Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Working in his garden one day, Michael Pollan hit pay dirt in the form of an idea: do plants, he wondered, use humans as much as we use them? While the question is not entirely original, the way Pollan examines this complex coevolution by looking at the natural world from the perspective of plants is unique. The result is a fascinating and engaging look at the true nature of domestication.
In making his point, Pollan focuses on the relationship between humans and four specific plants: apples, tulips, marijuana, and potatoes. He uses the history of John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) to illustrate how both the apple's sweetness and its role in the production of alcoholic cider made it appealing to settlers moving west, thus greatly expanding the plant's range. He also explains how human manipulation of the plant has weakened it, so that "modern apples require more pesticide than any other food crop." The tulipomania of 17th-century Holland is a backdrop for his examination of the role the tulip's beauty played in wildly influencing human behavior to both the benefit and detriment of the plant (the markings that made the tulip so attractive to the Dutch were actually caused by a virus). His excellent discussion of the potato combines a history of the plant with a prime example of how biotechnology is changing our relationship to nature. As part of his research, Pollan visited the Monsanto company headquarters and planted some of their NewLeaf brand potatoes in his garden--seeds that had been genetically engineered to produce their own insecticide. Though they worked as advertised, he made some startling discoveries, primarily that the NewLeaf plants themselves are registered as a pesticide by the EPA and that federal law prohibits anyone from reaping more than one crop per seed packet. And in a interesting aside, he explains how a global desire for consistently perfect French fries contributes to both damaging monoculture and the genetic engineering necessary to support it.
Pollan has read widely on the subject and elegantly combines literary, historical, philosophical, and scientific references with engaging anecdotes, giving readers much to ponder while weeding their gardens. --Shawn Carkonen
Book Description
Every schoolchild learns about the mutually beneficial dance of honeybees and flowers: The bee collects nectar and pollen to make honey and, in the process, spreads the flowers’ genes far and wide. In
The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan ingeniously demonstrates how people and domesticated plants have formed a similarly reciprocal relationship. He masterfully links four fundamental human desires—sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control—with the plants that satisfy them: the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. In telling the stories of four familiar species, Pollan illustrates how the plants have evolved to satisfy humankind’s most basic yearnings. And just as we’ve benefited from these plants, we have also done well by them. So who is really domesticating whom?
Customer Reviews:
A Fascinating Read.......2007-10-07
The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan challenges the notion that mankind can control the natural world, subjugating plants to the will of the gardener. Through a discussion of four plants closely associated with human cultivation: apple, tulip, marijuana, and potato, Pollan demonstrates that organisms which possess traits desirable to the gardener have been able manipulate humans to cultivate them. Each plant has a different strategy for assuring that humans will continue to include it in their gardens. The apple, for example, is an extremely diverse species whose seeds contain millions of possible variations of both the fruit produced and the tree itself. Whether one is looking to make hard cider or munch on a crisp green fruit, the apple tree has the genetic code to produce the fruit humans look for.
In The Botany of Desire, Pollan focuses on the four plants mentioned above, placing each plant in a category, and explains how plants within that category possess characteristics which make them desirable to humans. The apple and other fruits appeal to our sense of taste, and, if fermented, our desire for inebriation. The tulip appeals to mankind's sense of beauty; marijuana, our desire to achieve an altered state of mind; the potato our need for nourishment and desire to genetically engineer crops. In short, each of these plants is successful in an evolutionary sense because it causes us to cultivate it.
Although Pollan's book is an intriguing read, I found it unsettling that he often rattles off facts and figures without citing a direct source, such as the assertion on page 219: "a potato farmer in Idaho spends roughly $1,950 an acre (mainly on chemicals, electricity and water)." Pollan does include a few pages of sources in the back of his book, but he could make a stronger argument that would stand up to academic scrutiny with the addition of endnotes.
