Earth Sciences, Geography & Environment Books

Book SynopsisFrom the “scientist finding climate change’s smoking gun” (WIRED) and a Times 100 Most Influential Person comes a bracing investigation into extreme weather’s impact on the world’s most vulnerable. For fans of Naomi Klein and Greta Thunberg.Climate change does not affect everyone equally. While many scientists focus on studying climate change as a physics problem, Friederike Otto, one of the world’s most renowned climate scientists, sees it as a symptom of the global crisis of inequality, not its cause. In this ambitious, fast-paced book, she offers concrete examples of how extreme weather events caused by climate change reveal uncomfortable truths about the failures of political and social infrastructures around the world.Comparing eight extreme weather events—including heat waves in North America, floods in Pakistan, droughts in Madagascar, and wildfires in Australia—Otto reveals how climate change is affecting the world’s most vulnerable, whether they are women working on farms in Ghana during heat waves, or elderly people who died during floods in Germany. In particular, Otto examines the Global North’s extractionist view of the Global South, a view that ensures elites are protected while others bear the brunt of the climate disaster.Climate Injustice shares the stories of real people, shining a light on the real damage inflicted on real lives. Above all, it shows how racism, colonialism, sexism, and climate change are interconnected, and how positive changes on one level can lead to positive effects on another. Authored by the co-founder of World Weather Attribution, a cutting-edge scientific method that pinpointed the role of climate change in extreme weather events for the first time, Climate Injustice offers a groundbreaking view on the fires, floods, heatwaves, and storms that are wreaking havoc at an alarming pace.Inequality and injustice are at the core of what makes climate change a problem for humanity. Fairness and global justice must therefore be at the core of the solution. Climate justice concerns everyone.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Nobel Prize in Literature''Desperately important and impossible to put down. It is timeless. . . what shines clear from the testimonies is love - love which can make you do the most spectacular things '' Sheena Patel, Observer''- A new translation of Voices from Chernobyl based on the revised version -In April 1986 a series of explosions shook the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. Flames lit up the sky and radiation escaped to contaminate the land and poison the people for years to come. While officials tried to hush up the accident, Svetlana Alexievich spent years collecting testimonies from survivors - clean-up workers, residents, firefighters, resettlers, widows, orphans - crafting their voices into a haunting oral history of fear, anger and uncertainty, but also dark humour and love. A chronicle of the past and a warning for our nuclear future, Chernobyl Prayer shows what it is like to bear witness, and remember in a world that wants you to forget.''Beautifully written. . . heart-breaking'' - Arundhati Roy, Elle ''One of the most humane and terrifying books I''ve ever read'' - Helen Simpson, ObserverTrade ReviewAbsolutely essential and heartbreaking reading. There's a reason Ms. Alexievich won a Nobel Prize -- Craig Mazin, creator of the HBO series ChernobylDesperately important and impossible to put down. It is timeless and has sparked so much thought about infinity, sacrifice, love and unspeakable grief. . . what shines clear from the testimonies is love - love which can make you do the most spectacular things -- Sheena Patel * Observer *A beautifully written book, it's been years since I had to look away from a page because it was just too heart-breaking to go on. Give me beautiful prose and I'll follow you anywhere -- Arundhati Roy * Elle *A collage of oral testimony that turns into the psycho­biography of a nation not shown on any map... The book leaves radiation burns on the brain -- Julian Barnes * Guardian *Absolutely fantastic -- Karl Ove KnausgaardA searing mix of eloquence and wordlessness... From her interviewees' monologues she creates history that the reader, at whatever distance from the events, can actually touch -- Julian Evans * Daily Telegraph *One of the most humane and terrifying books I've ever read -- Helen Simpson * Observer *Alexievich's documentary approach makes the experiences vivid, sometimes almost unbearably so - but it's a remarkably democratic way of constructing a book... When you consider the extent to which she has been traversing the irradiated landscape, you realise she has put herself on the line in a way very few authors ever do -- Nicholas Lezard * Guardian *A moving piece of polyphony, skilfully assembled from what must have been a huge mass of material... We are living in Alexievich's 'age of disasters'. This haunting book offers us at least some ways of thinking about that predicament -- Lucy Hughes-Hallett * New Statesman *This masterly new translation by Anna Gunin and Arch Tait retains the nerve and pulse of the Russian * TLS *Alexievich assembles the previously silenced or unsung heroes into a chorus that has the power to move, stun and inspire awe. The result is a remarkable oral history, an essential read -- Malcolm Forbes * Herald Scotland *Not merely a work of documentation but of excavation, of revealed meaning. It is hard to imagine how anyone in the West will read these cantos of loss and not feel a sense of communion, of a shared humanity -- Andrew Meier * The Nation *Alexievich serves no ideology, only an ideal: to listen closely enough to the ordinary voices of her time to orchestrate them into extraordinary books -- Philip Gourevitch * New Yorker *Alexievich has become one of my heroes -- Atul GawandeAwarding the Nobel Prize for Literature to Svetlana Alexievich is a brilliant choice that recalibrates the status of "non-fiction" in the literary canon -- Arifa Akbar * Independent *Through her books and her life itself, Alexievich has gained probably the world's deepest, most eloquent understanding of the post-Soviet condition -- Masha Gessen * New Yorker *Alexievich retreats into the wings to let her subjects speak. But this is the art that conceals art. Her editor's flair for selection, contrast and emphasis, her almost cinematic touch with cuts, pans and close-ups, make her a documentary virtuoso -- Boyd Tonkin * Spectator *Her interviews go on for hours. She goes back for more. She transcribes. She discards three-quarters of her material. She polishes. She takes pains to convey the cadence of a person's words. It shows. The distilled work goes deep into the subject. She is after the ephemeral; the emotion behind written history; the "history of the soul." Here, she believes, is where the truth lies -- Vanora Bennett * Prospect *This masterly new translation by Anna Gunin and Arch Tait retains the nerve and pulse of the Russian, conveying the angst and confusion of the narrators -- Serguei Alex. Oushakine * Times Literary Supplement *The last book that made me cry... incredible -- Joe Dunthorne * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisAnyone alive today is among a tiny fraction of the once living: over 90 percent of species that ever lived are now extinct. How did we come to think of ourselves as survivors in a world where species can vanish forever, or as capable of pushing our planet to the verge of a sixth mass extinction?Extinction, Sadiah Qureshi shows us, is a surprisingly modern concept. In Europe until the late eighteenth century, species were considered perfect and unchanging creations of God. Then in the age of revolutions, scientists gathered enough fossil evidence to piece together that mammoth bones, for example, were not just large elephants but a lost species that once roamed the Earth. Extinction went from being viewed as theologically dangerous to pervasive, even natural.Yet Europeans and Americans quickly used the idea that extinction was a natural process to justify persecution and genocide, predicting that nations from Newfoundland's Beothuk to Aboriginal Australians were doome

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Book SynopsisThousands of global facts at your fingertips with the best value quick-reference World Atlas on the market. Both physical and political geography is clearly illustrated alongside the great cities of our planet.The highest peak? The deepest ocean trench? The wettest, driest, longest, largest - we list the world''s fascinating extremes. Crammed with practical information like a Distance Chart for World Cities, World Time Zones, over 200 State Flags and the top 100 most populous countries, we include around 15,000 places indexed for easy checking. Whether for the pub quiz, travel planning or school reference, this great value handy world atlas is crammed with everything you need to know.Alongside the topography and physical attributes of the earth we also show political boundaries and the great global cities, including transport hubs and places of interest from mosques to temples, palaces to zoos and shopping centres to tourist information centres.Features include: * 200 Flags of the world''s major states and territories* 21 City centre maps: transport (road, rail, trams, light railways, bus and railway stations) and places of interest including religious buildings (churches, abbeys, cathedrals, synagogues, shrines, temples, mosques), museums, galleries, theatres, palaces, castles, parks, gardens, zoos, shopping centres, hospitals, Tourist Centres.* World city distance table* World time zones map* Country comparisons table - the population and areas of the world''s top 100 most populous countries* Physical comparisons- largest oceans, longest rivers, biggest islands, highest peaks, deepest trenches.* Continental Comparator - for each one we show area, coldest place, hottest place, wettest place, driest place * World topographic maps - with coloured contour layers and hill-shading clearly outlining the Earth''s surface.* World political maps - the latest boundary and geopolitical changes.* Index of approx. 15,000 place-names - with geographical features like mountains, lakes and deserts, as well as towns.

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Book Synopsis''One of history''s most impressive field studies; an instant animal classic'' TIMEJane Goodall''s classic account of primate research provides an impressively detailed and absorbing account of the early years of her field study of, and adventures with, chimpanzees in Tanzania, Africa. It is a landmark for everyone to enjoy.

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE 2024 WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR CONSERVATION WRITING A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEKA 2023 BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE GUARDIAN AND THE NEW YORKER ‘Captivating’ Literary Review‘Powerful’ New Scientist ‘Impressive’ Spectator‘Important’ Financial Times Waste is everywhere. It’s clogging our rivers and littering our streets. The Pacific Ocean contains a great garbage patch three times the size of France. Our junk is even orbiting the earth. No wonder there are microplastics in our bloodstreams. Waste, a problem we’ve ignored for too long, is now a global crisis – and it’s getting worse. From the landfills of New Delhi, to the second-hand clothing markets of Ghana and the overflowing sewers of Britain, join Oliver Frankl

