When I began buying houseplants, I thought it would be useful to have a houseplant encyclopedia to reference for lighting and watering requirements, plus I wanted to be able to read about all types of plants. This is not what I got in this book, but that's okay because what Tovah Martin does is go into depth about a few plants that she sees as valuable and worthy of taking care of over time. This book is really about building relationships with your plants, about choosing plants for their quality and housing them in a way that does justice to both their needs and their aesthetic. Houseplants are not always treated well; people make jokes about how bad they are at taking care of them, and few people do research on a plant before they buy it. What this book does is encourage its readers to be deliberate about plant purchases. It gives examples of several plants that are both hardy and attractive, and while it does provide useful information about lighting, watering, potential problems, etc., Martin's stories about each plant make this a more valuable read than a houseplant encyclopedia. If you are someone who cares about building a relationship with your plants, about treating them like a living thing, this book is for you. If you want a quick reference guide, go with something else. Or try this book anyway - as I said, I thought I wanted a quick reference book, but "The Indestructible Houseplant" turned out to be what I really needed. It has transformed my entire approach to growing plants indoors.