Nature and the natural world: general interest Books

Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE JAMES CROPPER WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING 2022 ___ A year of looking, listening and noticing across four unique seasons and thirty-five beautifully illustrated poems. 'Dazzling, moving... A book that will touch many, and be given often: here, take this, you must read this.' ROBERT MACFARLANE 'So vivid... A call out to our elemental relationship with love and nature. Beautiful.' WILLEM DAFOE ___ The world changed in 2020. Gradually at first, then quickly and irreversibly, the patterns by which we once lived altered completely. The Heeding paints a picture of a year caught in the grip of history, yet filled with revelatory perspectives close at hand: a sparrowhawk hunting in a back street; the moon over a town with a loved-one's hand held tight; butterflies massing in a high-summer yard - the everyday wonders and memories that shape a life and help us recall our own. Across four seasons and thirty-five luminous poems and illustrations, Rob Cowen and Nick Hayes lead us on a journey that takes its markers and signs from nature and a world filled with fear and pain but beauty and wonder too. Collecting birds, animals, trees and people together, The Heeding is a profound meditation to a time no-one will forget. At its heart, this is a book that helps us look again, to heed: to be attentive to this world we share and this history we're living through, to be aware of how valuable and fragile we are, to grieve what's lost and to hope for a better and brighter tomorrow. ____ 'The Heeding speaks to us all, guiding us through the emotional journey the nation has gone through during the past year, with humour, pathos and forensically sharp portrayals of people and nature at a time like no other.' Stephen Moss, author of The Robin 'Poignant and exquisite' Lucy Jones, author of Losing Eden 'Vivid, beating, aching. The Heeding feels like both a eulogy and a defiant, wild challenge to go on. I loved it.' Josie George, author of A Still Life 'It is rare to find a writer that is able to tease apart the threads that make up the fragile fabric of our loves, hopes and despairs with such care and humility. An exceptionally good book for an exceptionally bad time.' Matt Gaw, author of Under the Stars Trade Review'So powerful, and rich, and true. Every line in The Heeding feels freshly discovered, full of urgency and clarity. This is an exceptionally moving and beautiful book.’ Nick Drake, poet and author of Out of Range ‘A dazzling collection of words and images.’ Helen Jukes, author of A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings‘Poignant and exquisite.’ Lucy Jones, author of Losing Eden‘It is rare to find a writer that is able to tease apart the threads that make up the fragile fabric of our loves, hopes and despairs with such care and humility. An exceptionally good book for an exceptionally bad time.' Matt Gaw, author of Under the Stars‘Writing that finds light in the dark... Poignant, powerful, pressing.’ Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment‘A raw, dark and tender, visually stunning, emotionally unravelling distillation of the year in which minutes were endless but whole months disappeared. It’s all here.’ Dr Amy-Jane Beer, author of The Flow

Read more less

Book SynopsisTenerife is a remarkable island, dominated by Mount Teide, an active volcano higher than any mountain in mainland Spain. The island has extraordinary volcanic landscapes, and thousands of species of plants and animals that are found only there. The authors' love of Tenerife stems from its enormous variety of habitats with their complex plant and animal communities. They have explored the island from the laurel forests of eastern Anaga to the cliffs of Los Gigantes in Teno, from the semi-deserts of the extreme south to the richly vegetated slopes along the north coast, and from remote black sand beaches to the lavas of Las Canadas and the craters of Teide and Pico Viejo. Local Spanish experts have guided them to remote places and have contributed accounts of their own special interests. most studied of all volcanoes.Trade Review'...remarkable book. An excellent map at the beginning of the book displays the physical features and natural habitats on Tenerife. The book is a botanist's dream, detailing hundreds of different plants... I have never read a book with so many descriptive photographs identifying the many plants... Natural History of Tenerife is a reference book that must be unparalleled in its field. In my opinion its value extends beyond the normal reference book because of its usefulness to the visitor to the island in finding and sharing the joys of its wildlife. I consider it a must for any Tenerife tourist with an interest in nature'. Wildlife Detective - The blog of Alan Stewart -------------------- `...Philip and Myrtle Ashmole's endeavour was to describe the flora and fauna of Tenerife. It is something they have succeeded admirably in doing, in what can only be describe as a labour of love. ... a comprehensive, detailed and lavishly illustrated account.' John O'Groat Journal