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Book SynopsisA TIMES AND TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR''Beautifully written, movingly told and meticulously researched ... a convincing plea for a wilder, richer world'' Isabella Tree, author of Wilding''By the time I''d read the first chapter, I''d resolved to take my son into the woods every afternoon over winter. By the time I''d read the sixth, I was wanting to break prisoners out of cells and onto the mossy moors. Losing Eden rigorously and convincingly tells of the value of the natural universe to our human hearts'' Amy Liptrot, author of The OutrunToday many of us live indoor lives, disconnected from the natural world as never before. And yet nature remains deeply ingrained in our language, culture and consciousness. For centuries, we have acted on an intuitive sense that we need communion with the wild to feel well. Now, in the moment of our great migration away from the rest of nature, more and more scientific evidence is emerging to confirm its place at the heart of our psychological wellbeing. So what happens, asks acclaimed journalist Lucy Jones, as we lose our bond with the natural world-might we also be losing part of ourselves? Delicately observed and rigorously researched, Losing Eden is an enthralling journey through this new research, exploring how and why connecting with the living world can so drastically affect our health. Travelling from forest schools in East London to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault via primeval woodlands, Californian laboratories and ecotherapists'' couches, Jones takes us to the cutting edge of human biology, neuroscience and psychology, and discovers new ways of understanding our increasingly dysfunctional relationship with the earth. Urgent and uplifting, Losing Eden is a rallying cry for a wilder way of life - for finding asylum in the soil and joy in the trees - which might just help us to save the living planet, as well as ourselves.Trade ReviewEarnest, painstakingly-researched...A heartfelt love-letter to the outdoors * Daily Mail *The benefits of experiencing nature may be far greater than is commonly appreciated ... A fascinating exploration of the new science of our connection to the natural world ... written in such lush, vivid prose that reading it, one can feel transported and restored. * New Statesman *Beautiful...science is proving just how deeply the cycles and rhythms of the natural world have been knitted into our every cell -- Anthony Doerr * Daily Mail *Urgent, accessible, moving ... A beautifully written, research-heavy study about how nature offers us wellbeing * Observer *Losing Eden provides the evidence of how nature makes us calmer, healthier, happier, even kinder. Jones moves between close biological evidence -- how our parasympathetic nervous system is triggered when we're in nature, how bacteria found in soil increases stress resilience -- to large-scale environmental studies. The book is shot through with personal experience [...but is] not really a memoir; it's about all of us. * TLS *Wonderful ... This is an important book * Telegraph Book of the Year *We've all heard it said that going for a dawdle in the park is good for us, but we probably assumed that such ideas are rooted in whimsy rather than empirical fact. Lucy Jones tracks down evidence for the benefits of rewilding our lives. People, research suggests, are not just happier when cities are greener but are also less violent. Losing Eden is just the right blend of the personal and the scientific as she also recounts how reconnecting with nature gave her some meaning after a period of coming undone. * The Times Books of the Year *Beautifully written, movingly told and meticulously researched, Losing Eden is an elegy to the healing power of nature, something we need more than ever in our anxiety-ridden world of ecological loss. Woven together with her own personal story of recovery, Lucy Jones lays out the overwhelming scientific evidence for nature as nurturer for body and soul with the clarity and candour that will move hearts and minds - a convincing plea for a wilder, richer world. * Isabella Tree, author of Wilding *By the time I'd read the first chapter, I'd resolved to take my son into the woods every afternoon over winter. By the time I'd read the sixth, I was wanting to break prisoners out of cells and onto the mossy moors. Losing Eden rigorously and convincingly tells of the value of the natural universe to our human hearts. It's a simple message but Lucy Jones looks at it by using so many interesting and diverse ideas and places that it always stays vital. It is exciting, pertinent and elegantly written: I recommend it to anyone who makes decisions. * Amy Liptrot, author of The Outrun *Brilliant -- Melissa HarrisonFascinating ... the connection between mental health and the natural world turns out to be strong and deep - which is good news in that it offers those feeling soul-sick the possibility that falling in love with the world around them might be remarkably helpful. And those who fall in love with the world might protect it, a virtuous cycle that would make a real difference in the fight for a workable planet. * Bill McKibben, author of Falter; Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? *An absorbing book...more than just a scientific treatise: Jones writes beautifully about nature and her own experiences of its healing powers * Country and Townhouse *Fantastic -- Guy Shrubsole

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Book SynopsisIn twenty short books, Penguin brings you the classics of the environmental movement.In The Dragonfly Will Be the Messiah, the celebrated pioneer of the ''do-nothing'' farming method reflects on global ecological trauma and argues that we must radically transform our understanding of both nature and ourselves in order to have any chance of healing.Over the past 75 years, a new canon has emerged. As life on Earth has become irrevocably altered by humans, visionary thinkers around the world have raised their voices to defend the planet, and affirm our place at the heart of its restoration. Their words have endured through the decades, becoming the classics of a movement. Together, these books show the richness of environmental thought, and point the way to a fairer, saner, greener world.

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Book SynopsisThe story of how Francis Pryor created a haven for people, plants and wildlife in a remote corner of the fens.In 1992, the archaeologists Francis and Maisie Pryor acquired a large field in a remote corner of the Lincolnshire fens. The soil was exhausted by half a century of intensive cultivation; yet within a few years, Francis and Maisie would build a home here, and transform an arable desert into a haven for plants, people and wildlife. Taking their inspiration from different elements of the English gardening tradition, they set about creating a garden that was ambitious in scope but human in scale.A Fenland Garden is shot through with the empirical wisdom of a writer with a special relationship with landscape and the soil. Francis's account of the garden at Inley Drove is counterpointed by nuggets of fenland lore, by walks in the woods with the dogs Pen and Baldwin, and by vignettes of the plantsman's trials and tribulations. Above all, this is the

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Book SynopsisAccording to Schauberger, water is akin to blood in the human body - the most important life-giving and energy-empowering substance on the planet. Yet, with incorrect, ignorant handling, it becomes diseased, affecting human, animal and vegetable life alike, causing physical decay and, in the case of people, their moral, mental and spiritual deterioration as well. Schauberger was a fearless exponent of natural energy and a fascinating polemicist, revelling in doing battle with contemporary orthodox scientists. Sadly, the same extractive and water management policies which brought devastation and widespread pollution in his day have even greater consequences today. Themes addressed in this book include: The natural pulsation of water and how to maintain it How minute differences in temperature affect the natural function of water in the earth, in plants and rivers. How to regulate rivers without damaging their vitality and health The natural conversion of sea-water into fresh water The consequence of sterilisation and chlorination of water

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Book SynopsisThe science on climate change has been clear for a very long time now. Yet despite decades of appeals, mass street protests, petition campaigns, and peaceful demonstrations, we are still facing a booming fossil fuel industry, rising seas, rising emission levels, and a rising temperature. With the stakes so high, why haven't we moved beyond peaceful protest? In this lyrical manifesto, noted climate scholar (and saboteur of SUV tires and coal mines) Andreas Malm makes an impassioned call for the climate movement to escalate its tactics in the face of ecological collapse. We need, he argues, to force fossil fuel extraction to stop--with our actions, with our bodies, and by defusing and destroying its tools. We need, in short, to start blowing up some oil pipelines. Offering a counter-history of how mass popular change has occurred, from the democratic revolutions overthrowing dictators to the movement against apartheid and for women's suffrage, Malm argues that the strategic acceptance of property destruction and violence has been the only route for revolutionary change. In a braided narrative that moves from the forests of Germany and the streets of London to the deserts of Iraq, Malm offers us an incisive discussion of the politics and ethics of pacifism and violence, democracy and social change, strategy and tactics, and a movement compelled by both the heart and the mind. Here is how we fight in a world on fire.Trade ReviewA powerful sketch of a political theory for a time of climate change. -- David Wallace-Wells, author of The Uninhabitable EarthThe definitive deep history on how our economic system created the climate crisis. Superb, essential reading from one of the most original thinkers on the subject. -- Naomi Klein, author of This Changes Everything and The Shock DoctrineThe best book written about the origins of global warming ... Like Naomi Klein's This Changes Everything, Fossil Capital trenchantly demonstrated that capitalism and capitalists are responsible for climate change. -- Michael Robbins * Bookforum *How to Blow Up a Pipeline is a challenge to the left, and an important one. -- John Foster * The Battleground *A short and gripping manifesto which aims to wrench the climate movement out of its complacency * Bright Green *Timely ... Malm delivers the essay in his usual lucid and fiery style * Ecologist *One of the most important things written about the climate crisis. -- Wen Stephenson * LARB *A profoundly necessary book -- Scott W. Stern * LARB *Advocates powerfully against despair and powerlessness. -- Tatiana Schlossberg * New York Times *Written passionately...Malm argues that it may be too late to avert climate crisis, but it is far from too late to ameliorate suffering. -- Sawarin Suwichakornpong * Bangkok Post *Malm offers a critical, passionate and hopeful assessment of where it might go next. Malm's refreshing humanist ethos combined with his Marxist radicalism make him one of the most exciting contemporary writers on the climate crisis, this forceful new entry into his repertoire is no exception, though perhaps a different beast from his more academic work. * Political Economy Research Centre *Refreshing and provoking * It's Freezing in LA *How to Blow Up a Pipeline makes a strong case for looking beyond non-violent activism * VICE *A humble and nuanced case... it's hard to read this book without daydreaming about sabotaging the private jets of the ultra-rich. -- Tim DeChristopher * Yes Magazine *While the book does not live up to its titular promise of providing instructions to detonate a pipeline, it does make an unflinching case for carrying out such activities in advanced capitalist countries. -- James Wilt * Canadian Dimension *Malm [has] captured the rising fury of climate activists -- Pilita Clark * Financial Times *Impossible to dismiss -- David Wallace-Wells * Times Literary Supplement *Malm is right. Shunning all violent acts will only prolong the worst. No new fossil fuel infrastructure can be created, and we need, as a society, to dismantle what we already have -- Devi Lockwood * VICE *By ruling out direct action, the climate movement robs itself, in Malm's view, of its only serious means of leverage. -- Adam Tooze * London Review of Books *Bracing * Financial Times *If you want to do something about the climate crisis instead of wallowing in despair, there's no better place to start than Andreas Malm's short treatise on the virtues of eco-sabotage. Provides a radical sort of hope. -- Abigail Weinberg * Mother Jones *Malm calls for the formation of a radical flank to the popular climate movement...[he] finds the peaceful discipline of the climate movement to be remarkable but stifling in its single mode of action, calling it gentle and mild in the extreme. -- James Mumm * Social Policy magazine *An impassioned argument for climate activists to move beyond non-violent protests...Even for those who disapprove of How to Blow Up a Pipeline, it is a useful guide to the noisiest climate activist voices. * Economist *A seductively well-written and well-researched book that argues climate activists should abandon their longstanding "commitment to absolute non-violence", and instead "escalate" their campaign by "physically attacking the things that consume our planet", such as fossil fuel infrastructure. -- Andy Beckett * Guardian *Dynamite -- David Hughes * Time Out *[A] persuasive and optimistic rebuttal of climate fatalism * Glasgow Guardian *A rousing case for property destruction as a tactic in the pursuit of climate justice. -- Simran Hans * Guardian *This is a book as weapon, a manifesto for forcing change framed by the legacy of the suffragettes' direct action, civil rights movement protests, anti-apartheid boycotts, national liberation armed striggles. * Philosophy Football *