In addition to a vast amount of research and traveling prior to writing this book, Pollan makes The Botany of Desire a quality literary work by using recurring themes to tie the four parts of the book together. Through returning to his garden at many points over the course of the book, Pollan is able to tie all four of his subjects into a common space. Approaching the reader as a fellow gardener gives him or her a sense of connection to Pollan and his garden. By the end of the book, I felt as though I knew Michael Pollan and his garden intimately. Another example of this continuity is Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry. Dionysus appears in both chapters one and three, were Pollan relates him to cider, Johnny Appleseed, and mind-altering substances.
Overall, Pollan's clear style and journalistic narrative flows easily and keeps the reader entertained throughout the book. He makes effective use of descriptive details and personal experiences to relate to the reader as he argues his theme of plants manipulating humans to include them in their gardens. The Botany of Desire is a must read for anyone interested in how plants we encounter on a daily basis cause us to cultivate them around the globe.
Too much information.......2007-09-16
Started out liking the chapter on Apples, less the next and so on. It seemed like I was getting the same story in each chapter only more elaborate and wordy.
Just buy this book........................2007-09-05
I am not a botanist.Yet. But the study of evolution is quite an exciting journey, made more exciting by the mind melting,eloquent ideas posed by Mr. Pollan. Bought the audio book version, and I can't stop listining to it. From the story of Johnyy Appleseed, to Holland in search of the history of Tulips, the Amazing Marijuana Plant, and the control of the Potato. Seemed random to me. Not any more. Incredible book.
We are the world.......2007-08-31
Pollan's book is a vivid reminder of how intricately human society is woven into the ecological framework of the planet and in particular that of plants. His descriptions of how our societies have affected and been affected by just four plants opens up a series of thought-provoking questions to mull over the next time you find yourself in a garden, at the dinner table, or taking a walk outdoors. It's written with sensitivity towards those he disagrees with, and this gentle touch makes the story he's relating much more effective at prompting you as reader to engage. The weakest part of the book is the chapter on Tulips, but that is hard to criticize since the chapters on apples, marijuana and potatoes are so good.
Read this Book!
human psychology in the garden.......2007-08-02
Human psychology from the plant's perspective? Yep. That's precisely the topic of this book. When our ancestors began breeding plants to serve our desires they inevitably laid those desires bare in the phenotypes in their gardens. Pollan is impressively aware of many current themes in evolutionary biology (e.g., the function of sexual reproduction), and admirably willing to tell a story with the patience and breadth it deserves (hence four 100-page chapters instead of the usual one hundred, A.D.D. 4-page chapters). This book is not for everyone, but if you have intellectual curiosity about why some plants have come to dominate our world, this book will give you many answers and even more tools. There's nothing better I can say about a book.
Average customer rating:
- Review for Water Treatment: Principles and Design
- Excellent
- Water Treatment: Principles and Design
- Water Treatment: Principles and Design
- a good book for Environmental Engineer
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Water Treatment: Principles and Design
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Manufacturer: Wiley
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Similar Items:
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Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse
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Water Treatment Plant Design (McGraw-Hill Handbooks)
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Water and Wastewater Calculations Manual
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Water Quality & Treatment Handbook
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Environmental Biotechnology
ASIN: 0471110183 |
Book Description
The one-stop resource for all aspects of water treatment engineering-from theory to practice
Completely revised and updated to address current practices and technologies, Water Treatment: Principles and Design, Second Edition provides unique coverage of both the principles and theory of water treatment, as well as the practical considerations of plant design and distribution.
Written by the world's leading water engineering firm, Water Treatment: Principles and Design, Second Edition presents the breadth of water treatment engineering-from the theory and principles of water chemistry and microbiology to in-depth discussions of revolutionary treatment processes to concise tips for plant and network design. Material has been extensively updated and revised in response to regulatory requirements and growing public awareness, particularly in the areas of disinfection, membrane filtration, disposal of treatment plant residuals, and basic microbiology with an emphasis on human pathogens and diseases.
Water Treatment: Principles and Design, Second Edition provides an essential textbook for students and a reliable resource for environmental and water resources engineers.
