Top 10 best smithsonian handbooks
Finding the best smithsonian handbooks suitable for your needs isnt easy. With hundreds of choices can distract you. Knowing whats bad and whats good can be something of a minefield. In this article, weve done the hard work for you.
Best smithsonian handbooks
1. Smithsonian Handbooks: Birds of North America -- Eastern Region (Smithsonian Handbooks)
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DK Publishing Dorling KindersleyDescription
Published in association with America's preeminent authority, the Smithsonian Institution, this comprehensive handbook to the birds of North America: Eastern Region includes 706 species -- all birds known to breed east of the 100th meridian on the United States and Canada, as well as regular visitors and vagrants to this region. The Smithsonian Handbook is the first identification guide that includes details of the bird's life history in a concise and user-friendly format. Each full-page profile combines a precise description, annotated photographs, and artworks to highlight the key field marks of the species in each plumage. Similar species are shown and distinguishing characteristics are noted. Further information on the bird's habits describes the typical song and other vocalizations, behavior, breeding, nesting, population, and conservation concerns. Typical flight patterns and nest locations and shapes are described with clear icons, and amplified in the text. Each bird's range during summer, winter, and on migration is clearly shown on a map.2. Smithsonian Handbooks: Stars and Planets (Smithsonian Handbooks)
Description
Authoritative text, charts and diagrams, photographs, and a systematic approach make DK's Smithsonian Handbooks: Stars and Planets the most comprehensive and concise pocket guide to observing the night sky.
Each planet is illustrated and described in detail, with location charts and diagrams and a month-by-month guide to interesting features of the night sky. All 88 constellations are examined, along with objects they contain, such as notable stars, star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. For those new to astronomy, a highly visual introduction explains many basic concepts and offers expert advice on the best methods and equipment for observation.
This book is one of a series covering plants, animals, and other natural phenomena from around the world and is published in association with the Smithsonian Institution.
3. Natural History: The Ultimate Visual Guide to Everything on Earth (Smithsonian)
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DK Publishing Dorling KindersleyDescription
A landmark in reference publishing and overseen and authenticated by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, Natural History presents an unrivaled visual survey of Earth's natural history. Giving a clear overview of the classification of our natural world-over 6,000 species-Natural History looks at every kingdom of life, from bacteria, minerals, and rocks to fossils to plants and animals. Featuring a remarkable array of specially commissioned photographs, Natural History looks at thousands of specimens and species displayed in visual galleries that take the reader on an incredible journey from the most fundamental building blocks of the world's landscapes, through the simplest of life forms, to plants, fungi, and animals.4. Smithsonian Handbooks: Insects (Smithsonian Handbooks)
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Books, Butterfly, Butterfly Books, Educational Books, Insect Books, Insects Spiders etc., Other Insects, Spider, Spider BooksDescription
Written by noted entomologist George C. McGavin, this comprehensive handbook covers all 29 orders of insect as well as spiders and terrestrial arthropods. Its packed with hundreds of annotated photographs and illustrations to help you discern the many types of insects and gives you a brief description of each insect family with main characteristics, including life cycles, the environment in which they thrive, and a photographic guide to assist you in categorizing the insect group. Its an indispensable handbook for beginners and enthusiasts alike.Smithsonian Handbooks are the most visually appealing guides on the natural world in the book marketplace. Featuring more than 500 full-color illustrations and photographs, along with detailed annotations, Smithsonian Handbooks make identification easy and accurate.
5. Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks & Minerals (Smithsonian Handbooks) (DK Smithsonian Handbook)
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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 classified, and how to start a collection. Look up different rocks and minerals, and find clear, annotated photography to pick out the key distinguishing features. Learn the differences between igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, and reference the glossary for many more technical and scientific terms.
Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks and Minerals is filled with information about characteristics, colors, unique attributes, and more, making it one of the clearest identification guides for rock and mineral enthusiasts.
6. Handbooks: Butterflies & Moths: The Clearest Recognition Guide Available (Smithsonian Handbooks)
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With over 600 stunning, full-color photographs of over 500 species of butterflies and moths, this is the most beautiful and clear guide to the identification of these fantastic flying insects. Even an amateur enthusiast will be able to spot different species like an expert entomologist.Each entry combines a precise description of the featured butterfly or moth species with annotated photographs to show its chief characteristics and distinguishing features, from ingenious camouflage to signature eyespots to distinctive larval forms and cocoon structures. It is accompanied by a map of the animals geographical range, as well as color-coded bands with at-a-glance facts specific to the species.
In addition to the species-by-species guide, the book contains a fascinating overview of this whole unique order of insects, from the habitats and plants they rely on to survive in the wild, to the details of their distinctive metamorphosis, to the ways ordinary people can distinguish between these similar-looking creatures.
