The T keeper's guide, revised edition, thoughts?

So I just got done reading it and wanted to hear about other people's thoughts and opinions on the matter as it is a bit of a "biggie" in the arachnid community. So, fire away at will.
TBH

The revised edition? Nope, haven't read it so I won't vote. But I liked the first edition, although I don't agree with everything that it said in it.

RottweilExpress said:

........I don't agree with everything that it said in it.

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I definitely agree. That is the reason I made this poll and the reason that I voted neutral.

There were awesome parts such as some of the photography and the species accounts. What I loved about the species accounts was that he posted all of the past and "corrected" scientific names as well as the current terms.

What really bothered me about it though is that he kept making it sound that tetanus would sometimes result from a tarantula bite. He also kept urging people to go to the hospital/ER after certain sp. bites. That is completely unneccessary and quite frankly brings bad press to the hobby. Seriously, what does he think that the hospital can do besides inject pain meds which are artificial aid and could cause dependency? Plus if insurance found out about the hospital trip, you could lose coverage or be forced to surrender the "offending" invert.

He also implied that blondi could be tamed with practice and kept going on about how they make horrible captives, which isn't always true. I found parts of this book completely asinine but others to be delightful. He hardly earns up to the title of "The Tarantula Whisperer" in my opinion.

All in all, I'm suprised that I am such a minority in saying that my opinion of the book was neutral.

TBH

You're not alone on the neutral point of view. As the Schultz's frequently point out in their book "Little is known about these creatures...." So they're not gonna have all the answers either. To err on the side of caution in not necessarily a bad thing, which I feel is the stance the Schultz's take in their book. They adopt a good middle-of-the-road approach to Tarantula husbandry. However, not all aspects or personal preferences can be acounted for. Hence why we are here on these forums....and Mr. Schultz, himself, appears here on this forum from time to time as well.

TKG is a arachnocultural bible of sorts....and like all bibles, a grain of salt must be taken to extract its true value. It is my reference before I use the almighty "Search" function....I gotta know what I'm searching for, and it's been a good tool to have the Schultz's middle-stance as a BS filter while I'm sifting trough all the posts on whatever topic I need. Books take a long time to write, and at the rate of information exchange these days, a book may be somewhat out of date by the time it's published. This is also something to keep in mind as our hobby seems to advance by the minute.

In the spirit of advancement, we have the internet at our fingertips. People like Rob C. are here showng us how to further advance breeding and the manufacture of beautiful and cost-effective custom enclosures. There's this guy on YouTube, John3800, who consistently puts out caresheet videos that are just packed-full of really good information. The sources to draw from are endless, but maybe I'm just old-fashioned, and IMHO, there is no substitute for a good desk-reference....especially one as comprehensive as TKG.

ThomasH said:

He also implied that blondi could be tamed with practice

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I wouldn't use the phrase "tamed" with any invert. but I can tell you that blondis most certainly can become accustomed to handling. In fact, I've handled several that never were handled before and it was quite easy.

Well yes, but it could still be more accurate. Hence the need to create new editions. I realize that errors happen but there are far too many in Shultz's book, I prefer Marshall's Tarantula's and other Arachnids. Shultz's book is good but you mustn't take it too seriously. Always use multiple references when seeking information.
TBH

the nature boy said:

I wouldn't use the phrase "tamed" with any invert. but I can tell you that blondis most certainly can become accustomed to handling. In fact, I've handled several that never were handled before and it was quite easy.

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He said........
".............Unless they are taught to be handled or manipulated as youngsters [starting about coffee cup size or smaller] they are big, powerful, unmangable handfuls [or double handfuls] with three quarter inch [two-centimeter] fangs.............." [PG. 352.]
TBH

Are we discussing the TKG or the second edition (specifically!) of the guide??

So far, I've found nothing in the second Ed that makes me glad I bought it, but I have admittedly been jumping about...

I have the book but was unimpressed.

