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 Big L
How weird
Registered: 02/11/09
Posts: 2,251
Loc: Luxury
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 Re: Book Review: Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary  [Re: karode13]
#12728323 - 06/11/10 07:14 PM (1 year, 11 months ago) |
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I think it is a very nice touch.
Next book I will use it. Which, by the way, will Savage Garden.
I know you can't wait
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Fingerbang, bang, bang.
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Methadone
Opiate
Registered: 05/23/09
Posts: 695
Loc: El Sur
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Re: Book Review: Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary [Re: Big L]
#12728774 - 06/11/10 09:00 PM (1 year, 11 months ago) |
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I'm liking the thread for sure, back when I first signed up I pitched the idea of a book review thread to Amberica and then Dr.Uare, Amberica said do it, Dr.uare said it was a terrible idea.
I'm glad someone finally started one up. I'd love to contribute to this, but I've got 2 funerals to attend this week, Eventually id love to post up a review of Teratopia and/or some others.
Lovin' the thread, keep 'er goin 
-M
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Big L
How weird
Registered: 02/11/09
Posts: 2,251
Loc: Luxury
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Re: Book Review: Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary [Re: Methadone]
#12728796 - 06/11/10 09:04 PM (1 year, 11 months ago) |
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That's unfortunate about the funerals.
Take your time, but I can't wait to hear about Teratopia.
Glad you like the thread and with more people, like you and Dan, contribute, this should turn into a really great thread.
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Fingerbang, bang, bang.
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Methadone
Opiate
Registered: 05/23/09
Posts: 695
Loc: El Sur
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Re: Book Review: Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary [Re: Big L]
#12728818 - 06/11/10 09:08 PM (1 year, 11 months ago) |
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I've got a small library of gardening books, however to do this justified I'd like some time to both get my thoughts right and to re-read some of these books.
I will eventually provide reviews for:
Teratopia
Teaming With Microbes
American Horticultural Association Guide to Plant Propagation
Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants
There are also many more, but those will be some of the first I review. I'd like to put in some more activity around these forums like I used to, but its been a hectic year for me, so please allow me some personal time and I'll try and get back into the swing of helping out around here!
-M
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karode13
Tāne Mahuta
Registered: 05/19/05
Posts: 6,206
Loc: The Evil Empire 
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Re: Book Review: Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary [Re: Methadone]
#12728861 - 06/11/10 09:20 PM (1 year, 11 months ago) |
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Your input around here is missed Methadone but we understand what life can be like. Hope life smiles kindly on you and look forward to seeing you around more. 
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Methadone
Opiate
Registered: 05/23/09
Posts: 695
Loc: El Sur
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Re: Book Review: Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary [Re: karode13]
#12728959 - 06/11/10 09:41 PM (1 year, 11 months ago) |
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Thanks Karode, I'll get back into this forum eventually and discussing the plants I love, I just need some time.
It's good to know you guys value my limited amount of input lol.
See you all soon.
-m
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Methadone
Opiate
Registered: 05/23/09
Posts: 695
Loc: El Sur
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Re: Book Review: Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary [Re: Methadone]
#12749159 - 06/15/10 07:15 PM (1 year, 11 months ago) |
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American Horticultural Society: Plant Propagation (Alan Toogood)
Glossary sections:
Introduction
Garden Trees
Shrubs and Climbing Plants
Perennials
Annuals and Biennials
Cacti and Other Succulents
Bulbuous Plants
Vegetables
320 pages
Review: Excellent book. A-Z lists of most plants you can think of. The book is very organized and VERY comprehensive in most categories ranging from how to properly chip bulbs to air layers to cuttings to seed germination and every little technique in between.
The book also has an A-Z of 'common' garden species with a more personal description of propagating a particular plant. Regarding cacti the book has some good sections of seed starting, cuttings, flat grafts, side grafts, wedge grafts, and even a subsection of Pereskiopsis grafting. I also like that the book is full of pictures and on very high quality gloss paper.. mmmm gloss..
