first orchid, no name & problems already

i've only watered it once. a couple nights ago. i stuck my finger in the soil and it seemed dry. i watered it till it dripped out the bottom. and i have the pot on a plate with stones. which i put some water in the plate.
i think the room gets a mix of southwest sun. the sun beams on that side of the house from afternoon till sundown. it's an older house with no insulation and a crappy register that doesn't put much of the a/c in that room. so i wouldn't doubt it gets up to 90 in that room with no circulation. but i've started using a fan during the day.

As far as beginners books go, by far the best one I've read is:

Understanding Orchids: An Uncomplicated Guide to Growing the World's Most Exotic Plants
by William Cullina

Alternatively, another one I like is:

Orchids: Care and Cultivation
by Gerald Leroy-Terquem & Jean Parisot

The latter is not as comprehensive as the former, but it is still a good beginners book. But, given a choice between the two, I would suggest the first one...

If you end up getting one of these, let me know what you think of it...

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Geoffrey

Believe it or not, Orchids For Dummies is actually quite good. I have found my All About Growing Orchids by Ortho Books very helpful and I bought it at a used book store.

thanks for the book suggestions. i'll be placing an order shortly for some new reading material