Earth Sciences, Geography & Environment Books

Book SynopsisLeaving the field gathers various accounts of ethnographers leaving their field sites. In doing so, the book offers original insights into an often-overlooked aspect of the research process; the ethnographic exit. The chapters variously consider situations in which the researcher must extricate themselves from field relations, deal with unexpected or imperfect ends to projects, or manage situations in which ‘the field’ becomes hard to leave. Whilst the chapters are firmly focussed on ethnographic exits, they also provide more general methodological insights into the conduct of fieldwork and the writing of ethnography, as well as questioning established notions of ‘the field’ as a bounded setting the researcher straightforwardly visits and then leaves. The book highlights the importance of recognising ethnographic exits as an essential part of the research process.Table of ContentsLeaving the field: an editors’ introductionSara Delamont and Robin James SmithPart I Entanglements and im/perfect exits1 Finishing fieldwork in less than perfect circumstances: lessons learned in ‘labyrinth’ exitingAlexandra Allan and Sarah Cole2 Exeunt omnes!! The case for bad exits in ethnographySally Campbell Galman3 Reflections on care and attachment in the ‘departure lounge’ of ethnographyAlex McInch and Harry C.R. Bowles4 Unfinished business: a reflection on leaving the fieldGareth M. Thomas5 Materia erotica: making love among glass-blowersErin O’ConnorPart II Troubling the field6 Those who never leave usJessica Nina Lester and Allison Daniel Anders7 Déjà vu et jamais vu: what happens when the field expands in ways that mean there is no exit?Dawn Mannay8 Student voices ‘echo’ from the ethnographic fieldJanean Robinson, Barry Down and John Smyth9 Public space and visible poverty: research fields without exitAndrew P. Carlin10 ‘The martial will never leave your bones’: embodying the field of the Kung Fu familyGeorge JenningsPart III Intermissions and returns11 Between open and closed: recursive exits and returns to the fuzzy field of a community library across a decade of austerityAlice Corble12 On the importance of intermissions in ethnographic fieldwork: lessons from leaving New YorkJoe Williams13 Can you remember? Leaving and returning to the field in longitudinal research with people living with dementiaAndrew Clark and Sarah Campbell14 A constant apprenticeship in martial arts: the messy longitudinal dynamics of never leaving the fieldDavid CalveyPart IV Returns, responsibilities and representations after ‘leaving’15 A cautionary tale about ‘respondent validation’: the dissonant meeting of ‘field self’ and ‘author self’Daniel Burrows16 Commenting on legal practice: research relationships and the impact of criticismDaniel Newman17 Emotional honesty and reflections on problematic positionalities when conducting research in another countryAshley Rogers

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Book SynopsisThis multidisciplinary collection of scholarship rethinks European urban modernity from a race-conscious perspective, being aware of (post)colonial entanglements. The twelve original contributions empirically focus on such varied cities as Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Cottbus, Genoa, Hamburg, Madrid, Mitrovica, Naples, Paris, Sheffield, and Thessaloniki, engaging multiple combinations of global urban studies, from various historical perspectives, with postcolonial, decolonial and critical race studies. Inspired by Dipesh Chakrabarty's notion of 'provincializing Europe', the collection interrogates dominant, Eurocentric theories, representations and models of European cities across the East-West divide, offering the reader alternative perspectives to understand and imagine urban life and politics. With its focus on Europe, it ultimately contributes to decades of rigorous critical race scholarship on varied global urban regions.European cities is a vital reading for anyone interested in the complex interactions between colonial legacies and constructions of 'modernity', in view of catering to social change and urban justice.Trade Review‘This long overdue conversation between urban studies and postcolonial, decolonial and critical race studies will jolt urban studies beyond its Eurocentric legacy, and into the twenty-first century. Highlighting histories of colonialism, racism and anti-Semitism alongside self-organised movements of resistance, the authors write back against a European City model that is cleansed of race and wedded to developmentalist notions of European superiority. A must-read, paradigm-shifting collection that crucially thinks together histories of colonialism, National Socialism and the Cold War.’Jin Haritaworn, Associate Professor of Gender, Race and Environment, University of York‘Timely in its reminder of the historical erasures and spatial amnesia of too much urban thinking, this volume explores powerfully both the hubris and the deeply racialised traces and spaces of the European city.’Michael Keith, Director of the PEAK Urban Research programme, University of Oxford'This volume offers an immensely exciting and original intervention into (European) Urban Studies, questioning a number of assumptions around the "modernity" of European cities that tend to erase the history of colonialism and its ongoing impacts, key among them the role of race. The contributions assembled by Ha and Picker provide historical depth and geographical breadth, they deconstruct artificial hierarchies between Europe and the Global South as well as the continent’s East and West, at long last including European Urban Studies in a truly global conversation. The book could not have been published at a better moment: Its insights are urgently needed in a world that is rapidly changing yet continues to be framed through flawed paradigms reiterating an understanding of progress that blocks rather than opens a path to real transformation. The work assembled here suggested alternative models that I will be certain to draw on in my work.'Fatima El-Tayeb, Professor of Ethnicity, Race, and Migration, Yale University'Overall, the book provides new material on how the prevailing narratives of Europeanization and “European culture” are materialized and challenged in the cities analyzed, as well as ways to decolonially rethink them. It should be especially emphasized that each chapter and each author has his own methodology, which is rare for most modern books. The book is intended for a wide audience, as it provides an analysis of the various opinions about European cities.'Mirzokhid Askarov, Ethnic and Racial Studies -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction: rethinking the European urban – Noa K. Ha and Giovanni PickerPart I: Provincialising historicism 1 Parochial imaginations: the ‘European city’ as a territorialised entity – Anke Schwarz 2 Countermapping colonial amnesia in Parisian landscapes – Tania Mancheno 3 Provincialising industry: hyperreal urban modernity in nineteenth-century Buenos Aires – Antonio Carbone Part II: Provincialising (urban) geography 4 Provincialising conviviality: convivial boundary-making in post-Ottoman, socialist and divided Mitrovica – Pieter Troch 5 Urban infrastructures, migration and the reproduction of colonial forms of difference – Aidan Mosselson 6 Decolonising Cottbus: unmasking coloniality/modernity and ‘imperial difference’ in urban sites of remembrance – Miriam Friz Trzeciak and Manuel Peters Part III: Provincialising the (urban) political7 Decolonial migrant claims to the metropole: views from two Mediterranean cities – Mahdis Azarmandi and Piro Rexhepi 8 Portuguese Urban Studies: between race and the absence of racism – Ana Rita Alves 9 Between hope and despair: how racism and anti-racism produce Madrid – Stoyanka Eneva10 Theorising Hamburg from the South: racialisation and the development of Wilhelmsburg – Julie ChamberlainCoda: toward urban provisioning – AbdouMaliq Simone

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Book SynopsisLiving with water brings together sociologists, geographers, artists, writers and poets to explore the ways in which water binds, immerses and supports us. Drawing from international research on river crossings, boat dwelling, wild swimming, sea fishing, and drought impacts, and navigating urban waters, glacial lagoons, barrier reefs and disappearing tarns, the collection illuminates the ways that we live with and without water, and explores how we can think and write with water on land. Water offers a way of attending to emerging and enduring social and ecological concerns and making sense of them in lively and creative ways. By approaching Living with water from different disciplinary and methodological perspectives, and drawing on research from around the world, this collection opens up discussions that reinvigorate and renew previously landlocked debates.This book is relevant to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, Clean water and sanitationTrade Review'This edited collection explores how living, thinking and writing with water can act as a vehicle for exploring emerging and persistent social and ecological issues. Structured around three aquatic themes – float, flow, submerge – the contributions are methodologically and textually diverse, including the creative arts, social sciences, history and ethnography, and encompassing a pleasing diversity of writing styles ranging from the personal and confessional to the figurative, theoretical and critical. As a reading experience, it is delightful.' Karen Throsby, author of Immersion: Marathon Swimming, Embodiment and Identity and Professor of Gender Studies, University of Leeds‘I love to surf, swim, dive, fish, and sit rugged up in a blanket with hot drink in hand just before plunging into icy winter sea. By diving into this beautifully polymorphous collection of emotional, intoxicating, playful, and daring storytelling you will be carried away by waves of analysis that will in turn alarm you, send shivers of joy across your skin, prompt deep introspection, and leave you with a deeply embodied sense of contentment. The collection is a flowing unity saturated with uncompromising reflexivity, care, and vulnerability that not only enriches thinking, listening, imagining, creating, feeling, and learning with water but perhaps, most importantly of all, a necessary responsibility to this giver of life.’Clifton Evers, Senior Lecturer in Media & Cultural Studies, Newcastle University -- .Table of ContentsForeword – Jessica J. Lee1 Living with water – Kate Moles and Charlotte Bates 2 Jo¨kulsa´rlo´n 64°04'13''N 16°12'42''W – Wayne Binitie Float 3 Ryan and Alfie: the teenage fishers – Alys Tomlinson 4 Fereð ofer flodas: floating on a ferry – Eva McGrath5 Homes, happenings and everyday lives: afloat on London’s waterways – Lorna Flutter6 Bathed in feeling: water cultures and city life – Les Back 7 River crossings: the mighty London Thames – Sophie Watson 8 Living with/out water: media, memory and gender – Joanne Garde-HansenFlow9 How deep is your love? Spurting, surging, leaking and hissing in Calgary’s pressurised drinking water infrastructure – Becky Shaw10 Rain – Sans façon11 More than a body of water: disentangling the affective meshwork of the Belize Barrier Reef – Phillip Vannini and April Vannini12 Shifting tides: Anthropocene entanglements and unravellings in the Bay of Fundy – Aurora Fredriksen13 Follow the water – Perdita Phillips14 Glacial erratic – Stephanie KrzywonosSubmerge 15 17 bridges – Vanessa Daws 16 Churn – JLM Morton17 Submerging bodies in cold waters – Charlotte Bates and Kate Moles 18 How to swim without water: swimming as an ecological sensibility – Rebecca Olive 19 I just want an earth of cool mysteries – Samantha Walton20 Conjuring a swimming pond – Emily BatesIndex

