Natural History Books
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Tracking and the Art of Seeing
Book SynopsisIf Thoreau''s Concord neighbors led lives of quiet desperation, many people today rush through lives of frantic, noisy alienation. Paul Rezendes''s book is about tracking, but also much more; it shows how to find your way home to the great web of life. For the woods walker, this book offers the key to a new kingdom. — The Boston GlobeIn this newly revised and updated edition of his highly acclaimed field guide, renowned nature photographer and tracking expert Paul Rezendes brings the fields and forests to life with his unique observations on North American wildlife and their tracks and sign. Illustrated with hundreds of his original photographs, Tracking & the Art of Seeing provides complete information on the behavior and habitat of over 50 animal species and shows you how to identify animals by their tracks, tail patterns, droppings, dens, scratches and other signs.
£22.72
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Emperors of the Deep SharksThe Oceans Most
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£20.79
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Wisdom from a Humble Jellyfish
Book SynopsisA delightfully illustrated guide to harnessing the rhythms of nature for self-care.We could all learn a thing or two about living in balance from our friends in the plant and animal kingdom. Take, for example, the jellyfish, one of the most energy-efficient animals in the world, moving through the ocean by contracting and relaxing, with frequent breaks in between. Or the avocado tree, which can credit its existence to a mutually beneficial relationship with the pre-historic sloth, followed by some hungry, hungry humans and the advent of agriculture. And then there is the oyster, producing a pearl as the result of an immune response when a grain of sand invades her system. What better example exists of how adversity can produce something beautiful?We need look no farther than nature—from the habits of the porcupine to the sunflower to the wombat to the dragonfly—for small and simple things we can do to slow down, rechTrade Review"Shah's humor is infectious, and her breezy approach makes learning from shrimp, sloths, spiders, and wombats, among many others, unexpectedly rewardigng." — Publishers Weekly
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Hidden World of the Fox
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£21.24
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Forever Dog
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£21.74
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Story of Your Dog
Book SynopsisGET TO KNOW YOUR DOG. Renowned expert dog trainer and bestselling author of Lucky Dog Lessons Brandon McMillan unpacks the unique and often misunderstood 15,000-year evolutionary history governing a dog’s every move.Most dog owners know the truth—their dogs are totally incompatible with the modern world.
£10.99
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Chasing Shadows
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£26.99
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Pests
Book SynopsisAn engrossing and revealing study of why we deem certain animals ?pests? and others not?from cats to rats, elephants to pigeons?and what this tells us about our own perceptions, beliefs, and actions, as well as our place in the natural worldA squirrel in the garden. A rat in the wall. A pigeon on the street. Humans have spent so much of our history drawing a hard line between human spaces and wild places. When animals pop up where we don?t expect or want them, we respond with fear, rage, or simple annoyance. It?s no longer an animal. It?s a pest.At the intersection of science, history, and narrative journalism, Pests is not a simple call to look closer at our urban ecosystem. It?s not a natural history of the animals we hate. Instead, this book is about us. It?s about what calling an animal a pest says about people, how we live, and what we want. It?s a story about human nature, and how we categorize the animals in our midst, including bears and coyotes, sparrows and snakes. Pet or pest? In many cases, it?s entirely a question of perspective.Bethany Brookshire?s deeply researched and entirely entertaining book will show readers what there is to venerate in vermin, and help them appreciate how these animals have clawed their way to success as we did everything we could to ensure their failure. In the process, we will learn how the pests that annoy us tell us far more about humanity than they do about the animals themselves.Trade Review"👍!" — Mary Roach, author of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law “Deeply reported and vividly told, Brookshire’s exploration of our most reviled animal neighbors will forever change how you see nature and our relationship to it. Elephants and boas and bears, oh my! Pests is natural history writing at its best.” — Riley Black, author of The Last Days of the Dinosaurs: An Asteroid, Extinction, and the Beginning of Our World “Brookshire convincingly argues that many of the problems we blame on pests arise not from the creatures themselves but from our own self-centered ways of looking at the world. A fascinating look at how culture, traditions, and human behavior shape the way people coexist or come into conflict with the animals that share their habitats.” — Christie Aschwanden, author of Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery “As human populations expand and the climate changes, these animals are not going away. Brookshire has a magnificent ability to bring the ecological context of our epic conflicts with everything from snakes to elephants down to the entertaining and personal.” — John Shivik, author of The Predator Paradox: Ending the War with Wolves, Bears, Cougars, and Coyotes “A deeply thoughtful yet entertaining tour of our thorny and morally complicated relationships with the creatures we consider pests. Integrating first-rate storytelling with ecology, natural history, wildlife management, cultural anthropology, and ethics, Pests provides a compelling perspective on a misunderstood aspect of human-animal interactions.” — Hal Herzog, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It’s So Hard to Think Straight About Animals “In this scintillating, searching, and surprisingly funny debut, Brookshire weaves together history, research, and Indigenous knowledge to reveal our complicity in creating animal conflict—and argues for a new model of coexistence in which neither we nor the animals have to end up as the villains.” — Maryn McKenna, author of Big Chicken, Superbug, and Beating Back the Devil "[An] excellent natural history...the author delivers fascinating accounts of a score of widely deplored pests...Outstanding, possibly mind-changing natural history." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “…An eye-opening account of why certain animals are demonized…Animal lovers will adore this clever survey.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) "An entertaining and pensive perusal of the human-wildlife conflict problem that calls to mind Mary Roach's Fuzz." — Booklist
