National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Southwestern States: Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah (Audubon Field Guide)

These books are a wonderful introduction to natural history and identification. The information, though very condensed, is much more enjoyably presented here than it was in many a dull college "-ology" course. Overall, I agree with the New England guide publisher's comments about the series as a beginning to a more in-depth appreciation of natural history.

My gripes--and they are very small in comparison to the general usefulness and many great aspects of the guides--are actually with the comprehensiveness, which in some cases may lead to misidentification or confusion. It seems that the most common, conspicuous, and obvious species are generally included (good!), but there are some additions which might better have been excluded, or at least qualified: is the average person really going to be able to correctly identify, say, blue or skipper butterflies (only a couple of species included) or Brewer's and winter Chipping sparrows with the information in this book? The tougher ID's involved here take more skill and experience than the average person is likely to have, and the guide usually doesn't even caution the reader that this is so. I think it would have been better to at least alert the reader (in the proper places) that not all ID's are easy and that even experts sometimes have trouble, et cetera, just to clear things up. The only place I've yet noticed anything like this caution is the gulls ("confusing array of plumages").

Also there is the typical Audubon focus on adult males of species, while neglecting females and immatures, although this is more forgivable here than in the more specific guides--there just isn't room to cover everything here.

So, while I think it's marvelous that these guides will help so many people develop an understanding of, interest in, and love for the natural world, perhaps even more written emphasis on the variety and complexity of nature would have been better as an alert that, while the common and easier-to-ID species are included, many more species are out there to challenge us after we've acquired more in-depth knowledge.

I can't wait to return to the Southwest and use this great guide to help acquaint me with its wonders.


buy this book...   October 11, 1999
Mike Ricciuti (Somerville, MA United States)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

if you plan to visit the southwest and spend any time outdoors. Indispensable for hiking trips, but equally useful for finding national parks, etc. Full of interesting info on geology, history, and, of course, wildlife. Top-notch printing and it's well written, too....


If you can only take one field guide on your vacation...   May 23, 2003
Book at Me Now
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

this is the one to take! Like carrying a park ranger in your backpack to help you know what you are looking at. Trees and wildflowers, animals of the land, sky and water, minerals, stars of the night sky. Increase your knowledge and understanding of the beautiful places you visit and your own backyard. Check out the Audubon Field Guides to Florida and other regions as well. Well worth the money. Lots of color photographs and well organized for easy use.


all in one little book   June 10, 2002
simpcity
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This is a delight to come home to after a walk or a trip to the river. I try to bring a wildflower home to check out in the book, and am never let down.

While it seems almost an impossible undertaking to include four very large states in one book, in fact the Range guide helps focus the book quite a bit.

As an artifact, the book is well made and should last some time.


National Audubon Society Field Guide To The Southwestern St.   February 22, 2002
Duane Causey (Lake Havasu City, Arizona United States)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

As with all Audubon Field Guides,I Have, I'm VERY pleased with the "Colored" Pictures and Related Information!!!