Wildflower wonders : the 50 best wildflower sites in the world

 by Bob Gibbons.  Photographer and naturalist Gibbons has created a stunning guide to the best wildflower sites in the world. His criteria are spectacular beauty, diversity, and accessibility; infrequent and annual, desert, and alpine flowers are included, while difficult to visit, short-lived, and small sites and those with limited species are not featured. The greatest emphasis is on Europe (particularly Italy, France, and Greece), followed by the United States, Africa, Asia, and Australasia. Each location is accompanied by at least two photographs, a map, and at-a-glace highlights. Gibbons offers reasons to go (e.g., exceptionally colorful early spring flowers and quartz fields with "living stones"), timing recommendations, and information on protected statuses, and he concludes with useful contacts for each country, including tour companies that will help you get there (many locations are quite remote). There's also an excellent bibliography and a species list that gives both common and Latin names. VERDICT The superior photographs, in-depth information, and inclusive species list will be valuable to flower-loving travelers of every sort.  --Library Journal (Check Catalog)