There are a few minor (perhaps insignificant) flaws to the book. First off, it's important to point out that some plants (even legal ones) with psychoactive attributes have been excluded from the book. Namely, Brugmansia and Datura. There is not a single entry for either plant in the entire book, and it absolutely has to be intentional. It really bothers me in how far they went to exclude and bury information for these two, especially considering the people who will be buying THIS book of all others (which is sold right next to much more 'liberal' books) in general probably have no interest in consumption (myself included, in this case).
Second, there are no entries for carnivorous plants, but I suppose a more specialized book is in order for the carnivores anyways. Interesting to note that some aquatic plants ARE covered, but no Drosera, Sarracenia, etc.
In Summary: Despite the obvious and pointless prejudice and censorship of Datura/Brugmansia, AND the inclusion of the Lycopersicon and Solanus genera (which contain the same tropane alkaloids), and the lack of carnivorous plants, the info this book *does* contain is ... Superb. Nowhere else have I found so many different propagation techniques organized so well into a single book. At the $20 price range, I'd suggest it even to seasoned growers just to broaden your knowledge. This thing makes an excellent reference as well. Full of pictures, glossary of tools and techniques, it is a very quality book.
I almost want to give it five, but considering I really dislike the censorship here. If that doesent bother you, consider this book a perfect score.
 
-M
edit: apparently other AHS books do contain the Brugmansia/Datura genus. More specifically, the AHS A-Z Encyclopedia DOES have information on these plants. In light of that, perhaps their exclusion from this book was not on purpose.
Edited by Methadone (06/19/10 09:56 AM)
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 Cactusdan
Patecatl
Registered: 10/11/07
Posts: 6,955
Loc: Georgia/Florida
Last seen: 5 days, 7 hours
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Re: Book Review: Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary [Re: Methadone]
#12749316 - 06/15/10 07:47 PM (1 year, 11 months ago) |
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Excellent review Meth!
Keep 'em coming guys!
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Methadone
Opiate
Registered: 05/23/09
Posts: 695
Loc: El Sur
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Re: Book Review: Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary [Re: Cactusdan]
#12749453 - 06/15/10 08:14 PM (1 year, 11 months ago) |
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Cactus The Most Beautiful Varities and how to Keep Them Healthy (Elisabeth Manke)
Index:
'A word in advance' (about cacti)
'What Are Cacti?'
'Where do Cacti Come From?'
'How do Cacti Grow?'
'Cacti in the Home'
'The Right Spot'
'Caring for your Cacti'
'Propagating Cacti'
'Cacti Get Sick'
'Cacti in Winter'
'Through the Year'
'A Selection of Beautiful Cacti - Acanthocalycium - Uebelmannia'
156 pages
Review: When I first got T. pachanoi cuttings I wanted to supplement what I had learned here with a well rounded book I could hold in my hands. I found this book. While this book did get me through with basic cultivation, care, and pest identification, as I learned more, I also learned of its many downfalls.
First, the good. The book did help me as a beginner to understand things like proper location, watering frequencies, rooting, soil composition, and disease control. It also gives a basic rundown of sterile procedures for taking cuttings, but in the end it all boils down to rather general info. The book does cover grafting (even of seedlings) but makes no mention of using Pereskiopsis or Hylocereus which are generally accepted as some of the best stocks to use. The best part of the entire book is a 1 page (front and back) 'Glossary' of cacti terms/anatomy. It really helped me learn some of the terms and decipher what I was reading elsewhere.
Now the bad. The species by species section is generally garbage. The cultivation info is very vague and just a bit better then worthless. Also, many of the photos are of either misidentified plants or very poor representations of the particular species. The Trichocereus genus is included (morphed into Echinopsis) but none of our favorite species are included there. There is an entry for Lophophora which states two things which seem a bit strange to me, first it states that the only known species is williamsi, bad info. Second it reads 'the plant must be kepy dry and cool at 30 F'. Seems... off to me lol. The author also states that 'mescalin is not produced indoors'.
Summary: Good pictures, a nice 1 page glossary term, but vague and very dated info. Would only be useful to an absolute beginner and if that is the case there are cheaper and higher quality options available, for example, "Cacti and Succulents 101 Essential Tips", which is also a book 1/10 the size of this one.
