A profound and poetic reflection on the cyclical nature of life, what happens when we break that cycle, and how to repair it--told through the fate of phosphorus

There would be no life without constant death. So begins Jack Lohmann's remarkable debut, White Light, a mesmerizing swirl of ecology, geology, chemistry, history, agricultural science, investigative reporting, and the poetry of the natural world. Wherever life has roamed, its record is left in the sediment; over centuries, that dead matter is compacted into rock; and in that rock is phosphate--one phosphorus atom bonded to four oxygen atoms--life preserved in death, with all its surging force.
In 1842, when the naturalist John Stevens Henslow, Darwin's beloved botany professor, discovered the potential of that rock as a fertilizer, little did he know his countrymen would soon be grinding up the bones of dead soldiers and mummified Egyptian cats to exploit their phos­phate content. Little did he know he'd spawn a global mining industry that would change our diets, our lifestyles, and the face of the planet.
Lohmann guides us from Henslow's Suffolk, where the phosphate fertilizer industry took root, to Bone Valley in Central Florida, where it has boomed alongside big ag--leaving wreckage like the Piney Point disaster in its wake--to far-flung Nauru, an island stripped of its life force by the ravenous young industry. We sift through the earth's geological layers and eras, speak in depth with experts and locals, and explore our past relationship with sustainable farming--including in seventeenth-century Japan, when one could pay rent with their excrement--before we started wasting just as much phosphate as we mine.
Sui generis, filled with passion and rigorous reporting, White Light invites us to renew our broken relationship not just with the earth but with our own death--and the life it brings after us.

As you read these pages you will understand why I so admire [Peter Wohlleben] and am so in love with his work.--JANE GOODALL

Nature is full of surprises: deciduous trees affect the rotation of the Earth, cranes sabotage the production of Iberian ham, and coniferous forests can make it rain. But what are the processes that drive these incredible phenomena? And why do they matter?

In The Secret Wisdom of Nature, master storyteller and international sensation Peter Wohlleben takes readers on a thought-provoking exploration of the vast natural systems that make life on Earth possible. In this tour of an almost unfathomable world, Wohlleben describes the fascinating interplay between animals and plants and answers such questions as: How do they influence each other? Do lifeforms communicate across species boundaries? And what happens when this finely tuned system gets out of sync? By introducing us to the latest scientific discoveries and recounting his own insights from decades of observing nature, one of the world's most famous foresters shows us how to recapture our sense of awe so we can see the world around us with completely new eyes.

Published in Partnership with the David Suzuki Institute.

A bitter, baffling, and sometimes comical war on starlings ensued. Weapons included dynamite, guns, bounties, fake owls, real owls, rubber snakes, balloons, itching powder, and greased building ledges. Still, artists and scientists marveled at their undulating aerial formations, which seemed equal parts poetry and mathematics. Keen listeners recognized the starling as one of the world's great vocal mimics, imitating everything from fellow birds and cell phones to barking dogs, car alarms, and TV commercials. And then there were their undeniable skills of adaptation and survival. What if there was more to these stubborn villains than once thought?

Mike Stark's Starlings is a first-of-its-kind history of starlings in America, an oddball, love-hate story at the intersection of human folly, ornithology, and one bird's tenacious will to endure.

A compelling call to action to focus on what connects us in nature to solve today's problems.

In nature, everything is connected: from microscopic bacteria and soaring trees to animals struggling for survival amid thriving humanity. Yet many of today's toughest problems, from environmental destruction to divisive politics, stem from fundamental disconnections. In Intertwined, science writer Michael Gross explains how the natural world can be a powerful reminder of our interdependence.

Using examples based on recent scientific discoveries across a broad range of ecosystems and species, Gross shares important--and often surprising--stories about the sophisticated web of connections in nature. From plant cooperation to turtle communication, he highlights crucial lessons we can apply to solve complex problems caused by human disturbances to these connections. Gross provides ample evidence of the far-reaching impacts of both natural and anthropogenic phenomena, from coevolution and nutrient cycles to species domestication and extinction.

We live in a complex world endangered by simplistic thinking, as the escalating climate crisis and loss of biodiversity demonstrate. To address these issues, we must recognize the wonder and ubiquity of the self-regulating network that enables life on Earth. These thought-provoking stories from nature illustrate why it is so vital to respect and protect the connections that tie us to our world and each other.

