A Naturalist's Guide to the Arctic

This is an informative read, but not very practical for someone visiting the arctic of Europe or Asia. It's just about Canada and Greenland, although nothing in the title or description provides a clue of this. If you are visiting Svalbard,for instance, some of this information applies, but most of the book won't apply. You'll end up leaving the book at home.

I worked for four years in a remote, eco-lodge and used to carry at least five books for the guest who wanted to know everything. When I found this book, it remidied the necessity to carry so many books. This book covers enough topics to be useful in almost every situation. It is well written and clear. This book was my life-line and I recommend it to everyone who is travelling north of the tree-line.

I have backpacked on the arctic plain on numerous occasions. Having this book along helps one appreciate the beauty and inter-related nature of the terrain. This is a book to be read more than once; read it on the flight to Alaska. Reading about how the insects torment the caribou makes one appreciate that one has repellants along, and a tent to be inside of. Of the various guides I have been with, this is almost a standard reference book to have with them.

This book is a "must have" for the advanced undergraduate, beginning grad student, or serious amateur naturalist interested in the North. While a combination of other books may be more comprehensive, if I had to trek north to the Yukon, this is what I would throw in my backpack. Pielou's knowledge and love of the high latitudes bursts through every page, and the pen and ink illustrations convey a real sense of both fauna and flora.