Customer Reviews

National Audubon Society Regional Guide to New England (National Audubon Society Field Guide)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This guide is by no means comprehensive, but it does contain good photos and descriptions of the flora and fauna you are most likely to encounter in New England, along with geography and astronomy tidbits, too. What it adds up to is a highly useful and convenient guide; to paraphrase the beer commercial, it's the field guide to bring when you just want to bring one!

Still, if you're specifically into birds or mammals or trees only, you'd be better off getting the field guide for that specific genre, as this guide won't have enough detailed info for you.

I have waited all my life for a nature handbook such as this! So many questions I've had were answered in this book. (ie. what DOES poison sumac really look like? Or, is that REALLY just a milk snake -- or could it be poisonous?)Beautiful pictures, and clearly written, informative sections provide excellent information for nature lovers of every age. This book would be a welcome addition to every New Englander's home library and is small enough to be easily portable for hiking etc. I found myself wanting to give one to everyone I know, from grandchildren to grandparents!

I've been searching for a book like this for the past two years. It contains information on the different types of habitats, birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, trees, lichen, wildflowers, mammals (...the list goes on) found in the New England area. It even has a collection of star maps for people who are also interested in the New England night sky. The information is well laid out and easy to read and is accompanied by detailed color diagrams and photos. What I like best about this book though is I no longer have to carry around 5 different field guides when I go out hiking now. I only need to carry this one.

This fieldguide covers more topics and includes more photos than you might think. Everything from Astronomy to flora/fauna to geology, etc. Since the descriptions are short, but the photos are plentiful, it is a good book to combine with the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock (Cornell Univ. Press). Botsford's book is heavy on the descriptions, but short on photos. With these two books, you have everything you need for a comprehensive course on Natural History.

Imagine my delight in carrying this little book into the woods with my children and being able to share information about so many living things with them. I recommend this book to anyone fascinated by the often overlooked and unappreciated treasures of New England. The photography is great and the comprehensiveness is impressive.

First of all, I can't believe that there are color pictures of every tree, plant, bird, reptile, insect and animal listed in this book. That is SO helpful. There is information on geography, geology, tides, National Parks, weather patterns, patterns of the stars in the night sky for every season, and so on and so on. How could they fit all this info in this tiny book??? It is bound wonderfully and doesn't exactly fit into a jean's back pocket (comes close though!).

Unfortunatley there are just too many birds in nature that look the same, so I can't tell by the book's brief descriptions and photos which bird I see. But generally I can narrow it down to at least 3.

I LOVE the ink/shadow drawings of the different trees "skeletons"! Obviously it is hard to see a tree's outline in the summer with all the leaves, but all winter I would match up the bare trees to their corresponding drawings in the book! I am becoming quite an expert now.

This book is TOPS in my ever expanding library. I bring it with me everywhere I travel in New England...because you just never know when you may need it for reference. If you live in New England, you NEED to buy this!

After flipping through and enjoying the sharp photography of this book, you will realize that it is also abounding in interesting facts concerning all of New England. Ever wonder what kind of fish you caught last summer or what that caterpillar will change into? Whether you need to know what kind of Oak tree is in your backyard or want to check out the constellations at various seasons - it's in this book! Great (and small enough) to take on hikes to identify animal tracks, flowers and even mushrooms! Although I have a few birding books, I find this one is easiest to use for identification. If you live in NE and want to know what is happening outdoors this book will pique your interest.

I am pleased that the NAS published this comprehensive guide to my native area. It contains a great deal of information that any nature lover can relatively easily stick in their pocket. However, my complaint is that nowhere is there any reference to our two poisonous spiders... the famed Black Widow and the Brown Recluse. WE have them in abundance and the guide does not address these creatures. SHAME! These are very important arachnids in our environment and I am disappointed that the NAS omitted them.

I work in a science museum and found this book on a shelf, then instantly bought! It is a great reference for New England history, geology, ecology, and biology. Many prominent species are discussed and identified. Quick descriptions are relevant and useful. Please note, this is not a field guide dedicated to specific species or classes. It's a great resource for hikes and quick reference. For more detailed information, a specific "Mammals" or "Trees", identification guide would be more beneficial. However I have been able to use to throughout Mass. and Maine. I think it's a great starter to a field guide collection, and easy to carry around since all the information is contained in one book. I also just love to read for fun, it's filled with great information about the formation of New England and the surrounding geology.

This book is amazing!! It is very educational. I like how it has only the plants and animals that are specific to New England. The pictures are clear and the blurbs about the animals and plants have just the right amount of information in them for learning. I also like how it has other aspects like the night sky, geology, climate, ect. and it is well divided into those categories. I use this book to teach kids about what they find out in nature. It is easy for them to use and quickly find what they are looking at. It is also easy for them to read and understand. Some of them just like perusing through it to see what is around them. Once again, an amazing book for yourself, family, or for educational purposes. I wouldn't travel in New England without it.