£13.49
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Deepest Map
Book SynopsisTrade Review"There is no doubt in my mind that the ocean plays the most massive role in our past, present, and future—from transportation to planet health to long term sustainability. The Deepest Map shines a light on this massive yet ever-changing force and helps bring into focus so many unanswered questions, while giving us a beautiful reminder of how important it is to educate and protect these waters to the best of our abilities." — Garrett McNamara, Big Wave surfer, co-creator of the documentary series 100 Foot Wave and author of Hound of the Sea "Wow, what a great adventure story. Shipwrecks, octopus gardens, coral reefs as tall as the Empire State Building, 11,000 year-old sponges, deep sea robots—it’s a trip to another world, right here on Earth. This is not just a book about the epic quest to map the ocean floor, but an exploration of the mysteries and life of a planet we hardly know. The Deepest Map is one of those rare books that will change the way you see our world." — Jeff Goodell, author of The Water Will Come "A riveting ocean of a book, packed with gripping adventures, high-stakes exploration and political intrigue. Trethewey leads us to the bottom of the sea and deftly shows why it all matters so much." — Helen Scales, author of The Brilliant Abyss "The Deepest Map is a fascinating, poetic love letter to our planet and to the scientists and explorers risking their lives to understand its unconscious. With exhaustive reporting, Trethewey takes us on an awe-inspiring and humbling adventure that makes us realize how much we still have to learn about our home." — Jaimal Yogis, author of All Our Waves Are Water "An engrossing look at deep-sea exploration. Essential reading for environmentalists, armchair adventure divers, and those who care about the world’s oceans." — Kirkus (Starred Review) "Trethewey’s sharp eye for character brings out the humanity in the marine moonshot. It’s worth exploring." — Publishers Weekly
£21.25
HarperCollins Publishers Inc How to Grow
Book SynopsisIn this transformative guide, TikTok’s most popular gardener, Marcus Bridgewater—aka Garden Marcus—offers lessons for growth rooted in lessons from the plant world to help cultivate the soul.Marcus Bridgewater has been compared to Bob Ross and Mister Rogers for his soothing TikTok videos that relate botany to humanity.Trade Review“Marcus Bridgewater, who posts on TikTok as Garden Marcus, shares tips about caring for one’s plants and oneself.” — New York Times “Garden Marcus is not only a trove of information if you’re looking to flex your green thumb, but a balm for the pandemic-induced chaos happening in the world.” — Vogue "Marcus does a stunning job at giving us a soft place to land and explore what it means to lean into our growth with grace, patience, and compassion. This collection is necessary and beautiful! It should be required reading." — Alexandra Elle, Author of After the Rain and How We Heal “Bridgewater’s planting tips are just as valuable when applied to life.” — The Root “In his new book, Garden Marcus sows a nurturing philosophy." — Texas Standard Daily News
£17.09
HarperCollins Flight Paths
£15.99
HarperCollins Returning Light
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£13.09
HarperCollins Amphibious Soul
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£22.49
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2023
Book SynopsisAward-winning writer, columnist, and journalists Carl Zimmer selects twenty science and nature essays that represent the best examples of the form published in 2022.A collection of the best science and nature articles written in 2022, selected by guest editor Carl Zimmer and series editor Jaime Green. Trade Review“Captivating. . . . The contributors showcase science journalism’s capacity to educate while entertaining, and the timely bent of the selections gives the collection a sense of urgency. . . . Readers will be enthralled.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
£13.49
HarperCollins Poirot Calendar 2025
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£12.94
HarperCollins Ingrained
£15.99
HarperCollins Of Time And Turtles
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£14.39
HarperCollins Publishers The Place of Tides
£21.74
McGraw-Hill Education - Europe Biological Anthropology
Book SynopsisBiological Anthropology is a concise introduction to the basic themes, theories, methods and facts of bioanthropology. The scientific method provides a framework that brings accessibility and context to the material. This seventh edition presents the most recent findings and interpretations of topics in anthropology including Australopithecus sediba, the Denisovians, and epigenetics.Table of ContentsPrefaceTo the Reader1 Biological AnthropologyIn the Field: Doing Biological AnthropologyAmong the HutteritesA Hawaiian in ConnecticutWhat Is Biological Anthropology?Defining AnthropologyThe Specialties of BioanthropologyBioanthropology and ScienceThe Scientific MethodSome Common Misconceptions about ScienceScience Is Conducted in a Cultural ContextContemporary Reflections: Is Evolution a Fact, a Theory, or Just a Hypothesis?SummaryQuestions for Further ThoughtKey TermsSuggested Readings2 The Evolution of Evolution"On the Shoulders of Giants": Explaining the Changing EarthThe Biblical ContextThe Framework of "Natural Philosophy""Common Sense at Its Best": Explaining Biological ChangeDarwin's PredecessorsCharles DarwinThe Modern Theory of EvolutionContemporary Reflections: Has Science Dehumanized Society?SummaryQuestions for Further ThoughtKey TermsSuggested Readings3 Evolutionary GeneticsHow Genes WorkAn Overview of the Human GenomeFrom Genes to TraitsHow Inheritance WorksContemporary Reflections: What is Genetic Cloning?SummaryQuestions for Further ThoughtKey TermsSuggested Readings4 