Cactus Desert (One Small Square)

Book Description

It’s a sun-scorched world where clouds rarely come and nothing seems to move. That is, until children ages 6 - 9 up look a little closer to find tortoises, toads, and lizards, not to mention the scary rattlesnake and scorpion. Here, plants send their roots deep into the earth to find water, beetles stand on their head and shoot a stinky spray to fight off enemies, and roadrunners whiz by sleepy turtles and nervous desert mice on their way to ... where? Kids need only light clothes and a few simple pieces of equipment to explore the enchantments of cactus country.

Customer Reviews:

Both interesting and informative.......1999-04-10

I reviewed this book for The Home School Manual =============================

One Small Square One Small Square, Cactus Desert "Whew! It's hot: 115°F (46°C), and the temperature is still climbing. . . . Welcome to cactus country. Home of rattlesnakes and roadrunners, yuccas and chuckwallas. . . . In this desert you will discover animals that never take a drink of water and plants that double as 'apartment houses.' . . ." On turning the page we are told that exploring offers many surprises, but to be prepared in case one of the surprises happens to be a scorpion or another dangerous creature.

The words, "small square," emphasize the idea that careful observation, even in a small space, yields a wealth of interesting information. And the book itself is square (9" X 9"). You are shown life under the ground as well as above it. Notes in the illustrations point out interesting facts, and each chapter of two or more pages deals with a general topic like protection from the heat, dangers in the night, or how certain plants and animals take quick advantage of a rare rainfall. One chapter near the end explains that some deserts (including Antarctica) are cold. Names are given for all the plants and creatures shown. Studying this book is, in some ways, even better than visiting the desert itself. The book offers good science and would even make a great gift.

One of a series of Small Square books by Donald M. Silver. This one is illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne. For readers 7 to 12 (as if adults wouldn't have fun learning all these things, too). Hardcover, 48 pp. Was $14.95. 1995, from another publisher.

Average customer rating:

Chasing Wildflowers

Unique, unusual, and superbly written

crazy plant lover/stand up commedian

Chasing Wildflowers
Scott Calhoun
Manufacturer: Rio Nuevo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Flowers | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Yard Full of Sun: The Story of a Gardener's Obsession That Got a Little Out of Hand

A Pattern Garden: The Essential Elements of Garden Making

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life

ASIN: 1887896988

Book Description

Scott Calhoun "tells his story…with wit and a delightful earthiness."—The American Gardener

What can possess a man to drive across state lines, mountain ranges, and international borders with little more than a ragged guide book, an old map, and a wild look in his eyes? Wild women? No, wildflowers! Author Scott Calhoun invites you to join him on a rollicking adventure through Utah, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and into Sonora, Mexico. Along the way, learn how red chile on a white T-shirt can look like a gunshot wound, and how a man driving a VW Jetta with 100,000 miles on it can feel "richer than a Hollywood divorce lawyer" while he searches for the elusive beauty of blooming wildflowers. Why? Because "there are some temptations that are too great for a renegade gardener to resist." 36 color photos.

Customer Reviews:

Chasing Wildflowers.......2007-08-29

Another great title by this same author is Yard Full of Sun: The Story of a Gardener's Obsession That Got a Little Out of Hand. Just as entertaining as Chasing Wildflowers!Yard Full of Sun: The Story of a Gardener's Obsession That Got a Little Out of Hand

Unique, unusual, and superbly written.......2007-07-09

In "Chasing Wildflowers: A Mad Search For Wild Gardens", author and horticulture enthusiast Scott Calhoun celebrates the beauty of wildflowers in natural settings that range from Utah, Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico, to Arizona, California, and Sonora, Mexico. Profusely illustrated throughout with 69 color photographs, "Chasing Wildflowers" is part travelogue and part nature study, all presented with the author heading each chapter with the date of that particular trip, its destination, the total trip time, the vehicle use, the round-trip distance from his home-base of Tucson, his traveling companion, and even the music enjoyed along the way. Unique, unusual, and superbly written, "Chasing Wildflowers" is highly entertaining, informative, and recommended for personal and community library collections -- and the next best thing to traveling to these various destinations in person!

crazy plant lover/stand up commedian.......2007-06-04

I haven't laughed so much in a long time...perhaps I am easily amused.
I also have been to all the places Calhoun writes about and it's great to know there are other people enjoying the plants as much as I. I would love to show this guy some of my favorite plant places and see his take.
A lovely (and funny) book.

