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How to Read the Wilderness: An Illustrated Guide to the Natural Wonders of North America
This book invites you to see the natural world in all its intricacy and intense beauty and become a knowledgeable steward of the wild.
From the mountains to the ocean shores, from the wetlands to the deserts, North America teems with flora and fauna in delicately balanced ecosystems found nowhere else on Earth. With this book in hand, you will understand the language of nature and see those wild places with new eyes. You'll learn to recognize the lobed leaf of an Oracle Oak, the webbed tracks of a River Otter, and the fine, cream-colored tentacles of a Frilled Anemone. This volume celebrates a tradition of knowledge established by the Nature Study Guild. For more than sixty years, the Guild's pocket guidebooks have helped hikers, campers, foragers, and explorers navigate the great outdoors. Now, the best of the guides' informative text and iconic illustrations are gathered in one handsome the perfect reference for today's ramblers.
FOR NATURE LOVERS OLD AND More and more people are invested in and curious about the natural world—from avid campers and hikers to those worried about climate change. This book, with its celebratory tone and charming vintage style, will appeal to anyone who cherishes the natural world.
NOSTALGIC The classic nature illustration style evokes memories of learning about flora and fauna in childhood, making this a wonderfully nostalgic gift.
BEAUTIFUL BLEND OF ART AND This volume presents detailed scientific information in a gorgeous package, a deluxe hardcover that will grace coffeetables and bookshelves. It makes a perfect gift for anyone interested in biology or illustration (or both!).
Perfect
From the mountains to the ocean shores, from the wetlands to the deserts, North America teems with flora and fauna in delicately balanced ecosystems found nowhere else on Earth. With this book in hand, you will understand the language of nature and see those wild places with new eyes. You'll learn to recognize the lobed leaf of an Oracle Oak, the webbed tracks of a River Otter, and the fine, cream-colored tentacles of a Frilled Anemone. This volume celebrates a tradition of knowledge established by the Nature Study Guild. For more than sixty years, the Guild's pocket guidebooks have helped hikers, campers, foragers, and explorers navigate the great outdoors. Now, the best of the guides' informative text and iconic illustrations are gathered in one handsome the perfect reference for today's ramblers.
FOR NATURE LOVERS OLD AND More and more people are invested in and curious about the natural world—from avid campers and hikers to those worried about climate change. This book, with its celebratory tone and charming vintage style, will appeal to anyone who cherishes the natural world.
NOSTALGIC The classic nature illustration style evokes memories of learning about flora and fauna in childhood, making this a wonderfully nostalgic gift.
BEAUTIFUL BLEND OF ART AND This volume presents detailed scientific information in a gorgeous package, a deluxe hardcover that will grace coffeetables and bookshelves. It makes a perfect gift for anyone interested in biology or illustration (or both!).
Perfect
392 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2022
36 people are currently reading
1068 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 26, 2023
This is a good book to start family adventures with. It provides an introduction to many different areas.
The guide can also be a companion to Scouting books. It goes a bit more in-depth for some of the subjects found in the handbooks.
Start a new adventure today.
The guide can also be a companion to Scouting books. It goes a bit more in-depth for some of the subjects found in the handbooks.
Start a new adventure today.
October 25, 2022
While a beautiful book, and one that might provide a very basic overview of natural features of the entire United States, How To Read The Wilderness falls short in practicality.
It utilizes a very basic dichotomous key system without explaining what it is or how each set of choices relies on an arbitrary simplified dichotomy. I think the section on "Trees of the Central and Eastern United States and Canada" was where I really started questioning the purpose and functionality of this guide. There was a pretty cool and useful overview of habitats and shapes of trees, that then was followed up by ... a section on identifying Spruce? A beginner naturalist might not know whether the tree they're looking at is a spruce or some other conifer, and using this section's key, might arrive at the conclusion that the hemlock they're examining is instead a Black Spruce. This is followed by "Identifying Willows," "Identifying Deciduous Trees in Winter," and "Identifying Maples in Winter" (which, maples are deciduous trees? Did we learn how to identify them in summer? Where are the oaks? Maybe an overview of the other types of trees one might encounter in the Eastern deciduous forest?). On the other side of the coin, a more experienced naturalist will be left confused at best. I did like some of the tidbits of information sprinkled throughout, like the examples of indusium shapes, but they seemed out of place in a guide that neglected to mention how to tell basic leaf shapes apart. And this is a problem in each section. I think the creators of this guide had a broad and grand vision that was too large to fit within these covers.
