What's around the bend?
I am surprised that a book published in 1995 has had only one review posted on Amazon.It is a hard book to review,but I'll give it a try.
I rated it 5* because of the wide coverage,quality of the pictures,sketches,maps,paper,printing and binding.It is very well constructed and fairly priced.
As an avid Birder with a wide interest in all areas of nature I have spent a lot of time walking the states of the US and provinces of Canada.This book covers just about everything;but in very scant detail.There are 288 pages,a pletora of pictures,sketches,maps,and photos;but every 2 pages is a different topic.For instance,pages 154 and 155 cover Southeastern Subtropical Forests;way too big a subject for 2 pages,including half of which consists of about 8 picturss and sketches..This book is so broad and tries to cover so much,that I wonder what value it has.One would certainly not carry it in the field as a "Companion".It's too big,too heavy and no detail for any area.It is more of a catalogue than a FIELD GUIDE.
As to what this book might be useful for;I can go along with Margo,who felt it might be useful in the classroom.Even then it's use would be more appropriate at the lower grade level.It's certainly constructed to take a lot of wear and tear.
I would not recommend its use as a field guide or as a gift for someone who does walk and enjoys nature.
While the book covered so many things;I can't remembering one of the most important things about nature walking,namely the issue of trespassing;either knowingly or unintentionally.This is particularly important in areas one is not familiar with.
Here are a few signs one might encounter:
NO TRESSPASSING WITHOUT PERMISSION
IF THIS SIGN IS UNDER WATER THE ROAD IS IMPASSIBLE
THIS PROPERTY IS PROTECTED BY SMITH & WESSON
TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT,SURVIVORS WILL BE SHOT AGAIN
THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE,
BUT THE BULL CHARGES
As you can see,some of these signs might seem funny,but anytime you go on private property,it's a serious matter.If in doubt,check first.
Framing an Environment
If you value field guides, you will love this Time-Life edition of "The Walker's Companion" from The Nature Company. Several highly respected nature writers, including David Rains Wallace and Ann Zwinger, make contributions to this well-illustrated and highly informative text. Those names should give you a clue to the excellent combination of literary and scientific writing that makes this text a must-have reference for anyone who is interested in the environment.This is a field guide that powerfully combines content with context in a way that makes the information about nature and the environment not only highly accessible, but intrinsically linked to the key social topics that are central issues in both science and social studies. Topics include the history of nature writing and in America, hiking tips, the study of nature throughout the ages, field identification and sketching outdoors. Ecological concepts such as food chains and pollination are concisely described and illustrated in a section titled, "Understanding Nature". Information about every ecosystem from forests, mountains and deserts to farmland and vacant lots is included in the "Guide to Habitats" section. This kind of comprehensive perspective about environment helps the reader to think about and see ecology in very relevant ways.
The format of double-facing pages per topic gives concise environmental information, making it easy to read, index and apply to the reader's world. The guide is an essential home or travel reference as well as a valuable classroom text that would be interesting and accessible for audiences from 10 to 100. The text is so versatile that I have a copy for myself and have ordered a class set for my middle school students for a wide range of class use including nature drawing, research, gardening and environmental education.
