In the spirit of Michael Pollen's Omnivore's Dilemma, The Story of Seeds is a timely work of nonfiction that reveals the loss of even the smallest seeds can have irreparable ramifications.

“Deftly showcases 600 unique species from across the globe and reveals the wonders of nature. . . . Recommended.” —Library Journal Seeds are nature’s consummate survivors. The next time you admire a field of waving green grassland or a stunning grove of acacia, stop to consider how it got that way—often against incredible odds. Seeds can survive freezing temperatures and drought. They can pass through our digestive systems without damage and weather a trip across the ocean, hitching a ride on marine debris. The Book of Seeds takes readers through six hundred of the world’s seed species, revealing their extraordinary beauty and rich diversity. Each page pairs a beautifully composed photo of a seed—life-size, and, in some cases, enlarged to display fine detail—with a short description, a map showing distribution, and information on conservation status. The whole spectrum of seeds is covered here. There are prolific species like corn and less widely distributed species, like the brilliant blue seeds of the traveler’s palm or the bird of paradise flower. There are tiny seeds and seeds weighing up to forty pounds. And while seeds in all their shapes, sizes, and colors grant us sustenance, there are even some we would be wise to treat with caution, such as the rosary pea, whose seeds are considered toxic. The essential guide to these complex plant creations, The Book of Seeds offers readers a rare, up-close look that will inspire scientists and nature lovers alike. “Handsome and handy.” —New York Times “A well-written primer on seed anatomy, evolution, and use, including conservation.” —Huntia

From the magnificence of a towering redwood to the simple elegance of a tiny dandelion, seed-bearing plants abound on planet Earth. The sheer diversity of plants thriving today is largely thanks to the evolution of the seed, as this made plants resilient to environmental changes by enabling them to await optimum conditions for growth before springing to life. In a time of declining biodiversity, studying seeds is now helping scientists preserve this plant diversity for future generations. With Seeds, Carolyn Fry offers a celebration of these vital but unassuming packages of life. She begins with a sweeping tour through human history, designed to help us understand why we should appreciate and respect these floral parcels. Wheat, corn, and rice, she reminds us, supply the foundations of meals eaten by people around the world. Countless medicines, oils, clothing materials, and building supplies are available only because of the versatility and variety of seed-bearing plants. Fry then provides a comprehensive history of the evolution of seeds, explaining the myriad ways that they have adapted, survived, and thrived across the globe. Delving deeper into the science of seeds, she reveals the fascinating processes of dormancy, reproduction, germination, and dispersal, and showcases the estimable work conservationists are doing today to gather and bank seeds in order to prevent species from going extinct. Enriched by a stunning array of full-color images, Seeds offers a comprehensive exploration of some of the most enduring and essential players in the natural world.

Toilets, trees and gender? Can there be a connection? Is there a gender angle to a business story? Is gender in politics only about how many women get elected to parliament? Is osteoporosis a women's disease? Why do more women die in natural disasters? These are not the questions journalists usually ask when they set out to do their jobs as reporters, sub-editors, photographers of editors. Yet, by not asking, are they missing out on something, perhaps half the story? This is the question this book, edited and written by journalists, for journalists and the lay public interested in media, raises. Through examples from the media, and from their own experience, the contributors explain the concept of gender-sensitive journalism and look at a series of subjects that journalists have to cover - sexual assault, environment, development, business, politics, health, disasters, conflict - and set out a simple way of integrating a gendered lens into day-to-day journalism. Written in a non-academic, accessible style, this book is possibly the first of its kind in India - one that attempts to inject a gender perspective into journalism. Published by Zubaan.

For over a decade the Sower's Seeds books have been a wonderful resource for teachers, preachers, and anyone who has to speak in front of an audience. Now author Brian Cavanaugh has revised and expanded his original volume--with twenty new stories--for old fans as well as a whole new audience. He includes stories of inspiration, warmth, and insight arranged around numerous universal themes ranging from awareness, compassion, perseverance, and wisdom, to such unusual themes as baseball, Thomas Edison, hospitality, and risk-taking. While the majority of stories are anonymous, there are some attributed to well known names like Zig Ziglar, Mickey Mantle, and Theodore Roosevelt. Years before there was Chicken Soup, Sower's Seeds was making readers laugh, cry, and come away with a warm heart. The newest book--like the others in the series--is ideal both for quiet inspiration and for handy, on-the-run fun. This is storytelling at its best.

Plants evolved seeds to hack time. Thanks to seeds they can cast their genes forward into the future, enabling species to endure across seasons, years, and occasionally millennia. When a 2000-year-old extinct date palm seed was discovered, no one expected it to still be alive. But it sprouted a healthy young date palm. That seeds produced millennia ago could still be viable today suggests seeds are capable of extreme lifespans. Yet many seeds, including those crucial to our everyday lives, don't live very long at all. In The Age of Seeds Fiona McMillan-Webster tells the astonishing story of seed longevity, the crucial role they play in our everyday lives, and what that might mean for our future.

Have you ever planted a seed? Have you ever thought about its amazing journey? For the seed to bear fruit, its roots must reach deep into the soil, absorbing the nutrients needed for the stem to grow upward searching for the sun. Before we, as Christians, can bear fruit for God's kingdom, seeds must first be planted. We must dig deep into the scriptures to feed off God's Word, which is necessary for spiritual growth. We can then grow upward reaching for the "Son." Thus, the title of this book: It's All about the Seeds. God often plants seeds inside of us so that we will be equipped to do the same in others. We cannot plant a seed that we know nothing about. This book takes you on a journey through real-life experiences and events where lives were changed through the planting of seeds into fertile hearts. Kathy uses scripture, questions, testimonies, and poetry as each seed is introduced, planted, and then harvested. Whether used as a personal or group Bible study, you will dig deeper into the scriptures to fully understand the power of a seed. Come and allow God to plant seeds into your heart so that you can plant seeds of your own. Then when you enter the gates of heaven on that final day, may you hear God whisper, "Welcome to my kingdom, my good and faithful seed planter. Come in and see the fruits of your labors." Never underestimate the power of a seed!