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Post by dvg on Feb 6, 2013 17:00:13 GMT -5
If you get the chance to read The Scent of Scandal: Greed, Betrayal and the World's Most Beautiful Orchid, don't hesitate to take that opportunity. This fascinating book is a real page turner, documenting the story and cast of characters involved with the smuggling in of arguably the most important orchid discovery in the past one hundred years: Phragmipedium kovachii. www.amazon.com/Scent-Scandal-Betrayal-Beautiful-Florida/dp/0813039746The book is both suspenseful and informative - offering up an inside look into the orchid industry, rare plants, botanical gardens and the people that work there and/or make their livings from these plants. There is no shortage of intrigue as this story plays out and i was glued to this book while reading it. dvg
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Post by H2O on Feb 6, 2013 20:25:10 GMT -5
haha I have it booked at the library! (no pun intended ) I've heard some really good stories from friends of friends involved in this and similar situations. Very excited to read it, thanks for posting Doug!
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Post by dvg on Feb 7, 2013 19:45:39 GMT -5
You are going to enjoy the book Justin. When i was typing up this post, i thought you would be particularly interested in this story. dvg
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Post by H2O on Feb 20, 2013 14:09:19 GMT -5
Finished the book a couple days ago and I must fully agree with Doug that this is a great book. Even though I knew much of this story it was still extremely interesting reading it from a different point of view. I would recommend this book to anyone that is serious about any group of plants, even if you won't grow orchid or have no interest in them it is still a great book. Although this book sorta killed me all along after losing my P. kovachii in my move, I guess I'll just have to get another
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Post by dvg on Feb 20, 2013 16:54:51 GMT -5
Sorry to hear about your loss Justin.
Glad you enjoyed the book though.
dvg
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Post by lloyd on Feb 20, 2013 23:32:10 GMT -5
I just picked it up at the library yesterday, it's in bedbug quarantine now in a plastic bag.
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Post by Apoplast on Feb 21, 2013 7:50:41 GMT -5
it's in bedbug quarantine now in a plastic bag. So Lloyd, I simply must ask. Is this a personal paranoia of yours, or have bedbugs actually shown up at your local library?! I guess I could see how it could happen, but I also hadn't heard of any documented cases - it is equally true however that I haven't checked.
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Post by lloyd on Feb 21, 2013 10:39:01 GMT -5
I've had no problems myself but there have been bedbugs in Toronto Libraries. The branches are checked regularly and treated. My local branch has been Ok AFAIK. There was a letter to the editor in the paper that said someone had bedbugs crawl out of a book. I would probably avoid any bestsellers that would really circulate a lot.
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Post by H2O on Feb 21, 2013 11:52:54 GMT -5
haha LLoyd, once its out of Quarantine I'm sure you'll love it! Doug, I'm a little sad because it was actually growing before I moved but I can always get more. I've been thinking of ordering some flask, they're only 140 bucks from Manrique but I would have to deal with permits. If I can get enough people in my society it might be worth getting a couple flasks. Hint Hint
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Post by Apoplast on Feb 21, 2013 12:47:17 GMT -5
Hi Lloyd - Really! Wow, I would never have thought of that. I do however dream of installing a furnace that could heat my house to 80C someday. Anything over about 65C kills bedbugs, and many other potential infestations. Plus it fits my American desire for overkill.
Hi Justin and Doug - Sorry to take the thread down the garden path for a while. Back to your regularly scheduled readings.
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Post by dvg on Feb 21, 2013 14:48:06 GMT -5
Lloyd, now that the book is safely enclosed in a plastic bag, how do you intend to treat it - heating, freezing or by some other method? Justin, that is a very impressive orchid to be sure. I'd be interested in getting one or two of those. Maybe if the cost of getting those here isn't too prohibitive, we could bring some in. Apoplast, not to worry. Sometimes the meandering tangential path a thread can veer off onto is more interesting than the original thread. dvg
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Post by H2O on Feb 21, 2013 16:51:46 GMT -5
I agree with Doug, sometime the tangent is most interesting then the post.
Doug you have been PM'ed
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Post by lloyd on Feb 22, 2013 1:01:05 GMT -5
I just looked at the bag and the book. No buggies wondered out so I think I'm safe. It's a new looking book anyway and not a best seller so it probably hasn't been around enough to be infected. I think book bedbugs (bookbugs?) are not that common anyway.
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dj
Seed
Posts: 26
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Post by dj on Feb 24, 2013 21:25:34 GMT -5
I picked up this book at my library after your recommendation dvg and I'm about half way through it. Really enjoying it! It reminds me a bit of both "The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passions of the World's Greatest Reptile Smugglers" as well as "Stolen World: A Tale of Reptiles, Smugglers, and Skulduggery" both of which I've also read. Of course if you really like this theme in books, there's also "The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession" that led to the Nicholas Cage, Meryl Streep movie "Obsession."
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Post by lloyd on Feb 24, 2013 23:27:37 GMT -5
I'm about a 1/3'rd through. Good book. Sort of depressing about poaching and crazy people.
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