Harold Koopowitz has done a very nice job with his new book 'Tropical Slipper Orchids'. Koopowitz says the book is not designed to be read from cover to cover, but can be started at any point. So of course I set off to read it cover to cover. Do not skip the early pages. The comments on even simple things like sepal and petal formation are worth reading.
Beginners will find the cultural information they so avidly seek, mid level hobbyists will find history and advice to refine their own collections, and students of breeding programs will find collected information on lineages they'll find no where else. Advanced growers will find things to argue with Koopowitz about at the next Paph Guild. Judging students will hang on every word, *G*. I'm sure taxonomists will gnash teeth over the taxonomy, but hey. Don't they always? As with anything you get more out of it the more you know. To a rank amateur a lot of the stuff about breeding programs will be uninteresting. But once a person's interest has been whetted this book will stand up to scrutiny on many levels. And I haven't even gotten to the Phrags yet... Cattleyas are the heart of my collection. Koopowitz has made me reconsider paphs. Well, actually he's made me see that every paph in my collection is crap and I need to start over again. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Now, when is that tax rebate coming....? K Barrett N Calif, USA _________________________________________________________________ Helping your favorite cause is as easy as instant messaging. You IM, we give. http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/Home/?source=text_hotmail_join _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
