Book Review: Vivaria Designs (Walls)

Vivaria Designs from the experts at Advanced Vivarium Systems
Jerry G. Walls
AVS Books, an imprint of BowTie Press
2007
144 pages


Well, I am not sure how advanced Advanced Vivaria Systems are, but I am not impressed. I would not recommend this book to anyone. First and foremost, there is no way to even get the basics into a book with 144 pages, a third of which is fluff and index. The book is horribly slanted to reptiles. When many vivaria artists work with frogs and newts also. The terminology is often wrong, or simplified to the point it would insult even a beginner in the art. I had to force myself to finish reading this book.

Your first sign something is wrong is the 1/4 inch print. The book is so short they had to typeset it in a font reserved for children's books! Honestly, it is probably a godsend the print is large and body of information is short. I could rant all day about how bad this book is, but I am sure you have gotten the point already.

There is one saving grace. The book includes a list of herptile safe plants for vivaria. It is short, incomplete, and in some cases dangerously inaccurate, but I have to give at least one good mention of this. Most other books do not bother with such a list.

In closing, save 12 dollars and avoid this book. The pictures are not even worth the cash.

I agree with your review. I even considered reviewing this book myself a while back but then decided that it was not worth the effort. I actually put off buying it for several years when I saw who the author was but eventually found it on sale. Mr. Walls was one of the worst offenders back in the herp title boom of TFH publications, cranking out numerous articles and books on subjects that he obviously knew little about. This book is no exception. I find it funny that the photo on the cover is not only the only pic in the whole book of a naturalistic vivarium, but the vivarium itself was also obviously assembled just for that photograph. His books in the same series on tarantulas and scorpions are are not much better. In my opinion the worst part is these titles have tarnished the reputation of the AVS book line, which was sold to Bowtie publications several years back.
Chip

Aye, orchids in a critter tank? That cover scares me. My orchids threatened to strangle me just setting one next to a tank...

I remember the bad old days of TFH supremacy. I still roll my eyes when I see the big chain stores selling reprints of that tripe. Some of their newer repressings are a little better, but still not very reliable.


I will add in here though, back when I first got into aquaria and vivaria, I had trouble getting any other books. The "interwebs" has changed all that.

I felt it necessary to cover this one, as I know a lot of us operate on a budget, and I hate to see cash wasted on a cage liner like this one.