Nature and the natural world: general interest Books
Basic Books The Triumph of Seeds
Book Synopsis"[T]he genius of Hanson's fascinating, inspiring, and entertaining book stems from the fact that it is not about how all kinds of things grow from seeds it is about the seeds themselves."-Mark Kurlansky, New York Times Book ReviewTrade Review"For the past fifty seven years I have relied on seeds for food and, throughout much of my horticultural career for earning a living. This new book has re excited my fascination for these wonderful living structures... [I]nformative, yet readable... [A] fascinating book." --Chris Allen, The Gardening Times (UK) "In The Triumph of Seeds, Thor Hanson offers the reader a smorgasbord of the science and lore of seeds... Hanson, following the recipe developed in his acclaimed book Feathers, breathes life into the sometimes dry topic of seed biology by weaving a colorful tapestry of stories that entertain as well as inform... The Triumph of Seeds is eminently readable. Hanson is a great story teller and writes in a conversational style, so reading the book is like having an extended conversation with an entertaining friend... The Triumph of Seeds is a thoroughly fun read, perfect for anyone wanting an introduction to seeds or for those who enjoy lively natural history." --Douglasia (Washington Native Plants Society journal) "Hanson's highly readable The Triumph of Seeds is replete with fascinating facts, including the development of caffeine in coffee beans." --Texas Gardener's Seeds "Thor Hanson has taken the history and science of these little marvels and drawn out a fascinating account of seed culture. We should not forget the importance of seeds in the liquor cabinet, as well. From rye whiskey, to wheat vodka, to barley beer, it would be a lot harder to get drunk without our friends in the grain world." --Home Wet Bar blog "[Hanson's] luck for finding then writing about the magic in something common continues with The Triumph of Seeds." --Seattle Times "Lest you get the impression that Hanson's book is all academic grit and gruel, be advised that he has thoroughly leavened his narrative with odd facts and fascinating digressions." --Natural History "This is a charming book, inspired by Hanson's forays into seed identification and dispersal with his young, seed-obsessed son... Hanson's twist of looking at human interactions with plants in their embryonic stage is new... The Triumph of Seeds will engender thoughtful consideration of our joint future." --Nature "Hanson's writing is lively, inquisitive, and knowledgeable. He draws on his own knowledge and that of a wide field of experts, writing a clear, comprehensible book that covers a wide range of topics." --Fangirl Nation "[Hanson is] jocular and entertaining in his dispensing of remarkable facts about these little vessels of life-to-be... From high-tech, high-security seed banks bracing for climate change to the story of the gum extracted from guar seeds that is used in everything from ice cream to fracking, this upbeat and mind-expanding celebration of the might of seeds is popular science writing at its finest." --Booklist, starred review "[A] delightful account of the origins, physiologies and human uses of a vast variety of objects that plants employ to make more plants... A fine addition to the single-issue science genre." --Kirkus Reviews "Hanson writes in that breezy, enthused, confident way of good American science writers, scattering stories and analogies like dandelion seed-puffs... [The Triumph of Seeds] is a good example of extrovert nature writing, weaving together biology, human history and 'juicy seed lore'." --British Wildlife (UK) "Who knew that seeds could be so thrilling and dangerous? Thor Hanson is a lively storyteller, a lyrical writer, and a quick wit. The Triumph of Seeds is more than an engrossing work of natural history. It's a compelling and highly entertaining journey, populated by scientists and historians, criminals and explorers, aviators and futurists. Following Hanson's global voyage is the best sort of armchair travel, because it is filled with wonder, poetry, and discovery." --Amy Stewart, author of The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks, a New York Times Bestseller "This beautifully written book is a magnificent read. Every page is full of surprises and illuminating insights, illustrating the fascinating evolution of seeds, and their extraordinary impact on humans, past and present. A master storyteller, Hanson has created a first-rate natural history. When you reach the end of this page-turner, you will wish there were more ... and you will never look at seeds in the same way." --Eric Jay Dolin, author of Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America and When America Met China: An Exotic History of Tea, Drugs, and Money in the Age of Sail "Written in an engaging style, the book flows nicely; each chapter leads into the next, so the book is hard to put down." --Choice "Hanson's cinematic accounts of his own research and his interactions with the experts behind his stories set this apart from other era-hopping historical narratives." --The American Gardener "Hanson does his job well. And in the end becomes one of my favorite kind of writers -- the kind who can take something so seemingly (and perhaps deceptively) simple and so oven overlooked and make it not only relevant, but fun... People who want to get students more interested in science would do well to read The Triumph of Seeds and take note: tell stories, combine science and technology with pop culture, art, and literature, have a sense of humor, be enthusiastic." --Catherine Ramsdell, Pop Matters "A beautifully written story of seeds. The author has a gift for explaining science in an engaging manner. Despite this lightness of touch, the book is deeply researched and explores a breadth of horticulture, history and ecology."--Garden News "[The Triumph of Seeds] successfully blends natural history, personal anecdotes, and 'proper' science and ties them all together seamlessly with lovely writing. Although often over-used, I think Seeds can be summed up appropriately in one word: Charming."--Nigel Chaffey, Annals of Biology blog "[A]n intriguing look at the acorns that grow into oaks, the orchid beans that flavor vanilla extract, and other ordinary seeds that affect the world, often in extraordinary ways... [The Triumph of Seeds] is a mix of lively stories, adventure, natural history, botany and ecology... Hanson's book isn't a 'how-to,' but it is a 'don't miss' for naturalists, from amateurs to experts, or for anyone who enjoys growing plants from seeds." --HGTVGardens.com "How do you summarize a book that traverses every continent, plumbs the depths of human and paleontological history and skims both the ocean waves and the dead silence of outer space? The Triumph of Seeds does just that, tracing the journey of seeds and making a case that he world as we know it is saturated with, and impossible without, seeds." --Deseret News "[A] delight. Composed in charming and lively prose, the book introduces readers to a variety of quirky figures -- biologists, farmers, archaeologists and everyday gardeners -- who have something profound to say about a seemingly mundane topic: those little kernels that, against tremendous odds, have managed to take root all around us... The Triumph of Seeds is a remarkable, gentle and refreshing piece of work that draws readers further into the wide arms of the world and makes them grateful for it." --BookPage "Conservation biologist Hanson's new book showcases an even more approachable style than his 2011 Feathers. Using a personalized viewpoint derived from his backyard lab and dissertation research in Costa Rica with the almendro tree, as well as visits with specialists worldwide, he describes how seeds nourish, unite, endure, defend, and travel." --Library Journal "[F]ast and fascinating prose... Hanson, who has also chronicled feathers and gorillas, is a conservation biologist and Guggenheim fellow, and an ace dot-connector: He can draw a line between all the grain panics and crises and the tiny, miraculous structure of the seeds themselves, because he dives deeply into botany, economy and history. Also, he's just plain fun." --Denver Post "[A] rip-roaring read." --Robert Krulwich, National Geographic's Curiously Krulwich blog "With light, engaging prose Hanson shows how the little spheroids we tip out of a packet are in fact supremely elegant genetic time capsules. The Triumph of Seeds takes you past the casing into the extraordinary inner workings of objects without which our landscapes, dinner plates, and gardens would be unrecognisable. You will never be able to look at an orange pip or a sunflower seed in the same way again." --New Scientist "[An] engaging book... What makes The Triumph of Seeds more than a routine pop botany book is the way Mr. Hanson teases out the resonances between the ways that plants and humans use seeds... [A] lively and intelligent book." --Richard Mabey, Wall Street Journal "[T]he genius of Hanson's fascinating, inspiring and entertaining book stems from the fact that it is not about how all kinds of things grow from seeds; it is about the seeds themselves. Hanson...takes one of the least-impressive-looking natural objects and reveals a life of elegance and wonder... Although he is a storyteller by nature, he also charms us with an infectious enthusiasm. The reader feels that Hanson cannot wait to tell us what comes next... Like all good writers, he understands narrative -- that a book, at its best, is a story, and that this one is built by spinning stories within stories. They are fun, sometimes they are funny, and they are always fascinating and readable... [An] engaging book." --Mark Kurlansky, New York Times Book Review "Hanson delivers botanical information with wit and imagination. How seeds nurture themselves with starch, proteins, and oils may be a prosaic affair, but Hanson enlivens the explanation of their diverse nourishment strategies by examining the components of an Almond Joy candy bar: coconut palm, cacao beans, almond, corn." --Orion "Hanson, a wide-ranging naturalist and writer, explores, chapter by chapter, the many faceted aspects of seeds... And throughout, he weaves his own tales from his gardening. I loved this book and learned a lot." --Carol Savonen, Statesman Journal PRAISE FOR THE HARDCOVER EDITION Winner of the 2016 PNBA Book Award A finalist for the 2016 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books, Young Adult Science Book category "This is the kind of accessible science writing that keeps readers engrossed, never realizing how much knowledge they're picking up along the way. Who knew that seeds could be so fascinating? Hanson's narrative voice and personal anecdotes make for easy and enjoyable reading--and learning." --Judges' citation, 2016 PNBA Book Award "San Juan Island conservation biologist Hanson explores the easily-overlooked but fascinating key to much of life on Earth, from coffee beans and the nut in Almond Joys to ancient grasses and sticky burdock seeds, which inspired Velcro" --Seattle Times, Best Books of 2015 "Combining personal anecdotes with rich historical examples, conservation biologist Thor Hanson delves into the origins and evolution of seeds, explains their unique ability to equip new plants with the nutrients they need to gain purchase in their respective ecosystems, and describes their host of formidable defenses. Drawing connections between, for example, coffee beans and the Enlightenment and wheat shortages and the Arab Spring, Hanson deftly shows how seeds have also played an important role in human history." --Science PRAISE FOR THE PAPERBACK EDITION "[Seeds'] ubiquity has often meant that their evolutionary solutions are overlooked, but the author appraises them with a keen and appreciative eye." --New York Times Book Review, Paperback Row "Biologist Thor Hanson sows the ultimate celebration of seeds and how they conquered the earth." --Nature "[The Triumph of Seeds] explores the importance of seeds, with scientific explanations, humorous first-person accounts and historical anecdotes." --Alaska Beyond "Hanson's style is that of a well-honed raconteur... For every point he makes, there's a tale (or two) that illustrates, and connects, and invites us explore the idea further. We begin to realize the amazing impact seeds have had on development of civilizations." --Connie Bennett, KLCC-FM (Eugene, OR) "A delightful work of natural history by San Juan Islands writer Hanson, about seeds, their role in nature's life cycle and in our lives." --Seattle Times "Imbued with open-eyed, childlike passion for his subject, conservation biologist Thor Hanson celebrates the triumph of seeds... Hanson is a genial and poetic guide, cleverly weaving together biology and culture." --Galapagos Matters (UK)Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Fierce Energy Seeds Nourish 1. Seed for a Day 2. The Staff of Life 3. Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut Seeds Unite 4. What the Spike Moss Knows 5. Mendel's Spores Seeds Endure 6. Methuselah 7. Take It to the Bank Seeds Defend 8. By Tooth, Beak, and Gnaw 9. The Riches of Taste 10 The Cheeriest Beans 11. Death by Umbrella Seeds Travel 12. Irresistible Flesh 13. By Wind and Wave Conclusion: The Future of Seeds
£12.59
North Atlantic Books,U.S. Kinship Medicine
Book Synopsis
£15.19
Chicken Soup for the Soul Chicken Soup for the Soul What I Learned from My
Book SynopsisWe learn so much from our cats, and along the way they keep us company, provide unconditional love, and share in the ups and downs of our lives.What do we learn from our cats? Everything. They make us better versions of ourselves and show us the power of gratitude, forgiveness, resilience, living in the moment, and so much more. If we rescued them, they rescue us back. If we’re sad, they comfort us. If we’ve forgotten how to have fun, they show us how. They are our therapists, our role models, and our best friends. You’ll laugh a lot, tear up a bit, and nod your head in recognition as you read these tales about sharing life with a cat. The lessons we learn from them come in many forms, from the hilarious to the heroic. Prepare to be entertained and inspired as you read these 101 stories organized into 10 fun chapters: • My Very Good, Very Bad Cat • Learning to Love the Cat • Changed by the Cat • What a Character • Cats and Comedy • Opening Hearts • Saving Kitty • Meant to Be • Clever Cats • Quirky Cat Chicken Soup for the Soul books are 100% made in the USA and each book includes stories from as diverse a group of writers as possible.
