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I like the way this book is organized. You have a table of contents of sorts that lists bug shapes. They are organized by similiar shape, and color.

Not ment to be read from cover to cover, this book is excellent for throwing into my camera bag for to be a field reference.


I have had this book for years   January 12, 2004
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I first got this book when I started college, for horticulture, while the study only became a hobby in my later years, this book has been with me the whole time.
Every time I see a new bug or insect in my habitat, I run to the house and bring out this book. 80% of the time I can ID it by only using the plates. 15% of the rest I can figure it out by the description pages and the last 5% I usually have enough information to go look on the Internet to find out exactly what I am looking at. I think that it must say something to say I have had this book for 19 years and still use it every summer. And yes it is the same book- I looked at the screen shots Amizon.com so nicely provides and the contents and index is identical. And so are the pages I saw including the page #'s
This is a very good book to get you on the road to entomology and as a reference after that, one you too will keep a long time!


Too General Too much is missing   July 2, 2003
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

If you really want to ID insects in your yard or garden, I dont think that this is the book to use. It is way to general containing insects from desert, the south and the north, it omits many families and includes many exotics that are unique but not likely to be found. A more regional focus would help and a more complete key would also help. It just seems that they tried to do to much with the pages they had. As far as an alternative, I am still looking for a better key/field book.


Disappointed   May 31, 2002
It didn't included the one spider I was looking for that prompted me to buy it in the first place.


Another book with significant false statements   October 24, 2001
 2 out of 3 found this review helpful

Perhaps a rich abundance of information resides in this book, but unfortunately the abundance is soiled with incorrect information, making the reader responsible for the job of sorting the facts from the garbage.
Yes, the photographs are lovely, but the lovliness of the photographs make the situation all the worse because more readers are attracted to this book.
For example, the book states that although "tarantulas" of the SW United States are harmless, they are related to "deadly" ones in South America. Completely, 100% untrue. Maybe the author wanted to make this book exciting, injecting it with lies to spook the reader (no tarantula, from America to Asia, has been determined to be "deadly). I don't justify these false facts by calling them mistakes--this is more than an honest mistake based on misconception. Entomologists should know what they are writing about!