But the same problems in the printing, I presume?
I still have held back buying. Might get it in the US after all.
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Sibley Guide, 2nd edition (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter jedigrant
- Start date
But the same problems in the printing, I presume?
I still have held back buying. Might get it in the US after all.
lewis20126
Well-known member
I have finally dared ordering (the Knopf edition). It turned out Amazon.com is almost 20 percent cheaper than Book Depository (both including shipping). And at this point, I hope either has the second printing by now.
The book will get here while I'm in the US, but I already have too many things waiting for me to take home. And I'm sticking with my NG FG (6th edition) for field use anyway. (By the way, I wonder when there will be a 7th edition of it.)
The book will get here while I'm in the US, but I already have too many things waiting for me to take home. And I'm sticking with my NG FG (6th edition) for field use anyway. (By the way, I wonder when there will be a 7th edition of it.)
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Richard Klim
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Back in March when I successfully purchased a copy from amazon.com, the website had assured "The second print run of this book is now being shipped". Although that statement has since been removed, I think it's unlikely that amazon.com would now be shipping older stock!
Almost happy now
Got back from 5 weeks in the US where I had used National Geographic's 6th edition; and Sibley 2nd ed, 2nd printing had arrived in the meantime and waited for me. I'm happy I deferred this order, as the present book is now so well readable. Actually, despite a smaller font, the text is easier to read than in my first edition. They used a more readable type of lettering. Really great! Same praise goes to the range maps. I find them so much more readable.
I'd still take NG into the field as the full Sibley is way too large for that. But it's now the most complete book and definitely worth buying, even if one already has the first edition. The one feature that Sibley should add in the future is a quick-find index. I use the NG's quick-find index very often, maybe a bit more often than if I lived in North America. But anybody in North America who is a more casual birder would need it as well. I tried to check the tanagers and could not even find a listing in the table of contents. They run under Cardinals. Not very convenient. Of course, one finds the tanagers in the index in the back. But that's far from convenient for a quick search. Sibley filled the obvious convenient location for a quick-find index with other stuff (Key to Group Accounts and Key to Range Maps), all of this could easily be placed on the two virtually empty pages that follow.(Together with the Key to the Species Accounts.)
As I'm not about to wait for a third printing or edition, I'll resort to compiling my own quick-find index again, as in a number of other cases. But I think one should not have to do that for such books, and for North America there is already a shining example in the National Geographic FG.
Edit: It was not until I had virtually completed the compilation of my own version of such an index that I discovered that the book actually DOES have such an index. Thanks to those who pointed it out, though I had seen it by the time I got back to BF. Well, I decided to do my own version anyway, the one in the book strains the term "quick-find" for me, mostly because of the fine print on that page. For the regular index they used a more contrasty font.
I'll post my more compact version in a separate thread.
Got back from 5 weeks in the US where I had used National Geographic's 6th edition; and Sibley 2nd ed, 2nd printing had arrived in the meantime and waited for me. I'm happy I deferred this order, as the present book is now so well readable. Actually, despite a smaller font, the text is easier to read than in my first edition. They used a more readable type of lettering. Really great! Same praise goes to the range maps. I find them so much more readable.
I'd still take NG into the field as the full Sibley is way too large for that. But it's now the most complete book and definitely worth buying, even if one already has the first edition. The one feature that Sibley should add in the future is a quick-find index. I use the NG's quick-find index very often, maybe a bit more often than if I lived in North America. But anybody in North America who is a more casual birder would need it as well. I tried to check the tanagers and could not even find a listing in the table of contents. They run under Cardinals. Not very convenient. Of course, one finds the tanagers in the index in the back. But that's far from convenient for a quick search. Sibley filled the obvious convenient location for a quick-find index with other stuff (Key to Group Accounts and Key to Range Maps), all of this could easily be placed on the two virtually empty pages that follow.(Together with the Key to the Species Accounts.)
As I'm not about to wait for a third printing or edition, I'll resort to compiling my own quick-find index again, as in a number of other cases. But I think one should not have to do that for such books, and for North America there is already a shining example in the National Geographic FG.
