100 Best Field Books of All Time (Updated for 2026)

1

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History

Elizabeth Kolbert

5.0

Over the last half-billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time around, the cataclysm is us.

In prose that is at once fran

Recommended by Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and 6 others.

Barack Obama

Former USA President

The president also released a list of his summer favorites back in 2015: All That Is, James Salter The Sixth Extinction, Elizabeth Kolbert The Lowland, Jhumpa Lahiri Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates Washington: A Life, Ron Chernow All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr [source]

Bill Gates

CEO/Microsoft

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, by Elizabeth Kolbert. Climate change is a big problem—one of the biggest we’ll face this century—but it’s not the only environmental concern on the horizon. Humans are putting down massive amounts of pavement, moving species around the planet, over-fishing and acidifying the oceans, changing the chemical composition of rivers, and more. Natural scientists posit that there have been five extinction events in the Earth’s history (think of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs), and Kolbert makes a compelling case that human activity is leading to the sixth. Unlike a lot of people who write about the environment, Kolbert doesn’t resort to hype. She just lays out the facts and wraps them in memorable anecdotes. It’s a sobering but engaging and informative read. [source]

Jeff Bezos

Founder/Amazon

"In his autobiography, Walmart's founder expounds on the principles of discount retailing and discusses his core values of frugality and a bias for action — a willingness to try a lot of things and make many mistakes. Bezos included both in Amazon's corporate values," Brad Stone writes. [source]

Cover unavailable

2

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Eastern Region

National Audubon Society

4.7

Introduced in 1977 and completely revised in 1994, these bestselling photographic field guides have become the birding bibles of more than four million enthusiasts. Virtually every bird found in North America is brought to life in a full-color photograph and with textual information on the bird's voice, nesting habits, habitat, range, and interesting behaviors. Accompanying range maps; overhead fl

3

The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe

Lynne McTaggart

4.5

Science has recently begun to prove what ancient myth and religion have always espoused: There may be such a thing as a life force.

Lynne McTaggart, indefatigable investigative journalist, reveals a radical new biological paradigm -- that on our most fundamental level, the human mind and body are not distinct and separate from their environment but a packet of pulsating power constantly interacting

4

Birds of North America: A Guide To Field Identification

Chandler S. Robbins, Bertel Bruun, et al.

4.5

Spot the silhouette of a Northern Goshawk in flight. Identify the raucous call of the Red-winged Blackbird. Discover the secret of picking out a Chipping Sparrow from its look-alike cousins. It's simple with this classic field guide, a treasured favorite among amateur bird lovers and exacting professionals. Recognized as the authority on bird identification, this invaluable resource provides:

-All

5

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game

Michael Lewis

4.5

Preview Summary

The young man at the center of this extraordinary and moving story will one day be among the most highly paid athletes in the National Football League. When we first meet him, he is one of thirteen children by a mother addicted to crack; he does not know his real name, his father, his birthday, or any of the things a child might learn in school such as, say, how to read or write. Nor has he ever t

Recommended by Malcolm Gladwell, Ev Williams, and Scott Keyes.

6

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

Gail Honeyman

4.4

No one’s ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fine

Meet Eleanor Oliphant: she struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding unnecessary human contact, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy.

But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond,

Recommended by Twinkle Khanna.

Twinkle Khanna

Eleanor is awkward, funny, an alcoholic and clearly not fine. A great book for someone who wants to get over a reading slump. Loved it! #mustread #eleanoroliphantiscompletelyfine #TweakIt https://t.co/fVQu4sYhSi [source]

7

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

4.4

Preview Summary

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's famous investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. In this new edition of his groundbreaking classic work, Csikszentmihalyi demonstrates the ways this posit

Recommended by Austin Kleon, Brian Tracy, Dan Pink, and 1 others.

Austin Kleon

While re-reading Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s wonderful book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, I came across this passage on working crossword puzzles. I think he could just as well be talking about making blackout poems: "There is much to be said in favor of this popular pastime, which in its best form resembles the ancient riddle contests. It is inexpensive and portable, its challenges can be finely graduated so that both novices and experts can enjoy it, and its solution produces a sense of pleasing order that gives one a satisfying feeling of accomplishment. It provides opportunities to experience a mild state of flow to many people who are stranded in airport lounges, who travel on commuter trains, or who are simply whiling away Sunday mornings." [source]

Tom Chatfield

The notion of flow is the idea that there is a state that is characterised by complete immersion in an activity, by a constant response to stimuli, and a perfect match between your ability and the challenge in front of you. [source]

8

The Running Dream

Wendelin Van Draanen

4.4

When Jessica is told she'll never run again, she puts herself back together--and learns to dream bigger than ever before. The acclaimed author of Flipped delivers a powerful and healing story.

Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to

Cover unavailable

9

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America: Second Edition

David Allen Sibley

4.4

Flexibound

Now completely revised and updated--the indispensable resource for all birders seeking an authoritative guide to the birds of the West in a portable format they will want to carry into the field.

Compact and comprehensive, this guide features 715 bird species, plus regional populations, found west of the Rocky Mountains. Entries include stunningly accurate illustrations--more than 5,046

Cover unavailable

10

The Sibley Guide to Birds

David Allen Sibley

4.3

The entire birding world, from expert ornithologists to backyard enthusiasts, has been waiting for Sibley's work to be made available in a field-usable form. Containing the renowned artist's superbly lucid and comprehensive text, this guide features more than 6,500 of his detailed paintings. Full color.