Customer Reviews:
Review for Water Treatment: Principles and Design.......2007-09-08
This is a great book... It covers all the basics and explains every concept well.
Excellent.......2007-03-06
This book covers all the theory and application in an outstanding way without getting too simple or complex. The book is coherent, very well organized, and filled with excellent tables and graphs. Great examples as well. I have nothing negative to say about this text.
Water Treatment: Principles and Design.......2007-02-20
Great condition, though not much less expensive than the bookstore.
Water Treatment: Principles and Design.......2007-01-04
Interesting and helpful, but for $100, the book is very flimsy and has many typos.
a good book for Environmental Engineer.......2000-07-11
I'm a Environmental Engineer Of wastewater treatment, and have worked only for one year. I am so eager to get the knowlege for this effect.
Average customer rating:
- The Best Technical Review of California Plants
- Good Reference and Learning Guide
- Not for the uninitiated
- Excellent, but not for beginners
- from what i've seen of this book i would like to buy one.
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The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California
Manufacturer: University of California Press
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Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary
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The Jepson Desert Manual: Vascular Plants of Southeastern California
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Grasses in California (California Natural History Guides)
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Trees and Shrubs of California (California Natural History Guides)
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Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Manual
ASIN: 0520082559 |
Book Description
First published in 1925, Willis Linn Jepson's Manual of the Flowering Plants of California has been a standard reference for teachers, students, and naturalists. Since that time, hundreds of new species have been identified and botanical investigation has become more sophisticated. Now Jepson's philosophy of making such information available to all is again realized in this new volume, which includes a wealth of material accumulated over the past decades.
With contributions from two hundred botanists across North America, this is the most comprehensive resource and identification guide to nearly eight thousand varieties of native and naturalized California plants. The means to identify plants (using key traits and illustrations) is accompanied by special information such as horticultural requirements, endangerment, toxicity, weed status, and notes on the management of sensitive species. Identification keys have been designed for ease of use, and terms have been simplified and illustrated, making the new Manual the most authoritative field guide for the expert and amateur alike.
Customer Reviews:
The Best Technical Review of California Plants.......2003-03-06
There is no easy way to identify a plant to species, but if it is in California it is far easier to use this volume than the others. Although it was written in 1925, the line drawings are for me priceless. Be advised that names change in 75 years even if plants do not, you will need a modern flora to reference the old name. HIGHLY recommended, but technical.
Good Reference and Learning Guide.......2002-04-29
This is an excellent guide. Very comprehensive, however you must have formal education in botany and plant ID in order to effectively use the guide to key plants to genus and or species. Not recommended for the average person. Just people who are plant nerds!
Not for the uninitiated.......2001-01-13
This book is an excellent botanical key listing a huge number of plants. It is not your average "audubon" guide, since it requires you to key out the plant in question using botanical systematics. Definitely a good reference book, but hard to use casually to find out what that tree is in your front yard!
Excellent, but not for beginners.......2000-07-15
This is an excellent book covering thousands of species of flowering plants of California. The book does contain a brief introduction to keying plants and a glossary of plant terms, but despite these features, I believe that the beginner would find this book difficult to use. It's size and complexity can be intimidating, and without color pictures (which aren't always accurate, but helpful for the beginner) it can be a frustrating experience for the novice.
from what i've seen of this book i would like to buy one........1998-11-11
I really haven't had a chance to read this book, but what I've seen so far it is very informative. I work for USDA FOREST SERVICE and this book is here at work. The problem is I would like to have one of my own, so I'm now in the process of looking for it at our book store in town. If they do not have it, possibly they could order it for me. If not I will travel to the next larger town to accomplish my mission. I will get this book one way or another.