NAMED A TOP-TEN BEST BOOK OF 2023 BY SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

A fascinating exploration (Elizabeth Kolbert) of how ecosystems are sculpted and sustained by animals eating, pooping, and dying--and how these fundamental functions could help save us from climate catastrophe.

The dynamics that shape our physical world--atmospheric chemistry, geothermal forces, plate tectonics, and erosion through wind and rain--have been explored for decades. But the effects on local ecosystems of less glamorous forces--rotting carcasses and deposited feces--as well as their impact on the global climate cycle, have been largely overlooked. The simple truth is that pooping and peeing are daily rituals for almost all animals, the ellipses of ecology that flow through life. We eat, we poop, and we die.

From the volcanoes of Iceland to the tropical waters of Hawaii, the great plains of the American heartland, and beyond, Eat, Poop, Die, compulsively readable (Shelby Van Pelt), takes readers on an exhilarating and enlightening global adventure, revealing the remarkable ways in which the most basic biological activities of animals make and remake the world--and how a deeper understanding of these cycles provides us with opportunities to undo the environmental damage humanity has wrought on the planet we call home.

Take a closer look into the secret worlds of the intertidal zone

A spectacular variety of life flourishes between the ebb and flow of high and low tide. Anemones talk to each other through chemical signaling, clingfish grip rocks and resist the surging tide, and bioluminescent dinoflagellates--single-celled algae--light up disturbances in the shallow water like glowing fingerprints.

This guidebook helps readers uncover the hidden workings of the natural world of the shoreline. Richly illustrated and accessibly written, Between the Tides in Washington and Oregon illuminates the scientific forces that shape the diversity of life at each beach and tidepool--perfect for beachgoers who want to know why.

Features include

- profiles of popular and off-the-beaten-track sites to visit along the Greater Salish Sea, Puget Sound, and Washington and Oregon coasts

- the fascinating stories behind both common and less familiar species

- a lively introduction to how coastal ecosystems work and why no two beaches are ever alike

With wildlife thriving in cities, we have the opportunity to create vibrant urban ecosystems that serve both people and animals.

The Accidental Ecosystem tells the story of how cities across the United States went from having little wildlife to filling, dramatically and unexpectedly, with wild creatures. Today, many of these cities have more large and charismatic wild animals living in them than at any time in at least the past 150 years. Why have so many cities--the most artificial and human-dominated of all Earth's ecosystems--grown rich with wildlife, even as wildlife has declined in most of the rest of the world? And what does this paradox mean for people, wildlife, and nature on our increasingly urban planet?

The Accidental Ecosystem is the first book to explain this phenomenon from a deep historical perspective, and its focus includes a broad range of species and cities. Cities covered include New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Austin, Miami, Chicago, Seattle, San Diego, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Digging into the natural history of cities and unpacking our conception of what it means to be wild, this book provides fascinating context for why animals are thriving more in cities than outside of them. Author Peter S. Alagona argues that the proliferation of animals in cities is largely the unintended result of human decisions that were made for reasons having little to do with the wild creatures themselves. Considering what it means to live in diverse, multispecies communities and exploring how human and nonhuman members of communities might thrive together, Alagona goes beyond the tension between those who embrace the surge in urban wildlife and those who think of animals as invasive or as public safety hazards. The Accidental Ecosystem calls on readers to reimagine interspecies coexistence in shared habitats, as well as policies that are based on just, humane, and sustainable approaches.

Christopher Wills's claim has its roots in an insight from Charles Darwin: the interactions between species in an ecosystem are a powerful driver of evolution. In this book Wills describes how, by using the latest genetic techniques, we are probing ecosystems and discovering that even the most apparently barren of them are rich in variety, especially of microbes. Exploring the many ways in which ecosystems have coped with past change, and how rapidly an ecosystem can develop complexity, Wills illuminates a pathway of hope for the natural world that we have so damaged and depleted. Our new genetic knowledge can help these evolutionary cauldrons to continue brewing richness and diversity, the better to heal our living world and to enable our own survival.

NAMED A TOP-TEN BEST BOOK OF 2023 BY SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

A fascinating exploration (Elizabeth Kolbert) of how ecosystems are sculpted and sustained by animals eating, pooping, and dying--and how these fundamental functions could help save us from climate catastrophe.

The dynamics that shape our physical world--atmospheric chemistry, geothermal forces, plate tectonics, and erosion through wind and rain--have been explored for decades. But the effects on local ecosystems of less glamorous forces--rotting carcasses and deposited feces--as well as their impact on the global climate cycle, have been largely overlooked. The simple truth is that pooping and peeing are daily rituals for almost all animals, the ellipses of ecology that flow through life. We eat, we poop, and we die.

