models. More than a textbook, it is a necessary reference!

I had searched dozens of places for literature that is both accurate and containing high quality photographs. Nothing comes closer to providing the information that this book contains! It has been a treasure trove for me in my quest for knowledge about the wonderful insects we call butterflies. It's an EXCELLENT book for both novice and expert alike. I give it 5 stars and two thumbs up!

As I write this review, there is a blizzard raging outside the bedroom. How pleasant it is to sit down and look at beautiful butterflies at such a moment!

Over 170,000 varieties of butterflies and moths have been identified. The author estimates that an equal number remain to be identified in the future. How can a simple pocket book hope to cope?

Mr. Carter has developed a solid concept for this helpful volume. He gives you a little bit of information about all the things that are most likely to be of interest. Then, as you become more knowledgeable, you can graduate to more extensive works and experiences.

The bulk of the book is a field guide to 5 butterfly and 22 moth families that are most common throughout the world. Over 600 color photographs are contained here. In this way, you have a decent chance of identifying whatever is flying in your garden during the good weather. Each species is beautifully illustrated with the wings outspread and a map showing where the species is usually found. Some species also have illustrations of both sides of the wings, caterpillars and other distinctive views.

Although moth varieties outnumber butterflies by about 9 to 1, the book wisely displays mostly butterflies. The moths chosen rival the butterflies for their wonderful designs and vibrant colorations.

For those with a casual interest in the subject, the beginning will be especially valuable. Here you can find out about the differences between butterflies and moths, the details of the life cyles of these insects, how to best observe them, and tips for building a garden that will attract the largest possible population. I thought that last information was most worthwhile.

At the end of the book are listed some of the many gardens you can visit that are populated by collections of living butterflies. I have found those to be remarkably good fun, and very relaxing. You have to slow down to enjoy butterflies. It's good for each of us to move at butterfly speed more often.

The current edition was published in 2000, and contains corrections to the original 1992 edition so be sure to get this second edition.

After you have finished enjoying this beautiful visit to nature's paintbrush and invention workshop, I suggest that you consider how else you can enjoy studying nature. For example, have you ever looked at flowers with a high-power magnifying glass? Like butterflies, they look quite different (and more wonderful) when you can see more details.

Overcome your stalled thinking that you have to wait for a butterfly to cross your path before you can enjoy one!

IF YOU LIKE BUTTERFLIES AND/OR MOTHS THIS GUIDE WILL MAKE YOU GO HOG WILD AND PIG CRAZY!

For a "first" book on wild mushrooms I found this one to be very good. The pictures show the top, bottom, stems, colors and different parts of each mushroom. There are "warnings" on those that are ediable, but make some people sick, and the NO-NO"s are equally shown and written about. We're just new at this, and for a "starter" book this was just the ticket.

For those interested in preparing and eating the more common and easily-recognized species of edible mushrooms, this book is a must-have. In-depth species descriptions, including dangerous look a likes, make positive identifications much easier. Lush recipes (with photos) in the back of the book inspire mycophagists to get out in the woods and hunt their quarry. Buy the book -- you'll love it! Suggest using this book in conjunction with Audubon or other field guide.

This books is a wonderful collection of fantistic color photographs. Each recipie is a new journey into an exciting and tasty world of foods under our feet. Highly recommended to scientist and amatuer alike!

A Field Guide to the Birds of China is a must for any traveler who wants to identify birds in China. De Schauensee's earlier Birds of China is not really a field guide although it provides useful background reading. A Field Guide to the Birds of Japan includes a lot of the species occurring in eastern China, and the Beijing area is included in most of the range maps, so if you don't have the MacKinnon-Phillips new guide, this is second best.

All species of known regular occurrence somewhere in China are illustrated in excellent drawings by Karen Phillips, all but a few in full color. Colored range maps are on the page facing each of the 128 plates. The text for each species provides a detailed description, voice, distribution and status, habits (useful), and in some cases a note on taxonomy.