£11.69
The University of Chicago Press Victorian Sensation
Book SynopsisWhen Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation was published anonymously in 1844, it sparked one of the greatest sensations of the Victorian era. The author uses the story of Vestiges to create a panoramic portrait of life in the early industrial era from the view of its readers.
£28.00
Little Toller Books Going to Ground
Book SynopsisGoing to Ground is an anthology from Little Toller's online journal, The Clearing. Gathered here is some of the best and most distinctive writing about nature and place, from more than thirty writers celebrating and questioning our landscapes. Contributors include Nancy Campbell, Kathleen Jamie, Tim Dee, Tim Hannigan, Louisa Adjoa Parker.
£14.40
Penguin Books Ltd The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals
Book SynopsisIf Darwin had one goal with Expression, it was to demonstrate the power of his theories for explaining the origin of our most cherished human qualities: morality and intellect. This book engages some of the hardest questions in the evolution debate, and shows the ever-cautious Darwin at his boldest.Trade Review" He who admits, on general grounds, that the structure and habits of all animals have been gradually evolved will look at the whole subject of Expression in a new and interesting light." -Charles DarwinTable of ContentsThe Expression of the Emotions in Man and AnimalsAcknowledgementsChronologyIntroductionFurther ReadingNote on the TextThe Expression of the Emotions in Man and AnimalsAppendix 1: Translation of French quotationsAppendix 2: Darwin's 'Queries About Expression'Appendix 3: List of supplementary imagesIndex
£13.49
Area Books Algues Maudites a Sea of Tears
Book Synopsis
£34.85
Cornell University Press Bird Trapping and Bird Banding
Book Synopsis
£38.40
Cornell University Press Neotropical Birds of Prey
Book SynopsisUntil recently, surprisingly little has been known about the biology and behavior of tropical forest raptors, including such basic aspects as diets, breeding biology, habitat requirements, and population ecology, information critical to the development of conservation efforts. The Peregrine Fund conducted a significant eight-year-long research program on the raptor species, including owls, in Tikal National Park in Guatemala to learn more about Neotropical birds of prey. Impressive and unprecedented in scale, this pioneering research also involved the development of new methods for detecting, enumerating, and studying these magnificent but often elusive birds in their forest home. Beautifully illustrated with photographs of previously little-known species, the resulting book is the most important single source for information on the lowland tropical forest raptor species found in Central America. Neotropical Birds of Prey covers twenty specific species in depth, including theTrade Review"... a remarkableindeed exceptionalpublication; well produced certainlybut valuable above all because of the enormous contribution to our knowledge of Neotropical raptors that it represents.... To sum upthis is a most impressive volume that documents the efforts of the many people who studied this raptor community and who have greatly advanced our knowledge of Neotropical raptors. It is a fitting tribute to these magni?cent birds and the dedicated researchers involved in the Maya Project." —José Hernán Sarasola * IBIS *Neotropical Birds of Prey is a handsome tribute to an ambitious project. Not least, the book captures the dedication required to squeeze a decent set of data out of any suite of raptors—a notoriously difficult group to study—much less those of the remote, dense, and humid Tikal forest, with its heavily armed plants, aggressive insects, and venomous snakes. -- Penny Olson * BioScience *"I was not sure what to expect when I first saw the title of this bookbut it quickly became clear that it is a remarkableindeed exceptionalpublication; well produced certainlybut valuable above all because of the enormous contribution to our knowledge of Neotropical raptors that it represents.... To sum upthis is a most impressive volume that documents the efforts of the many people who studied this raptor community and who have greatly advanced our knowledge of Neotropical raptors. It is a fitting tribute to these magnificent birds and the dedicated researchers involved in the Maya Project." — Jose Hernan Sarasola * IBIS *The in-depth accounts compare favorably to those in the knowledge of tropical raptors.... The book is well referenced, and each chapter is illustrated with tables/figures. An important resource for ornithologists and tropical raptor researchers. Summing Up: Highly recommended. * Choice *The subtitle of the work may suggest that this is a book for the specialist—and no doubt this is a volume that no raptor expert will want to be without. However, as a simple admirer of birds of prey I found this book hard to put down. So much fascinating information is to be found within its pages, yet it reads like one of the classic Collins New Naturalist or Poyser editions that are familiar to British readers: Leslie Brown'sBritishBirds of Preyor Ian Newton'sThe Sparrowhawk. * Neotropical Birding *Table of ContentsForeword by J. Peter JennyAcknowledgments About the Authors1. The Maya Project David F. Whitacre and William A. Burnham2. The Maya Forest David F. Whitacre and Mark D. Schulze3. Gray-headed Kite Russell K. Thorstrom, David F. Whitacre, Juventino López, and Gregorio López4. Hook-billed Kite David F. Whitacre and Miguel A. Vásquez5. Swallow-tailed Kite Richard P. Gerhardt, Dawn M. Gerhardt, and Miguel A. Vásquez6. Double-toothed Kite Mark D. Schulze, José L. Córdova, Nathaniel E. Seavy, and David F. Whitacre7. Plumbeous Kite Nathaniel E. Seavy, Mark D. Schulze, David F. Whitacre, and Miguel A. Vásquez8. Bicolored Hawk Russell K. Thorstrom9. Crane Hawk Jason Sutter10. White Hawk Gregory S. Draheim, David F. Whitacre, Angel M. Enamorado, Oscar A. Aguirre, and Aquiles E. Hernández11. Great Black Hawk Richard P. Gerhardt, Nathaniel E. Seavy, and Ricardo A. Madrid12. Roadside Hawk Theresa Panasci13. Crested Eagle David F. Whitacre, Juventino López, and Gregorio López14. Black Hawk-eagle David F. Whitacre, Juventino López, Gregorio López, Sixto H. Funes, Craig J. Flatten, and Julio A. Madrid15. Ornate Hawk-eagle David F. Whitacre, Julio A. Madrid, Héctor D. Madrid, Rodolfo Cruz, Craig J. Flatten, and Sixto H. Funes16. Barred Forest Falcon Russell K. Thorstrom17. Collared Forest Falcon Russell K. Thorstrom18. Laughing Falcon Margaret N. Parker, Angel M. Enamorado, and Mario Lima19. Bat Falcon Margaret N. Parker and David F. Whitacre20. Orange-breasted Falcon Aaron J. Baker, David F. Whitacre, and Oscar A. Aguirre21. Mexican Wood Owl Richard P. Gerhardt and Dawn M. Gerhardt22. Black-and-white Owl Richard P. Gerhardt, Dawn M. Gerhardt, Normandy Bonilla, and Craig J. Flatten23. Ecology and Conservation of Tikal's Raptor Fauna David F. Whitacre and William A. BurnhamAppendix 1: Body Mass and Sexual Size Dimorphism Data for Maya Forest Raptor SpeciesAppendix 2: Linear Measurements and Sexual Size Dimorphism for Maya Forest Raptor SpeciesLiterature CitedIndex
£73.80
Chelsea Green Publishing Co A Handmade Life: In Search of Simplicity
Book SynopsisWilliam Coperthwaite is a teacher, builder, designer, and writer who for many years hasexplored the possibilities of true simplicity on a homestead on the north coast of Maine. In the spirit of Henry David Thoreau, Emily Dickinson, and Helen and Scott Nearing, Coperthwaite has fashioned a livelihood of integrity and completeness-buying almost nothing, providing for his own needs, and serving as a guide and companion to hundreds of apprentices drawn to his unique way of being. A Handmade Life carries Coperthwaite's ongoing experiments with hand tools, hand-grown and gathered food, and handmade shelter, clothing, and furnishings out into the world to challenge and inspire. His writing is both philosophical and practical, exploring themes of beauty, work, education, and design while giving instruction on the hand-crafting of the necessities of life. Richly illustrated with luminous color photographs by Peter Forbes, the book is a moving and inspirational testament to a new practice of old ways of life.Trade ReviewPublishers Weekly- Serene and thoughtful, this rambling scrapbook by Maine native and yurt-house builder Coperthwaite provides a vision of a life lived simply and self-sufficiently. From violence to education to how to build a "democratic chair" or make an axe, Coperthwaite covers an abundance of topics as he describes his version of a "handmade life" and explains why such a life is desirable. Never quite didactic, Coperthwaite meditates on topics-such as the idea of employment as exploitation-more than he preaches about them, moving glibly from idea to disconnected idea. A recipe for "a bread so good to both the palate and to health that a diet of bread and water would be a delight" is placed next to an anecdote about a young Eskimo girl named Maggie, for example. And the author's own poems, along with poems by D.H. Lawrence and Emily Dickinson, intersperse the narrative. Peter Forbes' engaging color photographs illustrate Coperthwaite's concepts-no easy feat given their breadth and diversity. 67 color photos, 10 b&w illustrations. (review refers to an earlier edition of the book)"This book, a richly textured exploration of Bill Coperthwaite's work and thought, encourages us to take the lessons of his life to heart. Each of us has the potential to craft our own lives with our own hands--actively, joyfully, and nonviolently, drawing upon the wisdom of our ancestors, striving for justice in the present, and fulfilling our obligations to those who will inherit our legacy."--John Saltmarsh (review refers to an earlier edition)
£20.00
Oneworld Publications The Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession
Book SynopsisA New Statesman Book of the Year The wolf stands at the forefront of the debate about our impact on the natural world. In one of the most celebrated successes of modern conservation, it has been reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. What unfolds is a riveting multi-generational saga, at the centre of which is O-Six, a charismatic alpha female beloved by park rangers and amateur spotters alike. As elk numbers decline and the wolf population rises, those committed to restoring an iconic landscape clash with those fighting for a vanishing way of life; hunters stalk the park fringes and O-Six’s rivals seek to bring an end to her dominance of the stunningly beautiful Lamar Valley.Trade Review‘Deeply informed yet fast-paced and deftly structured…What ultimately makes this book so satisfying is that it is as much an account of the deep divisions within contemporary America as it is a tale about the world’s most enduring carnivore.' * New Statesman *‘Weaves together three narratives in one superb book…Blakeslee’s triumph is to tell all three stories with deep sympathy and insight.’ * New Statesman, Books of the Year *‘Blakeslee draws O-Six in novelistic…detail, using the conflicting insight and perspective of biologists, politicians, ranchers, environmentalists, lawyers, other animals, and hunters… Seeing a wolf is exceptionally rare, and this book is as close as most readers will come.’ * The New Yorker *‘Inspired by the most charismatic of animals, this is a story of dedication and determination, of conflict and passion and like all good stories it challenges your thoughts and fires up your emotions.’ -- Kate Humble‘Extraordinary…Blakeslee is a fine writer…Chilling and gripping by turns. The Wolf is a book that should be read, with care.’ * The National *‘The story of one wolf’s struggle to survive in the majestic Yellowstone National Park offers an ambitious look through the eyes of an endangered animal.’ * New York Times Book Review *‘The lives of the wolves in Yellowstone are often dramatic, but are full of touching, tender moments too, as Nate Blakeslee vividly writes in The Wolf.’ * Los Angeles Times *‘Gripping and fascinating! Wolf vs wolf, wolf vs man, man vs man.’ -- Margaret Atwood (via Twitter)‘Heartbreaking front-line coverage of our war on the wild… Blakeslee, hauntingly, gives the victims faces, families and stories. A quietly angry, aching, important book.’ -- Charles Foster, author of Being a Beast‘A compelling environmental drama of the reintroduction of wolves to the Rockies, as clear-sighted on human politics as it is on wolf politics. As wolf packs battle one another for control of precious territory, unknown to them another battle is taking place, between the wolves’ supporters and those who would eradicate them.’ -- Neil Ansell, author of Deep Country: Five Years in the Welsh Hills‘Wolves are neither gods nor demons. Real wolves are complex beings with personalities, ambitions, careers, and – thanks to us – more than their fair share of tragedy. The Wolf gives us true profiles of wolf lives lived in their actual families. And when humans get involved, the trajectory of their lives forever changes.’ -- Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel‘Blakeslee…brings the feeling of a celebrity biography to the story of the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park and its aftermath… [He] escorts readers up close to interpack conflict as well as human enemies of wolf preservation.’ * Kirkus, starred review *‘Blakeslee gives us a very different sort of biography – the saga of a single female wolf, “the most famous wolf in the world,” and her exploits in Yellowstone National Park. It’s a startlingly intimate portrait of the intricate, loving, human-like interrelationships that govern wolves in the wild, as observed in real time by a cadre of dedicated wolf-watchers – in the end, a drama of lupine love, care, and grief.’ -- Erik Larson, author of The Devil in the White City and Dead Wake‘Wild, poignant, and compelling, The Wolf is an important, beautifully wrought book about animals, about values, and about living on this earth.’ -- Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief and Rin Tin Tin‘The Wolf is a transcendent tale of the American West. I loved the doggedness and depth of the reporting, the texture of the writing. There are echoes of Jack London everywhere. But above all I loved the wolf herself, a character like no other I have ever encountered.’ -- S. C. Gwynne, author of Empire of the Summer Moon and Rebel Yell‘An intimate and riveting book about America’s most iconic and embattled predator. Blakeslee moves effortlessly between the ancient drama of the wolf pack, and its modern human counterpart, the sometimes vicious, red state-blue state partisans whose battleground is the fate of the American wolf. A wonderful and welcome addition to the pantheon of nature literature.’ -- John Vaillant, author of The Tiger and The Golden Spruce
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC RSPB Spotlight Ladybirds
Book SynopsisRSPB Spotlight: Ladybirds is packed with eye-catching, informative colour photos, and features succinct, detailed text written by a knowledgeable naturalist.Brightly coloured and pleasingly pattered, ladybirds are among some of our most beloved and familiar invertebrates. Their role in helping to protect our crops by devouring huge numbers of pests has firmly established these tiny, flying beetles as the gardeners'' friend.Spotlight Ladybird focuses on the 26 species that are resident in the UK, from the widespread but unusual Orange Ladybird to the rare - and aptly named - Scarce 7-spot Ladybird. Ladybird expert, Richard Comont considers the conservation challenges facing these iconic species, whose populations are now at risk thanks to the threat posed by one of their own, the invasive alien Harlequin Ladybird. And he covers all aspects of ladybirds'' biology, from tiny larvae emerging from their oval eggs to large aggregations that converge at specific sites around theTable of ContentsMeet the Ladybirds Ladybirds Across Time and Space The Ladybird Year Feeding and Foraging Ladybirds in the Landscape Natural Ladybird Enemies Cultural Connections Watching Ladybirds Looking After Ladybirds Glossary Further Reading and Resources Ladybird Species in Britain Acknowledgements Image Credits Index
£11.69
Princeton University Press The Arctic Guide
Book SynopsisThe Arctic Guide presents the traveler and naturalist with a portable, authoritative guide to the flora and fauna of earth's northernmost region. Featuring superb color illustrations, this one-of-a-kind book covers the complete spectrum of wildlife--more than 800 species of plants, fishes, butterflies, birds, and mammals--that inhabit the Arctic'sTrade Review"This book takes my breath away and it may leave you gasping with glee, too. Ms. Chester begins with a lively crash course in boreal geography and ecology, then begins her heroic march through nearly all of taxonomy... The Arctic Guide takes the reader on a tour de force of nearly everything that's interesting in the circumboreal world."--Ed Kanze, Bedford (NY) Record-Review "Do you plan a visit to Alaska? If you do, you could do no better preparing for your natural history observations than by reading Sharon Chester's The Arctic Guide: Wildlife of the Far North."--Gerry Rising, Buffalo Spree "This is a phenomenal book. It covers the species you'd expect--birds and marine mammals--in depth. But it also includes fish, flies, even flora. It's the only book a naturalist requires for a field trip to the Arctic."--Matt Miller, Cool Green Science blog "This handy tome not only covers this vast region's fauna, but also touches upon climate, flora, atmospheric phenomena, landforms and oceanography... The illustrations are simply sublime... As a longtime Arctic guide, I recommend Chester's wholeheartedly... Browse it and daydream or stuff it into your river drybag or backpack if you head north this summer."--Michael Engelhard, Alaska Dispatch NewsTable of ContentsAcknowledgments 2 About This Book 3 Geographic Coordinates 4 Glossary 5 Arktos 10 Defining the Arctic 11 Map of the Arctic 12 Mammals 25 Birds 127 Fishes 373 Lizards and Frogs 399 Flies, Bees, and Butterflies 401 Flora 425 Bibliography 535 Indexes 537
£25.20
Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World
Book SynopsisFrom the author of GROWING GOURMET AND MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS comes the only identification guide exclusively devoted to the world''s psilocybin-containing mushrooms. Detailed descriptions and color photographs for over 100 species are provided, as well as an exploration of their long-standing (and often religious) use by ancient peoples and their continued significance to modern-day culture. Some of the species included have just been discovered in the past year or two, and still others have never before been photographed in their natural habitats.
£21.60
Hancock House Publishers Ltd ,Canada Mount Rainier
Book Synopsis
£10.44
Chicago Review Press Wild Rescues: A Paramedic's Extreme Adventures in
Book SynopsisWild Rescues is a fast-paced, firsthand glimpse into the exciting lives of paramedics who work with the National Park Service: a unique brand of park rangers who respond to medical and traumatic emergencies in some of the most isolated and rugged parts of America. In 2014, Kevin Grange left his job as a paramedic in Los Angeles to work in a response area with 2.2 million acres: Yellowstone National Park. Seeking a break from city life and urban EMS, he wanted to experience pure nature, fulfill his dream of working for the National Park Service, and take a crash-course in wilderness medicine. Between calls, Grange reflects upon the democratic ideal of the National Park mission, the beauty of the land, and the many threats facing it. With visitation rising, budgets shrinking, and people loving our parks to death, he realized that—along with the health of his patients—he was also fighting for the life of “America’s Best Idea.”Trade Review"There are thousands of ways to die in the Great Outdoors, but an elite group of park rangers and paramedics mind the gap. One of them has finally brought us their riveting stories of rescue in this quick and interesting book full of drama and real-life heroism." Ben Montgomery, author of Grandma Gatewood's Walk" Wild Rescues is a book you want to read, not be featured in. But if you did have the bad luck to be the subject of one of these entertaining and occasionally scary stories, you'd be eternally grateful for Kevin Grange and his fellow Rangers. A paramedic with more than a decade of experience rescuing people, Grange talks of tumbles, heart attacks, freak storms, wild animals, and suicides in the National Parks with the steady voice of one who's seen it all, and then some. Whatever the emergency, specially trained National Park Rangers respond again and again in his pages, risking their necks to save lives. Written with a deep appreciation of the Wild and the awesome beauty of our National Parks, Wild Rescues lives up to its title. Armchair travelers will thrill to the hair-raising rescues, and seasoned trekkers will be reminded of the inherent dangers of their pastime. All will be grateful that people like Grange are on the job." Jim DeFelice, bestselling author of American Sniper"Kevin Grange details nearly everything that possibly could go wrong in a national park and yet still manages to make you more excited than ever to hit the trail." Conor Knighton, New York Times bestselling author of Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park"Writing at the intersection of medicine and adventure, Grange gives us a fascinating glimpse into rescues that would scare the pants off most of us. He writes with empathy, intelligence, humor and humanity. A captivating memoir. I couldn't put it down." Kate Siber, correspondent for Outside magazine and author of National Parks of the USA"National parks bring together visitors accustomed to more controlled circumstances with heat, cold, cliffs, whitewater, wild animals, and thin air that challenges aging hearts. Anyone who suffers misfortune under these conditions can only hope that Kevin Grange is on duty. This man loves his job." Jordan Fisher Smith, author of Engineering Eden and Nature Noir"This is one helluva book. Grange somehow manages to combine the madness of life on an ambulance with the serenity and awe of America's most beautiful places. Rangers, medics, tourists, adventurers (Alex Honnold makes a brief appearance), the fauna of Yellowstoneit's all here. And you should be too. Wild Rescues is unlike anything you've read." Kevin Hazzard, author of A Thousand Naked Strangers"This book shares experiences, insights, learning from an experienced paramedic and wilderness rescue provider who tells it like it is about the challenges of patient care in remote environments, and the sometimes complex decisions that need to be made when 911 is not at your beck and call. There is honesty in the descriptions of team dynamics and the lives of those dedicated to serving others. And those who appreciate our national parks will take renewed pride at the dedication of those who care for those lands and those who visit them, the NPS rangers, who wear many hatsrescuer, resource caretaker, firefighter, visitor welcome, law enforcerall to preserve this great American idea, our national parks." Tod Schimelpfenig, author of NOLS Wilderness First AidTable of ContentsAuthor’s NotePrologue: Return of Spontaneous CirculationPart I: Yellowstone1: The Definition of Insanity2: Land of Large Carnivores3: The World’s First National Park4: Onboarding5: A Call in the Wild6: Alone on the Ambulance7: Concessionaire Craziness8: Bucket List9: Job Security10: Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health11: Be on the Lookout12: Sink or SwimPart II: Yosemite13: The Other “Y” Park14: Lug Nut Rule15: Thinking Outside the Box16: Scope of Practice17: Frequent Flyers18: Meditation at Gunpoint19: Somebody’s Worst Day20: You Can’t Make This Stuff Up21: Swiss Cheese and Silver LiningsPart III: Grand Teton22: The Wildland-Urban Interface23: Good Medicine in Bad Places24: Gone Too Soon25: My Darkest Hour26: Something for the Pain27: The Call of the SummerEpilogue: Wildfire
£14.36
Texas A & M University Press Painting the Woods: Nature, Memory, and Metaphor
