Customer Reviews

The Macrolichens of New England (Memoirs of The New York Botanical Garden, Volume 96)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I took a bet with this book as I could not find any reviews anywhere about it and as I was a little worried why nobody has reviewed it yet. Well, the truth is this is not a book meant for everyone, maybe even me included. So why the five stars? How many guidebooks do you own can boast that they cover every species possible in your area? This is the first one I found. You can imagine my relief in knowing that when I see a (machro) lichen here in New England, it WILL be in this book. That is fantastic.

3 Negatives:
1. The tough part is that this book is really not geared for the light hobbyist/amateur who just wants to quickly look up what they are finding out in the woods. It is not small enough to easily carry around and is not easy to take with you. You (I) really need to sit down and take some time and work my way through the key to get the identification right. Something I don't like doing while trekking around outside.
2 - This book is extremely scientific and not meant for light reading. Knowledge of botany/lichenology terms or willing to learn is a must to get a good use out of the book. Don't read in bed.
3. I always appreciate guides that supply quick photo keys. This is not the case here. You will definitely have to have your lichenology terms up to par in order to get through the identification key that will lead you to your species. There is no quick way to skim through to find your lichen by pictures.

I don't regret buying the book, but I have given into the fact that I need to buy some other easy going lichen identification books out there for my area. Unfortunately, there is not much to choose from that are geared for specific regions. I don't want another book where %60 percent of the specimens are not found where I live. In the end it is five stars for the type of book it is meant to be: all inclusive, scientific and thorough.