Succulents for the Contemporary Garden (ISBN 088192573X)

Book Description:
Succulents, with their striking forms, unusual colors, and easy-care reputation, are becoming an increasingly important design element in many contemporary gardens. Descriptions and cultivation information for hundreds of species and cultivars in more than 60 genera, from Adenia to Yucca, will help gardeners choose plants that are best suited to their design requirements and garden conditions.

Pretty but not a good reference book:
This book is an extensive collection of nice pictures of over 350 different succulents. They are arranged in scientific name order. However the descriptions for each entry are just text describing the plant. There is not even basic information like the hardiness zone so you will know if the one you like will survive your winter. The text does not directly reference the picture location so you have to find the picture key somewhere on each page ("This page, left to right ..."). The index is really just a table of contents - common names are listed under the scientific name instead of having a separate entry ("Purple Emperor" is indexed as "Sedum, Purple Emperor"). Get this for the pictures then get The American Horticultural Society "A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants" for the reference data.

SUCCULENTS FOR THE COMTEMPORARY GARDEN:
Easy to understand and very easy to apply info to my garden. Learned a lot about succulents.

A Visual Feast for the Adventurous Gardener:
Noted New Zealand garden photographer Yvonne Cave has done it again, with this extraordinarily beautiful book. There's something here for everyone, from novice to expert, from the familiar Desert Rose and Yucca to the exotic Lithops, which look like stones, or the "Bronze Sculpture" Kalanchoe. The stunning photos are accompanied by identifying text with basic cultivation information for hundreds of species. Those particularly interested in tropical succulents will find additional information in Tropical Ornamentals : A Guide, as well as in Ornamental Plants & Flowers of Tropical Mexico.