Book SynopsisWhen first-time author and artist Deborah Paris stepped into Lennox Woods, an old-growth southern hardwood forest in northeast Texas, she felt a disruption that was both spatial and temporal. Walking the remnants of an old wagon trail past ancient stands of pine, white oak, elm, hickory, sweetgum, maple, hornbeam, and red oak, she felt drawn into a reverie that took her back to 'the beginning, both physically and metaphorically.'Painting the Woods: Nature, Memory and Metaphor explores the experience of landscape through the lens of art and art-making. It is a place-based meditation on nature, art, memory, and time, grounded in Paris's experiences over the course of a year in Lennox Woods. Her account unfolds through the twin arcs of the changing seasons and her creative process as a landscape painter. In the tradition of Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, narrative passages interweave with observations about the natural history of Lennox Woods, its flora and fauna, art history, the science of memory, Transcendentalist philosophy, the role of metaphor in creative work, and even loop quantum gravity theory.Each chapter explores a different aspect of the forest and a different step in the art-making process, illuminating our connection to the natural world through language, comprehension of time, and visual depictions of the landscape. The complex layers of the forest and Paris's journey through it emerge as metaphors for the larger themes of the book, just as the natural world underpins the art-making drawn from it. Like the trail that winds through Lennox Woods, memory and time intertwine to provide a path for understanding nature, art, and our relationship to both.Trade Review“Reviving the nineteenth-century American tradition of the artist-naturalist, Paris paints the woods the way Thoreau painted them in words—combining disciplined observation, imagination, and insight until the trees flowers into a truth all her own. She skillfully interweaves the history and aesthetics of landscape painting with her own direct experience of a Southern hardwood forest, offering reflections along the way about the roles that drawing, memory, and metaphor play in her art. She reminds us also of the importance of distinguishing between what we see, what we notice, and what we remember. The result is art, on the canvas and in this book, that expresses the unique intention of her own eye while also offering a beauty that is universal.”—Richard Higgins, author of Thoreau and the Language of Trees“In this marvelous fusion of art, poetry, natural history, and philosophy, Deborah Paris takes us on a journey through the mind of an artist as she transforms a beautiful old-growth forest in northeast Texas into a work of art, offering a lens into the nature of time, vision, memory, metaphor, and the creative process itself. Painting the Woods offers plenty of guidance for the aspiring artist, but this is no ‘how-to’ book—it’s a ‘why-to’ book, written for anyone who seeks to turn memory into art and art into the engine that powers deeper understanding. Written in the spirit of Thoreau, Emerson, and Ruskin, this, too, is a book of stored magic, waiting for the reader to make it their own, in whatever corner of the world they inhabit.”—Laura Dassow Walls, author, Henry David Thoreau: A Life (2017)“Thoreau wrote that we ‘cannot see anything until we are possessed with the idea of it, take it into our heads.’ It is what both artists and writers do. In Deborah Paris’ extended conversation with the ideas of Thoreau, we find a beautiful ode to nature interpreted, heartfelt and personal, and the role of the artist who has been possessed with the idea of memory and how it informs her art. It’s like floating down a river with an old friend.”—Jeffrey S. Cramer, editor of The Portable Thoreau“With a pure vision and focused interest akin to that of Thoreau, Deborah Paris has left her mark on Lennox Woods. Her depiction of those woods, both in words and in pigment, is transcendent.”—T. Allen Lawson, artist“Sure to be a classic, Deborah Paris’s book will sit on my shelf alongside Henry Thoreau, Annie Dillard, Mary Oliver, Aldo Leopold, and Peter Wohlleben. She is an artist with a poet’s voice and a naturalist’s eye, and she has something fresh and timeless to say about how one looks at the world.”—Sandra Scofield, author of Mysteries of Love and Grief and other books“Deborah Paris takes us on a marvelous, thoughtful ramble through Lennox Woods, weaving together history, memory, and metaphor. Through a seasoned artist’s eye and keen intellect she brings together past, present, and future in the lifecycle of the forest and how it mirrors our own existence. Through her medium of painting she presents the imperative of deep, sustained connection to her subject and a profound sensory delight in taking the time to slow down and see more deeply. A lovely reminder for us all.”—Joe Paquet, artist“Deborah Paris writes as well as she paints, with feeling and extraordinary insights into the process of seeing both as an artist and naturalist. Steeped in the writings of Thoreau and the history of landscape painting, Paris brilliantly describes the various ways of ‘seeing’ nature—through memory, science, and art—all to the benefit of the picture-making process. She wonderfully describes how she seeks to become a participant in nature, not simply an observer, moving towards the transcendentalist’s stance of radical subjectivity, where the perceiver and the perceived become one. ‘Pure Seeing’ is the term of art Paris uses to describe her sense of oneness with nature and the alembic out of which her work evolves to express her deepest emotions on canvas. By concentrating her focus on places she knows well and loves, places which evoke memories out of her past, she discovered she was able to combine the free associations of past and present experience with a naturalist’s knowledge and an artist’s feeling and so blaze a uniquely personal style of painting. Her admonitions to artists are inspirational: learn to notice what you notice; find what is truly compelling; practice drawing nature, not just recording it with photography. True art, the author stresses, is about ‘find [ing] the things we were meant to paint . . . Each of us must find our own country.’ Painting the Woods is an indispensable volume for painters and anyone who is interested in landscape painting, but it is more: a beautiful prose poem evoking the most essential qualities of being human—seeing with and through emotions as a path to deeper insights into oneself. Paris is not only following in the footsteps of Thoreau and her Tonalist antecedents but sharing a very personal journey that is all her own. Her evocative storytelling about losing herself in Lennox Woods near her northeast Texas home reminded me of Faulkner’s classic tale, “The Bear,” in which a young boy, while hunting season after season, learns not only about tracking and wood lore, but about the greatest and most compelling quarry of all: our shared humanity.” —David Adams Cleveland, author of A History of American Tonalism, 1880 to 1920: Crucible of American Modernism“I found myself bowled over by Deborah Paris’s Painting the Woods. Interweaving experience and memory with her keen skill at observation, she makes us fellow travelers on her journey toward under-standing and painting the woods. With great sensitivity she shares her meditations, further informing our understanding of the woods by sharing the thoughts of Thoreau, Constable, Plutarch, and many others. While Painting the Woods is an essential companion for artists, it will be equally fascinating for those who love splendid writing about nature.”—Donald Jurney, artist“It is impossible to resist the invitation to walk beside author Deborah Paris, an artist who has ‘found a home in the woods’ that is ‘refuge and prospect.’ In lyric prose, Paris describes her year of searching the woodland landscape of East Texas for the moods, metaphors, and memories that she will transform onto canvas. As she explores layered and lit paths, beside streams and into bottomlands, the artist accumulates image and sensory detail that will be unveiled in her studio. As the woodlands and weather that inspire painter and author are interdependent on intertwined root systems and seasonal shifts, so art historian, painter, and naturalist Deborah Paris’s new body of work on canvas will emerge from the confluence of memory, Pure Seeing, imagination, poetry, and Tonalist technique. To be in this artist’s company as she explores Lennox Woods, as she ‘pushed back the fog . . . to reveal what was hidden’ is to become intimate with one woman’s practice to pause, witness, identify, and record resonant moments, ‘to become both forest and human.’ Readers, whether layperson or artist, become seekers on their own journey toward wonder and its expression. What joy to navigate the paths in snow, filtered sun, and rain beside such a humble and passionate guide. I did not want the moments when ‘sight becomes insight’ to end.” —Barbara Rockman, author of Sting and Nest, winner of the New Mexico–Arizona Poetry Book Award and to cleave, winner of the National Federation of Press Women Poetry Prize; Finalist, International Book Award
£27.96
Rutgers University Press Trees Truffles and Beasts How Forests Function
Book SynopsisPresents an opinion that we must understand the complexity and interdependency of species and habitats from the microscopic level to the gigantic. This book shows how easily observable species are part of a complicated infrastructure. It also shows that forests are far more complicated, which means simplistic policies will not save them.Trade ReviewAccurate and authentic, Trees, Truffles, and Beasts makes a major contribution to the field of natural resource management. This is a clear and compelling argument that there's much more to forests than meets the eye. -- Jim Furnish * Deputy Chief (ret.), USDA Forest Service *This book is an excellent introduction to the world of mycorrhizal fungi in forests and their importance in food webs as highlighted by truffles. This book should encourage readers to investigate further the intricate and essential interactions occurring in forests, which make them work. -- John Dighton * professor and director of Rutgers University Pinelands Field Station *"The book provides excellent coverage of the symbiosis between trees, fungi, and animals, an orverarching theme. . . . Few works take these personal views into account to give such a holistic view of the forested landscape. Highly recommended." * Choice *The authors. all keenly qualified to write on the topic, begin by discussing the importance of sustainable ecosystem policies and preserving our environment, and then point out that to be able to do that, one must understand those environmental systems. What follows is an entire college course on just how forests work. * Funghi *These authors weave together a broad array of personal observations and pertinent scientific research into a sweeping account of forest ecology and conservation. This book is an interesting and well-priced addition to the mycologist's bookshelf. * Inoculum *Trees, Truffles, and Beasts reveals a belowground world that we cannot see, and for that reason, often overlook when thinking about forests. The authors deftly link this belowground world of fungi and soil microorganisms to the aboveground world that we know. The story-telling style of writing makes the book engaging and easy to read, and at the same time, the book is packed with interesting facts. * Northwest Science *"Lucidly written and accessible to professionals and the general public alike, the authors adeptly tease out the intimate details and fascinating ecological interactions of a world hidden within the soil. I highly recommend this book for a fascinating glimpse into the wondrous web life and complex ecological relationships that sustain our natural forests." -- Alan Watson Featherstone * Trees for Life, Scotland *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 The Forest We See 2 The Unseen Forest 3 Trees, Truffles, and Beasts: Coevolution in Action 4 Of Animals and Fungi 5 The Importance of Mycophagy 6 Landscape Patterns and Fire 7 Forest Succession and Habitat Dynamics 8 Of Lifestyles and Shared Habitats 9 Lessons from the Trees, the Truffles, and the Beasts
£31.50
National Trust 50 Great Trees of the National Trust