Mojave Desert Wildflowers: A Field Guide to Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of the Mojave Desert, Including the Mojave National Preserve, Death Valley National Park, and Joshua Tree National Park

Average customer rating:

Extremely Easy To Use
Beautiful pix, helpful text
Great book
A Gorgeous, Informative, Sturdy Field Guide
Beautiful Book!

Mojave Desert Wildflowers: A Field Guide to Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of the Mojave Desert, Including the Mojave National Preserve, Death Valley National Park, and Joshua Tree National Park
Pam MacKay
Manufacturer: Falcon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0762711620

Book Description

The Mojave Desert eco-region extends from eastern California to northwestern Arizona, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah, and boasts plant communities as diverse as alkali sinks, dune systems, Joshua tree woodland, pinyon juniper woodland, mixed mojave scrub, and even riparian woodland. Mojave Desert Wildflowers will be appreciated not only by amateur wildflower enthusiasts, but experts will also find the detailed photographs and charts useful in distinguishing among similar species in difficult groups. Species are arranged by color and plant family for easy identification. This guide features 300 of the common species, full-color photographs, detailed descriptions, information on bloom season, and interesting facts about each plant.

Customer Reviews:

Extremely Easy To Use.......2006-04-16

This is probably the easiest to use desert plant book I have (and I have eight that focus on desert plants in all). What it lacks in completeness, it more than makes up for in terms of ease of use. There is a picture for each plant and the plants are grouped according to flower color. So as long as the plant is in bloom, it's not too hard to find out what it is. This book does a great job of covering the plants you are most likely to come across which makes it a great book to thumb through in the field. If you are dealing with similar species within the same genus or rare plants, you'll probably want to get the Jepson guide.

Beautiful pix, helpful text.......2005-09-02

I love these Falcon guides mainly because of the lavish color illustrations. Every flower in the book has its own color picture, along with helpful descriptions. The front matter in this book includes all sorts of background material about the Mojave, along with the usual educational stuff about plant types, leaf distribution, etc. And the book is made to last -- if you take any care of it at all, it will last you forever.

Great book.......2005-02-12

Money well spent. We are ready for wildflower season! A lot of color pictures with good information. If you live in or near the Mojave Desert this is a valuable book.

A Gorgeous, Informative, Sturdy Field Guide.......2003-07-15

Pam MacKay's 'Mojave Desert Wildflowers' is a wonderfully informative & beautifully photographed guide to the wildflowers of the Mojave. This sturdy plastic-coated field guide contains over 300 gorgeous photos, finely detailed plant descriptions, and is virtually an introductory textbook on Mojave Desert ecology. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates the Mojave Desert. The author lives & teaches in the Mojave and her dedication, attention to detail, and love of the desert are revealed on every page.

Jim Otterstrom

Beautiful Book!.......2003-05-15

This guide is so easy to use and the pictures are beautiful. I highly recommend this guide for first time wildflower enthusiasts!

Great Basin Wildflowers: A Guide to Common Wildflowers of the High Deserts of Nevada, Utah, and Oregon (Wildflower Series)

Average customer rating:

A handy guide
Great For Death Valley Too!
Finally! A guide specifically for the Great Basin.

Great Basin Wildflowers: A Guide to Common Wildflowers of the High Deserts of Nevada, Utah, and Oregon (Wildflower Series)
Laird R Blackwell
Manufacturer: Falcon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0762738057

Book Description

With 350 stunning color images and descriptive text, Laird Blackwell reveals the diversity and beauty of the Great Basin through its wildflowers. This book is a handy introduction to the region's plants for beginners and a fascinating study of the ecosystem that will appeal to experts.

