Playfully jabbing at the speed and distractions of the modern world, ecologist and photographer Chris Helzer created “A Field Guide to Roadside Wildflowers At Full Speed,” a tongue-in-cheek photographic handbook for the fast-racing anthophile who simply doesn’t have time to stop and smell the roses. In the introduction to the book, he writes:

“We all know the best opportunities to see wildflowers come while on the road. Whether along an interstate highway or a remote country road, flowers of all colors and shapes are there to add beauty to our trip. Unfortunately, most wildflower field guides are nearly useless for roadside flower viewing, written for the eccentric botanical enthusiast who wanders slowly through prairies, stooping low to determine whether the sepals of a flower are hispid or hirsute…This book is written for the silent majority of people who have important places to go, but want to enjoy and learn about nature as they travel. What good is a field guide that relies upon the characteristics of tiny hairs or even minute differences in leaf or petal shape when a flower is seen from a car traveling 70 miles per hour? The world desperately needs a guide that illustrates and identifies characteristics of wildflowers as most people actually experience them…Finally, roadside wildflower enthusiasts have received the field guide they have long deserved. You’re welcome.”