Nature

In this playful yet informative manifesto, a leading plant neurobiologist presents the eight fundamental pillars on which the life of plants--and by extension, humans--rests.

Even if they behave as though they were, humans are not the masters of the Earth, but only one of its most irksome residents. From the moment of their arrival, about three hundred thousand years ago--nothing when compared to the history of life on our planet--humans have succeeded in changing the conditions of the planet so drastically as to make it a dangerous place for their own survival. The causes of this reckless behavior are in part inherent in their predatory nature, but they also depend on our total incomprehension of the rules that govern a community of living beings. We behave like children who wreak havoc, unaware of the significance of the things they are playing with.

In The Nation of Plants, the most important, widespread, and powerful nation on Earth finally gets to speak. Like attentive parents, plants, after making it possible for us to live, have come to our aid once again, giving us their rules: the first Universal Declaration of Rights of Living Beings written by the plants. A short charter based on the general principles that regulate the common life of plants, it establishes norms applicable to all living beings. Compared to our constitutions, which place humans at the center of the entire juridical reality, in conformity with an anthropocentricism that reduces to things all that is not human, plants offer us a revolution.

The most comprehensive and authoritative guide to the wildflowers of North America, updated for the first time in decades to reflect the impact of climate change and the advancements in DNA studies that have radically altered the classification process.

Whether preparing for a scenic hike or getting to know the flowers in the backyard, readers will come to rely on this work of remarkable breadth, depth, and elegance.

This handsome volume, from the world's most trusted name in nature field guides, is the result of a collaboration among leading scientists, scholars, taxonomic and field experts, photo editors, and designers. An indispensable resource, it covers 853 species of wildflowers, with nearly 5,200 full-color photographs.

For ease of use, the book includes a glossary, an index, and a ribbon marker, and is organized according to the latest Angiosperm Phylogeny Group IV classification system. Each species features up to five vibrant photographs, to aid with identification, along with notes on range, season, flowers, stems, fruit, conservation status, and more. Introductory essays give in-depth explanations of each part of a wildflower, and discuss nomenclature, invasive species, and the impacts of our changing climate.

Whether preparing for a scenic hike or getting to know the flowers in the backyard, readers will come to rely on this work of remarkable breadth, depth, and elegance. It is a must-have reference for the library of any nature lover, and is poised to become the number-one guide in the field.

A practical illustrated guide to exploring, observing, and understanding nature

Chris Packham will pass on his passion for nature and make you an enthusiastic and knowledgeable amateur naturalist

Chris Packham's Nature Handbook reveals how easy it is to enjoy and learn about plants, animals, habitats, and ecological processes. It features visual studies of habitats - full of photos of the animals and plants that live there and illustrations of how they interact. All the habitats in your region (Europe in the UK edition, or North America in the US edition) are included, from accessible urban and farming landscapes to wilderness areas. This book reveals the sights, sounds, and smells you can encounter and shows you how to connect with nature without intruding. It provides illustrated guides to activities for every season. Many of these, like pond dipping and raising butterflies from caterpillars, can be done close to home and without expensive equipment. The book promotes conservation and demonstrates simple ways to contribute to the health of the natural world.

First published in 2010, this edition has been extensively revised to present more local information relevant to the habitats where you live, and to include the latest equipment and conservation issues. A blend of inspirational guide, essential reference, and "how-to", this book will make you wild about the natural world.

Sure, sex is great, but have you ever cracked open a new notebook and written something on the first page with a really nice pen?

The story behind Notebook starts with a minor crime: the theft of Tom Cox's rucksack from a Bristol pub in 2018. In that rucksack was a journal containing ten months worth of notes, one of the many Tom has used to record his thoughts and observations over the past twelve years. It wasn't the best he had ever kept - his handwriting was messier than in his previous notebook, his entries more sporadic - but he still grieved for every one of the hundred or so lost pages.

This incident made Tom appreciate how much notebook-keeping means to him: the act of putting pen to paper has always led him to write with an unvarnished, spur-of-the-moment honesty that he wouldn't achieve on-screen.

