Most Popular Books by Martin Brown

First published in 2002, Wild Orchids of Florida was the very first field guide for this orchid-rich state, and it inspired many to try their hand at orchid hunting. Because of its overwhelming popularity and in an attempt to provide the latest developments in orchid research, native orchid expert Paul Martin Brown follows up with this newly revised and expanded edition. The guide contains 200 new points of fact, including: · more than 100 new county records established since 2002 · three recently rediscovered species that have not been seen in 100 years · two previously undocumented species, six new hybrids, and several new color forms described and illustrated for the first time · the resurrection and revalidation of the little-used genus of Gymnadeniopsis · 34 revised county distribution maps, 37 new color photos, and three new watercolors by Stan Folsom With its comprehensive yet easy-to-follow treatment, Wild Orchids of Florida remains the essential field companion for professional botanists, native plant enthusiasts, nature lovers, or anyone who wants to learn more about what''s growing out in the wilds of Florida.

Native orchids are increasingly threatened by pressure from population growth and development but, nonetheless, still present a welcome surprise to observant hikers in every state and province. Compiled and illustrated by long-time orchid specialist Paul Martin Brown, this pocket guide to lady''s-slippers is the first in a series that will cover all the wild orchids of the United States and Canada. Brown provides general distributional information, time of flowering, and habitat requirements for each species as well as a complete list of hybrids and the many different growth and color forms that can make identifying orchids so intriguing. For the lady''s-slippers he includes information on 12 species, 2 additional varieties, and 6 hybrids. Wild lady''s-slippers grow from Alaska, with the spotted lady''s-slipper, Cypripedium guttatum, to Texas, with the ivory-lipped lady''s-slipper, C. kentuckiense. Most of these species are easy to identify based upon their general appearance, range, and time of flowering. Answer three simple questions--when, where, and how does it grow? Then compare the living plant with the striking photos in these backpack-friendly laminated guides and consult the keys that Brown has created. Following these steps should enable both professional and amateur naturalists to achieve the satisfaction of identifying specific orchids in their native environment.

"Quest for Excellence: The Arthur A. Dugoni Story" highlights the life and times of Dr. Dugoni from his immigrant family roots and early years, to his rise to the heights of dental education, practice and leadership - and everything in between. Twenty one chapters spanning more than 300 pages explore various aspects of Dr. Dugoni and his family. Readers are also treated to pictures of his family life and personal pursuits, and glimpses into his professional accomplishments in world of dental education, private practice and organized dentistry. The biography was written by San Francisco journalist and author Martin Brown, a close friend and biographer of Dr. Dugoni for many years, who compiled the work from more than two years of interviews. "Art has had a fascinating life and his background is a wonderful story of an immigrant''s upbringing [and rise] to success," said Brown. "As he was in his 80s, I realized we had an opportunity to collect more of the many stories of Art and his family and share them with the community."

A collection of short observations about a wide array of topics, including children, families, travel, bilocation, transpotting, royalty, John Lennon, Football, Monogamy and Music.

For four years, Annette Walter-Lax was Keith Moon''s partner from their initial meeting in 1974, until Keith''s tragic death on returning to the UK. Here is her account of their time together, told in a series of interviews. Annette''s tale of her wild ride with one of rock''s true originals will amaze fans of the genius drummer.

We examine how the numeracy level of employees influences the quality of their on-the-job decisions. Based on an administrative dataset of a retail bank we relate the performance of loan officers in a standardized math test to the accuracy of their credit assessments of small business borrowers. We find that loan officers with a high level of numeracy are more accurate in assessing the credit risk of borrowers. The effect is most pronounced during the pre-crisis credit boom period when it is arguably more difficult to pick out risky borrowers.