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Book SynopsisWhy don't trains run on time? Why are fares so expensive? Why are there so many strikes? Few would disagree that Britain's railways are broken, and have been for a long time. This insightful new book calls for a radical rethink of how we view the railways, and explains the problems we face and how to fix them. Haines-Doran argues that the railways should be seen as a social good and an indispensable feature of the national economy. With passengers and railway workers holding governments to account, we could then move past the incessant debates on whether our railways are an unavoidably loss-making business failure. An alternative vision is both possible and affordable, enabling the railways to play an instrumental role in decreasing social inequalities, strengthening the economy and supporting a transition to a sustainable future.This book is relevant to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 9, Industry, innovation and infrastructureTrade Review'Punchy, well written and forensic in its analysis. Exposes how attacks on rail workers' terms and conditions have been at the heart of privatisation - and how passengers and taxpayers have also been fleeced by shareholders and bosses.'Frances O'Grady, General Secretary, Trades Union Congress'A clear, precise and accessible glide through the disastrous history of British privatised rail and a passionate case for why we need the railways now more than ever, Derailed is an InterCity125 in a discourse dominated by Pacers and Pendolinos.'Owen Hatherley, culture editor of Tribune and author of Modern Buildings in Britain‘Tom Haines-Doran provides an excellent summary of the wrongs of rail privatisation, but that's the easy bit. The best sections of the book are those attempting to provide ideas for sorting out the mess and giving the railways the focus they need to survive at a time of concerns about climate change and inequality.’Christian Wolmar, author of British Rail: A New History 'Derailed is a fascinating and readable guide to the state of the UK's railways, which shows exactly what needs to be done to build a rail network that works for public good rather than private profit.'Grace Blakeley, author of The Corona Crash 'Derailed is a brilliant, revelatory book. Deeply researched, lucidly written and humane, it explains the chronic failure of corner-cutting, under-funding and privatisation in Britain’s railways – and more importantly, what we can do about it. I commend this book to anyone who has ever wondered why things don’t work properly in this country, and wants to know how to fix it.'Richard Seymour, author of The Twittering Machine'The privatisation of our railways has proved to be one of the greatest policymaking disasters of the last century. It has cost the taxpayer and travelling public billions of pounds and, tragically for many passengers and railway workers, it has cost them their lives. This book demonstrates clearly how this scandal can be remedied.'John McDonnell MP'In Derailed, Tom Haines-Doran puts the UK’s rail system in these political-economic contexts with a compelling account of its history, present conditions and future possibilities.'Chris Saltmarsh, The Ecologist'Derailed is a refreshing take on Britain’s post-privatisation railways and convincingly makes the case for passenger-led reform. While primarily aimed at passengers and rail users, Derailed will find broad appeal with those interested in transport more generally, especially those intrigued by its role in the fight against climate change. Equally, this book would benefit undergraduates and more advanced scholars keen to understand the puzzle pieces of Britain’s privatised rail network.'William Law, LSE Review of Books 'This is a very impressive survey of Britain’s railway industry, which also puts forward a whole series of proposals for improving it.'The Morning Star'Derailed is, in short, an indispensable read for anyone with even a passing interest in the railways, either as a passenger or member of staff. I hope that both unions and passengers’ groups take notice of it. It can inform the movement well for the next stages of the struggle to get the public-transport system we so urgently need.'Kevin Crane, Counterfire 'An absorbing read, and its slim paperback format means it is an excellent travelling companion fora rail journey...'Rail Express'This short and accessible book provides an incisive analysis of the reasons for the failure of the privatisation of Britain’s rail passenger services.'Sean McCartney, Emeritus Professor at the School of Business and Management, Queen Mary, University of London -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1 Why don’t the trains run on time?2 Why are fares so high?3 Why are there so many strikes?4 How can the railways be held to account?5 Is there light at the end of the tunnel?Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThis interdisciplinary volume explores the role of images and narratives in different borderscapes. Written by experienced scholars in the field, Border images, border narratives provides fresh insight into how borders, borderscapes, and migration are imagined and narrated in public and private spheres. Offering new ways to approach the political aesthetics of the border and its ambiguities, this volume makes a valuable contribution to the methodological renewal of border studies and presents ways of discussing cultural representations of borders and related processes. Influenced by the thinking of philosopher Jacques Rancière, this timely volume argues that narrated and mediated images of borders and borderscapes are central to the political process, as they contribute to the public negotiation of borders and address issues such as the in/visiblity of migrants and the formation of alternative borderscapes. The contributions analyse narratives and images in literary texts, political and popular imagery, surveillance data, border art, and documentaries, as well as problems related to borderland identities, migration, and trauma. The case studies provide a highly comparative range of geographical contexts ranging from Northern Europe and Britain, via Mediterranean and Mexican-USA borderlands, to Chinese borderlands from the perspectives of critical theory, literary studies, social anthropology, media studies, and political geography.Trade Review'The collection succeeds in its intended purpose to contribute towards new approaches to the relevance and workings of borders. The book is of equal interest to students of cultural and literary English studies who wish to become acquainted with border studies, as much as for well-versed researchers looking for inspiration beyond the established forms of inquiry.'Sophie U. Kriegel, Leipzig University, Journal for the Study of British Cultures Vol. 29 Issue 1 (2022) -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction: images and narratives on the border – Jopi Nyman and Johan SchimanskiPart I: The Border (Forms)1 Phenomenology of the liminal – Wolfgang Müller-Funk2 Horizontal vertigo and psychasthenia: border figures of the fantastic – Patricia GarcíaPart II: Living with the Border (Zones)3 Capturing clouds: imagin(in)g the materiality of digital networks – Holger Pötzsch4 In/visibilities beyond the spectacularisation: young people, subjectivity, and revolutionary border Imaginations in the Mediterranean borderscape – Chiara Brambilla5 From heroism to grotesque: the invisibility of border-related trauma narratives in the Finnish–Russian borderlands – Tuulikki Kurki6 Expanded border imaginaries and aligned border narratives: ethnic minorities and localities in China’s border encounters with Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam – Victor Konrad and Zhiding HuPart III: Crossing the Border (Migrations)7 Borders: tshe topos of/for a post-politics of images? – Anne-Laure Amilhat Szary8 Some cunning passages in border-crossing narratives: seen and unseen migrants – Stephen F. Wolfe9 Borderscapes of Calais: images of ‘The Jungle’ in Breach by Olumide Popoola and Annie Holmes – Jopi Nyman10 Seasons of migration to the North: borders and images in migration narratives published in Norwegian – Johan Schimanski11 Performance of memory: testimonies of survival and rescue at Europe’s border – Karina Horsti and Ilaria TucciEpilogue: border images and narratives: paradoxes, spheres, aesthetics – Johan Schimanski and Jopi NymanIndex

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Book SynopsisRare British Breeds is a book inspired by the Rare Breed Survival Trust Watchlist, which is published annually, listing the species of sheep, cattle, horses, pigs, goats and poultry (chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese) that are endangered in the United Kingdom. This information is gathered from breed societies and lists the number of breeding females alive, along with their conservation status. Each species, regardless of their origin, is unique to the UK, either through cross breeding or by evolution. There are good reasons for wanting to keep these breeds alive; not just the genetic makeup of these creatures which means many are able to survive and thrive in very formidable conditions - a prerequisite for enduring possible future environmental disasters. Once gone, these genes will never be able to be replaced. They have taken thousands of years to develop. The book looks at the history of every breed, with their evolutionary roots, development over time, exportation, cross breeding and changing relationship to mankind as farming techniques react to societal shifts. Their particular physical characteristics such as meat, wool, milk, eggs or ability to pull great weights are discussed as well as their conservation status and the national and international efforts being made to ensure their survival.

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Book SynopsisAn urgent, essential, and practical call to action from the co-founder of Extinction Rebellion.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis‘Nathaniel Rich’s account starts in Washington in the 1990s and tells the story of how climate change could have been stopped back then, if only the powerful had acted. But they didn’t want to.’ – Observer By 1979, we knew all that we know now about the science of climate change – what was happening, why it was happening, and how to stop it. Over the next ten years, we had the very real opportunity to stop it. Obviously, we failed. Nathaniel Rich tells the essential story of why and how, thanks to the actions of politicians and businessmen, that failure came about. It is crucial to an understanding of where we are today. ‘The excellent and appalling Losing Earth by Nathaniel Rich describes how close we came in the 70s to dealing with the causes of global warming and how US big business and Reaganite politicians in the 80s ensured it didn’t happen. Read it.’ – John Simpson ‘An eloquent science history, and an urgent eleventh-hour call to save what can be saved.’ – Nature ‘To change the future, we must first understand our past, and Losing Earth is a crucial part of that when it comes to the environmental battles we’re facing.’– StylistTrade Review[Rich's] gripping, depressing, revelatory book makes it clear that not only is climate change a tragedy, but that it is also a crime — a thing that bad people knowingly made worse, for their personal gain. -- John Lanchester * New York Times *The excellent and appalling Losing Earth by Nathaniel Rich describes how close we came in the 70s to dealing with the causes of global warming and how US big business & Reaganite politicians in the 80s ensured it didn’t happen. Read it. -- John Simpson (on Twitter)Rich brilliantly relates the story of how, in 1979 . . . policymakers [were alerted] to the existential threat, only to see climate treaties fail in a welter of ‘profit over planet’ a decade later. An eloquent science history, and an urgent eleventh-hour call to save what can be saved. * Nature *To change the future, we must first understand our past, and Losing Earth is a crucial part of that when it comes to the environmental battles we’re facing. * Stylist *Others have documented where we are, and speculated about where we might be headed, but the story of how we got here is perhaps the most important one to be told, because it is both a cautionary tale and an unfinished one. -- Jonathan Safran FoerNathaniel Rich recounts how a crucial decade was squandered. Losing Earth is an important contribution to the record of our heedless age. -- Elizabeth Kolbert[Losing Earth] chronicles the failure of our scientific and political leaders to act to halt the climate apocalypse when they appeared on the verge of doing so, and casts the triumph of denial as the defining moral crisis for humankind. -- Philip GourevitchRich demonstrates exquisitely how shallow debate of a deep problem – the planetary scale and civilizational consequences of climate change – exacerbates the problem. -- Stewart BrandA gripping piece of history . . . Rich's writing is compelling . . . Like a Greek tragedy, Losing Earth shows how close we came to making the right choices. * National Public Radio *Nathaniel Rich’s account starts in Washington in the 1990s and tells the story of how climate change could have been stopped back then, if only the powerful had acted. But they didn’t want to. * Observer *Table of ContentsIntroduction - i: Introduction Unit - ii: Part I: Shouts in the Street:1979-1982 Chapter - 1: The Whole Banana: Spring 1979 Chapter - 2: Mirror Worlds: Spring 1979 Chapter - 3: Between Clambake and Chaos: July 1979 Chapter - 4: Enter Cassandra, Raving: 1979-1980 Chapter - 5: A Very Aggressive Defensive Program: 1979-1980 Chapter - 6: Tiger on the Road: October 1980 Chapter - 7: A Deluge Most Unnatural: November 1980-September 1981 Chapter - 8: Heroes and Villains: March 1982 Chapter - 9: The Direction of an Impending Catastrophe: 1982 Unit - iii: Part II: Bad Science Fiction: 1983-1988 Chapter - 10: Caution Not Panic: 1983-1984 Chapter - 11: The World of Action: 1985 Chapter - 12: The Ozone in October: Fall 1985-Summer 1986 Chapter - 13: Atmospheric Scientist, New York, N.Y.: Fall 1987-Spring 1988 Unit - iv: Part III: You Will See Things That You Shall Believe: 1988-1989 Chapter - 14: Nothing but Bonfires: Summer 1988 Chapter - 15: Signal Weather: June 1988 Chapter - 16: Woodstock for Climate Change: June 1988-April 1989 Chapter - 17: Fragmented World: Fall 1988 Chapter - 18: The Great Includer and the Old Engineer: Spring 1989 Chapter - 19: Natural Processes: May 1989 Chapter - 20: The White House Effect: Fall 1989 Chapter - 21: Skunks at the Garden Party: November 1989 Section - v: Afterword: Glass-Bottomed Boats Section - vi: A Note on the Sources Acknowledgements - vii: Acknowledgements