Here, Tom has assembled his favourite stories, fragments, moments and ideas from those notebooks, ranging from memories of his childhood to the revelation that 'There are two types of people in the world. People who fucking love maps, and people who don't.'

The result is a book redolent of the real stuff of life, shot through with Cox's trademark warmth and wit.

Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction
Finalist for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography

"An exhilarating romp through Orwell's life and times and also through the life and times of roses." --Margaret Atwood

"A captivating account of Orwell as gardener, lover, parent, and endlessly curious thinker." --Claire Messud, Harper's

"Nobody who reads it will ever think of Nineteen Eighty-Four in quite the same way." --Vogue

A lush exploration of politics, roses, and pleasure, and a fresh take on George Orwell as an avid gardener whose political writing was grounded by his passion for the natural world

"In the spring of 1936, a writer planted roses." So be-gins Rebecca Solnit's new book, a reflection on George Orwell's passionate gardening and the way that his involvement with plants, particularly flowers, illuminates his other commitments as a writer and antifascist, and on the intertwined politics of nature and power.

Sparked by her unexpected encounter with the roses he reportedly planted in 1936, Solnit's account of this overlooked aspect of Orwell's life journeys through his writing and his actions--from going deep into the coal mines of England, fighting in the Spanish Civil War, critiquing Stalin when much of the international left still supported him (and then critiquing that left) to his analysis of the relationship between lies and authoritarianism.

Through Solnit's celebrated ability to draw unexpected connections, readers are drawn onward from Orwell's own work as a writer and gardener to encounter photographer Tina Modotti's roses and her politics, agriculture and illusion in the USSR of his time with forcing lemons to grow in impossibly cold conditions, Orwell's slave-owning ancestors in Jamaica, Jamaica Kincaid's examination of colonialism and imperialism in the flower garden, and the brutal rose industry in Colombia that supplies the American market. The book draws to a close with a rereading of Nineteen Eighty-Four that completes Solnit's portrait of a more hopeful Orwell, as well as offering a meditation on pleasure, beauty, and joy as acts of resistance.

The first book to briefly and clearly present the science of climate change in a way that is accessible to laypeople, providing the perspective needed to understand and assess the foundations and predictions of climate change.

"Brilliant and fundamental, this is the necessary book about our prime global emergency. Here you'll find the facts, the processes, the physics of our complex and changing climate, but delivered with eloquence and urgency. Lawrence Krauss writes with a clarity that transcends mere politics. Prose and poetry were never better bedfellows." --Ian McEwan, Booker Prize-winning author of Solar and Machines Like Me

"Lawrence Krauss has written the ideal book for anyone interested in understanding the science of global warming. It is at once elegant, rigorous, and timely."--Elizabeth Kolbert, staff writer, The New Yorker, and Pulitzer prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction

"A brief, brilliant, and charming summary of what physicists know about climate change and how they learned it." --Sheldon Glashow, Nobel Laureate in Physics, Metcalf Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Boston University

"The distinguished scientist Lawrence Krauss turns his penetrating gaze on the most pressing existential threat facing our world: climate change. It is brimming with information lucidly analysed. Such hope as there is lies in science, and a physicist of Dr. Krauss's imaginative versatility is unusually qualified to offer it." --Richard Dawkins, author of The Blind Watchmaker and Science in the Soul

"Lucid and gripping, this study of the most severe challenge humans have ever faced leads the reader from the basic physics of climate change to recognition of the damage that humans have already caused and on to the prospects that lie ahead if we do not change course soon." --Noam Chomsky, Laureate Professor, University of Arizona, author of Internationalism or Extinction?

"Lawrence Krauss tells the story of climate change with erudition, urgency, and passion. It is our great good luck that one of our most brilliant scientists is also such a gifted writer. This book will change the way we think about the future." --Jennifer Finney Boylan, author of Good Boy and She's Not There

"Everything on climate change that I've seen is either dumbed down and bossy or written for other climate scientists. I've been looking for a book that can let me, a layperson, understand the science. This book does just what I was looking for. It is important." --Penn Jillette, Magician, author of Presto! and God, No!

