A beautiful exploration of the food and culture of Portugal from beloved cookbook author Tessa Kiros.

With this lively guide, young adventurers will discover the many treasures along southern Africa’s shores, learn all about the strange and beautiful creatures they can expect to see at the beach and where to find them, then try the fascinating activities and make their own first-hand discoveries. A companion volume to the popular Exploring Fynbos, this lively book is loaded with interesting topics in accessible text; interactive activities; ‘did you know’ boxes; ‘things to do’ panels. Sales points: an absorbing, interactive and fact-filled introduction to southern Africa’s shore life; a companion volume to Exploring Fynbos, both providing good-value fun and entertainment for young readers, while they learn; colourful illustrations and photographs; activities to inspire insight into our coastal environment.

The most complete illustrated scientific review of starfish ever published. Among the most fascinating animals in the world’s oceans are the more than 2,000 species of starfish. Called “Asteroids” by scientists who study them (after their taxonomic name, Asteroidea)—or sea stars in some parts of the world—starfish are easily recognized because of their star-like form. Starfish is a comprehensive volume devoted to the integrative and comparative biology and ecology of starfish. Written by the world's leading experts on starfish, the integrative section covers topics such as reproduction, developmental biology and ecology, larval ecology, and the ecological role of starfish as a group. The comparative section considers the biology and ecology of important species such as Acanthaster planci, Heliaster helianthoides, Asterias amurensis, and Pisaster ochraceus. Replete with detailed, scientifically accurate illustrations and the latest research findings, Starfish examines the important role of these invertebrates in the marine environment, a topic of great interest because of their impact on the food web. As major predators that are able to evert their stomach and wrap it around their prey, starfish can have a significant impact on commercial fisheries. Starfish are of interest not only to echinoderm specialists but also to marine biologists and invertebrate zoologists in general and, increasingly, to the medical community. A starfish’s ability to regenerate body parts is almost unequalled in the animal world, making them ideal models for basic science studies on the topic. Contributors: Charles D. Amsler, Bill J. Baker, Mario Barahona, Michael F. Barker, Maria Byrne, Juan Carlos Castilla, Katharina Fabricius, Patrick Flammang, Andrew S. Gale, Carlos F. Gaymer, Jean-François Hamel, Elise Hennebert, John H. Himmelman, Michel Jangoux, John M. Lawrence, Tatiana Manzur, James B. McClintock, Bruce A. Menge, Annie Mercier, Anna Metaxas, Sergio A. Navarette, Timothy D. O’Hara, John S. Pearse, Carlos Robles, Eric Sanford, Robert E. Scheibling, Richard L. Turner, Carlos Renato R. Ventura, Kristina M. Wasson, Stephen A. Watts

If you cut off a spider’s leg, it’s crippled; if you cut off its head, it dies. But if you cut off a starfish’s leg it grows a new one, and the old leg can grow into an entirely new starfish. What’s the hidden power behind the success of Wikipedia, Craigslist, and Skype? What do eBay and General Electric have in common with the abolitionist and women’s rights movements? What fundamental choice put General Motors and Toyota on vastly different paths? How could winning a Supreme Court case be the biggest mistake MGM could have made? After five years of ground-breaking research, Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom share some unexpected answers, gripping stories, and a tapestry of unlikely connections. The Starfish and the Spider argues that organizations fall into two categories: traditional “spiders,” which have a rigid hierarchy and top-down leadership, and revolutionary “starfish,” which rely on the power of peer relationships. The Starfish and the Spider explores what happens when starfish take on spiders (such as the music industry vs. Napster, Kazaa, and the P2P services that followed). It reveals how established companies and institutions, from IBM to Intuit to the US government, are also learning how to incorporate starfish principles to achieve success. The book explores: * How the Apaches fended off the powerful Spanish army for 200 years * The power of a simple circle * The importance of catalysts who have an uncanny ability to bring people together * How the Internet has become a breeding ground for leaderless organizations * How Alcoholics Anonymous has reached untold millions with only a shared ideology and without a leader The Starfish and the Spider is the rare book that will change how you understand the world around you.

A collection of the author's favorite essays and poems. This volume includes selections that span Eiseley's entire writing career and provide a sampling of the author as naturalist, poet, scientist, and humanist. "Loren Eiseley's work changed my life" (Ray Bradbury). Introduction by W. H. Auden.

On an extraordinary journey along South Africa’s coastline, this definitive guidebook explores the beauties and hidden secrets of the country’s natural heritage. Stretching for almost 2,000 miles, the country’s southern shoreline contains distinct climates that accommodate an enormously rich and diverse array of birds, mammals, reptiles, marine life, and plants. The west coast plays host to cold, nutrient-rich waters, kelp forests, and low-growing, succulent scrub along the dunes, while on the east and north coasts conditions are more tropical with higher rainfall, warmer waters, greater marine diversity, and tall, dense forests. This handbook outlines the coastline’s biodiversity from dune to ocean, developed in order to offer beach enthusiasts, vacationers, and recreational anglers a simple way to identify the plants and animals most commonly seen or caught along the coast. In addition to background information on tides and habitats, guidelines are also included for The Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative, a consumer guide to making sustainable choices. Detailed and thorough, this overview will create a deeper appreciation of what can be found on this rich and beautiful landscape.