Book SynopsisPresented in a beautiful quarter-bound hardback format and aimed at a general audience, this engaging book presents a selection of remarkable trees in the care of the National Trust. Throughout human history, trees have occupied a role that is central to our existence providing timber to build our homes, fuel to heat them, fruit to sustain us, shelter from a downpour and shade on a sunny day. Vital to our wellbeing, they impress us with their size, enchant us with their ever-changing colours and have provided inspiration for artists down the centuries. This celebration of trees at National Trust places presents a carefully chosen selection of 50 fascinating examples. Alongside named' witnesses to history, such as the Tolpuddle Martyrs' Sycamore and Sir Isaac Newton's Apple Tree at Woolsthorpe Manor, are fine examples of their type that deserve to be better known, such as the Douglas Firs at Cragside and the Black Mulberry at Chastleton House. Each featured tree is accompaniedTable of ContentsIntroduction 50 GREAT TREES Glossary of terms Gazetteer of National Trust Places Index Acknowledgements Picture credits
£9.50
Avalon Publishing Group Tropic of Chaos Climate Change and the New
Book Synopsis
£14.83
Elliott & Thompson Limited Spring: An Anthology for the Changing Seasons
Book SynopsisIt is a time of awakening. In our fields, hedgerows and woodlands, our beaches, cities and parks, an almost imperceptible shift soon becomes a riot of sound and colour: winter ends, and life surges forth once more. Whether in town or country, we all share in this natural rhythm, in the joy and anticipation of the changing year.In prose and poetry both old and new, Spring mirrors the unfolding of the season, inviting us to see what’s around us with new eyes. Featuring original writing by Rob Cowen, Miriam Darlington and Stephen Moss, classic extracts from the work of George Orwell, Clare Leighton and H. E. Bates, and fresh new voices from across the UK, this is an original and inspiring collection of nature writing that brings the British springtime to life in all its vivid glory.Trade Review"A book to live with and to love... features a wonderfully various array of poetry and prose, from Chaucer to the present day, that allows us to see the arrival and the passing of our most fecund season (and those who have written about it) in fresh and stimulating ways." -- Matthew Adams, Independent; '[A] tremendous, soul-lifting collection ... a profound evocation of what rejuvenation means to the winter-stunned psyche'-Lucy Jones, BBC Wildlife Magazine; "The cover of this book is absolutely striking... I couldn't wait to look inside. It is so full of life... Full of perfectly mixed passages of the wonders of nature, this is a book I will turn to each year as the vivacious season of spring approaches." -- The Book Magnet; "A very lovely object ... I was captivated by the writing. These were the words of people who wanted to share their experiences of the world around them; some of them wrote to inform, some of them wrote to celebrate, and of course the very best of them did both ... There is nothing in it that doesn't deserve its place, and I can think of nothing that should be there but isn't. It would make a lovely Easter gift. It's a book that I know I will enjoy revisiting." -- Beyondedenrock.com; "Everything about this book, from Lynn Hatzius' gorgeous cover, to the rich cream of the pages, to the meticulously selected content is an invitation ... to taste the Spring in the air, to hear the grasses grow, to lose yourself in a vast sky or to watch the farmers at work. The book, like a sparkling Spring stream swollen with meltwater, is just begging for you to dip in." - Richard Littledale, blogger; "An anthology edited by Melissa Harrison was never going to stick to [the] beaten track ... important is her imaginative commissioning of new works and choice of previously published pieces. There are several refreshing novelties in this book ... Serves to remind us that the future of nature writing - if we must use the label - is under no threat." - Laurence Rose, thelongspring.comTable of ContentsCONTENTS; Introduction by Melissa Harrison ix; Annie Worsley 1; George Orwell 5; Reverend Gilbert White 10; Edward Thomas 12; Shamshad Khan 17; D. H. Lawrence 18; Thomas Furly Forster 23; Jo Sinclair 24; Adelle Stripe 28; Alexi Francis 30; Edward Step 32; Alan Creedon 35; Reverend Francis Kilvert 37; Alice Hunter 39; Anon. 42; Dylan Thomas 44; Rob Cowen 47; Thomas Hardy 52; Caroline Greville 53; Kenneth Grahame 57; Thomas Furly Forster 60; Kate Long 61; Richard Jefferies 64; Sir John Lister-Kaye 68; James Common 71; Felicia Hemans 73; David North 75; Thomas Furly Forster 79; Miriam Darlington 80; Clare Leighton 85; Jo Cartmell 89; H. E. Bates 92; Vijay Medtia 96; Jane Austen 99; Ryan Clark 100; A. E. Housman 103; Peter Cooper 104; Reverend Gilbert White 108; Will Cohu 110; Elliot Dowding 114; Robert Browning 117; Richard Jefferies 118; Stephen Moss 124; Thomas Furly Forster 127; Ginny Battson 129; Geoffrey Chaucer 132; Melissa Spiers 133; Dorothy Wordsworth 135; Reverend Francis Kilvert 137; Melissa Harrison 138; Peter Tate 140; Chris Foster 143; R. D. Blackmore 146; Sue Croxford 150; Edward Thomas 153; Alison Uttley 154; William Shakespeare 159; Katie Halsall 160; Charlotte Bronte 163; Nicola Chester 165; Gerard Manley Hopkins 169; Sir Edward Grey 170; Reverend Gilbert White 174; Mary Russell Mitford 177; Paul Ashton 180; Philip Larkin 184; Lucy McRobert 185; Author Biographies 188
£11.69
Elliott & Thompson Limited Autumn: An Anthology for the Changing Seasons
Book SynopsisAutumn is a time of transformation. Crisp, clear days mark summer’s close and usher in a new season with its rich scents and vivid palette, leaves flaming red and gold by day, bonfires and fireworks lighting up the lengthening nights. There is abundance, as humans and animals make stores for the winter; and there is decay, which gives rise to the next cycle of life.In prose and poetry from across the British Isles, Autumn captures both the exhilaration and the melancholy of this turning point in the year. Featuring original writing by Horatio Clare, John Lewis-Stempel and Amy Liptrot, classic extracts from the work of Ted Hughes, Helen Macdonald and Nan Shepherd, and a wealth of fresh new voices, Autumn is an evocative celebration of the year’s decline – and new beginnings.Trade Review"In years to come, I have a feeling that Melissa Harrison will be responsible for the introduction of a whole new cohort of gifted writers to the English language. In collections such as this we shall encounter them first" - Richard Littledale, blogger; "Waking early in the dark is autumn's gift, I tell myself. Get out there and smell it, taste it, watch and listen. 64 authors in this fine collection, skilfully assembled by Melissa Harrison, have the same message. The UK in autumn is a feast for the senses. If you feel it is passing you by, dip into these pages" --Sue Brooks, Caught by the River; "This gorgeous little book is a diverse collection of autumnal prose and poetry, perfect to give as a gift to a lover of nature or literature, or to keep on your own shelves as a little treat to dip into from time to time ...The line drawings were simply lovely" -- Being Anne.com; "Whatever your own experience of autumn - whether it's a much loved season or not; even if you call it "fall" instead - I can highly recommend this anthology's chorus of voices old and new. There's no better way for a book lover to usher in the season" - BookishBeck; "A pretty book with something for everyone inside" -- Call Me Madam; "A celebration of the year's rich transformation" -- Plantlife; "There's something rather special about these beautifully expressive little books ... Sharp and crisp with occasional touches of melancholy, this is a perfect read for the Autumn season" -- jaffareadstoo.blogspot.co.ukTable of ContentsCONTENTS; Introduction by Melissa Harrison vii; Horatio Clare 1; Edward Step 5; Gerard Manley Hopkins 8; Elizabeth Gardiner 9; Reverend Gilbert White 12; Annie Worsley 15; Will Burns 19; Caroline Greville 20; Thomas Furly Forster 23; Sue Croxford 24; Thomas Furly Forster 27; Kate Blincoe 28; Patrick Kavanagh 30; Alice Hunter 32; Reverend Gilbert White 34; Alexi Francis 37; Thomas Furly Forster 40; Paul Ashton 41; William Cobbett 44; Jo Cartmell 46; Percy Bysshe Shelley 49; Amy Liptrot 53; Louise Baker 58; Thomas Furly Forster 61; Clare Leighton 63; Alfred, Lord Tennyson 68; Chris Murphy 71; Thomas Furly Forster 74; Nick Acheson 75; Jane Adams 77; Reverend Gilbert White 81; Will Harper-Penrose 84; Daphne Pleace 87; Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club 91; Ginny Battson 93; George Eliot 96; Brian Carter 97; William Butler Yeats 100; Janet Willoner 102; Jon Dunn 105; Edward Thomas 109; Tamsin Constable 110; Thomas Furly Forster 113; Leanne Manchester 114; Helen Macdonald 116; Matt Merritt 119; Richard Jefferies 120; Julia Wallis 123; Julian Jones 124; Thomas Furly Forster 129; Dr Rob Lambert 130; Nan Shepherd 134; Lucy McRobert 137; Samuel Taylor Coleridge 141; Adrian Bell 142; Sinead Gleeson 144; Dylan Thomas 148; Ryan Clark 151; Thomas Hardy 153; Reverend Gilbert White 154; John Lewis-Stempel 156; Matt Gaw 160; Alison Brackenbury 162; Benjamin Myers 164; Ted Hughes 166; Megan Shersby 168; Thomas Furly Forster 170; John Clare 171; Nicola Chester 175; Laurence Arnold 178; Imtiaz Dharker 182; Neil Ansell 183; Thomas Furly Forster 186; David Gwilym Anthony 187; Author Biographies 188
£11.69
John Wiley & Sons Inc Koi For Dummies
Book SynopsisKnown throughout the world for its beauty and personality, koi is one of the most carefully bred fish species around. Raising koi is especially time-consuming and requires more than just sprinkling little flakes in the fish bowl. But thankfully, you don't have to be an expert to maintain your own koi pond.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Part I: Koi Basics 7 Chapter 1: Going “Koi Kichi” — Crazy for Koi 9 Chapter 2: Knowing Your Koi 17 Chapter 3: Making Sure Koi Are Right for You 35 Chapter 4: A Koi Buyer’s Guide 47 Part II: Living with Koi, Inside and Out 61 Chapter 5: Preparing for Your Koi’s Homecoming 63 Chapter 6: Planning Your Koi Pond 77 Chapter 7: Building Your Pond 93 Chapter 8: Making It Pretty: Landscaping the Pond 119 Chapter 9: Maintaining Your Pond 133 Chapter 10: Keeping Koi Inside 151 Part III: Caring for Koi and Keeping Them Healthy 169 Chapter 11: Koi Nutrition 101 171 Chapter 12: Diffusing Koi Stress 183 Chapter 13: Spotting and Treating Common Koi Ailments 191 Part IV: The Big Leagues: Koi Breeding and Showing 215 Chapter 14: Breeding Koi 217 Chapter 15: The Small Fry: Bringing Up Baby Koi 231 Chapter 16: Koi Shows: Your All-Access Pass to Koi Kichi-dom 241 Part V: The Part of Tens 255 Chapter 17: Ten Things to Do When the Power Goes Out 257 Chapter 18: Ten Things to Check If Your Koi Seem Sick 261 Index 265
£14.44
John Wiley & Sons Boston Terriers For Dummies
Book SynopsisA guide that presents the basics on raising and living with the breed of Boston Terrier. It helps you learn where and how this dog originated, what it needs, and how to determine if a Boston Terrier is the right dog for you and your family. It covers the tips required by any Boston owner, ranging from feeding and grooming to basic training.Table of ContentsIntroduction. Part I: That Bullish Terrier. Chapter 1: Welcome to Boston! Chapter 2: Tracking the Boston Terrier. Chapter 3: Committing to a Lifetime of Care. Chapter 4: A Match Made in Boston. Part II: Caring for Your Boston Terrier. Chapter 5: Preparing for Your Boston’s Homecoming. Chapter 6: Welcome Home! Chapter 7: Eating Well. Chapter 8: Looking Good. Part III: Stepping Out. Chapter 9: Housetraining for Bostons. Chapter 10: Socializing for Life. Chapter 11: Training and Behavior. Chapter 12: Taking Training to the Next Level. Chapter 13: Traveling with (Or without)Your Boston. Part IV: Health and Well-Being. Chapter 14: Your Visit to the Veterinarian. Chapter 15: Breed-Specific Ailments. Chapter 16: First Aid. Chapter 17: Caring for the Senior Dog. Part V: The Part of Tens. Chapter 18: Ten Trivia Tidbits about Bostons. Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Make Your Boston’s Day. Index.
