[.uk] A Field Guide to Tropical Plants of Asia (ISBN 088192542X)

Book Description:
An indispensable companion for the traveler, backpacker, plant hobbyist, or learning botanist interested in tropical plants, whether studying them in Indonesian rain forests or the glass houses of an American botanical garden.

Full-color photographs on every page of high-quality paper:
The collaborative effort of American landscape architect David H. Engel and naturalist Suchart Phummai, A Field Guide To Tropical Plants Of Asia is a gorgeously illustrated guide featuring full-color photographs on every page of high-quality paper. Basic identification information for some 300 species of trees, shrubs, vines, groundcovers and more, easily looked up by flower, leaf, or fruit, fill this 280 page, first-rate reference for professional landscapers and horticulturalists, and which is a simple joy and splendor to simply to page through for the non-specialist garden and gardening enthusiast.

Quick check:
Among the good points of this book are that it is well printed, with a sturdy cover (for a paperback). It is very accessible with a good size of pictures, and some of these pictures are very good. The idea is that if one sees a brightly flowering roadside woody plant one whips out this guide, looks under the appropriate flower color and will find the popular ornamental it belongs to. This goes with a brief description of habit and a list of names (for several countries in Asia). In the back of the book one can find a brief entry with some further detail such as where the plant came from. The botanical names appear to be remarkably free from typos (although not quite). The bad points are that among the pictures more than a few are a little overexposed (too much sun!). The selection of species illustrates quite clearly that tropical ornamentals (in Asia and elswhere) have become a universal and standard mix that ubiquitously accompanies Man wherever he goes. For those who are in need of a guide (as described above) this will be a great, perhaps even invaluable resource. Good value for money! For those expecting to learn something of the tropical plants of Asia this will be a letdown, and not really worth taking up shelf space.