In this comprehensive and abundantly illustrated book, Allan Schoenherr describes a state with a greater range of landforms, a greater variety of habitats, and more kinds of plants and animals than any area of equivalent size in all of North America. A Natural History of California will familiarize the reader with the climate, rocks, soil, plants and animals in each distinctive region of the state.
FREE Two-Day Shipping for Students. Learn more |
| ||||||||||||||||||
 Sell Back Your Copy for $8.03
Whether you buy it used on Amazon for $15.18 or somewhere else, you can sell it back through our Book Trade-In Program at the current price of $8.03.
Used Price$15.18
Trade-in Price$8.03
Price after
Trade-in$7.15 |
Book Description
Special Offers and Product Promotions
- Buy $50 in qualifying physical textbooks, get $5 in Amazon MP3 Credit. Here's how (restrictions apply)
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Review
"An impressive compendium of the state's landforms, habitats, species, and conservation issues." -- Sierra
"One suspects that Schoenherr's book will be regarded as the publishing equivalent of the Sierra Nevada mountains -- unique, conspicuous, a major force. (Chris Watson, Santa Cruz Sentinel
"This is a book of astonishments. . . . The most comprehensive look at California's natural diversity yet attempted. And it is clear, concise, and vividly written. . . . A Natural History of California may signify a new era in natural histories. . . . There are plenty of stories here, and they are rich in meaning. The result is evocative of the land and illuminating of its secrets. Read this and you are likely to rediscover your love of California. That alone makes it a wonderful book." -- Peter Steinhart, Pacific Discovery --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"One suspects that Schoenherr's book will be regarded as the publishing equivalent of the Sierra Nevada mountains -- unique, conspicuous, a major force. (Chris Watson, Santa Cruz Sentinel
"This is a book of astonishments. . . . The most comprehensive look at California's natural diversity yet attempted. And it is clear, concise, and vividly written. . . . A Natural History of California may signify a new era in natural histories. . . . There are plenty of stories here, and they are rich in meaning. The result is evocative of the land and illuminating of its secrets. Read this and you are likely to rediscover your love of California. That alone makes it a wonderful book." -- Peter Steinhart, Pacific Discovery --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From the Inside Flap
"You want to own this book. Perhaps the most impressive thing about this book is the number of illustrations, most of them photographs taken by the author. This guy knows of what he speaks!"--George M. Clark, California Wilderness Coalition
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive and fascinating,
By
This review is from: A Natural History of California (California Natural History Guides) (Paperback)
If you have an interest in natural history, especially of California's natural history, this is an excellent book. The reader learns all sorts of fascinating things, practically from page one. It is very comprehensive in its breadth while not requiring high-level courses in geology, zoology, botany, etc. to understand it. The writer does buy into a couple of ideas that I think are influenced more by eco-religion than ecological science, but he attempts to maintain scientific discipline and does not harangue the reader with political axe-grinding. He writes in a readable, objective, tone that doesn't get in the way of the interesting "hard" facts conveyed in a clear, interesting style.The book is an excellent survey text of natural history, California's in particular. I'm an immigrant to California from the Midwest, and did not have the advantage of learning about my adopted state during my school years. I have been looking for a good comprehensive book explaining the formation of the geography and an explanation of the operation of nature here in this state. This is the best book I have found on this subject since I moved here five years ago. If you are an amateur naturalist, like myself, even just to the extent of having a fondness for programs like Discovery Channel, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, and the National Geographic Specials, you'll like this book. If you're a California parent, the book is really useful for answering the questions kids ask about the world around them.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must for outdoor enthusiasts,
By "hiltoneous" (Sacramento, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Natural History of California (California Natural History Guides) (Paperback)
This well thought out introduction to the natural setting of California is a must for anyone that either lives in the state or is planning a visit. I used this book as a reference in a report I wrote on California's environment. The all emcompassing narratives about flora, fauna, geology, geography and the wonder of California, makes this book priceless! This is by far the most thorough book on California's native environment that I have seen. Augment this book with, Audobon's Guide to California, and you have a history, guide and interesting information about California to make any vacation or field trip into a journey of unfathomable wonder of California and the natural environment that most of us fail to take advantage of and appreciate. This book really is a must have for anyone who considers themselves a Californian.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent comprehensive guide to california bioregions.,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Natural History of California (California Natural History Guides) (Paperback)