I used this book for more than two weeks in China during October 2001 and confidently identified every bird I got a decent look at. (Regrettably, eastern China is not exactly overrun with exotic birds, but you can find some interesting species even in the cities.)

The most noticeable problem with this book is its sheer bulk; at 256 pages of plates, 586 pages of text, and some front material, this monster tops out at well over 800 pages and won't fit in most fanny packs, not to mention pockets. So taking a utility knife with a new blade, I sliced the spine following the last plate and taped the last page to the spine, creating a book of front matter, 10 pages of introduction and all the plates and range maps--a tad over a third the thickness of the whole book. A few species are illustrated in black-and-white in the text, so I xeroxed those (with their black-and-white range maps) and pasted them below the range maps of appropriate plates. I left the text home.

The book is not without minor errors, of course. For example, the range maps on plate 35 mistakenly call the Red Phalarope the Red-necked Phalarope, with the same error in the scientific name (although, curiously, the Chinese name appears to be correct). Both species are illustrated. On plate 56 the illustration of the Red-throated Loon is mistakenly marked with the species number of the Common Loon (which is also illustrated and correctly numbered on the same plate). On plate 72 the female Japanese Paradise-flycatcher is so marked but the symbol for the male is missing. Most users can figure out such slips.

...

This book is absolutely essential for any birder who plans to visit any of the regions covered in this guide. The plates are very good and the descriptions are detailed. This is probably the most up-to-date guide for the region. The taxonomy is based on Sibley and Monroe, and nearly all subspecies and their ranges are listed. There is even an edition in simplified Chinese available in China and Hong Kong. However, covering such a broad region has its drawbacks, and at least in Taiwan, I recommend that this book be used more as a reference than field guide. A bird's voice often varies across its range, and the status of a species in one location can be completely different in another. For example, the White-bellied Green Pigeon, described by the book as "very rare," is in fact common in Taiwan. The quality of the plates is sometimes inconsistent (e.g. the geese and swans on plate 7 look very small!). Also, errors I've noticed include where the range map does not correspond with the descriptions (e.g. Eurasian Jay, plate 67), the bird number on the plate does not correspond with that of the range map and descriptions (e.g. Varied Tit, plate 88), and some typos (e.g. Pygmy Wren Babbler subspecies, plate 105). Although Appendix 2 lists the species endemic to the region, it left out at least three species from Taiwan (Yellow Tit, Collared Bush Robin, and Taiwan Whistling Thrush). In general, this book is excellent and highly recommended, but I do hope a new edition will be published in the future that fixes the errors and include new discoveries made since publication (e.g. Chinese Crested Tern, Taiwan Bush Warbler).

This field guide is a well done book introducing the birds of China to its readers. It is fairly standard as far as field guides goes in content. The book contains 128 color plates depicting the birds of China with the corresponding range maps opposite the plates. Next, the descriptions of the 1329 species are given. Herein lies the major problem with the book, the descriptions are not adjacent to the plates; however, had the book been arranged in this manner, the number of pages would have at least doubled and the book is already a bit cumbersome for use as a field guide at its present size.

A couple of other bits of useful information in this book include a map detailing vegetation type and an introduction to the region. Also, a list of protected and endangered species is included. For researchers, a nice bibliography is also included. Whether you just want to look at birds from a country you never plan on going to, or if you intend to go birding in China, this book is for you.

Whether you are an professional ichthyologist, a collector of native fishes or just someone who is curious about the aquatic fauna found in Tennessee, this is the book for you. Tennessee has more species of fishes found within its borders than any other state. This book is extremely well written and should prove an excellent value. It is simply the best available.

One of the most detailed and comprehensive regional ichthyofaunal guides available. A must for the freshwater fisheries biologist.

