Plant

What more could you want in a collection of essays by women on plants? The editor includes essays to pique anyone's interest and arranges them in a charming and thoughtful manner. If you enjoy either nature writings or feminist prose this book is for you!

Collaboratively edited by Linda Hogan and Brenda Peterson, The Sweet Breathing Of Plants is a gentle and remarkable collections of singularly unique essays about the relationship between women and plants, interdependent upon one another for life since prehistory. From "The Language of Flowers" to "The Flooded Forest," each individual treatise significantly contributes an unusual and memorable insight to the wondrous whole in this spiritually moving and deeply meaningful metaphysical anthology.

THE SWEET BREATHING OF PLANTS should be required reading for high school and early college classes covering the natural world. I'm a big fan of essays, books, etc. written by naturalists, and SBP is one of the best collections of essays I've come across. The editors, Linda Hogan and Brenda Peterson have included the works of leading scientists such as Rachel Carson and Jane Goodall, but they've gone beyond the tried and true and compiled a collection of essays by many other scientists, naturalists, veternarians, and very wise women including Susan Orlean who recently produced THE ORCHID THEIF.

The golden rule of nature seems to be cooperation, not competion. SCIENCE magazine once published an article entitled "Nature Red in Tooth and Claw" and while a good deal of consumption takes place in the natural world, symbiosis is far more important. Nature is bigger than the "survival of the fittest." Many plants and animals have symbiotic relationships. I think my favorite example is the dandelion which pulls calcium to the surface which allows other plants to thrive. In the plant world, having a dandelion for a neighbor can be a good thing good.

Native Americans in the Amazon riverine forests have not lost touch with nature. They understand that partially submerged trees feed the fish, and that they must build their gardens in the forest and away from the river banks which are exposed in the dry season. Contrast this attitude with that of the inhabitants of the Sierra who are felling trees in old growth forests as fast as they can. The regrowth is never the same. As one writer who used to work for the U.S. Forest service explains, the name of the game is to replace the living forest with a single tree. Monoculture seems to be more economically sound.

But is it economically sound to destroy the environment including the old growth forests? A growing body of evidence suggests this is not the case and much of it is contained in this book. A good deal of money (if that is all that matters) can be made from keeping the forests entact. Medicinal plants yet to be discovered live in the forest. Recreation including sight-seeing, fishing, and other "noninvasive" outdoor sports are an important source of income.

One of my favorite essays was written by Donna Kelleher, a veternarian who practices holistic medicine. In her essay entitled, "Living Medicine for Animals" Kelleher writes of her experiences with animals, including Chirpy, a pet bird who suffered from a claw infection of Staphylococcus bacteria. Kelleher treated Chirpy with a mixture she concocted consisting of Calendula and other herbs after conventional forms of treatment failed to help Chirpy. The little bird was healed and lived two more years untile he died of old age.

This book of essays should not be overlooked. If you think you've read it all you probably haven't. Although much of the information in this book can be found elsewhere (most of the authors have written extensively on their topics), this is a nice anthology of essays and a good place to start discovering all the natural world.

I am very new to gardening and found this book very helpful. It is cut and dry! The plants are listed in alphabetical order explaining where to plant them and how to care for them. It also describes when and if to trim them back and if dead heading is needed. I also enjoyed how one section of the book organized plants based on color.

I have many helpful gardening books but this one is the one I always come back to. It's best for identitifying plants or finding the perfect plant for certain conditions. Great photos and lots of them!

This book is arranged like a bird-identifier book-- color plates in the front arranged by flower color with plant details referenced in the back of the book. The color plates are clear, good color quality, and provide close-ups of the flowers. Pen and ink drawings of plant profiles, leaf structures, and distinguishing features enhance the books ability to help the reader identify "what plant is this?" If you're looking for detailed growing conditions or a "how to", get another book. But if you're looking for a thorough, easy-to-carry-to- the-localgarden-nursery book, to identify plants and the flowers they will yield then this book is for you! I have tons of books on periennals, but this is the one that never fails me when I need to ID a plant or flower.

If you have any interest in photography, natural history or West Virginia then this book is a welcome addition to you library. Jim has a unique ability to capture in words and images the experience of actually being in the Allegheny Highlands. I know because after I read the book it inspired me to go there.

The images are very well done from an artistic perspective. The words in Jim's own hand make the book an experience to enjoy again and again.