From the volcanoes of Iceland to the tropical waters of Hawaii, the great plains of the American heartland, and beyond, Eat, Poop, Die, compulsively readable (Shelby Van Pelt), takes readers on an exhilarating and enlightening global adventure, revealing the remarkable ways in which the most basic biological activities of animals make and remake the world--and how a deeper understanding of these cycles provides us with opportunities to undo the environmental damage humanity has wrought on the planet we call home.

The brand new, reworked Environmental Systems and Societies (SL) TestPrep Workbook is here! With essential exam practice questions for IB Environmental Systems and Societies revision, this book gives an accurate and exam-aligned experience for students.

NEW in this second edition: Self assessment tables for students to mark themselves against each assessment objective! Find out which question types need more practice.

With high quality support for both papers, this TestPrep book in the Revise IB series helps students to familiarise themselves with their ESS SL exams set by the International Baccalaureate. Find out information about the format of the papers and the types of exam questions that are set. Students practise answering the questions by writing directly into the book, just like they do in the real exam. In addition, as they work through, there are strategies, hints and support for answering the questions.

From some excellent and unique practice questions for Paper 1 to invaluable advice from the experts on how to tackle Paper 2, this book provides essential exam practice support for students revising for their IB ESS SL exams.

Students will...

• Understand what to expect from their ESS exam papers such as question types, how questions are assessed and how marks are assigned, plus information about the assessment objectives
• See example answers to Paper 1- and Paper 2-style questions - with brand new, unseen sample answers to exam-style questions and answer analysis from the point of view of an examiner.
• Test themselves - with FOUR complete sets of exam-style Environmental Systems and Societies practice papers (the first set includes loads of additional tips, examiner commentary and support to guide students to achieve high marks; the second and third sets have fewer helpful prompts; the last set has no additional help and is designed so students can have a go at it themselves!).
• Check answers - with fully-worked solutions in the back of the book.

Practice exam papers are one of the best ways to make sure students feel confident, reassured and prepared for their exams. With full sets of exam-style papers to work through, Environmental Systems and Societies: TestPrep Workbook is the perfect resource for students to use as part of their exam revision - whether this is before the mock exams or before the real thing.

This book can be used from the first year of the Diploma Programme.

Young explorers discover a variety of cool creatures, shells, plants, and more at the beach, from crabs skittering across the sand to fish riding the waves to seagulls flying high in the sky. This sturdy take-along guide features:

• Easy-to-understand profiles of a wide variety of plants and animals commonly spotted at the beach, as well as fan-favorites out in the waves like dolphins, seahorses, and jellyfish
• Vibrant National Geographic photography that brings the subject matter to life and makes identification easy
• Check Me Out! fact boxes that provide more information about each creature, including its size and color, where it's found, and what it eats
• Gallery pages featuring various beach environments, such as tide pools and sand dunes
• Cool fun facts sprinkled throughout
• Simple text for reading aloud or for beginning readers
• Games, activities, and tips for how and where to explore
• Helpful glossary
• Flexible binding for durability

Join them as they encounter the animal kingdom in its stunning beauty, astonishing variety, and imminent peril: the giant Komodo dragon of Indonesia, the helpless but loveable Kakapo of New Zealand, the blind river dolphins of China, the white rhinos of Zaire, the rare birds of Mauritius island in the Indian Ocean. Hilarious and poignant--as only Douglas Adams can be--Last Chance to See is an entertaining and arresting odyssey through the Earth's magnificent wildlife galaxy.

Praise for Last Chance to See

Lively, sharply satirical, brilliantly written . . . shows how human care can undo what human carelessness has wrought.--The Atlantic

These authors don't hesitate to present the alarming facts: More than 1,000 species of animals (and plants) become extinct every year. . . . Perhaps Adams and Carwardine, with their witty science, will help prevent such misadventures in the future.--Boston Sunday Herald

Very funny and moving . . . The glimpses of rare fauna seem to have enlarged Adams's] thinking, enlivened his world; and so might the animals do for us all, if we were to help them live.--The Washington Post Book World

Adams] invites us to enter into a conspiracy of laughter and caring.--Los Angeles Times

Amusing . . . thought-provoking . . . Its details on the heroic efforts being made to save these animals are inspirational.--The New York Times Book Review

A manifesto for a radically different philosophy and practice of manufacture and environmentalism

Reduce, reuse, recycle urge environmentalists; in other words, do more with less in order to minimize damage. But as this provocative, visionary book argues, this approach perpetuates a one-way, cradle to grave manufacturing model that dates to the Industrial Revolution and casts off as much as 90 percent of the materials it uses as waste, much of it toxic. Why not challenge the notion that human industry must inevitably damage the natural world?

