12.12.2009

Dirty Book Club, Pt. 2


Title: The Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents: The definitive practical guide to cultivation, propagation, and display
Author: Terry Hewitt
Published: 1993, Dorling Kindersley Limited

Format: Lightly laminated and GODDAMN GIANT, this book does not mess around when it comes to cactus know-how. The cacti and succulents that the book covers (there are approximately 1000 A.S.* of said specimens) are not organized into little tidbits of repetitive categorical rhetoric; instead they are each discussed in their own paragraph. Informational organization is sacrificed for just a few precious nuggets of highly specific advice, and in addition to the plant profiles, there are many chapters dedicated to the history and biology of cacti and succulents.

Pictures: THEY RULE. If there are any categorical errors in this book, then 1) whatev because Terry Hewitt knows a lot more about this stuff than do I, and 2) I don’t care because even if they’re wrong, the pictures still FUCKING RULE.

Nominal organization: Like I said… randomly arranged. It is alphabetical by Latin name, thank Jesus.

Plant background info: Sweet! There’s random inclusion about the history and geographical origin of any particular plant. The radical part is the segment titled “Anatomy and Discovery,” which spans pages 10-25.

Plant care info: Like I SAID.

Display/decoration info: Just right.

OVERALL GRADE: A

Notes: Could be better organized and give more information on each plant ; pictures are spectacular and format has great appeal. Get it! It will be an awesome book to peruse in many, many situations.


*AS.; ass-loads.

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