As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders, family, and history that the Potawatomi, as well as a majority of other cultures indigenous to this land, consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowing together to reveal what it means to see humans as "the younger brothers of creation". As she explores these themes, she circles toward a central argument: The awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgement and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the world. Once we begin to listen for the languages of other beings, we can begin to understand the innumerable life-giving gifts the world provides us and learn to offer our thanks, our care, and our own gifts in return. Read more

An Instant New York Times Bestseller From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world.As Indigenous scientist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most? Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love. Meanwhile, the serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth—its abundance of sweet, juicy berries—to meet the needs of its natural community. And this distribution ensures its own survival. As Kimmerer explains, “Serviceberries show us another model, one based upon reciprocity, where wealth comes from the quality of your relationships, not from the illusion of self-sufficiency.” As Elizabeth Gilbert writes, Robin Wall Kimmerer is “a great teacher, and her words are a hymn of love to the world.” The Serviceberry is an antidote to the broken relationships and misguided goals of our times, and a reminder that “hoarding won’t save us, all flourishing is mutual.” Robin Wall Kimmerer is donating her advance payments from this book as a reciprocal gift, back to the land, for land protection, restoration, and justice. Read more

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The New Yorker’s Best Books of 2024 • TIME’s 10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2024 • New York Magazine’s 10 Best Books of the Year • Washington Post’s 50 Notable Works of Nonfiction of 2024 • Smithsonian’s 10 Best Science Books of the Year •  A Best Book of the Year: Boston Globe, Scientific American,New York Public Library, Christian Science Monitor, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly • An Amazon Best Nonfiction Book of the Year“A masterpiece of science writing.” –Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass“Mesmerizing, world-expanding, and achingly beautiful.” –Ed Yong, author of An Immense World“Rich, vital, and full of surprises. Read it!” –Elizabeth Kolbert, author of Under a White Sky and The Sixth Extinction “A brilliant must-read. This book shook and changed me.” –David George Haskell, author of Sounds Wild and Broken, The Songs of Trees, and The Forest UnseenAward-winning Atlantic staff writer Zoë Schlanger delivers a groundbreaking work of popular science that probes the hidden world of the plant kingdom, “destabilizing not just how we see the green things of the world but also our place in the hierarchy of beings, and maybe the notion of that hierarchy itself.” (The New Yorker)It takes tremendous biological creativity to be a plant. To survive and thrive while rooted in a single spot, plants have adapted ingenious methods of survival. In recent years, scientists have learned about their ability to communicate, recognize their kin and behave socially, hear sounds, morph their bodies to blend into their surroundings, store useful memories that inform their life cycle, and trick animals into behaving to their benefit, to name just a few remarkable talents.The Light Eaters is a deep immersion into the drama of green life and the complexity of this wild and awe-inspiring world that challenges our very understanding of agency, consciousness, and intelligence. In looking closely, we see that plants, rather than imitate human intelligence, have perhaps formed a parallel system. What is intelligent life if not a vine that grows leaves to blend into the shrub on which it climbs, a flower that shapes its bloom to fit exactly the beak of its pollinator, a pea seedling that can hear water flowing and make its way toward it? Zoë Schlanger takes us across the globe, digging into her own memories and into the soil with the scientists who have spent their waking days studying these amazing entities up close.What can we learn about life on Earth from the living things that thrive, adapt, consume, and accommodate simultaneously? More important, what do we owe these life forms once we come to understand their rich and varied abilities? Examining the latest epiphanies in botanical research, Schlanger spotlights the intellectual struggles among the researchers conceiving a wholly new view of their subject, offering a glimpse of a field in turmoil as plant scientists debate the tenets of ongoing discoveries and how they influence our understanding of what a plant is.We need plants to survive. But what do they need us for—if at all? An eye-opening and informative look at the ecosystem we live in, this book challenges us to rethink the role of plants—and our own place—in the natural world. Read more

