Carnivorous Plants 
of the World

John Skillcorn

Author: Pietropaolo, James and Patricia
Publisher: Timber Press, Portland, Oregon
ISBN: 0-88192-356-7
Price: £16.99

The Publisher says:
"The Pietropaolos' book is a noteworthy addition to popular literature on carnivorous plants. It is clearly written, logically organized and gives extensive details on the cultural requirements of each plant group ... The most comprehensive guide to culture, propagation and hybridization available." T. LAWRENCE MELLICHAMP, The Garden (New York Botanical Garden)

Few groups of plants so capture the imagination as these intriguing carnivores that reverse the order we expect to find in nature: they are the predators rather than the passive prey. Superbly adapted to nutrient-poor soils, they thrive where other plants fail because of their unique ability to obtain necessary minerals by attracting, trapping, and then digesting insects.

The best-known carnivorous plants are the Venus Fly Trap and the various pitcher plants, but there are many other kinds of plants using other strategies to capture prey. All are covered in detail in this comprehensive, practical survey of some of earth's most fascinating plants.

JAMES AND PATRICIA PIETROPAOLO own and operate Peter Paul's Nurseries in Canandaigua, New York, an important grower and source of carnivorous plants.

My comments:
This is a thorough book on the subject of carnivorous plants.  In fact, it contains information I have never seen covered in any other volume.

Yes, of course it tells you how to grow the major groups of carnivorous plants.  But the section on propagation and hybridization I found to be particularly interesting, not least because it mentions something that I have been trying to find reference to for some years.  That is, the pollination of the various species of Utricularia, the bladderworts; more specifically, the terrestrial and epiphytic ones, plants for which I have held an interest for many years now.  Although I have not been able to carry out any experiments of my own yet, at least I feel better armed to do so when the time comes later on in the (English) summer.

The book is not bristling with hundreds of colour photographs.  Yes, there are some but it seems to rely more heavily on line drawings than anything else.  But the textual content is such that a lack of pictures does not detract from its usefulness.  At the price, I think it represents very good value for money.