Don't get me wrong, It's probobly the best T book out there,Its just that I don't believe everything in it. For example, he makes mites sound like the boogyman. I know that its not an invert, but I have a treefrog enclosure that is 78F and 80% humidity and guess what?, no mites. If they were everywhere I'm Pretty sure they would have found it after 10+ years. I'm not saying they can't kill Ts, I'm just saying that they aren't lurking around every corner waiting to get you. He also makes it sound like T.blondies are imposible to keep alive. I have a friend that has had his for 5 years! Anyway, I gave the book a neutral rating.

pinkfoot said:

Are we discussing the TKG or the second edition (specifically!) of the guide??

So far, I've found nothing in the second Ed that makes me glad I bought it, but I have admittedly been jumping about...

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The third edition that came out on Febuary 23rd, in the U.S. anyway. But they're not too different besides individual species accounts.
TBH

Exo said:

I have the book but was unimpressed.

Don't get me wrong, It's probobly the best T book out there,Its just that I don't believe everything in it.

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Have you tried Tarantulas and other Arachnids by Marshall? Or Tarantulas & Scorpions in Captivity by Gurley. Neither one are as big, but it's about the quality to me. They're fairly good.

Exo said:

He also makes it sound like T.blondies are imposible to keep alive. I have a friend that has had his for 5 years! Anyway, I gave the book a neutral rating.

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His blondi section is what irked me the most as well. He also said they almost always come with flies that harm your slings and that the only way to get rid of the flies is to get rid of the blondis! <-- Also not true.
TBH

I've owned the 2nd edition for a good while and even though I've read it cover to cover a couple of times, I still dip in and out of it quite alot. The Schultzs don't claim it to be the definitive word on T keeping but rather their own findings and observations from many years keeping many species of Ts. That's why revised editions appear as more is learned about T husbandry.

If I wrote a book on the care of a venomous animal, then I'd make sure to advise anyone who is bitten to go to hospital and seek medical advice. If I didn't, I'd be leaving myself wide open to lawsuits should complications or (however unlikely) a death occur. I'm sure the lawyers would have something to say if that advice was left out.

I also own Tarantulas and Other Arachnids by Sam Marshall and whilst it is also a very good book, it doesn't go into the same detail about anatomy and inner-workings that The Guide does. Maybe I'm just geeky that way, but I always like to know what's going on under the skin lol. On balance, despite a few "mistakes", I still think it's the best book on Ts out there.

I guess it all comes down to the lack of actual good books about the hobby. There are only a few out there, so the best bet is to make do with these untill more of the experienced hobbyists out there find the time and inclination to commit their knowledge to paper .

As I mentioned in an earlier thread on the same topic - The TKG is a book written by hobbyists (not scientists) for the benefit of hobbyists (not scientists). I think it serves its purpose well. I can't really think of any other book of its type that comes close to providing the same volume of information. Some people may be put off by some elements of the writing style, but that's a matter of personal taste and does not detract from the information it contains. And of course, there will always be people with different opinions on some issues, especially the non-quantifiable issues.

I bought the book before it actually came out - had to wait quite a while for delivery. I tend toward drier, more scientific writing styles - but have no complaints or regrets about the TKG III. It is the primary reference book in my tarantula culture library, and will remain so until someone tops it.

ThomasH said:

So I just got done reading it and wanted to hear about other people's thoughts and opinions on the matter as it is a bit of a "biggie" in the arachnid community. So, fire away at will.
TBH

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Man, I was just SO hoping someone would do this! Fire away sports fans!

Having said that, we probably will not respond to every criticism or comment here. Not only would it be too time consuming, but in the long run it would not have lasting or widespread influence or distribution. However, the most telling comments may be addressed in the "Addenda and Errata Sheet." See below.

Barron's doesn't acknowledge that there was an earlier edition of TKG published by Sterling Publishing in 1984. As a result, their edition numbering scheme is off by one compared to ours. Visit www.ucalgary/~schultz/g0.html for descriptions of all editions.