How do trees live? Do they feel pain or have awareness of their surroundings? Research is now suggesting trees are capable of much more than we have ever known. In The Hidden Life of Trees, forester Peter Wohlleben puts groundbreaking scientific discoveries into a language everyone can relate to. In The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben shares his deep love of woods and forests and explains the amazing processes of life, death and regeneration he has observed in the woodland and the amazing scientific processes behind the wonders, of which we are blissfully unaware. Much like human families, tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them and support them as they grow, sharing nutrients with those who are sick or struggling and creating an ecosystem that mitigates the impact of extremes of heat and cold for the whole group. As a result of such interactions, trees in a family or community are protected and can live to be very old. In contrast, solitary trees, like street kids, have a tough time of it and in most cases die much earlier than those in a group. Drawing on groundbreaking new discoveries, Wohlleben presents the science behind the secret and previously unknown lives of trees and their communication abilities; he describes how these discoveries have informed his own practices in the forest around him. As he says, a happy forest is a healthy forest, and he believes that ecofriendly practices not only are economically sustainable but also benefit the health of our planet and the mental and physical health of all who live on Earth. After a walk through the woods with Wohlleben, you'll never look at trees the same way again. Read more

Winner, A Friend of Darwin Award, 2024 A gorgeously composed look at the longstanding relationship between prehistoric plants and life on EarthFossils plants allow us to touch the lost worlds from billions of years of evolutionary backstory. Each petrified leaf and root show us that dinosaurs, saber-toothed cats, and even humans would not exist without the evolutionary efforts of their leafy counterparts. It has been the constant growth of plants that have allowed so many of our favorite, fascinating prehistoric creatures to evolve, oxygenating the atmosphere, coaxing animals onto land, and forming the forests that shaped our ancestors’ anatomy. It is impossible to understand our history without them. Or, our future.Using the same scientifically informed narrative technique that listeners loved in the award-winning The Last Days of the Dinosaurs, Riley Black brings us back in time to prehistoric seas, swamps, forests, and savannas where critical moments in plant evolution unfolded. Each chapter stars plants and animals alike, underscoring how the interactions between species have helped shape the world we call home. As the chapters move upwards in time, Black guides listeners along the burgeoning trunk of the Tree of Life, stopping to appreciate branches of an evolutionary story that links the world we know with one we can only just perceive now through the silent stone, from ancient roots to the present. A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press. Read more

Botany in a Day is now available in a full-color version. With more than 50,000 copies sold, this is a passport to identifying plants and their uses. Looking for a faster, easier, and engaging way to identify plants? Related plants have similar characteristics, and they often have similar uses. Rather than learning new plants one-at-a-time, it is possible to learn them by the hundreds, based on plant family patterns.Each family of related plants has unique patterns for identification. Learn to recognize these patterns, and discover them again and again in the plants you encounter. It is possible to instantly recognize a plant never before seen, and in many cases, to know its edible or medicinal properties on the spot-even before you have identified it down to the species!Botany in a Day is changing the way people learn about plants. A one-day tutorial introduces eight of the world's most common plant families, applicable to more than 45,000 species of plants. Master these eight patterns and have the skills to recognize an astonishing number of plants on any continent. Add to your repertoire by keying out entirely unknown plants and learning additional family patterns.Botany in a Day is principally written for North America, but used and adored by readers all over the world. It is used as a textbook in numerous universities, high schools, and herbal schools. This book is widely used in nature programs and promoted in national parks. Botany in a Day is your passport connection to nature and discovering the amazing world of plants! Read more

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NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER From the world's leading forest ecologist who forever changed how people view trees and their connections to one another and to other living things in the forest—a moving, deeply personal journey of discovery“Finding the Mother Tree reminds us that the world is a web of stories, connecting us to one another. [The book] carries the stories of trees, fungi, soil and bears—and of a human being listening in on the conversation. The interplay of personal narrative, scientific insights and the amazing revelations about the life of the forest make a compelling story.”—Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding SweetgrassSuzanne Simard is a pioneer on the frontier of plant communication and intelligence; her TED talks have been viewed by more than 10 million people worldwide.In this, her first book, now available in audio, Simard brings us into her world, the intimate world of the trees, in which she brilliantly illuminates the fascinating and vital truths—that trees are not simply the source of timber or pulp, but are a complicated, interdependent circle of life; that forests are social, cooperative creatures connected through underground networks by which trees communicate their vitality and vulnerabilities with communal lives not that different from our own.Simard writes—in inspiring, illuminating, and accessible ways—how trees, living side by side for hundreds of years, have evolved, how they learn and adapt their behaviors, recognize neighbors, compete and cooperate with one another with sophistication, characteristics ascribed to human intelligence, traits that are the essence of civil societies—and at the center of it all, the Mother Trees: the mysterious, powerful forces that connect and sustain the others that surround them.And Simard writes of her own life, born and raised into a logging world in the rainforests of British Columbia, of her days as a child spent cataloging the trees from the forest and how she came to love and respect them. And as she writes of her scientific quest, she writes of her own journey, making us understand how deeply human scientific inquiry exists beyond data and technology, that it is about understanding who we are and our place in the world. Read more

