Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald

$38.00 NZD

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

Kremlin Winter - Russia and the Second Coming of Vladimir Putin by Robert Service

$27.99 NZD

Category: Natural History

Vladimir Putin has dominated Russian politics since Boris Yeltsin relinquished the presidency in his favour in May 2000. He served two terms as president, before himself relinquishing the post to his prime minister, Dimitri Medvedev, only to return to presidential power for a third time in 2012.Putin's rule, whether as president or prime minister, has been marked by a steady increase in domestic repression and international assertiveness. Despite this, there have been signs of liberal growth and Putin - and Russia - now faces a far from certain future.In Kremlin Winter, Robert Service, acclaimed biographer of Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky and one of our finest historians of modern Russia, brings his deep understanding of that country to bear on the man who leads it. He reveals a premier who cannot take his supremacy for granted, yet is determined to impose his will not only on his closest associates but on society at large. It is a riveting insight into power politics as Russia faces a blizzard of difficulties both at home and abroad. ...Show more

Fossil Men: the Quest for the Oldest Skeleton and the Origins of Humankind by Kermit Pattison

$39.99 NZD

Category: Natural History

A behind-the-scenes account of the shocking discovery of the skeleton of "Ardi," a human ancestor far older than Lucy - a find that shook the world of paleoanthropology and radically altered our understanding of human evolution. In 1994, a team led by fossil-hunting legend Tim White--"the Steve Jobs of paleoanthropology"--uncovered the bones of a human ancestor in Ethiopia's Afar region. Radiometric dating of nearby rocks indicated the skeleton, classified as Ardipithecus ramidus, was 4.4 million years old, more than a million years older than "Lucy," then the oldest known human ancestor. The findings challenged many assumptions about human evolution--how we started walking upright, how we evolved our nimble hands, and, most significantly, whether we were descended from an ancestor that resembled today's chimpanzee--and repudiated a half-century of paleoanthropological orthodoxy. Fossil Men is the first full-length exploration of Ardi, the fossil men who found her, and her impact on what we know about the origins of the human species. It is a scientific detective story played out in anatomy and the natural history of the human body. Kermit Pattison brings into focus a cast of eccentric, obsessive scientists, including one of the world's greatest fossil hunters, Tim White--an exacting and unforgiving fossil hunter whose virtuoso skills in the field were matched only by his propensity for making enemies; Gen Suwa, a Japanese savant who sometimes didn't bother going home at night to devote more hours to science; Owen Lovejoy, a onetime creationist-turned-paleoanthropologist; Berhane Asfaw, who survived imprisonment and torture to become Ethiopia's most senior paleoanthropologist and who fought for African scientists to gain equal footing in the study of human origins; and the Leakeys, for decades the most famous family in paleoanthropology. An intriguing tale of scientific discovery, obsession and rivalry that moves from the sun-baked desert of Africa and a nation caught in a brutal civil war, to modern high-tech labs and academic lecture halls, Fossil Men is popular science at its best, and a must read for fans of Jared Diamond, Richard Dawkins, and Edward O. Wilson. ...Show more

Spiders of the World - A Natural History by Ivy Ivy Press; Norman Platnick

$45.00 NZD

Category: Natural History

Bark spiders spin webs ten times stronger than Kevlar. Jumping spiders are capable of learning, recognizing, and remembering colors. Recluse spiders can tolerate six months of extreme drought and have a toxin-laden bite that can necessitate skin grafts. This title explores the huge diversity of spider species and their fascinating traits. An introduction outlining the spider's natural history is followed by 117 illustrated profiles spanning the taxonomic spider families. Photographs of species from each family are shown, along with population distribution maps, tables of essential information, and commentaries revealing notable characteristics. The family profiles are also organized phylogenetically, and the commentaries in each account reflect different aspects of a spider's biology. ...Show more

Murder Most Florid - Inside the Mind of a Forensic Botanist by Mark Spencer

$39.99 NZD

Category: Natural History

Dr Mark Spencer is a forensic botanist - in other words, he helps police with cases where plants can unlock clues to solve crimes, from murder and rape to arson and burglary. Murder Most Florid is an enthralling, first-person account that follows Mark's unconventional and unique career, one that takes him to woodlands, wasteland and roadsides, as well as police labs, to examine the botanical evidence of serious crimes. From unearthing a decomposing victims from brambles to dissecting the vegetation of a shallow grave, Mark's botanical knowledge can be crucial to securing a conviction. More widely, this gripping book challenges our attitude to death and response to crime. It picks holes in the sensationalised depictions of policing we see on TV, and asks pertinent questions about public sector funding in the face of rising crime. Most importantly, it shows us how the ancient lessons of botanical science can still be front and centre in our modern, DNA-obsessed world. ...Show more

Jellyfish: A Natural History by Lisa-Ann Gershwin

$45.00 NZD

Category: Natural History

Jellyfish are mysterious creatures, luminously beautiful with remarkably varied life cycles. These simple, ancient animals are found in every ocean at every depth, and have lived on Earth for at least the last 500 million years. Ominously, they are also increasing in number as they adapt well to marine environmental degradation. Jellyfish is a timely title that looks at their anatomy, life history, taxonomy and ecology, and includes species profiles featuring stunning marine photography that will have you scanning the depths with renewed interest. ...Show more

A Photographic Guide to Fossils of New Zealand by Hamish Campbell; Alan Beu; James Crampton; Liz Kennedy; Marianna Terezow

