Wildflowers of Mount Rainier and the Cascades. Text by Mary Fries; Photos by Bob, Ira and Patricia Spring. Seattle: The Mountaineers. 206 Pages; about 100 color plates. $7.95

I am prejudiced – it was pictures of alpine flowers that first made me want to go to the mountains when I was very young. Surely wild flowers are the favorite children of the mountains, and climbers should be able to call the blossoms by name. Each range has its own garland. The Northern Cascades wear as their special decoration the avalanche lily, beargrass, Lewisia, Cassiope and a host of other blooms that are described in chatty and informative terms in this book. The photography is somewhat uneven in quality; many of the backgrounds are jumbled and out of focus. Some pictures, such as page 116, are overcrowded. The color is quite good, especially for the photographs taken in sunlight. The book is recommended for its interesting text, and the pictures, which will help you to make closer friends with many mountain flowers.

Thomas H. Jukes