Books you may like to hear about

[David Nicholson]

Just wait until I get my pension in February then you'll see the last of the big spenders

[David Shaw]

I have just added some book titles to the 'Members Booklist' page of the web site. These are books that I have just ordered in and do not appear in the Secretaries Pages list. Sorry if it looks a bit messy but what appears on the page is not in the same format as the page on which I made the entries.

[Maggi Young]

In this week's Bulb Log:  a review of "Calochortus - Mariposa lilies and their relatives" by Mary E. Gerritsen and Ron Parsons......Published by Timber Press, ISBN-13: 978-0-88192-844-0, at £20.00, $29.95.
Log is here:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2008/200208/log.html

Edit: Please see the Members' Book Shop on the main site to see this and  other titles listed. M

[David Shaw]

Maggie
You will have noticed from my last message that SRGC Publications is already offering this book at £18 to give members a 10% discount.

[Carol Shaw]

It obviously makes no sense for US & Canadian members to order the Calochortus book from the SRGC (the $ price is absurdly low!) but I do hope that UK & Europe members will do so. This is not the first time that a forumist has put up info on a book giving publisher details - or even Amazon details - when we already have the title available to members. Perhaps if you see a new and interesting title a quick e-mail to the publications manager to check if they have in stock can save this happening again?

On a completely different note it is great to be posting again!

[David Nicholson]

Is there a difference between a 'service to members' and those members making a commercial decision? The book in question is available on Abe Books at the lowest price of £9.79 plus £2.80 p/p see

 http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?an=gerritsen+and+parsons&kn=Mariposa&sortby=3&x=72&y=9

It's a competitive world out there folks.

[Carol Shaw]

Obviously all of us have the right to go and buy books where ever we chose to and cost is a consideration for most of us. All I was, and am, suggesting is that it is good to check whether the SRGC has stock of a title and mention that too. If a member then decides to surf the web to find the cheapest available copy that is their choice.

Oh and as a publisher in my 'day job' I have to say a bitterly regret the loss of the retail price book agreement whereby a book could only be sold at its cover price. It has resulted in many small publishers and independent book shops going to the wall as they can no compete with the like of Amazon and the supermarkets. The majority of Europe still has the retail price agreement with the result that they have thriving book stores. 

[Maggi Young]

Glad to see you "up and about" again, Carol. I hope you are feeling much better.

I would imagine that SRGC Members reading about any book would check to see what is available from the SRGC book store......many people... many THOUSANDS of people, reading both this Forum and Ian's Bulb Log, are, however we might regret the fact, NOT SRGC Members! The most useful info about any book includes the ISBN number, publisher and published price.... If the retail book price agreement were still in place, then that would be the ONLY price.

While I would encourage anyone enjoying this Forum on a regular basis to join the SRGC and so support the Club and secure the future of this site as a valuable resource.... it is part of the aims ofthe SRGC to disseminate information about our chosen field of plants and related matters, to as wide a public as possible .....something we seem pretty good at here, I reckon 

[Katherine J]

Hello Everybody,
I am thinking about buying Saxifrages of Europe by D. A. Webb & R. J. Gornall. I would like very much to hear your opinion about this book, and if I should buy it from amazon or from abebooks (which I haven't known until now) - for the same price and almost the same delivery rate - or maybe from the SRGC???

[Carol Shaw]

Hi Katherine

I can't comment on the book itself but note that it was published in 1991 and is now out of print. Thus it is not a title that the SRGC carries, Amazon themselves don't carry it but act as agents for folk selling 2nd hand copies. Malcolm McGregor would be the person to tell you if it is still up to date.

[Carol Shaw]

Hi Maggi

Agreed we want folk who are not SRGC members to be able to buy books too.

Thanks for the good wishes I am 'getting there' as they say... fed up of blood tests and taking pills but this too will pass.

[Katherine J]

Thanks Carol for your reply, yes, I meant buying 2nd hand copies, if it is worthwhile. I am still waiting for comments on this book.

[Maggi Young]

Kata, Hello!
 I have a copy of this book... can you read Czech? If so, then I will send it to you....I do not read Czech!!

[Katherine J]

Maggi, you are very kind, thank you, but I can't read Czeh, so I don't think I could use it.
English, German, Hungarian and Romanian is ok 

[David Shaw]

Riddle of the Tsangpo Gorges

The second edition of the marvelous book is now available and described in 'Members Booklist'.

If you wish to save on postage please contact me and I will reserve you a copy to be collected at either Perth or Aberdeen Show.

Happy reading.