Amazon.com
For the untrained observer, it can be quite a challenge to sort out the many trees that make up a stand of older forest in, say, New England or the Ozarks. This well-illustrated guidebook, covering 364 species, comes to the rescue with photographs organized in several ways: by, for example, the shape of the leaf or needle, by the fruit, by the flower or cone, and by autumn coloration. Following one visible characteristic or another, the reader can narrow the range of possibilities, then turn to an informative text that describes a tree's physical characteristics, habitat, and range. Many of the species covered are relatively rare, such as the "stinking cedar" of the Georgia-Florida border; others are locally abundant, such as the paper birch of the boreal forest, used to make ice-cream sticks; still others, such as the smooth sumac, are widespread. The guidebook also covers ornamentals introduced from other continents, such as the Chinese privet and Mahaleb cherry. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
Tree peepers everywhere will enjoy these two guides which explore the incredible environment of our country's forests-including seasonal features, habitat, range, and lore. Nearly 700 species of trees are detailed in photographs of leaf shape, bark, flowers, fruit, and fall leaves -- all can be quickly accessed making this the ideal field guide for any time of year.
Note: the Eastern Edition generally covers states east of the Rocky Mountains, while the Western Edition covers the Rocky Mountain range and all the states to the west of it.
Customer Reviews:
Great Guide that is ALMOST Perfect.......2007-08-18
I have always liked the Audubon Society Field Guides. This particular guide is great in the amount of color photos for sometimes easily identifying species in all seasons, whether from the fall leaves, bark, summer leaves, and the fruit it produces. Also the organization of the guide is very good. My cons below are NOT enough to prevent me from recommending this guide. Compared to other guides it's still the best.
CONS: The amount of information in the back is not always consistent. Also there still isn't always an easy way to differentiate some of the similar species (e.g. Oaks). In other words the pictures and/or the descriptions are not enough to distinguish like species.
helpful.......2007-07-03
Very much help for figuring out what trees we have and we have a lot. Pictures are very nice and cross reference if you aren't totally sure of what you are looking at. Very handy size too
Great Book.......2007-06-27
Every tree and every leaf that you can think of is in this book. Great clear pictures and the information is great. So glad I purchased this book for my husband. The equivalant to bird watching. Tree watching.
Information Packed.......2007-05-17
My new hobby is woodturning bowls so I bought this book to help me identify trees that supply my wood. Once I learned how to search the material, this book has been great fun and very useful. I take it with me when I walk my dog around the neighborhood to identify trees.
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region (Eastern).......2007-02-04
Product received in great condition and very useful.
Book Description
Looking for a faster, easier, and fun way to identify plants? Botany in a Day teaches you the patterns method of plant identification, so that you can discover the wonderful world of plants around you, wherever you go.
Instead of trying to identify plants one-at-a-time, Botany in a Day give you a way to learn them by the hundreds, based on the principle that related plants have similar patterns for indentification, and they often have similar uses.
The one-day tutorial included in the text teaches you seven key patterns to recognize more than 45,000 species of plants worldwide. Master these seven patterns and you will be ready to use the included reference guide--Thomas J. Elpel's Herbal Field Guide to Plant Families of North America. Here you will find the patterns for indentification and the patterns of uses for the majority of plants across the continent.
Botany in a Day is used as a guide by thousands of individuals, plus herbal schools and universities across North America.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Resource!.......2007-10-01
Botany in a Day provides an excellent overview to field botany. By learning plant characteristics by family, the reader can more quickly identify their plant by identifying the patterns each plant family presents. The book provides a page or two (or more!) on dozens of the most common families in the northern half of the US. Each plant family section contains additional information about the plant genera represented in this family. The keys to plant families allow the reader to quickly determine what section to turn to. This book is best coupled with a plant field guide to individual species that is grouped by family. You can use the Botany in a Day information to narrow your selection to the family and the field guide to identify the specific species.
I highly recommend this book to both lay and professional people who work with plants.
botany in several months.......2007-03-16
This book lays out the general approach through which a beginner can make sense of the vast amount of information he or she faces in learning botany. I found it most helpful.
Fantastic.......2006-07-19
Take a really dry subject and turn it into a book I couldn't put down!
Tom Elpel's style is right on target and his book is turning into a constant companion for my outings!