Recommended for readers who want a beautiful book with a vintage aesthetic who don't mind double checking other sources to ensure they have complete and accurate information.
Thank you to Netgalley and Chronicle books for the ARC.
It utilizes a very basic dichotomous key system without explaining what it is or how each set of choices relies on an arbitrary simplified dichotomy. I think the section on "Trees of the Central and Eastern United States and Canada" was where I really started questioning the purpose and functionality of this guide. There was a pretty cool and useful overview of habitats and shapes of trees, that then was followed up by ... a section on identifying Spruce? A beginner naturalist might not know whether the tree they're looking at is a spruce or some other conifer, and using this section's key, might arrive at the conclusion that the hemlock they're examining is instead a Black Spruce. This is followed by "Identifying Willows," "Identifying Deciduous Trees in Winter," and "Identifying Maples in Winter" (which, maples are deciduous trees? Did we learn how to identify them in summer? Where are the oaks? Maybe an overview of the other types of trees one might encounter in the Eastern deciduous forest?). On the other side of the coin, a more experienced naturalist will be left confused at best. I did like some of the tidbits of information sprinkled throughout, like the examples of indusium shapes, but they seemed out of place in a guide that neglected to mention how to tell basic leaf shapes apart. And this is a problem in each section. I think the creators of this guide had a broad and grand vision that was too large to fit within these covers.
Recommended for readers who want a beautiful book with a vintage aesthetic who don't mind double checking other sources to ensure they have complete and accurate information.
Thank you to Netgalley and Chronicle books for the ARC.
November 10, 2022
This illustrated guide is designed to help readers learn some of the most prolific trees, plants, animals, birds, coastal life forms, and night sky constellations of North America. For plant [and in some cases animal] identification, the book uses a handy flowchart method that asks questions, sending the reader to an appropriate marker depending upon the answer. For wildlife identification, it uses descriptions of not only the animal, but skeletal remains, scat, and tracks. It also gives alternate names and asterisms for constellations.
The pros of this book include: 1.) it focuses on the most common elements and doesn’t get bogged down trying to be all-inclusive; 2.) it uses a flow charts, diagrams, and drawings successfully to do much of the heavy lifting.
The downsides of the book are: 1.) it seems be much more Western US-centric, and often treats everything East of the Rockies as a single zone (not to mention minimal discussion of Canada or Mexico – so maybe it should be thought of more as a US guide;) 2.) in trying to be text-minimal, it occasionally states things in a way that lacks clarity.
If you want to get a basic understanding of the elements of nature for the United States, this book is worth investigating. It’s young reader friendly, but not exclusively so.
The pros of this book include: 1.) it focuses on the most common elements and doesn’t get bogged down trying to be all-inclusive; 2.) it uses a flow charts, diagrams, and drawings successfully to do much of the heavy lifting.
The downsides of the book are: 1.) it seems be much more Western US-centric, and often treats everything East of the Rockies as a single zone (not to mention minimal discussion of Canada or Mexico – so maybe it should be thought of more as a US guide;) 2.) in trying to be text-minimal, it occasionally states things in a way that lacks clarity.
If you want to get a basic understanding of the elements of nature for the United States, this book is worth investigating. It’s young reader friendly, but not exclusively so.
January 23, 2023
This book is a super basic introduction to the wild. If you are looking for a comprehensive field guide, look elsewhere. This one would be suitable for someone who has no experience in the outdoors and who wants a beginner-level introductory overview. The book itself was composed using content from several previously-published field guides by Nature Study Guild. One thing I thought was odd was that there is a section about constellations, but there is nothing about reptiles and amphibians.
There are sections covering regions of the U.S. and including plants, trees, mammals, birds, and constellations. The information covered is not in-depth. For example, there are only a few trees in the keys. The plants and ferns had a bit more content in the keys, but nothing close to a comprehensive look at what can be found in each region. I think the idea was good, but that there just wasn’t enough space in the book to cover each of these subjects thoroughly enough. That’s why this is best used as an introductory guide.
Some of the information is outdated, such as the scientific names of many organisms. Some examples:
North American River Otter is named Lutra canadensis in the book. However, the correct name is Lontra canadensis.