"The renowned physicist Lawrence Krauss makes the science behind one of the most important issues of our time accessible to all." --Richard C. J. Somerville, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego

"Lawrence Krauss is a fine physicist, a talented writer, and a scientist deeply engaged with public affairs. His book deserves wide readership. The book's eloquent exposition of the science and the threats should enlighten all readers and motivate them to an urgent concern about our planet's future." --Lord Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal, former president of the Royal Society, author of On the Future: Prospects for Humanity

With fun, fascinating vignettes, a renowned neurobiologist illuminates the interconnectedness of plant life and how we can learn from it to better plan our communities.

We animals account for a paltry 0.3% of the planet's biomass while plants add up to 85%. And when, with just a little training, we are able to look at the world without seeing it solely as humanity's playground, we cannot help but notice the ubiquity of plants. They are everywhere, and their stories are inevitably bound up with ours. As every tree in a forest is linked to all the others by an underground network of roots, uniting them to form a super organism, so plants constitute the nervous system, the plan that is the "greenprint" of our world. To ignore the existence of this plan is one of the most serious threats to the survival of our species.
In this latest book, the brilliant Stefano Mancuso is back to illuminate the greenprint of our world. He does it through unforgettable stories starring plants that combine an inimitable narrative style with remarkable scientific rigor, from the story of the red spruce that gave Stradivarius the wood for his fourteen violins, to the Kauri tree stump, kept alive for decades by the interconnected root system of nearby trees. From the mystery of the slipperiness of the banana skin to the plant that solved the "crime of the century," the Lindbergh kidnapping, by way of wooden ladder rungs.

A charming guide to the mindful practice of observing and appreciating the magnificent colors of autumn foliage.

Reconnect with nature through the quiet practice of leaf-peeping. Every autumn, we're graced with a breathtaking spectacle as the leaves turn from green to amber and gold. But how often do we stop to appreciate it?

In this charming book, discover the fascinating science of leaf-turning, practical tips on where to find foliage, musings on what we can learn from the perennial, cyclical nature of leaves, as well as grounding rituals that encourage mindful observation of this stunning natural phenomenon. Line drawings and a textured case add a lovely visual and tactile component, and the petite trim size makes this perfect for taking on an adventure. At once meditative and insightful, LEAF PEEPING reminds us of the value of slowing down and paying attention to the many wonders that surround us.

NATURE AS THERAPY: The activities are easy and accessible to everyone who enjoys spending time outside. LEAF PEEPING will appeal to anyone who is looking for simple ways to practice mindfulness.

UNIQUE CONTENT: The hyper-specific topics in this series stand apart from other general nature books in this category, offering clear gifting moments and recipients. LEAF PEEPING is the first of its kind: Not only does it provide tips on where to find fall foliage, but it also provides fascinating tidbits about the science of leaf-turning and the culture of leaf-peeping, as well as mindful practices inspired by the cyclical nature of leaves.

MAKES A LOVELY GIFT: The POCKET NATURE series makes a thoughtful gift for a wide range of folks for nearly any occasion, gifted alongside outdoor gear or tucked in a holiday stocking.

Perfect for:

Nature lovers

Fans of autumn

East Coasters and those visiting the East Coast to leaf-peep

Mindfulness practitioners

Meditators

People looking to slow down and disconnect

People who purchased MINDFULNESS CARDS or NATURE MEDITATIONS

Always engaging, charming, funny and often moving . . . It made me want to pull on my stoutest boots and follow in his footsteps' Stephen Fry 'Beautiful, funny, fascinating, impossible-to-categorise . . . Like going on a great ramble with a knowledgeable, witty, engaging friend. Tom Cox brings magic to the most mundane of subjects' Marian Keyes 'Sheer bloody genius . . . I loved it. Then I loved it more' John Lewis-Stempel, author of Meadowlands A hill is not a mountain. You climb it for you, then you put it quietly inside you, in a cupboard marked 'Quite A Lot Of Hills' where it makes its infinitesimal mark on who you are. Ring the Hill is a book written around, and about, hills: it includes a northern hill, a hill that never ends and the smallest hill in England. Each chapter takes a type of hill - whether it's a knoll, cap, cliff, tor or even a mere bump - as a starting point for one of Tom's characteristically unpredictable and wide-ranging explorations. Tom's lyrical, candid prose roams from an intimate relationship with a particular cove on the south coast, to meditations on his great-grandmother and a lesson on what goes into the mapping of hills themselves. Because a good walk in the hills is never just about the hills: you never know where it might lead.