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Book SynopsisBy the Wainwright-Conservation-Prize-winning author of RebirdingSpend a year in an orchard, celebrating its imperilled, overlooked abundance of life. England''s ancient orchards, collaborations between people and nature, are sources of hope for the future. Protecting them promises a far richer England for the centuries to come, for wildlife and for us.As the seasons turn, a wealth of animals and plants are revealed: Bumble and solitary bees apartment-hunting in April; spotted flycatchers migrating in May; redstarts, hedgehogs and owls nesting in June; an explosion of life in the summer and the harvest and homespun cider-making in the autumn. And all throughout the year, the orchard's human and animal inhabitants work together, creating one of the richest ecosystems left in Britain.Explore this unique habitat throughout the course of a year, and marvel at the beauty and strength of nature.Trade ReviewPraise for Orchard ‘Enchanting’ Daily Mail ‘Vivid [and] full of unexpected revelations … Orchard has much to offer in its observations of wildlife’ John Carey, Sunday Times ‘A wonderful new book from Benedict Macdonald and Nicholas Gates, veterans of the BBC’s Springwatch series … moves lyrically and vividly through one calendar year in an old Herefordshire orchard … Particularly moving’ New Statesman ‘From spores to sparrowhawks, there is never a dull moment. Lyrically written, Orchard is a love-letter to its jumbled “magical chaos” and a shining example of the things that can be achieved when humans come to work in balance and in harmony with nature’ BBC Wildlife ‘From slug-hunting toads and snuffling hedgehogs to percussion-playing spiders, woodpecker architects and zombie hoverflies, this wonderful book weaves together fascinating stories of the wildlife that lives in an old organic orchard … Excellent … I would recommend Orchard wholeheartedly’ Kathy Bishop, The Seasonal Table, Countryfile magazine ‘This book looks at an ancient English orchard throughout the course of a year, focusing on the wide range of wildlife that it supports … writing with a lyrical richness that beautifully evokes this unique setting … The result is a book that can be enjoyed on a lot of different levels from professional conservationists, to the most casual of everyday birdwatchers. Passionate and moving, this is highly recommended’ Birdwatch magazine ‘A rich and textured account of a year in this neglected habitat’ Stephen Moss ‘Enjoy this precious habitat and all its glories via this coffee-table worthy book that offers food for thought’ RSPB magazine ‘This beautiful exploration of natural history is an elegy for a disappearing way of life … captivating’ The Garden magazine

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Book Synopsis'Mind-shifting, heart-lifting' ISABELLA TREE 'Inspiring and essential' ALASTAIR HUMPHREYS 'As entertaining as it is enlightening' INDEPENDENT, ?????

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisIn twenty short books, Penguin brings you the classics of the environmental movement.From the Congo Basin to the traditions of the Kikuyu people, the lucid, incisive writings in The World We Once Lived In explore the sacred power of trees, and why humans lay waste to the forests that keep us alive.Over the past 75 years, a new canon has emerged. As life on Earth has become irrevocably altered by humans, visionary thinkers around the world have raised their voices to defend the planet, and affirm our place at the heart of its restoration. Their words have endured through the decades, becoming the classics of a movement. Together, these books show the richness of environmental thought, and point the way to a fairer, saner, greener world.

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Book Synopsis''The smaller we come to feel ourselves compared with the mountain, the nearer we come to participating in its greatness.''Philosopher, mountaineer, activist and visionary, Arne Naess''s belief that all living things have value made him one of the most inspirational figures in the environmental movement. Drawing on his years spent in an isolated hut high in the Norwegian mountains, and on influences as diverse as Gandhi''s nonviolent action and Spinoza''s all-encompassing worldview, this selection of the best of his writings is filled with wit, charisma and intense connection with nature. Emphasizing joy, cooperation and ''beautiful actions'', they create a philosophy of life from a man who never lost his sense of wonder at the world. ''Arne Naess''s ideas ... inspired environmentalists and Green political activists around the world'' The New York TimesTrade ReviewArne Naess's ideas about promoting an intimate and all-embracing relationship between the earth and the human species inspired environmentalists and Green political activists around the world * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisWith the detail you need at a size you can read, the latest edition of 2026 Philip's Big Easy to Read Road Atlas of Britain is super-clear, super-sized and bang up-to-date in a large paperback format. Over 100,000 copies sold of thePhilip's Easy Read Road Atlases of Britain.

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Book SynopsisGroundbreaking call to action by Donella Meadows, the bestselling author of Thinking in Systems! Limits to Growth was right. New research shows we're nearing collapse the Guardian The updated edition of the groundbreaking classic that kickstarted the movement for environmental and ecological reform! Perfect for fans of The Uninhabitable Earth and There is No Planet B It is no unknown fact that at the present rate of climate change, population growth and capitalistic expansion, we are over-exceeding our planet’s resources. We’re stretched pretty thin and if we continue at the present rate we’ll soon be headed towards irreversible consequences as a result of unchecked growth on a finite planet. Donella Meadows, Jorgen Randers and Dennis Meadows, three imminent environmental leaders, foresaw the early signs of wear and tear on our planet. They come together in Limits to Growth to offer an analysis of present and future trends in resource use and assess a variety of possible outcomes. Citing climate change as the most tangible example of our current overshoot, the scientists now provide us with a plan to reduce our needs to meet the carrying capacity of the planet. In many ways, the message contained in Limits to Growth is a warning. Rampant resource exhaustion cannot be sustained without collapse. But as the authors are careful to point out, there is reason to believe that humanity can still reverse some of the damage to Earth if we reduce inefficiency and waste. Limits to Growth is a work of stunning intelligence that has exposed the critical line between human growth and human development.Trade ReviewJohn N. Cooper, for AxisofLogic.com- This is a wonderful book. Originally published in 1972 as Limits to Growth and refreshed in 1992 in Beyond the Limits, the authors have now issued a 30-year appraisal [Chelsea Green Publishing, ISBN 1-931498-58-X], in which they examine the progress made both in their understanding of the mechanisms underlying the impact of humanity on the world ecology and of steps taken toward remediating the accelerating approach to trainwreck that is mankind's ill-managed and uncontrolled 'footprint' on this planet's environment. Briefly, humanity has overshot the limits of what is physically and biologically sustainable. That overshoot WILL lead to the collapse of the planetary environment's ability to support not only our species but much of the rest of the biosphere if we do not act rapidly and effectively to reduce our footprint. These conclusions provide reasons for both optimism and alarm: optimism because humanity has demonstrated its capacity to act appropriately in one specific instance; and alarm because thirty years have been largely wasted since the consequences of our failing to act were detailed. There is still time but the need to act quickly and effectively is urgent. The authors demonstrate that the most critical areas needing immediate attention are: population; wasteful, inefficient growth; and pollution. They show how attention to all three simultaneously can result in returning the human footprint on the environment to manageable, sustainable size, while sharply reducing the disparity between human well-being and fostering a generous quality-of-life worldwide. Absent this, the prospects are grim indeed. The book is divided into three sections, the first outlining in principle the authors' systems analytical approach to understanding the planet's ecology. Their presentation is clear and comprehensible with an abundance of charts and figures that make visualizing the concepts easy. They successfully avoid the pitfalls of many technical presentations by using familiar analogies and largely avoiding professional jargon. As a result readers come away with insights not just into global interconnectedness of inputs, outputs, accumulation and feedback but also the significance of such dynamics in local, even personal, situations. The second section deals with the authors' updated and revised modeling program, World3, which they utilize to test the plausible effects of changes in human political, economic and social behavior on the environment. Their discussion of World3 focuses on the assumptions for, and results of, a variety calculational scenarios. Details of their latest programming revisions are reserved for an index. Repeatedly they emphasize that their results are NOT prescriptive, but merely descriptive in general terms of likely consequences of humanity's failure or success in rising to meet the issues cited. Again excellent graphics for the various scenarios allow the reader to see at a glance what different approaches toward rectifying past, present and future environmental damage may have. The final chapters describe options open to humanity that the authors believe have the best chance of avoiding social, economic and probably political collapse in the next century or so. We have a choice: the human experiment, possibly even the biological experiment, that is life on this planet can yet succeed and persist in a sustainable way. But to do so will require our species as whole consciously and deliberately to take immediate, remediating steps, now, seriously and adequately to address the issues we have so far failed to do so effectively. It IS up to us. © Copyright 2005 by AxisofLogic.com. -- John N. Cooper"In 1972, The Limits to Growth was published as a clarion call to begin changing the way the world worked so we safely made it to 2050-2070. The authors were clear that the path of change needed to begin "now" so we made a course correction within the next 30 years. Sadly, the message they wrote got badly misunderstood and by 30 years later, scores of critiques to the book claimed the authors warned that the world would run out of oil and other scare resources by 1990 or 2000. It is time for the world to re-read Limits to Growth! The message of 1972 is far more real and relevant in 2004 and we wasted a valuable 30 years of action plans by misreading the message of the first book."--Matthew R. Simmons, energy analyst and founder, Simmons & Company International, The world's largest energy investment banking practiceTable of Contents1. Overshoot 2. The driving force: exponential growth 3. The limits: sources and sinks 4. World3: the dynamics of growth in a finite world 5. Back from beyond the limits: the ozone story 6. Technology, markets, and overshoot 7. Transitions to a sustainable system 8. Tools for the transition to sustainability

