Bill,
You said: Why does the NSS keep publishing books that nobody has ever read?
As a proofreader/editor/writer myself, I think the question should be, why do
authors think they can publish a book without a proofreader and an editor? My
experience is that I am my own worst proofreader.
Louise> From: bmixon...@austin.rr.com> To: texascavers@texascavers.com> Date:
Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:11:50 -0600> CC: nss6...@bellsount.net; dwhug...@aol.com;
tom....@hughes.net> Subject: [Texascavers] book review: Caves of Knoxville> >
"Caves of Knoxville and the Great Smoky Mountains." Larry E. Matthews. >
National Speleological Society, Huntsville, Alabama; 2008. ISBN >
978-1-879961-30-2. 8.5 by 11 inches, 295 pages, softbound. $24 (NSS > life
members $20, other NSS members $22).> > This in another book by
speleo-historian Larry Matthews, similar to > his 2007 "Caves of Chattanooga,"
although considerably longer. It > contains detailed histories and descriptions
of eight show caves in > the area, as well as five more caves that were open to
the public at > one time and one popular rock shelter in the national park.
There are > over three hundred illustrations, including modern and historic >
photographs, cave maps, and reproductions of old postcards and > brochures.
Much of the text is quoted from earlier sources. Like the > earlier book, this
one was written with an eye toward sales to the > public at the show caves, so
don't expect a critical review. For > example, the blatantly phony publicity
photo of the lake in Lost Sea > (aka Craighead Caverns) that Roy Davis once
prepared by combining > several shots of one boat, a photo of the cave ceiling,
and a photo of > the surface of Lake Cumberland is reproduced in figure 10.18
without > comment. Nevertheless, there is a lot of good information here for >
those interested in the histories of show caves.> > The illustrations are well
reproduced, but the typography is often > awkward. The text contains some
redundancies. For example, a sentence > near the bottom of the first column on
the first page of the first > chapter reads, "Crudgington bought 800 acres of
farmland, including > the entrance to the cave, in 1866." Two sentences later:
"The first > owner of the cave was Robert Crudgington, who purchased 800 acres
of > land, including the cave, in 1866." Why does the NSS keep publishing >
books that nobody has ever read?--Bill Mixon> > (There is another review of
this book, by Dave Hughes, in the October > "NSS News." My review has not been
submitted to anyone for > publication; feel free to reproduce wherever.)>
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