The Processes of EvolutionSpecies: The Units of EvolutionThe Four Processes of EvolutionMutations: Necessary ErrorsNatural Selection: The Prime Mover of EvolutionGene Flow: Mixing Populations' GenesGenetic Drift: Random EvolutionSickle Cell Anemia: Evolutionary Processes in ActionGenetics and SymptomsContemporary Reflections: Are Humans Still Evolving?The Adaptive ExplanationOther RelationshipsSummaryQuestions for Further ThoughtKey TermsSuggested Readings5 The Origin of Species and the Shape of EvolutionNew SpeciesReproductive Isolating MechanismsProcesses of SpeciationThe Evolution of Life's DiversityOur Family TreeAdaptive RadiationThe Grand Pattern of EvolutionThe Pattern of SpeciationSpecies SelectionCatastrophic Mass ExtinctionsContemporary Reflections: Are There Alternatives to Evolution?SummaryQuestions for Further ThoughtKey TermsSuggested Readings6 A Brief Evolutionary TimetableFrom the Beginning: A Quick HistoryDrifting Continents and Mass Extinctions: The Pace of ChangeContemporary Reflections: Are Mass Extinctions a Thing of the Past?SummaryQuestions for Further ThoughtKey TermsSuggested Readings7 The PrimatesNaming the AnimalsWhat Is a Primate?The SensesMovementReproductionIntelligenceBehavior PatternsThe Primate Adaptive StrategyA Survey of the Living PrimatesProsimiansAnthropoidsThe Human PrimateThe SensesMovementReproductionContemporary Reflections: What Is the Status of Our Closest Relatives?IntelligenceBehavior PatternsAre We Hominids or Hominins?SummaryQuestions for Further ThoughtKey TermsSuggested Readings8 Primate Behavior and Human EvolutionBehavioral EvolutionHow Do Complex Behaviors Evolve?How Do We Study Behavior?Primate BehaviorBaboonsChimpanzeesBonobosCulture and Social CognitionContemporary Reflections: Are Some Human Behaviors Genetic?SummaryQuestions for Further ThoughtKey TermsSuggested Readings9 Studying the Human PastBones: The Primate SkeletonOld Bones: Locating, Recovering, and Dating FossilsFinding FossilsRecovering FossilsDating FossilsHow Fossils Get to Be FossilsGenes: New Windows to the PastThe "Molecular Clock"The Genetic Differences between Chimps and Humans Contemporary Reflections: Who Owns Old Bones?SummaryQuestions for Further ThoughtKey TermsSuggested Readings10 Evolution of the Early HominidsThe Origin and Evolution of the PrimatesBipedalismThe Benefits of BipedalismThe Evolution of BipedalismThe Early HominidsAustralopithecusParanthropusThe Search for the First HominidsArdipithecusKenyanthropusOrrorinSahelanthropusPutting It All TogetherConnecting the DotsThe Ecological ContextContemporary Reflections: Is There a "Missing Link"?SummaryQuestions for Further ThoughtKey TermsSuggested Readings11 The Evolution of Genus HomoThe Nature of Genus HomoThe First Members of Genus HomoThe First Stone ToolsThe FossilsA New Adaptive ModeTo New LandsThe First FossilsMigration and the Ice AgesThe Life of Homo erectusBig Brains, Archaic SkullsHomo antecessorHomo heidelbergensisThe NeandertalsPhysical FeaturesCultureModern HumansAnatomyDatesCultureContemporary Reflections: Who Are the "Hobbits" from Indonesia?More Neandertals and Yet Another Human Group?The Debate Over Modern Human OriginsThe ModelsThe EvidenceIs This Debate Important?SummaryQuestions for Further ThoughtKey TermsSuggested Readings12 Evolution and Adaptation in Human PopulationsPopulation AdaptationsSpecies AdaptationsVariation in AdaptationsAre All Variations Adaptively Important?Disease and Human PopulationsDiseases are "Natural"Disease and Hominid EvolutionDisease and Human HistoryEmerging DiseasesContemporary Reflections: Are There Jewish Diseases? Are There Black Pharmaceuticals?SummaryQuestions for Further ThoughtKey TermsSuggested Readings13 Human Biological DiversitySex and GenderWhy Are There No Biological Races Within the Human Species?Race as a Biological ConceptHuman Phenotypic VariationGenetic VariationEvolutionary TheoryWhat, Then, Are Human Races?Anthropology and the History of Race StudiesRace, Bioanthropology, and Social IssuesRace and IntelligenceRace and Athletic AbilityContemporary Reflections: Are Genetic Ancestry Tests Worth the Money?SummaryQuestions for Further ThoughtKey TermsSuggested Readings14 Biological Anthropology and Today's WorldForensic Anthropology: Reading the BonesLessons from the PastBioanthropology and Global IssuesContemporary Reflections: What Can One Do with a Degree in Bioanthropology?SummaryQuestions for Further ThoughtKey TermsSuggested ReadingsAppendix I: Protein Synthesis and the Genetic CodeAppendix II: Genes in PopulationsGlossary of Human and Nonhuman PrimatesGlossary of TermsReferencesCreditsIndex
£164.43
Ebury Publishing Perfect Manners
Book SynopsisKelly Marks, who gets spectacular results in her exhibitions with the most fiery and recalcitrant of horses, says the secret is to talk to horses in their own language, establishing a relationship of trust and respect, using considerate and consistent techniques. You will find it helpful to formulate your own ''code of conduct'' for your horse and while you''re at it, for yourself as well, making consideration a way of life. Perfect Manners starts with the philosophy and concepts behind Kelly Marks'' techniques and moves on to foundation exercises and groundwork training. There are also sections on Join Up and Body Language, Training Halters, Biting, Spooking and Shying and the ''Lovely Head Rub''. A must-read for horse owners everywhere.Trade ReviewI could not recommend a better teacher of my methods anywhere in the world than Kelly Marks. -- Monty RobertsKelly [has] experience, enthusiasm and humour, alongside her respect and affection for the animals...the essential guide for any horse owner. * Countryside La Vie *
£21.25
Ebury Publishing The Forager Handbook
Book SynopsisMiles Irving has been seeking out and selling foraged produce for over 10 years. Among the top British restauranteurs who sell the fruit, vegetables and herbs Miles delivers to their doors are Jamie Oliver, Richard Corrigan, Mark Hix, Sam and Sam Clark. Miles lives near Canterbury and has his own company, Forager.Trade ReviewNature lovers and foodies alike will be overjoyed by this. Combining recipes and folklore, it's a great book for our time. * The Independent On Sunday *The definitive guide to foraging in the UK. * Wall Street Journal *A unique and authentic guide, assiduously researched, packed with information and enlivened with anecdotes. * Country Kitchen *The most up-to-date book on wild plants of Britain. Irving has produced a book that rivals Mabey’s Food For Free and personally I feel it surpasses it... I would rate The Forager Handbook as one of the best [of its kind] in publication. * eatweeds.co.uk *
