Packer and Gould have provided an invaluable service for anyone interested in western North American botany by creating a simple, user-friendly and portable key to the 21,000 Alberta species found in the 30-volume set of Flora of North America. Designed to be carried into the field for handy reference and use, Vascular Plants of Alberta, Part 1: Ferns, Fern Allies, Gymnosperms, and Monocots incorporates the new names and taxonomical understandings that have accumulated over the years. Part 1 of what will be a three-volume set contains the up-to-date classification of the ferns, fern allies, gymnosperms, and monocots found in Alberta according to the latest taxonomic findings.