£13.59
John Wiley & Sons Inc Horse Health and Nutrition for Dummies
Book SynopsisWant to know the best ways to care for your horse? Horse Health and Nutrition For Dummies gives you up-to-the-minute guidance on keeping horses healthy at all stages of life. It provides the latest information on equine nutrition and healthcare, explaining how your horse's body functions and how to keep it in good working order.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Part I: Honing Basic Horse Care Skills 7 Chapter 1: Taking on Your Horse’s Health 9 Chapter 2: Sizing Up a Healthy Horse 19 Chapter 3: Connecting Your Horse’s Behavior to Health 37 Chapter 4: Getting Up to Speed on Routine Care 49 Chapter 5: Exercising for Health 75 Part II: Good Eats: Nutrition and Feeding 87 Chapter 6: The Building Blocks of Good Nutrition 89 Chapter 7: Your Hungry Horse: Feeding Fundamentals 107 Chapter 8: Special Considerations for Your Horse’s Diet 125 Chapter 9: Growing Your Own Food 141 Part III: Recognizing and Treating Illnesses 153 Chapter 10: Introducing the Anatomy of a Horse 155 Chapter 11: Tackling Common Ailments 173 Chapter 12: Fighting Infectious Diseases 205 Chapter 13: Staying Prepared with Equine First Aid 221 Chapter 14: Checking Out Complementary and Alternative Therapies 239 Part IV: Horse Care for All Stages of Life 251 Chapter 15: Breeding Your Horse 253 Chapter 16: Caring for the Newborn 275 Chapter 17: Helping Your Horse Age Gracefully 289 Chapter 18: Reaching the End of Your Horse’s Life 301 Part V: The Part of Tens 309 Chapter 19: Ten Signs of Horse Illness 311 Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Keep Your Horse Healthy 319 Appendix: Resources for Horse Care 327 Index 339
£15.29
HarperCollins Peterson Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of
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£22.94
Heritage House Publishing Co Ltd Fortress of the Grizzlies: The Khutzeymateen
Book SynopsisIn a remote valley near the BC-Alaska border lives a remarkable group of grizzly bears who have never learned to fear humans. When logging threatened this valley, people from all over the world joined a battle to save the bears. In 1994, their efforts paid off with the establishment of the Khutzymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, one of the world''s most important protected wildlife areas. Dan Wakeman, a core member of the Save the Khutzymateen campaign, was one of only two guides licensed to take visitors into the heart of this ecological reserve. Photographer Wendy Shymanski, who worked with Dan for many years, amassed a folio of exquisite colour photographs of the bears in this special part of the world. In Fortress of the Grizzlies, these avid naturalists share what they have learned and seen during years of respectful interaction with this community of grizzlies.
£9.89
University of California Press Possessing Nature
Book SynopsisIn 1500 few Europeans regarded nature as a subject worthy of inquiry. Yet years later the first museums of natural history had appeared in Italy, dedicated to the marvels of nature. Drawing on archives of visitors' books, letters, and pleas for patronage, this title reconstructs the lost social world of Renaissance and Baroque museums.
£26.10
Random House USA Inc Arctic Dreams
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£15.30
Random House USA Inc Buffalo for the Broken Heart
Book SynopsisFor twenty years Dan O’Brien struggled to make ends meet on his cattle ranch in South Dakota. But when a neighbor invited him to lend a hand at the annual buffalo roundup, O’Brien was inspired to convert his own ranch, the Broken Heart, to buffalo. Starting with thirteen calves, “short-necked, golden balls of wool,” O’Brien embarked on a journey that returned buffalo to his land for the first time in more than a century and a half.Buffalo for the Broken Heart is at once a tender account of the buffaloes’ first seasons on the ranch and an engaging lesson in wildlife ecology. Whether he’s describing the grazing pattern of the buffalo, the thrill of watching a falcon home in on its prey, or the comical spectacle of a buffalo bull wallowing in the mud, O’Brien combines a novelist’s eye for detail with a naturalist’s understanding to create an enriching, entertaining narrative.
£14.40
Harvard University Press Ecology without Nature
Book SynopsisMorton argues that the chief stumbling block to environmental thinking is the image of nature most writers promote: they propose a new world view, but their very zeal to preserve the natural world leads them away from the “nature” they revere. To have a properly ecological view, Morton suggests, we must relinquish, once and for all, the idea of nature.Trade ReviewRigorous and unsettling, Timothy Morton's book is a vividly realized critique of the political and ethical meanings of "place" and "space." Steeped in philosophical and literary history, Ecology without Nature is a profoundly convinced and convincing intervention, calling as it does for a more intellectually robust and politically supple environmentalism, one much better suited to the realities of twenty-first-century life. A more thoughtful reflection on the future of dwelling together in a vulnerable world would be hard to find. -- David L. Clark, Professor of English and Cultural Studies, McMaster UniversityMorton demonstrates that because most ecocriticism assumes nature/environment as a concept, most ecocritics perpetuate the assumptions of the literature that they purport to critique. He argues that nature is an arbitrary rhetorical concept whose modern origins can be traced to Romantics writing during the Industrial Revolution--essentially, that ecocriticism fetishizes "nature." He contends that a "really deep ecology" would let go of the idea of nature because it marks the difference between "us" and "it." Drawing on writers from Adorno to Zizek, and considering literature and art from the 18th century to the present, Morton offers a complex, important, and often playful argument that lays the groundwork for new directions in ecocriticism. -- G. D. MacDonald * Choice *We’re in the sh**. We have to face it and learn to live with it. That’s a basic idea in dark ecology, which Timothy Morton outlines in his book Ecology Without Nature...Dark ecology has a realistic take on the human state without resorting to false optimism or fatalistic tones of apocalypse. It also requires people to take control, and not lay down in the mud with blind faith of staying above the surface without ever drowning. When we realise our connection to the rest of the world, we understand that our actions reflect all life on the planet...Dark ecology has the potential to be the punk rock or experimental pop of ecological thinking. Or even the death metal, since it shares a goth sensibility that focuses on the dark. * Kasino A4 *Ecology Without Nature offers original and important critiques of ecocritical theory, in particular through its analysis of the legacy of Romanticism and the paradox of dualism that pervades much ecological writing. Its occasionally irreverent style and embrace of kitsch make it an enjoyable read, even when the associationist organization and technical terminology require the reader to slow down. However, this slowing down is exactly what Morton recommends for ecocritics as we enter the twenty-first century and the increasingly urgent demands of “this poisoned ground” where Morton calls us to stand. -- Janet Fiskio * Environmental Philosophy *Table of Contents* Introduction: Toward a Theory of Ecological Criticism * The Art of Environmental Language: "I Can't Believe It Isn't Nature!" * Romanticism and the Environmental Subject * Imagining Ecology without Nature * Notes * Index
£24.26
Princeton University Press Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West
Book SynopsisDragonflies and Damselflies of the West is the first fully illustrated field guide to all 348 species of dragonflies and damselflies in western North America. Dragonflies and damselflies are large, stunningly beautiful insects, as readily observable as birds and butterflies. This unique guide makes identifying them easy--its compact size and user-friendly design make it the only guide you need in the field. Every species is generously illustrated with full-color photographs and a distribution map, and structural features are illustrated where they aid in-hand identification. Detailed species accounts include information on size, distribution, flight season, similar species, habitat, and natural history. Dennis Paulson''s introduction provides an essential primer on the biology, natural history, and conservation of these important and fascinating insects, along with helpful tips on how to observe and photograph them. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West is the field guide naturalists, conservationists, and dragonfly enthusiasts have been waiting for. Covers all 348 western species in detail Features a wealth of color photographs Provides a color distribution map for every species Includes helpful identification tips Serves as an essential introduction to dragonflies and their natural history Trade ReviewHonorable Mention for the 2009 National Outdoor Book Award in Nature Guidebooks "Who knew that there were 348 species of dragonflies and damselflies in the Western United States? That fact alone should make nature lovers who enjoy traveling to wild places want to check out Dennis Paulson's new book, Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West, published by Princeton University Press... This guide includes information on flight seasons, habitat and natural history in the description of each insect as well as helpful tips on how to observe and photograph them."--Salt Lake Tribune "Bird watching has been a common hobby for centuries, and butterfly watching has become popular in the last few decades. Odonate watching is the newest pastime. Here, Paulson offers a comprehensive guide to Odonata of western North America... This well-written, informative guide is a 'must have' for any person, amateur or scholar, interested in these insects."--Choice "[T]hese volumes are obviously authoritative, comprehensive and clearly designed with the needs of the naturalist in mind. The photographs are excellent and ... the text makes up for the unavoidable shortcomings of a photo-guide by including full descriptions of each species. Altogether, these two volumes constitute a complete, highly informative and beautifully illustrated guide to the Odonata of North America."--Guy Padfield, UKbutterfliesTable of ContentsPreface 7 Introduction 9 Natural History of Odonates 11 Odonate Anatomy 22 Odonate Colors 26 Odonate Names 27 Finding Odonates 28 Identifying Odonates 29 Odonate Photography 31 Odonate Collecting and Collections 32 Odonate Threats and Conservation 35 Odonate Research 36 Odonates in the West 37 Explanation of Species Accounts 37 Damselflies (Zygoptera) 41 Broad- winged Damsel Family (Calopterygidae) 41 Spreadwing Family (Lestidae) 50 Pond Damsel Family (Coenagrionidae) 73 Shadowdamsel Family (Platystictidae) 184 Threadtail Family (Protoneuridae) 186 Dragonflies (Anisoptera) 191 Petaltail Family (Petaluridae) 191 Darner Family (Aeshnidae) 194 Clubtail Family (Gomphidae) 237 Spiketail Family (Cordulegastridae) 308 Cruiser Family (Macromiidae) 314 Emerald Family (Corduliidae) 323 Skimmer Family (Libellulidae) 372 Species Added to the Western Fauna 519 Appendix: Dragonfly Publications and Resources 521 Glossary 523 Index 527
£25.20
William Morrow & Company Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal
Book Synopsis
£19.54
Princeton University Press A Swift Guide to Butterflies of Mexico and