Read more less

Book SynopsisNature is one of the best medicines for difficult times. An intimate awareness of the natural world, even within the city, can calm anxieties and help create healthy perspectives. This book will inspire and guide you as you deal with the current crisis, or any personal or worldly distress. Melanie Choukas-Bradley is a naturalist and certified forest therapy guide who leads nature and forest bathing walks for many organizations in Washington, D.C. and the American West. Learn from her the Japanese art of "forest bathing": how to tune in to the beauty and wonder around you with all your senses, even if your current sphere is a tree outside the window or a wild backyard. Discover how you can become a backyard naturalist, learning about the trees, wildflowers, birds and animals near your home. Nature immersion during stressful times can bring comfort and joy as well as opportunities for personal growth, expanded vision and transformation. The "Resilience Series" is the result of an intensive, collaborative effort of our authors in response to the 2020 coronavirus epidemic. Each volume offers expert advice for developing the practical, emotional and spiritual skills that you can master to become more resilient in a time of crisis.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book provides an introduction into the diversity of the environmental movement through great characters in the green sector. The book describes inspiring personal achievements, and at the same time it provides readers with information regarding the history, the main directions and the ethical principles of the environmental movement. Some of the most important characters of the movement from all around the world, are included in the book. As well as the title characters, Buddha and Leonardo DiCaprio, other famous environmentalists like Albert Schweitzer, David Attenborough and Jane Goodall are discussed. Some of the less well-known but equally important environmentalists such as Chico Mendes, Bruno Manser, Henry Spira, Tom Regan or Rossano Ercolini are highlighted in the various chapters. The selection of characters represents all major branches within the green sector, ranging from medieval saints to Hollywood celebrities, from university professors to field activists, from politicians to philosophers, from ecofeminists to radicals.Table of ContentsIntroduction.- Charles Darwin and the implications of evolution St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.- Environmentalism gaining momentum: Rachel Carson and ’Silent sping’ Denis Hayes and Earth Day.- Planting trees with Wangari Maathai.- In defense of rain forests: Chico Mendes and Bruno Manser Al Gore’s fight for the environment.- The strong men of environmentalism: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Steven Seagal Movie stars and activism.- Arne Naess and ’Deep ecology’.- Vandana Shiva and traditional agriculture.- Ian Kiernan, Rossano Ercolini, and Bea Johnson Pioneers of ecological economics.- The Greenpeace story Forerunners of animal advocacy Spokesmen for animals: Peter Singer, Richard Ryder, and Tom Regan.- Henry Spira, the hero of animal advocacy.- Animal advocates from Central Europe.- Albert Schweitzer: The man who loved all living beings Talking animals: The capacity of animal minds.- Primatologists Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Biruté Galdikas Ingrid.- Newkirk, Alex Pacheco, and PETA.- John Muir and Yosemite.- Aldo Leopold, the founding father of nature conservation.- James Lovelock and the Gaia-hypothesis.- Their symbol: The giant panda.- Scientists involved in conservation and environmentalism.- Gerald Durrell: How an amateur naturalist developed into a great conservationist Farley Mowat never cried wolf.- David Attenborough, the grand old man of natural history films Jacques-Yves Cousteau: Under the spell of the sea.- Paul Watson, the daredevil of conservation.- Epilogue.- Acknowledgements List of illustrations.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisBeat the boredom and take time out from screens with this pocket-sized book packed with facts, photos and fantastic spots for hours of fun!Kids will have fun collecting points outdoors with more than 140 things to find. From basalt to sandstone, ammonites to shark teeth, they'll learn all about their appearance, texture, uses and where to find them. And once they've scored 1000 points, super-spotters can claim their official i-SPY certificate and badge.With more than 30 i-SPY books to collect, there's something for everyone!For even more fun outdoors check out i-SPY Nature (ISBN 9780008386467).Trade Review“A fun, interactive way to encourage curious children to learn about the world around them.” – Parents In touch