11

All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms

David Arora

4.3

Full-color illustrated guide to identifying 200 Western mushrooms by their key features.

Cover unavailable

12

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America

Jon L. Dunn

4.3

This fully revised edition of the best-selling North American bird field guide is the most up-to-date guide on the market. Perfect for beginning to advanced birders, it is the only book organized to match the latest American Ornithological Society taxonomy.

With more than 2.75 million copies in print, this perennial bestseller is the most frequently updated of all North American bird field guides.

13

Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions

Brian Christian and Griffiths

4.3

Preview Summary

A fascinating exploration of how insights from computer algorithms can be applied to our everyday lives, helping to solve common decision-making problems and illuminate the workings of the human mind

All our lives are constrained by limited space and time, limits that give rise to a particular set of problems. What should we do, or leave undone, in a day or a lifetime? How much messiness should we

Recommended by Doug McMillon, Chris Oliver, Emi Gal, and 2 others.

Doug McMillon

CEO/Walmart

Here are some of my favorite reads from 2017. Lots of friends and colleagues send me book suggestions and it's impossible to squeeze them all in. I continue to be super curious about how digital and tech are enabling people to transform our lives but I try to read a good mix of books that apply to a variety of areas and stretch my thinking more broadly. [source]

Chris Oliver

This is a great book talking about how you can use computer science to help you make decisions in life. How do you know when to make a decision on the perfect house? Car? etc? It helps you apply algorithms to making those decisions optimally without getting lost. [source]

Emi Gal

When asked what books he would recommend to young people interested in his career path, mentioned Algorithms to Live By. [source]

Cover unavailable

14

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America: Second Edition

David Allen Sibley

4.3

Flexibound

Now completely revised and updated--the indispensable resource for all birders seeking an authoritative guide to the birds of the East in a portable format they will want to carry into the field.

Compact and comprehensive, this guide features 650 bird species, plus regional populations, found east of the Rocky Mountains. Entries include stunningly accurate illustrations--more than 4,601

15

Devil at My Heels: A Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II

Louis Zamperini, David Rensin

4.3

The inspirational and extraordinarymemoir of one of the most courageous of the greatest generation, Louis Zamperini: Olympian, WWII Japanese POW and survivor.

A juvenile delinquent, a world class NCAA miler, a 1936 Olympian, a WWII bombardier: Louis Zamperini had a fuller than most, when it changed in an instant. On May 27, 1943, his B–24 crashed into the Pacific Ocean. Louis and two other survivor

Cover unavailable

16

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America

Jon L. Dunn, Jonathan Alderfer

4.3

New enthusiasts are flocking in record numbers to the fascinating pastime of birding. National Geographic has been meeting their need for clear and accurate information for 25 years with our million-selling Field Guide to the Birds of North America. Now, to better serve the expanding market, we’ve customized our field-guide format to offer unique coverage for birders east or west of the Rocky Moun

Recommended by Timothy Ferriss.

17

A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and Central North America

Lee Allen Peterson

4.3

More than 370 edible wild plants, plus 37 poisonous look-a-likes, are described here, with 400 drawings and 78 color photographs showing precisely how to recognize each species. Also included are habitat descriptions, lists of plants by season, and preparation instructions for 22 different food uses.

18

Mushrooms Demystified

David Arora

4.3

Simply the best and most complete mushroom field guide and reference book, MUSHROOMS DEMYSTIFIED includes descriptions and keys to more than 2,000 species of mushrooms, with more than 950 photographs. Mushroom authority David Arora provides a beginner's checklist of the 70 most distinctive and common mushrooms, plus detailed chapters on terminology, classification, habitats, mushroom cookery, mush

19

Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alaska

Jim Pojar, Andy MacKinnon

4.3

This best-selling field guide features 794 species of trees, shrubs, wildflowers, aquatics, grasses, ferns, mosses and lichens found along the coast from Oregon to Alaska. Color photographs and line drawings help you identify and learn about the fascinating plants of the Pacific Northwest coast. Engaging notes on each species describe aboriginal and other local uses of plants for food, medicine an

20

Wynken, Blynken, & Nod

Eugene Field, Johanna Westerman

4.3

Eugene Field's classic bedtime poem—about three children’s adventures sailing in a wooden shoe—is brought to life with Johanna Westerman's vivid illustrations.

“Westerman’s minutely detailed watercolors depict a Dutch landscape. The luminosity of the moonlit sea is captured in muted shades of blue that create a soothing mood for the dramatic verse.”—School Library Journal

“Westerman captures the to

21

Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods

Thomas Elias

4.2

“Beautiful color photographs . . . temptingly arranged.”—The Library Letter

Planning an outdoor adventure? Make sure to consult this information-packed and photo-filled North American field guide—arranged by season and region—before you go!

