Speaking of long-ago books, did anyone ever read any of the Berry series? So very determinedly an example of their time, and so hilarious. I literally wore out the one where they built a concrete house on a mountainside, and to this day I mentally blame them for my interest in off-the-beaten-path architecture. I also have a tendency to recall their incident with the bear in the woods when I'm hiking and come across blackened stumps. For some reason it makes other hikers nervous when an old lady sees the humpy remains of a lightening-struck stump and begins to guffaw. And memory so often is feline, disappearing when most wanted. I have a poor memory for authors and it's worse for titles, but let me read the first page and --if I've read it before-- I can give you a summary of the contents. I have boxes of books in the attic, waiting for me to forget their existence. I went up the other day and rummaged through a few of the dustiest boxes, and discovered that while I couldn't quote word for word, I still remember the full story line and characterizations of most of them. I guess I'll let them rest undisturbed for another decade or so. A vineyard of books, may not become champagne but hopefully will age into a delightful rosé.

I have the Encyclopedia of Flower Desgin. Has lots of tips and techniques, and inspiring pix of all kinds of floral design. Have not checked out her other books, but I would say this one is a great basic resource. Another great resource is Paula Pryke. Her Flower School book is very helpful. Malcom Hillier has a large book called Flowers that has a wealth of information as well. Also, check out videos on Youtube. There are lots of videos out there on floral designs and techniques.

I have read and enjoyed "The Hot Zone"... I used to work for many years in public health so was/am interested in all that stuff. Another book you might like is called "The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance" by Laurie Garrett. This is a bit dry, but mostly interesting. She also wrote a follow up book called "Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health", but I haven't actually read that one so don't know how it is to read. Here is a list of disease book titles that I have colleced (with help from Fridag here at RP): * Bathsheba's Breast: Women, Cancer and History - James S. Olson * The Colony: The Harrowing Story of the Exiles of Molka'i - John Tayman * The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - Steven Johnson * Limeys: The Conquest of Scurvy - David I. Harvie * The Malaria Capers: more Tales of Parasites and People, Research and Reality - Robert Desowitz * Man and Microbes: Disease and Plagues in History and Modern Times - Arno Karlen * Napolean's Glands and Other Ventures in Biohistory - Arno Karlen * The Plague and I - Betty McDonald (about her bout of TB in the 1930's) * Plague and Peoples = William H McNeill * Pox: Genius, Madness and the Mysteries of Syphilis - Deborah Hayden * Purple Secret: Genes, "Madness", and the Royal Houses of Europe - John Rohl * Quinine: Malaria and the Quest for a Cure That Changed the World - Fiammetta Rocco * Rough Medicine: Surgeons at Sea in the age of the Sail - Joan Druett * Sex, Sin and Science: A History of Syphilis in America - John Parascondola * The Speckled Monster: A historial tale of Battling Smallpox - Jennifer Lee Carrell * The Strange Case of the Broad Street Pump: John Snow and Mystery of Cholera - Sandra Hempl * Who Gave Pinta to the Santa Maria? - Robert S Desowitz * Blood and Guts: A Short History of Medicine - Roy Porter Hope that helps!

The most favorite read in our house is a series of books by Clive Cussler. Note that as his book career advanced, other authors entered his fold. In some of the later books, he has lent his name to the title and cover, when it may have been written by another author. Many of his subjects are on a grand scale affecting large geographical areas, sometimes the entire world. His tales could be classed as science fiction, however, his ideas hold the potential of real possibility, rather than 'pipe dreams'. A reoccurring theme in some of his stories involves his son borrowing one of his collector cars for a date and then he gets chased by some baddies and the pristine car gets beat up.