Read more less

Book SynopsisFossils have been vital to our understanding of the formation of the earth and the origins of all life on it. However, their impact has not been limited to debates about geology and evolution: attempts to explain their existence has shaken religion at its very roots, and they have remained a subject of ceaseless fascination for people of all ages and backgrounds. In this delightful book, Keith Thomson provides a remarkably all-encompassing explanation of fossils as a phenomenon. How did Darwin use fossils to support his theory of evolution? What are ''living fossils''? What fossils will we leave behind for future generations to examine? Building on the scientific aspects, he places fossils in a very human context, highlighting their impact on philosophy and mythology, our concept of time, and today''s popular culture. What quickly becomes obvious is that the discovery of fossils and the ways in which they have been interpreted over time makes for fascinating reading. From the black market to the Piltdown Man, and from mythological dragons to living dinosaurs, fossils hold a permanent place in the popular imagination.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. A cultural phenomenon ; 3. In the popular imagination ; 4. Some things we know, some things we don't ; 5. Against the odds ; 6. Bringing fossils to life ; 7. Evolving ; 8. Of molecules and man ; 9. Fakes and fortunes ; 10. Back to the future ; Further reading

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisSummer is a season of richness: gold against blue; sun dazzle on water; sweet fragrance, and the sound of insects, filling the air. We feel the sand between our toes, or the grass beneath our feet. In these long, warm days, languid and sensual, we reconnect with the natural world, revelling in light and scent and colour once more.Capturing the high point of the year's progress, Summer presents prose and poetry spanning eight hundred years. Featuring new contributions by Simon Barnes, Michael McCarthy and Esther Woolfson, classic extracts from the work of Charles Dickens, Mary Webb and Philip Larkin, and diverse new nature writing from across the UK, this vibrant and evocative collection will inspire you to go out and enjoy the pleasures of summer.Trade Review"A lovely jewel of a book ... wherever you land in the text, there will be something of interest and it won't disappoint. Beautifully observed ... a book to treasure" - jaffareadstoo.blogspot.co.uk; "A remarkable anthology of abundance capturing both the physical wonders and the psychological enchantments of this glorious season, this book conjures summer in the senses as potently as a field of freshly cut hay. Featuring some of the greatest writers on landscape as well as fantastic new voices, it is a collection that will trigger the memory, evoke new places and people, and help you see afresh the preciousness and precariousness of our natural world." -- Rob Cowen, author of Common Ground; "A delightful miscellany of reflections on that loveliest of seasons, summer - packed with insights and encounters with nature from a wide range of authors from Gilbert White and George Eliot to a bevy of young contemporary naturalists" - Stephen Moss, author of Wild Hares and Hummingbirds and Wild Kingdom: Bringing Back Britain's Wildlife; "This book will convince you that summertime is where we truly belong - not through overindulgence in nostalgia, but through realisation of our core values and roots. It will take you home" -- Matthew Oates, author of In Pursuit of Butterflies: A Fifty-year Affair; "Lavishly capturing the nature of the season in all its slow, sensual splendour, Summer is a potent reminder of the riches that surround us, and a poignant evocation of all that we cannot bear to lose" - Sharon Blackie, author of If Women Rose Rooted and editor of Earthlines; "I've been dipping in and out of this beautiful anthology for some time but didn't want to post a review until I had read every entry. There are poems, extracts and essays spanning several centuries, so that there is something for every reader in this celebration of the season ... There's a beauty to this book - from the glorious cover to the simple illustrations like that of the swallow that adorn the inside pages. The writings are all evocative, enlightening, entertaining or thought provoking ... I shall treasure it and return to it again and again ... A perfect gift for any lover of words or nature." -- Linda's Book Bag blog; "Taken together, these pieces truly give the feeling of an English summer. The older writing is remarkably undated, which contributes to a sense of continuity across the centuries ... These are really rather lovely books. Summer is a perfect bedside companion to dip into as the days warm up. Impossible not to covet the whole four-season set." - BookishBeck blog; "There are so many lovely things that I could pull out from this book ... I know that I will enjoy revisiting this beautifully produced anthology" -- Beyondedenrock.comTable of ContentsCONTENTS; Introduction by Melissa Harrison vii; Edward Thomas 1; Anon. 5; Annie Worsley 7; Thomas Furly Forster 11; Caroline Greville 12; Reverend Gilbert White 15; Thomas Hardy 18; Jennifer Garrett 22; Wilhelm Nero Pilate Barbellion 25; Alexi Francis 26; Sir Edward Grey 29; John Tyler 33; Richard Jefferies 37; Thomas Furly Forster 41; Alexandra Pearce 43; Julia Wallis 46; Nicholas Breton 49; Vivienne Hambly 50; George Eliot 53; Thomas Furly Forster 55; Matt Adam Williams 56; Simon Barnes 59; Edward Thomas 63; Olivia Laing 65; Jo Cartmell 68; Laurie Lee 71; Janet Willoner 78; Thomas Hardy 81; Jacqueline Bain 83; W. H. Hudson 86; Emma Oldham 91; Reverend Gilbert White 93; Nick Acheson 95; Alice Oswald 97; Kate Blincoe 99; Kenneth Allsop 101; Michael McCarthy 103; Thomas Furly Forster 107; Charles Dickens 108; Jan Freedman 114; James Common 118; Clare Leighton 120; Georgia Locock 124; Mark Cocker 127; Benjamin Zephaniah 129; Zach Haynes 131; Thomas Furly Forster 134; Dawn Bradley 136; Philip Larkin 139; Miles King 141; Paul Evans 144; John Green 149; William Morris 152; Lucy McRobert 153; Esther Woolfson 156; Reverend Gilbert White 161; Samantha Fernley 163; Thomas Furly Forster 166; Alan Wright 167; Edward Step 169; Katy Bell 172; Mary Webb 176; Julian Beach 179; Nicola Chester 181; Ebenezer Jones 185; Richard Adams 186; Megan Shersby 188; Thomas Furly Forster 191; Norman MacCaig 192; Ronald Blythe 193; Alison Brackenbury 195; R. F. Langley 196; Rhiannon Bull 199; Thomas Furly Forster 201; Leigh Hunt 202; Author Biographies 205

