Counterfit New Square Foot Gardening Book?

Sharpy 3/2/2010, 1:50 pm

I have recently gotten into vegetable gardening and very much enjoyed the original Square Foot Gardening book. I had been speaking to my wife about possibly buying the New
Square Foot Gardening book. A few days later, she returned from our
local Dollar Store with a copy of the New Square Foot Gardening Book.
She said she paid just $5 for the book and in fact it had a large $5
sticker on the front. I buy most of my books from Amazon and knew that
that was more than half of Amazon's price, something did not add up.

In looking into it further I found that both the Square Foot Gardening website and
Amazon's, note the book as being 272 pages, however this copy is only
172 pages. In addition, the ISBN number does not match that on Amazon's
website nor does it appear in any Google search for that ISBN number.

Is this book counterfeit or something? Counterfit New Square Foot Gardening Book? Affraid

Counterfit New Square Foot Gardening Book? Affraid

jinx 3/2/2010, 2:13 pm

I wonder if it was a misprint? That would explain why it is short pages and why you'd find it at your local discount store. Discount stores are famous for getting stuff that can't be sold any where else. It is worth looking into though, I'd be curious about it myself.

~Jenn

boffer 3/2/2010, 2:45 pm

We were just talking about that last night. There are some other printings out there that are legal, according to Mel. Some are in black and white!

Sharpy 3/2/2010, 2:54 pm

The book is absolutely NOT "OK"...it is missing 100 pages!!!

A "misprint" or a "legal" version of the same book that is missing nearly 100 pages? That seems suspicious.....

I have looked at it very closely and there is no indication that it is a different version it looks just like the one on Amazon.

I think it wrong to market something as something it is not....one-third of the book missing is dishonest and just plain wrong.

If this is a "special" two-third version, it needs to be maked as so...wouldn't this be considered false advertising?

SFGHQSTAFF 3/2/2010, 4:24 pm

Sharpy wrote:I have recently gotten into vegetable gardening and very much enjoyed the original Square Foot Gardening book. I had been speaking to my wife about possibly buying the New
Square Foot Gardening book. A few days later, she returned from our
local Dollar Store with a copy of the New Square Foot Gardening Book.
She said she paid just $5 for the book and in fact it had a large $5
sticker on the front. I buy most of my books from Amazon and knew that
that was more than half of Amazon's price, something did not add up.

In looking into it further I found that both the Square Foot Gardening website and
Amazon's, note the book as being 272 pages, however this copy is only
172 pages. In addition, the ISBN number does not match that on Amazon's
website nor does it appear in any Google search for that ISBN number.

Is this book counterfeit or something?

Howdy, This is Alan from the Square Foot Gardening Foundation. Can you do me a favor and scan the front,back page and a couple of inside pages of this $5 book and email them to me? at:alan@squarefootgardening.com I am really interested to see what this is about. Thanks Alan Smile

Guest 3/2/2010, 5:31 pm

i bought the same book at dollar genral the "suggested retail price" is/was $14.95 if i hadent seen it the last time i was in there i might not be here so if it is not "THE" sfg bible, it got me here so its a good thing.

boog

Sharpy 3/2/2010, 11:20 pm

Admin wrote:Howdy, This is Alan from the Square Foot Gardening Foundation. Can you do me a favor and scan the front,back page and a couple of inside pages of this $5 book and email them to me? at:alan@squarefootgardening.com I am really interested to see what this is about. Thanks Alan

Counterfit New Square Foot Gardening Book? Cover

Counterfit New Square Foot Gardening Book? Back

Counterfit New Square Foot Gardening Book? Insidefront

Counterfit New Square Foot Gardening Book? Page80

Counterfit New Square Foot Gardening Book? TOC

SFGHQSTAFF 3/2/2010, 11:26 pm

thank you. This looks just like our book. I wonder if cool springs press(the publisher) is making some type of small version of the book. I'll look into it. Thanks guys! Counterfit New Square Foot Gardening Book? Icon_sunny

samantha 3/4/2010, 11:34 am

I also bought this book and gave it to a friend. I hope it is the right information.

jerzyjen 3/4/2010, 2:06 pm

I don't have my book with me at work so I can't say for sure, but I believe it is probably the last 100 pages that I use THE MOST for reference. The back of my book has several planting charts and an quick reference index of common plant types in alphabetical order. For example you can flip to "tomatos" and there is a half page summary on planting info (how many per square, seasons they can be grown in, what family they are etc...)

If this part of your book is missing, I would highly recommend forking out the money and getting it from Amazon, Borders or any other reputable book seller. These pages of my book have the most crinkled pages and mel's mix stains (yes I've been known to actually take outside with me).

happyfrog 3/5/2010, 8:33 am

i'm intrigued now - anyone have answer on what's missing from the discount book?

Retired Member 1 3/6/2010, 2:15 pm

I just purchased the Dollar General book. There are 9 chapters ending at page 162. Folowed by "Mel's Final Summary". Then 9 pages of charts including germination times, Spring planting times, Planting schedules for continuous harvest crops, Fall planting guide, and At a Glance, which summarizes the planting spacing, time to harvest, etc. for a variety of veggies, herbs and some flowers. What is definitely missing is the in-depth guides for individual plants found in the original book, but that only took up 70 pages, so I have no idea where an additional 30 might have gotten to.

How many chapters are in the full book? Do they correspond to the Table of Contents picture in a previous post? Does chapter 9 - Extending the Seasons - begin on or close to pg. 149?

