Bonsai From Nursery Plants
ofBonsai Magazine
[dropcap]This[/dropcap] is the first bonsai e-book I have ever read. With knowing how popular these e-books have been becoming it was just a matter of time before I found one on bonsai. Now let’s get to the meat of the matter.
This book has the obligatory sections devoted to a history of bonsai, sizes and styles of bonsai, the author keeps them brief and to the point. I also think that these sections are appropriate for this book as it is aimed at beginners in bonsai. What is different about these sections is the how approachable the author made them, by filling them with pictures of his own trees. Also included are tips on how to care for your bonsai, fertilizing, soil, tools needed, wiring and repotting. Ending with a guide on many popular species for bonsai.
[quote]Before we begin, I make two promises to you: 1) I am a real “bonsai guy.” I am not some internet marketer or fast buck artist peddling recycled content and calling it an e-book. 2) I have tried to pack this ebook with photos. All of the photos are of trees from my own personal bonsai collection. There are no photos of trees from arboretums, public collections, or bonsai museums. You can go get those for free on the web. If you are looking for photos of magnificent old trees from Japan, you are in the wrong place. Every tree I feature was created from a plant bought in a nursery in Southern California, or from a plant dug up from a yard. The idea is to show what you can do using readily available and easily obtainable materials.[/quote]
My favorite and potentially most valuable part of this book, for beginners, is that the author takes us through finding a nursery plant to turn into a bonsai. With pictures he shows us how and why he has done what he has done, all the way down to choosing the pot.
Maybe this is because I do not know what I am doing with e-books, but I would have liked a Table of Contents and defined chapter starts and stops. But those are cosmetic faults. This e-book would be great for those who are getting started with bonsai or just curious about the subject.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.
Thank you for the great review! The reason I did not include a Table of Contents is because ebook pagination varies depending on what kind of device or platform you are reading it on. I am still trying to find a solution for this to incorporate into the next edition. Regards, Charles M
Your welcome, I am new to the whole e-book thing. I thought it was just going to be a fad, but it seems that it could stick around….great for the self publishers.
Thank you for your review. Like you I’d never read an ebook before. Sorry for my silly question, but what kind of file (for example pdf?) is it?
Thank you very much!
Andi