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  1. Natural History

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  • Natural History

Natural History

Large 9781847925206

Entangled Life - How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake

$40.00 NZD

Available Stock:
12

Category: Natural History

'A dazzling, vibrant, vision-changing book. Sentence after sentence stopped me short. I ended it wonderstruck at the fungal world. A remarkable work by a remarkable writer' - ROBERT MACFARLANE, author of Underland. There is a lifeform so strange and wondrous that it forces us to rethink how life works. .. Neither plant nor animal, it is found throughout the earth, the air and our bodies. It can be microscopic, yet also accounts for the largest organisms ever recorded, living for millennia and weighing tens of thousands of tonnes. Its ability to digest rock enabled the first life on land, it can survive unprotected in space, and thrives amidst nuclear radiation. In this captivating adventure, Merlin Sheldrake explores the spectacular and neglected world of fungi: endlessly surprising organisms that sustain nearly all living systems. They can solve problems without a brain, stretching traditional definitions of 'intelligence', and can manipulate animal behaviour with devastating precision. In giving us bread, alcohol and life-saving medicines, fungi have shaped human history, and their psychedelic properties, which have influenced societies since antiquity, have recently been shown to alleviate a number of mental illnesses. The ability of fungi to digest plastic, explosives, pesticides and crude oil is being harnessed in break-through technologies, and the discovery that they connect plants in underground networks, the 'Wood Wide Web', is transforming the way we understand ecosystems. Yet they live their lives largely out of sight, and over ninety percent of their species remain undocumented. Entangled Life is a mind-altering journey into this hidden kingdom of life, and shows that fungi are key to understanding the planet on which we live, and the ways we think, feel and behave. The more we learn about fungi, the less makes sense without them. ...Show more

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Large 9780008333362

On the Origin of Evolution: Tracing 'Darwin's Dangerous Idea' from Aristotle to Dawkins by John Gribbin; Mary Gribbin

$50.00 NZD

Available Stock:
1

Category: History

The theory of evolution by natural selection did not spring fully formed and unprecedented from the brain of Charles Darwin. Rather it has been examined and debated by philosophers the world over for thousands of years. This lively history traces the evolution of the idea of evolution, showing how it ha s changed and been changed by different societies over time. It will put 'Darwin's Dangerous Idea' into its proper context, showing how it built on what went before and how it was developed in the twentieth century, through an understanding of genetics and the biochemical basis evolution. None of this diminishes the achievement of Darwin himself in perceiving the way evolution works at the level of individuals and species, but his contribution was one link in a chain that extends back into antiquity, and is still being forged today. ...Show more

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Large 9781760642532

The Language of Butterflies by Wendy Williams

$37.00 NZD

Available Stock:
20

Category: Natural History

An enthralling look at one of the world's most beautiful and resilient animals, and the role they play in our ecosystem Butterflies are beloved across the globe, adorning gardens, parks and zoos. Their feats are staggering - monarchs migrate thousands of kilometres each year. They are smarter than we th ink - some species have learned to fool ants into taking care of them. Their beauty has led many to obsession - lepidopterists (butterfly-seekers) have died in search of particular species, frenzied and driven mad in the pursuit of colour. What draws us to these creatures so intensely? Why do they live so briefly? How do they get their colours? Science journalist Wendy Williams investigates butterflies across the globe, their habitats and those dedicated to studying them. She examines the ancient partnership between butterflies and humans, and the ways we depend on them today - from a bellwether on climate change to a source of life-saving medical technology. For lovers of Sy Montgomery's The Soul of an Octopusand Peter Wohlleben's The Hidden Life of Trees, this melodious book reveals the inner lives of these special creatures and shows why they continue to fascinate us. Touching, eye-opening and profound, it is a love letter to these vanishing species, and a celebration of the beauty and joy they bring to our world. ...Show more

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Large 9780224097017

Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald

$38.00 NZD

Available Stock:
13

Category: Natural History | Reading Level: near fine

Animals don't exist to teach us things, but that is what they have always done, and most of what they teach us is what we think we know about ourselves. From the internationally acclaimed author of H is for Hawk comes Vesper Flights, a transcendent collection of essays about the human relationship to th e natural world. In Vesper Flights Helen Macdonald brings together a collection of her best loved pieces, along with new essays on topics and stories ranging from nostalgia and science fiction to the true account of a refugee's flight to the UK. Her pieces ranges from accounts of swan upping on the Thames to watching tens of thousands of cranes in Hungary to seeking the last golden orioles in Suffolk's poplar forests. She writes about wild boar, swifts, mushroom hunting, migraines, the strangeness of birds' nests, what we do when we watch wildlife and why. This is a book about observation, fascination, time, memory, love and loss and how we make the world around us, by one of this century's most important and insightful nature writers. ...Show more

