Robert Llewellyn (2)

Edit to add advice to you to read instead: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2082056905.

I really want to give this five stars. But it's unusable for its purpose. The pictures are glorious... but to be shown to their advantage the paper is glossy, which means the text is extremely hard to read in either bright outdoor or moderate indoor light. (Bright indoor didn't work for me either, and I cannot read in dimmer indoor at all.) It's also coffee-table book size, which means it won't work in the field at all.

I found some tidbits of interesting information, and did learn that the tree we have that makes a seed somewhat like a conker is not a chestnut but a sycamore. And the difference between the white oak and red oak families.

I suppose there is a way to use this book as part of a resource 'library' (that includes a proper field guide either in paper or phone app) if one cares that much, but, really, this is not a very practical introduction to the promise of the title. I mean, I felt taunted... 'look what we can see that you can't' was the (completely unintentional) message I got from the book. Particularly because she didn't (despite her claim) focus on trees with wide enough ranges. She's from Virginia, so, yeah, Magnolia to the south and White Pine to north... but not much that's common 'way out West' in OK.
(Range maps would have been a huge help.)

Nice idea, wonderful photos, and the bits of text I had the patience to read were gracefully written. Great book for the right (eastern) audience.

Oct. 2022… (more)

This is easily the most visually enthralling book I have read in years. The text alone is enough to merit high praise. Hugo's detailed, vivid descriptions of the minute things to look for when seeing trees are delightful and educational. I took my time reading it, so I could savor a few pages at a time. But Llewellyn's stunning, close-up photographs (all composed against a white background for maximum visibility) elevate the book into the rarity of a book that must be owned in a physical form. No e-book can do it justice. I cannot recommend this highly enough, even for those with only a casual interest in trees and the outdoors.… (more)