Wonderful book for intuitive understanding of the subject.......2006-04-09
In the opening chapter, this book presents a wonderful simplified story of the evolution of plants, from a single cell to modern complex flowers. Both children and adults can gain a unique, intuitive understanding of this process from this explanation. My compliments to the author. He describes each plant family with interesting anecdotes and high quality line drawings. It's the first plant book whose lack of photographs didn't matter. Great tips for identifying families and individual plants have helped me enormously. Bravo!
Teaches the patterns method of plant identification.......2004-12-09
Any interested in plant identification should consider Botany In A Day: The Patterns Method Of Plant Identification as an important guide. Thomas Elpel (Director of Hollowtop Outdoor Primitive School, Pony, Montana) deftly teaches the patterns method of plant identification, providing a method for learning about groupings of plants based on the idea that related plants have similar patterns for identification, and similar uses. Black and white line drawings accompany descriptions of different plant families and their identification processes.
Book Description
Gardening can be a political act. Creativity, fulfillment, connection, revolution--it all begins when we get our hands in the dirt. Food Not Lawns combines practical wisdom on ecological design and community-building with a fresh, green perspective on an age-old subject. Activist and urban gardener Heather Flores shares her nine-step permaculture design to help farmsteaders and city dwellers alike build fertile soil, promote biodiversity, and increase natural habitat in their own "paradise gardens." But Food Not Lawns doesn't begin and end in the seed bed. This joyful permaculture lifestyle manual inspires readers to apply the principles of the paradise garden--simplicity, resourcefulness, creativity, mindfulness, and community--to all aspects of life. Plant "guerilla gardens" in barren intersections and medians; organize community meals; start a street theater troupe or host a local art swap; free your kitchen from refrigeration and enjoy truly fresh, nourishing foods from your own plot of land; work with children to create garden play spaces. Flores cares passionately about the damaged state of our environment and the ills of our throwaway society. In Food Not Lawns, she shows us how to reclaim the earth one garden at a time.
Customer Reviews:
An inspired 40-something.......2007-09-04
Food Not Lawns speaks to my heart and has inspired me in my home gardening. I bought copies for two dear gardening friends who are in their 20's and 30's, and they are also excited by the ideas presented in the book. The author takes a holistic view of community and gardening, of working with Nature as an orchestra of forces influencing each other and working collectively together. Heather Flores encourages us to think out of the box and some might find that uncomfortable, but I still think her vision and sense of hope is so needed in our world today. Share this book with family and friends!
completely false advertising.......2007-07-05
I see that this books appears a hit with many reviewers, but I am unfortunately going to dissent. I was excited to read this book when it arrived and was subsequently dissappointed in the overall quality of the work as a whole. First and foremost, Flores leaves out a great deal of detail with regard to the actual work involved in any form of agriculture, be it animal husbandry, permaculture, or anything between. I say this not only as an avid reader, but also an environmental studies major reviewing the work for a class as well. Second, Flores' method of combining the topics of agriculture and social change is facetious at best, with no real segway from the former to the latter. In other words, this is literally two unconnected books sharing the same binding. Finally, and most disheartening of all, the work gives faulty advice at best, especially with regard to her advice on dealing with numerous aspects of gardening (traditional and permaculture), pending jail time, and conflict management strategies(with latter are potentially dangerous). I will also note that I resold this book immediately upon completion due to the above. Those interested would be better served to read The Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing, or other such related books by other reputable authors such as Joseph Jenkins, Eliot Coleman, Louise Riotte, or John and Martha Storey. In short, do not purchase this book if you are serious about either agriculture or social change.
if you are over 40 skip it... so gen X.......2007-05-25
This is a very shallow book by the new generation of writers that find fault with everything done in the twenty years before they were born,
Its very shallow, big type and very preachy.
If you are interested in gardening, try Giaas garden, a much more serious study of permiculture.
In this rambling book, the aurthor boasts of not making over 8 k a year, but inherited the money to buy her farm!
I liked camping living until I was thirty, now I am 45 and really like my freezer and new stove.( yes, I have my own three hens and belong to a CSA)
I know a number of the original flower/farm people, and as they got older they liked having a few more comforts.
