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Colombia guide - damage (1 Viewer)

Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum
Cyprus
I purchased this title form a BF member and noticed damage to the spine in the form of a small hole. When I asked about the other book, it too has a hole in the exact same place.

For the damage to be in the same place, it has to have happened during some automated process, perhaps during binding, any of our members from the Americas had similar damage?

The vendor initially suggested that customs may have had something to do with it but I contacted them and they said that if they'd opened or inspected it, they would have inserted a note in to the package.
 

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Andy, it looks like the exact same book I have just received but purchased from a dealer. Mine does not have a hole.

From curiosity, what do you think of the book as a field guide?

Niels
 
You used to see CDs with a cut in the case, signifying they were promotional versions sent to radio stations, and not for resale. They would turn up in 2nd hand record shops.

It could be to indicate something along similar lines. Proofreading copies, or copies for pre-sale reviews.
but I couldn't see anything on google to support this, just a guess.

How deep is the hole? could something Colombian have been hidden inside at some point?!
 
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You used to see CDs with a cut in the case, signifying they were promotional versions sent to radio stations, and not for resale. They would turn up in 2nd hand record shops.

It could be to indicate something along similar lines. Proofreading copies, or copies for pre-sale reviews.
but I couldn't see anything on google to support this, just a guess.

How deep is the hole? could something Colombian have been hidden inside at some point?!

Interesting suggestion which I could understand if it were single copies being sold by seperate vendors maybe but they were from one source?

The hole is fairly superficial and no way it could have concealed anything, purchased from Selva who insist that they were perfect upon despatch.
 
Andy, it looks like the exact same book I have just received but purchased from a dealer. Mine does not have a hole.

From curiosity, what do you think of the book as a field guide?

Niels

Not had chance for a proper look yet Niels, first impression was that the illustrators have employed a shadow effect and it seems to make the pages very dark, is yours the same?

Shadow effect is most obvious on the top left illustration.
 

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I see that effect as well and I definitely feel it detracts from the usability of the book. The opposing page is graphically also not very pleasing, with medium grey background and only slightly darker text. Finally, I am not a fan of having only a number next to the bird and having to search the opposing page for the name.

Niels
 
Something that just occured to me is that there was no hole in the packaging so it's either been opened and 'stabbed' or it was sent in this condition which Selva deny.
 
Update - The person I bought the book from has found a customs inspection note, from Colombia sadly so replacement is out of the question I reckon. Anyway the mystery is solved and anyone else who gets a damaged book will know why.
 
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I bought my copy from Buteo Books in the U.S. No damage on my copy.

I find the diffuse drop shadow on the birds to be a bit odd, certainly something I've never seen before in a guide. But I am not sure I find it to detract from the guide. Overall, I find the plates to be quite pleasing although not to the level of my favorite bird artists out there (Worfolk, Lewington, Wilczur, etc).

I love the distribution maps with color-coding for subspecies. I do not like, however, the numeration for each species being far below the bird's name. I think the numbers should be right next to the species names. If you look at the layout, the name is in the OPPOSITE corner of each species entry as the number. Awkward. Better yet, just type the name on each plate with each species. I also do not really like the species' names printed in German and French. I'd rather have those names printed in Spanish if anything, as that is the local tongue. The lines for notes, be it one line for some species or five lines for others, is not to my liking as well. I suppose here some field marks could be mentioned instead and I think that would be more valuable. Sure, with that limited space it wouldn't be the most detailed description, but in many cases a limited description might be a huge help! e.g.- from 5 by white-tipped tail, reddish crissum, and red instead of orange iris. You get my jist!

I also wonder if the layout on the text pages could be improved. Not sure the rows and columns design facilitates finding info as quickly as possible. Truthfully though, the book is little more than plates, names and maps, to be honest. I would have rather seen a larger version of the guide with more information available. But as is this would make a great backpack guide for the field. Since identification information for each species is completely lacking, perhaps adding Peterson-style arrows pointing at some key field marks for each species might be a worthy addition. Most people would probably figure out what the arrows were pointing to, but sometimes key marks can be overlooked without having them brought to one's attention.

Overall, I like this book for its maps and illustrations, and I am not sorry I purchased it :)
 
I agree with all of the above but some of the plates are REALLY dark.

I think that for a country like Colombia, the most species rich on the planet, there has to be a case for the two volume approach with one volume being the field guide and the other containing just text.
 
I would like to add that to my eyes the drop shadow makes it more difficult to get an at a glance impression of the bird. I admit my eyes are not as young as they once were.

Niels

One example of the drop shadow causing problems: The tityras on plate 158: the drop shadow makes it look like they have grey on the central throat and breast which I do not believe they have.

Niels
 
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