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Book Synopsis‘One of the books of the year. Cunnell’s style is matchless: intimate, dark, sincere, wry and exquisitely beautiful’ – Irish Times‘A cracking, urgent page-turner of a novel’ – ObserverThe painter Terry Godden was on the brink of his first success. After a violent crisis, he finds himself outcast.In his fifties, and with little money, he retreats to a small island. Arriving in the winter, the island at first seems a desolate and forgotten place. As the seasons turn, Terry begins to see the island’s beauty, and discovers that he is only one of many people who have sought refuge here. These independent outsiders, all with their own considerable struggles, have made a precarious home.The island is owned by the business man and art collector Alex Kaplan. His decision to enforce a rent increase as he seeks to improve his property looks set to destroy this community that cannot afford to lose the little they have left. As an artist, Terry believes making the invisible struggles of the island visible to the world will help – but will his interference save anybody other than himself?The Painter’s Friend shows the human cost of gentrification for those dispossessed. The novel also explores the role of art in protest, and asks who gets to be an artist and what they owe in return. Written with visual lyricism and driven clarity, Howard Cunnell’s incendiary story about class and resistance builds to an unforgettable climax. It is an urgent novel for our unjust times.‘I loved it. Cunnell’s writing has an unforgettable visual and moral clarity’ – Melissa Harrison, author of All Among the BarleyTrade ReviewI loved it. Cunnell’s writing has an unforgettable visual and moral clarity -- Melissa Harrison, author of All Among the BarleyHis finest and most important work to date -- Cathi Unsworth, author of WeirdoCunnell’s prose is elegantly punchy . . . The valour of his fight is revealed in a story of what can happen when truth is considered idealism and collides with the predatory designs of a property developer. A fine book -- John Healy, author of The Grass ArenaLoving in its exploration of creative survival and loss of human habitat. Every fleck and dab of verbal pigment rewards the eye and enriches the design -- Adam Mars-Jones, author of Box HillBrilliantly plotted and the final act knocked me sideways. Huge themes told through the personal stories of very real people. It was a delight and revelation to read -- David Morrissey, actorA novel of muscular, dark prose with more than a little compassion for damaged lives. I loved it -- Ned Boulting, author of On the Road BikeIt’s a timely novel, but it also seems to wear its big issues lightly. The particularity and peculiarity of the setting and cast really brought it to life and gripped me -- Sara Baume, author of spill simmer falter wither

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Book SynopsisThe Times Book of the Year pick'Smart, sobering, and scholarly.' - Steve Brusatte, the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of DinosaursA gripping, thought-provoking and ultimately optimistic investigation into the world’s next great climate crisis - the scarcity of water.Water scarcity is the next big climate crisis. Water stress – not just scarcity, but also water-quality issues caused by pollution – is already driving the first waves of climate refugees. Rivers are drying out before they meet the oceans and ancient lakes are disappearing. It’s increasingly clear that human mismanagement of water is dangerously unsustainable, for both ecological and human survival. And yet in recent years some key countries have been quietly and very successfully addressing water stress.How are Singapore and Israel, for example – both severely water-stressed countries – not in the same predicament as Chennai or California?In The Last Drop, award-winning environmental journalist Tim Smedley meets experts, victims, activists and pioneers to find out how we can mend the water table that our survival depends upon. He offers a fascinating, universally relevant account of the environmental and human factors that have led us to this point, and suggests practical ways to address the crisis, before it’s too late.Trade ReviewSmart, sobering, and scholarly. Tim Smedley explores the science and politics behind our current water crisis, and with cautious optimism looks ahead for solutions that can save us from a catastrophe that could rival the great upheavals and extinctions of Earth history. -- Steve Brusatte, professor and palaeontologist at the University of Edinburgh and Sunday Times bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs Tim Smedley’s sometimes angry, always informed book is a smouldering indictment of the self-inflicted water wounds we’re causing ourselves and our planet. -- Mark Rowe * Geographical Magazine *Here in the UK, we just turn on taps without asking where the water comes from and where it goes to, but Tim Smedley argues eloquently that it’s time for that to change. And by the end of the book, you will be hopping mad and entirely in agreement with him. It's an essential read on a topic that we don’t talk about enough. This book is clear, fascinating and horrifying, but also offers workable solutions that can save us all from the worst. You will never see the water you use in the same way again. -- Helen Czerski, BBC broadcaster, UCL physicist and Royal Institution Christmas LecturerDespite the daunting scale of the water crisis, Smedley’s globe-crossing investigation into its solutions leaves you feeling that the problem is surmountable. That’s excellent news for civilisation. * The Times *

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Book Synopsis‘Vanessa Nakate continues to teach a most critical lesson. She reminds us that while we may all be in the same storm, we are not all in the same boat.’ - Greta ThunbergNo matter your age, location or skin colour, you can be an effective activist.Devastating flooding, deforestation, extinction and starvation. These are the issues that not only threaten in the future, they are a reality. After witnessing some of these issues first-hand, Vanessa Nakate saw how the world’s biggest polluters are asleep at the wheel, ignoring the Global South where the effects of climate injustice are most fiercely felt.Inspired by a shared vision of hope, Vanessa’s commanding political voice demands attention for the biggest issue of our time and, in this rousing manifesto for change, shows how you can join her to protect our planet now and for the future.Vanessa realized the importance of her place in the climate movement after she, the only Black activist in an image with four white Europeans, was cropped out of a press photograph at Davos in 2020. This example illustrates how those who will see the biggest impacts of the climate crisis are repeatedly omitted from the conversation. As she explains, ‘We are on the front line, but we are not on the front page.’Without A Bigger Picture, you’re missing the full story on climate change.‘An indispensable voice for our future.’ - Malala Yousafzai‘A powerful global voice.’ - Angelina JolieTrade ReviewIn this moment of intersecting crises, Vanessa Nakate continues to teach a most critical lesson. She reminds us that while we may all be in the same storm, we are not all in the same boat. -- Greta ThunbergVanessa Nakate is a powerful global voice. A strong spirit who will clearly not give up and only grow in strength. -- Angelina JolieThrough Vanessa Nakate's eyes, A Bigger Picture shows us the threat of climate change to people in East Africa and the relentless courage of one activist fighting to be heard. Vanessa is more than an inspiration – she's an indispensable voice for our future -- Malala YousafzaiVanessa Nakate's message couldn't be more urgent or her voice more desperately needed. At once intimate and sweeping, A Bigger Picture is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future. -- Elizabeth Kolbert, author of Under a White Sky and The Sixth ExtinctionThe most important climate book of the year! -- Jeremy Williams, author of Climate Change is RacistVanessa's story, her voice and fearless spirit are an inspiration to all of us. This book is a vital reminder that the costs of climate change have been transforming negatively the lives of those who have had the least part in causing the problem. Without racial justice and equality, climate justice can never be a reality. -- Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and author of Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable FutureThis is a wonderful story, wonderfully told! Vanessa Nakate is a crucial climate leader, reminding us of one of the iron laws of global warming: the less you did to cause it, the sooner and harder you get hit. Thank heaven her voice will echo far and wide, and down through the years. -- Bill McKibben, author of Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?Vanessa’s deeply personal and thought provoking account of her experience in the climate movement, specifically in the global south reminds us that at the center of this crisis is our shared humanity. -- Bonnie WrightVital, urgent, eye-opening. This is one of the most important and empowering books ever written about the climate change emergency. A must-read for all of us, no matter where we’re from -- Dr Ali Foxon, author of The Green Sketching HandbookEnthusiasm, commitment and energy jump out from every page of A Bigger Picture. After presenting the emergency climate problems facing Africa and the rest of the world Vanessa goes on to signpost the reader with solutions – an inspiring read! -- Nancy Birtwhistle, author of Clean & Green

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Book SynopsisAn international bestseller, the joys and challenges of a life dedicated to conservation are vividly described in The Elephants of Thula Thula by Françoise Malby-Anthony, owner of the Thula Thula reserve.'Enthralling' - Daily Mail‘Somehow, the elephants got into my soul, and it became my life’s work to see them safe and happy. There was no giving up on that vision, no matter how hard the road was at times.’Françoise Malby-Anthony is the owner of a game reserve in South Africa with a remarkable family of elephants whose adventures have touched hearts around the world.The herd’s feisty matriarch Frankie knows who’s in charge at Thula Thula, and it’s not Francoise. But when Frankie becomes ill, and the authorities threaten to remove or cull some of the herd if the reserve doesn’t expand, Françoise is in a race against time to save her beloved elephants . . .The search is on to get a girlfriend for orphaned rhino Thabo – and then, as his behaviour becomes increasingly boisterous, a big brother to teach him manners.Françoise realizes a dream with the arrival of Savannah the cheetah – an endangered species not seen in the area since the 1940s – and finds herself rescuing meerkats kept as pets. But will Thula Thula survive the pandemic, an invasion from poachers and the threat from a mining company wanting access to its land?As Françoise faces her toughest years yet, she realizes once again that with their wisdom, resilience and communal bonds, the elephants have much to teach us.Trade ReviewFrançoise’s descriptions of the empathetic behaviour of elephants, both towards each other and towards the humans who love them, are beguiling * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisLove yourself. Love the planet. We are facing an urgent climate crisis and we must all take action now. However, it can be difficult to know where to start when bombarded with overwhelming facts and statistics every day. We all want to make a difference, but what can we do? Minimal makes simple and sustainable living attainable for everyone, using practical tips for all areas of everyday life to reduce your impact on the earth. Leading environmentalist Madeleine Olivia shares her insights on how to care for yourself in a more eco-friendly way, as well as how to introduce a mindful approach to your habits. This includes how to declutter your life, reduce your waste and consumption, recipes for eating seasonally and making your own natural beauty and cleaning products. Learn how to minimise the areas that aren’t giving you anything back and discover a happier and more fulfilled life, while looking after the Earth we share.Trade ReviewHandy and easy-to-follow guide ... A lot of books on minimal living tend to be preachy, but I loved the kindness Olivia displays ... A beautiful read. * Women's Way *

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Book SynopsisA ground-breaking and beautifully written investigation into the Arctic Treeline with an urgent environmental message.'Evocative, wise and unflinching' Jay Griffiths, author of WildThe Arctic treeline is the frontline of climate change, where the trees have been creeping towards the pole for fifty years already.Scientists are only just beginning to understand the astonishing significance of these northern forests for all life on Earth. At the treeline, Rawlence witnesses the accelerating impact of climate change and the devastating legacies of colonialism and capitalism. But he also finds reasons for hope. Humans are creatures of the forest; we have always evolved with trees and The Treeline asks us where our co-evolution might take us next.SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES CROPPER WAINWRIGHT PRIZE'A moving, thoughtful, deeply reported elegy for our vanishing world and a map of the one to come' Nathaniel Rich, author of Losing Earth'A lyrical and passionate book... The Treeline is a sobering, powerful account of how trees might just save the world, as long as we are sensible enough to let them' Mail on Sunday'Ben Rawlence circumnavigates the very top of the globe - returning with a warning, in this enthralling and wonderfully written book' Mark Lynas, author of Six DegreesTrade ReviewThis original and readable book takes readers to a part of the world undergoing radical but little-understood change. * Financial Times, *Books of the Year* *An urgent and insightful tour of some of the world's strangest, most bewitching and most endangered environments... This is an important book, and one I will be pressing into other people's hands. -- Cal Flyn, author of ISLANDS OF ABANDONMENT[A] sweeping account of the Arctic forest that circles the world in an almost unbroken ring. * Financial Times *[A] lyrical and passionate book... The Treeline is a sobering, powerful account of how trees might just save the world. -- Kathryn Hughes * Mail on Sunday *[An] urgent investigation into the Arctic treeline... a meticulously researched and compellingly presented read. -- Hannah Beckerman * Observer *