Already a huge success in previous editions, this must-have field guide now features a fresh new cover, as well as nearly 400 color photos and detailed informat

Cover unavailable

22

Birds of Texas Field Guide

Stan Tekiela

4.2

Make bird watching in Texas even more enjoyable! With Stan Tekiela's famous field guide, bird identification is simple and informative. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don't live in Texas. This book features 170 species of Texas birds, organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don't know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out. Fact-fi

Cover unavailable

23

Birds of the Carolinas Field Guide

Stan Tekiela

4.2

Make bird watching in North Carolina and South Carolina even more enjoyable! With Stan Tekiela's famous field guide, bird identification is simple and informative. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don't live in the Carolinas. This book features 140 species of Carolina birds, organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don't know what it is? Go to

24

The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms

National Audubon Society

4.2

With more than 700 mushrooms detailed with color photographs and descriptive text, this is the most comprehensive photographic field guide to the mushrooms of North America. The 762 full-color identification photographs show the mushrooms as they appear in natural habitats. Organized visually, the book groups all mushrooms by color and shape to make identification simple and accurate in the field,

Cover unavailable

25

Birds of Michigan Field Guide

Stan Tekiela

4.2

Learn to Identify Birds in Michigan!

Make bird watching even more enjoyable. With Michigan's best-selling bird guide, field identification is simple and informative. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don't live in your area. This book features 118 species of Michigan birds organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don't know what it is? Go to the

Cover unavailable

26

A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America

Roger Tory Peterson Institute

4.2

Features the unique Peterson Identification System, which has never been surpassed as a tool for field identification and is available only in Peterson Guides. "The Birder's Bible" for over sixty years. All the birds of eastern and central North America--including accidentals, exotics, and escapes--shown in full color and described in detail. 390 complete, easy-to-read range maps showing summer an

Cover unavailable

27

Birds of Pennsylvania Field Guide

Stan Tekiela

4.2

Make bird watching in Pennsylvania even more enjoyable! With Stan Tekiela's famous field guide, bird identification is simple and informative. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don't live in Pennsylvania. This book features 117 species of Pennsylvania birds, organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don't know what it is? Go to the yellow section

28

Designing Connected Products: UX for the Consumer Internet of Things

Claire Rowland, Elizabeth Goodman, et al.

4.2

Networked thermostats, fitness monitors, and door locks show that the Internet of Things can (and will) enable new ways for people to interact with the world around them. But designing connected products for consumers brings new challenges beyond conventional software UI and interaction design.

This book provides experienced UX designers and technologists with a clear and practical roadmap for appr

Recommended by Kirk Borne.

Kirk Borne

Why #UX Design matters for #MachineLearning — the Experience Economy: https://t.co/LEAlSZZDFC #DesignThinking #AI #DataScience #BigData #CXM #CX #IoT #ConnectedProducts #SAPPHIRENOW #SAPPHIRENOW2019 ***Must get this AWESOME book: https://t.co/DOqJNCEkJN by @clurr & others https://t.co/snFRxkjVC8 [source]

29

Paint by Sticker: Birds: Create 12 Stunning Images One Sticker at a Time!

Workman Publishing

4.2

Paint by Sticker is the most exciting new idea in activity books, both for grown-ups and kids. A compelling activity for crafters and artists, doodlers and colorers of all ages, each Paint by Sticker book includes everything you need to create twelve vibrant, full-color “paintings.” The original images are rendered in low-poly, a computer graphics style using geometric polygon shapes to create a 3

Cover unavailable

30

Birds of Ohio Field Guide

Stan Tekiela

4.2

Ohio's Best-Selling Bird Guide!Make bird watching more informative and enjoyable

124 species: Only Ohio Birds!

Simple color guide: See a yellow bird? Go to the yellow section

Compare feature: Decide between look-alikes

Stan's Notes: Naturalist tidbits and facts

Professional photos: Crisp, stunning full-page images
This 3rd Edition includes 12 new species, updated photographs and range maps, expande

31

Evening Class

Maeve Binchy

4.2

Among the many evening classes starting all over Dublin is an 'Introduction to Italian'. On the surface it could be just one of hundreds in which some students will succeed and some will fall along the way. the hopes and dreams of so many people are tied up in the twice weekly lessons. they are ready to set off on the promised trip to Italy at the end of the year, everyone's destiny has changed ut

Cover unavailable

32

Birds of Minnesota Field Guide

Stan Tekiela

4.2

Learn to Identify Birds in Minnesota!

Make bird watching even more enjoyable. With Minnesota's best-selling bird guide, field identification is simple and informative. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don't live in your area. This book features 123 species of Minnesota birds organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don't know what it is? Go to t

33

National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America

Bruce Kershner, Craig Tufts, et al.

4.2

From the National Wildlife Federation® comes the most up-to-date, all-photographic field guide to North American trees.

The Jeffrey Pine, Coconut Palm, Staghorn Sumac, and Western Hemlock: this single, portable volume features these, plus more than 700 other tree species and varieties, with special emphasis on their leaves, bark, fruits, and flowers. More than 2,000 stunning images show these tree

34

Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy

Cathy O'Neil

4.2

Preview Summary

Longlisted for the National Book Award
New York Times Bestseller

A former Wall Street quant sounds an alarm on the mathematical models that pervade modern life -- and threaten to rip apart our social fabric

We live in the age of the algorithm. Increasingly, the decisions that affect our lives--where we go to school, whether we get a car loan, how much we pay for health insurance--are being made not

Recommended by Paula Boddington and Ramesh Srinivasan.