So this is one of the new gen X books, shallow to a fault. Nothing but sound bites.
the aurthor sems all hyped about third world living, but I am not sure she has ever been to a third world and seen how hard that style of life is,,it is easy to glamorius the distant!!!
Not just Gardening--A guide to Activism and Environmentalism.......2007-01-23
I picked up this book to learn practical application of permacultural principles applied to urban yard scales--and there is a wealth of such information here. However, I do feel like Flores preaches just a little too much about the environmental destruction and political problems currently plaguing our country. In my view, anyone picking up a book called Food Not Lawns probably is already well-versed in such issues, and Flores is essentially preaching to the converted. That said, this book DOES have tons of practical information, and I would recommend it as an excellent counterbalance and companion book to Toby Hemenway's Gaia's Garden.
Keys to change any reader can use........2006-12-14
For activist readers who believe activism is a political pursuit, FOOD NOT LAWNS: HOW TO TURN YOUR YARD INTO A GARDEN AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD INTO A COMMUNITY offers a different viewpoint, maintaining that growing food where you live is a key method of becoming a food activist in the community. Chapters advocate planting home and community gardens with an eye to drawing important connections between the politics of a home or community garden and the wider politics of usage, consumption, and sustainability. Another rarity: chapters promote small, easy changes in lifestyles to achieve a transition between personal choice and political activism at the community level, providing keys to change any reader can use.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Book Description
If you've always wanted to garden with native plants, this book is for you. With entries for nearly 700 species of native trees, shrubs, vines, ferns, grasses, and wildflowers from the northeastern quarter of the U.S. and eastern Canada, its comprehensive horticultural coverage is unsurpassed by any other single volume. The natural ranges of many of the plants discussed extend beyond the Northeast; the information on horticultural uses applies to any garden. Each plant description includes information about cultivation and propagation, ranges, and hardiness. An appendix recommends particular plants for difficult situations, as well as attracting butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife. Illustrated throughout with color photographs.
Customer Reviews:
northeastern natives.......2007-09-16
The book is a good list of plants, shrubs and trees for the area. I find the text to be a little technical for the novice/intermediate gardener.
Wonderful Plant Guide for the Northeast.......2007-07-20
I know how to garden in Kansas, Maryland, Australia, South Texas and Florida, but now I'm learning what plants work for New England. This book is a life saver with descriptions of ferns, grasses, wildflowers, vines, shrubs and trees suited to the region.
The photos are good, full-color, but aren't always on the same page as the description. Each plant is listed with its scientific name, followed by its common names and family group. It gives the zones, soil requirements, and light needs plus a short description. There are propagation tips for each and notes for special information and an indication of the plant's natural range. It is really a pretty exhaustive book.
Some helpful lists at the end includes:
Plants that tolerate wet soil
Plants that tolerate dry soil
Plants that tolerate shade
Plants with flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds
Plants with fruits that attract birds
Plants with fruits that attract mammals
This can be used as a wildflower identification book or to select plants for special needs in your northeast garden.
Going native........2007-02-12
For anyone in the Northeastern part of the USA, this book will become a well thumbed reference. The developing of a web of life based upon the system of native flora and fauna is clearly and compellingly presented. In a world where native plants are often thought of as weeds, this book is a fresh look at what makes the Northeast its own special region.
Very helpful.......2007-02-11
This book proved to be a big help in determining native plantings for my yard. The latin names helped eliminate "look alikes" in plant catalogs. It is worth the money
Native Plants of the N.E. by Donald Leopold.......2007-01-11
I am in landscape design and wish to use native plants as much as possible. My yard has been certified by National Wildlife for years and everyone loves it. I needed to learn more about "natives" so I can incorporate them into designs. This book has been pretty helpful in this area. One problem with this is that plant width is NOT listed...only height. Also, it would be very helpful to have sections within the chapters. Trees and shrubs would be more useful if sectioned into size and evergreen or deciduous.