£31.50
Ebury Publishing One Dog at a Time
Book Synopsis''Thick with rolls of gleaming new wire, the obstacle was designed to prevent a suicide bomber driving into the compound''s thick mud walls. Today, however, it had only succeeded in stopping a terrified-looking small white dog. I knew that the Taliban could be hiding in any one of these buildings, just waiting for one of us. But I knew I couldn''t just walk away.''In a remote outpost of Now Zad, in Helmand province, Pen Farthing''s tour of duty will change his life forever, but for entirely unexpected reasons ...Appalled by the horrors of a local dog fight, he intervenes to free the victims. One of these dogs finds his way into the Marine compound - and into Pen''s heart. Soon other strays are being drawn to the sanctuary provided by Pen''s makeshift pound, including one young mum who crawls under the compound fence carrying her newborn pups to safety. But as his time in Helmand draws to an end, Pen cannot leave the dogs of Now Zad to their own fates. He begins hatching plans to help them escape to a better life.Trade ReviewPen Farthing is absolutely wonderful, really truly my kind of heroInspirational ... his compassion and dedication are a fine example to us all * Daily Mail *An inspiring tale. Heartwarming stuff * News of the World *An exciting, funny and moving book ... Nowzad, AK, Jena, Tali and their pups could melt a stone's heart * Guardian *An emotional rollercoaster that will keep you turning the pages and reaching for the Kleenex - don't miss it -10/10 * Your Dog *
£9.49
Ebury Publishing Emma and I
Book SynopsisSheila Hocken is a writer and canine specialist, best known for her book Emma & I. Sheila was born in Beeston, Nottingham, in 1946, and lives near Nottingham today. Sheila is actively involved in the canine world as a dog trainer. Her website is www.sheila-hocken-dog-training.com.Trade ReviewA delightful and courageous autobiography ... will move you to tears * Sunday Express *I confess to having a large lump in my throat as I read Sheila Hocken's story. Touching and joyful * Daily Mirror *The year's most poignant true story * Woman's Own *One of the most poignant works I have ever read. It is a beautiful book * Liverpool Echo *
£13.49
Ebury Publishing Our Garden Birds
Book SynopsisIn this beautiful, collectible new volume, street artist Matt Sewell offers his own unique take on 52 of Britain''s favorite garden birds. Since its first appearance in July 2009, Matt''s Bird of the Week feature for the Caught by the River website has quickly become a cult hit. His pop-art watercolors are distinctive and enchanting, as are his innovative descriptions. With 52 birds, one for each week of the year, this delightful gift book will appeal to birders, children, and adults, and art and design fans alike.Trade ReviewAn offbeat book featuring 52 charming characterful illustrations of our best-loved British birds. * BBC Wildlife *
£13.49
Ebury Publishing Our Songbirds
Book SynopsisIn this beautiful follow-up to 2012''s hit, Our Garden Birds, street artist Matt Sewell offers more watercolours and quirky descriptions of British songbirds.In Matt''s world, the peewit sings the blues, and the bittern fills his neck ''like a tweed pair of bellows''. Distinctive and enchanting, with a songbird for each week of the year, this delightful gift book will appeal to birders, children and adults, and art and design fans alike.
£11.40
Cornerstone Stories in the Stars
Book Synopsis***AS READ ON BBC RADIO 4***Travel the night sky and discover the stories in the stars. What a beautiful book it is! A treasured possession.' Mary Beard ''No astronomy book can claim to be as beautiful as the night sky, but Stories in the Stars comes closest!'' Tristan GooleyLook up: above us is a jet-black canvas pricked with white dots, and a carnival of animals, mythical creatures, gods and goddesses in its shining constellations. Here, Susanna Hislop writer and stargazer and Hannah Waldron international artist leap between centuries, cultures and traditions to present a whole universe of stories in all their blazing glory. Stories in the Stars is an imaginative and whimsical exploration of each of the night sky's 88 constellations: a playful and stunningly illustrated compendium.Trade ReviewWhat a beautiful book it is! A treasured possession. -- Mary BeardNo astronomy book can claim to be as beautiful as the night sky, but Stories in the Stars comes closest! I'm learning something new every day and having a lot of fun in the process. -- Tristan Gooley, The Natural Navigator
£21.25
Ebury Publishing Our Woodland Birds
Book SynopsisArtist and illustrator Matt Sewell has been described as the Banksy of the bird world. He has illustrated for the Guardian and Barbour, amongst many others, and exhibited in London, Manchester, New York, Tokyo and Paris. Matt is an avid ornithologist and regular contributor to the Caught by The River website. He lives in Shrewsbury with his partner and two children.
£13.50
Ebury Publishing Owls
Book SynopsisIn this beautiful follow-up to Our Garden Birds, Our Songbirds and Our Woodland Birds, street artist Matt Sewell captures the world's most evocative bird: the owl. In his much-loved pop-art watercolours and accompanied with his whimsical descriptions, Matt Sewell expresses the individual characters of owls as never before. From tiny Elf Owls to huge Eagle Owls, from the mysterious creatures of the night to an impossibly fluffy baby owl, they are undoubtedly one of the world's most intriguing feathered friends. These wise, magical birds are otherworldly in their striking colours and stature, and it''s not just birdwatchers who are obsessed. With 50 hand-selected, hand-painted owls, this is a delightful gift which appeals to owl lovers, bird-watching enthusiasts, children, adults and art and design fans alike.
£11.99
Ebury Publishing Spotting and Jotting Guide
Book SynopsisThere is nothing better than spotting a bird you have never seen before, so here is a handy way of keeping all your jottings in check. In Matt Sewell''s much-loved pop art style, and small enough to pop in your pocket, Our Garden Birds: Spotting and Jotting is the perfect accessory for bird-seekers and nature-lovers alike. Replicated in stunning watercolours and true-to-life, discover wild and wonderful birds from Greenfinches to Goldcrests, Blackcaps and Collared doves. So, grab your binoculars and start spotting and jotting your favourite feathered friends.