Paula Boddington

How the use of algorithms has affected people’s lives and occasionally ruined them. [source]

Ramesh Srinivasan

This book is a really fantastic analysis of how quantification, the collection of data, the modelling around data, the predictions made by using data, the algorithmic and quantifiable ways of predicting behaviour based on data, are all built by elites for elites and end up, quite frankly, screwing over everybody else. [source]

35

The Invasion of the Potty Snatchers (Super Diaper Baby, #2)

Dav Pilkey

4.2

George and Harold (the co-stars of the enormously popular Captain Underpants series) are in big trouble again! Their mean principal, Mr. Krupp, has had it with their comic books. But the boys aren't giving up, and they decide to create an all-new epic novel about a subject they've never tackled before!
Dr. Dilbert Dinkle started his career as an ordinary, everyday evil genius/inventor/bank robber

36

Pacific Coast Tree Finder

Tom Watts

4.2

These pocket-sized Nature Study Guides describe plants and animals in easy-to-understand language. They include drawings, keys, terms, symbols, and glossaries. Each book covers a specific region.

37

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Fossils

Ida Thompson, Townsend P. Dickinson

4.1

This, the first all-photographic field guide to cover fossils found throughout North America north of Mexico, includes nearly 500 full-color photographs identifying corals, trilobites, shells, teeth, bones, as well as fossil-bearing rocks and outcrop formations. The descriptive text includes information on size, geological period, geographical distribution, and ecology of the animal or plant befor

38

Birder's Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds

Paul Ehrlich, David S. Dobkin, Darryl Wheye

4.1

This is the most complete and authoritative reference book about the birds of North America -- up to date and in field-guide format.

The Birder's Handbook is the first of its kind: a portable library of fascinating information not included in your identification guide. For each of the 646 species of birds that breed in North America, The Birder's Handbook will tell you at a glance:
* Where the bir

39

Strengths Finder 2.0

Tom Rath

4.1

Preview Summary

Do You Do What You Do Best Every Day?

Chances are, you don't. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths.

To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced StrengthsFinder in the 2001 management book Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book ignited a global conversation, while StrengthsFinder helped millions discover their top

Recommended by Cat Williams-Treloar and 1 others.

Cat Williams-Treloar

If you want my favourite practical business book, go and buy yourself a copy of the Gallup StrengthsFinder. You'll get an access code to the survey in the back of the book. Years ago, my Chairman gifted the book to the entire team as a Christmas present. I loved it because it's grounded in the theory of playing from your strengths. [source]

40

A Comprehensive Guide to Insects of Britain and Ireland

Paul D. Brock

4.1

A comprehensive guide to Insects of Britain & Ireland – by Paul D. Brock, Scientific Associate of the Natural History Museum, London, and author of the acclaimed 'Photographic Guide to Insects of the New Forest' is the most complete guide to insects of Britain and Ireland ever produced with over 2700 full colour photographs and fully comprehensive sections on all insect groups, including flies, be

41

Birds of the Photo Ark

Joel Sartore

4.1

For avian enthusiasts, from armchair observers to dedicated life-listers, this brilliant book from acclaimed National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore celebrates the beauty of all birds, great and small.

This elegantly packaged celebration of birds from around the world unites incredible animal portraits from Joel Sartore's distinguished National Geographic Photo Ark project with inspiring te

42

The Peregrine

J. A. Baker, Robert Macfarlane

4.1

From autumn to spring, J.A. Baker set out to track the daily comings and goings of a pair of peregrine falcons across the flat fen lands of eastern England. He followed the birds obsessively, observing them in the air and on the ground, in pursuit of their prey, making a kill, eating, and at rest, activities he describes with an extraordinary fusion of precision and poetry. And as he continued his

Recommended by Jeremy Mynott, Robert Macfarlane, and William Fiennes.

Jeremy Mynott

It’s the story of this pursuit of the bird and how he came to feel a kind of affinity with it, and how he uses the bird as a symbol for the things he feels, or wants to feel, about the natural world. [source]

Robert Macfarlane

Baker turned his bulging set of ornithological field journals into a 120-page prose poem. It’s astonishingly energy-filled. [source]

William Fiennes

It’s hard to imagine a greater contrast with U and I, although it was written by another Baker. My book The Snow Geese had a lot to do with birds and the non-human world around us, but I didn’t read this book until I’d finished. I wish I’d read it earlier than I did. The way he describes the world outside him, particularly birds, is so electric. It avoids all the traps of rhapsody and the sort of nature writing that Evelyn Waugh satirises in Scoop. You remember William Boot the protagonist of Scoop? He writes a nature column that’s a terrible, sub-poetic kind of purple-word haze. But The Peregrine is far removed from that. [source]

43

A Field Guide to American Houses (Revised): The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America's Domestic Architecture

Virginia Savage McAlester

4.1

Now in paperback: the fully expanded, updated, and freshly designed second edition of the most comprehensive and widely acclaimed guide to domestic architecture: in print since its original publication in 1984, and acknowledged everywhere as the unmatched, essential guide to American houses.

This revised edition includes a section on neighborhoods; expanded and completely new categories of house st

44

The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy

Bill Simmons and Malcolm Gladwell

4.1

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The NBA according to The Sports Guy--now updated with fresh takes on LeBron, the Celtics, and more!