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinner of the 2000 American Studies Network Prize and the Literature and Language Award from the Association of American Publishers, Inc. Early American naturalists assembled dazzling collections of native flora and fauna, from John Bartram’s botanical garden in Philadelphia and the artful display of animals in Charles Willson Peale’s museum to P. T. Barnum’s American Museum, infamously characterized by Henry James as “halls of humbug.” Yet physical collections were only one of the myriad ways that these naturalists captured, catalogued, and commemorated America’s rich biodiversity. They also turned to writing and art, from John Edward Holbrook’s forays into the fascinating world of herpetology to John James Audubon’s masterful portraits of American birds. In this groundbreaking, now classic book, Christoph Irmscher argues that early American natural historians developed a distinctly poetic sensibility that allowed them to imagine themselves as part of, and not apart from, their environment. He also demonstrates what happens to such inclusiveness in the hands of Harvard scientist-turned Amazonian explorer Louis Agassiz, whose racist pseudoscience appalled his student William James. This expanded, full-color edition of The Poetics of Natural History features a preface and art from award-winning artist Rosamond Purcell and invites the reader to be fully immersed in an era when the boundaries between literature, art, and science became fluid.Trade Review“Christoph Irmsche’s The Poetics of Natural History now joins such books as Pamela Regi’s Describing Early America (1992) and Margaret Welch’s The Book of Nature (1998) as a major contribution to our understanding of American natural history and its cultural value. Irmscher’s book, which covers the period from the rise of American botanical studies in the 1730s through the establishment of the Darwinian paradigm in the late 1860s, is distinguished by its scholarly breadth, extensive use of manuscript sources, and insightful interpretations of natural history illustrations and collections as well as written text. The Poetics of Natural History gracefully combines study of autodidacts such as John Bartram, professional naturalists such as Louis Agassiz, and popularizers of natural history such as P. T. Barnum. . . .The Poetics of Natural History is . . . an impressive accomplishment and a welcome addition to the growing body of solid critical studies of the cultural and literary significance of American natural history.” -- American Literature“A veritable dialectical tour de force of Linnean taxonomy, cultural history, literature, and self-conscious awareness of the artist creating the art work. . . . From discussing discrete pieces of nature (taxonomy) to lyrical narrative and meaning derived from the analysis of both, The Poetics of Natural History stands as a thorough study that confirms its own thesis as revealed in the title. Scholarly, witty, and articulate, it adds a seminal work to the genre.” -- South Atlantic Review“The Poetics of Natural History is a learned, leisurely, capacious book, elegantly written and beautifully produced with many black-and-white illustrations. Crammed with interesting, sometimes out-of-the-way information, it brings huge quantities of material into enlightening juxtapositions when a chapter on snakes encompasses antebellum herpetology, Edgar Allan Poe, and Oliver Wendell Holmes. The book is divided into two sections: the first discusses actual collections amassed by natural historians; the second deals with natural historians’ representations in words and images. . . . It is a joy to work through [Irmscher’s] thoughtful, close readings and provocative juxtapositions. Those interested in natural history, in natural history writing, or in antebellum American scientific culture will find The Poetics of Natural History a first-rate collection in its own right.” -- New England Review“The six chapters, essays really, discuss American natural history as a form of storytelling. . . . The claims of natural history merit their own larger study; Irmscher’s strengths lie with the tellers and their tales. For him, poetics are exercises of imagination, and his almost seamless text incorporates thousands of quotations from the uneven narratives of American natural history.” -- Journal of the History of Biology“Focusing his attention on nature’s nation between, roughly the Revolution and the end of the Civil War, Irmscher’s central concern is with the image of the naturalist who creates a collection and then puts himself into it.” -- American Studies“This remarkable study revives a brilliant, exciting body of American writing pre-Darwinian natural history and makes it central to any understanding of American history and culture. The Poetics of Natural History is scholarly, tough, but at the same time a wonderful read, making the case for the art of natural-history writing, while recognizing that behind that art was