£11.65
Vintage Publishing Wonderful Life
Book SynopsisHigh in the Canadian Rockies is a small limestone quarry formed 530 million years ago. Called the Burgess Shale, it holds the remains of an ancient sea where dozens of strange creatures lived - a forgotten corner of evolution preserved in incredible detail. In this book Stephen Jay Gould explores what the Burgess Shale might tell us about evolution and the nature of history.The Darwinian theory of evolution is a well-known, well-explored area. But there is one aspect of human life which this theory of evolution fails to account for: chance. Using the brilliantly preserved fossil fauna of the Burgess Shale as his case study, Gould argues that chance was in fact one of the decisive factors in the evolution of life on this planet, and that, with a flip of coin, everything could have been very different indeed.Trade ReviewA masterpiece of analysis and imagination...It centres on a sensational discovery in the field of palaeontology - the existence, in the Burgess Shale... of 530-million-year-old fossils unique in age, preservation and diversity...With skill and passion, Gould takes this mute collection of fossils and makes them speak to us. The result challenges some of our most cherished self-perceptions and urges a fundamental re-assessment of our place in the history of life on earth * Sunday Times *
£11.69
Cornerstone The Feather Thief
Book SynopsisKirk Wallace Johnson served in Iraq with the US Agency for International Development in Baghdad and Fallujah as the Agency's first co-ordinator for reconstruction in the war-torn city. He went on to found The List Project to Resettle Iraqi Allies. His work on behalf of Iraqi refugees was profiled by This American Life, 60 Minutes, the Today Show, the subject of a feature-length documentary, The List, and a memoir, To Be a Friend is Fatal.A Senior Fellow at the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy, and the recipient of fellowships from the American Academy in Berlin, Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony, and the Wurlitzer Foundation, his writing has appeared in The New Yorker, the New York Times and the Washington Post. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, son and daughter.Trade ReviewThe Feather Thief truly is a tale of obsession . . . A wonderfully assured writer, [Johnson] takes us on a curious journey into the past . . . Vivid and arresting. * The Times *A fascinating investigation of a seriously ridiculous crime * New Scientist *Within pages I was hooked. This is a weird and wonderful book . . . Johnson is a master of pacing and suspense . . . it’s a tribute to Johnson’s storytelling gifts that when I turned the last page I felt bereft. * Spectator *The Feather Thief is a riveting read. It also stands, I believe, as a reminder of how an obsession with the ornaments of nature — be they feathers, bird eggs or ivory — can wreak havoc on our scientific heritage * Nature *Weird and wonderful * The Tablet *
£10.44
Vintage Publishing Down To The Sea In Ships
Book Synopsis''Magnificent'' Robert MacfarlaneWinner of the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the YearOur lives depend on shipping but it is a world which is largely hidden from us. In every lonely corner of every sea, through every night, every day, and every imaginable weather, tiny crews of seafarers work the giant ships which keep landed life afloat. These ordinary men live extraordinary lives, subject to dangers and difficulties we can only imagine, from hurricanes and pirates to years of confinement in hazardous, if not hellish, environments. Horatio Clare joins two container ships on their epic voyages across the globe and experiences unforgettable journeys. As the ships cross seas of history and incident, seafarers unfold the stories of their lives, and a beautiful and terrifying portrait of the oceans and their human subjects emerges.''Tremendous'' The TimesTrade ReviewWonderful… Clare’s account of his journeys with the officers and crews of container ships is gripping and stomach-churning in equal measure * Daily Telegraph *[A] beautifully written account of seafaring life -- Ian Critchley * Sunday Times *A lyrical, heartfelt but eye-opening chronicle... Both romantic and realistic, written from the heart but crafted with a seafarer’s “passionate precision”, [Clare’s] book will steer you into the new year on a course that may deepen your grasp both of that world, and of ourselves -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *If you can't run away to sea (though I recommend you do), Clare's book is a warm and captivating companion to it * Guardian *Stupendous and extraordinarily exciting... What Clare demonstrates, even beyond his undoubted gifts as writer, is his basic humanity. I read his wonderful book with gratitude for his insight – but also with increased admiration for the men to whom we owe almost everything in our comfortable and secure lives -- Philip Hoare * Times Higher Education *Rich and dense, full of old sea-dog stories, with barely a word wasted, it’s a triumph of quiet artistry -- Marcus Berkmann * Daily Mail *This is a warm and lyrical book about a tough trade in tough times -- Sara Wheeler * Observer *Wonderful... Clare’s writing is fluid, light and eminently readable, but perhaps his greatest asset is his empathy -- Philip Hoare * Sunday Telegraph *Clare’s powers of plain description are tremendous -- Libby Purves * The Times *A fabulous account... There is Conradian insight in Clare’s portrayal of the crews to which he is supernumerary, from the captain who hums as he negotiates narrow channels to the first mate constantly crunching carrots -- Giles Foden * Condé Nast Traveller *
£9.49
Vintage Publishing The Worm Forgives the Plough
Book SynopsisJohn Stewart Collis was born in 1900. His father was a Dublin solicitor and Collis was educated at Rugby School and Balliol College, Oxford. In 1925 he published a biography of George Bernard Shaw and he later went on to write other biographical works and also became a pioneer of the ecological movement in Britain. During the Second World War his wife and daughters were evacuated to the United States and he worked for the Land Army as an agricultural labourer - accompanied by his beloved dog, Bindo. His memoirs and meditations on rural life, While Following the Plough (1946) and Down to Earth (1947) were first published together as The Worm Forgives the Plough in 1973, which has become a classic of nature writing.Trade ReviewHe is the poet among modern ecologists, a natural philosopher who , whether he is writing about trees or rainbows, an iceberg or a piece of chalk, never takes a fact without linking it to an idea, or an idea without connecting it to a fact. His book dispenses information in the language of the imagination, and by peeling back the film by which everything appears dully familiar, reveals a vision of the world miraculously transfigured -- Michael Holroyd * The Times *Collis' divine gift is to explain the extraordinary nature of the ordinary * Sunday Times *A philosopher who had a shining view of the natural world, and was able to divine the magic inherent in phenomena so commonplace that we take them for granted * Guardian *These jottings establish the man as one of the greatest recorders of English agricultural life -- Val Hennessey * Daily Mail *A little classic * The Oldie *