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Book SynopsisThis is a 'Whole Earth Catalog' for the 21st century: an impressive and wide-ranging analysis of what's wrong with our societies, organizations, ideologies, worldviews and cultures - and how to put them right. The book covers the finance system, agriculture, design, ecology, economy, sustainability, organizations and society at large. In it, Daniel Wahl explores ways in which we can reframe and understand the crises that we currently face and explores how we can live our way into the future. Moving from patterns of thinking and believing to our practice of education, design and community living, he systematically shows how we can stop chasing the mirage of certainty and control in a complex and unpredictable world. The book asks how can we collaborate in the creation of diverse regenerative cultures adapted to the unique biocultural conditions of place? How can we create conditions conducive to life? "This book is a valuable contribution to the important discussion of the worldview and value system we need to redesign our businesses, economies, and technologies - in fact, our entire culture - so as to make them regenerative rather than destructive." Fritjof Capra, author of The Web of Life, coauthor of The Systems View of Life: A Unifying Vision. "This is an excellent addition to the literature on ecological design and it will certainly form a keystone in the foundations of the new MA in Ecological Design Thinking at Schumacher College, Devon. It not only contains a wealth of ideas on what Dr Wahl has termed 'Designing Regenerative Cultures' but what is probably more important, it provides some stimulating new ways of looking at persistent problems in our contemporary culture and hence opens up new ways of thinking and acting in the future." Seaton Baxter OBE, Professor in Ecological Design Thinking, Schumacher College, UKTrade Review"Daniel's book Designing Regenerative Cultures is a wonderful and well-referenced primer for a new paradigm." Satish Kumar "Clearly our ways of thinking have gotten us in some trouble--here are concrete suggestions for some new habits of mind that could help us climb out of our hole!";Bill McKibben, author: Eaarth - Making a Life on a Tough New Planet; co-founder 350.org, and Schumann Distinguished Scholar, Middlebury College "This is an impressive, broad and forward looking book that integrates design thinking with a diverse range of contemporary and innovative ideas around sustainability, ecology and transformation. Its attention to not just the problems, but also to how address them is timely and much needed. As such the book is now one of the main core programme texts for our MSc Sustainability at the University of Dundee." Professor Ioan Fazey, Centre for Environmental Change and Human Resilience, University of Dundee. "Daniel Wahl... has the capacity to explain complex and subtle subjects such as systems theory, regenerative design, holistic management, biomimicry, the circular economy, quantum theory ... and much more, succinctly. There are so many paragraphs in this book that I highlighted to return to and savour later on. He is also well versed in the integral, holistic worldview and the processes which support the birth of a new consciousness that will enable these regenerative shifts. His book is not only a collection of well articulated ideas, it is a litany of so many of the world's best projects that are already in existence, balancing theory with practice. There is an unstoppable optimism implicit in this book, however care-worn and cynical the reader may feel." Maddy Harland in Permaculture Magazine. "Designing Regenerative Cultures has gained international acknowledgement for its pragmatic approach to the subject, reframing and questioning the current approaches to the challenges that humankind is currently facing with deeper understanding of the possible solutions surfacing with regenerative design." UNESCO Global Action Programme on ESD Aug 2016 "Daniel Wahl has had an important insight that makes this book an essential read for anyone trying to change the world. The necessary catalyst is in the title of this book: "regenerative systems." To quote Wahl, "Sustainability is not a fixed state to reach and then maintain, it is a community-based learning process aimed at increasing the health and resilience of our communities, our bioregional economies, ecosystems, and of the planetary life-support system as a whole." This is the core realization of Rob Hopkins (Transition Handbook) and David Fleming (Lean Logic) as well, but Wahl's book gets to the assembly language programming, explaining how ecological literacy and the social, technological, and entrepreneurial skills required for the transition are the entry point that leads to everything else. Arguably ecological literacy is already the foundation of much that is new in the world of industrial design - it is called biomimicry. Biological and ecological design intelligence is starting to reinvent the way we design communities, businesses, cities, and industries. This book gets out in front of that with the larger picture. We need to do these things, now, or we may not be here in another century. Wahl says, "We need to dare to envision a sustainable world, by re-designing our food systems, transport systems, energy systems, economic systems, and education systems, but most of all, we need to re-envision how we collaborate and how we relate to each other and the natural world." Whether we have time to make this unprecedented change in our social contract is still in doubt. Set your doubts aside for the moment and let this book give you a sense of "... but what if?" If we are going to get this right, it will begin here." Reviewed by Albert Bates, Ecovillage and Permaculture Pioneer, Right Livelihood Award Winner, and author of Climate in Crisis. "6 Star Handbook for Saving Civilization & Earth. This book makes the jump from 5 stars (generally I don't bother to review a book if it is not a four or five star read) to 6 stars - my top ten percent - because of the combination of Questions Asked, glorious color graphics, and the total holistic nature of the book - this is easily a PhD thesis in holistic analytics, true cost economics, and open source everything engineering. Indeed, this book could be used as a first-year reference across any humanities and science domain, they would be the better for it. It is of value to ministers of government, managers of corporations, administrators of non-profit and educational organizations, labor union and religious stewards, and every single citizen planning to be alive in five years and beyond." Reviewed by Robert David Steele on the Public Intelligence Blog and Amazon "Daniel Wahl has compiled a great deal of useful information in a masterful synthesis. That alone is a significant accomplishment, but he's given us more than that. Designing Regenerative Cultures describes the doorway to a possible, indeed, necessary future. We are not fated to the dystopia in prospect. We have, as he writes, the capacity to design and to organize our societies to protect, enhance, and celebrate life. The blueprint was there all along. The awareness of our possibilities is growing. The art and sciences of ecological design are flourishing. The choice, as always, is ours and that of those who will follow." From the Foreword by David Orr (environmentalist and Paul Sears Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics at Oberlin College and a James Marsh Professor at the University of Vermont). "This book is a treasure for everyone who is looking for a guide to more sustainable living and a roadmap for re-designing our societies , regenerating our communities , cities and societies in harmony with natural systems and our home planet. Author Daniel Wahl has deep experience to share and his knowledge in this beautiful book will help all those aspiring to be responsible global citizens working for our common future." Hazel Henderson, author and President, Ethical Markets Media , Certified B. Corporation, USA & Brazil "Daniel Wahl's Designing Regenerative Cultures provides an exhaustive review of current thinking on our global challenges as well as a refreshing approach to how we can "live into the questions" that will help us create a beautiful future. Anyone working in sustainability or social innovation will find this book to be a tremendously useful reference and provocative guide for framing regenerative solutions. It is a wonderful blend of passionate vision and practical insight." Denise K. DeLuca, Co-Founder & Director, BCI (Biomimicry for Creative Innovation) "The world is converging on integration and systems thinking, and regeneration of the world is the battle cry of any sentient being in the 21st century. Daniel Wahl provides good insights and inspirations on the index of possibilities -in mass scale regeneration of nature and society." Marcin Jakubowski, PhD, Founder & Executive Director of Open Source Ecology. Designing Regenerative Cultures is a wide ranging synthesis of key knowledge to take us into a more resourceful 21st Century. The book brings forth multiple perspectives on the ultimate challenge of our time. This living material will help one get beyond the bread and circus approach that the mainstream media is foisting upon us, and thereby subtlety turning us into bloated modern Romans without a clue on what really matters, let alone the power to create what matters. Shifting from a narrative of separation and scarcity, to interbeing and abundance opens the conceptual door to the next phase of the human enterprise. Read and absorb this powerful treatise, and learn from the dynamic context Daniel Wahl has created with the publication of his new book. Christopher Zelov conceived and produced the award winning film 'Ecological Design: Inventing the Future'. Recent projects include: A Visit With Magnus, City 21, and Design Outlaws. "To me as a life-long activist nourished on systems thinking and Buddhist teachings, this is one of the most intellectually exciting and soul stirring books I've read in years. I had the sense of drinking it, with pleasure and surprise, not having known what I'd so thirsted for. br> By starting with questions and keeping to questions throughout, Daniel engages the reader, and by example frees her from striving for, or pretending to know, any final answers. This approach -- in itself a rare lesson in systems epistemology - invites trust, openness, and a restructuring of the mind. Among the gifts for which I am especially grateful are these: Conceptual tools for perceiving and experiencing our mutual belonging , and especially what I've come to call the great reciprocity at the heart of the universe. The ways Goethe, Bortoft, Bateson, Maturana, and Varela are brought in, and key insights mediated with economy and clarity. The abundant evidence of the Great Turning, the manifold transition underway to a life-sustaining culture. And, especially valuable to those of an apocalyptic bent like myself, the 'adaptive cycle' of resilient systems, showing that at 'the edge of chaos' comes opportunity for the emergence of greater complexity and intelligence. These are but a few of the ways in which this remarkable book will enrich my thought, my teaching, and my life in this turbulent world of ours." Joanna Macy, environmental activist, scholar of Buddhism, general systems theory, and deep ecology and author of World as Lover, World as Self and numerous other books. "This is a seriously rich source of perspective on the nature of whole system design. The future is already here and Daniel Wahl has synthesized the wide ranging progress in the emerging field of `regenerating wholeness'. There is a lot of positive and effective activity happening around the planet! Of particular note, the title addresses "us" as a significant and often missing leverage point in our work towards regenerative relationships: our cultural ability to become collaborative weavers, integral to evolving a condition of long-lasting health. This book shows the powerful potential of how all these dimensions of wholeness are coming together." Bill Reed, Regenesis Group "Life on the Planet has sustained itself for billions of years by continually regenerating itself. Our modern industrial culture has interfered with these natural processes to the point of causing massive extinctions of species and threatening our very survival. This book is a valuable contribution to the important discussion of the worldview and value system we need to redesign our businesses, economies, and technologies - in fact, our entire culture - so as to make them regenerative rather than destructive." Fritjof Capra, author of The Web of Life, coauthor of The Systems View of Life: A Unifying Vision.Table of ContentsFOREWORD ~ David Orr FOREWORD ~ Graham Leicester INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 - Living the Questions: Why change the narrative now? Questioning dangerous ideologies Facing complexity means befriending uncertainty and ambiguity Caring for Earth is caring for ourselves and our community Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world The 'why' will guide the 'what' and the 'how'Spirituality, soul and solitude in nature Sustainability as a learning journey: pilgrims and apprentices Sustainability is not enough; we need regenerative cultures! CHAPTER 2 - Why choose transformative over sustaining innovation? The Three Horizons of innovation and culture change Evaluating disruptive innovation in the age of transition Transformative innovation is about deep questioning Sensitivity to scale, uniqueness of place and local culture The transformative power of social innovation Collaborative consumption and peer-to-peer collaboration Facilitating systems innovation and culture change CHAPTER 3 - Why do we need to think and act more systemically? Believing is seeing and seeing is believing The whole is more than the sum of its parts From the 'crisis of perception' to the 'systems view of life' Interbeing How can we participate appropriately in complex systems? The IFF World System Model Learning to see nature everywhere Being a process, and seeing in relationships CHAPTER 4 - Why nurture resilience and whole-systems health? Rolling back Earth Overshoot Day Learning to live within planetary boundaries What exactly are resilience and transformative resilience? The adaptive cycle as a dynamic map for resilience thinking Panarchy: a scale-linking perspective of systemic transformation Local and regional community resilience building is going global How can we nurture transformative resilience? From control and prediction to conscious participation, foresight and anticipation CHAPTER 5 - Why take a design-based approach? Design education enables cultural transformation Design is where theory and practice meet Design follows worldview and worldview follows design Ethics and design for regenerative cultures Aesthetics and design Emergence and design Designing for positive emergence (a case study) Scale-linking, salutogenic design for resilience The resurgence of a culture of makers: re-localizing production Collective visioning and design conversations change culture CHAPTER 6 - How can we learn to better design as nature? Ecoliteracy: Learning from living systems Valuing traditional ecological knowledge and indigenous wisdom How does life create conditions conducive to life? Biologically Inspired Innovation Green chemistry and material science Biologically inspired product design Biomimetic architecture Nature's whole system optimization informs community design Living the questions together creates community Industrial ecology and symbiosis are closing the loops Ecologically informed urban and regional planning CHAPTER 7 - Why are regenerative cultures rooted in cooperation? Redesigning agriculture for food sovereignty and subsidiarity Regenerative agriculture: effective responses to climate change Learning from and mimicking healthy ecosystems Redesigning economics based on ecology Creating circular economies Towards a regenerative economy Thriving communities and the solidarity economy Shifting from quantitative to qualitative growth Valuing the commons by cooperatively sharing the gifts of life Earth Law: the enabling constraints of collective living Life's collaborative lessons transform business Co-creating regenerative enterprises Collaboration and empathy as evolutionary success stories Activism revisited: conscious participation and collective intelligence We are coming back to life and this changes everything Learning to listen deeply Inner and outer resilience CONCLUSION - Regenerative cultures are about thriving together