Customer Reviews:

A handy guide.......2007-09-28

I have several of Blackwell's wildflower guidebooks, and I have found them very useful in helping me identify flowers.

The only complaint I have about this book is that the printing seems a bit dark and muddy.

Great For Death Valley Too!.......2006-08-14

This book provides outstanding coverage of plants of the Great Basin. My interest is primarily the Death Valley area and this book is very relevant to the parts of Death Valley above 4000 feet in altitude which is actually a very large portion of Death Valley National Park. This book fills in the missing plants that aren't covered in other books about Death Valley plants and Mojave Desert plants. For instance, a plant I found on Telescope Peak (elevation 11,027) a few weeks ago was not listed in nine other plant books covering the area, but it was covered in this book! (The plant was Heuchera rubescens.) So, if you're into Death Valley plants and you want a book to help out with those high altitude specimens that get overlooked in other books, then this book is just what you need!

Finally! A guide specifically for the Great Basin........2006-08-03

Having worked at Great Basin National Park without access to a flower guide solely for the Great Basin, this book provides a much needed resource. Prior to the guide book's release, one had to rely on guides from the Rockies and the Sierras. While there was overlap from both, there were also many gaps. Great Basin Wildflowers fills those gaps, and it does so with an easy to use approach. Flowers are grouped by color, making it easy to find what you're looking for, and the pictures are detailed enough to make confirmation of the plant. I only wish I had this guide a year ago.

Average customer rating:

Excellent day-hiker's guide to Sonoran desert plants

Flowers of the Southwest Deserts
Natt Noyes Dodge , and Janish
Manufacturer: Western Natl Parks Assoc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0911408657

Book Description

Field guide to over 100 of the most common flowering desert plants of the Southwest, emphasizing those likely to be found in National Park Service areas. Detailed line drawings for identification.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent day-hiker's guide to Sonoran desert plants.......2000-05-13

This Sonoran desert guide to common plants is published by the Southwest Parks and Monuments Assoc. It is an excellent guide to keep in your day pack as you hike southwestern deserts. Black and white illustrations are well done and are a great help in identification. Plants are organized by color of flower blossoms which makes it easier for the everyday hiker who is not familiar with botanical taxonomy. The book includes commons species of cacti, desert trees, shrubs, annuals, and perennials. I particularly enjoy the inclusion of details about medicinal and/or edible uses of the plants by native Americans of the area. My appreciation of our desert plants is greatly enhanced when I understand how the plants have been used -- and can still be used today. I am a 30-year veteran educator, and use information from this book regulary when on nature hikes with students of all ages. The book has only 4 pages of color photos of plants. I would rate the book as 5-star if it had more color-photo pages. Other desert plant I.D. books have more color pages, but are also much more expensive.

Introduction to California Desert Wildflowers (California Natural History Guides)

Average customer rating:

Quite easy to use
Great guide for the amateur naturalist
This one's good, but there are better for Anza-Borrego

Introduction to California Desert Wildflowers (California Natural History Guides)
Philip A. Munz
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0520236327

Book Description

Some of the most spectacular and famous spring wildflower displays in California occur in the state's deserts. In fact, California's deserts support a surprisingly rich diversity of plants and animals year-round, making them a rewarding destination for outdoor enthusiasts as well as professional naturalists. First published forty years ago, this popular field guide has never been superseded as a guide to the wildflowers in these botanically rich areas. Easy-to-use, portable, and comprehensive, it has now been thoroughly updated and revised throughout, making it the perfect guide to take along on excursions into the Mojave and Colorado Deserts.
* Includes 220 new color photographs and 123 detailed drawings
* Now identifies more than 240 wildflowers in informative, engaging species accounts
* Covers such popular destinations as Death Valley, Palm Springs, and Joshua Tree National Park

