A Rose By Any Other Name

I've never been a big fan of roses, however, I love the etymology of names and phrases, so I was extremely excited to get a hold of this book and I was not disappointed. I found it fascinating to discover the variety of influences hybridizers use in naming their "babies". I was also amazed to find out that there was a term ("rosarian") for people who devote their lives to the study of roses. Who knew?!

There were a few small disappointments, foremost of which was, since it was an ARC, the lack of color photographs. The letter I received with my copy assured me that the book would be in full color upon it's February release. There was something almost wrong about looking at the colorless pictures provided in my copy. I also don't know if I would have arranged the book in the way my copy was arranged, alphabetically by title. I likely would have tried to create sections; i.e. Famous Names, Rose Types, History and Myth, etc. I found it somewhat distracting to bounce from one type to another. Who knows though, this could be different by the release as well.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love of gardening, roses, or etymology. It was a quick absorbing read I can easily see toting with me on my next summer trip to Longwood Gardens or the like.