Wilderness Expeditions, by Heinz Sielmann. New York: Franklin Watts. 416 pp. $29.95.

This is a book of brief photo-safaris to 20 of the world's best-known wild and scenic areas - places like the Grand Canyon, McKinley National Park, the Amazon jungle, Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

The pictures are by various photographers. The text is by Heinz Sielmann, an award-winning filmmaker well-known to European audiences. Unfortunately the writing suffers from occasional environmental sermonizing that tends to be oversimplified and exaggerated. The best part of the book is the section on seven European natural preserves, which goes well beyond skin depth.