Customer Reviews:

Quite easy to use.......2007-02-27

I know a lot about wildflowers of wetter parts of California, but I rarely visit the deserts. I prefer botanical books that are more expert-oriented than this one is, but this is designed well enough that its beginner-oriented design didn't cause the kind of annoyance I normally feel with beginner-oriented botanical books. Most people will find it easy to use. It describes fewer plants than I normally expect a good botanical book to cover, but in spite of that I was surprised at how large a fraction of the flowers I searched for are covered by the book.
My only real complaint is that the index needs more work (e.g. Desert Pincushion is listed only under Desert, not under Pincushion).

Great guide for the amateur naturalist.......2005-03-15

I picked up this book during a recent trip to the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs and vicinity), after the remarkable rainy season of 2004-2005 produced an equally remarkable spring wildflower season. We found this to be a handy and user-friendly guide for the interested amateur.

The flowers are conveniently organized in sections by color, making it easy to answer the question "Now, what purple flower is this?" and the illustrations are photographs rather than drawings, which I have always found much preferable in field guides. Each plant description also includes valuable information such as in which particular desert regions, at what elevations, and during what months you might expect to find it. A must-have for visitors to Death Valley, Anza-Borrego, the Palm Springs Indian canyons, and Joshua Tree National Park during wildflower season. Perhaps this book will not tell a botanist anything new, but it was perfect for us.

The regions covered consist essentially of all desert sections from Central California south to the Mexican border. The introductory chapters contain some interesting information about desert ecosystems and the specialized mechanisms these plants have developed to survive in harsh conditions. Useful and fascinating. Highly recommended.

This one's good, but there are better for Anza-Borrego.......2005-03-09

On March 3rd, 2005, I took a trip out to Anza-Borrego with a friend of mine to see the wildflower bloom (a record year for rain I'm told). I took this book and she brought the Sonoran Desert Wildflowers guide. While the book I brought had accurate descriptions featuring detailed flower characteristics and habitat, her book was much more specific to this particular region of California. I would say her book had 2 flowers for every 1 that mine covered. So, if Anza-Borrego is your destination, the Sonoran book would be a better guide. But if you really wanted to, bring both, as it was interesting to compare descriptions. It helped to key out certain flowers by comparing both books' descriptions.

Blooming in the Desert: Favorite Teachings of the Wildflower Monk Taungpulu Sayadaw

Average customer rating:

Meeting A VERY Great Meditation Master...
Hard won wisdom from a relativley unknown master

Blooming in the Desert: Favorite Teachings of the Wildflower Monk Taungpulu Sayadaw

Manufacturer: North Atlantic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1556432232
Release Date: 1996-09-10

Book Description

In 1978, at the age of 80, the Burmese forest monk Taungpulu Sayadaw left his native country for the first time and came to California, where he taught and established the West's first Burmese Buddhist temple and monastery. Revered as a saint in his lifetime and after his death in 1986, Taungpulu Sayadaw's calm, joyful presence, forged in a lifetime's dedication to the austere spiritual path of the Theravada forest tradition, was a beacon of hope to Burmese people in exile and a radiant example of living Buddhism for all who encountered him. This selection of the Sayadaw's favorite discourses, parables, chants, and meditations distills the essence of the fundamental Buddhist practices of mindfulness, non-attachment, and loving-kindness.

Customer Reviews:

Meeting A VERY Great Meditation Master..........2006-01-29

Together with Anne, the Books author, we both lived and meditated intensely under the guidance and very, very deep influence of Taungpulu Sayadaw, who was well known in Burma and Asia as an Arhant - a fully Realized master of meditation.
I am 100% a wittness to this truth.

Any book about this little-known, but immensely respected Burmese Master is welcome! Thanks Anne for your efforts!

Many of Taungpulu's students were themselves highly developed masters, with many students and their own monasterias, he was a teacher of teachers. Anyway he was totally humble, without any pretensions of superiority. He was available 4am to 11pm to all who came. In Burma he gave over 800 interviews a day! He was the truth he preached: 'The Truth is simple but exceedingly profound'.