I do believe that this version has everything someone needs to know about square foot gardening, but I'm not sure how ethical it is to have the exact same title and cover but in a shortened book. If I were the publisher, I would have named it a condensed version or even "lite" to distinquish it from the full version. OTOH, this might reach more people at the $5.00 price. The retail price is $14.95 vs. $19.95 for the full version, so at least the price is lower to begin with.

Retired Member 1 3/6/2010, 2:29 pm

Ah, just checked the Amazon "look inside" feature. One large difference is chap. 8 - Vertical gardening - is only 3 pages long vs. 20 pages in the full version. and chap. 10 is completely missing as is the appendix and index. Also, it appears the regular book has colour inside and this one is all b&w. Shame that there isn't more on vertical gardening -- even the directions on how to build the trellis is very scant. My take on it all is if someone has the original SFG book, then this condensed version is fine. But if someone is just starting out, pay the extra and get the full version.

Sharpy 3/26/2010, 11:30 pm

It's been several weeks now....what is the official word on this rip-off?

Anstar 3/26/2010, 11:59 pm

It looks to me to be a misprint... The ISBN is not registered in any of the directories I'm familiar with. Also, there's a typo for the publisher's website - the back cover says coolspringspress.net instead of coolspringspress.com.

As a consumer, is your question weather this book contains all of the same information? From what others have posted, it doesn't. Still, a lot of the basics are there.

Course, who doesn't love a scandal? I wonder too if Mel gets his royalties off this printing. Though, I'm sure it isn't any of my business. Counterfit New Square Foot Gardening Book? Icon_redface

SFGHQSTAFF 3/27/2010, 7:50 am

Mel is verifying with the publisher, but apparently this might be real. Cool springs told him that they were thinking about coming out with a condensed version of the book for dollar stores, but he had not heard more about it. That was a long time ago. If that's true, I like that they want to reach out to those who can't afford the book or to those who shop in that market, but the book was already very simplified(hence the beauty of it) and I am worried that too much has been taken off. we will see. Alan Counterfit New Square Foot Gardening Book? Icon_question

Retired Member 1 3/27/2010, 2:12 pm

Anstar wrote:It looks to me to be a misprint... The ISBN is not registered in any of the directories I'm familiar with. Also, there's a typo for the publisher's website - the back cover says coolspringspress.net instead of coolspringspress.comom.

As a consumer, is your question weather this book contains all of the same information? From what others have posted, it doesn't. Still, a lot of the basics are there.

Course, who doesn't love a scandal? I wonder too if Mel gets his royalties off this printing. Though, I'm sure it isn't any of my business.

REad my post above -- I outline the differences. My copy does have coolspringspress.com on the back cover. I just wrote the publisher and will report if they respond. My gripe is not the missing pages as I have the first book, but the fact there is nothing on the cover to indicate this is a "condensed version". Then again, the $5.00 price tag will put the book in many more hands than otherwise.

martha 3/27/2010, 2:39 pm

I guess I need to adjust to the times, and the world. I am surprised and less than thrilled to learn that publishers can abridge a book without the author's specific permission.

I do appreciate the part about getting the book into more people's hands.

SFG in Chicago 3/27/2010, 3:14 pm

I agree that the condensed version should indicate that on the cover so you know what you're getting. If I'd seen that in the dollar store I would've snapped it up not knowing it was shortened. I have the full version from Amazon. Interestingly the publisher's website on the back of the full version is the .net & it's no good, website doesn't work. The .com one the shortened book is the correct website.

Retired Member 1 3/28/2010, 12:13 pm

I received a response to my e-mail to Cool Springs Press:

The book you are referring to is a "Value Edition" of the original All New Square Foot Gardening Book and was designed for the Dollar Store market. The full length, full color edition is available at $19.95 throughout the country at home centers and bookstores and at www.gardenbookstore.net.

Roger Waynick

I still feel that something should be on the cover to indicate this isn't the full version. OTOH, I think it's great that folks can get a book for $5.00.

Sharpy 3/28/2010, 3:15 pm

belfrybat wrote:I still feel that something should be on the cover to indicate this isn't the full version. OTOH, I think it's great that folks can get a book for $5.00.

I feel the same way...this is a complete rip-off, but now the publisher and author got their money so they could care less about how those that got ripped-off feel.

I know it's only $5 but it the principal of marketing something that isn't what it appears to be...it's wrong, just wrong!

aspiegardner 4/29/2010, 8:48 am

This book has been in dollar general since Dec. It is only $5 and yes I agree it should say smaller or condensed version.

There is also a copy that is sold at home depot wonder if its the full version.

SFGHQSTAFF 4/29/2010, 9:28 am

from the latest info I got, it looks like Cool springs is only having two printings. We will see what they do... Alan

Retired Member 1 4/29/2010, 11:47 am

aspiegardner wrote:This book has been in dollar general since Dec. It is only $5 and yes I agree it should say smaller or condensed version.

There is also a copy that is sold at home depot wonder if its the full version.

Yes, it would be the full version. The way to tell is look at the retail price on the top -- if $19.95, then it is the full version. Also the full version had colour photos throughout whereas the "Value version" is all B&W.

Ha-v-v 4/29/2010, 11:57 am

I found the "value" version of Mel's book at Dollar General. Not knowing anything of SFG ahead of time this book sold me on Mel's theory. I was so excited about gardening again. The thought of tilling and feeding and weeding the garden again for minimal produce was not so inviting this year. I look forward to a new way to garden thanks to the value edition Smile

I even bought two more copies from Dollar General to give away. One to the neighbor up the way and one to my friend in California. I do have to say Im so curious about the "full" version of the book, not sure I will run out and buy it right yet Smile

Im happy with the book I have and the forum here is so fun to read and get ideas !! Im a happy camper.

Happy Gardening
zone 8/9
Ha-v-v

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