Wildflowers of the Sierra Nevada and Central Valley

Rating:
Summary: A beautifully illustrated and easy to use guide
Review: Although I own and use many wildflower identification books, most are lacking in some respect...organization, quality of photographs, etc. I stumbled across this book at a State Park ranger station shop, and was immediately impressed with the excellent quality photographs and the organization of information. The introduction contains much valuable data about elevational zones and where to find the flowers. There's a Quick Key of tiny photographs to steer you to the plant family and page number where you'll find the flower in question. I'm recommending this guide to all my friends.

Rating:
Summary: Not a book for serious naturalists
Review: The book is well organized and has the appearance of being handy, but is seriously incomplete. I'm a botanist, with research in the Sierra, and have tried several different resources in the field. Many plant species, common throughout the Sierra, have no mention in the book. If you happen across a plant that is covered by the book, the information is usually good, but what good is the book if most plants are not covered? Many photo-based field guides exclude the vast majority of species, because it's too costly and unfeasible to publish a book that thorough. However, a photo-based field guide should at least include all the most common species, which is where I believe this book falls short.