Independently published Hydroponics: How to Pick the Best Hydroponic System and Crops for Homegrown Food Year-Round (Urban Homesteading)

Not as helpful as I thought

This book, at less than 75 pages, has about the same quality I would expect from a high school term paper. There are typos, the author uses lots of white space, and it is published in fairly large type. The information is extremely basic; mostly consisting of definitions, with a few rudimentary drawings thrown in. The book does not claim to tell you everything you need to know to start growing, but it does promise to guide you to selecting the appropriate system to start with. Unfortunately, the paradigm that is used to compare the different systems of growing is not uniformly or clearly applied . And although you will know the names and some of the basics of the available systems after reading the book, you will be hard pressed to know which one fits your situation best. More rigid and comparable metrics would help significantly: ie with this system you would expect to spend x minutes per day/week/month on maintenance per X number of plants, or a basic starter set up for x plants in this system would cost around XX$ (could use $$ symbols to compare instead of actual $ such as in restaurant comparisons), etc A more scholarly and comprehensive book would be a much better investment.

This is a rather succinct summary of various hydroponic systems with pros and cons of each. I found that there isn't quite enough information to completely build-out a system and get it running but I could probably get close. What is missing is a solid start up and operational guide. What I do like about this book is that the construction aspects are present along with a short summary of some of the products associated. I now know about what I need. I'm fortunate to have a couple of hydroponics/aquaponics stores nearby. I can go there and get the rest of the information I need to get started and I now have enough background to ask intelligent questions along the way without having to take their "class" on "what is it"

Richard does a great job getting the basics addressed on starting your own hydroponic system. He details the advantages and disadvantages of multiple systems with details and drawings. He clearly explains advantages and disadvantages of medium used. You will have a good understanding of what system to use with different crops and plants. He has a large, detailed section of terms frequently used that I found helpful. I appreciated this book and found it a great kick start to the world of HYDROPONICS. I look forward to the next book.

Filled with useful info to learn more about hydro