Does the world need another naturalist's field guide? It's a terribly crowded genre, but if the field guide in question is Mary Blocksma's Naming Nature, the answer is a resounding yes. Blocksma ordinarily writes for children, and her patient, warm-hearted explanations of why nature works the way it does are just right for the curious adult as well. ("I've been sharing my cabin with several hundred spiders this summer," she writes, "and I've found them to be quite retiring.") Blocksma argues along the way that we could all use some "natural literacy" to go along with the cultural literacy that's lately been bandied about. She's right, of course, and her book, which favors the Midwest and Atlantic Seaboard regions of the United States, is a lively start. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
This delightful book, written by a former librarian and the author of Reading the Numbers ( LJ 4/1/89), consists of 365 vignettes, one for each day of the year. January 1 describes the author's New Year's resolution to learn the names of what she observes, thereby becoming more acquainted with her natural surroundings. Each new day brings trips to the beach, forest, meadow, pond, back porch, and more. Blocksma's style is engaging, enchanting, and informative. While her book is not quite a field guide, it contains enough facts, descriptions, and details to enhance the use of any guide. Readers will learn how to use field marks, range maps, and precise comparisons to sort out and identify birds, turtles, trees, butterflies, and more. A "guide to guides" critiques various books and suggests how to decide which ones to buy for the home. Practicing amateur and armchair naturalists will relish this book. Warmly recommended for public libraries.
- Nancy Moeckel, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, Ohio
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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