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Author: John Oldale
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101580402
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 622
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Book Description
From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe: everything you never knew you never knew about every country on Earth.A scientist by training and an explorer by passion, Dr. John Oldale has logged half a million miles visiting more than ninety nations. Now, he celebrates our weird and wonderful world in a cornucopia of fascinating facts brought vividly to life through the unexpected stories behind them. Touching on history, travel, politics, natural history and more, he paints a unique portrait of each country from the mightiest to the most miniscule. You won't find the following in your average travel guide: · Why is kissing on trains banned in France? · In what country are litigants expected to present their case at court in the form of a poem? · Which war did women win in 1929 just by sitting down? · If Panama hats aren’t from Panama, where are they from? · Who eat fresh camel dung as a cure for dysentery (and why does it work)? · Why were US disk jockeys once told they could play birthday requests on any day except the one requested? · Which modern dictator banned old age, libraries and gold teeth, and was later replaced by his dentist? · And 2,000 more funny, trivial, poignant, and telling facts A must for active and armchair globe-trotters alike, A World of Curiosities will engross anyone who is at all curious about the world beyond their door. Explore and enjoy.
Author: John Oldale
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101580402
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 622
Get Book Here
Book Description
From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe: everything you never knew you never knew about every country on Earth.A scientist by training and an explorer by passion, Dr. John Oldale has logged half a million miles visiting more than ninety nations. Now, he celebrates our weird and wonderful world in a cornucopia of fascinating facts brought vividly to life through the unexpected stories behind them. Touching on history, travel, politics, natural history and more, he paints a unique portrait of each country from the mightiest to the most miniscule. You won't find the following in your average travel guide: · Why is kissing on trains banned in France? · In what country are litigants expected to present their case at court in the form of a poem? · Which war did women win in 1929 just by sitting down? · If Panama hats aren’t from Panama, where are they from? · Who eat fresh camel dung as a cure for dysentery (and why does it work)? · Why were US disk jockeys once told they could play birthday requests on any day except the one requested? · Which modern dictator banned old age, libraries and gold teeth, and was later replaced by his dentist? · And 2,000 more funny, trivial, poignant, and telling facts A must for active and armchair globe-trotters alike, A World of Curiosities will engross anyone who is at all curious about the world beyond their door. Explore and enjoy.
Author: Amy M. King
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0195161513
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 276
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Book Description
Starting from the botanical crazes inspired by Linnaeus in the 18th century and exploring the variations it spawned, this study offers a fresh, detailed reading of the courtship novel from Jane Austen to George Eliot and Henry James.
Author: David Philip Miller
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521172615
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 400
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Book Description
Richly illustrated 1996 collection on how Pacific plants and peoples were depicted by European explorers.
Author: Patricia Fara
Publisher: Icon Books
ISBN: 1840464445
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 177
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Book Description
"Enticing ... with a sharp eye for 18th-century mores, this is an engrossing exploration of the growth of the British Empire." Good Book Guide
Author: Jordan Rivers
Publisher: eBookIt.com
ISBN: 1456649450
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 192
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Book Description
Discover the Thrill of Adventures Right from Your Living Room Imagine transforming your living space into the launchpad for an extraordinary journey of discovery, creativity, and wellness. Escape the Boring: A Sofa Explorer's Guide to Active Living is your indispensable guide to breaking free from the mundane and injecting excitement, adventure, and joy into every day--without stepping outside your front door. Embark on a transformative quest to redefine what it means to live actively, starting from the comfort and familiarity of your own sofa. This guide unveils how a shift in mindset, coupled with simple adjustments to your surroundings, can open up a world of intrigue and new hobbies. Discover the secrets to finding joy in the small things, setting the stage for perpetual adventure, and creating personal spaces that inspire and energise. Dive into the art of indoor gardening, mastering the care of succulents and nurturing an enchanting herb garden, ready to elevate your culinary creations. Speaking of which, explore the rich tapestry of global cuisines from your kitchen, with theme nights that take you on a gustatory journey around the world. But why stop there? Boost your physical and mental well-being by designing a customised no-equipment workout routine, delving into the calming practices of yoga and mindfulness, or unleashing your creativity through art, writing, and music. Escape the Boring doesn't just offer activities; it offers a new way of seeing and interacting with your world, encouraging growth, learning, and happiness in every chapter. From mastering new languages to hosting virtual gatherings, from board games and puzzles to digital voyages and home-based volunteering, this guide offers a plethora of options to keep your days filled with wonder and discovery. And for those looking to contribute positively to our planet, tips on sustainable living from the comfort of your couch will inspire you to make changes that benefit both your home and the wider world. Don't settle for a passive existence. Turn the ordinary into the extraordinary and embark on a thrilling adventure of self-discovery and boundless creativity. Whether you're looking to enhance your personal wellbeing, explore new hobbies, or simply inject some fun into your routine, Escape the Boring: A Sofa Explorer's Guide to Active Living is your ticket to a brighter, more engaged life. Are you ready to redefine what it means to live actively?