Foreword by Malcom Gladwell - "The work of a true fan . . . it might just represent the next phase of sports commentary."--The Atlantic

Bill Simmons, the wildly opinionated and thoroughly entertaining basketball addict known to millions as ESPN's The Sports Guy, has wri

45

Trees of North America: A Guide to Field Identification, Revised and Updated

C. Frank Brockman

4.1

Smell the bark of the aromatic Sassafras. Wonder at the Lodgepole Pine, whose heat-activated cones reseed forests destroyed by fire. Search for the Sugar Maple, whose foliage blazes red and yellow in autumn. North America's trees rank among nature's most awesome creations. This premier field guide features all characteristics-tree shape, bark, leaf, flower, fruit and twig-for quick identification,

46

Birds of Wisconsin Field Guide

Stan Tekiela

4.1

Cover unavailable

47

Birds of Missouri Field Guide

Stan Tekiela

4.1

Make bird watching in Missouri even more enjoyable! With Stan Tekiela's famous field guide, bird identification is simple and informative. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don't live in Missouri. This book features 115 species of Missouri birds, organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don't know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out

Cover unavailable

48

Birds of Georgia Field Guide

Stan Tekiela

4.1

Make bird watching in Georgia even more enjoyable! With Stan Tekiela's famous field guide, bird identification is simple and informative. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don't live in Georgia. This book features 140 species of Georgia birds, organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don't know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out. F

49

Rocks & Minerals

Chris Pellant

4.1

Created in association with Smithsonian Institution, this authoritative guide features more than 500 rocks and minerals. Packed with photographs and details on characteristics, distinguishing features, and more, Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks and Minerals makes identification easy.

Designed for beginning and experienced collectors alike, this guide explains what rocks and minerals are, how they are c

50

The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think

Jennifer Ackerman

4.1

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Genius of Birds, a radical investigation into the bird way of being, and the recent scientific research that is dramatically shifting our understanding of birds -- how they live and how they think.

"There is the mammal way and there is the bird way." This is one scientist's pithy distinction between mammal brains and bird brains: two ways to make a

51

National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Birds of North America

Edward S. Brinkley and Craig Tufts

4.1

From the National Wildlife Federation® comes the most up-to-date, all-photographic field guide to North American birds. Birders will find it indispensable: this single, portable volume features more than 750 species, along with more than 2,000 stunning images by leading nature photographers showing birds in their natural habitats. Captions highlight important field marks, and comprehensive species

52

I sei lati del mondo. Linguaggio ed esperienza

Giorgio Raimondo Cardona

4.1

53

The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants

Samuel Thayer

4.1

A guide to 32 of the best and most common edible wild plants in North America, with detailed information on how to identify them, where they are found, how and when they are harvested, which parts are used, how they are prepared, as well as their culinary use, ecology, conservation, and cultural history.

54

The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century

Kirk Wallace Johnson

4.1

A rollicking true-crime adventure and a thought-provoking exploration of the human drive to possess natural beauty for readers of The Stranger in the Woods, The Lost City of Z, and The Orchid Thief.

On a cool June evening in 2009, after performing a concert at London's Royal Academy of Music, twenty-year-old American flautist Edwin Rist boarded a train for a suburban outpost of the British Museum o

Recommended by Joe Kunkle.

Joe Kunkle

I set aside an hour after the close on Wednesday's to read a book (only hour I get per week usually) outside by the firepit, and I really look forward to it...man I must be getting old :) "Feather Thief" current read, 180 pages in, it's incredibly awesome [source]

55

Stokes Beginner's Guide to Birds: Eastern Region

Donald Stokes and Lillian Stokes

4.1

From America's foremost authorities on birds, this pocket-size, brilliantly colorful, simple-to-use guide is an ideal introduction to the birds of the Eastern United States.
Is that butterfly outside your window a Monarch or a Giant Swallowtail? What's the best kind of feeder for attracting birds to your backyard? This pocket-size, brilliantly colorful, simple-to-use guide is an ideal introduction

Cover unavailable

56

Zen in the Martial Arts

Joe Hyams

4.1

A man who has attained mastery of an art reveals it in his every action."-- "Samurai Maximum."Under the guidance of such celebrated masters as Ed Parker and the immortal Bruce Lee, Joe Hyams vividly recounts his more than 25 years of experience in the martial arts. In his illuminating story, Hyam reveals to you how the daily application of Zen principles not only developed his physical expertise b

57

Stories from the Field: A Guide to Navigating Fieldwork in Political Science

Peter Krause, Ora Szekely

4.1

What do you do if you get stuck in an elevator in Mogadishu? How worried should you be about being followed after an interview with a ring of human traffickers in Lebanon? What happens to your research if you get placed on a government watchlist? And what if you find yourself feeling like you just aren't cut out for fieldwork?

Stories from the Field is a relatable, thoughtful, and unorthodox guide

58

Cognition and Conditionals: Probability and Logic in Human Thinking

Mike Oaksford, Nick Chater

4.1

The conditional, if...then, is probably the most important term in natural language and forms the core of systems of logic and mental representation. It occurs in all human languages and allows people to express their knowledge of the causal or law-like structure of the world and of others' behaviour, e.g., if you turn the key the car starts, if John walks the dog he stops for a pint of beer; to m

59

Uncommon Paths in Quantum Physics

Konstantin V. Kazakov

4.1

Quantum mechanics is one of the most fascinating, and at the same time most controversial, branches of contemporary science. Disputes have accompanied this science since its birth and have not ceased to this day.