I wittnessed how he had totally trascended the need to sleep,
since near his room the light of awareness made sleeping impossible. I had to go the the pagoda to rest...

In seconds he could still your mind and body and transport your conciousness to any infinity you desired - happiness, light, love, wisdom, faith, compassion, freedom...But to make this experience permanent and natural we have to undergo many changes...a spiritual evolution and revolution.

His presence illuminated the TKAM (Boulder Creek - near Santa Cruz, CA) monastery and transformed the place - go and see for yourself. There's a pagoda there and his stupa - ideal places to mediate.

He was reputed, and I sincerily know it's true, to have possesed all supernormal powers a human being can achieve! This came to him in an insight after over 13 years of meditation in caves.

On TKAM he left a spiritual bomb of infinite (literally) peace and stillnes waiting for anyone to tap into. His blessings helps us all...even in ignorance.

Read the book, practice what you can, then visit TKAM and stay for a while. Be prepared for change. His stillnes will gradually become yours...and at last, the ocean of Happiness will become clear.

The essence of his teaching is contained in 'Patience'
and the Four Foundations of Mindfullnes.

raul garcia
silconvalleypro1@yahoo.com

Hard won wisdom from a relativley unknown master.......2001-06-15

Taungpulu Sayadaw was a burmese forest monk{one who lives in the Forests in southeast asia,literaly meditating} who came to the United States in the late 1970's, and established the first Burmese Buddhist Temple in the United States.This gentle master of the Theravada tradition passed on his teachings , some of which have been lovingly recorded here by Anne Teich. These are not soft, new age readings,but straightfoward teachings that come staright to the herat of the matter.Chapters[some are only a paragraph long, others several pages long] such as UNWHOLESOME CONDUCTS,SAINTHOOD AND NIBBANA and THE HINDRANCE OF SENSUAL DESIRE are up front and not easy{the Sayadaw ,though coming off as quite gentle,doesnt seem to be interested in softening his message to make it palatable to the west. More's the better] Andrew Harvey contributes a short preface,and Ms. Teich gives us an excellent introduction. A very,very good primer on Buddhism from one considered by many to be a saint, a bodhisattva. Deserves to be more widely read,very very good, though the message is not easy...Excellent.

Average customer rating:

Desert Wildflowers of North America
Ronald J. Taylor
Manufacturer: Mountain Press Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Deserts | Ecosystems | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0878423761

Sonoran Desert Wildflowers: A Field Guide to the Common Wildflowers of the Sonoran Desert, Including Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Saguaro National Park, Organ Pipe National Monument, Ironwood Forest National Monument, and the Sonoran Portion of Joshua Tree National Park

Average customer rating:

Sonoran Desert Wildflowers

Sonoran Desert Wildflowers: A Field Guide to the Common Wildflowers of the Sonoran Desert, Including Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Saguaro National Park, Organ Pipe National Monument, Ironwood Forest National Monument, and the Sonoran Portion of Joshua Tree National Park
Richard Spellenberg
Manufacturer: Falcon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0762711361

Book Description

This guide features 300 of the common plants of the Sonoran Desert. Detailed descriptions, information about bloom season and range, and interesting facts about each plant accompany the full-color photographs. 300 color photos

Customer Reviews:

Sonoran Desert Wildflowers.......2007-01-30

A must-have book for your library of Desert Wildflower books. It is arranged by color of bloom, has beautiful photographs, and the text is very informative. Each plant description also has a comment of something unusual or interesting about it, which is a novelty for a flower book.

Arizona Wildflowers: A Year-Round Guide to Nature's Blooms (Travel Arizona Collection)

Average customer rating:

Arizona Wildflowers: A Year-Round Guide to Nature's Blooms (Travel Arizona Collection)
Desert Botanical Garden Staff , and Arizona Highways Staff
Manufacturer: Arizona Highways Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1932082271

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