Author:
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Category : New England
Languages : en
Pages : 880
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Book Description
Author: Jules Janick
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470650338
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 388
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Book Description
Plant Breeding Reviews presents state-of-the-art reviews on plant genetics and the breeding of all types of crops by both traditional means and molecular methods. Many of the crops widely grown today stem from a very narrow genetic base; understanding and preserving crop genetic resources is vital to the security of food systems worldwide. The emphasis of the series is on methodology, a fundamental understanding of crop genetics, and applications to major crops. It is a serial title that appears in the form of one or two volumes per year.
Author: Richard Mabey
Publisher: Profile Books
ISBN: 1847654010
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 485
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Book Description
In The Cabaret of Plants, Mabey explores the plant species which have challenged our imaginations, awoken our wonder, and upturned our ideas about history, science, beauty and belief. Picked from every walk of life, they encompass crops, weeds, medicines, religious gathering-places and a water lily named after a queen. Beginning with pagan cults and creation myths, the cultural significance of plants has burst upwards, sprouting into forms as diverse as the panacea (the cure-all plant ginseng, a single root of which can cost up to $10,000), Newton's apple, the African 'vegetable elephant' or boabab - and the mystical, night-flowering Amazonian cactus, the moonflower. Ranging widely across science, art and cultural history, poetry and personal experience, Mabey puts plants centre stage, and reveals a true botanical cabaret, a world of tricksters, shape-shifters and inspired problem-solvers, as well as an enthralled audience of romantics, eccentric amateur scientists and transgressive artists. The Cabaret of Plants celebrates the idea that plants are not simply 'the furniture of the planet', but vital, inventive, individual beings worthy of respect - and that to understand this may be the best way of preserving life together on Earth.
Author: Diane Kostial McGuire
Publisher: Dumbarton Oaks
ISBN: 9780884021063
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 248
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Book Description
Author: Richard Mabey
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393248771
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 400
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Book Description
"Highly entertaining…Mabey gets us to look at life from the plants’ point of view." —Constance Casey, New York Times The Cabaret of Plants is a masterful, globe-trotting exploration of the relationship between humans and the kingdom of plants by the renowned naturalist Richard Mabey. A rich, sweeping, and wonderfully readable work of botanical history, The Cabaret of Plants explores dozens of plant species that for millennia have challenged our imaginations, awoken our wonder, and upturned our ideas about history, science, beauty, and belief. Going back to the beginnings of human history, Mabey shows how flowers, trees, and plants have been central to human experience not just as sources of food and medicine but as objects of worship, actors in creation myths, and symbols of war and peace, life and death. Writing in a celebrated style that the Economist calls “delightful and casually learned,” Mabey takes readers from the Himalayas to Madagascar to the Amazon to our own backyards. He ranges through the work of writers, artists, and scientists such as da Vinci, Keats, Darwin, and van Gogh and across nearly 40,000 years of human history: Ice Age images of plant life in ancient cave art and the earliest representations of the Garden of Eden; Newton’s apple and gravity, Priestley’s sprig of mint and photosynthesis, and Wordsworth’s daffodils; the history of cultivated plants such as maize, ginseng, and cotton; and the ways the sturdy oak became the symbol of British nationhood and the giant sequoia came to epitomize the spirit of America. Complemented by dozens of full-color illustrations, The Cabaret of Plants is the magnum opus of a great naturalist and an extraordinary exploration of the deeply interwined history of humans and the natural world.
