Succulents II: The New Illustrated Dictionary (ISBN 0881924490)

Book Description:
This new, greatly expanded version of this illustrated dictionary will provide even more enjoyment to collectors & enthusiasts.

An impressive catalog of succulent species.:
Documents around 1,200 species of succulent plants in an A to Z format. Entries include a color photograph, species name, family, a brief description of appearance and habit, and details of specimen's origin. Introduction provides a brief overview of succulent families and representative genera. Appendices cover alternative names (scientific, not common) and additional reading materials, broken out by family. Bear in mind when considering this book that it is a _survey_ compilation, not an identification guide. It sets out to catalog the astounding variety of succulents worldwide, and never touches on care or maintenance. Pictures are often of salient features, such as flowers or stem structures, rather than of the entire plant, and many are photographed in their native habitat (by which I mean, they are not always the flawless beauties that we are accustomed to seeing in plant books --although the settings are often as fascinating as the plants themselves!). I very much enjoy thumbing through this book. Although I personally find it of very little practical value, I would recommend it to any plant enthusiast with an appreciation for diversity or photography.

The best got even better:
If you liked Maurizio Sajeva and Mariangela Costanzo's first book, Succulents, then you will really like their second edition titled Succulents II. The book's outline is basically the same with some new information provided. The photo's, like their first book are superior and serve as a great means of plant identification. The addition of having the book in hard cover form (the first is paperback), makes this book an excellent reference material without concern on wear and tear when carrying it around the garden. Amazon books has the best price on this book and I've shopped around before purchasing it. If you time it right, you can order it with a couple other things and take advantage of free shipping and handling. I think that's pretty good deal.

Another must have reference:
The authors have begun where the first book left off. Very similar in size, the sequal has some info on CITES status, as well a general overview, of certain genus and species. For easier identification, several species have multiple pictures, ensuring that pertinent information is not lost from a habit shot. Some species are repeated from the intitial 1994 release, but many are new. Certainly an invaluable source for species determination, individually and in concert with the original.

Worth a Place on the Shelf:
This book basically follows the same format as the previous one. There are enough photographs to sink a battleship, but very little cultural information for the plants. The book is a boon for identifying that annoying plant that you have never been able to find a name for, but of course it does not cover all species of succulents, a book of that stature would be too heavy to lift. In my own opinion what lets the book down slightly is that some of the photographs are of young plants that bear no resemblance to how they will look when they are mature. Having said all that, the book has very little competition. There are thousands of books on cacti, but very few on the other succulents. It is certainly worth a place in the collection of all those interested in these wonderful plants.

Succulents II: The New Illustrated Dictionary:
For this subject, this is a "must-have" reference book. It is very visual. The images are great and the authors have gone beyond the commonplace. Do I recommend it? I give it 5 "Forget-about-it's".