Good to hear a positive review, I actually found an earlier edition some years back but havent read it because I dont have my lab geared up for serious sterile bio work, lol
Your right about supply problems on basic lab chemicals and gear, bubbles, I run into that nonsense all the time. Innovation and determination usually gets it done in the end, tho. Really old books help too, from the days when scientists couldnt buy pre-mixed culture media powder and such. The ultimate irony is that when I'm formulating specialty fertilizers or manipulating plant hormones, etc., 'totally legal' things, I have to boot up TOR and read through hardcore illicit drug synth websites to figure out good clean alternative sources for the innocent chemicals I need. Its no different than if the government put such absurdly heavy restrictions on needles that innocent diabetics have to buy their needles from heroin dealers.
That said, there are home orchid culture supply houses that sell many of the legal tissue culture supplies that major chemical suppliers would never sell to individuals. If you can stand the prices. Homebrewing suppliers also have a few useful chemicals.