Henry Walter Bates & his co-naturalist Alfred Russet Wallace embarked together in 1848 on an expedition to the forests of the Amazon in search of plants & animals that would help solve the problems of the origin of species. Wallace returned to England in 1852, but tragically lost his entire collection in a shipwreck, while Bates stayed on for seven more years, accumulating more than 14, 000 specimens, of which a staggering 8, 000 were previously unknown to science. The Naturalist on the River Amazons was published in 1863 & catalogues a wondrous range of natural life in vivid description & detail. But Bates` book is much more than a scientist`s log. His remarkable dedication to the challenges of exploration, & his deep appreciation of the beauty & rhythms of the world of river & rainforest, shine through in his writing. Although he finally confessed that ”the contemplation of Nature alone is not sufficient to fill the human heart”, his record of the time he passed ”in the Garden of Eden” offers timely inspiration to our own age in its battle to preserve the planet`s environments. ...

There is so much to know about the ever changing natural world, but it's impossible to remember everything we have ever learnt about the range of subjects encompassed by the term 'nature'. The Nature Book is a great guide to the natural world, both for the beginner & those who want to relearn the most important & interesting facts about our fascinating environment. Including: identifying rock formations; names of berries; flora & fauna; phases of the moon; the seasons; seas & rivers; & birds & other wildlife. Comprehensive, yet accessible & entertaining, whether you're a walker who would like to be able to 'name that tree' or simply a gardener who wants to know more, The Nature Book is your one-stop guide to reconnecting & appreciating nature once more. ...

For centuries, poets & philosophers extolled the benefits of a walk in the woods: Beethoven drew inspiration from rocks & trees; Wordsworth composed while walking over the heath; Nikola Tesla conceived the electric motor while visiting a park. From forest paths in Korea to islands in Finland to eucalyptus groves in California, Florence Williams investigates the science at the confluence of environment, mood, health & creativity. Delving into new research, she uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection & innovation, & strengthen our relationships. As our lives shift indoors, these ideas-and the answers they yield-are more urgent than ever. ...

For centuries, poets & philosophers extolled the benefits of a walk in the woods: Beethoven drew inspiration from rocks & trees; Wordsworth composed while walking over the heath; Nikola Tesla conceived the electric motor while visiting a park. From forest paths in Korea to islands in Finland to eucalyptus groves in California, Florence Williams investigates the science at the confluence of environment, mood, health & creativity. Delving into new research, she uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection & innovation, & strengthen our relationships. As our lives shift indoors, these ideas-and the answers they yield-are more urgent than ever. ...

In autumn nature stages some of its most enchantingly beautiful displays; yet it`s also a period for reflection, melancholy even, as the days shorten & winter`s chill approaches. Taking in September to November, Jim Crumley tells the story of how unfolding autumn affects the wildlife & landscapes of his beloved countryside. Along the way, Jim experiences the deer rut, finds phenomenal redwood trees in the most unexpected of places, & contemplates climate change, the death of his father, & his own love of nature; thus painting an intimate
- & deeply personal
- portrait of a moody & majestic British autumn.

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” The Nature of Britain” is another landmark primetime series brought to us by the formidable Natural History Unit. In each programme Alan turns wildlife detective, taking us on a journey of discovery through eight different British natural habitats & their unique flora & fauna, week by week piecing together the jigsaw that makes up our homel&. Tying in with the series, ” The Nature of Britain” is an inspirational, practical & definitive guide to British wildlife. Written by Alan, the book offers the reader a closer look at the animals & plants of Britain`s landscape, following the structure of the series with chapters ranging from Mountains, Lakes, Forests & Seashores to Urban Landscapes.” The Nature of Britain” paints a beautiful contemporary portrait of Britains wildlife, & features fascinating essays on each habitat, followed by identification guides to the species that can be found in each one. It will be visually stunning, illustrated with over 900 breathtaking images. ...

` One of the very few necessary & inevitable utterances of the century.` William Morris, in the Preface. ` The Nature of Gothic` started life as a chapter in Ruskin`s masterwork, ` The Stones of Venice`. Ruskin came to lament the ` Frankenstein monsters` of Victorian buildings with added Gothic which ` The Stones` inspired; but despite his misgivings the original moral purpose of his writing had not fallen on stony ground. ` The Nature of Gothic`, the last chapter of the second volume, had marked his progression from art critic to social critic; in it he found the true seam of his thought, & it was quickly recognised for the revolutionary writing it was. As Morris himself put it, ` The Nature of Gothic` `pointed out a new road on which the world should travel`; & in its indictment of meaningless modern labour & its celebration of medieval architecture it could be called the foundation stone of Morris`s aesthetic & purpose in life. Forty years after he first read it, Morris chose Ruskin`s text for one of the first books to be published at his Kelmscott Press, using his own Golden type. It is one of the summits of his career, & one of the most beautiful books ever published. Few book can so completely sum up an era. The Kelmscott Nature of Gothic encapsulates the meeting of two remarkable minds & embodies their influence in word, image & design. But more than that, Ruskin`s words are increasingly relevant for our times. In this facsimile edition, the first ever made from this rare book, the reader can fully appreciate their importance & their legacy, as understood by one of the most potent visual imaginations to have worked in Britain. In this enlarged edition, essays by leading scholars, Robert Hewison (who was one of Ruskin`s successors as Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford University), Tony Pinkney (Senior Lecturer at Lancaster University) & Robert Brownell (lecturer, stained glass maker & author of ` Marriage of Inconvenience`) explain the importance of this book for Ruskin, for Morris & for us today. ...

From the highly-acclaimed author of The Great Stink comes The Nature of Monsters, a gloriously-written tale of consuming passions & obsessions. It is 1718 &, in a small parish near Newcastle, Eliza Tally, a headstrong girl of 15, embarks on a reckless love affair that will prove her undoing. When her lover casts her off, denying their union, she is forced to travel to London, a city that attracts & alarms her in equal measure. There she takes up a position in the house of an apothecary, Grayson Black, whom she trusts to salvage what remains of her reputation. Set against the clamour & roar of eighteenth-century London, The Nature of Monsters brings vividly to life a world where the line separating science & madness is dangerously blurred, & where a single life counts for little in the relentless pursuit of progress. ...

During winter, dark days of wild storms can give way to the perfect, glistening stillness of frost-encrusted winter landscapes
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EXPLORE LIFE ON EARTH with the most visually stunning timeline of evolution ever created, stretching back 4 billion years ...