by Stefano Mancuso ; translated by Gregory Conti ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 18, 2023
An eclectic and fascinating collection that will leave readers wanting more from this appealing guide to the world’s flora.
A collection of stories about the interconnections between humans and the plant world.
In his latest, plant neurobiologist Mancuso, author of The Incredible Journey of Plants and The Revolutionary Genius of Plants, continues his exploration of our relationships with plants. “After decades of keeping community with plants,” he writes, “I seem to perceive their presence not only in every place on our planet but also in the stories of each and every one of us.” As in his previous books, the author expertly combines his accessible style with pertinent scientific data. Following an encounter with an adversary in book collecting, Mancuso shares the story he learned regarding “liberty trees,” which were planted throughout France during the French Revolution, with inspiration from the American Revolution. Mancuso explains how planting trees in cities today can help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that the rural-urban reversal has produced and how red spruce became the wood of choice for violinmaker Antonio Stradivari. The author shares how studying the growth rings of trees in the American Southwest has allowed us to decipher climate trends of the past and to accurately date the Aztec ruins of New Mexico. Further, he explains how dendrochronology led to the unnecessary and unfortunate demise of Prometheus, the nearly 5,000-year-old pine tree considered the oldest living being on Earth. Mancuso also explains how a wooden ladder used in the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh’s baby led to the birth of forensic botany. In his quest for the origin of the idea that banana peels are slippery, Mancuso unearths the source of the 1967 hoax regarding the psychedelic effects of bananas. Finally, the author discusses the little-known planting of “moon trees” around the U.S. in 1976 to celebrate the bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence.
An eclectic and fascinating collection that will leave readers wanting more from this appealing guide to the world’s flora.Pub Date: April 18, 2023
ISBN: 9781635422566
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Other Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
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by Stefano Mancuso translated by Gregory Conti
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by Stefano Mancuso translated by Gregory Conti illustrated by Grisha Fischer
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New York Times Bestseller
by Walter Isaacson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 12, 2023
Alternately admiring and critical, unvarnished, and a closely detailed account of a troubled innovator.
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New York Times Bestseller
A warts-and-all portrait of the famed techno-entrepreneur—and the warts are nearly beyond counting.
To call Elon Musk (b. 1971) “mercurial” is to undervalue the term; to call him a genius is incorrect. Instead, Musk has a gift for leveraging the genius of others in order to make things work. When they don’t, writes eminent biographer Isaacson, it’s because the notoriously headstrong Musk is so sure of himself that he charges ahead against the advice of others: “He does not like to share power.” In this sharp-edged biography, the author likens Musk to an earlier biographical subject, Steve Jobs. Given Musk’s recent political turn, born of the me-first libertarianism of the very rich, however, Henry Ford also comes to mind. What emerges clearly is that Musk, who may or may not have Asperger’s syndrome (“Empathy did not come naturally”), has nurtured several obsessions for years, apart from a passion for the letter X as both a brand and personal name. He firmly believes that “all requirements should be treated as recommendations”; that it is his destiny to make humankind a multi-planetary civilization through innovations in space travel; that government is generally an impediment and that “the thought police are gaining power”; and that “a maniacal sense of urgency” should guide his businesses. That need for speed has led to undeniable successes in beating schedules and competitors, but it has also wrought disaster: One of the most telling anecdotes in the book concerns Musk’s “demon mode” order to relocate thousands of Twitter servers from Sacramento to Portland at breakneck speed, which trashed big parts of the system for months. To judge by Isaacson’s account, that may have been by design, for Musk’s idea of creative destruction seems to mean mostly chaos.
Alternately admiring and critical, unvarnished, and a closely detailed account of a troubled innovator.Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9781982181284
Page Count: 688
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
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by Walter Isaacson with adapted by Sarah Durand
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by Françoise Malby-Anthony with Kate Sidley ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 25, 2023
A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.
The third volume in the Elephant Whisperer series.
In this follow-up to An Elephant in My Kitchen, Malby-Anthony continues her loving portrait of the Thula Thula wildlife reserve, which she co-founded in 1998 with her late husband, South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony, who published the first book in the series, The Elephant Whisperer, in 2009. Following his death in 2012, Malby-Anthony sought to honor his legacy by continuing his vision “to create a massive conservancy in Zululand, incorporating our land and other small farms and community land into one great big game park.” At the same time, the elephants gave her “a sense of purpose and direction.” In the Zulu language, thula means quiet, and though the author consistently seeks to provide that calm to her charges, peace and tranquility are not always easy to come by at Thula Thula. In this installment, Malby-Anthony discusses many of the challenges faced by her and her staff, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. These included an aggressive, 2-ton rhino named Thabo; the profound loss felt by all upon the death of their elephant matriarch, Frankie; difficulty obtaining permits and the related risk of having to relocate or cull some of their animals; the fear of looting and fire due to civil unrest in the region; and the ongoing and potentially deadly struggles with poachers. Throughout, the author also shares many warm, lighthearted moments, demonstrating the deep bond felt among the humans and animals at the reserve and the powerful effects of the kindness of strangers. “We are all working in unity for the greater good, for the betterment of Thula Thula and all our wildlife….We are humbled by the generosity and love, both from our guests and friends, and from strangers all around the world,” writes the author. “People’s open-hearted support kept us alive in the darkest times.”
A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 9781250284259
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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