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Large 9781877566301

Call of the Kokako by Jeff Hudson

$35.00 NZD

Available Stock:
3

Category: Natural History

Call of the Kokako is a journey of discovery into what makes the kokako ‘tick’ in order to save the species. This journey and work resulted in the restoration of the largest population of kokako in New Zealand with the help and dedication of many down to earth conservationists. Jeff Hudson spent 20 year s helping to save the kokako from extinction. He was a passionate, multi-talented man who made an enormous impression on all those lucky enough to work and socialize with him. He was a musician, a raconteur, a formidable bushman, and an inspirational teacher. He is fondly remembered as ‘the birdman’; indeed, the local iwi have erected a carved statue in his honour at the Otamatuna hut in Te Urewera National Park. Jeff first came into contact with the kokako as a possum trapper in the Bay of Plenty. His skills in locating the kokako in remote areas got him a position with the Department of Conservation, where he turned from trapper to bird expert. He tells how he gained insights into the kokako’s behaviour and ecology, as well as developing an appreciation of the workings of New Zealand’s forests. His acute observation skills and musical ability led to breakthroughs in understanding kokako nesting behaviour and the importance of their unique song dialects. Jeff directed the biggest survey of kokako ever attempted and was key to engineering the recovery of the species, especially in Te Urewera National Park. The successful recovery of existing kokako populations by controlling predators lead to transfers of birds to start new populations elsewhere. Jeff became the National Kokako Recovery Group leader and led the first series of large transfers and the first transfer onto Maori owned land on the east coast. The methods that were developed then are now in wide use today. Jeff had real charisma, and was well known beyond New Zealand conservation circles. He has co-authored research papers; appeared in the New Zealand Geographic magazine; was the inspiration for characters in Barry Crump’s ‘Pork and Watercress’, and the radio play ‘King Pig’ (Colin Rock, Radio New Zealand), Jeff died from cancer in late 2007, but dictated this book during his illness. He talks lovingly about the bush, the birds, his fellow workers, but also of political intrigues, bureaucracy, and scientific research. Every person engaged in or interested in animal conservation will appreciate this story. New Zealanders, in particular, will enjoy the laconic style. This is a story that hasn’t been told before and will be an eye-opener to those who read it. ...Show more

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Large 9780340895900

The Cloudspotter's Guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney

$30.00 NZD

Available Stock:
3

Category: Natural History | Reading Level: very good

'The clouds are nature's poetry, and the most egalitarian of her displays, since everyone has an equally fantastic view of them. Clouds are for dreamers, and their contemplation benefits the soul. Yet their beauty is so everyday as to be in danger of being overlooked ...' Gavin Pretor Pinney is the chai rman and founder member of the Cloud Appreciation Society. He contends that we are blessed in this country with a uniquely rich and varied cloudscape, which has hitherto been sadly undervalued. His book teaches us to appreciate their different varieties - the cumulus, nimbostratus and Morning Glory to name only a few - and all their beauties and significances, both meteorological and cultural. We learn how Hindus believed the cumulus clouds were the spiritual cousins of elephants, how thermal air currents act on fair weather cumuli, and how to save a fortune in psychiatric bills by using the clouds as Rorschach images that reflect our state of mind as well as nature's moods. Looking up will never be the same again. ...Show more

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Large 9781473656857

Incredible Journeys - Exploring the Wonders of Animal Navigation by David Barrie

$28.00 NZD

Available Stock:
2

Category: Natural History | Reading Level: near fine

THE SUNDAY TIMES NATURE BOOK OF THE YEAR 'A compelling investigation of navigation in the animal kingdom.' Mail on Sunday 'David Barrie, who himself has sailed the oceans using a sextant, is passionate about navigation and describes in delightful detail the myriad ways in which animals get around ... eye-opening book.' Frans de Waal, New York Times 'Only a sailor could relate the navigational powers of both humans and animals with such appreciation, excitement, and precision. Thank you, David Barrie, for taking us along on these riveting voyages by sail and wing, hoof and flipper. We arrive surprised, delighted, and awed.' Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus 'Immensely entertaining... [Barrie] is an admirably reliable and assiduous guide to what we do and don't yet know.' Andrew Holgate, Sunday Times 'Barrie has a good eye for colourful detail.' Kathryn Hughes, Mail on Sunday 'This is a must-read for anyone fascinated with the wonders of nature.' Publishers Weekly In Incredible Journeys, award-winning author David Barrie takes us on a tour of the cutting-edge science of animal navigation, where breakthroughs are allowing scientists to unravel, for the first time, how animals as various as butterflies, birds, crustaceans, fish, reptiles and even people find their way. Weaving interviews with leading experts on animal behaviour with the groundbreaking discoveries of Nobel-Prize winning neuroscientists, Barrie shines a light on the astounding skills of animals of every stripe. Dung beetles that steer by the light of the Milky Way. Ants and bees that navigate using patterns of light invisible to humans. Sea turtles, spiny lobsters and moths that find their way using the Earth's magnetic field. Salmon that return to their birthplace by following their noses. Baleen whales that swim thousands of miles while holding a rock-steady course and birds that can locate their nests on a tiny island after crisscrossing an entire ocean. There's a stunning diversity of animal navigators out there, often using senses and skills we humans don't have access to ourselves. For the first time, Incredible Journeys reveals the wonders of these animals in a whole new light. ...Show more

