Leaving aside unknown differences in color layout and other details, here are two Kew books for comparison: The Genus Cypripedium (1997) 39.95, Timber Press-- 301 pp. Slipper Orchids of Vietnam (2003) 49.95 Timber Press-- 308 pp. These books have only gone up in value. A comparable book today might cost 59.95. If this price were doubled for a book of 600 pp. then the price might be around 120.00. How does the price more than treble to 200.00? Currency devaluation? How is that a "fair" price? On 28 March 2012 19:09, Matt Mattus <mmattus@charter.net> wrote: > I think the cost of this book is fair, given the print run ( most likely > less than 5000), and the impressive page count of 600+, nearly three times > that of other Kew monographs. This will be thicker than a bible. We all > complain that printing is going away, yet we also complain when books of > high quality are offered too. > > We should support Kew, and encourage the high quality printing and > information they provide. > > If not, we can wait for the digital copy, which will surely be offered for > much less - remember, as of last month, there are now more digital books > sold on Amazon than printed books. > > Matt Mattus > Lachenalia freak > Massachusetts > Zone 10 > > >