Rating
I'm a great fan of bamboo and have seen many books on the subject. This is perhaps the most accessible book. The author loves the subject and his affection is infectious. He is oh-so-serious about warning people away from running bamboos while extolling the virtues of clumping bamboo.
The first part of the book introduces you to various families of bamboo and how it grows. Page 23 has some very helpful information on hedges --- one of its most frequent uses. Over 100 species are described in depth. The author explains propagation and harvesting, including edible shoots for home consumption.
The second part of the book concerns the uses of bamboo and is one of the main reasons that this book is so unique. Detailed drawings and photographs show how to actually build using bamboo (dwellings and furniture.) This section is truly a labor of love, and is sorely missing from other bamboo books. We even learn to make beautiful fences and flutes. There is a chapter on plantations, both for edible shoots and for timber.
I believe this book is in limited supply, so grab one fast.
Earth Garden Books, Trentham, Victoria, Australia, earthmag@kyneton.net.au, 1997, 0-9595889-8-0, 95 pages, black and white photos and drawings, paperback, $19.95