I purchased this book as a Christmas gift for my father, sight unseen, based on the description here at amazon.com. After he opened this gift, I had a chance to see it. I could not have been more pleased. The photography is amazing. It truly depicts the beauty of West Virginia. I liked the book so much that I have now ordered a copy for myself, which will be on display in my home in Washington, D.C.

"West Virginia: The Allegheny Highlands" is an absolutely resplendent volume. Nature photographer and biologist Jim Clark masterfully captures the colors, features, and animal life in the wildest and most remote region in the Appalachian Mountains. Clark takes us through four seasons in the Alleghenies. His 100 full-color pictures are as winningly composed as they are iridescently rendered. Clark is one of those rare photographers who can truly give you a sense of grandeur in his work. In "New River Bridge, Fayette County," he doesn't just capture the forminable span of the bridge. He includes the giant (yet tiny!) boulders in the river below, so that you can get an almost stunning sense of the reach and height of this engineering marvel. But Clark is just as adept with smaller scenes. Witness "Maple Leaves in a Stream" and the almost paint-like "Reflections, Branch of the Potomac River, Grant County." And Clark's prose is nearly as penetrating as his photographs. Of a winterstorm, he writes: "The first thing I notice about the snowstorm is how still it is. Nothing is moving; the only sound I hear is the wind whispering through the trees." Don't miss this rich and captivating work.

Without doubt, the best "Colored" pictures and information one could ask for!!

After moving to the Tahoe National Forest in California, we knew we needed a book to identify the wildlife, flora, trees and insects.This is simply the most perfect book. Clearly written, beautiful photos and well organized. We use it all of the time!Karyn Lepley

this guide, as well as the others in this series, are an excellent first book or primary reference for those living or travelling in the areas they cover.

one of best points is that they are not exhaustive in their coverage. instead they focus on the most commonly seen species. so instead of flipping through endless pages of references to rare or seldom seen species, one can quickly find the specific plant or animal they encounter.

if one becomes more focused in study of a given type of plant or animal one can turn to more exhaustive and detailed texts -- such as audobon's own guides to birds, trees, mammals, etc.

i have found that this series is an excellent gift for those who are not specifically focused on nature studies. my parents enjoyed their gift copy -- as it enabled them to identify the trees and animals in their own back yard.

the specific entries are informative and interesting. the production values (photos, indexes) are excellent. and the opening essays are a special treat; they well written and well worth reading. they can inspire one to pay a bit more attention to the natural landscape even if all they do is drive through it.

This is a wonderful book with lots of amazing wolf and landscape pictures. While some people might be disturb by some of the dead animals in the picture, as a animal lover I reckon this book had shown the reality of the nature truthfully, and I really love this book.

This is an excellent book on artic wolves. I enjoyed reading about their lives. If you are not in the mood to read the photos are worth the cost of the book.

Brandenburg's experience shows the wolf as a loving and compassionate family-oriented animal that is as wild at heart as they come. These highly intelligent creatures seemed to stay a step ahead of their distant watchers. This leads to some hilarious encounters and a tear jerking ending. Follow this up with "Brother Wolf."

1001 Old Time Garden Tips
I enjoyed this book very much, and find that it is one of those gardening books that I keep going back to for new advice.
What is interesting about 1001 Old Time Garden Tips is that so much of the advice, the tips, so much is old stuff, good old advice that has often been forgotten. I do landscaping, design work, horticultural consulting, and am a garden writer myself ( Allergy-Free Gardening, and most recently, Safe Sex in the Garden ) and I love to have good, solid, informative, well-written gardening books on hand for quick reference.
The longer I garden ( and I've been at it for close to 5 decades now ) the more I appreciate an organic approach. 1001 Old Time Garden Tips: Timeless Bits of Wisdom on How to Grow Everything Organically, from the Good Old Days When Everyone Did, sure has the longest title I ever saw! But it is also a mighty good, easy to follow, highly useful book and if you garden, I'm almost certain you'd enjoy owning it. I know I sure like my copy. The editor for this great collection of useful tips and advice, Roger Yepsen, has done a terrific job.

This book is a joy to pick up when you're bored or looking for gardening ideas or help. I especially enjoy the "Strange But True" sections. New and Long time gardeners will enjoy this publication.

