Book Review: How-To-Hydroponics
By Ava Clay
How-To Hydroponics – 4th Edition 2003
By Keith Roberto
The Futuregarden Press
100 pages - $19.95
0-9672-026-1-2
I’ve just finished reading How-To Hydroponics by Keith Roberto and I am quite impressed. How-To Hydroponics is a thoroughly descriptive and well-illustrated learning tool for both the beginner and the experienced hydroponics gardener. Because of its extensive yet specific content, this book feels like the kind of source you would buy for one reason, but then keep it close by to be used as a continuous point of reference.
With its casual, almost light-reading style due to the larger type size and the ease in which the information is delivered, How-To Hydroponics provides a vast amount of necessary information in an uncomplicated and logical manner.
The accompanying photos and illustrations only make the delivery of pertinent information that much easier to comprehend, making this book suitable for a variety of readers from the just curious to the well-seasoned hydroponics gardener.
This perfect bound, easy to handle yet substantial 8.5”x 11” paperback is also very easy to navigate. The clearly presented contents page leads the reader to well marked internal chapters and headlines so that no time is wasted searching through pages for specific information. Every chapter is full of diagrams, illustrations and photos that truly enhance the learning experience and help the reader to better understand the information that is being presented. The photos are clear and concise which makes How-To Hydroponics an even more substantial learning tool.
From beginning to end, I found that the author’s concepts are clearly defined and well situated throughout the book. In a consistent format, each chapter is written with all the other elements of the book in mind as with hydroponics systems; there are a variety of elements that must work together in order to produce successful results.
Mr. Roberto’s information has been developed through many years of hands-on experience, extensive research and constructive reader feedback to produce the 4th edition of this publication.
Originally published in 1994, How-To Hydroponics has become one of the best selling books on the topic of hydroponics gardening.
The chapters in How-To Hydroponics range from “What Is Hydroponics” and “Hydroponic Technology” to “Hydroponics As A Business” and “Build Your Own Systems”, of which I found very interesting.
Too many to mention, the chapters in this book take the reader on a hydroponic journey of enlightenment into the technological advances of indoor gardening. Topics such
as the many different types of hydroponics systems are
described and illustrated as well as Aeroponics and its amazing elements.
How-To Hydroponics engages the technological advances with the science of hydroponics and makes it all easy to understand, relate to and therefore apply.
I would say that How-To Hydroponics has accomplished exactly what its title states. It will encourage the curious and educate the experienced with its comprehensive and easy to practice how-to information and descriptive diagrams on the many facets of hydroponic growing.