I have a collection of Golden Press field guides, but I rarely have a use for them. Now I figure instead of waiting for camping trips as an excuse to bring and refer to guides, I should read them and pick animals that live in my area and scout for them.

The artwork, unsurprisingly, is amazing. It's a shame that the publication is so small because easily it could have been printed large to focus on the paintings and have the data paragraphed in corners to accent the visuals.

Usually I study the theories and phenomena in the natural world, but I don't take enough time to appreciate diversity. I had never heard of three quarters of the birds in this book, many of them live in my region. I definitely need to take my camera, pack for a day in the field, and stock these animals based on the information provided in this book (and perhaps a more specialized one). Otherwise I'll live in a neighborhood where I never see my neighbors, and I don't think that's the right approach to life. ( )

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