2.5 I found a few helpful gems in this book, but the layout is packed with lists of hybrids for every type of orchid. These lists were not terribly helpful, and just seemed to take up space.
I've avoided reading this book for a long time, only because of the name. I can't get behind anything with "for dummies" in the title. The other issue that kept me from this book is its b&w paperback nature--only very few full-color pictures in an insert. Although it seemed pretty pointless for the author & publisher to include any b&w pictures at all (they really are just filler--you can't make out details from most of them), on the positive and useful side, not having color pictures forced the author to describe orchid colors and scents and forms in ways that most other books don't, and I really liked that. There's also good information here for the intermediate grower in terms of lists of orchids to expand your collection with. In all, a great book!
Informative look at some of the key concerns you might have when you first start growing orchids. I'm a bit disappointed that the photos didn't show up on my e-reader, though. : (
I read about half of this book or probably more, but not from beginning page by page. It's more of a reference book for specific needs. The writer is very qualified to write about orchids, but is he a compelling enough writer with the organizational skills to make this a book to recommend to very novice orchid growers like myself? Maybe. I'm a novice so it's hard for me to say. But also, as a novice, I felt it lacked some of the vital ingredients that need to be learned to keep orchids alive and healthy.
Of all the books I've read on orchids so far, this is definitely the most comprehensive one. I've never read a For Dummies book and was worried about how the writing style would end up reading, but the author of this one is well versed in the subject matter and explained himself very well. I understood everything he was saying and I loved the inclusion of pictures. I wish more were in color, but the inserts in the center fulfilled what I wanted to see. Definitely going to be buying my own copy of this one.
This book is terrible on Kobo it is overwritten on many many pages so unable to read it I have phoned Kobo about the problem and told them I wanted my money back if it could not be fixed but all I got was a credit of $5.00. which to me is not good enough either my money back or fix the problem!!!!!!!!!!!!