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Book SynopsisA formidable, brave and important book' Robert MacfarlaneAbsolutely brilliantYou cannot read this book and defend the establishment' Alastair Campbell, The Rest is PoliticsWho owns England?Behind this simple question lies this country's oldest and best-kept secret. This is the history of how England's elite came to own our land, and an inspiring manifesto for how to open up our countryside once more. This book has been a long time coming. Since 1086, in fact. For centuries, England's elite have covered up how they got their hands on millions of acres of our land, by constructing walls, burying surveys and more recently, sheltering behind offshore shell companies. But with the dawn of digital mapping and the Freedom of Information Act, it's becoming increasingly difficult for them to hide.Trespassing through tightly-guarded country estates, ecologically ravaged grouse moors and empty Mayfair mansions, writer and activist Guy Shrubsole has used these 21st century tools to uncover a wealth of never-before-seen information about the people who own our land, to create the most comprehensive map of land ownership in England that has ever been made public.From secret military islands to tunnels deep beneath London, Shrubsole unearths truths concealed since the Domesday Book about who is really in charge of this country at a time when Brexit is meant to be returning sovereignty to the people. Melding history, politics and polemic, he vividly demonstrates how taking control of land ownership is key to tackling everything from the housing crisis to climate change and even halting the erosion of our very democracy.It's time to expose the truth about who owns England and finally take back our green and pleasant land.*Guy''s next book The Lie of the Land is out now*Trade Review‘A formidable, brave and important book’ Robert Macfarlane ‘Potentially one of the most important books of the year’ Chris Packham ‘This is going to be a great book, crucial for anyone who seeks to understand this country’ George Monbiot ‘An irrefutable and long overdue call for the enfranchisement of the landless’ Marion Shoard, author of This Land is Our Land ‘The question posed by the title of this crucial book has, for nearly a thousand years, been one that as a nation we have mostly been too cowed or too polite to ask. There has, as a result, been some serious journalistic legwork in Shrubsole’s endeavour. Shrubsole ends his fine inquiry into these issues with a 10-point prospectus as to how this millennium-long problem might be brought up to date, and how our land could be made to work productively and healthily for us all’ Observer, Book of the Week ‘Both detective story and historical investigation, Shrubsole’s book is a passionately argued polemic which offers radical, innovative but also practical proposals for transforming how the people of England use and protect the land that they depend on – land which should be “a common treasury for all”’ Guardian ‘Painstakingly researched … having come to the end of this illuminating and well-argued book it’s hard not to feel that it’s time for a revolution in the way we manage this green and pleasant land’ Melissa Harrison, New Statesman ‘There is an enormous amount to admire’ Times Literary Supplement ‘Shrubsole is an entertaining guide to the history of landownership’ Literary Review

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Book SynopsisExam Board: AQA, OCR, Edexcel, WJEC Eduqas, WJECLevel: A-levelSubject: GeographyFirst teaching: September 2016First exams: Summer 2017 (AS), Summer 2018 (A-level)Don''t let your students miss out on easy marks; help them improve their skills and feel confident about the maths they need for AS/A-level Geography with this essential guide.If your students struggle with student t-test or Spearman rank correlation, this is the book for them. This textbook companion will improve students'' essential maths skills for geography, whichever awarding body specification you''re following. You can use it throughout the course, whenever you feel your students need some extra help.- Develop understanding of both maths and geography using worked examples and questions that are all set within a geography context- Improve confidence with a step-by-step approach to every maths skill- Measure progress with

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Book SynopsisThis eye-catching hardback guide introduces the great rivers of the world and how they have shaped our society, brought to life with spectacular, full-colour photography. From the majestic waters of the Nile to the mighty Yellow and Yangtze rivers to the immense Amazon river, the great rivers of the world have captured the human imagination and impacted our history. In this fascinating guide, Geordie Torr explores the natural forces that have created these rivers, their impacts on the environment, and the myriad ways they have affected societies and cultures.In this volume, you will:• Explore the natural features of a river from their source in the mountains down to the estuaries where they reach the sea.• See how rivers like the Tigris and Euphrates rivers gave birth to the first civilizations.• Learn how rivers like the Rhine and the Mississippi have facilitated trade along their lengths.• Discover the importance of rivers to our well-being, through their impacts on agriculture, drought, migration and much, much more.ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Visual Reference Library brings together wonderfully illustrated reference guides on scientific and historical topics, made bold and fascinating through full-colour maps, timelines, photographs, feature boxes and other visual elements.

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Book SynopsisDrew Harvell is Professor Emerita of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University. She is the author of Ocean Outbreak and A Sea of Glass which were, variously, the winner of the National Outdoor Book Award for Natural History Literature, recipient of the Rachel Carson Environmental Literature Award, one of the year's best Art Meets Science' books by Smithsonian Magazine, Prose Award winner in Biological Sciences from the Association of American Publishers, and recipient of the Ecological Society of America Sustainability Science Award. She has written for the New York Times, Seattle Times, The Hill, and CNN, and her work has been featured in the Atlantic, Guardian, Washington Post, Scientific American, Nature, and more. She also featured in the award-winning film, Fragile Legacy, and is currently a science adviser for Fabian Cousteau's Underwater Space Station.

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Book SynopsisEtta Lemon: The Woman Who Saved the Birds is the story of a pioneering conservationist who led the campaign against the slaughter of wild birds for extravagantly feathered hats and coaxed the world to care for birds.Trade Review'Boase has done a superb job of linking her personalities, and painting vivid pictures of their life struggles and fighting techniques. This book is an unputdownable account of a forgotten campaign, and of a group of women who have been hidden from history for too long.' * Women's History Review *'A fascinating book...packed with interesting facts. A great read for all people' * Birdwatching Magazine *Table of ContentsPrologue viiPart 1 – Feathers 1 Alice Battershall 2 Inspector Lakeman 3 97 Lever Street 4 Women Undercover 5 ‘Crewe Factory Girl’ 6 The SkylarkPart 2 – Birds 7 Young Etta 8 Young Emmeline 9 The Train Carriage 10 Of Bird-Wearing Age 11 The Tea Party 12 Emily Williamson 13 A Very Ambitious Title 14 Flight 15 Impracticable Dreamers 16 Courting the Men 17 Winifred, Duchess of Portland 18 The Crème de la CrèmePart 3 – Hats 19 Dying to Get Out 20 The Millinery Detectives 21 Queen Alix 22 ‘Egret’ Bennett 23 Deeds Not Words 24 The Frontal Attack 25 Mrs Pattinson 26 The Countess Fabbricotti 27 Royal Approval 28 The ‘Suffragette’Part 4 – Votes 29 Onto the Street 30 The Antis 31 The Feminine Arts 32 The Advice of Men 33 Maternal Weakness 34 Peak Rage 35 The Feeding Tube 36 Dumb CreationPart 5 – Power 37 At War 38 The Ballot Box 39 But What Do Women Care? 40 Etta and Emmeline: Two Portraits 41 The Coup Epilogue Notes Select Bibliography Acknowledgements Index Picture Credits

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.''It happen''d one Day about Noon going towards my Boat, I was exceedingly surpriz''d with the Print of a Man''s naked Foot on the Shore.''Shipwrecked in a storm at sea, Robinson Crusoe is washed up on a remote and desolate island. As he struggles to piece together a life for himself, Crusoe''s physical, moral and spiritual values are tested to the limit. For 24 years he remains in solitude and learns to tame and master the island, until he finally comes across another human being. Considered a classic literary masterpiece, and frequently interpreted as a comment on the British Imperialist approach at the time, Defoe''s fable was and still is revered as the very first English novel.

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES' BESTSELLER AND SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT BOOK OF THE YEARWINNER OF THE SUNDAY TIMES YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR AWARDSHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT CONSERVATION AWARDSHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH ACADEMY BOOK PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE This is a book about abandoned places: ghost towns and exclusion zones, no man's lands and fortress islands and what happens when nature is allowed to reclaim its place.In Chernobyl, following the nuclear disaster, only a handful of people returned to their dangerously irradiated homes. On an uninhabited Scottish island, feral cattle live entirely wild. In Detroit, once America's fourth-largest city, entire streets of houses are falling in on themselves, looters slipping through otherwise silent neighbourhoods.This book explores the extraordinary places where humans no longer live or survive in tiny, precarious numbers to give us a possible glimpse of what happens when mankind's impact on nature is forced to stop. From Tanzanian mountains to the volcanic Caribbean, the forbidden areas of France to the mining regions of Scotland, Flyn brings together some of the most desolate, eerie, ravaged and polluted areas in the world and shows how, against all odds, they offer our best opportunities for environmental recovery.By turns haunted and hopeful, this luminously written world study is pinned together with profound insight and new ecological discoveries that together map an answer to the big questions: what happens after we're gone, and how far can our damage to nature be undone?More praise for Islands of AbandonmentExtraordinary Just when you thought there was nowhere left to explore, along comes an author with a new category of terrain Dazzling' SPECTATORA haunting look at how nature fights back Beautiful, evocative' SUNDAY TIMESFlyn's brave, thorough book sets out to explore places where angels fear to tread The result is fascinating, eerie and strange There is some thrilling writing here' KATHLEEN JAMIE, NEW STATESMANWonderful' ADAM NICOLSONExhilarating' DAILY TELEGRAPHTrade Review‘Extraordinary … Just when you thought there was nowhere left to explore, along comes an author with a new category of terrain – not scenes where man has never trod, but places where he has been and gone … Dazzling’Spectator ‘Exhilarating … A story of the extraordinary resilience of life in some of the most desolate, ravaged and polluted landscapes on earth’Daily Telegraph ‘Fascinating and brain-energising. It is full of detail and colour that sends one googling, to look up pictures and find out more. It is also an optimistic book … I’ll cling to that bit of unfashionable hope’The Times ‘Brave, thorough … The result is fascinating, eerie and strange … There is some thrilling writing here, a fine way with the telling detail, and a plea for radical revisioning of what we mean by “nature” and “wild”’Kathleen Jamie, New Statesman ‘Consistently rewarding, eloquently provocative … a brave book, in more ways than one’New Humanist ‘Scintillating … she writes beautifully … Flyn's research is meticulous, but what makes the book so extraordinary is the originality of her thought’The Herald ‘A thoughtful, fascinating read’Independent ‘Brilliant … Flyn paints vivid pictures … both clear and compelling’Daily Telegraph, five stars ‘Filled with understanding and adventure … Written with a beautiful attention to detail and a generous and imaginative frame of mind. The wonderful and surprising thing is how much reassurance and sense of possibility comes out of it at every turn’Adam Nicolson ‘Certainly a book of the year for me’ Sebastian Faulks ‘Cal Flyn takes us on a mercurial expedition into the strange lands of human surrender … Thoughtful, careful, fascinating, poignant, mysterious, surreal, compelling, pace pitch-perfect. I could go on … and on’Keggie Carew, author of Dadland

