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The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Cacti and Succulents
J. Riha , and
Subik R.
Manufacturer: Book Sales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1555218784 |
Customer Reviews:
Not Dumbed Down.......2001-12-25
For someone interested in succulents beyond growing an aloe in your kitchen window,this book is invaluable. It's absolutely important for fanciers of plants to be able to understand the scientific naming method to keep proper categorization straight for the gardener's sake, as well as for nature's sake in preservation and conservation goals. There are so many succulents in the world. Many of them are losing their natural environment to various forms of environmental degradation. A book like this goes a long way to help preserve what remains of many endangered succulent flora. I welcome and appreciate the lucid, clearheaded and NOT dumbed down way this book is written. The illustrations are truly amazing, inspirational and telling about cultural requirements extrapolated from a little knowledge of climatology and basic world geography. I'm glad that Amazon.com carries this relatively rare book and hope more are available soon. I would recommend without reservation this important work to any student of botanical science interested in learning more about succulents. With even moderate effort, even the non-botanist will find this book, with it's amazing color plates, quite inspirational.
Sincerely and enthusiastically,
Frank Snapp
Great but complicated.......2001-08-14
It is a great book for those who are looking for more scientific information on succulents families. It has many great pictures, but mostly of the plants in natural habitat, which is very differen from the "house plants" look. There is a lot of technical terminology and explanation of photosynthesis, plants and flowers structure, few propagation tips and very little information on plants care and requirements, like watering, lighting, etc. If you looking for a plant science book - this is it. But if you are looking for plants identification and basic care tips(like I am), look for some other book.
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- Read the book, look at the flowers;then you'll understand
- I genuinely like this book!
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Cacti and Succulents (Illustrated Encyclopedias)
Miles Anderson
Manufacturer: Lorenz Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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House Plants
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ASIN: 0754800288 |
Book Description
This handy reference book, which details the botany and classification of cacti and succulents, examines their diversity of size, shape and form. It includes design ideas for growing succulent plants in the home, complete with tips and ideas for hanging baskets, patios and terraces, garden settings, and indoor and container cultivation. The photographic plant directory provides a definitive reference section for cacti and care, and the cultivation section provides step-by-step guidance on all aspects of buying, planting and maintaining cacti and succulents, as well as techniques for planting, propagation, grafting, and maintenance.
Customer Reviews:
Read the book, look at the flowers;then you'll understand.......2001-07-06
When I first bought this book, I was sorely disappointed, not by the beauty of the blooms (and they are truly magnificent), but by the fact that they hid the body of the plant underneath in most cases. I didn't know as much about cacti as I do now. I also felt that I couldn't equate my humble little 5" pots to the outdoor giants depicted too. Now I know. You need to know about the flower before you can understand the cactus, and quite often, trying to identify one cactus not in flower from another is almost impossible because so many have similar characteristics. Just wait until the flowers start, and then you understand exactly what's what, and why some succulents look like cacti, but aren't. Sound confusing? It is, to begin with, but Miles Anderson brings it all to life in this glory of a book, and gradually, all the pieces begin to fall into shape. I would recommend this highly to anyone with an interest in knowing what they're growing, or with a penchant for beautiful photographs. Read his advice carefully, and you'll soon have the blooms for your identification. A lovely book.
I genuinely like this book!.......2001-03-06
In my never ending quest to find informative, user-friendly guides on houseplants, this one comes up a definite winner! The author's stated intent is to provide a guide to identification and growing, and the entire book is geared to exactly that, with a friendly, informative tone throughout.
The book is prefaced by a brief overview of shapes and forms, natural habitats, and design ideas. The body of the book is comprised of two sections on plants, one for cacti, the other for succulents. Species are presented alphabetically by genus, with an overview of the genus --its basic forms, preferences, and care-- followed by more detailed descriptions of individual plant species within the genus. Description include particulars of height and form, a rundown of cultivation preferences, and often details on propagation. The appendices at the back get a bit further into care and cultivation, particularly propagation, plus there's a glossary of terms, and several plant lists for conditions and interests. The index includes both scientific and common names.
What I liked best about this book was that it discussed growing environments in terms of tolerances, rather than ideals. It is all good and well to know that a plant grows best at 83 degrees, but how far can you push the envelope before the thing drops over dead? Descriptions like "It grows well in a half day of sun and will tolerate light frost without much damage" are ever so much more interesting and useful! Also, my hat is off to the photographer, for a most excellent job throughout.
I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone with an interest in cactuses. My particular interest is growing and identification of the various (unlabeled) things I've acquired over the last few years.
Customer Reviews:
Good reference work, good coffee-table book.......2003-03-01
This book is an excellent work for identification of cactus. It describes the proper growing conditions separately for each species, including sun vs. shade, kind of soil and hardiness to cold.