Average customer rating:
- Dry as Sawdust & a Paucity of Photos
- Book needs more pics; CD needs better search capabilities
- The ultimate reference work on roses
- Review of Modern Roses XI and CD-Rom
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Modern Roses XI: The World Encyclopedia of Roses
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Similar Items:
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In Search of Lost Roses
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American Rose Society Encyclopedia of Roses
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Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book
ASIN: 0121550532 |
Book Description
This work, published previously by the American Rose Society (ARS), represents a listing of all officially registered rose cultivars globally. It will supersede the previous edition,
Modern Roses X, published in 1993.
Modern Roses XI contains descriptions for more than 25,000 roses. The book features 28 color plates and includes a CD-ROM of the entire work which makes searching easy.
Key Features
* Updates the only official registry of all rose cultivars around the workd
* Describes over 25,000 roses
* Includes a comprehensive list of roses with historical and botanical importance, including all modern international rose registrations
* Features "Old Garden Roses at Sangerhausen" together with an article on this unique rose repository
* Includes unregistered roses commonly used in commerce
* Incorporates a report on classification of roses and a report on the registration process of roses
Customer Reviews:
Dry as Sawdust & a Paucity of Photos.......2006-09-01
This 638-pages work, published previously by the American Rose Society (ARS), is THE nitty-gritty dig for serious rose growers, plant science researchers; those involved with academic and industrial settings, horticultural nurseries, botanical gardens, and informed amateur enthusiasts. There are descriptions for more than 25,000 roses along with a sparsely populated (28) group of token photographs. The current edition is list priced at $130.00 and includes a CD.
Book needs more pics; CD needs better search capabilities.......2002-07-03
I bought this book and CD in the hopes of being able to identify several rose plants that my husband had rescued from the city's bulldozers. It is not designed for an amateur like me who needs pictures and drawings. I am less interested in the parentage of roses than I am in what the terms "semi-double, reverse, exhibition form, cupped" mean. Some roses did not even have the color of the bloom listed. The CD is great if you know the name of the rose you wish to search for, but cumbersome if you do not. Yes, you can search based on characteristics of a rose, but it's not easy. For example, there are no drop-down menus for options on search criteria. A search for a red rose with a "strong" fragrance yielded no results; "intense" fragrance did. When the results are shown, there is no number count on how many roses fit the criteria, and when you select one rose from the results to view, you must re-perform the search to look at another one. It's extremely frustrating. There are pictures of roses on the CD, but the search result listing does not show you which ones have pictures and which do not. Help is limited to FAQ's (with only two questions listed) and an email address. There is no online method for updating the program so there is no hope of this version becoming any better. ...
The ultimate reference work on roses.......2001-09-05
If you love roses and if you want to know about the full range of rose varieties that you may encounter at your local nursery or in mail order catalogues, this volume is essential. The expense is justified in part by the CD-ROM, which gives you the ability to search the underlying database at will. I enjoyed the pictures (although they don't match other works like Botannica) as well as the articles on famous European rose gardens. In any work of this magnitude there are bound to be errors (e.g., Meilland's Michelangelo is yellow, not pink), but the overall accuracy is very impressive. If you are only dabbling in rose growing, this encyclopedic work is probably more than you need. But if you are crazy about roses, you will be crazy about this book.
Review of Modern Roses XI and CD-Rom.......2000-05-16
This edition of Modern Roses takes a giant step up from the last one! (MR10) By including *all* roses that could be reasonably well-documented, the usefulness of this reference has increased dramatically. In addition, the inclusion of a CD-ROM with great search capabilities is FANTASTIC.
Of course... as with any book of this nature... there are still a few errors in description, etc. However, this is very minor, compared to the volume of information contained.
Indispensable reference work for serious rose lovers.
Customer Reviews:
Best Wildflower Guide I Know.......2007-08-14
Because the keys are based on number of petals, this is the easiest identification guide I have. I take it into the field along with the Peterson's guide, which has better illustrations, and cross-check my flowers.