In fact, why not take nature itself as our model? A tree produces thousands of blossoms in order to create another tree, yet we do not consider its abundance wasteful but safe, beautiful, and highly effective; hence, waste equals food is the first principle the book sets forth. Products might be designed so that, after their useful life, they provide nourishment for something new-either as biological nutrients that safely re-enter the environment or as technical nutrients that circulate within closed-loop industrial cycles, without being downcycled into low-grade uses (as most recyclables now are).

Elaborating their principles from experience (re)designing everything from carpeting to corporate campuses, William McDonough and Michael Braungart make an exciting and viable case for change.

For centuries, agricultural practices have eroded the soil that farming depends on, stripping it of the organic matter vital to its productivity. Now conventional agriculture is threatening disaster for the world's growing population. In Growing a Revolution, geologist David R. Montgomery travels the world, meeting farmers at the forefront of an agricultural movement to restore soil health. From Kansas to Ghana, he sees why adopting the three tenets of conservation agriculture--ditching the plow, planting cover crops, and growing a diversity of crops--is the solution. When farmers restore fertility to the land, this helps feed the world, cool the planet, reduce pollution, and return profitability to family farms.

An arresting vision of this relentless natural world (New York Times) by a leading ecologist, who urges us to heed nature's iron laws

Our species has amassed unprecedented knowledge of nature, which we have tried to use to seize control of life and bend the planet to our will. In  A Natural History of the Future, biologist Rob Dunn argues that such efforts are futile. We may see ourselves as life's overlords, but we are instead at its mercy. In the evolution of antibiotic resistance, the power of natural selection to create biodiversity, and even the surprising life of the London Underground, Dunn finds laws of life that no human activity can annul. When we create artificial islands of crops, dump toxic waste, or build communities, we provide new materials for old laws to shape. Life's future flourishing is not in question. Ours is.

As ambitious as Edward O. Wilson's Sociobiology and as timely as Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction, A Natural History of the Future sets a new standard for understanding the diversity and destiny of life itself.

Extinction is a natural process. In geological time there have been several periods of mass extinction. One of these periods is unfolding right now but all the evidence suggests that current extinction rates are between a hundred and a thousand times greater than the background rate. To put this in to context, a quarter of all known mammalian species is at risk. The current extinction crisis is unique, because it is caused by the impact of one species, humans, on all others. This acceleration of species loss, and the much more widespread reductions in the populations of many species, is not merely a tragedy in aesthetics, it is also a threat to the quality of human life, indeed to the entire human enterprise.

Biodiversity, the diversity of life, is not only fascinating and beautiful, it is the engine of all the world's natural cycles, and the source of many of the resources on which humanity depends. Concern about biodiversity conservation is, therefore, not merely the preoccupation of a few enthusiastic naturalists - it is the lifeline business of everybody.

In this Very Short Introduction, David Macdonald introduces the concept of biodiversity and the basic biological processes that it involves - evolutionary, ecological, and behavioral. He considers the various threats to biodiversity, their impacts, and some of the solutions to the problems; concluding by considering the future of biodiversity conservation.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

What forces influence a person's decision to pursue a career in science? And what factors determine which among the many possible pathways a budding scientist chooses to follow?

John A. Wiens traces his journeys through several subfields of ecology--and, in so doing, gives readers an inside look at how science actually works. He shares stories from his development as an ornithologist, community ecologist, landscape ecologist, and conservation scientist that convey the excitement of doing ecology. Recounting the serendipities, discoveries, and joys of this branching career, Wiens explores how an individual's background and interests, life's contingencies, the influences of key people, and the culture of a discipline can all shape a scientist's trajectory. Becoming an Ecologist illustrates why ecologists ask the questions they do, how they go about answering them, and what they do when the answers are not what they expected.

Bringing together personal narrative with practical guidance for aspiring ecologists, this book provides a window onto a dynamic scientific field--and inspiration for all readers interested in building a career by following their passion for the natural world.