Living at the limits of our ordinary perception, mosses are a common but largely unnoticed element of the natural world. Gathering Moss is a beautifully written mix of science and personal reflection that invites readers to explore and learn from the elegantly simple lives of mosses.Robin Wall Kimmerer's book is not an identification guide, nor is it a scientific treatise. Rather, it is a series of linked personal essays that will lead general readers and scientists alike to an understanding of how mosses live and how their lives are intertwined with the lives of countless other beings, from salmon and hummingbirds to redwoods and rednecks. Kimmerer clearly and artfully explains the biology of mosses, while at the same time reflecting on what these fascinating organisms have to teach us.Drawing on her diverse experiences as a scientist, mother, teacher, and writer of Native American heritage, Kimmerer explains the stories of mosses in scientific terms as well as in the framework of indigenous ways of knowing. In her book, the natural history and cultural relationships of mosses become a powerful metaphor for ways of living in the world.Gathering Moss will appeal to a wide range of readers, from bryologists to those interested in natural history and the environment, Native Americans, and contemporary nature and science writing. Read more

In Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany, Dr. Catherine Kleier invites us to open our eyes to the phenomenal world of plant life and to the process she calls “Natura Revelata”, the joy of celebrating and learning from the secrets of nature.As Dr. Kleier shares her knowledge with contagious excitement for her subject, she emphasizes the middle ground: Instead of focusing on cell microbiology or the study of ecosystems and habitats, she stresses the basic biology, function, and the amazing adaptations of the plants we see all around us. Dr. Kleier proposes and establishes that there is pleasure to be found in being able to identify and understand the workings of that tree outside the window.With almost 400,000 known species and thousands more identified every year, the variety of plant life is almost overwhelming - from the microscopic to the largest organism on Earth. In this course, you will learn about the fascinating adaptations that have allowed plants to thrive in almost every corner of the world and the unique plants that have evolved as a result.You’ll learn about the latest discoveries regarding plant communication, the myriad ways they manage and shape their own environments, and why botanists are still debating what it really means to be a unique species.PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio. Read more

A New York Times best-selling author explains how the physical world shaped the history of our speciesWhen we talk about human history, we often focus on great leaders, population forces, and decisive wars. But how has the earth itself determined our destiny? Our planet wobbles, driving changes in climate that forced the transition from nomadism to farming. Mountainous terrain led to the development of democracy in Greece. Atmospheric circulation patterns later on shaped the progression of global exploration, colonization, and trade. Even today, voting behavior in the southeast United States ultimately follows the underlying pattern of 75 million-year-old sediments from an ancient sea. Everywhere is the deep imprint of the planetary on the human.From the cultivation of the first crops to the founding of modern states, Origins reveals the breathtaking impact of the earth beneath our feet on the shape of our human civilizations. Read more

The book that helped make Michael Pollan, the New York Times bestselling author of Cooked and The Omnivore’s Dilemma, one of the most trusted food experts in AmericaIn 1637, one Dutchman paid as much for a single tulip bulb as the going price of a town house in Amsterdam. Three and a half centuries later, Amsterdam is once again the mecca for people who care passionately about one particular plant—though this time the obsessions revolves around the intoxicating effects of marijuana rather than the visual beauty of the tulip. How could flowers, of all things, become such objects of desire that they can drive men to financial ruin?In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan argues that the answer lies at the heart of the intimately reciprocal relationship between people and plants. In telling the stories of four familiar plant species that are deeply woven into the fabric of our lives, Pollan illustrates how they evolved to satisfy humankinds’s most basic yearnings—and by doing so made themselves indispensable. For, just as we’ve benefited from these plants, the plants, in the grand co-evolutionary scheme that Pollan evokes so brilliantly, have done well by us. The sweetness of apples, for example, induced the early Americans to spread the species, giving the tree a whole new continent in which to blossom. So who is really domesticating whom?Weaving fascinating anecdotes and accessible science into gorgeous prose, Pollan takes us on an absorbing journey that will change the way we think about our place in nature. Read more

