About this item
We live in a world of seeds. From our morning toast to the cotton in our clothes, they are quite literally the stuff and staff of life, supporting diets, economies, and civilizations around the globe. Just as the search for nutmeg and the humble peppercorn drove the Age of Discovery, so did coffee beans help fuel the Enlightenment, and cottonseed help spark the Industrial Revolution. And from the Fall of Rome to the Arab Spring, the fate of nations continues to hinge on the seeds of a Middle Eastern grass known as wheat.
In nature and in culture, seeds are fundamental - objects of beauty, evolutionary wonder, and simple fascination. How many times has a child dropped the winged pip of a maple, marveling as it spirals its way down to the ground, or relished the way a gust of wind(or a stout breath) can send a dandelion's feathery flotilla skyward? Yet despite their importance, seeds are often seen as a commonplace, their extraordinary natural and human histories overlooked.
About the Author
Dr. Thor Hanson is a Guggenheim Fellow, a Switzer Environmental Fellow, and an award winning author and biologist. His books include HURRICANE LIZARDS AND PLASTIC SQUID, BUZZ, FEATHERS, THE TRIUMPH OF SEEDS, and THE IMPENETRABLE FOREST, as well as the children's favorite BARTHOLOMEW QUILL. He has received numerous accolades for his work, including the John Burroughs Medal, the Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science, and three Pacific Northwest Book Awards. Hanson's many media appearances have included Fresh Air and Science Friday on NPR, and he co-hosted the PBS Nature series, American Spring Live. He lives with his wife and son on an island in Washington State. Visit his website at www.thorhanson.net. (Author photo by Kathleen Ballard Photography.)