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Large 9781786078520

Salmon: A Fish, the Earth, and the History of a Common Fate by Mark Kurlansky

$43.00 NZD

Available Stock:
2

Category: Natural History

Most of what we do on land ends up impacting the ocean, but never is that clearer than when we look at salmon. Centuries of our greatest assaults on nature, from overfishing to dams, from hatcheries to fish farms, from industrial pollution to the ravages of climate change, can be seen in their harrowing yet awe-inspiring life cycle. From the Pacific to the Atlantic, through Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Iceland, Japan and Siberia, Mark Kurlansky traces the history of the world through his fish-eye lens, laying bare our misdirected attempts to manipulate salmon for our own benefit. Attempts that have had a devastating impact on both fish and earth. Now, the only way to save salmon is to save the planet, and the only way to save the planet may be to save the salmon. ...Show more

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Large 9780761180517

Ocean : A Photicular Book by Dan Kainen (Created by); Carol Kaufmann (Text by, As told to)

$50.00 NZD

Available Stock:
2

Category: Natural History

A New York Times bestseller, Ocean is like being on a dive. Using Photicular technology, each image is like a 3-D movie on the page, delivering a rich, fluid visual experience. Open the book, and the reader is swept into the magic of an underwater world, face-to-face with a floating Yellow-Banded Sweet lips; with a glow-in-the-dark Deep-Sea Anglerfish; with a Sea Horse swaying in balletic motion; with a Sand Tiger Shark gliding along the ocean floor, its gaze haunting, its hook-toothed mouth gulping open and closed. The text by Carol Kaufmann enchants with its descriptions of coral reefs; a journey on Alvin, the 17-ton submersible; and a meditation on our oceans. Then, for each creature, she writes a lively and informative essay, along with vital statistics--size, habitat, range, diet, and more. The Photicular process uses an innovative lenticular technology, sliding lenses, and original four-color video imagery. The result is like a movie in your hands--the dance of life in a book.   ...Show more

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Large 9781529405262

Bees and Their Keepers - In Religion, Revolution and Evolution by Frank Perry (Translator); Lotte Möller

$45.00 NZD

Available Stock:
2

Category: Natural History

A beautifully illustrated and thoroughly engaging cultural history of beekeeping - packed with anecdote, humour and enriching historical detail. The perfect gift. Beekeeper and garden historian Lotte Möller explores the activities inside and outside the hive while charting the bees' natural order and ha bits. With a light touch she uses her encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject to shed light on humanity's understanding of bees and bee lore from antiquity to the present. A humorous debunking of the myths that have held for centuries is matched by a wry exploration of how and when they were replaced by fact. In her travels Möller encounters a trigger-happy Californian beekeeper raging against both killer bees and bee politics, warring beekeepers on the Danish island of Læso, and Brother Adam of Buckfast Abbey, breeder of the Buckfast queen now popular throughout Europe and beyond, as well a host of others as passionate as she about the complex world of apiculture both past and present. Translated from the Swedish by Frank Perry - Sweden's Gardening Book of the Year 2019, shortlisted for the August Prize 2019 ...Show more

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Large 9781877505164

A Forager's Treasury: A New Zealand Guide to Finding and Using Wild Plants by Johanna Knox

$38.00 NZD

Available Stock:
2

Category: Cooking | Reading Level: Very Good

A New Zealand guide to the art of foraging - the ultimate guide to finding sustainable, free and fascinating plants. In New Zealand's urban and rural wildernesses, there is an abundance of food just waiting to be discovered, if only you know what to look for. Foraged food is healthy, economical and sus tainable, but the best part about it is the fun you will have finding wild food. This book is guaranteed to make you look at the plants around you in a different light. A Forager's Treasury features profiles of many edible plants commonly found in New Zealand, including advice on where to find them, how to harvest them and how best to use them. ...Show more

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Large 9781788161602

Working with Nature: Saving and Using the World's Wild Places by Jeremy Purseglove

$25.00 NZD

Available Stock:
2

Category: Natural History

From cocoa farming in Ghana to the orchards of Kent and the desert badlands of Pakistan, taking a practical approach to sustaining the landscape can mean the difference between prosperity and ruin. Working with Nature is the story of a lifetime of work, often in extreme environments, to harvest nature a nd protect it - in effect, gardening on a global scale. It is also a memoir of encounters with larger-than-life characters such as William Bunting, the gun-toting saviour of Yorkshire's peatlands and the aristocratic gardener Vita Sackville-West, examining their idiosyncratic approaches to conservation.Jeremy Purseglove explains clearly and convincingly why it's not a good idea to extract as many resources as possible, whether it's the demand for palm oil currently denuding the forests of Borneo, cottonfield irrigation draining the Aral Sea, or monocrops spreading across Britain. The pioneer of engineering projects to preserve nature and landscape, first in Britain and then around the world, he offers fresh insights and solutions at each step. ...Show more

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Page & Blackmore Booksellers Ltd

254 Trafalgar Street, (PO Box 200), Nelson, New Zealand
Tel - (03) 548 9992

Email: info@pageandblackmore.co.nz

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