Eastern Forests is a good field guide for both experts and beginners. Makes a great gift for young naturalists. This book not only provides identification means; it also answers odds and end questions about why plants and animals do different things. Everything from newt behavior to how weather affects bird migration is covered in this guide.

This is a great field guide that covers many aspects of forests East of the Great Plains. Although it covers many common species of both animal and plant, it is not overly helpful for positively identifying individual species; and if one wants that, you are better off with a more specific field guide (i.e., Eastern Birds). It does, however, detail the workings of a forest and accompanies this fascinating text with 53 color plates, 80 color photos and many black and white drawings. In the first few chapters, it demonstrates the different forest types through indicator species; and it details the process of Old Field succesion, and the animals and plants that come and go as the process progresses. In the last chapters adaptation, and seasonal patterns are covered. I would highly reccommend this field guide for any one who would like to know how a forest works.

This book is excellent for ornithology students and backyard birders alike. It has many detailed illustrations of the skeletal, muscular, and other internal systems of birds in general. The text gives general information on each system and then more detail on specific parts. I especially like the sections at the end on binocular use and study skin preparation

If you have only one textbook about birds on your bookshelf, choose this one. The text is easy to understand, and the illustrations are remarkable. It is now available in a less expensive paperback version, also available at Amazon.com.

We love to sit and watch the moths bees and butterflys come to our bushes (we actually have 7). With this book we have been able to identify the moths and butterflies.

This introductory field guide is much, much better than the old Little Golden Guide" that beginning Lepidoptrists (butterfly lovers) have relied on in the past. I wish I had had the new First Guide version a kid! It shows accurate color drawings of the most common species, along with the food plants and, in some cases, the other life stages such as larvae and pupae.

I especially like the fact that it includes so many moths -- not just the showy ones like Cecropias and Lunas that beginners dream about but seldom find -- but some of the little gray and brown ones, too, such as might show up any evening around your yard light. Plus, I finally found out that a grayish day-flying moth with a metallic-blue body that I see around here all the tiime is callled a "Southern Ctenucha."

As a Master Gardener volunteer, I currently recommend this to 4H-ers (and adults, too) who are just getting started in entomology. It's easy to use, and the light pocket size makes it nice for children to carry on field trips. Buy it along with "First Guide to Caterpillars" in the same series (which I have also reviewed here on Amazon).

First, the installation of this software was a breeze and very quick. The application interface is brightly colored and completely user friendly. It includes a tutorial by Peterson himself, a skill building game that helps sharpen your identification skills, and the ability to add multiple life lists. The life list feature was very easy to use and was the selling point for me. The software also provides direct online access to Peterson Online for great information. You will send hours browsing the nearly 1000 bird species presented in color photographs including Peterson's unique arrow system. Once you select the bird, detailed information about breeding, range, sound and other information is presented. I've seen software packages that cost an outrageous amount, but this very low priced software is a really a gem.

This is a great way to learn about birds. You can view thebird, listen to his voice, and find out where he lives. The skillbuilder portion allows you to identify the bird. What a great challenge!

This is a beautiful book about an amazing human being. Although we all know the name Roger Tory Peterson, this is the first time I was able to learn about the man and his remarkable life and dedication to his work. Multi-talented, Mr. Petersons art is shown here in his paintings and photography...as my kids said " Awsome!"

I really enjoyed this coffee-table sized book about the late Roger Tory Peterson, the father of birdwatching. The book is a great resource on Peterson, and includes a biography of him sprinkled with his own words. There are hundreds of brilliant photographs and illustrations by this birding master, and anyone that has ever been interested in birds will enjoy it. Peterson's field guide from the 30s made it easy for anyone to observe birds without having to shoot them. This book is hard to find, but buying a used copy would be a good choice. Enjoy!

This book was published in 1989, so some of its facts are outdated, but this book is an excellent resource on how our human activity is directly impacting the environment and birds, and what we can do to save them. It is a great resource for nature enthusiasts and conservationists, and is filled with beautiful paintings and photography. I know this book is hard to find, but if you can find a used copy, definitly buy it!