This bestselling reference guide is essential for any experienced or buddening gardener. All questions about complex plant processes can be found in the Botany for Gardeners. First published in 1990 with more than 260,000 copies sold, it has become the go-to introduction to botany for students and gardeners. Now in its fourth edition, Botany for Gardeners has been expanded and updated. It features a revised interior, with new photos and illustrations.  Additional updates address scientific advances, changes in nomenclature and taxonomy, and more. As before, Botany for Gardeners shares accessible information about how plants are organized, how they have adapted to nearly all environments on earth, their essential functions, and how they reproduce.“This should be the cornerstone of every gardener’s library.” —Jeff Gillman, Director of the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens  Read more

Combining graceful design and beautiful imagery, this book provides an elegant introduction to the plant kingdom.Discover the extraordinary diversity of the plant world―and how plants work―with this photographic celebration of the trees, flowers, and foliage plants that share our planet. From tiny mosses and delicate ferns to vibrant blooms and stately palms, The Science of Plants invites you to explore the plant kingdom from the ground up, and from root to leaf tip. DK’s elegant introduction to botany is packed with sumptuous photos and crystal-clear artworks that explain the mechanics of photosynthesis, why leaves change color, how cacti store water, and how seeds know when to grow. Filled with fascinating stories of how plants protect themselves from predators, and how flowers use color and scent to interact with―and manipulate―the creatures around them, The Science of Plants is a fresh and engaging introduction to the mysterious inner workings of the plant world. Read more

Designed as a light-weight and field-portable reference booklet, Wild Edible Plants of Texas: Volume 1, highlights the Lone Star State's most important edible wild plants. To the point and understandable, this guide best suits the prepper or outdoor enthusiast in need of a salient introduction to the field. No fluff. Just the facts.A discussion of each plant's edible use and preparation is the publication's primary aim, though space is also given to range and habitat, medicinal uses (if applicable), cautions, and noteworthy special considerations. Helpful additions include sustenance ratings (low, medium, or high), collection timing and desired plant-part indicators, county-by-county map-images, over 160 color photos, and a general index.Some of the entries have a greater-than Texas range, however many are uniquely Texan and hail from a specific region. West Texas' Chihuahuan Desert, the Hill Country of the Edwards Plateau, the Plains of the Panhandle, and the Piney Woods and Swamplands of the state's Coastal Plain all are botanically represented.Plant List: Agave, Algerita, Amaranth, Arrowhead, Black Cherry, Blackberry, Bumelia, Cattail, Cholla, Dayflower, Devil's Claw, Dewberry, Dock, Dwarf Palmetto, Elder, Flameflower, Graythorn, Ground Cherry, Hackberry, Hickory, Indian Strawberry, Kudzu, Lambsquarters, Lemonade Berry, London Rocket, Lotus, Madrone, Mallow, Mesquite, Mulberry, Nettle, Oak, Passionflower, Pawpaw, Pecan, Pennywort, Persimmon, Pokeweed, Prickly Pear, Redbud, Rusty Blackhaw, Sorrel, Spring Beauty, Sugarberry, Thistle, Turk's Cap, Walnut, Wild Gourd, Wild Grape, Wild Oats, Wild Onion, Wild Plum, Wild Sunflower, Winecup, Yaupon Holly, Yellow Nutsedge, Yucca (Fruit), and Yucca (Stalk). Read more

“Weaves science and history into an absorbing exploration of the many ways that plants rise to the challenge of living.” —Merlin Sheldrake, author of Entangled LifeAn astonishing window into the inner world of plants, and the cutting-edge science in plant intelligence.Decades of research document plants’ impressive abilities: they communicate with each other, manipulate other species, and move in sophisticated ways. Lesser known, however, is that although plants may not have brains, their internal workings reveal a system not unlike the neuronal networks running through our own bodies. They can learn and remember, possessing an intelligence that allows them to behave in flexible, forward-looking, and goal-directed ways.In Planta Sapiens, Paco Calvo, a leading figure in the philosophy of plant signaling and behavior, offers an entirely new perspective on plants’ worlds, showing for the first time how we can use tools developed to study animal cognition in a quest to understand plant intelligence. Plants learn from experience: wild strawberries can be taught to link light intensity with nutrient levels in the soil, and flowers can time pollen production to pollinator visits. Plants have social intelligence, releasing chemicals from their roots and leaves to speak to and identify one another. They make decisions about where to invest their growth, judging risk based on the resources available. Their individual preferences vary, too—plants have personalities.Calvo also illuminates how plants inspire technological advancements, from robotics to AI. Most importantly, he demonstrates that plants are not objects: they have their own agency. If we recognize plants as actors alongside us in the climate crisis—rather than seeing them simply as resources for carbon capture and food production—plants may just be able to help us tackle our most urgent problems. Read more