Uncommon Paths in Quantum Physics allows the reader to contemplate deeply some ideas and methods that are seldom met in the contemporary literature. Instead of widespread recipes of mathem

60

The Quantum Theory of Fields: Volume II, Modern Applications

Steven Weinberg

4.1

In this second volume of The Quantum Theory of Fields, available for the first time in paperback, Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg continues his masterly expoistion of quantum theory. Volume 2 provides an up-to-date and self-contained account of the methods of quantum field theory, and how they have led to an understanding of the weak, strong, and electromagnetic interactions of the elementary parti

61

Mushrooms

DK

4.1

An authoritative field guide to more than 450 species of wild mushrooms from around the world, "Mushrooms" shows the life cycle and features of a mushroom, what supplies are needed for mushroom foraging, and how to take a spore deposit.

A photographic field guide forms the heart of the book, providing information on size, range, and habitat; clear images and illustrations of specimens; and informat

62

The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman

Takuan Soho

4.1

The Japanese have always closely associated the sword and the spirit, but it was in the 1600s during the Tokugawa shogunate when the techniques of swordsmanship became forever associated with the spirit of Zen. The Unfettered Mind is a book of advice on swordsmanship and the cultivation of right mind and intention, written by the 17th-century Zen master Takuan Soho (1573-1645). Takuan was a garden

63

New York City Trees: A Field Guide for the Metropolitan Area

Edward Barnard

4.1

If you're not a tree lover now, this pocket-sized gem--dedicated to the idea that every species of tree has a story and every individual tree has a history--will make you one. Produced in consultation with the City's Parks and Recreation department and the New York Tree Trust, this book is a reference to the stories of New York City's trees, complete with photographs, tree silhouettes, leaf and fr

64

Entangled Minds: Extrasensory Experiences in a Quantum Reality

Dean I. Radin

4.1

Is everything connected? Can we sense what's happening to loved ones thousands of miles away? Why are we sometimes certain of a caller's identity the instant the phone rings? Do intuitive hunches contain information about future events? Is it possible to perceive without the use of the ordinary senses?

Many people believe that such "psychic phenomena" are rare talents or divine gifts. Others don't

Recommended by Larry Dossey.

Larry Dossey

Consciousness is not confined to individuals, as is the traditional view, but rather it extends beyond the individual brain and body. [source]

65

A Field Guide to Western Birds: A Completely New Guide to Field Marks of All Species Found in North America West of the 100th Meridian and North of Mexico

Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Virginia Marie Peterson

4.1

"The Birder’s Bible" for more than 60 years, Roger Tory Peterson’s classic Field Guide to Western Birds includes all species found in North America west of the 100th meridian and north of Mexico. Featuring the unique Peterson Identification System, Western Birds contains 165 full-color paintings that show more than 1,000 birds from 700 species. Summer and winter ranges, breeding grounds, and other

66

Until Friday Night (The Field Party, #1)

Abbi Gline

4.1

To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he’s battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer.

Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murde

67

National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders Related Species of North America

Arthur V. Evans and Craig Tufts

4.1

National Wildlife Federation’s new all-photographic field guide to North American insects, spiders, and related species, is the most up-to-date of its kind, and lets both amateur and expert naturalists identify more than 940 species quickly and accurately. More than 2,000 close-up color photographs by leading nature photographers reveal the field marks that distinguish each creature, and the clear

68

Julius Caesar

Philip Freeman

4.1

More than two thousand years after his death, Julius Caesar remains one of the great figures of history. He shaped Rome for generations, and his name became a synonym for "emperor" -- not only in Rome but as far away as Germany and Russia. He is best known as the general who defeated the Gauls and doubled the size of Rome's territories. But, as Philip Freeman describes in this fascinating new biog

69

Knowledge And Decisions

Thomas Sowell

4.1

With a new preface by the author, this reissue of Thomas Sowell's classic study of decision making updates his seminal work in the context of The Vision of the Annointed, Sowell, one of America's most celebrated public intellectuals, describes in concrete detail how knowledge is shared and disseminated throughout modern society. He warns that society suffers from an ever-widening gap between first

70

She's Come Undone

Wally Lamb

4.1

In this extraordinary coming-of-age odyssey, Wally Lamb invites us to hitch a wild ride on a journey of love, pain, and renewal with the most heartbreakingly comical heroine to come along in years.

Meet Dolores Price. She's 13, wise-mouthed but wounded, having bid her childhood goodbye. Stranded in front of her bedroom TV, she spends the next few years nourishing herself with the Mallomars, potato

71

A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs

Steven Foster and James A. Duke

4.0

Of Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guides (R))

The second edition of this volume shows how to identify more than 500 kinds of healing plants. More than 300 color photos illustrate the plants, their flowers, leaves, and fruits. The descriptive text includes information on where the plants are found as well as their known medicinal uses. An index to medical topics is helpful for qui

72

Local Quantum Physics: Fields, Particles, Algebras

Rudolf Haag

4.0

The new edition provided the opportunity of adding a new chapter entitled "Principles and Lessons of Quantum Physics." It was a tempting challenge to try to sharpen the points at issue in the long lasting debate on the Copenhagen Spirit, to assess the significance of various arguments from our present vantage point, seventy years after the advent of quantum theory, where, after ali, some problems

73

Dimensions of Radionics, Techniques of Instrumented Distant-Healing: A Manual of Radionic Theory and Practice

David V. Tansley

4.0

Written by the foremost experts in the field of radionics (in collaboration with Malcolm Rae and Aubrey T. Westlake), this volume is a definitive work on the subject. It details the subtle energies and patterns of the human body with emphasis upon diagnosising the spiritual, mental and physical states of the individual through the ether fields.