Few books have had a greater impact than A Sand County Almanac, which many credit with launching a revolution in land management. Written as a series of sketches based principally upon the flora and fauna in a rural part of Wisconsin, the book, originally published by Oxford in 1949, gathers informal pieces written by Leopold over a forty-year period as he traveled through the woodlands of Wisconsin, Iowa, Arizona, Sonora, Oregon, Manitoba, and elsewhere; a final section addresses the philosophical issues involved in wildlife conservation. Beloved for its description and evocation of the natural world, Leopold's book, which has sold well over 2 million copies, remains a foundational text in environmental science and a national treasure.

Dr. McAlister has captured her affection for the Diptera in The Secret Life of Flies, a short, rich book by turns informative and humorous, both a hymn of praise to her favorite creatures and a gleeful attempt to give readers the willies.
-- New York Times

An enjoyable and informative read. Highly recommended for anyone interested in biology and in particular those intrigued by entomology and zoology.
-- Library Journal

Stories and science about nature's most complex, crucial and highly adaptive insect.

The Secret Life of Flies takes readers into the hidden world of snail killers, con artists, crazy sex and a great many silly names. It dispels common misconceptions about flies and reveals how truly extraordinary, exotic and important are these misunderstood creatures.

There are 10 chapters:

1. The immature ones -- Squirmy wormy larvae can be just a bit unnerving.
2. The pollinators -- Those annoying No See Ums, or midge flies, are the only pollinator of the chocolate-producing cacao tree.
3. The detritivores -- These garbage eaters are often fluffy and thus water-repellent, good for a life spent in a sewer.
4. The vegetarians -- Entomological spelunkers, many of these flies prefer plant roots.
5. The fungivores -- The mushroom eaters include the dark-winged fungus gnats.
6. The predators -- Here are the most devious and imaginative methods of luring, capturing and eating prey.
7. The parasites -- Their methods of survival are often disgusting but the evolutionary genius is admirable.
8. The sanguivores -- Exactly why do we have blood-sucking disease-spreading mosquitos?
9. The coprophages -- The champions of dung, detritus and other unpleasant things.
10. The necrophages -- The body eaters without which we would be in a most disagreeable situation.

In clear language, McAlister explains Diptera taxonomy and forensic entomology, and describes the potential of flies to transform their relationship with humans from one of disease vector to partner in environmental preservation. She has a wonderful knack for storytelling, deftly transforming what could be dry descriptions of biology, reproduction and morphology into entertainment. She takes readers to piles of poo in Ethiopia by way of underground caves, latrines and backyard gardens, and opens the drawers at the Natural History Museum to rhapsodize over her favorite flies.

A beautifully illustrated, fully revised and updated flashcard deck for birdwatchers at every level from leading ornithologist David Sibley

Calling birders of all ages: There's no better way to start learning your birds! This new edition of the beloved Sibley Backyard Birding Flashcards offers 100 cards showing portraits of commonly seen North American birds from The Sibley Guide to Birds Second Edition.

One side features two depictions of a bird (either male or female; breeding and nonbreeding; or juvenile and adult), and the flip side offers a slew of details about the bird to commit to memory:

- Popular and Latin names
- Size, weight, wingspan
- Brief description
- Voice
- Habitat
- Full-color range map

Just pull a card, guess the name of the bird you see, and turn it over to see if you got it right. Then scan the additional information to learn more about the bird.

- Includes a checklist card of all the birds in the deck so you can note the birds you have seen
- For birders of all ages