£10.44
Vintage Publishing Edgelands
Book SynopsisMichael Symmons Roberts (Author) Michael Symmons Roberts was born in Preston, Lancashire in 1963. He has published eight collections of poetry and received a number of accolades including the Forward Prize, the Costa Poetry Award and the Whitbread Poetry Prize. His Selected Poems was published in 2016. As a librettist, his work has been performed in concert halls and opera houses around the world, and he is an award-winning broadcaster and dramatist. He is Professor of Poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, his Quartet for the End of Time: On Music, Grief and Birdsong was published in 2025.Paul Farley (Author) Paul Farley is the author of four collections of poetry and has won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection, the Whitbread Poetry Award and the E.M. Forster Award. He broadcasts regularly on radio and presents The Echo Chamber on Radio 4. Edgelands, co-written with Michael Symmons Roberts, received the Royal Society of Literature's Jerwood Award and the 2011 Foyles Best Book of Ideas Award and was serialised as Radio 4 Book of the Week.Trade ReviewThis book is a delight: witty and wryly contrarian -- Robert MacFarlane * Guardian *A masterpiece of its kind... Even more uplifting is the chapter on weather - truly one of the most extraordinary passages of prose I have read in some time... This is, quite simply, beautiful, but it is also typical of a beautifully conceived work of exploration, by two emissaries to the wilderness who do the wasteland proud -- John Burnside * The Times *Marvellously quirky, fascinatingly detailed and beautifully written * Daily Telegraph *The edgelands, where the veneer of civilisation peels away, are the most despised and ignored of landscapes. Ambition turns to dust in the sewage farm and landfill site. But Farley and Roberts's mischievous and elegant forays into these marginal wastes, show that dust turns back to life in them - into riotous ecologies, agitprop architecture and the wonderful business of playing. A provocative, left-field read -- Richard MabeyHaunting, often inspiring book...Edgelands covers an impressive range of politics, reminiscence, investigation and rumination * Scotland on Sunday *
£10.44
Vintage Publishing Wild Hares and Hummingbirds
Book SynopsisThe village of Mark on the Somerset Levels is a watery wonderland, rich in wildlife: rooks and roe deer; sparrows and snowdrops; buzzards, badgers and butterflies; the iconic brown hare and the spectacular hummingbird hawk-moth. This title is both the story of a small corner of the West Country and a celebration of the natural world.Trade ReviewDelightful, soothing and informative * Daily Mail *An enchanting book, Wild Hares and Hummingbirds is a combination of celebration for what is and regret for what is passing. It is elegiac * Daily Express *An enchanting month-by-month guide to "the natural history of an English village". As richly evocative of January as of June, Moss captures the flora and the fauna of his Somerset home with a grace and charm to warm the coldest winter night * Independent *[A] charmingly produced book…readers are in the hands of an expert -- Steven Barfiel * The Lady *This engaging account…should spark interest in country-dwellers and provide a transporting read for townies. In his placid style, Moss is profoundly informative -- Christopher Hirst * Independent *
£9.49
Vintage Publishing A Sting in the Tale
Book Synopsis**SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**One man''s quest to save the bumblebee...Dave Goulson has always been obsessed with wildlife, from his childhood menagerie of exotic pets and dabbling in experimental taxidermy to his groundbreaking research into the mysterious ways of the bumblebee and his mission to protect our rarest bees.Once commonly found in the marshes of Kent, the short-haired bumblebee is now extinct in the UK, but still exists in the wilds of New Zealand, descended from a few queen bees shipped over in the nineteenth century.A Sting in the Tale tells the story of Goulson''s passionate drive to reintroduce it to its native land and contains groundbreaking research into these curious creatures, history''s relationship with the bumblebee, the disastrous effects intensive farming has had on our bee populations and the potential dangers if we are to continue down this path.Trade Review[Goulson’s] book is not only enormously informative, but also hugely entertaining: its light touch and constant humour make cutting-edge research a pleasure to read about… For anyone interested in the natural world, this is essential reading. -- Michael McCarthy * Independent *Goulson reminds himself that he ‘began studying bumblebees not because they are important pollinators but because they are fascinating, because they behave in interesting and mysterious ways, and because they are rather loveable.’ It’s worth reading A Sting in the Tale for the same reasons. -- Hannah Rosefield * Literary Review *A worthy book of the year. -- Mary Beard * Observer *Goulson has plenty of wondrous biological stories to tell, as well as the tale of his own struggle to return the short-haired bumblebee to Britain. -- Patrick Barkham * Guardian *This isn’t one of those natural science books that simply tells you things – it admits how much we don’t know. -- Mark Mason * Spectator *
£10.44
Vintage Publishing Vesper Flights
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThrilling dispatches from a vanishing world... A powerful - and entertaining - corrective to the idea that the only hopes that matter on this planet are those of our own species. -- Tim Adams * Observer *Vesper Flights is a book of ideas and urgent, beautiful writing... [Macdonald] is a writer whose every word is to be cherished. -- Tom Lathan * Spectator *Helen Macdonald is one of the best nature writers now working. -- Simon Ings * Telegraph *Books of the Year* *Nature writing at its best... All kinds of wondrous... Each and every essay reminded me what a gifted writer Macdonald is. Her prose is poetry but it also has a drenching kind of a clarity. And this is good because we shouldn't allow ourselves to be lulled by the sheer pleasure of reading her. For these are urgent pieces designed to open our eyes. -- Caroline Sanderson * Bookseller *Book of the Month* *An antidote to so much romantic, reductive writing about the natural world... Macdonald's writing teems with other voices and perspectives, with her own challenges to herself. It muddies any facile ideas about nature and the human, and prods at how we pleat our prejudices, politics and desires into our notions of the animal world... Hers is a gritty, companionable intimacy with the wild... The essays...are short, varied and highly edible. -- Parul Sehgal * New York Times *
£10.44
Vintage Publishing The Ash and The Beech