74

The Quantum Theory of Fields: Volume I, Foundations

Steven Weinberg

4.0

In The Quantum Theory of Fields, Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg combines his exceptional physical insight with his gift for clear exposition to provide a self-contained, comprehensive, and up-to-date introduction to quantum field theory. This is a two-volume work. Volume I introduces the foundations of quantum field theory. The development is fresh and logical throughout, with each step carefully

Cover unavailable

75

The Day After Roswell

William J. Birnes

4.0

A breathtaking exposé that reads like a thriller, The Day After Roswell is a stunning depiction of just what happened in Roswell, New Mexico all those years ago and how the effects of this mysterious unidentified aircraft crash are still relevant today.

Former member of President Eisenhower’s National Security Council and the Foreign Technology Desk in the United States Army, Colonel Philip J. Cors

76

Birds of Texas

Keith A. Arnold, Gregory Kennedy

4.0

Located on the migratory paths of many western hemisphere species, Texas is a birding mecca. This beautifully illustrated field guide features over 400 species either common or particularly notable in the Lone Star state. Descriptions of each bird, as well as the illustrations and range maps, help you identify birds and understand their habits. A checklist helps you keep a list of your birding acc

77

The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America

Matt Kracht

4.0

A look at 50 common North American dumb birds
For those who have a disdain for birds, or bird lovers with a sense of humor, this snarky, illustrated handbook is equal parts profane, funny, and—let's face it—true. Featuring 50 common North American birds, such as the White-Breasted Butt Nugget and the Goddamned Canada Goose (or White-Breasted Nuthatch and Canada Goose for the layperson), Matt Kracht

78

Just After Sunset

Stephen King

4.0

Just after sunset—call it dusk; call it twilight; it’s a time when human life takes on an unnatural cast, when nothing is quite as it appears, when the imagination begins to reach for shadows as they dissipate to darkness and living daylight can be scared right out of you.

Who but Stephen King would turn a Port-O-San into a slimy birth canal, or a roadside honky-tonk into a place for endless love?

79

H Is for Hawk

Helen MacDonald

4.0

Winner of the 2014 Samuel Johnson Prize, New York Times Bestseller, Named the Amazon Best Book of the Month for March 2015, #1 Bestseller in the UK, H IS FOR HAWK by Helen Macdonald. Magnificent, splendid memoirs woven with nature and a healing process of grief from the bereavement of her beloved father. In Korean. Annotation copyright Tsai Fong Books, Inc. Distributed by Tsai Fong Books, Inc.

Recommended by Barack Obama, Gail Kelly, Diana Kimball, and 1 others.

Barack Obama

Former USA President

Just like us, the president enjoys a good beach read while relaxing in the sun. In 2016, he released his list of summer vacation books: Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, William Finnegan H Is for Hawk, Helen Macdonald The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins Seveneves, Neal Stephenson The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead [source]

Nick Pyenson

H is for Hawk feels like the definitive statement on hawks for the modern times, and I think its success has a lot to do with how well Macdonald tied her inquiry into the life of a hawk with her own personal experience and journey. [source]

80

Abenteuerliche Briefe von Felix

Annette Langen, Constanza Droop

4.0

81

Field Guide to Urban Gardening: How to Grow Plants, No Matter Where You Live: Raised Beds - Vertical Gardening - Indoor Edibles - Balconies and Rooftops - Hydroponics

Kevin Espiritu

4.0

In Field Guide to Urban Gardening, author Kevin Espiritu of Epic Gardening shares the basics of growing plants, offers tips on how to choose the right urban gardening method, and troubleshoots the most common problems you’ll encounter.

If you think it’s impossible to grow your own food because you don’t have a large yard or you live in the city…think again. There is a plethora of urban gardening

Cover unavailable

82

The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America

Donald Stokes

4.0

Reflecting years of research and observation of North American birds, the Stokes Field Guide includes more species, photos and useful identification information for birdwatchers than any other guide.

The guide features 853 North American bird species and more than 3,400 stunning color photographs. And yet it's portable enough to fit in your pocket!

The photographs cover all significant plumages,

83

Field Guide to the Common Grasses of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska

Iralee Barnard

4.0

Once covered by wild grasses, America's heartland is by nature a grassland, populated with plants whose ecological importance, practical value, and subtle beauty we are only now beginning to comprehend. Of the 3,000 species of wild plants in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, in the heart of the heartland, only two of every ten are grasses, and in some prairies just one or two of these can account fo

Cover unavailable

84

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot

Sy Montgomery, Nic Bishop

4.0

On remote Codfish Island off the southern coast of New Zealand live the last ninety-one kakapo parrots on earth. These trusting, flightless, and beautiful birds—the largest and most unusual parrots on earth—have suffered devastating population loss.