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Book SynopsisEasy plant-based recipes to save you time, money and waste!Over 120 no-fuss meals that celebrate your favourite veg, social media sensation Max La Manna delivers simple vegan food with big flavour to keep things quick and easy.This stunning book delivers solutions with a chapter dedicated to each of our most loved but also commonly wasted ingredients and recipes for how to cook with them, from bread to tomatoes, onions and bananas.Learn recipe hacks and tips on how to get the best out of food, including practical ideas for using up the whole vegetable, transforming leftovers and the best ways to store foods to keep them fresh.Covering everything from weeknight dinners and comforting one-pots, to sweet treats and instant crowd-pleasers, this book embraces the power of plants and shows how anyone can get delicious, veg-packed meals on the table with joy and ease.With minimal ingredients that are easy to source for every recipe, let's make:Speedy Cherry Tomato Fettucine,Black Pepper Tofu Stir-fry,Butter 'Chicken',One-Pan Lasagne,Fluffy Potato Rolls,Carrot Peacan Cake with Orange Drizzleand more.

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Book SynopsisLeading green criminologist Rob White asks what can be learned from the problem-solving focus of crime prevention to help face the challenges of climate change in this call to arms for criminology and criminologists. Industries such as energy, food and tourism and the systematic destruction of the environment through global capitalism are scrutinized for their contribution to global warming. Ideas of ‘state-corporate crime’ and 'ecocide’ are introduced and explored in this concise overview of criminological writings on climate change. This sound and robust application of theoretical concepts to this ‘new’ area also includes commentary on topical issues such as the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate agreement. Part of the New Horizons in Criminology series, which draws on the inter-disciplinary nature of criminology and incorporates emerging perspectives like social harm, gender and sexuality, and green criminology.Trade Review"White's overall message is one of critique, connectivity, inclusion and collective enterprise. For him, a climate change criminology requires us to get to know our planet - what is going on where and why, and what we can do about it. It is an ambitious transdisciplinary challenge, but a sensible one it is hard to argue against it. There is no more pressing problem facing the continuation of the human species and Rob White has ensured that green criminology asserts a central place in the future of humanity and that of all living things." Reece Walters, Queensland University of Technology"With this book, Rob White is breaking new ground. The book is an important addition to the climate change literature. White establishes here the urgency of knowing who is doing what to prevent, stop, encourage and/or expand climate change, as well as the injustices produced by the phenomenon." Ragnhild Sollund, University of OsloTable of ContentsClimate change and criminology Global warming as ecocide In the heat of the moment Climate change catastrophes and social intersections Climate change victims Carbon criminals Criminal justice responses to climate change Criminological responses to climate change

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Book SynopsisIs it possible for individuals to tackle waste by recycling, reusing and reducing alone? This provocative book critically analyses the widespread assumption that individuals and households have created our global waste crisis. Sociologist and waste expert Myra J. Hird reveals neoliberal capitalism’s fallacy of infinite growth as the real culprit, and demonstrates how industry and local governments work in tandem to deflect our attention away from the real causes of our global waste problem. Hird offers crucial insights into the relations between waste and wider societal issues including ongoing (settler) colonialism, poverty, racism and sexism, and showcases how sociology may provide solutions through a ‘pubic imagination’ of waste.Table of Contents1. The Public Problem of Waste 2. Framing Waste 3. The Public Problem of Recycling 4. The Public Problem of Plastics 5. The Public Problem of PPE Waste and Being Prepared 6. A Public Sociology of Waste

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Book SynopsisIs it possible for individuals to tackle waste by recycling, reusing and reducing alone? This provocative book critically analyses the widespread assumption that individuals and households have created our global waste crisis. Sociologist and waste expert Myra J. Hird reveals neoliberal capitalism’s fallacy of infinite growth as the real culprit, and demonstrates how industry and local governments work in tandem to deflect our attention away from the real causes of our global waste problem. Hird offers crucial insights into the relations between waste and wider societal issues including ongoing (settler) colonialism, poverty, racism and sexism, and showcases how sociology may provide solutions through a ‘pubic imagination’ of waste.Table of Contents1. The Public Problem of Waste 2. Framing Waste 3. The Public Problem of Recycling 4. The Public Problem of Plastics 5. The Public Problem of PPE Waste and Being Prepared 6. A Public Sociology of Waste

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Book SynopsisDespite frequent claims that waste is being reduced, consumer-reliant economies, everyday consumption and the waste industry continue to produce and demand more waste. Combining a lucid style with robust empirical and theoretical research, this book examines the root causes of the global waste problem, rather than simply the symptoms. It challenges existing waste policies, highlighting what needs to change if we are to get serious in tackling this global problem. It concludes with policy implications for shifting waste from an ‘end-of-pipe’ concern to being at the heart of the debate over decarbonization.Table of Contents1. The Global Waste Problem and How to Think About It: Or, How to Understand the ‘Too Much Waste’ Problem 2. Discard, Social Order and Social Life: Or, Discard is Foundational to Understanding Waste 3. Consumption, Consumer Practices and Consumer Discard: Or, How Consumer Discard Relates to Economies 4. Conduits, Value Regimes and Valuation: Or, Following Consumers’ Discarded Things 5. Recommodifying Discard: Or, the Challenges of Turning Discard into an Economic Good 6. Waste, Money and Finance: Or, How Turning Discard into Waste Turns Waste into an Energy Resource and an Asset 7. Future Directions: Or, Rewiring Waste through the Three Ds (Decarbonization, Digital and Discard)

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Book SynopsisThe threat of social-environmental destruction is a fundamental challenge for those who are interested in creating and maintaining liveable worlds. This volume will bring together international scholars in science and technology studies, environmental studies, ecological humanities, art and design, geography and other social sciences to explore practices of repairing damaged and precarious ecologies through various societal, environmental and material involvements across different locations and geographies. Contributions will offer novel theoretical perspectives and empirical insights on the reparative and insurgent capacity of mending ecologies to craft relations of care and sustenance of human and nonhuman communities. The volume will be divided into several sections that are organized around a series of concepts that denote countervailing forces, processes and movements of damaging and repairing. Each section will consist of two or three contributions that offer experimental explorations of what ecological reparation means, and each section will begin with a short note that briefly describes the key concepts and issues that will be explored within.Table of ContentsIntroduction: No justice, no ecological peace: The groundings of ecological reparation (Dimitris Papadopoulos, Maria Puig de la Bellacasa, Maddalena Tacchetti) Acknowledgements PART I Depletion: Resurgence 1. Experiments in situ: Soil repair practices as part of place-based action for change in El Salvador (Naomi Millner) 2. Hesitant: three theses on ecological reparation (otherwise) (Manuel Tironi) 3. The False Bay Coast of Cape Town: A Critical Zone (Lesley Green and Vanessa Farr) PART II Deskilling: Experimenting 4. Reflections on a mending ecology through pastures for life (Claire Waterton) 5. Fab Cities as Infrastructures for Ecological Reparation: Maker Activism, Vernacular Skills, and Prototypes for Self-Grounding Collective Life (Atsuro Morita and Kazutoshi Tsuda) 6. The Cosmoecological Workshop: Or, How to Philosophise with a Hammer (Martin Savransky) PART III Contaminating: Cohabiting 7. Multispecies mending from micro to macro: Biome restoration, carbon recycling, and ecologies of participation (Eleanor Hadley Kershaw) 8. Involvement as an ethics for more than human interdependencies (Nerea Calvillo) 9. From Museum to MOB (Timothy Choy) PART IV Enclosing: Reclaiming Land 10. Land in Our Names: Building an Anti-Racist Food Movement (Sam Siva) 11. Land reparations and ecological justice – an Interview with Sam Siva (Maria Puig de la Bellacasa and Dimitris Papadopoulos) 12. Waste, improvement and repair on Ireland's Peat Bogs (Patrick Bresnihan and Patrick Brodie) 13. New Peasantries in Italy: Eco-commons, Agroecology and Food Communities (Andrea Ghelfi) 14. “Obedecer a la Vida”: Environmental Citizenship Otherwise? (Juan Camilo Cajigas) PART V Loss: Recollecting 15. Travelling Memories: Repairing the past and imagining the future in medium-secure forensic psychiatric care (Steven D. Brown, Paula Reavey, Donna Ciarlo and Abisola Balogun-Katung) 16. Conversations on benches (Leila Dawney and Linda Brothwell) 17. Curating reparation and recrafting solidarity in post-accord Colombia (Fredy Mora-Gámez) PART VI Representing: Self-governing 18. Commons-based mending ecologies (Doina Petrescu and Constantin Petcou) 19. Ri-Maflow: des-pair, resistance and re-pair in an urban industrial ecology (Marco Checchi) 20. Chilean streets: An archive against the grain of History (Cristobal Bonelli and Marisol de la Cadena) PART VII Isolating: Embodying 21. (Un)crafting ecologies: actions involving special skills at (un)making things humans with your hands (Eliana Sánchez-Aldana) 22. Cultivating Attention to Fragility: The Sensible Encounters of Maintenance (Jérôme Denis and David Pontille) 23. Technological black boxing versus ecological reparation: From encased-industrial to open-renewable wind energy (Aristotle Tympas) PART VIII Growth: Flourishing 24. Algorithmic Food Justice (Lara Houston, Sara Heitlinger, Ruth Catlow and Alex Taylor) 25. Being affected by páramo: Maps, landscape drawings, and a risky science (Alejandra Osejo and Santiago Martínez Medina) 26. Ordinary Hope (Steven J. Jackson)

