There is a growing appreciation of traditional medical systems as a source of considerable knowledge of the medicinal properties of plants. Traditional medicines have the potential to offer leads to identifying potentially valuable chemicals that can be developed into new and more effective drugs, including safer contraceptives. The Pacific region is an excellent arena in which to search for such chemicals as: the area contains plant species not found elsewhere; there is every indication that...

New York Times BestsellerNew York Times Notable Book of 2016 • NPR Great Read of 2016 • Named a Best Book of 2016 by The Economist, Smithsonian, NPR's Science Friday, MPR, Minnesota Star Tribune, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, The Guardian, Times (London)From Pulitzer Prize winner Ed Yong, a groundbreaking,...

The groundbreaking theory of how fire and food drove the evolution of modern humansEver since Darwin and The Descent of Man, the evolution and world-wide dispersal of humans has been attributed to our intelligence and adaptability. But in Catching Fire, renowned primatologist Richard Wrangham presents a startling alternative: our evolutionary success is the result of cooking. In a groundbreaking theory of our origins, Wrangham shows that the shift...

Now the subject of an Emmy Award–winning film the New York Times calls "spellbinding"How does life work? How does nature produce the right numbers of zebras and lions on the African savanna, or fish in the ocean? How do our bodies produce the right numbers of cells in our organs and bloodstream? In The Serengeti Rules, award-winning biologist and author Sean Carroll tells the stories of the pioneering scientists who sought the answers to such simp...

Perhaps the world’s most distinctive tree, ginkgo has remained stubbornly unchanged for more than two hundred million years. A living link to the age of dinosaurs, it survived the great ice ages as a relic in China, but it earned its reprieve when people first found it useful about a thousand years ago. Today ginkgo is beloved for the elegance of its leaves, prized for its edible nuts, and revered for its longevity. This engaging book tells the full and fascinating story of a tree that peo...

• The most comprehensive book ever written on nature's most effective stress-relieving plant.• First paperback edition of the classic comprehensive text originally published by Yale University Press.This complete guide to kava summarizes the literature and research on a plant that is now considered comparable or superior to anti-stress prescription drugs, and describes its use in the religious, political, and economic life of the Pacific islands for centuries. Beyond its so...

The Ecology of Sulawesi is a comprehensive ecological survey of one of Indonesia's least populated and most diverse islands.It is hoped that it will prove useful to resource managers, ecologists, environmental scientists and local government personnel, and be enlightening to Sulawesi's inhabitants and visitors.Sulawesi is one of the least-known islands of Indonesia, and wise environmental management, including the proper assessment of environmental...

Marine pollution occurs today in varied forms--chemical, industrial, and agricultural-and the sources of pollution are endless. In recent history, we've seen oil spills, untreated sewage, eutrophication, invasive species, heavy metals, acidification, radioactive substances, marine litter, and overfishing, among other significant problems. Though marine pollution has long been a topic of concern, it has very recently exploded in environmental, economic, and political debate circles; scienti...

People the world over are eating more fish than ever before. Many mainstream nutrition experts claim that fish are healthful alternatives to red meat and dairy products because of their omega-3 fatty acid content. However, the contamination of fish species by industrial and consumer pollutants is posing an increased risk to human health. Widely held beliefs about the safety of eating aquatic creatures is challenged in these pages by a range of evidence about the many toxins, particularly m...

In coastal seas, from the tropics to the poles, seaweeds supply the energy required to support diverse coastal marine life and provide habitat for invertebrates and fish. Retaining the highly successful approach and structure of the first edition, this is a synthesis of the role of seaweeds in underpinning the functioning of coastal ecosystems worldwide. It has been fully updated to cover the major developments of the past twenty years, including current research on the endosymbiotic origi...

The Barn Swallow is a familiar and popular bird throughout the world.It is one of the most widely distributed bird species, breeding in North America, Europe, Asia and North Africa and wintering in South America, southern Africa, southern Asia and even northern Australia. Its habit of nesting close to human habitation has made this elegant bird a part of farmyard and village life and a welcome herald of spring.This book examines all aspects of the life of t...

The Ecology of Papua provides a comprehensive review of current scientific knowledge on all aspects of the natural history of western (Indonesian) New Guinea.Designed for students of conservation, environmental workers, and academic researchers, it is a richly detailed text, dense with biogeographical data, historical reference, and fresh insight on this complicated and marvelous region. We hope it will serve to raise awareness of Papua on a global as well...