Book SynopsisA groundbreaking photographic field guide to almost all of Mexico's butterfly species and many of Central America's This is a revised second edition of a groundbreaking photographic field guide to the butterflies of Mexico and Central America. It covers almost all of the more than 1,700 butterfly species found in Mexico, plus many found only in CeTrade ReviewPraise for Jeffrey Glassberg's previous butterfly books: "Glassberg treats his subject as an open door. Walk through it and begin what can be a lifetime adventure."--E. O. Wilson Praise for Jeffrey Glassberg's previous butterfly books: "May do for butterflies what Peterson did for birds."--Village Voice
£29.75
Princeton University Press Birds of Europe North Africa and the Middle East
Book SynopsisTrade Review"This is an exceptional collection of photos... The photos are printed at extremely high resolutions. That many photos and so many birds in 443 pages is asking a lot, but all is crisply delivered."--Jim Williams, Minneapolis Star Tribune's Wingnut blogTable of ContentsIntroduction 6 Species descriptions 12 Swans 12 Geese 14 Shelducks 21 Dabbling ducks 22 Whistling ducks 28 Diving ducks 28 Sea ducks 34 Stifftails 41 Vagrant and exotic ducks 42 Gamebirds 45 Divers (Loons) 55 Grebes 58 Shearwaters and petrels 61 Storm-petrels 66 Rare petrels and albatrosses 67 Frigatebirds 75 Tropicbirds 76 Gannets and boobies 77 Pelicans 80 Cormorants 81 Herons, bitterns and egrets 83 Storks 93 Spoonbills and ibises 94 Spoonbills and storks 96 Flamingos 97 Honey-buzzards 99 Buzzards 101 Snake eagles 105 Kites 106 Vultures 108 Harriers 113 Eagles 117 Osprey and Black-shouldered Kite 126 Accipiters 127 Falcons 129 Rails, crakes and gallinules 137 Cranes 143 Bustards 145 Oystercatcher and Turnstone 148 Stilts and avocets 149 Stone-curlews and coursers 150 Pratincoles 151 Plovers and lapwings 153 Sandpipers 162 Woodcocks and snipes 173 Dowitchers and Upland Sandpiper 176 Godwits 177 Curlews 178 Larger sandpipers 180 Phalaropes 185 Skuas (Jaegers) 187 Gulls 190 Terns 211 Auks 222 Sandgrouse 227 Pigeons and doves 229 Parakeets 234 Cuckoos 235 Owls 238 Nightjars 246 Swifts 248 Contents Kingfishers 251 Rollers 253 Bee-eaters 254 Hoopoe 255 Woodpeckers 256 Larks 262 Swallows and martins 269 Pipits 274 Wagtails 279 Accentors 284 Wren and Dipper 286 Robins and chats 287 Redstarts 291 Stonechats 295 Wheatears 298 Rock thrushes 303 Thrushes 304 Bush warblers and cisticolas 311 Grasshopper warblers 312 Reed warblers 315 Tree warblers 320 Sylvia warblers 324 Leaf warblers 333 Crests 341 Old World flycatchers 343 Tyrant flycatchers 348 Penduline tit and leiothrix 350 Reedling and parrotbill 351 Long-tailed tit 352 Tits 353 Nuthatches 358 Treecreepers 360 Wallcreeper and Golden Oriole 361 Shrikes 362 Crows and jays 370 Starlings 377 Waxwings 379 Bulbuls and mynas 381 Sparrows 382 Introduced exotic finches 386 Finches 389 Buntings 404 Vagrant Nearctic passerines 417 New World warblers 433 Index 434 Photographic credits 444
£25.20
Hancock House Aratingas
Book SynopsisBeautiful color photographs accompany practical and clear descriptions in which all the important characteristics of each species are given: sub-species, origin of name, parents and young, sizes and weights, habitat and habits, diet, nesting sites, breeding process, general remarks and mutations. Aratingas belong to the group of South American parrots. Together with the Macaws and the Amazons they are the best known parrot-likes from this region. They are familiar to every birdkeeper, albeit in varying degrees, yet until now no easy-reference book about this genus had appeared on the market. The author has successfully attempted to satisfy this need; he has chosen for the same layout as in his previous book Australian Parakeets and their Mutations, a publication which has been received with extreme enthusiasm by aviculturists. Aratingas therefore also contains high quality photographs of all the species and most of the sub-species, which once again have virtually all been taken by Cees Scholtz. The photographs accompany practical and clear descriptions in which all the important characteristics of each species are given: sub-species, origin of name, parents and young, sizes and weights, habitat and habits, diet, nesting sites, breeding process, general remarks and mutations.
£14.39
Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Whales
Book Synopsis
£13.29
The History Press Ltd The Archaeology of Animal Bones
Book SynopsisAnimal bones are one of the most abundant types of evidence found in archaeological sites dating from pre-historic times to the Middle Ages, and they can reveal a startling amount about the economy and way of life of people in the past.
£16.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Naming of the Shrew
Book SynopsisLatin names frequently unpronounceable, all too often wrong and always a tiny puzzle to unravel have been annoying the layman since they first became formalised as scientific terms in the eighteenth century. Why on earth has the entirely land-loving Eastern Mole been named Scalopus aquaticus, or the Oxford Ragwort been called Senecio squalidus dirty old man'? What were naturalists thinking when they called a beetle Agra katewinsletae, a genus of fish Batman, and a Trilobite Han solo? Why is zoology replete with names such as Chloris chloris chloris (the greenfinch), and Gorilla gorilla gorilla (a species of, well gorilla)?The Naming of the Shrew will unveil these mysteries, exploring the history, celebrating their poetic nature and revealing how naturalists sometimes get things so terribly wrong. With wonderfully witty style and captivating narrative, this book will make you see Latin names in a whole new light.Trade ReviewWho would have thought that a book about Latin names could be quite so compelling!! * Alan Titchmarsh *Brims with verbal curiosities * Nature *Nature writing at its best: insightful, entertaining and often very funny * British Wildlife *I have not fully recovered from the discovery that the proper Latin name of the western lowland gorilla is Gorilla gorilla gorilla * Independent on Sunday *Weird and wonderful * Sunday Telegraph *Charming * The Lady *The pleasure of Wright’s book is the contrast between the rigour required for giving names and the careless minds and mischievous humour of those who devise them * The Times *Fascinating and funny * BBC Countrylife *Erudite but whimsical ... a book as charming as it is wise * Irish Examiner *A great read * Grow Your Own *
£10.44
Vintage Publishing The Inner Life of Animals: Surprising
Book SynopsisCan horses feel shame? Do deer grieve? Why do roosters deceive hens? We tend to assume that we are the only living things able to experience feelings but have you ever wondered what’s going on in an animal’s head? From the leafy forest floor to the inside of a bee hive, The Inner Life of Animals opens up the animal kingdom like never before. We hear the stories of a grateful humpback whale, of a hedgehog who has nightmares, and of a magpie who commits adultery; we meet bees that plan for the future, pigs who learn their own names and crows that go tobogganing for fun. And at last we find out why wasps exist.Trade ReviewAlways fascinating… Wry, avuncular, careful and kind, Wohlleben guides us from one creature to the next -- Richard Kerridge * Guardian *Wohlleben presents short chapter in bite-sized portions, so the reader has a constant sense of learning something new almost with every page ... The formula is provably winning. I still felt I was on a robust learning curve as subjects as diverse as motherly love, gratitude, deception, desire, shame and knowledge of good and evil were explored one by one ... fascinating -- Katharine Norbury * Observer *Wohlleben is connecting with something big here… He truffles up some wonderful animal facts, too… Wohlleben’s empathy with animals can be touching and illuminating -- James McConnachie * Sunday Times *Entertaining and enthusiastic -- Tim Smith-Laing * Daily Telegraph *The Inner Life of Animals will rock your world. Surprising, humbling, and filled with delight, this book shows us that animals think, feel, and know in much the same way as we do -- and that their lives are, to them, as precious as ours are to us. -- Sy Montgomery, author of THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS
£9.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Concise Coastal Bird Guide
Book SynopsisThis practical pocket field guide, published in association with the Wildlife Trusts, includes 170 species of coastal birds from Britain and the near Continent. Each species account contains accurate artworks that show details of variations in plumage for male, female and juvenile birds, as well as breeding and non-breeding birds. A concise written account outlines further essential information, such as size, description, voice, habitat, distribution and habits.The easy-to-follow layouts and illustrations aid quick and precise identification, and make this book an indispensable reference in the field as well as at home. It is compact enough to fit in the pocket yet packed with essential information for nature enthusiasts.Table of ContentsIntroduction Birds of coastal habitats The basics of identification Using this book Coastal Birds Wildfowl Divers Grebes Fulmar and Shearwaters Storm-petrels Gannet Cormorants Herons Spoonbills Hawks & Allies Osprey Falcons Rails Oystercatchers Stilts Avocets Plovers Waders Skuas Gulls Terns Auks Pigeons Cuckoos Barn Owls Typical Owls Swifts Kingfishers Woodpeckers Larks Swallows & Martins Pipits & Wagtails Chats Thrushes Warblers & Allies Flycatchers Bearded Tit Crows Starlings Finches Buntings
£7.59
Hancock House Publishers Ltd ,Canada Mountain Grizzly
Book Synopsis
£12.59
Basic Books Never Home Alone: From Microbes to Millipedes,
Book SynopsisIt's the dream scenario for many of us after a long week: having the house completely to ourselves. No partners, no parents, no kids, no pets. But as we settle into the couch, something stirs: maybe a mouse darts out from under a cupboard, or a fly buzzes lazily past the window. We're not actually alone at all. Until quite recently, no one had taken the life that lives with us very seriously: until Rob Dunn and his team decided to take a closer look. Upon investigating the terra incognita of our homes, they discovered that there are nearly 200,000 species living in our bedrooms, kitchens, living areas, bathrooms, and basements. Some of these species can kill us. Some benefit us. And some seem simply benign. But almost all of them were completely unknown--and they've been living alongside us the whole time.In Never Home Alone, biologist Rob Dunn takes us to the edge of biology's latest frontier: our own homes. Every house is a wilderness--from the Egyptian meal moths in our cupboards, to the camel crickets living in the basement, to the antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus waiting on the kitchen counter, thousands of species of insects, bacteria, fungi, and plants live literally under our noses. As we have become increasingly obsessed with cleaning and sterilizing our homes and separating our living spaces from nature, we have unwittingly cultivated an entirely new playground for evolution. Unfortunately, this means that we have created a range of new parasites, from antibiotic-resistant microbes to nearly impossible to kill cockroaches, to threaten ourselves with. At the same time, many of the more helpful organisms--such as microbes that can protect us from autoimmune diseases or promote healthy digestion, or the centipedes that can hunt down those pesky roaches--are caught in the crosshairs. If we're not careful, the "healthier" we try to make our homes, the more likely we'll be putting our own health at risk.A rich natural history and a thrilling scientific investigation, Rob Dunn's Never Home Alone shows us that if are to truly thrive in our homes, we must learn to welcome the unknown guests that have been there the whole time.