The Canada Lynx is called Felis lynx in the book. The correct name, since 2003, is Lynx canadensis.
Mountain lion is called Felis concolor in the book. The correct name, since 2005, is Puma concolor.
Some names are incorrect for the region, such as:
The Virginia Opossum is native to parts of the U.S., but the scientific name given for this animal was Didelphis marsupialis, which is actually the species that is found in South America, called the common opossum. The Virginia Opossum is Didelphis virginiana.
There are some incorrect items in the book, such as the following.
“All cat droppings are partially buried.” This is not true. While cats do sometimes bury their scats, it is very common to find the scats of bobcats and mountain lions exposed with no attempt to bury them.
A dead animal hanging from a tree branch as an indicator of predation by a lynx or mountain lion. This is incorrect information. There is no documented evidence that either of these cats takes prey into trees to consume it, or to store it. There are documented instances of scavenging gray foxes taking carcass remains into trees, however.
The animal track illustrations are not very accurate, but that is true of most field guides that were not written by trackers. It would be difficult to correctly identify an animal track using these illustrations alone. I recommend getting a full tracking field guide for that purpose.
In summary, this guide would be good as a very basic introduction, to get someone interested in learning more about nature. It will not function as a stand-alone field guide.
There are sections covering regions of the U.S. and including plants, trees, mammals, birds, and constellations. The information covered is not in-depth. For example, there are only a few trees in the keys. The plants and ferns had a bit more content in the keys, but nothing close to a comprehensive look at what can be found in each region. I think the idea was good, but that there just wasn’t enough space in the book to cover each of these subjects thoroughly enough. That’s why this is best used as an introductory guide.
Some of the information is outdated, such as the scientific names of many organisms. Some examples:
North American River Otter is named Lutra canadensis in the book. However, the correct name is Lontra canadensis.
The Canada Lynx is called Felis lynx in the book. The correct name, since 2003, is Lynx canadensis.
Mountain lion is called Felis concolor in the book. The correct name, since 2005, is Puma concolor.
Some names are incorrect for the region, such as:
The Virginia Opossum is native to parts of the U.S., but the scientific name given for this animal was Didelphis marsupialis, which is actually the species that is found in South America, called the common opossum. The Virginia Opossum is Didelphis virginiana.
There are some incorrect items in the book, such as the following.
“All cat droppings are partially buried.” This is not true. While cats do sometimes bury their scats, it is very common to find the scats of bobcats and mountain lions exposed with no attempt to bury them.
A dead animal hanging from a tree branch as an indicator of predation by a lynx or mountain lion. This is incorrect information. There is no documented evidence that either of these cats takes prey into trees to consume it, or to store it. There are documented instances of scavenging gray foxes taking carcass remains into trees, however.
The animal track illustrations are not very accurate, but that is true of most field guides that were not written by trackers. It would be difficult to correctly identify an animal track using these illustrations alone. I recommend getting a full tracking field guide for that purpose.
In summary, this guide would be good as a very basic introduction, to get someone interested in learning more about nature. It will not function as a stand-alone field guide.
October 2, 2022
How to Read the Wilderness is a comprehensive guide to the flora and fauna of North America. There was an absolute ton of information presented in a clear and concise way. It is much like a textbook but isn't boring at all. This is useful to anyone who enjoys nature and the outdoors. I loved this book and cannot wait to own a physical copy. Thank you to NetGalley for the copy.
December 8, 2022
Imaginative and informative, you want to be guided through nature by How to Read the Wilderness! Just like the nature around us, there is so much to love about this book, much of which may not meet the eye immediately. I think Nature Study Guild's organization is the unsung hero of it all, for the way it is explored categorically by region and species makes it soothing and palatable to readers who enjoy orderly process but also easy to jump between for those who enjoy a varied absorption of material. The thoughts conveyed are light yet loaded, just like a camp backpack. It does the job while still being able to last the whole journey of the book!
I am sincerely contemplating whether to let someone else gift me this book or go ahead and obtain it myself. Let the adventures begin!
Many thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the chance to explore its landscape.
I am sincerely contemplating whether to let someone else gift me this book or go ahead and obtain it myself. Let the adventures begin!
Many thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the chance to explore its landscape.