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Exploding myths and providing key takeaway advice for gardeners at any level, this book provides a shortcut to decades of gardening experience by explaining the science behind how a garden grows.How often should I water my plants? What’s the most effective slug deterrent? Could I breed my own unique variety of flower? Do plants have intelligence? Does it really matter when and how I prune? And why is my compost heap so slimy? If you find yourself seeking the answers to these questions and many more, then this may be the book for you!The world of gardening can be a mystifying place, with so many instructions to follow and often little explanation as to why. Dr Stuart Farrimond casts his scientific eye over the garden to answer all the horticultural questions you’ve ever wondered about.Get your gardening gloves on and dive straight in to discover:- An accessible guide structured around the life cycle of the garden, taking you from first shoots to pruning for renewal.- An accessible Q &A format, with stats and infographics to bring the story to life, as well as  long-held gardening myths are exploded by new science.- Every way to greener fingers has action points so that you can understand the science, apply your gardening practice, and enjoy a flourishing garden.From hands-on, practical advice, to an exploration of the mental health benefits of gardening, whilst also covering topics such as the positive impact gardening can have on the earth during a time of climate crisis, The Science of Gardening debunks myths, and reveals the latest science often only taught at horticultural college. As a passionate newcomer to gardening, daunted by the mountain of often conflicting advice in gardening manuals, Dr Stuart Farrimond has set about testing the scientific basis of so much conventional wisdom and practice so you too can garden like a pro.A must-have gardening book for keen beginners with a passion for plants but who are daunted by the prospect of trawling through traditional gardening manuals for explanations, as well as experienced gardeners who are intrigued to find out the theory behind their practice and who want to improve on where they might be getting something wrong.At DK, we believe in the power of discovery. So why stop there? If you like Science of Gardening, then why try Science of Cooking or Science of Spice to complete the collection. Read more

Find new gardening inspiration with this compelling updated encyclopedia for all gardening enthusiasts!Achieve that beautiful garden oasis you've always dreamed of, and find endless inspiration and guidance for your garden to thrive with this gardening guide! This fully comprehensive yet easy-to-use informative planting guide is what every gardener needs on their bookshelf. Here's what you'll find inside:- A photographic catalog of 4,000 plants and flowers grouped by type, size, then color, allowing readers to browse and find the best plants for their garden- A detailed "Plant Dictionary" describes more than 8,000 species and varieties, and their ideal growing conditions- In the Introduction, a "Plant Selector" section lists ideal plants for particular growing conditions, like coastal areas, shady spots and different soil types- Fully updated text from garden plant specialists, with more than 1,380 new plants added, including the latest and most popular cultivarsDiscover perennials, bulbs, shrubs, trees, succulents and ornamental shrubs, all showcased in beautiful, full-color photography to help elevate your garden to the next level. Use the extensive plant dictionary to look up more than 8,000 plant varieties and the best growing conditions.Written by a team of more than 15 top horticultural specialists under the guidance of internationally renowned gardener and botanist Christopher Brickell, this gardening encyclopedia appeals to all levels of gardeners and continually inspires with achievable garden ideas.This informative yet inspirational book about gardening will appeal to beginners or more experienced gardeners interested in the latest cultivars and horticultural advice. Read more

A practical card deck packed with traditional and modern discoveries to help you explore life-enhancing medicinal plantsOrganised by common health complaints: From arnica for aching muscles to sage for the mind and memory, many common garden plants have provided relief in traditional medicine, and continue to be useful in home-grown remediesSupported by experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. Packaged in an attractive gift box containing 60 cards organised into tabbed sections. The perfect gift for gardeners and anyone who wants to support their health with herbal and medicinal plant knowledge Discover the power of plants!Explore the flowers, leaves, roots, and seeds that have been used for millennia to improve health and wellbeing. Which plants are thought to promote healthy digestion, or have anti-inflammatory properties? Which have been used to treat skin issues or acheing muscles? And what about a stubborn cough? Organized by common complaints, each of the 60 cards offers insights into a plant's traditional uses, as well as modern discoveries and details of how it grows. The box opens with a hinged lid to reveal eight categories: circulation, digestion, inflammation, infection, skin issues, aches & pain, respiratory conditions, and mind & wellbeing, and 60 illustrated plant cards. Endorsed by experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this deck provides an enlightening introduction to the world of medicinal plants. Read more