How to Grow Fresh Air by B. C. Wolverton (1997)

This book should be in the science section at Barnes and Noble, not the garden section. I was curious as to the title of this book, "How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants that Purify Your Home or Office," thinking it strange to have a plant book about air quality. I decided though to check it out and was amazed at the vast amount of information this book contains.

Not only is the book beautifuly designed with full-color pictures adorning the pages for a wonderful aesthetic effect, but the book is more informative and useful that I could have ever imagined. Not only does the author describe in full detail how these plants are useful in purifying the air, but also goes into detail on how to care for them.

The begining of the book is a detailed description of the process of photosynthesis, or how plants turn polluntants and poisions in the air into fresh, clean, oxygen. The description was long, but not drawn out or confusing. I found this very well written, and the author to be quite knowledgable in the subject. "Why didn't this guy write a biology book? Why a book on plants?" I thought... Well, my question was soon answered.

Each plant has it's own two page section. Page one has a picture of the plant in a pot, with a description of the plant below it. To the right side of the page, the margin contains a little table with the orgin of the plant, what temp. of climate it prefers (including light preference), how often to water and feed it, and how easy it is to grow. On the bottom of the page is a little box that tells what chemicals the plant is good at removing from the air, and how effective it is.

On page two for each plant is a giant picture of the plant, in part. Very pretty book indeed. And so very useful too.

In long description over the 50 different indoor plants, and how they battle indoor pollution, you also learn what different things in your home or office pollute the air. What chemicals could be floating around your home? This book goes into details about how to find out, and how to rid your lungs of the pesky pollution. Not only is the author good about describing the process of the plants cleaning the air and the plants themselves, but he also makes the book a fun one. This is not only a book that I'm glad to have so I can make my home a more beautiful (and fresher) one, but it also makes a great coffee table book out of looks and curiousity.

If you are interested in houseplants, their benefit to your health, or purifying the air around you... this book is amazing and surprising. I'd most certainly check it out for the facts you didn't know, and all the help it provides.