The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada (California Academy of Sciences) (California Academy of Sciences) (Paperback)

~ (Author, Illustrator)
Key Phrases: alternate simple leaves, single vein, compound leaves, Sierra Nevada, Lake Tahoe, Poison Oak (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

He took his first hike into the Sierra Nevada, the landscape of his obsession, while still in the womb. His parents named him John Muir Laws. He once spent a week searching for a single perfect orchid to paint. He says " I am constantly amazed by things" Such as ? "The diversity of chipmunks." He is not joking. He cares about newts. If asked, he does an excellent imitation of a startled vole. He has opinions about beetles...The new field guide , already praised by outdoor connoisseurs as a naturalist's bible, begins with "Small Fungi growing on Wood" and ends with stars. It is small enough to slip in your pocket but includes 1,700 species of flowers, trees, bugs, frogs, snails, skinks, birds, fish, rodents. It took him six years. The world needs more of this --this kind of sustained , informed, deep gee-whizdom...Laws painted every wildflower in his book from sketches in the field.The same with the birds, except for the great horned owl which he kept missing."We have this idea that all robins, for example, look the same," says Laws. "But they don't. Any more than collies look alike or all humans. it's because we are not looking hard enough."... When he was a boy hiking on the John Muir Trail, he dreamed of creating the perfect field guide, not a guide made by experts, but a book by an enthusiast. " My criteria for inclusion in the book:Either it is so common you'll trip over it all the time. Or not so common-- maybe it is just some subtle little thing, but they are so stunning or their story is so great, I had to include it," he says. Why? "Because the more people fall in love with the diversity of life, the more people will fight to protect it," Laws says. " ...The point really is not to identify a creature or a plant and move on. The point is to learn the story." --WASHINGTON POST, William Booth, Sunday Jan. 13,2008

Laws was so determined to make it easy for people to use this gude, he crammed a wide range of species into one book so hikers and backpackers would find it easy to take with them. Then he arranged it by species and primary characteristics so, from the inside cover, they can flip quickly to the pages that cover the plant or animal they've seen for a quick identification. Laws' stunning illustrations are accompanied by observations and requests, like on page 309: Keep an eye out for the wolverine, now feared extinct. --The San Francisco Chronicle

Product Description

With more than 2,800 original watercolor illustrations, John Muir Laws has masterfully catalogued over 1,700 species of Sierra trees, wildflowers, ferns, fungi, lichens, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, insects, and other small animals. The guide is designed for quick and easy use in the field. Color tabs and a unique system of keys and organization assist in the quick identification of the living things encountered along the trail, while Laws s illustrations capture the feeling of plants and animals with detail critical for their classification.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 366 pages
• Publisher: Heyday Books (June 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159714052X
• ISBN-13: 978-1597140522
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 4.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,797 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #2 in	Books > History > United States > State & Local > Nevada
  #24 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Fauna > Wildlife
  #30 in	Books > Travel > United States > Regions > West > Pacific

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing New Field Guide!, September 1, 2007

By	E. Pratt (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Absolutely the best field guide I've encountered. Besides being compact and easy to use, the illustrations are absolutely stunning. This book is ideal as a quick reference for either the backyard naturalist or the avid backpacker. After buying this book you'll quickly become addicted to flora and fauna identification!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource, December 26, 2007

By	J. Holman (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A ton of useful information on a range of subjects (plants, animals, mushrooms, insects, weather, tracks, scat, star charts, etc.). Beautifully illustrated and easy to navigate. The text snippets have a very personal, conversational, at times even humorous tone, which make it a pleasure to consult. At 17.5oz (496g), it's a little too heavy in my opinion for backpacking, but a good companion for all other occasions. The knowledge, thought and passion that went into this publication really burst off the pages.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take this one on your hike, October 19, 2007

By	Anna Mills (Menlo Park, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a gem, a comprehensive field guide to Sierra flora and fauna. John Muir Laws spent many summers drawing from life in all corners of the Sierra, and the results are enchanting. The book includes insects, tracks, stars, scat, and mushrooms as well as plants, birds, and animals. Though there isn't space in this slim volume for detailed information on each organism, the tidbits of natural history trivia scattered throughout are tantalizing. I take this one guide on every hike, and it rarely fails me. The color tab system makes it easy to find things quickly without searching the index. When I get back, I can refer to other guidebooks like Sierra Nevada Natural History for more information.