Anyone interested in the waters and fish fauna of Tennessee will HAVE to procure this book. With complete species and taxonomic descriptions of all native and exotic fish, this book also provides intimate details concerning ecology, behavior, and evolution of the class Osteichthyes. Beautiful color photos of living specimens make identification a pleasant experience using the detailed keying information. Though not inexpensive, its price is less than most other books in its class. For a technical taxonomic work it is very easy to read. I highly recommend it for any naturalist interested in aquatic fauna of the region

When I originally received this book, I was really unhappy because I was looking for something by Wendell Berry and he only wrote the 2 page introduction. However, this is a wonderful, beautiful book. You feel as though you were walking with Mr. Kline on a lazy afternoon while he explains the world around you.

I was first attracted to this book because the title seemed to be an oxymoron. I then chose the book for what was inside. I have found Mr. Kline's essays to take me to pleasant places when I was stuck inside. He also helped me to see my world more positively. I don't live very far from the farm that is spoken of in this book, yet I am removed from it by the technology in my life. When I am spiritually encumbered, I take this book in hand to renew myself in short order.

I have read and reread this book and have given it as a gift. I will continue to share it with my friends and family. This time it will be a gift to a very special companion.

"This book announces on every page that the world is good, an article of faith that is here brought to rest upon experience."--from the forward by Wendell Berry. . . What a gift of a book! The introduction, on family and small scale farming, is alone worth the price of the book. These are nature essays in the old tradition: showing nature as an avenue to discovering what it means to be human. Kline practices farming in the Amish tradition, putting him out in the fields many days of the year. There he observes birds passing through, the changes of the seasons, and the various effects of farming practices on other species of living things. The essay In Praise of Fencerows is especially thoughtful and memorable. The title of this book was originally to be the title of Aldo Leopold's classic A Sand County Almanac, and the first chapter title, Winter Visitors, is a chapter title in Henry Thoreau's Walden. Those tributes demonstrate the great precedents on which Kline builds. While he is never as quotable as Thoreau or Leopold, he demonstrates, without sentimentality or preaching, the same depth of heart and understanding. What do we lose as we lose the natural places nearby? Kline shows us that we lose something even more important than species and ecosystems. We lose part of ourselves, a part capable of simple pleasures and joys, a center of decency, strength, and peace.

It's absolutely great! You will learn everything about biology, behaviour and social interaction of the Great Whites. This is a MUST have!

I think this book is great but a bit too expensive for my liking Danielle Mullins

In recent years, public opinion on the Great White Shark has turned away from the fierce bloodlust inspired by fiction and returned to the more civilized sense of awe and wonder at the amazing size and ferocity of these giant predators common to the days before Hollywood brought us 'Jaws' in its technicolor (mostly red) splendor. With specials common to PBS and the Discovery Channel, public awareness of the GW is higher now than ever before, making the shark more and more popular to study. The results of this scrutiny are brought to light in 'Great White Sharks : The Biology of Carcharodon carcharias', a collection of scientific papers edited by A. Peter Klimley and David G. Ainley. In this fascinating work, the picture of the GW as bloodthirsty killer is erased and replaced with the image of the predator's role as king of the sea. There are papers dedicated to nearly every scientific aspect of the animal from its ancestry to its behavior to its populations in oceans around the world. Nearly every serious question about the GW is explored, if not answered. The only thing that makes this book a little inaccessible is the fact that is geared for academic use and research. It is not a book written for the masses, such as Ellis and McCosker's 'The Great White Shark', another excellent book on the subject. But if it is depth you are looking for, Klimley and Ainley & Co. provide it. This book is not to missed by serious students of the GW.

This is a monumental effort, 220 page plus book well laid out and researched with heaps of references and an easy to follow index of pests and diseases plus biological solutions as the title indicates. Members may recall that John McPartland in fact all the authors were very helpful to NZHIAI some time back regarding MAF's (Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries) request for information regarding industrial hemp pests and diseases. By NZ standards this book is quite pricey (NZD 150-00 plus landed) That said I would suggest if you are re serious regarding growing industrial hemp this book will become as it is rapidly for me "Your bible." There is so much information my head is spinning. It is attractively bound and could well become a collectors item. No problems with NZ customs. In a word it is BRILLIANT. A credit to the authors. It can be obtained from the website below. Only took a week to get here.