This book was published in 1989, so some of its facts are outdated, but this book is an excellent resource on how our human activity is directly impacting the environment and birds, and what we can do to save them. It is a great resource for nature enthusiasts and conservationists, and is filled with beautiful paintings and photography. I know this book is hard to find, but if you can find a used copy, definitly buy it!

A very detailed look at a beautiful area of the world. The writing makes you feel like you have been there. Lots of research in this one. Relax and enjoy the get-away.

Discount this review as you will; I must confess that I've known Jack for a number of years... Nonetheless, it's a beatutiful work. While some reviewers have compared him to Thoreau, I wouldn't go that far. But his love for the small deails of an eccosystm comes through exquisitly. As the title implies, Jack cronicles his frequent trips to Soldiers's Delight, a sort-of protected park near his home. It includes the geologic history of the area, as well as the history of human impact. And does a good job of riding the line between science and simple love for a place on the planet. It's clear to the reader that Jack loves the place, and his detailed, but not judgemental, descriptions of everything from the beauty of salamanders to piles of junk put you there. Maybe Jack isn't the next Thoreau. This book makes me think more of Hemmingway. A sort of restrained exuberance, and an economy of language that takes the reader into a place worth seeing. --del

I've been amazed at the amount of information packed into this small book. In addition to the handy lists of information, such as the list of flowers that will produce seed for birds, there are also amusing and inspiring anectdotes sprinkled throughout the book. Definitely worth having in your library!

John Terres provides fascinating insight into the life of songbirds and how to attract them to your home and garden. Beyond mere identification, the descriptions of individual bird behavior greatly enhance the birdlover's understanding of their feathered friends. Included are easy-to-follow suggestions for making your own bird feeders, houses, baths and other sundries, and references to other intriguing books on living with birds. I would highly recommend this book, more for the depth of information than it's ease of use as an identification tool.

The world of e-reviewing is a tolerant world, and exaggerations have an easy home there. But measured by the role it has played in people's lives, there is little hyperbole in identifying Peterson and Fisher's "Wild America," precisely fifty years old this year, as among the most important books produced in the twentieth century. In the 1950s and 1960s, the book found its way into school libraries all over America, where it has been read with awe and envy by the last three generations of would-be naturalists--read so intensively that many of us, decades later, can quote great passages by heart.
The book is a collaborative account of the biggest 'big year' up to that point ever undertaken in North America; the trip was planned by none other than Roger Tory Peterson, then (and still today, perhaps) the continent's best-known birder, and was intended as an introduction to America's natural history for James Fisher, an equally prominent British naturalist who had never visited this side of the Atlantic. "Wild America" was the result: a priceless document of the continent's natural riches seen through the eyes, the words and the illustrations of two gifted and interesting observers.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Peterson and Fisher's trip, and the book is certain to be celebrated over and over in the press. Those who have not read it should by all means visit their library to borrow a well-worn copy; and those who have should take it in hand again, and be reminded of how important this text was in the birth of North America's birding culture as we know it today.

Let me just quote my favorite line from the book. It is when James Fisher, an Englishman, first sees the Grand Canyon:

"I went down there a few yards. The world ended; began again eight miles away. Between the ends of the world was a chasm."

Now I have never seen the Grand Canyon, but reading about it with such wonder through Mr. Fisher's eyes was extraordinary. It brought tears to my eyes. It goes to show how truly amazing and beautiful America is. I highly recommend this book, not just for the birds these two men see, but also for all the wonderful sights they come encounter. It made me want to retrace their route.

I found this fold-out extremely useful. As a marine biologist, until now my knowledge has concentrated on fishes, inverts, and marine mammals, however my present job requires identification of local shorebirds. As my job is based on a boat and birds don't always hold their position while you look them up, the format of this quick-reference fold-out is great. The illustrations are great, showing all plumages of different species (juveniles, male, female, seasonal colors, etc.). Illustrations are also at different angles (i.e. standing, in flight, etc.), facilitating even better quick identification. As usual, Peterson does it again excellently!