What a jewel! This book is a well-organized, illustrated collection of OLD gardening tips, including everything from herbs to houseplants to lawns to controlling pests. Paragraph-long entries end with their original publication sources--which are almost as interesting as the advice. The suggestions are timeless. I find I "hear" my grandparents' wisdom about plants on every other page. This book will definitely hit my list of favorite books to give as a gift--but I'll always save a copy for myself.

I noticed that the writing on the front flap of the book jacket claimed that the images are large format panographs. After taking a close look at the first few images on pages 1-10, I came to the conclusion that these are panographs taken in 135 format not the medium format of the 120 or 220 types. Everton's notes of camera and film on page 7 confirmed my assessment. It is interesting that he departed from the usual practice of his peers by choosing the colour negative film Fuji NHG II rather than its sibling, the transparency film, Fuji Velvia 50. Though it does not have the punchy colours and high contrast of Velvia, NHG II gives softer colours in highlights and more shadow details. With negative films, mastery in controlling exposure is only half of the accomplishment, mastery in making prints is essential for bringing the final image to the masses. Everton said he developed his prints in a rental lab. If so, his craft is well done. The contrast control of each image is good with no lost of colour saturation and shadow details, even for heavily overcast landscape such as the one on Lemhi Pass (p56). About half of the images was taken at a time when a storm was approaching. Some even have a clearly visible rain curtain (p33,49,62). The panograph of the Great Sand Dune Monument (p62) is a real visual treat. The land and sky were connected by a rain pillar over the sand dune on the right, illuminated by the emerging light. The highlighted strip of the desert floor formed the visual anchor for the reader, guiding my eyes to start the journey from the lower left-hand side of the image then wander into the distant storm-covered horizon. The smoothness of the dunes form a visual contrast to the roughness of the storm clouds above. It is rare to see a rainstorm in a sandy desert let alone under such magical lighting. Capturing fleeing moments like this calls for great patience and skill on the photographer's part. The panograph of Lower Geyser Basin is my second favourite (p49). The steam pillar jetted out of the geyser is the force within the deep earth whereas the heaven is owned by the menacing storm dumping torrents of rain from above. I couldn't stop asking if this image was taken on Planet Earth or near Mount Doom of Middle Earth in Tokkien's fantasy. My other favourite is the panograph of the Lower Calf Creek Falls (p72). Here stillness and transquility was interrupted by the gushing waterfall. The branches of the two trees at the foreground formed a perfect arch that frames the waterfall. This is a stage built by Nature where we are invited to sit in front and be immersed in the sound of moving waters.
The map next to Everton's preface showed not only the places where the images were taken but confirmed the warning that American wilderness is an endangered specie. The rest of the writings is simply an eloquent elaboration of this urgent issue. This book is another quality publication from Abrams Inc. I give it four out of five stars.

This book deserves more than five stars for the unmatched color panoramas of the most picturesque horizons in the western United States.

You could visit these sites for twenty years and not see actual scenes as luscious as these. Whether you know the West or think you would like to, I suggest that you start with this remarkable book. This is the West as you've never seen it . . . but could. The wonderful photography is nicely complemented by the essays that provide geological and historical perspectives on the scenes portrayed here.

The photography is all done in 148 or 150 degree large format color panoramas. This perspective approximates what the human eyes can see, including peripheral vision. As a result, these images give you a remarkable sense of being present that is almost impossible to obtain in a book.

The reproduction quality is amazingly good, and the lighting and tones vary wonderfully from one outstanding photograph to the next. Almost all are displayed over an entire wide panorama-sized page, and many extend over parts of two such pages.

The feeling is so ethereal that it evokes the same sense of natural wonder that looking at paintings by the Hudson River School creates. There are in fact some parallels, as a few scenes include tiny people or animals in the foreground.

The book is divided into sections showing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado Plateau, the Cascade range, the Pacific Northwest, and California. Although I have traveled extensively in the West for over 40 years, more than half of these scenes were new to me. I can see that I have many wonderful trips ahead of me to visit these locales, now that I know how gorgeous they are.

