Is anyone on RO familiar with the book --An Enthusiasm for Orchids: Sex
and Deception in Plant Evolution--?

I ordered a copy from Amazon, and would appreciate any opinions of it
from others who have read it.


J. Del Col

I may be biased in that I helped with the book in some small way
(my name is in there as having helped with locating some obscure
information), but it's really very good. Dr. Alcock is a professor at
Arizona State who specializes in animal behavior; extended to the "hammer
orchids" of Australia, he turned some sabbatical time into a book on the
subject of insects and their interactions with orchids.

It's a highly recommended read, and the professor writes a heck of
a good piece. He's spoken to our orchid society twice (once before and
once after publication of his latest book), and his presentations were
wonderful.

Dr. Alcock has also written several other books, including texts
on sociobiology and animal behavior. Good stuff.

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-AJHicks
Chandler, AZ

Aaron,
I'm interested in getting this book for my orchid society's library but
I can't find a copy (except online) to judge how appropriate it would
be. What's the focus of the book? From the editor's review I assume it
focuses on the evolution of insect pollenation with respect to orchids
that employ pseudocopulation, particularly those from WA. Is it
primarily aboutorchid/pollenator relationship between Drakaea and
thynnine wasps or does it extend to other genera of Australian orchids?
Is it just about pseudocopulation or does it extend to other mechanisms
of pollenation. To what extent would you call it an orchid book (or is
it an insect/evolution book that just uses orchids as an example). If
you could shed any light on this it would be much appreciated.
Andrew

Aaron Hicks wrote:
> I may be biased in that I helped with the book in some small way
> (my name is in there as having helped with locating some obscure
> information), but it's really very good. Dr. Alcock is a professor at
> Arizona State who specializes in animal behavior; extended to the "hammer
> orchids" of Australia, he turned some sabbatical time into a book on the
> subject of insects and their interactions with orchids.
>
> It's a highly recommended read, and the professor writes a heck of
> a good piece. He's spoken to our orchid society twice (once before and
> once after publication of his latest book), and his presentations were
> wonderful.
>
> Dr. Alcock has also written several other books, including texts
> on sociobiology and animal behavior. Good stuff.
>


Thanks very much. I am looking forward to getting my copy.

J. Del Col

This showed up as a blank message.
-danny

"Aaron Hicks" <ahicks [at] nyx.nyx.net> wrote in message
news:1143573522.573738 [at] irys.nyx.net...
>

Aaron Hicks wrote:
>

As Danny mentioned, your post showed up as a blank message for me as
well. I don't suppoe you could repost it as I'm interested in your
input.
Andrew

Sorry about that blank message, guys. And, tragically, all that
work I put into the original post is now gone. Even trn didn't save it
like it's supposed to. Darned electrons bit me in the butt again.

But! To answer the questions as best I can: Dr. Alcock's book is
part van der Pijl and Dodson's "Orchid Flowers: Their Pollination and
Evolution," part Chuck Darwin's "Various Contrivances," part insect
behavioralism, and a good dose of a skilled writer's sabbatical jaunt
through Western Australia. In that sense, it's not entirely an orchid
book, but it's also not entirely a wasp book. If you enjoy the
(non-technical and entertaining) work of David Quammen, you'll like what
Alcock has to say on the subject.

It is not a several-hundred-page diatribe on the interactions
between Drakaea and the wasps that pollinate them, although they do play a
strong role in the book. In his presentations I have attended (both while
he was writing this particular book and immediately after his
publication), he had some wonderful notes about all sorts of WA flora, not
just the orchids.

So. Big on "casual" audience, great for springtime reading, and
very educational.

Hope THIS message makes it through.

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Cheers,

-AJHicks
Chandler, AZ

My copy just arrived. A quick look at it was very promising. I have a
penchant for Australian terrestrials---not that I can grow them.

J. Del Col

Andrew wrote:
> Aaron,
> Is it
> primarily aboutorchid/pollenator relationship between Drakaea and
> thynnine wasps or does it extend to other genera of Australian orchids?
> Is it just about pseudocopulation or does it extend to other mechanisms
> of pollenation....

I'm reading my copy now, and I can answer a couple of your questions.

The book discusses several different genera of WA orchids, as well as
non-WA orchids, and covers a couple of means of pollination, though
pseudocopulation is the main emphasis. Alcock also discusses speciation
and hybridization in WA orchids in the context of adaptive pollination
strategies. Alcock writes very well. The book is illustrated with
excellent photographs and is very attractively designed.

Alcock's main subject is adaptive evolution. He uses orchids to
support his ideas, much the way Darwin did in his book on orchids.

J. Del Col

Thanks Aaron. Sounds like it's worth considering
Andrew.