Wild Flowers of the Pacific Northwest. 3rd ed.

Sandy Campbell is a reference librarian in the Science and Technology Library at the University of Alberta.

While this work is billed as “the third edition of a timeless
classic,” it is more accurately described as a reprinting of the
second edition, with some minor additions. “The Flora” section,
which constitutes 584 of the 604 pages, appears to have been reprinted
without any alteration. A few landscape photographs, a new introduction
that incorporates large sections of the previous introduction, and a
list of plant names that have changed since the last edition have been
added. There is also a new introductory page that explains how to use
the book and recommends alternative sources for laypeople. Minor changes
have been made to the bibliography.

All of the superlatives that were applied to the previous editions
apply to this one. The photography is stunning, and the plant
descriptions are meticulous and detailed. This classic is highly
recommended as a reference work for research libraries that support
studies of plants in the Pacific Northwest. For cash-strapped libraries
that currently hold the second edition, purchase of the the third
edition is not essential, given the minimal differences between the two
volumes.