Galanthomania - the book

[Gerry Webster]

......As I recall someone describe a book, it is memorably forgettable.

Paddy

I prefer Dorothy Parker: "This is not a book to be tossed aside lightly; it should be thrown across the room with great force."

[Paddy Tobin]

Ah, Gerry,

I have an admiration for anybody who goes to the bother and hard work of writing a book and am, generally, reluctant to be over critical in my comments. "Galanthomania" suffered mostly from not living up to its pre-publication publicity and this is, perhaps, the fault of the publishers rather than the author. However, that aside, it is not an excellent book. Perhaps, we will just lob it across the room to land on the pile of those never to be looked at again.

Paddy

[Alan_b]

I find I am struggling to read many of those pages that are white text on a coloured background, particularly in poor light.  Has anyone else experienced this problem?

[mark smyth]

Not a problem reading but the choice of colour is bad

[Maggi Young]

I find I am struggling to read many of those pages that are white text on a coloured background, particularly in poor light.  Has anyone else experienced this problem?

Oh goodness, I didn't realise it was like that.... I find that very tough going.

I'm told such colouring is very "trend forward" and the height of modern design....

[Lesley Cox]

I've not seen this particular book so can't comment about the white on black/colour background but what you say Alan, is certainly true of many other publications I've seen and tried to read recently, especially magazines. And I bought an expensive book at Christmas, a cookbook, to find the recipe ingredients are all in a very pale blue/grey colour against the white ground. Literally, I can only read then in bright daylight and with a magnifying glass. Modern or trendy design it may be but it is BAD design, like cutlery with square ends which hurt the palms of one's hands, and kitchens where the shelf for the microwave is above shoulder height (above waist height, in my opinion) because having to lift casseroles and the like from above horizonal arm height (and bent at the elbows) is downright dangerous when they're filled with very hot food. I could write a whole book about bad design.

[Paddy Tobin]

There was a report of a similar nature on BBC "Breakfast" this morning where  people had written in to complain that the background music in a recently shown new programme was too loud. People of a certain age and certain hearing ability/disability seem to prefer a clear voice with no distracting background sound. This background sound is similar to the background colour on the printed pages mentioned above.

Paddy

[Lesley Cox]

Well those people have my sympathy Paddy. OK, so we degenerate a little as we age but that shouldn't mean that we're sidelined for the sake of the young who will undoubtedly go deaf sooner than we have, because of the appalling garbage they listen to and at a monstrous decibel level.

I also prefer to eat or drink where there is little or no background music and can actually listen to and hear, the person I'm with and converse on a sane level. Of course a pub with a good Irish or Scottish band, is great fun and to be welcomed, but then, the music is the point, not the unwelcome distraction.

I think this should be in the Moan, Moan thread.

[trevorn]

Well, it certainly isn't what you'd expect from a scientific/ botanical treatise and there are forward trend issues for old tired eyes but I found the appraoch novel and interesting with its quirky personailty based approach which does raise some real issues that more serious books don't address. At least one person said there are far too many similar varieties, others admitted to be crazy collectors - a good cross section of what a bunch of nuts plants-people can be.

[Maggi Young]

Hello Trevor.... nice to hear from you.  Your take on the book is an interesting one.... plenty room in the market for variety in book treatments, eh, if not for more identical snowdrops

Certainly great scope for plant nuttiness all round.... as we prove time and again here..... thank goodness they can't touch us for it. 

[hanninkj]

I have the book and read it. The only good thing in the book is the classification.
The rest is not worth to read. How can you write such a book!

[Paddy Tobin]

I have the book and read it. The only good thing in the book is the classification.
The rest is not worth to read. How can you write such a book!

Then, you found nothing good in it.

Trevor, it was,indeed, interesting to read of the personalities who collect snowdrops.

Paddy

[Lesley Cox]

I have at last ordered Janis's Crocus book. I ordered it from AmazonUK on Wednesday and it arrived here post free on Friday! A superb book as everyone who has it, knows.

I also ordered a DVD, an American movie 'The Lake House.' I'm not specially a fan of either Sandra Bullock or Keanu Reeves but have seen it twice on TV and it really intrigues me, having a sort of twisted time dimension to it and I'd like to see it again and then again later. Unfortunately Amazon sent a note to say they are unable to supply it outside the UK and Europe, something to do with the owners having forbidden general distribution I think. Damn it. I'm unable to get it in NZ.

[Martin Baxendale]

Lesley, we saw The Lake House at the cinema and enjoyed it. Amazon.uk have it quite cheap. I have some other stuff to order from amazon so will order a copy, enjoy it a couple of times and mail it on to you.

[Lesley Cox]

Martin, that's lovely of you. I'll email you privately. Thanks so much.