[.uk] Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents (ISBN 0789416573)

Book Description:
The Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents features the history, cultivation, and imaginative use of more than 300 plants -- in step-by-step color stages. This is a feast of in-depth information and eye-catching photography. DK's new line of paperback titles combines all the qualities of its hardcovers with the advantages of the soft cover format. Each of these already popular books will now be available to a large new readership who will delight in the essential elements of every DK title: clarity, educational value, and visual appeal.

Not Complete but still Very Good:
The book is very well produced and the photography is very good. The author is well known and respected in Cacti circles and the book reflects his knowledge and status. The first section relates to the history and discovery of cacti and shows some amazing photographs of cacti in their habitat. It goes on to show how best to display your cacti in suitable containers and then a chapter on the differing shapes of the plants and their flowers The plant catalogue itself does not show too many of the different genera, but the popular ones are there and what it does do is show photographs of a number of species within a certain genera and this appeals to me. Too many books try to over-reach themselves and try to cram in as many genera as possible, showing a photograph of one species and very short descriptions of one or two other species. In this book the descriptions of each plant give the average height, flower colour etc. and also the min. temp. each plant will stand. The book shares space equally between true cacti and succulents and they are presented separately which makes the book layout clean and easily readable. At the end of the book are several pages on plant selection in sections, i.e. Plants for beginners; Plants for the Greenhouse; Free Flowering plants etc. This is another plus. One criticism I have is that many of the plants are photographed from directly overhead, this may be aesthetically pleasing, but does not give a true reflection of the size and shape of the plant and is not really my cup of tea. But this is a small moan about what is otherwise an excellent book. At this price the book is a good buy and there is something for everyone interested in the care of these unusual plants. I am happy to have this book in my collection.

Not the "Complete" Book without Yuccas!:
This is a georgeous book, but it doesn't mention Yuccas at all! There is very little on Agavaceae in general. The outstanding photography makes it somewhat worthwhile. All of the plants are photographed on white seamless, so they really pop off the page.

GREAT ADDITION TO MY LIBRARY:
I've been collecting these wonderful plants for a number of years now and am constantly adding not only plants to my collection, but books. I am glad I added this one! No one book can completely cover every aspect of cacti lore and this one certainly does not, But, this work, added with several others, help to round my research library out. Each new addition, i.e. books, helps and this was certainly a good addition. The text is well done as the author is abviously very knowledgeable and I did like the photographs. I did agree with another reviewer in that the shots from the top of the plant, looking down are indeed pleasing to the eye, but they fail, in some cases, to give a true picture of the plant. I photograph plants and find it is helpful to get side views of different subjects. That is not big deal though. This is a helpful book and I do recommend it highly.

care for your cacti/succulents with a base of knowledge:
I've read this book from cover to cover a number of times, always exposing more useful information. Particularly of interest are the many excellent photographs, which help us longtime cactus fans who've bought various cacti through the years without knowing what we've bought, or purchasing packets of mixed seeds, stand a chance of identifying these plants. Even in the photos that suggest planting possibilities, the plants are identified. Perhaps the most useful suggestion is the purchase of an inexpensive moisture meter (I picked one up at a ubiquitous discount chain for less than $5 that is a marvel of invention), which showed me that my watering habits needed rethinking. The book is printed on heavy stock, loaded with luscious photographs and details concerning the needs of any particular group of cacti/succulents - yes, there are omissions - the book covers; also there are planting tips, information on growing medium, fertilizing, etc.. Overall, this is a very worthwhile and valuable book for the cactii/succulent enthusiast.

Good book:
Good book for suculent lovers. Doesn't show every type but shows families. Great instructions for replanting and other care.