Nearly every variety of nearly every genera is listed and shown, with more than one picture of the cactus, if necessary, to facilitate identification (generally, one of the whole plant, one of the flower). Very complete descriptions of the cacti are provided, including the number and color of the thorns and other minutae.
The book has a handy finding-guide in the front, arranged by gross features (columnar vs. barrel vs. sprawling, etc.) to make it as easy as possible to identify an unknown plant.
Cactus from all environments are covered, including tropical, epiphytic and desert varieties.
Note that cacti, like all plants, are ultimately identified by their flowers; in particular, two cacti from much different native climates - and requiring much different cultivation environments - often look very similar; it is the flowers that distinguish them. This book cannot erase that reality - many cacti (again, like any other plant) cannot be fully identified unless they are in bloom.
This book is also not a tutorial for growing cacti. ...
This Illustrated Encyclopedia is a reference work, though the beautiful pictures make it an excellent coffee-table book as well. Indeed, opening the book randomly to nearly any page reveals breathtaking photography of cacti at their finest.
If you want to have no more that _two_ books on growing cacti, I recommend this Illustrated Encyclopedia ....
Great tool to identify your cacti.......2002-03-18
I'm an avid cactus collector and I get most of my cacti from the local supermarkets and greenhouses. Most of these stores will sell you the plant but will not give you any information about it. This is the reason why I needed a book that would help me identify my cacti and give me care instructions specific to each species. Well, that is exactly what this book will do for you.
The author of the book makes no assumptions about your background (you don't need to be a biologist or anything to benefit from it).
The very first section provides a guide that helps you narrow down the possible genera of your cacti by simply looking at its basic shape and other visible characteristics (like type of spines, number of ribs, type of clustering, etc.). Once you've chosen a set of possible genera, you go to the main section and look inside the chapter corresponding to each of the genera you chose. Inside each chapter you will find an item for each species that belongs to that genus. Each of these items contains a color photograph which will make it very easy to make a final decision about what species your cactus belongs to.
Each item will give you additional information like a list of synonyms for the species, a brief paragraph describing the plant, its country of origin, cultivation details, the shape of the plant (when fully grown), it tells you whether it is day or night flowering, the length of the flowering period, how much light it needs, the type of compost it needs, and the minimum temperature required.
As a bonus, the book contains a brief section about cultivation techniques (only four pages long).
A very precise and descriptive look at all cacti........1998-11-25
This is the most detailed source of cactus infomation that I have come across in the past eight years. The descriptions are very precise, especially; size, cultural habits,and all the basic growing necessities, with a great number of column cactus included. That's terrific! Most cacti enthusiasts will be overwhelmed by the photos(over 1200), which can captivate anyone into the beauty of cacti. Details such as: number of spines,ribs, and projected size can be a novelty for the ameteur collector. Also, there is added information about growing requirements,such as; light, temperature, water, and different soils mixes to be used for certain cituations. Mr. Innes and Mr. Glass have put together the best book on cacti that I had found,nevertheless, the price is very affordable.
An easy read, informative, bargain-priced publication........1998-05-04
Reviewed for THE AMATEURS' (Cactus) DIGEST BY Dave McRitchie, Toronto, Canada. This new book is a re-issue (November 1997) of the book first published in 1991 and covers some 1200 species. The photography is excellent, at least equal to that of the very popular "Cacti-The Illustrated Dictionary" by Rod and Ken Preston-Mafham and has the additional advantage of showing the columnar cacti which are not included in the latter volume. Of interest to many will be the inclusion of many hybrid species. This certainly has inspired me to want to try my hand at hybridization. For the newcomer to the hobby, there is information re soil, light, temperature etc. for all the described plants plus a section on identification. I don't know if there are any errors in taxonomy or description. I'll leave that up to more knowledgeable collectors than myself.
Book Description
Whether you're conducting business, traveling for pleasure, or even relocating abroad, one mistake with customs or etiquette can leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth. International travelers, now more than ever, are not just individuals from the United States, but ambassadors and impression makers for the country as a whole. Newly updated, redesigned, and resized for maximum shelf appeal for travelers of all ages, Culture Shock! country and city guides make up the most complete reference series for customs and etiquette you can find. These are not just travel guides; these are guides for a way of life.
Customer Reviews:
Did not recieve the book.......2007-01-12
I have not recieved the book at all
regards
Bhaskar Poojary
Outdated info, more interesting from historical perspective.......2006-12-30
First off, it's difficult writing any book that generalizes about a country and culture so hats off to the author for trying. The info is probably more relevant to someone going to Western Australia 5-10yrs ago. I moved from Vancouver, Canada to Sydney, Australia to live and find the info mostly outdated. Some of the cultural conflicts such as misunderstanding what it means to be invited for tea are more applicable to the older generation. Sydney is a fast paced city of 4million. The younger generation, under 40, are very similar to people in Canada/US/UK. If you're coming from a Western english speaking nation, I don't believe this book is going to be your assimilation bible. If you're coming from a non-Western culture, I think you'll be better off reading Australian newspapers and watching Hollywood movies. You'll get along fine in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane - never been to Westcoast but I assume Perth or any other modern Australian city will be the same.