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Book SynopsisA THE TIMES BEST SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR'AN IMPORTANT READ FOR ANYONE IN NEED OF OPTIMISM' BILL GATES'DAZZLING AND DEEPLY REPORTED' DAVID WALLACE-WELLS'HIGHLY READABLE . . . ENGAGING STORIES OF PEOPLE BEHIND SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVANCES IN RECENT DECADES' FINANCIAL TIMESIt's now cheaper to save the world than destroy it.Our age will be defined by the climate emergency. But contrary to the doomist narrative that's taken hold, the world has already begun deploying the solutions needed to deal with it.On a journey across five continents, Climate Capitalism tracks the unlikely heroes driving the fight against climate change. From the Chinese bureaucrat who did more to make electric cars a reality than Elon Musk, to the Danish students who helped to build the world's longest-operating wind turbine, or the American oil executive building the technology that can reverse climate damages, we meet the people working to scale technologies that are finally able to bend the emissions curve.Through stories that bring people, policy and technology together, Akshat Rathi reveals how the green economy is not only possible, but profitable. This inspiring blend of business, science, and history provides the framework for ensuring that future generations can live in prosperity and that the wheels of progress don't falter.Trade ReviewFew books on either climate or capitalism manage to be as insightful as they are readable, but Rathi cracks it. He delivers his powerful and hopeful message with both substance and style, and reminds us of the immensely important role of great storytelling as we reimagine our economy -- Paul Polman, co-author of NET-POSITIVE and former CEO of Unilever[A] bold new book. Climate change is a crisis that requires urgent action, but Rathi shows how we can harness capitalism to tackle it. Give it to the doomsayer in your life -- John Schwartz, journalism professor at UT Austin and veteran NYT reporterAre you suffering from climate anxiety? Go take a few deep breaths and then pre-order this book. You'll learn about fascinating people who show that solutions for climate change are both possible and profitable -- Will Mathis, reporter for Bloomberg NewsThere are very few people as well-situated as Akshat Rathi is to describe and assess our current efforts to cope with climate change . . . Here he puts it all together in a marvelous report . . . [Rathi] gives hope that we might make it work. An inspiring book! -- Kim Stanley RobinsonIt's easy to feel fear or despair in the face of humanity's greatest challenge, but fortunately work on solutions began decades ago . . . Rathi's brilliantly written account of some of those stories is an inspiration to keep going in a fight which we have no other option than to win -- Bryony Worthington, member of the UK’s House of LordsAddressing climate change will make us richer, happier, healthier, more equal and more safe. Do we take the bargain? That is the animating question of Rathi's illuminating and incisive book, which offers the dazzling and deeply reported argument that the answer should be, overwhelmingly, yes -- David Wallace-Wells, author of THE UNINHABITABLE EARTHClimate innovation has accelerated far faster than many realize and by shining a spotlight on the solutions and innovators driving progress, Climate Capitalism is an important read for anyone in need of optimism about our ability to build a clean energy future -- Bill GatesA highly readable reminder that efforts to cut emissions are achieving a lot more than is widely realised. Rathi brings this shift to life with engaging stories of people behind some of the most important advances in recent decades -- Pilita Clark, Financial Times

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Book SynopsisCompelling . . . Clark's enthusiasm shines through on every page' Sunday Times'An engaging and lively history' Financial Times__________A thin, invisible layer of air surrounds the Earth, sustaining all known life on the planet and creating the unique climates and weather patterns that make each part of the world different.In Firmament, atmospheric scientist and science communicator Simon Clark offers a rare and accessible tour of the ins and outs of the atmosphere and how we know what we know about it. From the workings of its different layers to why carbon dioxide is special, from pioneers like Pascal to the unsung heroes working in the field to help us understand climate change, Firmament introduces us to an oft-overlooked area of science and not only lays the ground work for us to better understand the debates surrounding the climate today, but also provides a glimpse of the future that is possible with this knowledge in hand.__________Trade ReviewAn engaging account of something essential to life on Earth yet barely understood by most people: the atmosphere. If you don't know your stratosphere from your troposphere, you will after reading this lively history... all the more powerful thanks to a final chapter that explains how this complex system is changing, and what that means for the future of humanity. -- Financial TimesThe author's enthusiasm shines through every page of this captivating guide to our unpredictable weather... He serves up high drama in balloons, deep ice drilling in the Antarctic, and through it all draws out the patterns in our seemingly chaotic weather - and the science behind them - with clarity and verve. - Sunday Times Simon Clark writes with a lightness and enthusiasm that ensures that what goes on above us doesn't go over our heads. - Irish Independent

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Book Synopsis'Brimming with knowledge and experience . . . delightful'TRISTAN GOOLEY, DAILY TELEGRAPH'A fabulous compendium of terror and disaster, expertise and courage'ADAM NICOLSON, author of The Seabird's Cry'Evokes panoramas of sea and land with confident flair'WALL STREET JOURNALWhat's in a cloud? What separates a tropical storm from a winter blizzard? And what exactly is El Niño? Elliot Rappaport, a captain of traditional sailing ships, has spent three decades at sea, where understanding weather is the difference between life and death.From the icy seas of Greenland to the turbulent waters of the Strait of Gibraltar, from the powerful squalls near the equator to the ancient Polynesian explorers who ventured eastward against trade winds, Reading the Glass combines science and memoir to reveal the remarkable story of how weather has shaped our oceans, our history and ourselves.'An extraordinary book by a modern-day Melville . . . I can't recommend this book highly enough'MARK VANHOENACKER, author of Skyfaring'A gripping account of what weather is, how it feels to be in the middle of it, and what we can expect going forward!'BILL MCKIBBEN, author of The End of NatureTrade ReviewEach chapter is brimming with knowledge and experience. Rappaport can really write - and he's done his research too . . . Some of the most delightful passages have little to do with the sea or weather. They come when we get a real sense of what it's like to lead a crew at sea, and, equally interestingly, when moored up . . . Reading the Glass will be a must-have for serious weather-watchers or sailors with aspirations. -- Tristan Gooley * Daily Telegraph *Evokes panoramas of sea and land with confident flair * Wall Street Journal *Relatable, reflective, and humorous . . . descriptive and insightful, it is perfect for those who love the sea, and wish to know more about the adventures of those who sail upon it . . . a genuinely immersive read * Countryman *An extraordinary book by a modern-day Melville whose deep knowledge, boundless curiosity and endearingly wry humour make him the perfect guide to the world beyond our shores. Elliot Rappaport has completely transformed my awareness of the vast reaches of water that dominate our planet's surface, and of the debt we all owe to our ancestors who made a science and an art out of crossing them. I can't recommend this book highly enough -- Mark Vanhoenacker, author of SKYFARINGWe live on a planet - easy to forget in your secure suburban home, but not out on the open sea. The author provides a gripping account of what weather is, how it feels to be in the middle of it, and what we can expect going forward! -- Bill McKibben, author of THE END OF NATUREPart Bill Nye, part Captain Cook, Elliot Rappaport leads an around-the-world adventure filled with eye-popping insights from the deepest depths to the high atmosphere. For those of us too chicken to cross thousands of miles on ships, Rappaport's action-packed logbook is full of history, wisdom, and hilarious stories from life on the open seas -- Daniel Stone, author of THE FOOD EXPLORERVeteran captain Elliot Rappaport knows firsthand how winds, storms, and currents affect boats, from the smallest dinghies to great ocean liners. Here, he uses his considerable literary gifts to turn meteorology into a living science . . . While sailors will relate at once to Rappaport's prose, this book is a must-read even for landlubbers -- Mark Knoblauch * Booklist *Rappaport, who has been a sea captain since 1992 and teaches at the Maine Maritime Academy, makes his book debut with vibrant accounts of sailing around the world. Central to his spirited, informative narrative is weather . . . Fascinating journeys with an expert guide * Kirkus *I loved this book. What a fabulous compendium it is of terror and disaster, expertise and courage, by a man who knows with true intimacy what he calls "the vast planetary engine" of the weather. Chapter after chapter is filled with a vivid sense of being out at sea in storm and calm and every page has his decades of lived life embedded in it, years and years of looking, responding, making the good and necessary decisions. It feels written, in other words, by a man you would be more than happy to go to sea with -- Adam Nicolson, author of LIFE BETWEEN THE TIDES

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Book Synopsis*Levison Wood's documentary series on WALKING WITH ELEPHANTS is available to watch now on Channel 4*This book comes at a critical time. Fifty years ago, Africa was home to just over 1.3 million elephants, but by 1990 the number had halved. Meanwhile in the span of a lifetime, the human population has more than doubled. In Levison Wood's The Last Giants, he explores the rapid decline of one of the world's favourite animals. Filled with stories from his own time spent travelling with elephants in Africa, and documenting their migration in his Channel 4 series, Walking With Elephants, the book is a passionate wake-up call for this endangered species we take for granted. The Last Giants was written to inspire us all to act - to learn more and help save the species from permanent extinction.

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Book SynopsisThe Earthshot concept is simple: Urgency + Optimism = Action. We have ten years to turn the tide on the environmental crisis, but we need the world's best solutions and one shared goal - to save our planet.It's not too late, but we need collective action now. The Earthshots are unifying, ambitious goals for our planet which, if achieved by 2030, will improve life for all of us, for the rest of life on Earth, and for generations to come. They are to:· Protect and Restore Nature· Clean our Air· Revive our Oceans· Build a Waste-Free World· Fix our ClimateEARTHSHOT: HOW TO SAVE OUR PLANET is the first definitive book about how these goals can tackle the environmental crisis, from rainforests to coral reefs, via wilderness, cities and in our own homes. It is a critical contribution to the most important story of the decade.

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Book Synopsis'Wise, challenging and offering some unexpected laughter in the dark, this is a rational and insightful account of the sixth great extinction event. Peter Marren is a brilliant writer and a national treasure.' PATRICK BARKHAM'Thoughtful, fascinating and very timely.' STEPHEN MOSS'Important and thought-provoking.' CAROLINE LUCAS, GREEN PARTY MP'Essential reading. Marren makes a page-turner out of Armageddon.' SIMON BARNES'In his characteristic style Peter Marren has humanised the story of wildlife losses with humour and wit but also with his enormous knowledge and deep love for the living world.' MARK COCKERWe are in the midst of an extinction event: the sixth mass extinction on earth and one entirely caused by mankind. All species become extinct sooner or later, but we have accelerated that natural process several hundredfold and now, it is happening right in front of our eyes. Extinction has a terrifying finality to it. And many species have already been lost to us forever; there is little we can do about that.What we can do, however, is reflect, remember, and ultimately acknowledge the unvarnished truth. We must see the natural world as it is, and not as we might want it to be. Our trajectory is one that has benefited one species alone - humankind. For all other beings, from mammals to fish, from birds to insects and coral, from plants to lichens and fungi, the future, for better or worse, is in our hands.Trade ReviewWise, challenging and offering some unexpected laughter in the dark, this is a rational and insightful account of the sixth great extinction event that we are all creating. It also contains the best succinct summary of the conservation movement in Britain that I've ever read. Peter Marren is a brilliant writer and a national treasure. -- Patrick BarkhamAfter They're Gone tackles one of the huge, uncomfortable but absolutely necessary and unavoidable themes of our times. In his characteristic style Peter Marren has humanised the story of wildlife losses with humour and wit but also with his enormous knowledge and deep love for the living world. -- Mark Cocker, author and naturalistSurely one of the best written books about the current extinction crisis in animals, plants and fungi, by one who has spent a lifetime working in the conservation of the organisms he loves. Marren's tour through British wildlife in particular combines common sense and clarity of vision with a poignant sense of loss for the richness of the past. -- Richard Fortey, FRSImportant and thought-provoking -- Caroline Lucas, Green Party MPEssential reading: Marren makes a page-turner out of Armageddon. -- Simon BarnesA characteristically thoughtful, fascinating and very timely book on the process of extinction - and why it matters not just for the future of the natural world, but for us all. -- Stephen Moss, Naturalist and AuthorFrom the Xerces blue to the Labrador duck, from the giant earwig to the golden frog, Peter Marren offers us in After They've Gone a litany of wildlife loss across the world as distressing as it is gripping; and his account of the extinction of the baiji, the legendary Chinese river dolphin, will break your heart -- Michael McCarthy, author of THE MOTH SNOWSTORMHis humour keeps the reader from despairing while his love of the natural world is an inspiration to help where we can * Irish Independent *Nothing is more final than extinction, or more brutal... British nature writer Peter Marren covers the subject with admirable brio * Financial Times *