intense, disturbing, often violent experience. This book will make a difference.” -- George Levine * Darwin and the Novelists and Lifebirds *“The Poetics of Natural History is a learned and inventive study of natural history discourse in the 18th-and 19th-century United States, and will be of great interest to students of literary and cultural history, as well as historians of science and art.” -- Lawrence Buell * The Dream of the Great American Novel *"American natural history owes much to gifted amateurs who, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, traveled widely, collected willy-nilly, and then, back at home, devoted years to sorting through their collections and cataloging their contents--an enterprise that introduced scientific rigor into what had been a kind of hobby. So writes literary scholar Christoph Irmscher, who, in exploring the aesthetic aspects of American natural history, considers the careers of several early naturalists, including Charles Willson Peale, John Bartram, John James Audubon, Louis Agassiz, and, in an unlikely turn, the showman P.T. Barnum, who turned a penchant for collecting oddments of nature into an itinerant freak show. All of these, Irmscher writes, delighted in 'transforming relatively random assemblages of natural collectibles into works of art,' works that would in many instances form the foundations for what are today important collections. Among the many pleasant surprises in Irmscher's narrative is an account of an 1865 trip organized by Agassiz to the Amazon River. One of the participants was the young William James, who would later become a famed psychologist and who wrote admiringly of Agassiz's relentless energy in pursuit of scientific specimens while admitting, 'If there is anything I hate it is collecting.' Irmscher's elegant book will be of interest to historians of 19th-century science, and to general readers with a fondness for the work of the brilliant, often eccentric, amateurs of the past." -- Gregory McNamee * Amazon.com review *“As deep as it is dazzling, this beautiful book sets in fresh context a view of the world almost lost to us.” -- Andrea Barrett * Winner of the National Book Award for Ship Fever *"Christoph Irmscher’s remarkable intelligence and engaging style make The Poetics of Natural History a foundational work in the environmental humanities. No book has done more to illuminate the vital relationship between natural history and literary culture in America." -- Michael P. Branch * Rants from the Hill and How to Cuss in Western *"The first edition of Irmscher's magisterial study is a benchmark in critical interpretation of natural history. With this extraordinary new edition, enhanced by Rosamund Purcell’s photographs, it becomes a classic." -- Alan Braddock * Nature’s Nation: American Art and Environment *" Arguably a classic in its field, this new edition of The Poetics of Natural History is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to community, college, and university library collections and supplemental studies lists." * Midwest Book Review *"Herpetologists and other naturalists interested in the history of their subject will want this book for the wealth of information it contains on perspectives of collecting and natural history in pre-Darwinian America...The book presents a most interesting history and literary analysis." * Bibliotheca Herpetologica *"This new edition of Irmscher’s classic text is an excellent example of the value of attention to small details, as well as the tapestry into which they are woven. The combination of stage-setting and specific detail gives an incredible sense of the richness of the world Irmscher presents." -- Megan Baumhammer * H-Net *Table of ContentsContents List of Illustrations List of Abbreviations Preface by Rosamond Purcell Introduction Part One Displaying 1. “America Transplanted”: John and William Bartram 2. Collection and Recollection: Charles Wilson Peale 3. Collecting Human Nature: P.T. Barnum Part Two Representing 1. The Power of Fascination 2. Audubon at Large 3. Agassiz Agonistes Notes Selected Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn honor of the bicentennial of Henry David Thoreau’s birth, this edition of Walden features an introduction and annotations by renowned environmentalist Bill McKibbenBill McKibben gives us Thoreau's Walden as the gospel of the present moment, as a neccessary book because it is useful right now.--Robert Richardson, author of Henry Thoreau, A Life of the Mind and Emerson: The Mind on Fire“We need to understand that when Thoreau sat in the dooryard of his cabin ‘from sunrise till noon, rapt in a revery, in undisturbed solitude and stillness, while the birds sang around or flitted noiseless through the house,’ he was offering counsel and example exactly suited for our perilous moment in time.”—Bill McKibben, from the introductionFirst published in 1854, Henry David Thoreau’s groundbreaking book has influenced generations of readers and continues to inspire