We have established an "Addenda and Errata Sheet" for each of the published editions. They may be reviewed, downloaded and printed at

www.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/errata1.html

www.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/errata2.html

www.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/errata3.html

with the number corresponding to our edition numbering scheme, not Barron's.

You are all encouraged to visit those addresses and comment on their contents as well.

Furthermore, it's all right to complain, but it would be a lot more productive if you could suggest corrections or improvements rather than merely pointing out parts you don't like or agree with. And, factual corrections are always welcome.

Lastly, we cannot guarantee that we're going to rewrite the book because some of you don't like this or that. There are some strict constraints that we have to bow to. But rest assured, we read every posting and consider every reasonable criticism. We wrote this book for YOU.

I have the latest edition. Bought it as a reference. Had the first or second edition but it's in storage somewhere so I ordered the latest one just so I have it handy if I need it. Have not read it yet. (Sorry Stan- these old eyes just can't go cover to cover anymore!)

Pretty much agree with Bill S.

T_DORKUS said:

... (Sorry Stan- these old eyes just can't go cover to cover anymore!) ...

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Don't feel bad. I can't either, AND I WROTE THE @#$%^ THING!

Here's one for your file of 1,001 useless facts: It took a friend of ours and me 10 days at 4 to 8 hours a day to compare the galley proofs with the manuscript on my laptop during final editing for publication.

Bill S said:

As I mentioned in an earlier thread on the same topic - The TKG is a book written by hobbyists (not scientists) for the benefit of hobbyists (not scientists). I think it serves its purpose well. I can't really think of any other book of its type that comes close to providing the same volume of information. Some people may be put off by some elements of the writing style, but that's a matter of personal taste and does not detract from the information it contains. And of course, there will always be people with different opinions on some issues, especially the non-quantifiable issues.

I bought the book before it actually came out - had to wait quite a while for delivery. I tend toward drier, more scientific writing styles - but have no complaints or regrets about the TKG III. It is the primary reference book in my tarantula culture library, and will remain so until someone tops it.

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:clap: :clap:

Well said.

I have not seen a book that comes close to covering the same number of topics, and cover at the depth they ( the authors ) do.

ThomasH said:

His blondi section is what irked me the most as well. He also said they almost always come with flies that harm your slings and that the only way to get rid of the flies is to get rid of the blondis! <-- Also not true.
TBH

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I have had 6 blondi's .currently owning 2 and i get fly's from time to time and it's only with them..so if i did get rid of the blondi's I'll probably get rid of the fly's as well.and a couple fly's won't necessarily hurt your slings but a grouping will.

ThomasH said:

He said........
".............Unless they are taught to be handled or manipulated as youngsters [starting about coffee cup size or smaller] they are big, powerful, unmangable handfuls [or double handfuls] with three quarter inch [two-centimeter] fangs.............." [PG. 352.]
TBH

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I find this to be some what true as well..all my other blondi's have not taken well to handling at all.. but i have one that i raised from a very young 2" and she is very calm and manageable,and manipulates well..

I really liked the book and I keep finding myself refering back to bits and pieces. But like any other book on this subject, it's not going to be 100% accurate!
I wouldn't call this book a "bible", more of a guide or a jumping off point. The best way that anyone can gain the knoweldge of spider keeping is to keep them and to learn by trial and error! That and to ask questions, lots and lots of questions! Lol

Sarcastro said:

I have had 6 blondi's .currently owning 2 and i get fly's from time to time and it's only with them..so if i did get rid of the blondi's I'll probably get rid of the fly's as well.and a couple fly's won't necessarily hurt your slings but a grouping will.

I find this to be some what true as well..all my other blondi's have not taken well to handling at all.. but i have one that i raised from a very young 2" and she is very calm and manageable,and manipulates well..

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Yes but you can easily get rid of the flies from my experience. Just be veeery sanitary and kill all on sight just physically [NO PESTICIDES.] and they disappear in just weeks.

Conditioning to be handled is impossible for Theriphosids as far as the scientists and hobbyists of today know. Have you considered the possibility that your self confidence with the animal hasn't made handling easier?
TBH