Book SynopsisFrom ash die-back to the Great Storm of 1987 to Dutch elm disease, our much-loved woodlands seem to be under constant threat from a procession of natural challenges. Just when we need trees most, to help combat global warming and to provide places of retreat for us and our wildlife, they seem at greatest peril. But these dangers force us to reconsider the narrative we construct about trees and the roles we press on them.In this now classic book, Richard Mabey looks at how, for more than a thousand years, we have appropriated and humanised trees, turning them into arboreal pets, status symbols, expressions of fashionable beauty - anything rather than allow them lives of their own. And in the poetic and provocative style he has made his signature, Mabey argues that respecting trees'' independence and ancient powers of survival may be the wisest response to their current crises. Originally published with the title Beechcombings, this updated edition includes aTrade ReviewWonderfully subversive, far-reaching and unsentimental * Observer *Richard Mabey is a man for all seasons, most regions and every kind of landscape -- Andrew Motion * Financial Times *An elegant and heartfelt essay on mankind's changing relationship with trees * Sunday Telegraph *A leaf-storm of philosophical musings, journeys of mind and body, reflections and anecdotes that imprint the tree on human culture * Sunday Times *A terrific combination of both natural and intellectual history, informed by penetrating insight * Independent *
£10.44
Elsevier Science Encyclopedia of Forest Sciences
Book Synopsis
£2,263.50
Penguin Random House LLC The Land of Little Rain Classic Nature Penguin
£18.00
Penguin Random House LLC My First Summer in the Sierra Penguin nature library
£18.00
Penguin Books Ltd The Map That Changed the World
Book SynopsisTHE EXTRAORDINARY TALE OF THE FATHER OF MODERN GEOLOGYHidden behind velvet curtains above a stairway in a house in London''s Piccadilly is an enormous and beautiful hand-coloured map - the first geological map of anywhere in the world. Its maker was a farmer''s son named William Smith. Born in 1769 his life was troubled: he was imprisoned for debt, turned out of his home, his work was plagiarised, his wife went insane and the scientific establishment shunned him. It was not until 1829, when a Yorkshire aristocrat recognised his genius, that he was returned to London in triumph: The Map That Changed the World is his story.''For a geologist, this is a must read'' Amazon Reviewer''It serves to lift a genius from academic semi-obscurity and to award him the acknowledgement he undoubtedly deserves'' Amazon Reviewer''Never realised how seminal this map was'' Amazon Reviewer
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd The Secret Life of Trees
Book SynopsisColin Tudge''s The Secret Life of Trees: How they Live and Why they Matter explores the hidden role of trees in our everyday lives - and how our future survival depends on them. What is a tree? As this celebration of the trees shows, they are our countryside; our ancestors descended from them; they gave us air to breathe. Yet while the stories of trees are as plentiful as leaves in a forest, they are rarely told. Here, Colin Tudge travels from his own back garden round the world to explore the beauty, variety and ingenuity of trees everywhere: from how they live so long to how they talk to each other and why they came to exist in the first place. Lyrical and evocative, this book will make everyone fall in love with the trees around them. ''A love-letter to trees'' Financial Times ''One of those books you want everyone to have already read'' Sunday Telegraph ''Wonderful, invaluable and timely. Tudge is as illuminating a guide as one could wish for'' Daily Mail ''Everyone interested in the natural world will enjoy The Secret Life of Trees. I found myself reading out whole chunks to friends'' The Times Books of the Year Colin Tudge started his first tree nursery in his garden aged 11, marking his life-long interest in trees. Always interested in plants and animals, he studied zoology at Cambridge and then began writing about science, first as features editor at the New Scientist and then as a documentary maker for the BBC. Now a full-time writer, he is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London and visiting Research Fellow at the Centre of Philosophy at the London School of Economics. His books include The Variety of Life and So Shall We Reap.
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd Why Birds Sing
Book SynopsisThe richness and variety of birdsong is both a scientific mystery and a source of wonder. David Rothenberg has a unique approach to this fascinating subject, combining the latest scientific research with a deep understanding of musical beauty and form. Can the standard explanations of territoriality or sexual selection account for so many species'' astonishing inventiveness and devotion to singing? Whether playing the clarinet with the white-crested laughing thrush in Pittsburgh or jamming in the Australian winter breeding grounds of the Albert''s lyrebird, Rothenberg touches the heart and soul of birdsong, offering an intimate look at the most lovely of natural phenomena.
£14.39
Penguin Books Ltd The Corfu Trilogy
Book Synopsis*The classic trilogy set in sun-soaked Corfu that inspired ITV''s acclaimed TV series The Durrells*Three classic tales of childhood on an island paradise - My Family and Other Animals, Birds, Beasts and Relatives and The Garden of the Gods by Gerald Durrell - are available in a single edition for the first time in The Corfu Trilogy.Just before the Second World War the Durrell family decamped to the glorious, sun-soaked island of Corfu where the youngest of the four children, ten-year-old Gerald, discovered his passion for animals: toads and tortoises, bats and butterflies, scorpions and octopuses. Through glorious silver-green olive groves and across brilliant-white beaches Gerry pursued his obsession . . . causing hilarity and mayhem in his ever-tolerant family.''A delightful book full of simple, well-known things: cicadas in the olive groves, lamp fishing at night, the complexities of fish and animals - but, above all, childhood moulded by these things'' New York Times
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd Underland
Book SynopsisA beautiful gift for the intrepid explorer in your life by one of the most acclaimed and beloved nature writers working today, the internationally bestselling, prize-winning author of Landmarks, The Lost Words and The Old WaysA SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2019WINNER OF THE STANFORD DOLMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2020''You''d be crazy not to read this book'' The Sunday TimesA Guardian Best Book of the 21st CenturyIn Underland, Robert Macfarlane takes us on a journey into the worlds beneath our feet. From the ice-blue depths of Greenland''s glaciers, to the underground networks by which trees communicate, from Bronze Age burial chambers to the rock art of remote Arctic sea-caves, this is a deep-time voyage into the planet''s past and future. Global in its geography, gripping in its voice and haunting in its implications, Underland is a work of huge range and power, and a remarkable new chapter in Macfarlane''s long-term exploration of landscape and the human heart.SHORTLISTED FOR THE RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE 2020 ''Macfarlane has invented a new kind of book, really a new genre entirely'' The Irish Times''He is the great nature writer, and nature poet, of this generation'' Wall Street Journal ''Macfarlane has shown how utterly beautiful a brilliantly written travel book can still be'' Observer on The Old Ways''Irradiated by a profound sense of wonder... Few books give such a sense of enchantment; it is a book to give to many, and to return to repeatedly'' Independent on Landmarks''It sets the imagination tingling...like reading a prose Odyssey sprinkled with imagist poems'' The Sunday Times on The Old WaysTrade Reviewa brilliant, thrilling, terrifying work of literature, making me want to think more adventurously and live more deeply. * Amy Liptrot *All Macfarlane's books are urgings to take a closer look at the environment we live in, and at the natural world especially. They are perception-shifters. And with its darker, delving subject matter counter-weighing its lyricism, Underland is a magnificent feat of writing, travelling and thinking that feels genuinely frontier-pushing, unsettling and exploratory * Evening Standard *Robert Macfarlane is a magician with words. In Underland he shows us how to see in the dark. His writing is like a vortex... Once caught, you're pulled deeper and deeper with each page -- Andrea Wulf, best-selling author of 'The Invention of Nature'Devastating, lyrical, blazingly vivid... An examination of the darknesses invisible beneath our feet. The book's great power comes from Macfarlane's deliberate turn away from despair and toward a deliberate, loving, and luminous sense of awe -- Lauren GroffRobert Macfarlane's writing reminds us of the astonishing variety of things you can see when you go at walking speed, and of how strange and rich the world is -- Philip PullmanThe great nature writer, and nature poet, of this generation * Wall Street Journal *Exquisite. [Robert Macfarlane] evokes so vividly places to which I and probably you will never go, and at the eeriness of the places themselves and the sense of vast scale they restore to us at a time when it can feel like the world has shrunken around us -- Rebecca SolnitAn epic descent into a series of underground and underwater landscapes * Financial Times *Beautifully written and wise, this haunting book is a treasure... It reads like a seamless dive, crawl, and trek through deep time, in sense-rich landscapes, accompanied by fascinating views of the human saga. Its unique spell is irresistible -- Diane AckermanBeautifully and bravely balanced... This is a radical book in every sense. It goes as deep as it can, unafraid of the risk that what it finds will turn everything on its head * The Oldie *Thrilling and soulful, raw and erudite. Robert Macfarlane writes of his astonishing subterranean explorations with wondrous, indelible power... Underland is a profound reckoning with humankind's self-imperiled position in nature's eternal order. It is a book of revelations -- Philip GourevitchRobert Macfarlane has long provided us with some of the most distinctive and sensitive thinking about how humans understand and experience the terrestrial world. Underland [is] his most urgent, universal, and expansive book yet -- Francisco CantuWhat a total delight. Once again, so many enlivening encounters along paths less frequently trod. Macfarlane remains our perfect guide, reminding us there's so much in the world to wonder at -- Benedict AllenEye-opening, lyrical and moving...capturing the poetry beneath the science. * Publisher's Weekly *Underland is a startling and memorable book, charting invisible and vanishing worlds. Macfarlane has made himself Orpheus, the poet who ventures down to the darkest depths and returns - frighteningly alone-to sing of what he has seen * New Statesman *You'd be crazy not to read this book * The Sunday Times *Marvellous... Neverending curiosity, generosity of spirit, erudition, bravery and clarity... This is a book well worth reading * The Times *Extraordinary... at once learned and readable, thrilling and beautifully written * Observer *
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd The Secret Life of Birds
Book SynopsisIn The Secret Life of Birds, lifelong bird enthusiast Colin Tudge explores the extraordinary variety, secret history and hidden importance of birds around the world. Birds are beautiful, intriguing and life-enhancing. They can do everything mammals can, and even more besides. Collected here are birds who navigate using the stars, tool-making crows, territorial robins, cooperative penguins and swans who mate for life - among hundreds of others. Revealing everything from why birds sing to how they fly, think, bond and survive, from how they evolved (and whether it really is from dinosaurs) to why, in so many ways, they are very much like us, this rich, evocative book will make you love and admire the birds that are all around you. ''Enjoyable ... entertaining ... masterful'' Stephen Moss, Guardian ''Simply fizzing with ideas ... his heart is with the birds'' Literary Review ''Inspired ... Tudge''s writing is always clear and frequently embellished with wry humour'' Richard Fortey, Sunday Telegraph ''Only when we read this scintillating study do we see how little we''ve known about the creatures we see around us'' Michael Kerrigan, Scotsman Books of the Year ''An author whose own deep relish for the extraordinary lives of birds seems only marginally less pleasurable to him than sharing that wonder with others'' BBC Wildlife Magazine When Colin Tudge was a small boy, he could recognize only five kinds of birds. After studying zoology at Cambridge, Colin wrote for the New Scientist and was a documentary maker for BBC radio. His other books, also published by Penguin, include The Secret Life of Trees and So Shall We Reap: What''s Gone Wrong with the World''s Food - and How to Fix It.
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Eerie Silence
Book SynopsisPaul Davies'' The Eerie Silence: Searching For Ourselves in the Universe is an engaging and lucid guide to the ''Fermi Paradox'' - why isn''t the universe teeming with alien life? If aliens ever contact us, it will be the single most significant event in human history. And Paul Davies will be responsible for saying something back. For fifty years the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence has been scanning the skies. Now Davies, head of SETI''s Post-Detection Task Group, with ''a rare talent for making physics mind-bogglingly vivid and exciting'' (Times Higher Education), explores what the mysterious silence it has encountered could mean. Here he looks at exciting new ways to make contact with extra-terrestrial life. He considers what form advanced alien intelligence is likely to take if it exists. And more importantly, what exactly it would mean if it didn''t - how extraordinary it would be if we were alone, to be human and here inTrade ReviewIn an area more given to fabulation than fact, [Paul Davies'] level-headedness is positively refreshing. If you ever start worrying about why no one is talking to us, this is the book to calm you down -- David Papineau * Observer *Davies is the most engaging of writers -- Clive Cookson * FT *An immensely readable investigation of the SETI enterprise -- Michael Hanlon * New Scientist *A magnificent cosmic tour d'horizon of what we know, and what we might yet encounter out there, in the apparent emptiness of deep space -- Christoper Hart * Sunday Times *
£10.44