Here is a list of the sites:

Sand Hills, Nebraska

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Montana Prairie

Breaks of the Missouri

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Waterton/Glacier International Peace Park, Montana

Lemhi Pass, Montana

Mores Creek, Idaho

Aspen, Colorado

Great Sand Dunes National Monument, Colorado

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Grand Staircase -- Escalante National Monument, Utah

Ghost Ranch, New Mexico

Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Monument Valley Tribal Park, Arizona/Utah

Wupatki National National Monument, Arizona

Mount St. Helens

Crater Lake, Oregon

Mount Shasta, California

Oregon Coast

Big Sur, California

Santa Catalina, California

Yosemite, California

Mono Lake, California

Joshua Tree National Park, California

Death Valley, California

The text connects these boundless images to "a West of unlimited horizons" and the work of Turner in developing his frontier theory of the role of the West in stimulating American imagination and initiative. Even today, the book argues that the "unconstrained Western horizon" is important to our sense of taking on the new challenges of modern society.

Everyone who sees these photographs will agree that it would be horrible if these sights were ever to be spoiled. We are fortunate that government policy began to preserve these lands beginning in the 19th century. With today's challenges of pollution and visitors, perhaps even more will have to be done.

Reading and looking at this book is a spiritual journey, not unlike a peaceful meditation. If your spirit is troubled at all, I suggest this book as a balm that you can always use to ease your discomfort.

Live with beauty!

Wow. What a wonderful book that amazes me, everytime I open the cover. Everton seems to have complete control over the dynamics range in all of his photographs. Dark clouds yield to lighter, fluffy clouds, down to a light horizon, and a rich, dark lower 1/3 of these exposures. Add to this control his use of a tool that has limitations, at Noblex 150 panoramic camera.

Everton also captures locations that have already been widely photographed before, but with his own signature. He adds a new face to Calf Creek Falls in Utah. A must have book for your table.

An "Elegant Book of California Flora" (as stated in the preface). The book has ~135 gorgeous plates of wildflower pictures, some closeup and some landscapes. The flowers are identified with both common names as well as scientific ones. Dates and locations are shown for each photo. This book is more a photographic study than a wildflower identification book.

I bought 2 of these for gifts and 1 for myself. The drawings and photos in field guides are always too small. The pictures of flowers in this book leave no doubt about what your're looking at. Non-native (alien) species are identified. Even pine cones and insects are identified. The introduction about habitats, pollinators, soils, climate,etc. is well written. There is a discussion about cameras, lenses and film used. This is not a comprehnsive field guide, but it will help most amateur naturalists identify many common plants. I love this book and hope the authors continue their wonderful work. Last, but perhaps most importantly, this book is incredibly afforable.

This is a book to cherish. Larry Ulrich's large format photography brings us into a world of beauty. From the grand views to the tiny details, everything is perfection. All flowers were taken in their setting and at their best. I have the 1994 edition. Printing is one of the sharpest I have seen and colors are sumptuous.

A truly beautiful book. I walk in the fields and identify most of the flowers. There is one however, that I can't seem to find in the book. Will send a picture of it, if you like. Please advise. rosalee

This book was a great help to my classmates and I. We had a project and had to look up flowers the names and scientific names and it was so easy to use it took us no time at all.

I have found this wildflower ID book extremely useful to my students because they do not have to wade through the selections by families but can narrow down their searching and time by going directly to the color section for the flower they have. The page size of the book makes it more useful for field ID than bigger sized books. A few of the photos lack definitive pictures of leaf, bud, and stem structures and may give a mistaken impression of flower size.

I would like to be able to rate this book at 4.9 stars, because, in my opinion and by way of usage and reference, only one other usually supercedes it (the comprehensively illustrated "AHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants"). Yet the Wyman's remains a valuable reference that I consult as a second (and often first) source of botannical and gardening information.

The other readers' reviews here should give ample incentive to buy this book. Their words-"well researched" [the book is thorough in its descriptions and definitions], "full and opinionated" [the writing is colorful and makes for interesting reading] and "comprehensive" [Wyman even gives the correct Latin pronunciation of each listed genus (I wish the AHS book did)]-affirm the book's usefulness.

I have many gardening books and catalogs in my library, however, Wyman's is the one I refer to time and again because of its comprehensive discussion of each plant. If I could only have one reference, this would be it.

Offering more information than you'll find anywhere else, this encyclpedia does NOT read like a pretty plant catalogue filled with the usual tired (and brief) descriptions. This book is a labor of love: full and opinionated, proof that a picture is not worth a thousand, well-researched words.