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Book SynopsisThe oceans are our planet''s most distinctive and imposing natural habitat. They cover 71 per cent of its surface; support a remarkably diverse and exquisitely adapted array of life forms, from microscopic viruses, bacteria, and plankton to the largest existing animals; and possess many of Earth''s most significant, intriguing, and inaccessible ecosystems. In an era in which humans are significantly altering the global environment, the oceans are undergoing rapid and profound changes. The study of marine biology is thus taking on added importance and urgency as people struggle to understand and manage these changes to protect our marine ecosystems. Healthy oceans produce half of the oxygen we breathe; stabilize our climate; create ecosystems that protect our coasts from storms; provide us with abundant food; and host diverse organisms that provide us with natural products for medicine and biotechnology. In this Very Short Introduction, marine biologist Philip Mladenov provides an accessible and up-to-date overview of marine biology, offering a tour of marine life and marine processes that ranges from the unimaginably abundant microscopic organisms that drive the oceans'' food web to the apex predators that we exploit for food; from polar ocean ecosystems to tropical coral reefs; and from the luxurious kelp beds of the coastal ocean to deep-ocean hydrothermal vents where life exists without the energy of the sun. Throughout the book he considers the human impacts on marine life including overfishing, plastic and nutrient pollution, the spread of exotic species, and ocean warming and acidification. He discusses the threats these pose to our welfare, and the actions required to put us on a path to a more sustainable relationship with our oceans so that they can be restored and protected for future generations. Mladenov concludes with a new chapter offering an inspiring vision for the future of our oceans in 2050 that can be realised if we are wise enough to accelerate actions already underway and be bold with implementing new approaches.The next decade will decide the state of the oceans that we leave behind for future generations. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewMarine Biology represents a useful "very short introduction" for students looking to develop their understanding of the marine field and for enthusiasts and conservationists looking to dive further into the oceans and the life they hold. * Conservation Biology *Broken into logical and easily digestible chapters and aided by intuitive easy-to-read diagrams, the author makes numerous complex ideas and theories easily comprehensible. * Society for Conservation Biology *Authoritative yet tender, this is a first-rate introduction to the mysteries of life in the ocean - and a glimpse of how that life is changing as humans damage the very chemistry of the sea around us. * Alanna Mitchell, author of Sea Sick: The Global Ocean in Crisis *Dipping a toe into any chapter of this Very Short Introduction is like diving into the complex, wonderful world of ocean life. You're quickly and fully immersed in every topic. * Professor Stephen Palumbi, Stanford University *Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsList of illustrationsList of tablesList of abbreviations Introduction 1: The oceanic environment 2: Marine biological processes 3: Life in the coastal ocean 4: Polar marine biology 5: Marine life in the tropics 6: Deep-ocean biology 7: Intertidal life 8: Food from the oceans 9: The future of our oceansFurther readingIndex

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Book SynopsisThe perfect stocking filler for beach lovers. A beautiful little guide to one of life's simple pleasures – pebble spotting. Where science meets mindfulness. Learn to appreciate their beauty, discover the amazing journey that brought them to you, search for the rare ones. Leave no stone unturned. Turn a day on the beach or a seaside holiday stroll into a treasure hunt with this lovely little guide to identifying pebbles. Pebble spotting is one of life’s simple joys. There’s nothing quite like searching the rocks on a beach until that special one catches your eye – a perfect shape, a gorgeous colour, an intriguing pattern. But what is it? Use this beautifully illustrated little guide to find out, and to discover your pebble’s fascinating life story and secrets. It could be even more special than you thought… Geologist and passionate pebble spotter Clive Mitchell has created a charming and wonderfully browsable book that is a perfect companion to a day out or holiday, or an idle moment at home. This book contains entries on 40 different types of pebble, complete with detailed facts about the composite rock’s structure and where to find them, with examples including: Flint Feldspar veins Spotted slates Serpentinite Granite ovoids The rare rhomb porphyry – the holy grail of pebble hunting The book includes a space to ruminate on your own findings, taking note of the treasures that you pick up along the way and discovering the secrets of the stones beneath your feet. The Pebble Spotter’s Guide is the perfect introduction to everything you didn’t know there was to know about the mindful pleasure of pebble spotting and the wonder of pebbles. Simply sit on a beach or next to a stream for 10 minutes and find amazing treasures at your feet; there is much to discover.

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Book SynopsisA BBC Radio 4 Book of the WeekMagnificent' GuardianRemarkable A compact classic!' Bill McKibbenI learned something new and found something amazing on every page' Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot SeeFens, bogs, swamps and marine estuaries are the earth's most desirable and dependable resources. Here, Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Proulx brings her witness and research to the vitally important role they play in preserving the environment, and their systemic destruction in the pursuit of profit. Travelling from the fens of sixteenth-century England to America's Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Fen, Bog and Swamp is both a revelatory history and an urgent plea for wetland reclamation, from one of our greatest prose stylists.A rousing call to action' EsquireSparklingly furious it has a profoundly positive message' Richard Mabey, TelegraphThis haunting tribute is a pleasure to read' Financial TimesTrade Review‘Proulx wants us to see the loss of wetlands – and to appreciate the beauty in these swampy and often stinking places. Boy, does she succeed. The prose is just magnificent, bringing to life hitherto overlooked habitats’ Guardian ‘Proulx’s book is truly peat-ish: layered, learned, feisty, wildly discursive, and most certainly “undulating, dreaming [and] philosophising”’ Richard Mabey, Telegraph ‘A haunting tribute to the world’s peatlands … Proulx’s poetic description of these places, and peat itself, is a pleasure to read’ Financial Times ‘This sobering history of our world’s rich wetlands explains the chilling ecological consequences of their destruction’ New York Times Book Review ‘An enchanting work of nature writing’ Esquire ‘Delves into the history of peatland destruction and its role in the climate crisis … Proulx uses nimble prose to knit together scientific facts, personal experiences, and literary references while deciphering the nomenclature of these three subtly diverse wetlands which collectively hold the key to human history’ Vogue ‘A fierce declaration of peat’s importance to climate stability and human survival ’ New York Review of Books ‘[Proulx’s] astute and impassioned examinations of all kinds of wetlands … show a new side of the novelist we thought we knew’ Los Angeles Times ‘So often feared, dredged and drained, swamps, bogs and fens (it turns out) are just as vital to our species’ survival on this planet as healthy forests and oceans – perhaps more so. Proulx has written a moving elegy and cri de coeur for our world’s wetlands’ Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See ‘Annie Proulx is, as ever, remarkable – her mind, her heart and her learning take us on an unforgettable and unflinching tour of past and present’ Bill McKibben

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Book SynopsisForget fast fashion and cheap trends - Serena Baker is here to help you craft the sustainable wardrobe of your dreams!In 2021, Serena Baker became the youngest ever - and first Scottish - winner of The Great British Sewing Bee. She thrilled the judges with her incredible attention to detail and wowed viewers with her distinctive 'refashioning projects', putting sustainability at the heart of her creations. Whether you're brand new to sewing or already know the ropes but fancy trying something a little different, Serena will take you on a journey to reinvent your wardrobe.In Serena Sews, you'll learn how to:- master must-have skills - from zip insertion to pressing perfection - to boost your sewing confidence and give your garments a professional finish- work with basic pattern blocks to adapt and rework as you build your repertoire- 'refashion' existing items like an oversized shirt into a summer dress, or an old pair of jeans into a cute crop top- save money and work sustainably by choosing pre-loved garments and fabrics for your projectsSerena Sews breathes fresh life into the craft of sewing to make one-off, versatile, long-lasting items to cherish. The magic of this approach makes Serena Sews a book to come back to again and again. It's brimming full of sewing happiness - for you, your friends and family, and the planet.Trade Review‘Really, really talented sewers . . . have fairy dust they throw over the garment and it doesnt look like it has been touched by a human hand.’ -- Esme Young