£20.69
University of Minnesota Press Plants Have So Much to Give Us All We Have to D
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsContentsForewordWendy Makoons GeniuszIntroductionA Note on Botanical UsageInvocation1. Traditional Anishinaabe Teaching About Plants“The Year the Roses Died”The Primacy of PlantsHow do We Know This, or the Descent of Our Knowledge?Talking to PlantsIndigenous or Imported?The Use of Story in Ethnobotany2. Indinawemaaganag: All of My Relatives“How Cedar Came into the World: The Creation Story of Cedar and Bearberry”“Nookomis Giizhik: The Cedar Song”White Cedar, Nokomis Giizhik, Thuja occidentalisTraditional Anishinaabe Advice to Youth“The Lady of the Red and Black Wigwam”Cedar Medicines“The Birch Tree, the Maple Tree, and Nanaboozhoo”Paper Birch, Nimishoomis Wiigwaas, Betula papyrifera“Nanaboozhoo and the Thunderbirds”“The Runner and the Birch Sap”Balsam fir, Nimisenh, Abies balsamea3. Other Conifers Important to the Anishinaabeg“Why Some Trees Keep Their Leaves When Others do Not”“Nanaboozhoo and Paul Bunyan”The Pines, Tacobeshig, Pinus spp.White Pine, Zhingwaak, Pinus strobusRed Pine, Apakwanagemag, Pinus resinosaJack Pine, Wakikaandag, Pinus banksianaScotch Pine, Pinus sylvestrisMedicinal Virtues of the PinesFoot BathsInhalants from PinesSpruce, Gaawaandag, Picea mariana and Picea glaucaThe Virtues of SpruceThe Ancient WarriorTamarack, Mashkiigmitig, Larix laricinaThe Medicinal Virtues of TamarackEastern Hemlock, Gaagaagiwanzh, Tsuga canadensisJuniper, Juniperus horizontalis,Juniperus communis, and Juniperus virginiana4. Three Food Plants that have been Very Useful to the Anishinaabeg“Nanaboozhoo and the Dancing Men”Cattail, Apakweshkway, Typha latifolia and Typha angustifoliaLabrador Tea, Mashkiigobag, Ledum groenlandicumJerusalem Artichokes, Giizisoojiibik, Helianthus tuberosus5. Four Plants that the Anishinaabeg have Used in the Traditional, Material Culture“The Shut-eye Dance: The Creation of Red Osier, Bittersweet, and Lichens”The Cornus FamilyRed Osier, Miskwaabiimizh, Cornus stoloniferaBunchberry, Ode’iminijiibik, Cornus canadensisStaghorn Sumac, Baakwaanaatig, Rhus typhinaSphagnum Moss, Aasaakamig, Sphagnum spp.“Nanaboozhoo and the Squeaky–Voice Plant”Nanaboozhoo’s Squeaky–Voice Plant: Lycopodium, Lycopodium spp.6. Major Medicinal Plants that have Shared Their Virtues with the AnishinaabegYarrow, Waabanoganzh, Achillea millefoliumMullein, Nookaadiziganzh, Verbascum thapsus“The South Wind and the Maiden of the Golden Hair”Dandelion, Doodooshaaboojiibik, Taraxacum officinalePlantain, Omakakiibag, Plantago major and Plantago lanceolataRoses, Oginiiminagaawanzh, Rosa spp.The EupatoriumsJoe Pye Weed, Bagizowin, Eupatorium purpureumShield and Lance Plant, Boneset, Eupatorium perfoliatum and Eupatorium rugosumJewelweed, Ozaawashkojiibik, Impatiens capensis,Impatiens pallida, and Poison Ivy, Animikiibag, Toxicodendron radicansThe Monarda FamilyWild Bergamot, “Baby Saver Plant”, Monarda fistulosaBee Balm, Aamoogaawanzh, Monarda didymaGoldthread, Ozaawijiibik, Coptis groenlandicaViolets, Waawiyebag, Viola spp.“Nanaboozhoo and Name”The
£17.09
Johns Hopkins University Press Getting Under Our Skin
Book SynopsisHow vermin went from being part of everyone's life to a mark of disease, filth, and lower status. For most of our time on this planet, vermin were considered humanity's common inheritance. Fleas, lice, bedbugs, and rats were universal scourges, as pervasive as hunger or cold, at home in both palaces and hovels. But with the spread of microscopic close-ups of these creatures, the beginnings of sanitary standards, and the rising belief that cleanliness equaled class, vermin began to provide a way to scratch a different itch: the need to feel superior, and to justify the exploitation of those pronounced ethnicallyand entomologicallyinferior. In Getting Under Our Skin, Lisa T. Sarasohn tells the fascinating story of how vermin came to signify the individuals and classes that society impugns and ostracizes. How did these creatures go from annoyance to social stigma? And how did people thought verminous become considered almost a species of vermin themselves? Focusing on Great Britain and Table of ContentsIntroduction: Getting Under Our Skins: Vermin in History1. "That Nauseous Venomous Insect": Bed Bugs in Early Modern Britain2. Bed Bugs Creeping Through Modern Times3. Praying Lice: Creeping into Religion, Science and Sexuality4. Lousy Societies: Infesting the Lower Classes and Foreigners5. THe Perils of Lice in the Modern World6. The Flea in Humanity's Ear7. Modern Fleas: Literal and Linguistic Weapons8. Attacking Rodents: Rats in Early Modern Times9. The Two Cultures of Rats: 1800-2020Conclusion: The Power of Vermin
£23.85
Batsford Ltd Bedside Companion for Gardeners: An anthology of
Book SynopsisAn eclectic collection of prose, poetry and practical advice for every day of the year. A mix of fact and fiction, fantasy and experience, the Bedside Companion for Gardeners is a treasure trove of green-fingered inspiration where practical advice blends seamlessly with poetry and prose from intrepid gardeners past and present. Dip in and out of this collection with an entry for every night of the year that draws on writing through the ages and from across the globe. The Bedside Companion for Gardeners incorporates practical advice from the 17th-century gardening diarist John Evelyn; inspiring prose from Elizabeth von Arnim and John Milton; astute commentary from Horace Walpole on William Kent and Nancy Mitford on the vulgarity of a Surrey garden. Kipling offers practical advice, while Tennyson waxes lyrical on an Arabian night garden. The perfect gift for any gardener, this magical book is an invaluable source of inspiration and guidance to revisit throughout the year. Trade Review‘A delightful read to escape into last thing at night’ – Paula McWaters -- Country Living‘The green-fingered will love this anthology’ -- Daily Express/Daily Mirror‘This thoughtful and inspiring selection offers a fresh perspective on our outdoor space’ * Sunday Express *
£20.00
Elliott & Thompson Limited Fifty Words for Snow
Book SynopsisWaterstones Non fiction Book of the Month November 2021 ‘A delightful compendium that brings together language, culture and adventure through frozen landscapes as it shares the meanings behind 50 words for snow, gathered from around the globe.’ The Herald Snow. Every language has its own words for the magical, mesmerising flakes that fall from the sky. In this exquisite exploration, writer and Arctic traveller Nancy Campbell digs deep into the meanings of fifty words for snow. In Japanese we encounter yuki-onna – a ‘snow woman’ who drifts through the frosted land. In Icelandic it is hundslappadrífa – ‘snowflakes as big as a dog’s paw’ – that softly blanket the streets. And in Māori we meet Huka-rere – ‘one of the children of rain and wind’. From mountain tops and frozen seas to city parks and desert hills, each of these linguistic snow crystals offers a whole world of myth and story – the perfect winter gift. ___ ‘Absolutely exquisite. This little book is a work of art. It is impossible to imagine the reader who will not love it.’ Horatio Clare, author of The Light in the Dark ‘This stunning book made me want to pack all my woolies, candles, ample firewood and enough books for a year – and head to as northerly a location as I could find.’ Kerri ní Dochartaigh, Caught By the River ‘Sparkles and dazzles with new meanings and old magic. You’ll never see snow in the same way again.’ Matt Gaw, author of Under the StarsTrade Review'A sparkling prism to reveal what snow means to different cultures... [an] exploration of the language that describes myriad snowscapes, from mountain peaks and ancient glaciers to boreal cities and Baltic landscapes.' National Geographic 'A miraculous snow bank of niveous names and knowledge as delicate and multifaceted as the flakes it celebrates. A glittering cloud of Inupiaq, Icelandic, compound Maori, Finnish, Scots, Thai, Hebrew, American Sign Language.' Dan Richards, author of Outpost: A Wild Journey to the Ends of the Earth 'This is a book of now... It shows us how we are connected and united across languages and across borders, through our environment, climate, stories and Nature. Fifty Words for Snow is both gorgeous and important to hunker down with, whatever the weather outside.' Resurgence & Ecologist Magazine 'A delightful compendium that brings together language, culture and adventure through frozen landscapes as it shares the meanings behind 50 words for snow, gathered from around the globe.' The Herald, Christmas Books 2020 ‘Absolutely exquisite. This little book is a work of art. It is impossible to imagine the reader who will not love it.’ Horatio Clare, author of The Light in the Dark ‘This stunning book made me want to pack all my woolies, candles, ample firewood and enough books for a year – and head to as northerly a location as I could find.’ Kerri ní Dochartaigh, Caught By the River ‘Sparkles and dazzles with new meanings and old magic. You’ll never see snow in the same way again.’ Matt Gaw, author of Under the Stars
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers iSPY My First Things that go Spy it Stick it
Book SynopsisThe amazing new i-SPY sticker book for kids age 3+ Get little ones started on their very own spotting adventure with My First i-SPY sticker books! With more than 100 things to spot – from cars to diggers, buses to aeroplanes, children will love learning about vehicles and travel.Trade Review“A fun, interactive way to encourage curious children to learn about the world around them.” – Parents In touch
£6.19
