Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2000 21:57:52 +0000 From: Paul Temple <paultemple@ecologycal.demon.co.uk> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3301$foo@default> Subject: New CP book
There's a new CP book out. Not sure how to obtain it as I haven't found
it listed yet with any searches of the web.
The author is Jean-Jacques Labat and the book details are:
Title: Plantes Carnivores
Author: Jean-Jacques Labat
ISBN: 2 84138-134-X
Price: 98 French Francs (14.94 Euros)
Language: French
Publisher: Eugen Ulmer, Paris, France
I've got a copy and my opinion is that it's great.
Regular readers of this conference will already know that some of our
English-as-mother-tongue brethrin (i.e. those who's first language is
English) are language challenged, i.e. they have a phobia about anything
that isn't written or spoken in English. That's a shame because as I've
said here before, Jean-Jacques is one of the best CP growers I've had
the pleasure to know. But JJ speaks only French, so his book is written
in French. It's a great little book. It's a handbook format (so about
A5 sized) and nearly 100 pages long. It's handbook style so apart from
about 5%, the rest is a guide to growing CP. Everything's covered
including soils, humidity, light, pests, etc. It really is very
comprehensive for such a small book. I guess it will mainly appeal to
beginners to use as a guide, but those same beginners will find it
useful to know in advance the sort of plants they should consider
suitable when more experienced or expert. The plants mentioned are
refreshing; 50% of the book focuses on specific plants. For just one
example, who else (not me!) has ever recommended Brocchinia as a
beginner's plant! But it is! I grow it and it really doesn't need a
lot of care, just light. And JJ makes a trademark of superb photos.
His other published work is of coffee-table standard with outstanding
full page photographs. In this handbook, those would be unsuitable. So
instead there are small or even tiny photos - one measures only 1cm x
2cm (that's about 1/2 inch x 1 inch for our decimally challenged
brethrin) that are of excellent quality and photographed to be clear and
simple with nothing to distract. And where the occassional photo is
large, it's dramatic, such as a quarter page photo of a single
tricularia flower!
There are a few plant names that are not 100% scientifically accurate
but no CP'er will misunderstand them or mistake which plant is
identified by the name. Basically if we all called all the Pinguicula
moranensis plants (e.g. alba, caudata, mexicana, etc.) by their correct
name, which is literally just Pinguicula moranensis, then about 30 (or
more) plants we all know and love would suddenly not exist. So I'll
leave such naming arguments alone and say that to disagree with the
names used would be to criticise unnecessarily in a book that is for CP
hobbyists, not for botanists.
It's a lovely little book which I'm very pleased to own. And if I'm
being very very honest, and for those of you who know I once wrote one
too (now out of print!), JJ's is an improvement!
If you speak French, get it. If not, learn French!!
On y va
A bientot.
Paul
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