Science and Math
The ultimate reference book for birdwatchers and bird lovers--the first single-volume book to illustrate all of the world's bird species
This is a book like no other--the only truly comprehensive, one-volume illustrated guide to all of the world's birds, covering the complete International Ornithological Congress World Bird List. Featuring more than 300 stunning large-format, full-color plates, this accessible and authoritative encyclopedic reference presents incredibly detailed, accurate, and beautiful paintings of more than 10,700 species by some of the world's best bird artists, led by the legendary Norman Arlott and Ber van Perlo. In addition, The Complete Birds of the World provides detailed but concise identification information about each species on facing pages--including facts about voice, habitat, and geographic distribution. The result is a visual and verbal feast that captures the astonishing variety of bird life around the planet--and that will be cherished by any birder.
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A dramatically new understanding of human history, challenging our most fundamental assumptions about social evolution--from the development of agriculture and cities to the origins of the state, democracy, and inequality--and revealing new possibilities for human emancipation.For generations, our remote ancestors have been cast as primitive and childlike--either free and equal innocents, or thuggish and warlike. Civilization, we are told, could be achieved only by sacrificing those original freedoms or by taming our baser instincts. In their major New York Times bestseller, The Dawn of Everything, David Graeber and David Wengrow fundamentally challenge these assumptions and recast our understanding of human history. We will never again see the past in the same way. Drawing on pathbreaking research in archaeology and anthropology, Graeber and Wengrow reveal how history becomes a far more interesting place once we learn to throw off our conceptual blinders and perceive what's really there. If humans did not spend 95 percent of their evolutionary past in tiny bands of hunter-gatherers, what were they doing during all that time? If agriculture and cities did not mean a plunge into hierarchy and domination, then what kinds of social and economic organizations did they lead to? The answers are often unexpected, and suggest that the course of human history may be less set in stone, and more open to playful, hopeful possibilities, than we tend to assume. Destined to be a classic, The Dawn of Everything signals a paradigm shift, profoundly transforming our understanding of the human past and making space to imagine new forms of freedom, new ways of organizing society. This is a monumental book of formidable intellectual and political range, animated by curiosity, moral vision, and hopefulness.
"The quality of the deep-sky images is outstanding--a tribute to the various photographers as well as the book's printer. But it's the written word that will make or break a book like this, and Sue's writing is superb... [For] an occasional stargazer, a serious observer, or anyone in between, you won't go wrong with Deep-Sky Wonders. This is a great introduction to deep-sky stargazing for novice and experienced amateur astronomers alike."
--Mercury, publication of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Sue French writes the popular column "Deep-Sky Wonders" for Sky and Telescope magazine and also teaches deep sky observation. She has earned a loyal following among enthusiasts and is welcomed by beginners for her skill at presenting astronomy in an understandable way. After selling 10,000 copies of Deep-Sky Wonders in hardcover, we expect a good response for this paperback edition at an accessible price.
Deep-Sky Wonders is a collection of 100 of French's best "Deep-Sky Wonders" columns originally published in Sky and Telescope, which has a monthly readership exceeding 100,000. The book is organized by season and subdivided into months for a total of 100 in-depth tours of the deep sky. Each deep sky tour illuminates little-known seasonal wonders that lie off the beaten path.
Features include:
- Full-color photographs and detailed sketches of each deep sky tour
- Descriptions of double and variable stars, star clusters, nebulae, galaxies and exotics
- Historical and scientific background of particular interest
- A tabular listing of the deep-sky sites
- Color charts showing the position of each target in the night sky
- An index to all of the deep-sky objects covered.
Deep-Sky Wonders also features a variety of challenging objects that encourage observers to test the limits of their equipment and skills. Suitable for beginner and intermediate small-scope astronomers as well as large-scope viewers and astrophotographers, this book will be greeted enthusiastically by all Sky and Telescope readers. It is also an outstanding introduction to deep-sky viewing for novice observers.
"Unusual and fascinating... Read this book and enter into another world."-- Jane GoodallIn this sensuous and moving memoir, a young man forms a powerful connection with deer while living alone in the woods for seven years.Geoffroy Delorme does not fit in the human world. As a boy, he dreams of transforming into a fox so he can escape into the forest. As he gets older, he disappears into the woods at night, drawn to the rhythms of animal life. One night, an encounter with a deer changes his life: from then on, he knows he wants to live among them. Delorme becomes a creature of the forest. He learns to live without a tent or sleeping bag and forage for whatever food he can find. He blends in with the deer and, slowly, they accept him into their world. He witnesses their births and deaths, courtship and battles, ostracism and friendship over the cycles of their lives. Among the deer, he experiences the beauty, pain, fear, and joy of a life lived as a part of nature, not separate from it.In his final year in the forest, Delorme meets a woman walking through the trees. He knows he can stay in the forest and die with his friends--or he can leave, and speak their truth to a human world that desperately needs to hear it. Deer Man is a moving story of what it's like to be an outsider and how forming connections with the natural world can help us feel less alone. A unique and powerful window into how far one human is willing to go to understand an animal, Deer Man asks us to never take for granted the flora and fauna of our world, and to work for their protection in whatever ways we can.
Forage all across the country with this informative guide to 274 edible plants, presented by expert Green Deane.
Eating wild edibles is in our genes, and it can be healthy fun! It's seasonal, sufficient, varied, and provides plenty of nutrients. It yields the satisfaction born of food independence and competence. There's no packaging, no labeling, no advertising, and no genetic tinkering involved. But which plants should you eat--and when should you eat them?
Let "Green Deane" Jordan guide you with Eat the Weeds. Green Deane teaches foraging classes and runs a popular foraging website (also called Eat the Weeds). Now he's sharing his expertise with you. Eat the Weeds presents 274 wild foods and helps you to find, identify, and harvest them. The book begins with an introduction that includes tips for using this comprehensive book. The weeds are organized alphabetically, and an extensive index further helps you find what you're looking for. Plus, a fascinating and informative table aids in choosing plants based on their notable nutrients!
Perhaps you recognize a shortage in your diet of a specific vitamin and/or mineral. This guide points you to the plants that could remedy it. The information appeals to everyone from foragers, gardeners, and nature-lovers to raw food enthusiasts, vegans, and survivalists. Each entry includes an introduction to the plant and recommended methods for preparing it, as well as its nutritional information. Yes, nearly every featured wild edible includes a full nutrition table! Color photographs and visual descriptions assist you in field identification, and Green Deane's insights are invaluable, whether you're a beginning forager or someone with plenty of experience.
Foraging is a treasure hunt, so eat healthier, save money, and have fun while enjoying Earth's delicious and nutritious bounty.