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Book Synopsis'An insightful book with sparkling wit and humour that will appeal to new and seasoned readers of palaeontology.'Dr Anjana Khatwa, TV presenter and Earth ScientistIt is difficult to conceive of the vast scale of the history of life on Earth, from the very first living organisms sparking into life in hydrothermal deep-sea vents to the dizzying diversity of life today. The evolution of life is a sweeping epic of a tale, with twists and turns, surprising heroes and unlikely survivors. The Earth beautifully distils this complex story into a meaningful scale. In taking a closer look at 47 carefully selected organisms over fifteen periods in our planetary history, this book tells the whole story of life on Earth, and the interconnectedness that unites us through our ecosystems and planetary history.Prepare to be confounded by the ingenuity of evolutionary biologies, humbled by our own brief part in this epic history, and disquieted by our disproportionate impact on the world we call home.'An extraordinarily accessible and informative biography of life seen through the many forms it has generated and preserved in stone, beautifully presented. From tales of the well-known stars of palaeontology like Archaeopteryx to the many-sided cultural stories of the earliest bee fossil, everyone will learn something new.'Thomas Halliday, bestselling author of Otherlands: A World in the MakingTrade ReviewThis ambitious new book provides insights into 47 species that have defined how life has evolved on our planet. With an eye towards those who are new to science, the book is cleverly written with a light touch to draw you into remarkable worlds with astonishing revelations. I particularly love how the punchy, bite sized chunks of information are easily digestible over a breakfast morning read as your favourite cereal. Elsa has achieved an extraordinary feat - an insightful book with sparkling wit and humour that will appeal to new and seasoned readers of palaeontology. -- Dr Anjana Khatwa, TV presenter and Earth ScientistBeyond interesting facts and unusual animals, what ties it all together and elevates this book is the writing, both on account of the excellent explanations and the beautiful phrasing... [Panciroli] injects a degree of poetry that makes you see extinct organisms in a new light...The combination of interesting popular science facts, inspired writing, and a mission to correct common misconceptions make this book easy to recommend, and it would make for a great gift. * The Inquisitive Biologist *An extraordinarily accessible and informative biography of life seen through the many forms it has generated and preserved in stone, beautifully presented. From tales of the well-known stars of palaeontology like Archaeopteryx to the many-sided cultural stories of the earliest bee fossil, everyone will learn something new. -- Thomas Halliday, bestselling author of Otherlands: A World in the Making

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Book SynopsisA hugely compelling, dark, offbeat adventure from the bestselling author of ROTHERWEIRD.'A deeply strange but also deeply compelling world' Blue Book BalloonThe world has become a dangerous place: the atmosphere has turned toxic, destroying almost all life, and most of humanity too. Survivors live in domes protected by chitin shields, serving one or other of the last two great companies. A long period of uneasy collaboration between Tempestas and Genrich is about to end, and they have very different visions for mankind's future. Far from these centres of power stands the Museum Dome, home to mankind's finest paintings and artefacts and their curator, a young man, Fogg, who has laboured for three years without a single visitor.Then a single mysterious pill - a momenticon - appears in the Museum and triggers a series of bewildering events, embroiling Fogg and his unexpected new companions in a desperate fight against the dark forces which threaten to overwhelm all that remains.And time is running out.'Compelling and enrapturing . . . captures the reader from the first page to the last. A five-star read' Grimdark Magazine'One of the UK's most intriguing imaginations. Momenticon is whimsical science fiction at its finest' Geek Dad Trade ReviewA history-tragic-comedy all rolled into one, Rotherweird is intricate and crisp, witty and solemn: a book not unlike other books, but with special and dangerous properties. Line by line, silent and adroit, it opens a series of trap-doors in the reader's imagination * HILARY MANTEL, two-time Man Booker prize winner, on ROTHERWEIRD *One of the UK's most intriguing imaginations. His novels remind me very much of Neal Stephenson and this book put me in mind of Josiah Bancroft's Selin Ascends. These comparisons I make as an absolute compliment. Momenticon is whimsical science fiction at its finest: a satisfying jigsaw where the bigger picture doesn't become visible until the final piece is slotted into place * GEEK DAD on MOMENTICON *Sheer post-apocalyptic weirdness . . . Momenticon is wild but fun * PILE BY THE BED on MOMENTICON *It feels non-stop: constantly splitting the protagonists up and bringing them together again, delivering a series of growing climaxes and then leaving readers hanging for a concluding second volume * PILE BY THE BED on MOMENTCION *One of the most unique books I've read . . . compelling and enrapturing story that captures the reader from the first page to the last. Caldecott managed to craft something that is utterly his own . . . a five-star read * GRIMDARK MAGAZINE on MOMENTICON *A book that is unlike anything else you have read * SF BOOK REVIEWS on MOMENTICON *Momenticon is a strange dreamlike tale that was just wonderful * MUSEBOOKS on MOMENTICON *Caldecott's prose is very readable, and his world very inventive * SFX MAGAZINE on MOMENTICON *A gripping and enthralling trip into a phantasmagorical world * ANNA RELLIX on MOMENTICON *Lean into the weirdness and you're bound to find something you love! Caldecott is in a league of his own. His style is distinct, his voice unmistakable * SHARON CHOE, Read Between the Lines, on MOMENTICON *Momenticon packs an enormous lot in, keeping its protagonists (and the reader) on their toes . . . and taking both into a deeply strange but also deeply compelling world * BLUE BOOK BALLOON on MOMENTICON *Ingenious . . . an enjoyable romp * SFCROWSNEST on MOMENTICON *Has the arbitrary and rather hallucinogenic atmosphere of the Alice in Wonderland books * BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION on MOMENTICON *Baroque, Byzantine and beautiful - not to mention bold. An enthralling puzzle picture of a book * M.R. CAREY, author of the bestselling The Girl With All The Gifts, on ROTHERWEIRD *Compelling * THE GUARDIAN on ROTHERWEIRD *Magnificent * MIDNIGHT BLUE on WYNTERTYDE *Darkly hypnotic * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH on WYNTERTYDE *A rip-roaring adventure through a brilliantly weird and wonderful dystopian landscape. I can't imagine what'll happen in the next book but I can't wait to find out! * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Weird, mad and utterly bloody brilliant. Caldicott's latest offering to offbeat fantasy is not to be missed. Featuring his trademarked style, absurdist humour and a cast of larger-than-life characters, this was a joy to read * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *I thoroughly enjoyed the journey in to Caldecott's world. I read this book in 3 days, no mean feat as it is detailed but totally absorbing . . . It is simply brilliant. Congratulations to the author * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Momenticon is wild but fun and works within its own crazy frame of reference. The trick is to accept the fantastical premise . . . it feels non-stop, splitting the protagonists up and bringing them together again, delivering a series of growing climaxes and then leaving readers hanging for an anticipated concluding second volume * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Caldecott is marvellously imaginative in his intricate dystopian world-building . . . This is a wonderfully entertaining, compelling and immersive fantasy read, with plenty of suspense and tension, in which Caldecott successfully creates an equally engaging and original a world as Rotherweird. Highly recommended * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Momenticon was one of the books I was most looking forward to reading this year, and it has not disappointed even those high expectations . . . Anyone who enjoys fantasy adventure books will love these . . . The end leaves things up in the air, ready for a sequel - I'm already desperate to get my hands on it! * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *After the brilliant Rotherweird trilogy, it would likely take something extraordinary to reach the same heights or even surpass it. Thankfully with Momenticon, the author has turned out an exceptionally spellbinding novel that transcends the norm and enters the realms of the sublime * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Momenticon is the first in a wonderful new series by Andrew Caldecott. What a mind this man must have! I experienced this book as a warning about what will happen when climate change finally goes up a few gears * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *This book was strange and I adored it. When I saw Alice in Wonderland meets Station Eleven I knew I had to read it and I was not disappointed. This was a wild ride of a read . . . When I finished I just sat staring and thinking it is definitely one of those books. Well written with a great atmosphere and compelling storyline and well-developed characters. I couldn't put it down . . . A great read * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Caldecott successfully creates an equally engaging and original a world as Rotherweird. Highly recommended. * GOODREADS REVIEWER *Momenticon is a perplexing and brilliant story full of literary and artistic rabbit holes and quirky characters. It ends on a cliffhanger and I want to continue this journey for sure. * GOODREADS REVIEWER *I'm not sure there are enough words that can accurately describe this weird, brilliant, funny and adventurous read. * GOODREADS REVIEWER *A rip-roaring adventure through a brilliantly weird and wonderful dystopian landscape. I can't imagine what'll happen in the next book but I can't wait to find out! * GOODREADS REVIEWER *

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Book Synopsis"Everything looked perfect. Sand - unique Baltic sand, the best in the world - and the calm sea. But wait. Something was amiss. Something was wrong"It starts with a day at the beach. A single white sock that somehow spoils everything. It's enough to send writer and ornithologist Stanislaw Lubienski on a quest to understand what we throw away, where it goes and whether it will be our legacy. By analysing items he unearths on his trips into nature - a plastic bottle, a tube of Russian penis-enlargement cream, a cigarette butt, an empty aerosol can - tracing their origins and explaining the harm they can do, he shows how consumer society has developed out of control, to the point of environmental catastrophe.He also looks with a birdwatcher's eye at how various animals have come to adapt to and even rely on our rubbish, and interrogates the cultural significance of waste and the origins of our throw-away lifestyles. Finally, he adds a personal touch by examining his own "environmental neurosis" and by going out with refuse crews to watch them work.While Lubienski never hectors his readers, nor shames them, his clear-eyed, persuasive and humble polemic reminds us what we, as individuals, can and cannot do to address an apocalyptic issue while there's still something worth saving.Translated from the Polish by Zosia Krasodomska-JonesTrade ReviewBeautifully written and impeccably researched, this profoundly significant book digs deep into the world of waste and is a stark reminder of human impact on our planet. Fascinating, eye-opening and deeply thought-provoking - a hugely important and utterly compelling work -- TRACEY WILLIAMS * author of Adrift: The Curious Tale of a Lego Lost at Sea *This is only outwardly a book about trash. In fact, it is a sad and bitter report on the current state of the world * Gazeta Wyborcza *There's no hiding the fact that for most of us reading this book will be a lesson in preparing for the apocalypse, and a brutal stripping away of our illusions . . . But if we then sink into 'ecological neurosis', it's a sign that we're on the right path to liberating the Earth from the tyranny of trash * Polityka *Although the picture Lubienski paints is alarming, his engaging style and avoidance of histrionics make this a surprisingly enjoyable read * Literary Review *Compelling and hard-hitting, a bold dive into the rubbish heap piling up around us. Lubienski forces us to ask ourselves, how can we live better -- LEE SCHOFIELD, author of Wild Fell

