This small book gives simple descriptions of a variety of weeds opposite their pictures. The descriptions are in large-type, and most of the pictures are in glossy full color. So this book might be appealing to junior gardeners.

However, the book was published in England and seems to be more applicable to British readers. I don't seem to have quite the same mix of weeds in my Chicago yard as this book expects to sprout up. And when I did find a weed I recognized, it was sometimes labeled with a different name than I was used to calling it. I hadn't really thought before about how different countries have different weeds.

The most startling difference between countries in the battle against weeds though - emerged when it came to the tools suggested to do the job. The implements that Thompson recommends to extirpate most of the weeds pictured here, aren't to be found in the average hardware or gardening store in the U.S. For example, he recommends a range of hoes that he describes as acting more like chisels that chop off weeds just below ground level. No store I know of in the U.S. carries such tools.

Thompson also recommends using a weed-burner to eliminate weeds individually. Mostly, if such burners (designed to be attached to propane tanks) can be found in U.S. hardware stores at all, it's in the roofing section where they are principally sold for melting tar/asphalt strips in place on flat roofs. However at least the burners can be found on-line, and they do suggest new possibilities for combating weeds.

As interesting as these cultural differences between weed patches are to read about though - if you aren't British, you might find this book to be somewhat besides the point when it comes to maintaining your garden