I enjoyed this book alot as you can see by me rating. It has alot of colorfull pictures, but could have more. It provides good information and it is to the point but they could have gone further to explain it better. They could have provided more information on specific feeders, and pictures and brand names to go along with their descriptions. All together I thought this was a great book. I would encourage any one who is interested in orioles or birds in general to read it.

I've always liked the Stokes books and CDs. Their love for birds infuses in all their material. The photographs are rich and lively, and the books are simple yet elegant.

However, if you're interested in building birdhouses, this book will fall short. There's only one plan for the simplest house you can imagine, and anyone who would appreciate the book's other charms probably won't think highly of such a simple birdhouse. There are some interesting houses pictured, but little about how to build them...

This book contains only one simple plan. It is a good book for novice woodworkers or bird watchers. However (like all books from the Stokes') the book is very interesting and easy to read. It provides a good foundation from which to learn the basics of bird house construction. More experienced woodworkers will be disappointed with this book and would be better served by purchasing a book of bird house plans.

I want to know the basics...which birds use birdhouses, & what the basic dimensions for my targeted species are. What nesting materials do thew use...etc.. This book does a great job of doing that. I do NOT want my birdhouses to be clones of some boring plan out of a book. Get creative! Use this basic info & create your own unique backyard!

Sorry previous writer was so disapointed, but he's right in one respect......if you want assorted detailed building plans...go elsewhere.

Perhaps the publisher has changed the subtitle since its initial publication in 1992. My book is subtitled "The Complete Guide to Growing and Identifying Wildflowers." Unlike their excellent Field Guide to Birds, this book is neither complete nor especially helpful for the identification of eastern wildflowers. There are two excellent chapters on Trilliums and Lady Slippers. Following these is a "gallery" of 87 plants with photographs, Some helpful for identification, some not close enough to be useful, (e.g.Hawkweed). It would be helpful to see the plant's leaves, yet they are frequently omitted from the photograph,(e.g. Yarrow and Queen Anne's Lace which are often confused). The growing tips are quite welcome. Most guides omit these. The fact that the authors have chosen their favorite plants and omitted the rest is this book's severest limitation. I took a drive today and wondered, "What is that gorgeous blue plant dotting the roadside? Could I grow it? What is that pinky splash of daisylike plants? Is that some kind of wild phlox growing by that stream bank?" The Stokes book did not help. I found the answers elsewhere.