$25.99 NZD

Category: Natural History

A new addition to the popular New Holland series of natural history and science photographic guides, the thirteenth title focuses on plant and animal fossils commonly found in New Zealand. Fossils are the preserved remains of past life and are very much part of the natural environment in this country. T he range of fossils described covers the geological time-scale of Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic periods. The younger Cenozoic rocks are especially widespread in New Zealand and for this reason Cenozoic fossils are the most common. Readers will learn to recognise the distinctive features of each group of fossils - shape, size, texture, colour and type of preservation - that serve as clues to the identity of any individual fossil organism. Excellent photographs provide a visual reference and individual entries provide essential geological information, along with biological and environmental detail about what fossils ate and where they lived. Written and researched by an expert team of paleontologists and geologists from GNS Science in Wellington, the authority of this guide is undeniable, but it is presented in a highly readable format. ...Show more

The Language of Butterflies by Wendy Williams

$37.00 NZD

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

Joseph Banks' Florilegium - Botanical Treasures from Cook's First Voyage by Joe Studholme

$65.00 NZD

Category: Natural History

Joseph Banks accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage around the world from 1768 to 1771. A gifted and wealthy young naturalist, Banks collected exotic flora from Madeira, Brazil, Tierra del Fuego, the Society Islands, New Zealand, Australia, and Java, bringing back over 1,300 species that had never been seen or studied by Europeans. On his return, Banks commissioned over 700 engravings. Known collectively as Banks' Florilegium, they are some of the most precise and exquisite examples of botanical illustration ever created.The Florilegium was never published in Banks' lifetime, and it was not until 1990 that a complete set in color was issued under the direction of the British Museum. It is from these prints that the new compact edition of Joseph Banks' Florilegium is selected, as directed by David Mabberley, who has provided expert botanical commentaries. Art historian Mel Gooding sets the works in context while an afterword by Joe Studholme describes the history of modern printing.Joseph Banks' Florilegium is not only a great work of science, but also a major achievement in collaborative Enlightenment art and a volume of outstanding beauty. ...Show more

Beautiful Earth: Our Planet Explored from Above by Dirk H. Lorenzen

$49.99 NZD

Category: Natural History

Beautiful, constantly changing yet endangered: this is what our planet looks like from the skies. Beautiful Earth offers a completely new viewpoint on our well-known globe. From fascinating cloud formations caught by weather satellites to erupting volcanoes, sand storms or urban developments with all en vironmental issues they cause, no activity on our planet can be hidden from the "heavenly eyes." This book pays tribute both to the splendour of Earth with its ever-changing facets, and to human genius, which made the observation of each and every corner of the planet possible. Beautiful Earth does not only contain captivating and intriguing pictures, it also provides a wealth of information on how to predict the weather, use data in aviation, geophysics, nutritional predictions, and many other sciences. ...Show more

Rainbow Dust: Three Centuries of Delight in British Butterflies by Peter Marren

$55.00 NZD

Category: Natural History

Much more than just another field guide or a natural history of butterflies Rainbow Dust explores the ways in which butterflies delight and inspire us all, naturalists and non-naturalists alike. Beginning with the author's own experience of hunting and rearing butterflies as a boy, Peter Marren consider s the special place of the butterfly in art, literature, advertising and science, and, latterly, our attempts to conserve them. Rainbow Dust takes in the controversy over collecting, the women who studied them and the curious details that lead to butterflies being feared as well as loved. This is a celebration of butterflies; one shot through with a sense of wonder but also of sorrow at what we are losing. ...Show more

I Met Lucky People: The Story of the Romani Gypsies by Yaron Matras

$24.99 NZD

$50.00 (50% off)

Category: Natural History

Their own origins myths put them at the scene of the Crucifixion, deprived of a home of their own, doomed to a life of wandering, and granted by God the right to steal from other people in order to survive. In the Middle Ages, it was believed they had come out of Egypt. And yet their language shares a n umber of words with Greek, and has its roots in India. So who are the Romani people, really? As one of the last remaining societies in the Western hemisphere with a strictly oral culture, the Romani people have no written record of their history that can be consulted. From the early 1990s, linguist Yaron Matras has been working with the 'Rom', as they call themselves, one of a handful of people to have done so. Travelling widely in central and eastern Europe, studying their language and learning their dialects, he has witnessed their campaign for recognition. In I Met Lucky People Matras gives us the first comprehensive account of their culture, language and history. It is a story of the echoes of a rich past left in language and customs, and of how the changing fortunes of Europe throughout the centuries have been imprinted on Romani culture. The Romani people are a nation like few others: without territory, national sovereignty or formal institutions, and with no tradition of agriculture or ownership of land. As the wider global society that surrounds them struggles to define itself, what will become of the Roms? Unlike other groups who have won a measure of inclusion in recent decades, they have struggled to have their voice heard. If they are to have a future, it is time we brought our thinking about them out of the dark ages and into the modern world. Yaron Matras is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Manchester, and Editor of the journal Romani Studies. His involvement with Romani issues began in the advocacy and civil rights arena. Matras was media relations officer to the Roma National Congress from 1988 -1995, and founding editor of RomNews, one of the very first advocacy information services on Romani issues. He has worked closely with the Open Society Institute's Roma programmes, is a founding member of the European Academic Network on Romani Studies, and has led several large-scale research projects on Romani language and culture, including an international research consortium on Romani migrations. He is the author of over a dozen books and numerous chapters and articles on Romani language and culture, and speaks the Romani language fluently. ...Show more