Edit: It was not until I had virtually completed the compilation of my own version of such an index that I discovered that the book actually DOES have such an index. Thanks to those who pointed it out, though I had seen it by the time I got back to BF. Well, I decided to do my own version anyway, the one in the book strains the term "quick-find" for me, mostly because of the fine print on that page. For the regular index they used a more contrasty font.
I'll post my more compact version in a separate thread.
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Rick Wright
Well-known member
Page 599 [unpaginated] in my copy is a Quick Index, easily pasted onto the rear pastedown if you want. I'm curious to hear whether that page is included in your copy, or it was somehow omitted.
As Rick notes, quick find index is in the back – on the inside of the last page. Would be better on the inside back cover, but you can position the cover flaps so you can go there with a single flip.
The quick find index does list “Tanager.” However, it should be noted that the North American birds called “tanagers” have recently been determined not to belong to that neotropical family, but are instead cardinalids. So the table of contents is taxonomically correct.
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Just want to mention this supplier if any of you don't know it.
They are very competitively priced, they don't have a huge stock of nature titles but most mainstream stuff is available and I've had some great deals from them including this.
https://wordery.com/the-north-american-bird-guide-david-sibley-9781472909275
Andy
They are very competitively priced, they don't have a huge stock of nature titles but most mainstream stuff is available and I've had some great deals from them including this.
https://wordery.com/the-north-american-bird-guide-david-sibley-9781472909275
Andy
I have since compared my copies a bit. What a difference in my own attitude between the two versions. I had never been able to warm up towards the first edition. I now realize a bit better why. In the first edition, most illustrations look like one is observing birds on a foggy morning through the mist. In the second edition now, the illustrations are crisp and often also a bit larger. So while the first edition stood virtually unused in my bookshelf, the second one will undoubtedly be consulted regularly. Though not in the field, as mentioned earlier. But it's great to be able to consult it in the car or at home.
One thing that I'd prefer for the future: there are splits that may puzzle older birders, or foreign ones like myself. Thus, it took a close comparison of the actual illustrations to realize that Xantus's Murrelet is now split. There is no indication on the page or in the table of contents that would facilitate making such insights.
One thing that I'd prefer for the future: there are splits that may puzzle older birders, or foreign ones like myself. Thus, it took a close comparison of the actual illustrations to realize that Xantus's Murrelet is now split. There is no indication on the page or in the table of contents that would facilitate making such insights.
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Anyone know if they plan to bring the 'Eastern' and 'Western' guides in to line with this 2nd ed?
Andy
Andy
Rick Wright
Well-known member
Yes. Coming within, I think, the next 6-7 months.
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Thanks Rick
Andy
Andy
Personally, I think the differences between first and second editions are minor, and while worth the price--they are barely so. Was disappointed the scoter and common moorhen splits were not addressed--probably they came too late. Omitting the lines connecting comments to illustrations was a step back, as well as getting rid of the text at the top describing and comparing multiple species. The darker printing of illustrations seems to smudge some fine details, and I find the smaller font more difficult to read.
I agree regarding the missing lines. Will be interesting whether they remain in the "regional" editions. I hope they keep them. Over all I have been rather comfortable with those. But as on my last visit, I often travel in both eastern and western areas when I travel (this time it was Chicago area, California, and Colorado/Wyoming). So it's easier to use the single volume NG.
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Richard Klim
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Prior to publication of the 2nd edition, the improved maps in the Eastern/Western derivatives offered a significant advance wrt the the original 'Big Sibley' – so there was a good reason to have them even if compactness wasn't a major consideration.
Richard Klim
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Edward
Umimmak
Look forward to getting the Western Guide later this month but I hope the Wood Duck map shown in the Amazon.com preview isn't the one printed in the book (I'm guessing it's Mottled). Most inaccurate map I've seen since the one showing the distribution of Wolf in Greenland in HMW!
Richard Klim
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Btw, Edward, I'm greatly enjoying Trapped (Ófærð) – up to episode 5 so far.
Still hoping that Rögnvaldur finds a Steller's Eider with his 'scope...
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