Aquarium Plant Paradise

Rating:
Summary: The worst Amano book printed by TFH
Review: I found this book to be one of the worst books that TFH has put out by Takashi Amano. Instead of translating one of Amano's books from Japanese they decided instead to translate Amano's 1995 publication that was first published in German into English. If you are looking for current up-to-date advice on Aqua Design Amano tips and trick look elsewhere. Almost all the techniques used in this book are old, and some inaccurate. This is a TFH book not an Aqua Design Amano Publication.

It would have been better if TFH had translated The Nature Aquarium / ADA Concepts from Japanese to English. This book is the most current when it comes to product use, tips, tricks, and overall care for aquatic plants. If you are looking for advice on setting up a planted tank or plant ID don't buy Aquarium Plant Paradise.

Rating:
Summary: Great photos, poor information
Review: I purchased "Aquarium Plant Paradise" having seen it previously, so I knew what I was in for. As mentioned in other reviews, the editing and translation is anemic. Nomenclature can be inaccurate, typos are a recurring theme, photo and text alignment is off and adherence to basic page margins is lackluster. Technically, this is not a book that holds up under scrutiny. It's an English edition that looks like it was hastily assembled to generate a lower price point for those unwilling to dig deeper for the "Nature Aquarium World" volumes.

If you're looking for a classic that stands the test of time, this probably isn't it. If you want a few more Amano arrangements to examine and learn from, "Aquarium Plant Paradise" does the job nicely. Mr. Amano's photographs are the foundation of this publication, as they are for the each of the "Nature Aquarium World" entries; the translated text is perhaps secondary. Each aquascape is created with care and talent that is his trademark, and examining the arrangements offers an education all its own.

Rating:
Summary: Amano is nothing if not inspiring
Review: I think Amano's critics tend to overlook the fact that he is a photographer, not a botanist or icthyologist. Even though his technical skills and knowledge of his craft are profound and probably rival, if not exceed, some of the "experts" in the field, he is first and foremost an artist.

An exceptional artist.

He has taken his love and respect of nature, reduced it to it's essentials and fleshed it out with a personal, subtle spirituality that is conveyed in all of his books, and this one is no exception.....

....as long as you can overlook the typos and printing errors.

I don't understand why the publisher would spend the money for spot gloss and good stock, yet overlook glaring alignment and spelling errors, but as previously mentioned by other reviewers, this book does seem hastily put together. It's not horrid though, and unfortunately it seems that all Japanese books translated for the American market suffer in much the same way, regardless of their genre.

If you are looking for in-depth technical how-to's and plant information, you will not find it here. However, it's obvious that was not what this book was intended to be in the first place, so it seems unfair to hold it up to that standard.

Despite the poor translation and the brevity of the technical information, I think this book can come in handy for the beginning aquatic plant enthusiast, and is a nice low-cost introduction to Takashi Amano. This book emphasizes smaller tanks with smaller, easy-to-keep fish (mostly), gives a broad overview of each tank and provides the basic groundwork for providing a pleasing tank layout. All this in 64 pages for $...- not bad, especially considering that it's more of an art book than a technical manual in the first place.

If this book was more expensive, I'd be harsher in my review of it. However, I think for the price, it certainly delivers.

Rating:
Summary: Great photos, poor information
Review: I was vary disapoited with this book. It lacked information, jumped around with subjects, and focused more on aesthetic reasons and left out many of the "basics" of aqutic gardining, such as plant profiles, nutriant levels, and CO2 tips. It's more like a picture book than a guide book.

Rating:
Summary: Was this just an ad?
Review: I'm not sure what the purpose of the book was apart to say that Amano is good. The pictures are nice, but there are lots of nice pictures available for free.

Rating:
Summary: very sloppy
Review: Just got this book and noticed that a lot of the information is inaccurate. It seems the pictures of the aquariums and the list of plants in the aquariums do not always match up. It's like they just started naming random plants for each picture.

Rating:
Summary: Worth the price
Review: This book is a bridge between the dazzling "Nature Aquarium World" series and the how-to books. About a dozen Amano tanks are presented, some with pictures from multiple angles. A short description of each tank then follows, including a diagram of the tank layout, plants and fish species and other facts. Included are short sections on how to design and put together a planted tank, and various other tidbits about fishkeeping in general.

The images are very good, but I found some diagram legends confusing--perhaps a result of the translation. The book isn't perfect, but is a good source of inspiration for beginners who cannot afford the more expensive though much more awe-inspiring "Nature Aquarium World" books. It also gives a little more insight into how Amano puts together his tanks. For the small cost, it is worth every penny.

Rating:
Summary: Colour selection
Review: This is by far the worst book i do own on Amano's wonderful tanks. Pictures are poorly printed and the overall impression is deceptive.