Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2016 -

This book is a worthy successor toMarine Algae: Biodiversity, Taxonomy, Environmental Assessment and Biotechnology, edited by Pereira and J. Neto (2014). Pereira (Univ. of Coimbra, Portugal) begins with an introductory chapter discussing algae's role in nature, the major taxonomic groups, and humanity's use of algae as food and medicine. The second part of the book comprises a detailed treatment of each edible species, including the common name, scientific name, authority, synonyms, a brief description, geographic distribution, and common uses as food--all supported with citations. The volume is well illustrated with black-and-white and color photographs of species in situ and herbarium specimens and also contains many beautiful illustrations, some done by Pereira. Supplemental information includes an extensive, 42-page reference section; a glossary; some interesting recipes; and a species index. An excellent resource for the beginning phycologist up through experts in the field.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals/practitioners.

Famed for their interesting histories, 40 plants have been chosen for this volume of essays written by experts associated with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England. The essays provide information as to why a particular species has attained its status among the "World's Most Fascinating Plants." Serendipitous details of discovery, bizarre or striking appearances, physiological oddities, unusual usages, and unique ecologies are among the host of facts presented in the brief text for each plant. Colored reproductions of original depictions selected from the gardens' extensive 400-year collection of prints, drawings, paintings, and supporting documents accompany the text. The plants chosen are worthy of this compilation, and each short essay is well-written and filled with fascinating information. The illustrations are beautiful and have dramatic visual impact. As a special bonus, the paperback book is accompanied by 40 (correspondingly numbered) additional illustrations--one for each plant--and printed on heavier paper stock. This is all included in a decorative presentation box with an orange satin ribbon, making the item a great gift for any lover of plants.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.

In 13 essays (chapters), Hunt (emer., Univ. of Pennsylvania) lays out what could be called the systematics or taxonomy of garden design. This entails considering the "approaches, aesthetics, and achievements" of mostly contemporary practitioners. In each example in each essay, the author provides a thoughtful analysis, not of plants used but rather of the concepts used in the plan, along with their relationships to history and sometimes literature and even mythology. Hunt focuses on ideas in play for a design that includes consideration of locality, function, and relationship with whatever larger scheme might be involved. The titles of some chapters give an idea of the author's analytical treatment of "making of place," e.g., "Vernacular Gardening," Re-invented Gardens," "Small Parks: Pockets, Linear and Vertical," and even "Drosscapes." Hunt has an engaging writing style--succinct, erudite, occasionally wry, and yet charming. This interesting work is not about how to make a garden but how to understand and enjoy the ways complex and intertwined themes bring viewers to a heightened level of understanding of designers' intent.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All library collections.

True to its title, this work sets out to cover both flower biology and the many different ways flowers are useful or desired in our lives. It begins by discussing the structures and functions of flowers as plant reproductive organs and how they variously coevolved with insects. Flowers attract insects with food, scents, and even warmth, and in turn the insects transfer pollen from flower to flower. Buchmann (Univ.of Arizona), a pollination ecologist and coauthor with G. Nabhan ofThe Forgotten Pollinators(CH, Jan'97, 34-2735), makes use of his expertise to elaborate on the many ways flowers achieve pollination. Further sections focus on how flowers have been appreciated, grown, and used in many cultures worldwide, historically and in the present. The author describes how flowers are eaten or used in perfumes; their roles in literature, mythology, and art; and finally, floral uses in science and medicine. Although the book contains a wealth of detail, the author's erudite but very accessible writing style makes it eminently readable and entertaining. Black-and-white illustrations add interest. The "Notes and Sources" section provides detailed suggestions for further reading on specific topics, and appendixes provide statistics, recipes, and lists of conservation organizations.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All horticultural and botanical library collections.