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Book Synopsis"Everything looked perfect. Sand - unique Baltic sand, the best in the world - and the calm sea. But wait. Something was amiss. Something was wrong"It starts with a day at the beach. A single white sock that somehow spoils everything. It's enough to send writer and ornithologist Stanislaw Lubienski on a quest to understand what we throw away, where it goes and whether it will be our legacy. By analysing items he unearths on his trips into nature - a plastic bottle, a tube of Russian penis-enlargement cream, a cigarette butt, an empty aerosol can - tracing their origins and explaining the harm they can do, he shows how consumer society has developed out of control, to the point of environmental catastrophe.He also looks with a birdwatcher's eye at how various animals have come to adapt to and even rely on our rubbish, and interrogates the cultural significance of waste and the origins of our throw-away lifestyles. Finally, he adds a personal touch by examining his own "environmental neurosis" and by going out with refuse crews to watch them work.While Lubienski never hectors his readers, nor shames them, his clear-eyed, persuasive and humble polemic reminds us what we, as individuals, can and cannot do to address an apocalyptic issue while there's still something worth saving.Translated from the Polish by Zosia Krasodomska-JonesTrade ReviewBeautifully written and impeccably researched, this profoundly significant book digs deep into the world of waste and is a stark reminder of human impact on our planet. Fascinating, eye-opening and deeply thought-provoking - a hugely important and utterly compelling work -- TRACEY WILLIAMS * author of Adrift: The Curious Tale of a Lego Lost at Sea *This is only outwardly a book about trash. In fact, it is a sad and bitter report on the current state of the world * Gazeta Wyborcza *There's no hiding the fact that for most of us reading this book will be a lesson in preparing for the apocalypse, and a brutal stripping away of our illusions . . . But if we then sink into 'ecological neurosis', it's a sign that we're on the right path to liberating the Earth from the tyranny of trash * Polityka *Although the picture Lubienski paints is alarming, his engaging style and avoidance of histrionics make this a surprisingly enjoyable read * Literary Review *Compelling and hard-hitting, a bold dive into the rubbish heap piling up around us. Lubienski forces us to ask ourselves, how can we live better -- LEE SCHOFIELD, author of Wild Fell

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Book Synopsis'This is a rich, beautiful and deeply moving book' GEORGE MONBIOT'I loved this book' CLOVER STROUDOnce Upon a Raven's Nest is the story of a working class man, one Thomas Hedley of Exmoor, and of the planet during the period of its great acceleration towards the current climate emergency.Born in 1955 to a poor family in Devon Thomas refused to conform. His fierce independence, recklessness and contrariness led not only to scrapes and self-inflicted dangers but to a life enriched by the love of women. Catrina Davies came to know him in his last years and has given his life and times in his own words, creating a rich, pungent language in a knowing, poetic and poignant voice.We learn of his accumulation of engines, tools and guns, the complexity of his connection to nature, the animals he loved and his desire to hunt them. He recounts the terrible consequences of his fatal attraction to risk and machinery which led to his being paralysed for the last years of his life, confined to a wheelchair, hopelessly dependent but still watching, noticing, recording, loving the world.The narrative is interwoven with a sequence of factual entries that chart the impending climate catastrophe and the consequences of our collective choices to ignore the warning of an environment on the verge of collapse.Once Upon A Raven's Nest is an unforgettable history of a life that is almost lost and an account of the destruction man has wrought on the earth in the time that Hedley worked the land.'Stunning. Urgent. Unforgettable' TANYA SHADRICK'This has the unmistakable smell of a classic' CHARLES FOSTERTrade ReviewThis is a rich, beautiful and deeply moving book. I read it in one sitting, then was sorry that I had not drawn it out for longer, as I enjoyed it so much. -- George MonbiotFrom the wonderfully evocative title to the heart-rending yet spirit-lifting conclusion, Catrina examines, with great empathic power, how colossal forces work on the individual. In one man, we are shown vast epochal change; in him, we see the concerns and defiance and activities that were once considered as solely the province of gods. A brilliant and necessary book. -- Niall GriffithsStunning. Urgent. Unforgettable. Through this complex and loving portrait of a rural working man, Catrina Davies gives voice to all that has been lost and damaged in his lifetime, ours. She is a true successor to John Berger in writing with love and anger on behalf of threatened species and communities. -- Tanya Shadrick, author of The Cure for SleepOnce Upon a Raven's Nest is a genuinely captivating tale of rural-lore - told through the thrilling narrative of one man's life; a good ol' country boy, a right character whose scraps and scrapes litter the pages. Chainsaws and tractors and torn love affairs fill the book, as Tommy's story is laid bare in a series of episodes and fractured snapshots carefully scattered within a timescale of environmental decline. There is a tough, brutal beauty here in Davies' depiction of the ways of the British countryside but love, and delight and the best of humanity, too. -- James CantonOriginal and powerful, I loved this book. This is a beautiful, powerful and truly original book which is nature writing at it's truest and finest. -- Clover StroudThis has the unmistakable smell of a classic. Davies has restored my flagging faith in the ability of language to tell the unvarnished truth. Here's a book worthy of Exmoor ravens and rivers and of the big, bold, dignified story it tells. I have no higher praise. * Charles Foster, author of Cry of the Wild, Being a Human and Being a Beast *There is a raw energy here which is very appealing. Exmoor very rough and very ready. Pulses with life at every turn. Expertly told, the fragmentary collision Of lives and a planet, deer, salmon, trees, tractors and a chainsaw or two. Exmoor verbatim as you never seen it before. Outdoors means out doors. -- James CrowdenSuperb . . . listen to Tommy, recorded or scripted by Davies, and something gripping and honest emerges . . . a vivid picture of nature in the raw. * Spectator *It is a beguiling, earthy tale of a lost world, one rarely examined in print. Hedley's outlandish yarns about brawling and risk-taking mix with stories that reveal his complex relationship with nature. * Independent (April Book of the Month) *A tremendous book, both gritty and lyrical and often darkly funny * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisA beautiful memoir, travelogue and meditation on stone by artist and stone mason Beatrice Searle.'Extraordinary' Guardian‘A magnificent book’ Alex Woodcock‘Exceptional’ Kerri Andrews‘Luminous’ SpectatorAt the age of twenty-six, artist and Cathedral stonemason Beatrice Searle crossed the North Sea and walked 500 miles along a medieval pilgrim path through Southern Norway, taking with her a 40-kilogram Orcadian stone.Fascinated with the mysterious footprint stones of Northern Europe and the ancient Greco-Roman world, stones closely associated with travellers, saints and the inauguration of Kings, she follows in their footsteps as her stone becomes a talisman, a bedrock and an offering to those she meets along the way.Stone Will Answer is an unusual adventure story of journeys practical, spiritual and geological, of weight and motion, and an insight into a beguiling craft.Trade ReviewExtraordinary... Confessional, elemental and at times moving, this is a memorable and unique celebration of the power and beauty of stone. * Guardian *Searle is an excellent storyteller... [and Stone Will Answer] make[s] for gripping reading... it's the human spirit that emerges triumphant in this sparky blend of memoir and travelogue... Above all, this is the story of a young woman's astonishing feat of endurance * Herald *A gifted writer, capable of luminous description * Spectator *Subtle and thought-provoking * TLS *Illuminating... I was quickly taken in by Beatrice Searle's distinctive voice, and by the end I couldn't help but feel very differently about stones, rootedness, belonging, and indeed what walking might mean. Beatrice's story is exceptional, and she is an exceptional story teller. -- Kerri Andrews, author of Wandering: A History of Women WalkingA magnificent book. Written with the eye of a poet and the heart of an artist, Stone Will Answer is both a moving account of an unconventional journey and a testament to the power of stone in finding anchorage in an uncertain world -- Alex Woodcock, author of King of DustA story of dedication and tenacity that is deeply moving and utterly captivating. Stone Will Answer is a truly remarkable book, a beautifully crafted tale of an artist's extraordinary journey. Searle seamlessly contemplates the meaning of craft, ancient myths, the mutability of stone and the transformations within her own life. Its rare to read a story of such artistic integrity. I felt bereft when I finished but also buoyed by a new found fascination with stone and all its many meanings. -- Sally Huband, author of Sea BeanAn astonishing mission with huge integrity in the telling. -- Linda Cracknell, author of Writing LandscapeA story of determination and soul-searching... Compellingly narrated, entertaining and thought-provoking... treat yourself to a copy of this book and enjoy the journey * Natural Stone Specialist *A moving testimony to the power of art, of finding the extraordinary in the everyday and acting upon your instinct. To walk with Searle in its pages is to experience stone within a new light... as a part-knowable, ever-shifting medium in the process of slow but perpetual change, one long work-in-progress. -- Alex Woodcock * Caught by the River *

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Book SynopsisThe New York Times Editors' ChoiceNPR Science Friday Book Club SelectionAn intimate and revelatory dive into the world of the beaver-the wonderfully weird rodent that has surprisingly shaped American history and may save its ecological future.From award-winning writer Leila Philip, BEAVERLAND is a masterful work of narrative science writing, a book that highlights, though history and contemporary storytelling, how this weird rodent plays an oversized role in American history and its future. She follows fur trappers who lead her through waist high water, fur traders and fur auctioneers, as well as wildlife managers, PETA activists, Native American environmental vigilantes, scientists, engineers, and the colourful group of activists known as beaver believers.Beginning with the early trans-Atlantic trade in North America, Leila Philip traces the beaver's profound influence on our nation's early economy and feverish western expansion, its first corporations and multi-millionaires. In her pursuit of this weird and wonderful animal, she introduces us to people whose lives are devoted to the beaver, including a Harvard scientist from the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, who uses drones to create 3-dimensional images of beaver dams; and an environmental restoration consultant in the Chesapeake whose nickname is the "beaver whisperer".What emerges is a poignant personal narrative, a startling portrait of the secretive world of the contemporary fur trade, and an engrossing ecological and historical investigation of these heroic animals who, once trapped to the point of extinction, have returned to the landscape as one of the greatest conservation stories of the 20th century. Beautifully written and impeccably researched, BEAVERLAND reveals the profound ways in which one odd creature and the trade surrounding it has shaped history, culture, and our environment.