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Book SynopsisHighly Commended for the Wainwright Prize 2023, and shortlisted for the Zócalo Book Prize and the Christopher Moore Prize For Human Rights Writing ''Gaia Vince''s new book should be read not just by every politician, but by every person on the planet'' ObserverAn urgent investigation of the most underreported, seismic consequence of climate change: how it will force us to change where - and how - we liveWe are facing a species emergency. With every degree of temperature rise, a billion people will be displaced from the zone in which humans have lived for thousands of years. While we must do everything we can to mitigate the impact of climate change, the brutal truth is that huge swathes of the world are becoming uninhabitable. From Bangladesh to Sudan to the western United States, and in cities from Cardiff to New Orleans to Shanghai, the quadruple threat of drought, heat, wildfires and flooding will utterly reshape Earth''s human geography in the coming decades.In this rousing call to arms, Royal Society Science Book Prize-winning author Gaia Vince describes how we can plan for and manage this unavoidable climate migration while we restore the planet to a fully habitable state. The vital message of this book is that migration is not the problem - it''s the solution. Drawing on a wealth of eye-opening data and original reporting, Vince shows how migration brings benefits not only to migrants themselves, but to host countries, many of which face demographic crises and labour shortages. As Vince describes, we will need to move northwards as a species, into the habitable fringes of Europe, Asia and Canada and the greening Arctic circle.While the climate catastrophe is finally getting the attention it deserves, the inevitability of mass migration has been largely ignored. In Nomad Century, Vince provides, for the first time, an examination of the most pressing question facing humanity.Trade ReviewWith the government's migration policy in such appalling disarray, Gaia Vince's Nomad Century has to be the most timely book of the year. Vince's calm, compassionate and authoritative explanation of the inevitability of migration is essential reading... There should be a copy on every desk in Whitehall -- Michael Brooks, Books of the Year * New Statesman *A tour de force... Nomad Century should be on the reading list of anyone and everyone in any position of power. It is not simply a future atlas of human geography showing where will be habitable and for how many, but a hard-hitting must-read on how we will need to live in the coming decades to secure the long-term survival of humankind -- Anjana Ahuja * Financial Times *Essential, bold and clear-sighted... I have yet to read a book that takes the question of how to survive the coming decades more seriously -- David Farrier * Prospect *A powerful, provocative argument * Nature *After a summer of climate catastrophes, not least the appalling floods that left a third of Pakistan under water at the end of August, now should be the moment to consider radical solutions -- Philippa Nuttall * New Statesman *Engaging and constructive... Vince leaves the reader with more than a few sparks of hope * Herald *Gaia Vince's new book should be read not just by every politician, but by every person on the planet, because it lays out, much more clearly than any existing scientific assessment, the world we are creating through global heating... Passionate and powerful -- Bob Ward * Observer *Powerful... It holds much wisdom with which to tackle the challenges of our turbulent century... Nomad Century is a visionary book, an attempt to imagine how climate change might reshape our notions of what is politically possible -- Ben Cooke * The Times *Nomad Century is a landmark work - terrifying in its message and urgency, but ultimately empowering in its conviction about a path forward. Gaia Vince lays bare the scale of the challenge before us, and the grand ideas that will be needed to meet it. We must be ready; this book shows us how -- Ed YongOnce again Gaia Vince demonstrates that she is one of the finest science writers at work today -- Bill BrysonThe climate crisis already has millions of people on the move, and that number will steadily grow higher till it breaks the political structures of the planet - unless, as the author suggests, we start now to remake those structures so they can cope, and indeed benefit, from the flow of humans that is now inevitable. An important and provocative start to a crucial conversation -- Bill McKibbenThis book is a rather astounding addition to a growing body of thought that suggests the twenty-first century is going to include, and even require, lots of human migration-and that handled correctly, this could be part of a good adaptation to the climate and biosphere crisis we are now entering. What Vince gives us here is some cognitive mapping to understand the situation and see a way forward -- Kim Stanley RobinsonVince's perspectives and proposals are refreshing in a world where a Don't-Look-Up-style denial is solidly in place... If this book results in even a smidgeon more sympathy for the huge numbers of people being forced away from their homes, that will be a great thing -- Sally Hayden * Irish Times *Nomad Century is the most important book I imagine I'll ever read. Gaia Vince calmly -- without drum-banging or hand-wringing -- sets forth likely consequences and end-of-century projections for our rapidly changing planet. It'll knock you flat. But before you hit the ground, she hands over an impressively detailed survival plan: supporting radical migration from newly uninhabitable regions, rethinking urban structures and food practices, restoring climate. The book is heavily researched, but Gaia's clean, intelligent prose propels the reader -- Mary RoachTerrifying, yet strangely hopeful and immensely important. I'm not sure if you can 'love' a book about our precarious future but this is essential reading. Nomad Century brings together the two most pressing issues of our time: the climate emergency and migration. Every single one of us will be affected by this - and therefore we should all read this book. It's packed with facts, solutions and even some optimism ... so, yes, maybe I actually do 'love' it -- Andrea WulfBrilliant. The most far-sighted book on migration I have read. Gaia Vince doesn't waste a sentence. Read this to understand our future -- Henry ManceNomad Century will broaden your horizon when thinking about the biggest humanitarian crisis of known history. A passionate plea for humankind -- Ece TemelkuranVince sounds the air raid siren for humanity, then offers a thrilling path forward. A harrowing then inspiring read -- Musa OkwongaRigorously researched, accessibly written and illuminating... Vince's book makes a persuasive case that we can meet the momentous tasks ahead * Geographical *The UN's International Organisation for Migration predicts as many as 1.5 billion environmental migrants by 2050, with many fleeing drought, flood and wildfire. The coming together of two hot-button issues - the climate crisis and migration - is the basis for Nomad Century (Allen Lane) by Gaia Vince, an essential book on how humanity must adapt as the planet warms and some regions become uninhabitable. The question, she says, is whether the transition will be managed calmly or whether "hunger and conflict will erupt - an unconscionable outcome that would endanger us all" -- Anhana Ahuja, Books of the Year * New Statesman *After a year in which wildfires, storms and floods have driven thousands from their homes, this book's warning about a rising population of climate migrants has a chilling resonance. The survival solutions it offers - such as global freedom of movement - are not entirely persuasive. But the case it makes for fresh thinking is utterly convincing -- Pilita Clark, Books of the Year * Financial Times *The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has said that she dreams of sending planes full of migrants to Rwanda. But policymakers are in denial about the number of people who will be forced to move as the impacts of climate change become more profound, argues the scientist Gaia Vince in Nomad Century: How to Survive the Climate Upheaval (John Murray). She calls for us all to step up and manage migration humanely -- Philippa Nuttall, Books of the Year * New Statesman *In the opening chapters of Nomad Century, science writer and broadcaster Gaia Vince paints a stark picture of what the world is likely to look like if global average temperatures rise 4°C above pre-industrial levels. This isn't a distant or unrealistic prospect: climate models suggest we're currently heading towards a 3°C-4°C rise by the end of the century - less than three generations away. In this rigorously researched, accessibly written and illuminating book, Vince examines what these changes will entail and how we should respond, ending with an eight-point 'manifesto' to guide us. While not shying away from the scale of the challenges, she doesn't give in to fatalism or inertia: '[We] are facing a species emergency - but we can manage it -- Books of the Year * Geographical *My first choice is Nomad Century by Gaia Vince, a brilliant and disturbing analysis of how climate change will affect the world's migration patterns. Vince argues that, instead of being afraid, we should embrace these new migratory movements. After all, she says, civilisations have all been built on the backs of migration. It is both a disturbing and a hopeful read -- Baroness Boycott, Book of the Year * Politics Home *Got to be one of the most important books in the world today -- Max Porter, author of SHY

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisCramming all new-case studies and 100s of new questions into one book, this new edition of our AQA A-level Geography student book will capture imaginations as it travels around the globe. This book has been written by our expert author team and structured to provide support for learners of all abilities. The book includes: Activities and regular review questions to reinforce geographical knowledge and build up core geographical skills Clear explanations to help students to grapple with tricky geographical concepts and grasp links between topics Case studies from around the world to vividly demonstrate geographical theory in action Exciting fieldwork projects that meet the fieldwork and investigation requirements The most up-to-date theory of plate tectonicsThis student book is supported by digital resources on our new digital platform Boost, providing a seamless online and offline teaching experience.

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Book SynopsisSay 'algae' and most people think of pond scum. What they don't know is that without algae, none of us would exist.; There are as many algae on earth as stars in the universe, and they have been essential to life on our planet for aeons. Algae created our oxygen-rich atmosphere, abundant oceans and coral reefs. Crude oil is made of dead algae, and algae are the ancestors of all plants.; Today, seaweed production is a multi-billion-dollar industry, with algae hard at work to make your sushi, beer, paint, toothpaste, shampoo and so much more. Delving into science and history, in this revelatory book Ruth Kassinger takes readers on an around-the-world, behind-the-scenes, and into-the-kitchen tour. We'll meet the algae innovators working towards a sustainable future: from seaweed farmers in South Korea, to scientists using it to clean the dead zones in our waterways, to the entrepreneurs fighting to bring algae fuel and plastics to market.; Bloom will overturn everything you thought you knew about algae and the immense power that they hold. This could be the future of our rapidly changing world.Trade Review“Truly mind expanding ... science writing at its most engaging and rewarding” -- Tonto Williams, Electronic Scrapbook; "Algae are among the earth's oldest life-forms, pervasive in everything from pond scum to crude oil. Kassinger explains their history and biology, and makes a persuasive case for their future importance." —New York Times Book Review; “Gives a distinct view into these underappreciated organisms and demonstrates our intertwined history with algae. Hopefully, it will help readers see algae in a different light." — Science Magazine; "Fascinating and relevant...As Kassinger finds unique nuggets within algae's backstory and possible future, she unravels amazing, microscopic details of this vital resource...Where it gets really interesting is her detailed explanation of the large role algae played in the complicated, multistep process of human evolution, supplementing our ancestors’ diets with iodine and the omega-3 oil DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), both essential ingredients for developing larger brains. And it has continued to serve as a nutritious food source for many cultures ever since...Kassinger has penned a wondrous story of this multifaceted, often misunderstood microorganism whose existence is vital to our own." —BookPage, starred review; "We often look for big solutions, but the reality is that the smallest things often offer hope. This globetrotting book showcases the 'algae innovators' (the phrase of the month) exploring what we can learn from these often-ignored plants." —EcoWatch; "Deep and enlightening...Readers will learn more about algae than they ever imagined (and relish every minute of it). Comparisons to Mary Roach and Susan Orlean are well-deserved, and Kassinger’s erudite and wide-ranging approach should entice readers with a wide range of interests, from food to fashion, bioengineering, marine biology, farming, and general fascination with the wonders of nature. Gardeners will welcome Kassinger's latest, and everyone else will feel lucky to discover this winsome writer." —Booklist, starred review; "A fun and fascinating deep dive into the natural history, current uses, and vast potential of algae...Accessible and enthralling...Kassinger delivers the powerful and optimistic message that slime just may be our savior...Thorough but not dense, informative but never boring—a delight from start to finish." —Kirkus, starred review; "In chirpy prose chock-full of homespun metaphors...Kassinger turns an obscure subject into delightful reading...Even readers who never expected to enjoy a book about slime will find this an informative and charming primer to 'the world’s most powerful engines.'" —Publishers Weekly; "Compelling ... there is something for everyone, from committed phycologists to people who hitherto (but hopefully no longer) regarded algae as an inconvenience or worse. Blanket weed may never seem the same again" -- Nature; "With brio and great wisdom, Ruth Kassinger demonstrates how the apparently humble and often disregarded algae ("pond scum") are actually amongst the major engines of life on our planet. Bloom is a classic of our environmental crisis, alongside books such as Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction." - Peter Forbes, author of The Gecko's Foot; "A book full of delights and surprises . . . This is a beautiful evocation of the many ways that our past and future are entangled in their emerald strands" - David George Haskell, author of Pulitzer Prize-finalist The Forest Unseen; "Ruth Kassinger is a witty and affable guide throughout this globetrotting celebration of an overlooked life form" - Thor Hanson, author of Buzz, The Triumph of Seeds and Feathers; 'Engaging and deeply informative' - Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural HistoryTable of ContentsContents; Introduction ix; Section I: In the Beginning; 1. Pond Life 3; 2. Something New Under the Sun 13; 3. Algae Get; Complicated 21; 4. Land Ho, Going Once 27; 5. Land Ho, Going Twice 37; 6. Looking for Lichens 43; Section II: Glorious Food; 1. Brain Food 55; 2. Seaweed Salvation 69; 3. On a Grand Scale 79; 4. Welshmen's Delight 89; 5. A Way of Life 99; 6. Flash! 113; 7. Spirulina 123; Section III: Practical Matters; 1. Feeding Plants and Animals 131; 2. In the Thick of It 147; 3. Land Ho, Going Thrice 159; 4. Seaweed Stuff 169; 5. Algae Oil 185; 6. The Algae's Not for Burning 203; 7. Ethanol 215; 8. The Future of Algae Fuel 229; Section IV: Algae and the Changing Climate; 1. Gadzoox 243; 2. Saving the Reefs? 255; 3. A Plague Upon Us 273; 4. Clean-up 283; 5. Making Monsters 295 6. Geoengineering 303; Epilogue 315; Acknowledgements 323; Appendix: Recipes 325; Selected and Annotated Bibliography 341; Index 371