Hemp diseases and pests An amazing new tome on cannabis cultivation. from CC On-line, by Pete Brady

Here's the perfect recipe for a book about cannabis: use three authors who have spent decades studying cannabis horticulture, combine them with an international publishing company, and give them enough resources to create an oversized book with professional citations, illustrations, and binding.

This perfect recipe has produced a gorgeous new book, HEMP DISEASES AND PESTS - MANAGEMENT AND BIOLOGICAL CONTROL. The authors - Dr. John McPartland, Robert Connell Clarke, and David Watson - are premier marijuana researchers whose credibility and breadth of knowledge are legendary.

McPartland is a medical doctor, botanist and cannabinoid researcher. Clarke is the author of two epic texts, MARIJUANA BOTANY and HASHISH!. Watson runs HortaPharm, the Dutch cannabis breeding consortium supplying specialty cannabis to UK med-pot research projects conducted by GW Pharmaecuticals.

HEMP DISEASES AND PESTS is a fascinating, practical book, and an upcoming issue of CANNABIS CULTURE will give a more complete summary of its features. For the purposes of this brief online review, however, I assure you that this book will significantly increase yield, efficiency and quality for any marijuana grower who follows its advice.

The book includes photos that help growers diagnose dozens of plant dysfunctions, including enemy insects, mites, mammals, and fungi, environmentally-caused problems, overwatering, and nutrient deficiencies. It tells growers how to protect their crops using biocontrols instead of toxic chemicals. It describes ideal soil components, harvesting guidelines, and curing procedures.

Although HEMP DISEASES AND PESTS is not intended as a "grow book" that focuses on lighting, security, and clandestine techniques, its scope, accuracy and detail make it an incomparable textbook that every marijuana grower should have. It is interesting and entertaining, immaculately presented and organized, and features the most innovative and reliable techniques for keeping your plants healthy and happy.

HEMP DISEASES AND PESTS is a large, 251 page, professional book with a professional price. It's well worth it. When I grew my own marijuana, I was often puzzled by plant problems. If I'd had this book, I could have easily eliminated those problems. HEMP DISEASES AND PESTS will likely increase the yield of your garden by at least 50%- if that's not worth, I don't know what is!

Having only been able to get an overview of this imposing tome, I came away thorougly impressed. for by far the most comprehensive book on the subject, this book should become indispensable. in a field dominated by the likes of ed rosenthal and jorge cervantes, it's nice to see a work that's more academic than either e.r. or j.c. are inclined to churn out (not that they don't provide a great service to the public as well!) if you've got the time, and are serious about cultivation, this work will resolve a lot of nagging questions and issues you might have in a professional, well-organized fashion.

This book presents an overview of many areas of botany. The book is written in an informal style for the general reader rather than specialists or university students. Nevertheless, it contains a wealth of facts and information about hundreds, if not thousands of plant species. What I especially liked about the book is that it doesn't get bogged down in details when discussing topics such as seed dispersal or pollination. Instead, Attenborough has done an admirable job of explaining the issues in very clear language. He also provides numerous examples and anecdotes, along with several full color photos on every page. The photos certainly make this book a fine volume for the coffee table. As an aside, Attenborough is a British author, so some of his examples are of British or European plants that Americans may not be familiar with. At times, Attenborough's almost anti-academic style can also go a little overboard, such as when he rejects the standard practice of italicizing Latin species names. Nevertheless, the book is quite well written, and will be of interest to anyone who likes plants or photography. It could also serve as a science resource for home schoolers.

A fantastic book which brings plants alive

David Attenborough describes the interesting life of plants in a very interesting way, and that makes the book to my number one. He is telling us about the evolution and how it developed the plants, how it have given the spicies such spectacular behaviors, behaviors most of us didn't know about.