One for pictures and some feasible information, and for the small glossary of terms. Also some neat garden pictures inside, is also a very cheap book. Outdated.
-M
Edited by Methadone (06/15/10 08:15 PM)
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Big L
How weird
Registered: 02/11/09
Posts: 2,251
Loc: Luxury
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Re: Book Review: Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary [Re: Big L]
#12759388 - 06/17/10 05:14 PM (1 year, 11 months ago) |
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Created table of contents for current book reviews, and stole dans review system for first book.
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Fingerbang, bang, bang.
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Methadone
Opiate
Registered: 05/23/09
Posts: 695
Loc: El Sur
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Re: Book Review: Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary [Re: Big L]
#12760526 - 06/17/10 08:21 PM (1 year, 11 months ago) |
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Teratopia "The World of Cristate and Variegated Succulents"
Sections:
Fasciation
Variegation
Chimeras
Monstrosities
How it all begins
Naming
Cultivation
The Appeal of Teratophytes
Epilogue
285 pages
Review: Teratopia is a book covering the most amazing and unexplained phenomenon in the succulent kingdom, cristate plants, variegated plants, monstrose plants, chimeras, and any other form of abnormal growth in between. The book starts out by detailing all of the different types of 'mutant' cacti and the author speculates as to some of the reasons people are fascinated by them. He calls these plants modern day 'monsters' just as people in earlier times would hold collections of vampire hunting tools, two headed calfs, or any other monstrosity that draws attention and sparks imagination.
As the book progresses he begins to speak of the differences between the plants and their normal forms, as well as illustrating some of the known reasons they can become abnormal. The author is very careful to note however that, in general, mutant cacti are still a mystery. The author even goes so far in later sections as to explain how to go about encouraging some mutations to occur in a controlled environment, using proven techniques to encourage the cells from two different plants to combine via grafting. He also identifies a few specimens that are known to carry their mutant genetics through their seeds, sometimes reliably, sometimes less frequently.
The book overall is very very strong, in the pictures department it excels and offers up some photos that can literally make you stop to look for several minutes. The information provided therein is also invaluable and seemingly unobtainable elsewhere. Perhaps if there were another book like this I could criticize more, or perhaps draw up a less biased conclusion to the review if I had something to compare it with, but until that day comes, I give this book a perfect score.
A definite must have for anyone who loves the abnormalities of the succulent world.
-M
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Big L
How weird
Registered: 02/11/09
Posts: 2,251
Loc: Luxury
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Re: Book Review: Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary [Re: Methadone]
#12760676 - 06/17/10 08:49 PM (1 year, 11 months ago) |
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Excellent selection and write up.
Thanks for contributing.
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Fingerbang, bang, bang.
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karode13
Tāne Mahuta
Registered: 05/19/05
Posts: 6,206
Loc: The Evil Empire
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Re: Book Review: Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary [Re: Methadone]
#12760689 - 06/17/10 08:51 PM (1 year, 11 months ago) |
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Good review, our first 5/5 loph score!
I've heard so many good things about this book. Hopefully one in the near future I get to read it and digest the information.
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Cactusdan
Patecatl
Registered: 10/11/07
Posts: 6,955
Loc: Georgia/Florida
Last seen: 5 days, 7 hours
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Re: Book Review: Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary [Re: karode13]
#12760746 - 06/17/10 09:02 PM (1 year, 11 months ago) |
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Added to the Useful Links sticky.
Good write up Meth 
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Methadone
Opiate
Registered: 05/23/09
Posts: 695
Loc: El Sur
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Re: Book Review: Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary [Re: Cactusdan]
#12760775 - 06/17/10 09:07 PM (1 year, 11 months ago) |
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Thanks guys, I've got 3 more reviews I'll write soon as well, I'm glad to see this is generating some interest.
-M
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GREENOKIE
Pharmacognosy Buff
Registered: 04/15/10
Posts: 125
Last seen: 2 days, 11 hours
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Re: Book Review: Cacti: The Illustrated Dictionary [Re: Methadone]
#12768259 - 06/19/10 08:22 AM (1 year, 11 months ago) |
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Can't wait for the review of The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants. I just ordered it yesterday.
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