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Book SynopsisAn award-winning natural-history writer opens the door to the nature that thrives in our yards, gardens, and parks

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Book SynopsisThe Little Ice Age tells the fascinating story of the turbulent, unpredictable, and often very cold years of modern European history. Using sources ranging from the dates of long-ago wine harvests and the business records of medieval monasteries to modern chemical analysis of ice cores, renowned archaeologist Brian Fagan reveals how a 500-year cold snap began in the fourteenth century. As Fagan shows, the increasingly cold and stormy weather dramatically altered fishing and farming practices, and it shaped familiar events, from Norse exploration to the settlement of North America, from the French Revolution to the Irish potato famine to the Industrial Revolution.Now updated with a new preface discussing the latest historical climate research, The Little Ice Age offers deeply important context for understanding today's age of global warming. As the Little Ice Age shows, climate change does not come in gentle, easy stages, and its influence on human life is profound.Trade ReviewFagan shows in this wonderful book how vulnerable human society is to climatic zigzags. - New ScientistThe Little Ice Age could do for the historical study of climate what Foucault's Madness and Civilization did for the historical study of mental illness: make it a respectable subject for scholarly inquiry. - Scientific AmericanAn engaging history.... A fascinating account of events both obscure and well known, including the French Revolution and the Irish potato famine, as seen through the lens of weather and its effect on harvests. - Foreign Affairs

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Book SynopsisWhen NASA Astronaut Nicole Stott first saw the Earth from space, she was filled with awe. Our shared home was a brilliant blue marble, with a razor thin atmosphere protecting billions of people, including everyone she loved. She realized that we are all bound together on this fragile planet. When she came back to earth, she knew she had to share this vision to help protect it.Stott knows the scale of the daunting task at hand-and yet, she believes we can set aside our differences and work together to tackle the most challenging planetary problems humanity has ever faced. She knows this, because she's seen it happen, on the International Space Station. Throughout her book, Stott imparts hard-won lessons in high-stakes problem solving, survival, and responding to crisis in space. On a space station, astronauts can't wait for someone else to handle a rescue; and when it comes to our earthbound problems, Stott learned that everyone should live like a crewmember, not like a passenger. In space, where everyone survives in a closed system, everything is local-and Stott discovered that in a profound way, the same is true back at home. Back to Earth distills these lessons and more into seven principles that can be practiced by each and every one of us to make much-needed change.In addition to sharing stories from her own spaceflight, Stott offers eye-opening insights from scientists and changemakers already sparking meaningful change in their communities and around the globe. She explores the complexities and splendor of the earth's biodiversity, and what it takes to preserve it, with both pioneering scientists on earth and engineers working to enable life in space. She meets with activists who use their time in space to advocate for clean water, and with executives who quit their corporate positions and use their global reach to become environmental leaders.Through her stirring call to action, Nicole Stott reveals how we each have the power to respect the Earth and one another-and to change our own lives in the process. And, while we're at it, we might just save humanity.

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Book SynopsisA bracing memoir about self-discovery, liberating escape, and moving forward across an adventurous and volatile American landscape. One year. One national park at a time. This is it. No more California. I’m sifting into the underbelly of where the nomads go. After a decade as an assistant to high-powered LA executives, Emily Pennington left behind her structured life and surrendered to the pull of the great outdoors. With a tight budget, meticulous routing, and a temperamental minivan she named Gizmo, Emily embarked on a yearlong road trip to sixty-two national parks, hell-bent on a single goal: getting through the adventure in one piece. She was instantly thrust into more chaos than she’d bargained for and found herself on an unpredictable journey rocked by a gutting romantic breakup, a burgeoning pandemic, wildfires, and other seismic challenges that threatened her safety, her sanity, and the trip itself. What began as an intrepid obsession soon evolved into a life-changing experience. Navigating the tangle of life’s unexpected sucker punches, Feral invites readers along on Emily’s grand, blissful, and sometimes perilous journey, where solitude, resilience, self-reliance, and personal transformation run wild.Trade Review“The author’s unflinching honesty and the boldness of her inner and outer journeys are the two great strengths of a book…[that] succeeds in offering a moving portrait of a woman who came into her own by learning to let go.…Fierce, candid reading.” —Kirkus Reviews “Pennington lyrically describes the wonders of the natural world, and she examines her solo life on the road with unsentimental insight. Readers will relish this hopeful portrayal of personal growth.” —Publishers Weekly “In this visceral memoir, travel writer Pennington depicts a year devoted to visiting 62 U.S. national parks…Pennington’s story of personal growth is told with unflinching insight and immense awe at the natural wonders she encounters; her expressive storytelling is sure to engage and inspire readers.” —Booklist “We can only aspire to the curiosity, pluck, and delight exhibited in Emily Pennington’s Feral despite the boulders and storms life might have tumbled at her.” —Nick Offerman, author of Where the Deer and the Antelope Play and Paddle Your Own Canoe “Emily peels back the superficial layers of van life with unflinching honesty to reveal the beautifully frustrating reality that is life on the road, while also gifting readers with important epiphanies set in our beloved national parks. This is a must read for anyone who values public land, our environment, and compelling storytelling.” —Craig Grossi, author of Craig & Fred and Second Chances “Please read Emily Pennington’s brilliantly written story about her year visiting our national parks. It is filled with the savage beauty, historical depth, and existential joy nature has to share with all of us. Do not miss this extraordinary adventure.” —Lyn Lear, Emmy-nominated filmmaker and environmental activist “Self-improvement, but also connection. The rush of new challenges, but also the tranquility of quiet moments. Emily Pennington travels for all the right reasons, and we’re so lucky she’s brought us along on the adventure of a lifetime.” —Sebastian Modak, editor-at-large at Lonely Planet and former New York Times 52 Places Traveler “Emily’s vivid memoir is for anyone seeking what could be, rather than accepting what is. Her national park journey is a testament to life-changing relationships, finding oneself, and the transformative power of the outdoors.” —Heather Balogh Rochfort, adventure journalist and author of Women Who Hike “Emily was facing major obstacles as she set out on a huge adventure to visit every US national park, from a breakup to the onset of COVID-19. In an awesome Eat, Pray, Love approach to the natural world, she sets out on the adventure of a lifetime, dodging grizzly bears and hiking in some of the world’s remotest places. There’s no one I’d rather go on this journey with.” —Mary Turner, deputy editor, Outside magazine “Emily Pennington knows America’s park system better than most people know their own backyards—it is a privilege to get an intimate glimpse of how that relationship has shaped her.” —Megan Spurrell, senior editor at Condé Nast Traveler “On paper, a plan to visit all sixty-two US national parks in one year sounds like a fun trip—what makes Feral an adventure story worth reading, though, is everything that wasn’t in the plan.” —Brendan Leonard, author of The Camping Life and Sixty Meters to Anywhere “A timely travel memoir that melds together stories of our national park system and the author’s life. This is a book about themes that touch us all: exploration, discovery, and home. Packed with vivid details and brutal honesty, to read Feral is to know Emily.” —Abigail Wise, digital managing director, Outside magazine

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Book SynopsisHave you ever wanted to experiment with growing your own food but didn't think you had the space, the time, or the knowledge? Justin Rhodes thought the same thing-until after years battling systemic illness and struggling to provide the kind of wholesome food he wanted for his family, he bought a seed packet at the grocery store and was hooked! Justin discovered the miraculous potential and empowerment of working with nature to grow food for his family, and since that discovery, he has shared his self-taught skills with hundreds of thousands of growers via his popular YouTube channel and website. Whether you're looking for greater food security, better health, tastier food, to save or earn money, connect with your food source, this book is for you. If you're looking for a different kind of life-a life focused on health and wellness-take a look down the road less traveled.Looking for every opportunity to pass his hard-earned knowledge onto others, Justin Rhodes created this inspiring and practical invitation to growing your own food and experiencing a more connected, sustainable lifestyle, no matter where you live or how much space you have. Filled with beautiful and inspiring photographs from the Rhodes' homestead and chock full of resources, including gardening plans, everything you need to know about raising chickens, tips for how to get your kids involved, and even recipes for how to serve up your home-grown goodness, The Rooted Life provides you with the inspiration, the encouragement, and the practical wisdom that you need to begin the journey to a more rooted life.

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Book SynopsisLike many British Columbians in2017, Claudia Cornwall found herself glued to the news about the disastrous wildfires across the province. Her worry was personal: her cabin at Sheridan Lake had been in the family for sixty years and was now in danger of destruction.Cornwall, a long-time writer, was stricken not just by her own experience, but by the many moving stories she came across about the firesso she began collecting them. She met with people from the communities of Sheridan Lake, Ashcroft, Cache Creek,16Mile House, Lac La Hache, Quesnel, Williams Lake, Hanceville-Riske Creek and Clinton. She hoped to be a conduit for the voices she heardfor those who fought the fires raging around them, those who were evacuated and displaced, and those who could do nothing but watch as their homes burned. She conducted over fifty hours of interviews with ranchers, cottagers, Indigenous residents,RCMP officers, evacuees, store and resort owners, search and rescue volunteers, firefighters and local government officials.Presented inBritish Columbia in Flames are stories that illustrate the importance of community. During the2017wildfires, people looked after strangers who had no place to go. They shared information. They helped each other rescue and shelter animals. They kept stores open day and night to supply gas, food and comfort to evacuees. This memoir, at once journalistic and deeply personal, highlights the strength with whichBCcommunities can and will come together to face a terrifying force of nature.

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Book SynopsisKelly Randall Ricketts has spent over half his life in the Campbell River area of Vancouver Island and lived in almost every region of BC, and like many rural British Columbians, he has tried his hand at an astonishing array of occupations from logging to mining to wrangling horses. Add to this a passion for the outdoors, heavyweight boxing, performing his own music and storytelling, and you have the makings of a very lively memoir.In One Inch from Disaster, Ricketts shares his closest calls, most daring feats and most embarrassing mistakes with the nonchalance and wry self-deprecation that comes from living a highly active life. Whether leaping from boat to boat on the crest of a giant wave, driving a bulldozer over a pile of dynamite, changing a tire just feet away from an angry grizzly or picking a fight with a group of Hells Angels, Ricketts rarely let the possibility of danger get in the way of a good story.Featuring hilarity, excitement and occasional moments of true reverence, One Inch from Disaster may inspire even the most confirmed city-dweller to get out and explore the adventures that await on the wilder side of life. On the other hand, the reader may feel grateful to live out these adventures vicariously from the comfort of their home, guided by such a riotous storyteller.

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Book SynopsisWhat if we could love the planet as much as we love one another?"Warm, wise, and overflowing with generosity, this is a love story so epic it embraces all of creation. Yet another reminder of how blessed we are to be in the struggle with elders like David and Tara.” – Naomi Klein and Avi LewisWhat You Won’t Do for Love is an inspiring conversation about love and the environment. When artist Miriam Fernandes approached the legendary eco-pioneer David Suzuki to create a theatre piece about climate change, she expected to write about David’s perspective as a scientist. Instead, she discovered the boundless vision and efforts of Tara Cullis, a literature scholar, climate organizer, and David’s life partner. Miriam realized that David and Tara’s decades-long love for each other, and for family and friends, has only clarified and strengthened their resolve to fight for the planet.What You Won’t Do for Love transforms real-life conversations between David, Tara, Miriam, and her husband Sturla into a charmingly novel and poetic work. Over one idyllic day in British Columbia, Miriam and Sturla take in a lifetime of David and Tara’s adventures, inspiration, and love, and in turn reflect on their own relationships to each other and the planet. Revealing David Suzuki and Tara Cullis in an affable, conversational, and often comedic light, What You Won’t Do For Love asks if we can love our planet the same way we love one another.Trade Review"Readers interested in the intersections of art and activism will want to give this a look." – Publishers Weekly "[T]his crystalline gem… is enhanced by interludes of evocative poetry and serene nature photography." – Carol Haggas, Booklist

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisWaterproof Tear-Resistant Reference Map.

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Book SynopsisWaterproof Tear-Resistant Reference Map.

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