Read more less

Book SynopsisTake on the i-SPY challenge with 50 things to do to get closer to nature!Kids will have fun collecting points with activities to enjoy nature and help look after wildlife.From listening to birds to rolling down a hill, making a hedgehog house to planting a tree, they'll learn all about the natural world along the way.As well as activities, it is packed with facts, photos and things to spot that i-SPY fans will love. Once they've scored 1000 points, super-spotters can claim their official i-SPY certificate and badge. Plus there are extra eco points to be scored for doing something to help the planet.For even more fun outdoors check out i-SPY Seaside Challenge (ISBN 9780008529789).Trade Review“A fun, interactive way to encourage curious children to learn about the world around them.” – Parents In touch

Read more less

Book SynopsisA conservationist history of IndianaTrade Review[This] book details natural habitats, man-made habitats, land use, soils, plants and wildlife. It covers everything from endangered species to invasive species and is a great reference for anyone interested in conserving Indiana's environment. * wbiw.com *Whitaker and Amlaner . . . along with 15 authorities on Indiana wildlife and ecology, provide contributions to this groundbreaking, well-illustrated volume on Indiana's eight wildlife habitats and its many ecological communities. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *Table of ContentsContents Acknowledgments List of Acronyms Introduction Part I – A Statewide Overview: Land Use, Soils, Flora and Wildlife 1. Land Use and Human Impacts on Habitats 2. Soils 3. Vascular Plants and Vertebrate Wildlife Part II – Natural Habitats: Changes over Two Centuries 4. Forest Lands 5. Grasslands 6. Wetlands 7. Aquatic System 8. Barren Lands 9. Subterranean Systems Part III – Man-Made Habitats: Changes over Two Centuries 10. Agricultural Habitats 11. Developed Lands Part IV – Species Concerns: Declining Natives and Invading Exotics 12. Extirpated, Endangered, and Threatened Native Species 13. Exotic and Invasive Species 14. Species Scientifically Described from Indiana Conclusion: Summary and Research Needs Appendices General information Soils Plants Fishes Amphibians and Reptiles Birds Mammals Invertebrates Maps created by ASTERGlossary Literature Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIt''s time to let go of disenchanted thinking and embrace enchanted living. . .In a world full of demands and obligations, it is easy to get stuck in the same tiring routines - but what if instead we chose to embrace a life full of joy and enchantment? Nature offers the perfect antidote for weary souls. Carving out time to truly experience and engage with the wonder and beauty of the world around us can help ease our minds, soothe our spirits, and leave us feeling euphoric.This enchanting little book offers rituals, intentions and affirmations that will allow you to commune with nature so that you can belong to both its wildness and its tenderness. By aligning with the rhythms of the natural world, you will learn to reconnect to the enchantment deep within you to live an authentic life filled with meaning and possibility.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen John Muir traveled to California in 1868, he found the pristine mountain ranges that would inspire his life’s work. The Mountains of California is the culmination of the ten years Muir spent in the Sierra Nevadas, studying every crag, crook, and valley with great care and contemplation.Bill McKibben writes in his Introduction that Muir 'invents, by sheer force of his love, an entirely new vocabulary and grammar of the wild . . . a language of ecstasy and exuberance.' The Mountains of California is as vibrant and vital today as when it was written over a century ago. This Modern Library Paperback Classic includes the photographs and line drawings from the original 1898 edition.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAcclaimed naturalist Alex Shoumatoff issues a worldwide call to protect the drastically endangered rainforests of BorneoIn his eleventh book, but his first in almost two decades, seasoned travel writer Alex Shoumatoff takes readers on a journey from the woods of rural New York to the rain forests of the Amazon and Borneo, documenting both the abundance of life and the threats to these vanishing Edens in a wide-ranging narrative.Alex and his best friend, Davie, spent their formative years in the forest of Bedford, New York. As adults they grew apart, but bonded by the “imaginary jungle” of their childhood, Alex and Davie reunited fifty years later for a trip to a real jungle, in the heart of Borneo. During the intervening years, Alex had become an author and literary journalist, traveling the world to bring to light places, animals, and indigenous cultures in peril. The two reconnect and spend three weeks together on Borneo, one of the most imperiled e