Now, on an island refuge with the last of the species, New Zealand’s National Kakapo Recovery Team is working to restore the kakapo population. With th

Cover unavailable

85

Birds of New York Field Guide

Stan Tekiela

4.0

Learn to Identify Birds in New York!

Make bird watching in New York even more enjoyable! With Stan Tekiela's famous field guide, bird identification is simple and informative. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don't live in your area. This book features 120 species of New York birds, organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don't know what it is?

Cover unavailable

86

Effin' Birds: A Field Guide to Identification

Aaron Reynolds

4.0

Effin' Birds is a new volume in the grand and noble profession of nature writing and bird identification. This book contains more than 150 pages crammed full of classic, monochrome plumage art paired with the delightful but dirty aphorisms (think "I'm going to need more booze to deal with this week") that made the Effin' Birds Twitter feed a household name. Also included in its full, Technicolor g

87

Birds of Washington Field Guide

Stan Tekiela

4.0

Make bird watching in Washington even more enjoyable! With Stan Tekiela's famous field guide, bird identification is simple and informative. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don't live in Washington. This book features 130 species of Washington birds, organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don't know what it is? Go to the yellow section to fi

Cover unavailable

88

Birds of Indiana Field Guide

Stan Tekiela

4.0

Make bird watching in Indiana even more enjoyable! With Stan Tekiela's famous field guide, bird identification is simple and informative. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don't live in Indiana. This book features 112 species of Indiana birds, organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don't know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out. F

89

Birds of Colorado Field Guide

Stan Tekiela

4.0

Make bird watching in Colorado even more enjoyable! With Stan Tekiela's famous field guide, bird identification is simple and informative. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don't live in Colorado. This book features 140 species of Colorado birds, organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don't know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out

90

National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Pennsylvania

Jonathan Alderfer

4.0

Designed to fit in a backpack or pocket for easy access, each of these handy and popular bird field guides comprises 272 pages and features about 175 birds organized by family as approved by the American Ornithological Union. Standard features include:

Locator Map at the front listing regional birding hotspots;
Introduction by an expert on where to find the state's top birds;
How-To-Use Section with

91

Mushrooms of the Upper Midwest: A Simple Guide to Common Mushrooms

Teresa Marrone

4.0

Get This Great Visual Guide to Mushrooms!

Hundreds of full-color photographs with easy-to-understand text make this a perfect visual guide. Learn about more than 400 species of common wild mushrooms found in the Upper Midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The species (from Morel Mushrooms to Shelf Mushrooms) are organized by sh

92

Probability Theory

E. T. Jaynes, G. Larry Bretthorst

4.0

Going beyond the conventional mathematics of probability theory, this study views the subject in a wider context. It discusses new results, along with applications of probability theory to a variety of problems. The book contains many exercises and is suitable for use as a textbook on graduate-level courses involving data analysis. Aimed at readers already familiar with applied mathematics at an a

Cover unavailable

93

How to Speak Chicken: Why Your Chickens Do What They Do & Say What They Say

Melissa Caughey

4.0

94

La Jugoslavia, il basket e un telecronista. La storia della pallacanestro jugoslava raccontata dalla voce di Telecapodistria

Sergio Tavcar

4.0

95

Britain's Hoverflies: An Introduction to the Hoverflies of Britain

Stuart Ball, Roger Morris

4.0

Britain's Hoverflies is a beautifully illustrated photographic field guide to all the genera of hoverflies found in Britain, focusing on the species most likely to be identified. Accessible and designed to appeal to a wide audience, the book contains more than 500 remarkable photographs exploring the various life stages of all 69 hoverfly genera and the 164 most commonly seen species. Easy-to-use

96

How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method

George Pólya

4.0

A perennial bestseller by eminent mathematician G. Polya, How to Solve It will show anyone in any field how to think straight. In lucid and appealing prose, Polya reveals how the mathematical method of demonstrating a proof or finding an unknown can be of help in attacking any problem that can be "reasoned" out--from building a bridge to winning a game of anagrams. Generations of readers have reli

97

Writing the New Ethnography

H. L. Goodall Jr.

4.0

Writing the New Ethnography provides a foundational understanding of the writing processes associated with composing new forms of qualitative writing in the social sciences. Goodall's distinctive style will engage and energize students, offering them provocative advice and exercises for turning qualitative data and field notes into compelling representations of social life.

98

Birds of Massachusetts Field Guide

Stan Tekiela

4.0

- Organized by color
- State-specific range map
- Flight, juvenile and morph insets
- Stan's Notes include "gee-whiz" facts
- Full page photos with corresponding full-page descriptions
- Contains state-specific species
Our state-by-state field guides--the first and the best
Compare our best-selling field guides to the imitators on the market:
- our full-page photos are incomparable: crisp, sharp photos o

99

Birds of Iowa Field Guide

Stan Tekiela

4.0

Make bird watching in Iowa even more enjoyable! With Stan Tekiela's famous field guide, bird identification is simple and informative. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don't live in Iowa. This book features 112 species of Iowa birds, organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don't know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out. Fact-fille

100

The Land Where the Blues Began

Alan Lomax

4.0