September 15, 2022
A beautiful and unique introduction to the flora and fauna of the North America for novice and experienced nature lovers alike! The easy to understand infographics allow readers to develop a framework for understanding the natural world. Rather than long list of exhaustive details, the book synthesizes the essential information about each species and their habitat. The book also gives clear definitions of key ecological concepts (habitats, flower parts, life cycles) so readers can build on their knowledge quickly. The mammals and birds portion also guides the reader to identify mammals not just by their skulls, droppings and track patterns, and nests). I enjoyed the dichotomous keys (I can now identify oaks!), the detailed illustrations, and the breadth of topics. You will learn about trees, tidal creatures and even constellations, so everyone is sure to learn something new. The only thing that is missing are amphibians and reptiles- but those creatures are much more secretive so I understand why they were not included.
September 18, 2022
This is a really fun and informative guide to identifying plants, trees, birds, ocean life, constellations, animals and more. There are black and white drawings. Much of it is in the format of “if there’s this then turn to this page.” I learned a lot of really interesting stuff but it is not complete. For instance, there are berries and I learned some I didn’t know but then it doesn’t have basic berries you find all over like elderberries, dogwood berries, juneberries or raspberries. Likewise, it has some birds but it’s just a few. Also, the illustrations are in black and white, which makes identification difficult for some things. Many categories of things are included but others are missing like reptiles, insects and mushrooms. There’s not room for everything but I think reptiles and amphibians would have fit with the rest of the book better than constellations, for example.
Still, it’s an incredibly fun and interesting book done in a novel way. Recommended.
I read a self destroying arc for review.
Still, it’s an incredibly fun and interesting book done in a novel way. Recommended.
I read a self destroying arc for review.
October 2, 2022
This was a really interesting book! I really liked how it was structured and I learned a lot about each region that was discussed. This book is centered on the United States/North America, which is understandable of course, but I think I would love to see other books like this for other regions as well. I really liked how the illustrations in the books were outlined and how they used the illustrations and aspects of them to point the reader to other similar plants - kind of like a choose your own adventure but for plants, animals, and stars! This was a really fascinating book and I am so excited to get a copy when this is published for my own reference. A great book, useful for anyone who wants to understand the natural world around them, filled with cool illustrations, awesome tips for identifying different aspects you may see, and easy to understand and find information in.
October 24, 2022
This book will educate nature lovers. There are chapters on flowers, fruits & ferns; mammals & birds; the ocean, and the night sky. Throughout there are appealing drawings, along with maps and other resources like identification keys.
Each section of this book is quite detailed. For example, the section on trees is carefully broken down by regions as, for example, trees of the southwestern desert.
This title is absolutely packed with information. Readers may want to hone in on the area where they live or a place where they plan to travel for this book to be most helpful. It then provides an excellent resource for someone who seriously wants to know more about their environment. I especially enjoyed a section on birds of my area.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Each section of this book is quite detailed. For example, the section on trees is carefully broken down by regions as, for example, trees of the southwestern desert.
This title is absolutely packed with information. Readers may want to hone in on the area where they live or a place where they plan to travel for this book to be most helpful. It then provides an excellent resource for someone who seriously wants to know more about their environment. I especially enjoyed a section on birds of my area.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
January 20, 2025
This book is beautifully bound and feels like a work of art, which is the main reason I purchased it. However, it’s more of a reference book than a true field guide, so if you’re looking for something to take along on your adventures, this might not be the best fit. Most of the content focuses on California and the Pacific Northwest, which limits its usefulness for readers in other regions. That said, the information is detailed and well-presented, making it a solid resource for those who want to deepen their understanding of the wilderness in these areas. A good addition to your collection if aesthetics and regional specificity are what you’re after.
September 28, 2022
This book is perfect for anyone who enjoys experiencing nature and wants to learn more about the wilderness of North America. Topics are detailed, and the artwork is classic and beautiful. However, in regards to the artwork, color visuals may be more helpful with identifying plants and birds for example. I was slightly disappointed that there was not much information on reptiles and amphibians, but loved that included constellations among other topics. Overall, this was a very informative book and am excited to put some of that knowledge to use the next time I find myself immersed in nature!
October 2, 2022
I’ve always been a nature lover. I love being outside and exploring. I am not huge into non-fiction generally, but because of the topic I decided to give this book a try. I found it very informative and I love the lay-out and simplicity of it. As someone with adhd, I can easily become bored with non-fiction and paragraph after paragraph can make my eyes cross. These pages were beautifully done, nicely labeled, and had great diagrams with pops of color (green, my fave!) not only a great read, would also make a great coffee table book! Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced readers copy!