Read more less

Book SynopsisThere is a dreamlike quality to many of the stories in this new collection from Wayne Curtis. In Wild Apples, he returns to familiar themes of love and longing, and the push-pull emotions which inevitably accompany any attempt to break free of the ties that bind. Simple pleasures abound in these evocative stories, be it fishing on the river, gathering beans for an evening supper (are they beans or has-beens?), or listening to the jukebox at the local diner. Curtis mines the shaft of everyday experiences, turning each one into a meditation on human nature. In the title story, an afternoon drive yields fertile ground as a father and son stop to shake down a gnarled crab apple tree for the sweet-sour orbs of autumn. With a seemingly effortless style, he casts his line into the river of the past, reeling in tales of youthful folly, the Christmastime birth of a little sister, and life on the Miramichi River, which could be any river, anywhere. Curtis also shares his insightTrade Review"Wild Apples is a volume mixed with appropriate portions of nostalgia, memory, and love for a time that will never return." * Daily Gleaner *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Poetic prose and microscopic detail combined with thoughtful reflection and vivid storytelling makes Of Earthly and River Things a celebration and hymn of praise. Curtis is a romantic in the best sense. He evokes a gentler past and offers us a refreshing immersion into a life lived deeply connected to the land, the cycles of nature, and currents of a river." -- Sheree Fitch

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Beth's sense of home is not of a static dwelling, but of a place of seasons, cycles, and lifespans, or experiences and memories. This is a book for your soul." -- Freeman Patterson * Telegraph Journal *"Powning takes her camera, her pen and, most important, her spirit into the landscape. . . . The delicate, often beautiful photographs combine with a quietly spirited naturalistic prose in an Annie Dillard-Henry David Thoreau mode to produce a work evocative in both sensual and domestic ways." * Globe and Mail *"Beth Powning's beautiful celebration of natural life is meet and proper for these unnatural times. I think it will be read for years to come." -- E.L. Doctorow

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe author packs this powerful little book full of insights reflecting his rapport with nature. He views the earth as one stability in our lives that allows us to grasp eternal values from temporal issues.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA story of experimental crane migration & release.Wings Across the Desert documents a quest to determine if a flock of cranes could be trained to follow a truck on a long-distance migration and arrive wild enough to survive after release. This fast-moving, and often humorous, odyssey describes the training of tiny crane chicks and then the truck-led convoy of the grown birds on a bone-jarring, backroad migration over the mountains and across the deserts of Arizona. David Ellis'' cranes and his team of unshaven, obsessively dedicated craniacs suffer collisions with powerlines, eagle attacks and close calls with an array or trains, trucks and cars. The mood of this true adventure story varies from playful to mournful as the wonder and harshness of nature imprints the journey''s outcome.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less