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Book SynopsisAs plants see it, humans are not the masters of the Earth but only one of its most unpleasant and irksome residents. They have been on the planet for only about 300,000 years ago (nothing compared to the three billon years of plant evolution), yet have changed the conditions of the planet so drastically as to make it a dangerous place for their own survival. It's time for the plants to offer advice. In this playful, philosophical manifesto, Stefano Mancuso, expert on plant intelligence, presents a new constitution on which to build our future as beings respectful of the Earth and its inhabitants. These eight articles - the fundamental pillars on which plant life is based - must henceforth regulate all living beings.Trade ReviewPraise for The Nation of Plants: This artfully crafted exposition delightfully delves into the lives of plants by presenting the eight pillars on which those lives are built. * Newsweek *Mancuso writes playfully; as manifestos go, he knows, his is deeply weird...But this is peculiarity with a purpose. The conceit, an impassioned argument from collectivized flora that cites both atmospheric emissions and anthropocenic despair, forces readers to ask elemental questions. Who-and what-deserves moral consideration when the fate of one species is so often the fate of another? Mancuso's plants, in the end, make some very good points -- Megan Garber * The Atlantic *A renowned scientist delivers a simple yet urgent call to action on behalf of Earth's multitude of plants...[a] powerful book...Mancuso concludes his elegant and cogent argument with straightforward advice accessible to anyone...Insightful and arresting, this book offers an achievable road map to a more radiant future * Kirkus Reviews *A marvellously inventive spur to imagination. Plants have many lessons to offer us about thriving and resilience, and these are wonderfully elucidated in this deep green journey -- David George Haskell, author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Forest Unseen and John Burroughs Medal recipient for The Songs of TreesStefano Mancuso's The Nation of Plants is brilliant and delightful. A perfect little gem of a book -- Sonia Shah, author of The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the MoveA fantastic and necessary read for any plant enthusiast or environmental activist, The Nation of Plants is not merely a missive on the perils of climate change. Rather, the book begins from the whimsical perspective of plants, then weaves scientific fact with historical examples in a moving and inspiring call to action. Apart from the initial address, Mancuso's concrete approach is far from fantastical. The Nation of Plants is moving and informative, balancing a love for all things botanical with a passion for listening to and considering the needs of our plant brethren. -- Jessica Roux, author of Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of FlowersIn his new book, The Nation of Plants, Stefano Mancuso expresses his awe for plants by asking a unique question: What if our Constitution were rewritten by plants? What would be the fundamental laws if the Earth were governed by plants rather than people? Mancuso answers this question by masterfully and thoughtfully linking the stories of people, plants, and plant science. A must-read for anyone who is interested in the historical interactions between people and plants -- Valerie Trouet, author of Tree Story: The History of the World Written in RingsIn this insightful and pithy tract, Stefano Mancuso convincingly argues that the route to fighting climate change and mass extinction, and to living sustainably on this Earth, begins with a floral point of view. This is the constitution we need -- Zach St. George, author of The Journeys of Trees: A Story about Forests, People, and the FutureThe Nation of Plants unveils the long-term relationship between plants and people and explores the rights of all living things. It is a call for cooperation in a world facing persistent environmental degradation. It is a call for our mutual survival -- Lauren E. Oakes, author of In Search of the Canary TreeIn this brief book, Stefano Mancuso offers what may be the most original solution to the troubling age of humans. What if it were plants, rather than humans, who wrote a constitution for Earthly survival? Mancuso's innovative manifesto is a set of principles for living according to the botanical world. He imagines a new political order based not on the survival of the fittest, but rather on life in community, mutual aid, freedom from borders, and sovereignty for all living beings. In this engaging read, the plant philosopher pushes readers to see how much our survival depends on the well-being of the Nation of Plants-and gives us a radical guide to living according to the rules of life's unsung heroes -- Elizabeth Hennessy, author of On the Backs of Tortoises: Darwin, the Galapagos, and the Fate of an Evolutionary EdenMancuso [is] a gifted writer, with an engaging story-telling approach ... [The Nation of Plants has] many important ideas and food for thought * For Better Science *

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Book Synopsis'An illuminating glimpse of the chain reactions of human and physical geography.' Financial Times'A truly original adventure into new ways of exploring what we mean by a sense of place.' Simon Jenkins'A fascinating exploration of the lesser-known and more subtle borders across the earth and the surprising ways in which they shape our lives.' i newsOur world has innumerable boundaries, ranging from the obvious - like an ocean - to subtle differences in language or climate. Most of us cross invisible lines all the time, but don't stop to consider them. In Invisible Lines, geographer Maxim Samson presents 30 such unseen boundaries, intriguing and unexpected examples of the myriad ways in which we collectively engage with and experience the world. From football fans in Buenos Aires to air quality in China, Paris' banlieues to sub-Saharan Africa's Malaria Belt, the existence - or perceived existence - of dividing lines has manifold implications for people, wildlife, and places. Fully illustrated with maps of each location, Invisible Lines reveals the extraordinary ways in which we try to render the planet more liveable and legible; a compelling guide to seeing and understanding our world in all its consistency - and all its messiness, too.

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Book SynopsisAn archival delve into the remarkable life, expeditions and voyages of Thor Heyerdahl, author of the bestselling adventure classic The Kon-Tiki Expedition Norwegian archaeologist, anthropologist, migration theorist, author and explorer Thor Heyerdahl (1914–2002) spent decades substantiating unorthodox migration theories, with equally unconventional research methodologies: namely, practicable experiments that employed the construction of ancient vessels, driven across open oceans and waterways to retrace the movement and settlements of our ancestors. With October 2022 commemorating the 75th anniversary of Thor Heyerdahl’s extraordinary 1947 voyage upon a balsa-wood raft, Kon-Tiki, from coastal South America to Polynesia across the Pacific Ocean, an enviable opportunity arises to reexplore Heyerdahl’s innovative yet frequently contested theories and expeditions. Afforded unprecedented access to Oslo’s Kon-Tiki Museum’s extensive Heyerdahl archive, Thor Heyerdahl: Voyages of the Sun assembles a wealth of little-known and previously unseen correspondence, expedition logbooks, journals and photographs. Offering readers new and unexamined narratives from an explorer famed for his radical ideas and vehement rejections of abstracted academic theory, Thor Heyerdahl: Voyages of the Sun reviews the enduring relevance of the explorer’s research and assesses it within larger narratives of modern archaeological, anthropological, marine science and migration research; international conservation initiatives; evolving globalization; and essential human–nature symbiosis.

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Book SynopsisGet ready to learn everything you never knew about plants and then some! Now in paperback, this illustrated compendium celebrates the plants you didn't even know you used, from your toothpaste to your car tires to the name of your great-great-aunt. This comprehensive overview also contains great plant projects you and your friends can try at home!Trade ReviewFunny and clever, with illustrations that are a feast for the eye. An instant classic. -- Sir Tim Smit * Co-founder of The Eden Project *A fun read from start to finish with some brilliant experiments. -- Neil Jones * Chelsea Physics Garden *I Ate Sunshine for Breakfast (Flying Eye) is a compendium of plants so full of dazzling, delicious pictures that it's like opening up a world-class garden in your hands. * The Guardian *

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Book Synopsis''Subtle and self-reflexive. . . an excellent overview of the debates and issues that have shaped this hugely influential social science'' - GuardianHow does anthropology help us understand who we are?What can it tell us about culture, from Melanesia to the City of London? Why does it matter?For well over one hundred years, social and cultural anthropologists have traversed the world from urban Zimbabwe to suburban England, Beijing to Barcelona, uncovering surprising facts, patterns, predilections and, sometimes, the inexplicable, in terms of how humans organize their lives and articulate their values. By weaving together theories and examples from around the world, Matthew Engelke brilliantly shows why anthropology matters: not only because it allows us to understand other points of view, but also because in the process, it reveals something about ourselves too.Trade ReviewEngelke's subtle and self-reflexive study presents an excellent overview of the debates and issues that have shaped this hugely influential social science. . . Using an eclectic range of examples, including "bridewealth" in modern China and the role of social values in Downton Abbey, he shows how anthropology reveals both the limits of common sense and the universal lessons that can be drawn from communities everywhere -- PD Smith * Guardian *Think Like an Anthropologist sets forth the anthropological sensibility as a mode of thinking that might encourage us to better appreciate the complexity and diversity of the modern world -- Lamorna Ash * TLS *Informing -- and perhaps occasionally startling readers who aren't themselves anthropologists -- is a profoundly important goal. Engelke achieves his goal with crystal-clear writing, and occasional humor, too -- Barbara J. King * NPR *Brilliant, lively, short(ish) introduction into the key issues that shape anthropology. The ideal introduction for a general reader, a student - or the parent of a teenager who does not understand why their kid wants to study anthropology instead of accounting. (Don't worry; they can still find a job.) -- Gillian Tett * Guardian *An affable introduction to the discipline -- James Ryerson * New York Times Book Review *Clearly the work of an author having tremendous fun with material he knows inside out . . . Thinking like an anthropologist is something that we should all do more often -- Simon Underdown * Times Higher Education *We may not do research in faraway places or even nearby, among our curious neighbors, but we all need to be anthropologists. Thinking like an anthropologist means stopping to consider our common-sense categories in critical, comparative, and historically informed ways. Matthew Engelke's admirably lucid book gives us the tools we need -- James Clifford, author of Returns: Becoming Indigenous in the Twenty-First CenturyA terrific introduction to the field. Beautifully written, winningly told, and provocative, the book captures the basic feature of the discipline: that anthropology is a way of seeing and thinking. Anthropology invites you to see yourself as someone else might see you. In this way, it is the most world-changing of fields -- T. M. Luhrmann, author of When God Talks BackPlayful and perceptive, Matthew Engelke welcomes readers into the fascinating history and profound insights of anthropology. This elegant synthesis shows how the discipline can change the way we think about the world -- Caitlin Zaloom, author of Out of the Pits

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