Collins Bird Guide 2nd Ed; Reviewed (1 Viewer)

This month, I've read two Ian Fleming novels, one Alistair Maclean, two Mr Men books and god-knows-how-many chemistry papers - all with grammatical and spelling mistakes in them. Each of these will have gone through review and editorial proceses. The books have been through (at least in the case of the Flemings) up to twenty impressions and yet errors still remain.
Having been on the typing end of upwards of twenty papers and a book, it's almost bloody impossible to pick up all the mistakes yourself, especially if you're using a lot of words that are not in your everyday vocabulary. When it's something you've written yourself, it can be incredibly hard to focus as your brain knows what you wanted to say and they slip through the net.
If anyone deserves taking to task for inaccuracies in spelling, it would be the proof readers that the publisher employs - people who are often paid to pick up the mistakes.
[/rant]

I would also add that knowing how to spell something does also not equate to your fingers always picking out the right keys...

Birdbrain said:

Im in two minds now to cancel my order from Amazon, reading all this negative response to the new edition.

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captaincarot said:

i've seen some hysterical over reactions in my times but that ones up there with the death of princess di.

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What's hysterical? The book is littered with mistakes, many of which would have been picked up by a simple spell check, so if someone is happy waiting for a later reprint, seems fairly logical to me.

I am sure the book is excellent overall, but I too see no great urgency to place an order.

colonelboris said:

This month, I've read two Ian Fleming novels, one Alistair Maclean, two Mr Men books and god-knows-how-many chemistry papers - all with grammatical and spelling mistakes in them. Each of these will have gone through review and editorial proceses. The books have been through (at least in the case of the Flemings) up to twenty impressions and yet errors still remain.
Having been on the typing end of upwards of twenty papers and a book, it's almost bloody impossible to pick up all the mistakes yourself, especially if you're using a lot of words that are not in your everyday vocabulary. When it's something you've written yourself, it can be incredibly hard to focus as your brain knows what you wanted to say and they slip through the net.
If anyone deserves taking to task for inaccuracies in spelling, it would be the proof readers that the publisher employs - people who are often paid to pick up the mistakes.[/rant]

I would also add that knowing how to spell something does also not equate to your fingers always picking out the right keys...

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never a truer word spoken, what's more when proof reading your own work your brain not only doesn't see the mistakes it actively corrects them with out telling you it has done so. this also happens with another proof reading a copy to a degree.

I received my copy (the paperback US version) yesterday, full well knowing there would be typos etc. What I would like to complain about is the format: with my age, even using glasses, the text and drawings are just a little too small. I would have preferred a printing enlarged at least 25%; as I am used to travel to places where the field guide is much larger than that, the need for a backpack/bag to carry the field guide would not be any worry at all.

Niels

I may be wrong, but I could swear that the type size in the new American edition was a wee bit larger than the in the first (American) edition.

Microtus said:

I may be wrong, but I could swear that the type size in the new American edition was a wee bit larger than the in the first (American) edition.

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I did not get the first edition ...

Niels