July 5, 2024
An excellent and beautiful volume - quick note: this isn't a hyper detailed field guild (I'd go with a Peterson guide for that), but is intended to teach the reader the mindset to use when identifying the natural world. Having a detailed guide is one thing, but knowing WHAT you're looking for is a learned skill and I think this book is great for getting the reader on the right track for getting there.
It's also incredibly broad - sections on trees, flowers, mammals, birds, AND constellations. A good place to start.
It's also incredibly broad - sections on trees, flowers, mammals, birds, AND constellations. A good place to start.
December 25, 2025
While I understand people’s frustrations with this not being a fully comprehensive field guide (and do see this as a very valid criticism), I do think this book is a good start for anyone interested in the outdoors and wilderness or is good for anyone that is just a casual enjoyer. I find that it’s a fun, enjoyable way to learn a bit more about the natural environment (flora and fauna, native animals, basic identification for plants and tracks, star guides, etc.) without feeling like I’m looking at a textbook. Again, though, definitely meant for basic or casual use.
December 5, 2022
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was a very well written and very in depth book. It was interesting to read and learn the various things seen in nature and what we can learn from it. The in depth drawings were definitely a plus. I really liked the pages about various features or locations of trees to help identify the species. I liked that the book was a good mix of nature and not just a book on trees or animals.
November 24, 2022
What a wonderful resource! How to Read the Wilderness is an excellent nature study guide. I consider myself to be a big nature lover and to know a lot about nature and I learned so much from this book.
The topics are organized in a logical way that makes it very user friendly. The content is both clear and concise. I recommend this to anyone who has an interest in learning more about nature!
The topics are organized in a logical way that makes it very user friendly. The content is both clear and concise. I recommend this to anyone who has an interest in learning more about nature!
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March 14, 2023This guide to North America* gives basic understanding of some elements of nature. Five sections: Trees, Flowers, Fruits, & Ferns, Mammals & Birds, The Ocean, and The Night Sky. Logical layout and user-friendly
Beautiful book with classic drawings (not in color) for reference.
(*obviously not every species is included in this guide)
Beautiful book with classic drawings (not in color) for reference.
(*obviously not every species is included in this guide)
January 10, 2024
This book is perfect for anyone who enjoys experiencing nature and wants to learn more about the wilderness of North America. Topics are detailed, and the artwork is classic and beautiful. However, in regards to the artwork, color visuals may be more helpful with identifying plants and birds for example.🌷🌳🐞💚
January 12, 2024
Really surface level. It definitely isn't a field guide. It covers really interesting topics, but I feel like if it was longer or focused just on plants, trees, and mammals for example, it could cover a lot more. It just seems like it tries to cover too much and overextends itself.
July 11, 2024
Only so much you can include in such a short book, but I wished it had more info on the uses for different plants (edible? medicinal?) rather than just their identifications. Also, so little on pine forests! What it does include is pretty cool though.
February 9, 2023
I borrowed this from the library and now I want a copy. It’s so easy to understand and well-organized.
April 10, 2023
This was put together in a very useful and unique way - like a decision tree guiding you through identifying flora and fauna in different regions of North America: 'is it like this? If yes, go here, of no, go to this question' type of things. The problem is that the images are all drawings, not photographs, and the precision just isn't there to support identification.
August 4, 2023
This is such a fun general guide! Covers a variety of topics with lots of pictures and easy to understand steps to identifying. Great for a beginner and can't wait to take it on my next hike!!
June 16, 2024
This book is cute. There are a ton of illustrations and simple flow charts to narrow down the types of plants. It's not really a sit-down-and-read book...very much a guide for beginners.
July 15, 2025
Cute, stylized illustrations. Unfortunately, those illustrations led to entire chapters of how to read oak tree variations rather than the general wilderness.
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July 17, 2025I read this for the library’s summer reading challenge. A good beginner’s field guide!
July 29, 2025
not as comprehensive as i’d hoped but the book is beautiful
April 22, 2023
I loved the concept of the book but it’s hard to follow at times. It is like a “choose your own adventure” but with the outdoors as its premise.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews