Customer Reviews

Weeds of the West

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a wonderful book. The only problem is it is badly overpriced by "DIANE" who states she is the publisher.
The real publisher is the University of Wyoming and this 9th edition priced at $45.00. The real publisher didn't realize they had to get a new ISBN number for the new edition. So the 9th edition bears the old ISBN number 0-941570-134.
Perhaps Amazon could assign a number with the publisher's correct price of $45, not $60.00

DO NOT order this book from the internet--is is a rip-off!! Call the University of Wyoming at Laramie, they will sell you Weeds of the West for 26.50 with 5.00 shipping (9th edition, 2006). Their phone # is (307)766-5124--very nice folks, and they are also the publishers.

This book isn't for everyone, but it really fills a gaping hole in the reference library of any gardener interested in the use of native plants, xeriscape gardening, wildflower cultivation, etc. For anyone who has ever let a yard go to seed "just to see what happens" (or dreamed of doing so) this book helps you determine what weeds are really weeds and what weeds are hidden treasures. The book is amply illustrated with photos of both mature plants and seedlings, which helps you determine what to get rid of after monsoon rains have done their part. The descriptions are clear and the index functions fine. Plus I just love the idea of having an entire book on weeds!

This is a prime source for identifying weeds or native flora of the area. It's great fun for what might be a very dull walk and have it turn into a wonderful opportunity to become familiar with this space on earth. Weeds of the West has done this for me and I have enjoyed it immensely. It gives me exactly what I want to know with sharp illustrations. This book is worth the purchase for anyone curious about their surroundings.

Originally I bought this book out of curiosity, but it turned out to be more useful than expected. Whenever I see a strange new weed in the back yard, I pull a sample out of the ground and then quickly flip through the pages looking for a match. Once I know the name of the weed, I can then look up more details on the web. Sometimes when I just spot seedlings in the ground I don't know what the weeds will look like when they're full grown. This books also has photos of the corresponding seedlings, so I don't have to wait until the weed gets big to identify it. This is a must have for any hardcore Western gardener!

This is the most comprehensive book I have found on the subject. Great photographs which aid in identification. Book condition was as advertised and delivered in a timely manner.

This is a beautifully done book as it contains a number (usually 3) of largish color photos for each plant, showing important characteristic features. This is what sets this book apart from other field guides, plus its focus on weedy plants. It is clearly devised for folks whom may not know how to use botanical keys, but who need to identify weeds to potentially help eradicate them. So instead of writing a lot of technical details, the authors fill the pages with photos not words. Of course there are down sides to this as well. For those of us who want to make positive identification, you will still need an inclusive flora with botanical keys. But that is not the purpose of this book, which is to help land-managers figure out what plants they are looking at. And it will work for you this way too. There is a very basic family key that is not too helpful, so you will need to know what family your plant is in, as that is how they are ordered in the book. This book is on heavy-stock paper and is quite thick and heavy, not a backpack book. All this said, I recommend this book for quick reference if you are in its region, and of course the `weeds' are some of the most common (and commonly handsome) plants you will see.

I wore out my book from overuse. Thanks to previous posters I was able to purchase a new one today by directly calling 307 766-5124. It's costing me $31.

If you are a biologist or botanist, you already know this book! If you are interested in learning about what you see in the fields, this book is the essential reference book. It is comprehensive and a great reference book.

This book is one of the best available for some weeds. However, it does name some native plants as weeds because they are toxic to livestock. Weeds are by definition non-native.