The book is published by Dorling Kindersley in association with the eminently authoritative Smithsonian Institution, and is written by David Carter, who works at the Natural History Museum, London, and has been specializing in moths and butterflies for nearly four decades. It is designed to appeal to beginners and established enthusiasts alike.
7. Smithsonian Handbooks: Reptiles and Amphibians (Smithsonian Handbooks)
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Alligator Books, Alligators & Crocodiles, Books, Educational Books, Frog Books, Frogs, Lizard Books, Lizards, Reptiles & Amphibians, Snake Books, Snakes, Turtle Books, TurtlesDescription
The most comprehensive and easy-to-use pocket guide to the reptiles and amphibians of the world, with beautiful color photographs and authoritative text from an expert herpetologist and a biology professor specializing in amphibians. Packed with over 600 color photographs of more than 400 species, this handbook is designed to enable you to recognize each species quickly and easily.World-renowned herpetologist Mark OShea, best known for his Animal Planet/Discovery Channel show OSheas Big Adventure, teams up with Tim Halliday, former biology professor at the Open University and one of the worlds leading authorities on amphibians, to write expert-level entries highlighting the chief characteristics and distinguishing features of each species, accompanied by crisp, detailed photos. A comprehensive introduction describes the anatomy, lifecycle, and behavior of the major groups of reptiles and amphibians, while the initial steps of identification are facilitated by a clear visual key.
Whether youre spotting animals in the field or browsing the fascinating world of wildlife from the comfort of your home, this Dorling Kindersley guidebook is a great resource for any nature-lover.
8. Handbooks: Horses: The Clearest Recognition Guide Available (Smithsonian Handbooks)
Description
This book is designed for all those who love horses. Tracing the evolution of equines, this guide also explains the difference between horses and ponies, looks at how different breeds evolved or were selectively developed, and examines equine anatomy and behavior. Packed with 250 vivid full-color photographs of more than 100 horse-breeds, it uses a systematic approach from Dorling Kindersley and the Smithsonian Institution to train readers of all experience levels to identify and appreciate the wide variety of horses in the world.A visual identity key helps you recognize different horse breeds, and guides you to the correct entry based on what you see and observe. Each entry combines a concise description with annotated photographs to highlight the main characteristics and distinguishing features of the breed, with details on coloring, country or region of origin, breed history, and how the breed has been used in the human world. A concise glossary provides instant interpretation of equine terms.
The clear visuals and distinctive facts are accompanied by expert prose from author Elwyn Hartley Edwards, former editor of Riding magazine and former consulting editor to Horse and Hound. The book is a clear, concise, comprehensive, and indispensable identification guide for beginners and established equine enthusiasts alike.
9. Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals (Smithsonian Handbooks)
Description
The most comprehensive pocket guide to these early creatures and the world they inhabited millions of years ago. Published in association with the esteemed Smithsonian Institution, DKs Smithsonian Handbook of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life features authoritative text, crystal-clear artwork, and a systematic approach to its subject matter.For ease of reference, the main body of the book is divided into three sections: the Precambrian and Palaeozoic eras, the Mesozoic era, and the Cenozoic era. Each section is broken down into its geological time periods, and, within these, the species are organized according to habitatwhether they lived on land, in the water, or in the air.
There are detailed profiles of 200 dinosaurs and other ancestors of modern animals. Each entry
combines a precise, jargon-free description with full-color artworks, skeletons, and replica models, annotated to pinpoint the key features of the species. Maps show where the animals fossils have been found, and many profiles are supported by photographs to show actual excavation sites.
The guide is authored by Hazel Richardson, a former research scientist, lecturer, and teacher. She has written 15 science books, many of which have been published worldwide, as well as educational CDs and scientific articles.
10. Handbooks: Fossils: The Clearest Recognition Guide Available (Smithsonian Handbooks)
Description
Packed with over 1,000 full-color photographs over more than 500 fossils, this handbook is designed to cut through the complex process of fossil identification to make it accessible to readers of all experience levels. Authoritative text, crystal-clear photography, and a systematic approach from Dorling Kindersley and the Smithsonian Institution make this guide both comprehensive and concise.Expertly written and thoroughly vetted, each entry combines a precise description with annotated photography to highlight each fossil's chief characteristics and distinguishing features. Each fossil is accompanied by a full-color illustration of the living animal or plant that the fossil once was in the distant past, while color-coded bands provide at-a-glance key facts to complete each entry. Also included is a comprehensive glossary so you can speak the language of a true paleontologist.
Written by veteran paleontologist and curator Cyril Walker, and veterinary surgeon and fossil enthusiast David Ward, and packed with detailed information on recognition, classification, and more, DKs Smithsonian Handbook of Fossils is the clearest identification guide to fossils for beginners and established enthusiasts alike.
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