I have found this book very useful in my trips around California visiting various regions. It is a large book and written in a bit of a ponderous tone - not exactly light reading. But after a day of hiking, my friends and I usually have several questions about the natural areas that we have encountered, such as "Why are there less trees in this part of the Sierra?" Or "What's the deal with all of these creosote bushes?" This book is a great book for evening reading to answer questions like this. It is organized by california bioregion = california geography, so it is very easy to quickly find the relevant sections of the book. It is a non-technical book, so there is no need for any training in biology. I would recommend this book (and I have) to any nature-lover/amateur naturalist who is visiting California or parts of California. It has enhanced my trips and my understanding of nature enormously. The reason that I give it four stars instead of five is simply due to the writing, which is a bit dull, and occasional small lapses in choice of content.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
First Sentence:
The California Division of Mines and Geology has divided the state into 12 geomorphic provinces based on rock type and topography (fig. I.I). Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ecologic islands, rifted borderland, chlorotic decline, biotic zonation, lower tide pools, secondary freshwater fishes, saltbush family, mahogany obsidian, limestone endemics, chaparral birds, primary freshwater fishes, southernmost distribution, rocky intertidal region, most conspicuous animals, slender salamander, ecological staircase, looo feet, chaparral species, sage scrub, middle intertidal zone, nonbiting midges, chaparral communities, borate minerals, fog drip, stink beetle Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Coast Ranges, Great Basin, Great Central Valley, North America, San Andreas, Colorado Desert, Creosote Bush, United States, Mojave Desert, Death Valley, Colorado River, Klamath Province, San Francisco, Baja California, University of California Press, Transverse Ranges, Douglas Fir, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Salton Sea, Modoc Plateau, Riparian Woodland, Owens Valley, Santa Catalina, Foothill Woodland New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
The California Division of Mines and Geology has divided the state into 12 geomorphic provinces based on rock type and topography (fig. I.I). Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ecologic islands, rifted borderland, chlorotic decline, biotic zonation, lower tide pools, secondary freshwater fishes, saltbush family, mahogany obsidian, limestone endemics, chaparral birds, primary freshwater fishes, southernmost distribution, rocky intertidal region, most conspicuous animals, slender salamander, ecological staircase, looo feet, chaparral species, sage scrub, middle intertidal zone, nonbiting midges, chaparral communities, borate minerals, fog drip, stink beetle Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Coast Ranges, Great Basin, Great Central Valley, North America, San Andreas, Colorado Desert, Creosote Bush, United States, Mojave Desert, Death Valley, Colorado River, Klamath Province, San Francisco, Baja California, University of California Press, Transverse Ranges, Douglas Fir, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Salton Sea, Modoc Plateau, Riparian Woodland, Owens Valley, Santa Catalina, Foothill Woodland New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 20
books:
See all 20 books this book cites
41
books
cite this book:
See all 41 books citing this book
- The Mountains of California (Modern Library Classics) by John Muir on page 143, and Index
- Principles of Ecology by R. J. Putman on page 27, and page 30
- List of Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States and Canada by C. Richard Robins in Back Matter
- The Mammals of North America Volume 2 by E. Raymond Hall in Back Matter
- National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America : Revised and Updated by National Geographic Society in Back Matter
See all 20 books this book cites
- Natural History of the Islands of California by Allan A. Schoenherr on 4 pages
- Orange Empire: California and the Fruits of Eden by Douglas Cazaux Sackman in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Los Angeles River: Its Life, Death, and Possible Rebirth (Creating the North American Landscape) by Blake Gumprecht in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Los Angeles River: Its Life, Death, and Possible Rebirth (Creating the North American Landscape) by Mr. Blake Gumprecht in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Condor's Shadow: The Loss and Recovery of Wildlife in America by David S. Wilcove in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 41 books citing this book
Books on Related Topics
(learn more)
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