Very Useful.......2007-06-11
In the past, I found field guides to wildflowers very frustrating. I have both A Field Guide to Wildflowers : Northeastern and North-Central North America (Peterson Field Guides)and a Golden Wildflower guide. Because the aforementioned are organized by color first, one has to painstakingly search though all of the illustrations until a probable match is found. This is time consuming, and for me, very difficult, leading to many misidentifications.
Newcomb's Wildflower guide takes a different approach. Created for the non botanist, it begins with flower shape, then leaf location, then leaf shape, until you have a 3 digit numeric key. Next by looking under this key for more detail, you are directed to the right page(s). For me this is wonderful, it takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, you find the correct illustration and description quickly without having to page though a multitude of pink or blue or white, etc. flowers.
Admittedly, this system is not for everyone. Many people may like starting with color, but for me this guide is truly useful in the field.
Great guide for beginners and advanced.......2007-05-23
Overall a great book if you are interested in wildflower identification. I wish there were more pictures. Once you learn the coding, it is easy to narrow what you are looking for. I tried identifying a a flower that I already new by using the coding and was able to go directly to it. Using it to identify others you don't know takes a little practice, but it cuts your search time way down.
A Staple for Every Fan of Plants.......2007-03-08
This book is the first to go into a field bag when headed outside. It is an invaluable resource. A great deal of drawings (mostly B/W) that aid in the identification of Northeastern wildflowers. Note: requires a moderate amount of practice and/or knowledge of plants and flowers to be truly effective.
Regional but excellent .......2006-07-18
Definitely a regional book. If you travel in N. Georgia up to New England, this is a must-have guide. The black and white line drawings do aid in identifying plants having structure and shape as the defining characteristic because light and shade of color do not come into play as they might in photos. As in birding, the preference for either photos or drawings is an individual one and, until Newcomb's landed in my library, I used photo guides for wildflowers but preferred drawn guides (like Peterson's) for birds. This is the book that changed my mind on that point.
Having said that, this is not a beginner's book. I think I would have had little use for Newcomb's 6 or 7 years ago when I started out with wildflowers. This is the only book whose key system did not leave me reaching for a photo guide out of frustration; the key works very well with this book, and helped make me a more educated plant photographer. Also, since using it, my tolerance for keys and ability to use them have both gone up markedly. I do still carry photo guides with me but, in the region covered, the photo guide is a back-up to Newcomb's and is often used for the additional text as opposed to the pictures.
Customer Reviews:
Fresh Air.......2007-09-27
This book was interesting. It was very easy to obtain the information I wanted to haelp with air problems. I enjoyed it and would recomend it.
plants with oxygen.......2007-09-06
Love the fact that this book has nice big pictures and explains
everything about the plant.
Have many plant books (from different states lived in) and this one is
very easy to read and understand and I love the pictures.
I'm growing fresh air!.......2007-07-11
Love this book. Exactly what I needed to help me decide which houseplants to buy. This book has plants for different temps, situations, needs, etc. I'm buying a copy for several of my family members. Beautiful on the coffee table too!
Why buy an airpurifier when you can buy plants!.......2007-07-03
Research based information about the value of plants in our homes. Certain plants absorb toxic gases from our carpets, furniture, and other items that can make the air in our homes as bad or worse than outdoors.
A really great book........2007-06-17
The photos are simple, beautiful, and informative. The information for each plant is really helpful, and it's nice to have a chart of which toxins come from which sources. I really enjoyed seeing the different plants and picking a good one for our house (although it was hard for me to track one down and I actually ended up buying seeds for it--I hope they'll grow!). The book is organized pretty intuitively, although navigation might take a little longer if you want to find a particular plant (since they're in order of overall rating rather than alphabetical order, you'd have to either use the index or flip for a while).
The only reason I didn't give the book five stars is that I would make an addition to each individual page with a plant on it: I'd list information about whether the plant is poisonous to humans and their pets. For people who have young children, cats, dogs, and/or other animals in the house (or the clinic, or wherever the plants will be placed), this is an important consideration.
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