Bonsai Survival Manual: Tree-By-Tree Guide to Buying, Maintaining, and Problem Solving

Dear Mr. Lewis, THANK YOU SIR for writing this fabulous little book. See, like many other unnamed persons in this world, I threw away over $300.00 on my first Bonsai attempt at peace and serenity in my home. After many long deep breaths and twinges of * I must be insane to try this again*, I did order two new bonsai-who were every bit as scared of me as I was of them. But see, now Mr. Lewis, I "get it". You have given the Holy Grail, if you will to keep these little buggers alive and flourishing! Never again will I keep my beloved trees too close to a window to burn, or to near a furnace to suffer. No sir, in fact, thanks to your book I know exactly when to water, when to fertilize, and when to remember to breathe and just enjoy the beauty of owning bonsai. I have read dozens of books that were nothing more than pretty pictures, but what I really needed was someone to tell me what NOT to do. There is no better book for a bonsai beginner. I didn't need a book to show me the fine details of repotting or bending delicate bonsai limbs - I simply needed a band-aid to help me get them started in the first place. The Bonsai Survival Manual is worth its weight in gold. Now my little trees won't be so scared of me when they see me pick up all my fancy tools and pretend to "prune". (I can at least pretend for now)

I found this book to be extremely helpful. The care and design tips were concise and easy to follow. The trees in the guide were common in my area and easy to find. I was also able to use the guide to avoid some species that are more challenging in my area.

I've found the advices the book gives for buying a bonsai very helpful. On the other hand it helped me and my friends understanding why we did not succeded in keeping our little trees alive. After reading the brief but thoroughly information about "trees necessities" I decided to try again and my ume(plum)-bonsai look now quite happy.

As a new convert, I have been frustrated by most books on bonsai. They are filled with wonderful information, but the author often takes for granted that you are an experience bonsai enthusiast. Mr. Lewis does not do that. With excellent pictures and color graphics, he explains in great detail what to look for (and look OUT for!) when buying a tree, as well as detailed advice on pruning and shaping techniques. I wish I had bought this sooner.

The Bonsai Survival Manual contains just about everything you need to know about growing and keeping Bonsai. It is well organized with sections on general care and techniques followed by sections on specific species. There is information in here that I have not seen in other books on Bonsai. The writing is terse, concise, and easy to read and understand. The Bonsai photographs show off the beauty of this art form.All in all, I found this book to be the most useful and fun to read of any Bonsai book I have read.