A Guide To The People And Culture Of Australia.......2006-09-08
"Culture Shock! Australia: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette" by Ilsa Sharp is a guidebook to living in Australia. This book is not a travel guide, but rather a guide to the people and culture of the country. The main audience for this would be someone who intends to spend a lot of time in Australia, but it can also help business travelers, and even tourists.
I know someone who just moved to Australia from Asia, and from what I have been able to determine, this guide appears to be fairly accurate. I am looking forward to my visit there, which should also give me a better idea on just how accurate it is. Be sure to get the latest edition, as it was updated in 2005 and it is clear from my reading that there were substantial updates.
The author, Ilsa Sharp, migrated to Western Australia, and that personal experience clearly was a big asset to her in putting this book together. I did sense a bit of a bias towards Western Australia in her examples. To be fair, I was more interested in Eastern Australia, and so the bias may have been in my reading as well. In either case, she certainly does try to cover most of the country, and if I were to pick the one area where there was the least amount of information it would be Tasmania.
The book is broken down into 10 sections. These include a quick introduction, followed by basic information. Next is a discussion of the people, the society, and moving there. It then gets to some more specific areas such as food, entertainment, slang, and business. It then finishes with an A to Z section covering many basic facts about the country, some key figures both historical and modern, and it even has a short culture quiz.
As someone from the United States, this book is probably not as useful to me as it would be to someone coming from a much different culture. Not to say that Australia is just like the United States, but clearly the two are much closer than people from other countries from Asia and the Middle East. Even so, I think the book was fairly useful in understanding some of the societal differences between the two countries. This is one book that is easy to recommend.
Interesting info, but painful writing style.......2004-09-26
This book does contain some interesting information on Australian culture, and on what makes Aussies tick. But I found the writing style to be particularly annoying; even painful. The Australia book available within the "Culture Smart" series, while offering less detail than this book, is far easier on the eyes and mind.
Enjoyable but dated.......2004-01-05
An American friend, five years in Australia, lent me her 1999 version of this book. I've been here two years, from England, so I found it interesting. I agree that it has been inconsistently updated, and the Australia of 1991 seems to have been different in many ways to the Australia of 2004. Also, life in Perth must be different to that in Brisbane, where I live, 2,700 miles away. For a start, they play Australian football (and soccer) whereas Rugby League is the main game here.
It would be highly surprising if the author's views/perceptions and mine tallied 100%, but in fact they do quite a lot. I was interested, for example, in her correct perception of sport being a good conversation topic, not least at dinner parties. Coming from a somewhat bourgeois part of the south of England, I found that a most refreshing change.
One problem the book has is that it sets out to be amusing (successfully) and serious: on tax for example. For the serious side, some of the drier books on living and working in Australia, or emigrating here, are better.
Finally, I found myself liking the author and her style. She comes across as pleasant and with a light touch.
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Culture Shock New Zealand (Culture Shock!)
Manufacturer: Kuperard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Slipping into Paradise: Why I Live in New Zealand
ASIN: 1857333616 |
Book Description
With over 1.5 million copies sold worldwide, the Culture Shock! brand name is recognized as the leading reference source for international customs and etiquette.
Notable features of the entire Culture Shock! line of titles: * A comprehensive source of detailed information about more than seventy travel destinations * Written by individuals, often ex-pats, who have lived in each country and experienced life there * Full of anecdotal information that is insightful and useful to know before you leave home
CULTURE SHOCK! COUNTRY guides: * Provide full explanations of social and business customs * Use practical examples and personal stories * Include a helpful Appendix of Dos and Don'ts * Provide a cultural quiz to test your understanding * Include a calendar of festivals and holidays
Customer Reviews:
This book is a great preparation.......2005-10-08
I really loved this book because it prepared me for everything. The only thing that would have made it 5 stars is if it was a longer book. It hits every topic I could think of.
good for setting the tone..........2005-10-07
this book is maybe more indepth than most travelers will need for a brief stay like mine will be - 2 weeks- but for someone looking to stay longer or to move there this is a terrific resource. I'm hoping to get off of the beaten path in my time there so I am paying close attention to this book. Right now I can't wait to get there. I hope I can remember my manners!
