Reader's digest

Even if you are the kind of person who abides by "live-and-let live", you are going to be jolted by an occasional bump in the road. Sometimes its a minor problem: you've made a hotel reservation, but when you arrive there is no room. Or your car comes out of the carwash with an ugly scratch and the operator won't pay for the repair. Sometimes it is much more serious: You discover that your pension plan is on the verge of bankruptcy, or the IRS threatens to seize your home if you do not pay back taxes right away. These problems and hundreds of other "what can I do?" scenarios are featured in eighteen chapters.

Four seasonal catalogs provide an overview of what each season can offer, with detailed descriptions of the plants and how to grow them. Over 1,000 plants are arranged by their botanical names.

Answers questions about the physical world, its plants and animals, and the adaptations and interactions of plants and animals in various environments such as deserts, mountains, and seashores.