Useful guide for new arrivals.......2005-05-09
We run an international recruitment company assisting migrants from the UK to settle in New Zealand and have been looking for suitable book(s) to give them as preparation for what to expect on arrival. We ourselves have lived in several different countries and my husband is a migrant to NZ so we knew what we were looking for in this regard. I was really disappointed to find that many books which were last 'updated' or 'revised' in 2003 or 2004 have actually only had minimal revisions and are quite out of date on most aspects including referring to legislation or government departments that changed in 2000-2001. Not so with this one - all information is up to date as at 2004, and I only noticed 3 minor factual errors or omissions in the whole book.
Peter has written a good general introduction to life in NZ and shares from his own experiences as a migrant. The book highlights aspects of NZ lifestyle that immigrants from a variety of backgrounds could find new or unusual and he provides a fairly good list of information websites at the back of the book for people who are willing to do their own legwork to find out more. I was pleased to find that Culture Shock has added a New Zealand title to their list as I have found their books useful for other countries, and as a New Zealander I would have to agree with the information that Peter is presenting. It will be interesting to see how our new migrants find it! The only wish I would have is that it could cover even more ground, but of course authors have to set limits somewhere, and there is that handy list of websites to refer to...
Book Description
Comphrehensive biography of U. S. Sen. R. F. Pettigrew of South Dakota. Pettigrew lived from 1848 to 1926. Born in Ludlow, VT, and raised in Evansville, WI, he came to Dakota Territory in 1869 as a young man. He poured his immense energies and talents into the economic and political affairs of Dakota. He was a surveyor, lawyer legislator, railroad promoter, entrepreneur and town builder.
Pettigrew was a leader in the movement to create the state of South Dakota. He served in the U. S. Senate from 1889 to 1901. In a move that shocked America, he abandoned the Republican party in 1896 in favor of Populism, and thereafter became one of the most influential and controversial members of Congress, leading the fight in favor of "free silver." Pettigrew also fought against imperialism and opposed the war in the Philippines. He was one of a handful of lawmakers who created the National Forest system.
This book explores every aspect of his life beginning with his experiences on the wild Dakota frontier, to his legendary political battles in Washington, D. C.
Customer Reviews:
Relive the Gilded Age.......2004-05-31
In the history of South Dakota, Pettigrew was one of its greatest sons. He came of age in the aftermath of the Civil War. In his lifetime, the US filled the frontier and became the world's greatest industrial power. He played his part in this rise. Here Fanebust shows us a richly detailed and well researched biography of Pettigrew's trajectory.
The Gilded Age comes alive in these pages, as Fanebust describes how Pettigrew rose to be the boss of the South Dakota Republicans, and the internecine jockeying for power within that group and at the national party level. The Free Silver movement and its intermeshing with the Populists throughout the Prairie states is given full exposition. Then, later, we see Pettigrew's passionate and astute support of the Spanish-American War.
Strange though it may now seem to some of us, Pettigrew is shown as a prominent Republican with a strong strain of socialism; often railing against banks and plutocracy. It reflects the resentment often felt by farmers against the banks and the railroads. Pettigrew was also a promiment religious sceptic; certainly not a Christian. Another contrast with nowadays, where often the Republican party has become riddled with evangilical Christians.
Customer Reviews:
it was good until...........2005-11-01
the end, when he got a little too enthusiastic about ratting out his old pals. at least the other rats didn't feel so good about it. i guess its cuz they beat him up so bad, (undeservedly, in my opinion); but he still just seemed a little too into the "revenge by law" process that it turned my stomach to read the end of the book, from about the point of "bagging my first boss" onward. it was nauseating. but a decent easy read otherwise
More of a SPIDER than a Mobster!!.......2005-09-01
This book is good, it does give details of rackets and all the moves that the guys in south florida were making, But if you read this book really well, you notice that Joe dogs was more of their Bitch then a guy they were willing to make a MADE MAN. By reading this book I can that they had no real respect for him, and only dealed with him because he lived down there and it made it easy for them to their business that way, during the hole book the mobsters were always flying back and forth to and from New York. Even the Family advisor did'nt like hime (joe N Gallo) and had him beat down(this is not good). The way Tom Argo talked and treated hime told me that, to them he was just a clown they were using to make a buck and would never make a MADE MAN.
Good book but more like spider from goodfellas!!
then donny brasco
fuhgedaboudit.......2002-11-06
Although you have to wonder just how much of this story was inflated by Joe Dogs, it still made for a great read. Joe makes no attempts to cover up the fact that he isn't a very good person but just tells his story like it is (with a few possible embellishments) in a way that can only pass for Joe Dogs' style. I have his "Mafia Cookbook" which includes some stories from his life as well.
companion for donnie brasco.......2000-06-17
this book is one of the funniest i've read since donnie brasco,not for the fan of shoot em up chop em up mob book.but funny the way joe dogs talks about "empty suits" when refering to FBI agents. The same incompetence donnie brasco found in his undercover work in the bonanno famiglia.good reading,couldn't put it down.
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