Ecology

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Ever wondered if declaring support for fair-trade and then chucking Kenyan beans from your shopping trolley to reduce food miles really added up? Or whether the women in Bangladeshi sweatshops really want you to stop buying the clothes from their sewing machines? Or how the system works when you dump stuff but never buy from a charity shop? While none of us should stop trying, it was never easy being green. Mindful of his footprint, Fred goes in search of the source of the cotton in his shirt, the prawns in his curry and the people who grew, mined or made all his stuff in an attempt to discover the true story behind our everyday things. This compelling story of his travels moves green thinking on to a new, more sophisticated plane.

This is a newly revised edition of the Natural History Museum's classic introduction to the processes and products of change to the Earth's surface. It explains in accessible language how the planet is being constantly remodelled by powerful natural forces and guides us through geological time and space to recreate past landscapes. Packed with stunning photographs, diagrams and maps, this timely book has also been updated with all the latest information about the human impact on climate change and considers the challenge of predicting the Earth's future.

ISBN: 9780565092368

Charles Darwin was mocked for suggesting that humans have apes for ancestors, but every scientific advance in the study of life in the last 150 years has confirmed the reality of evolution. In 99% Ape: How Evolution Adds Up leading experts explain this fundamental yet often complex subject and guide the general reader through the latest evidence. They explore our own origins and the genealogy of living things, as well as highlighting some of the key turning points in evolutionary history. Read the latest research on Darwin's finches and how new species evolve, uncover the flaws in 'intelligent design', find out what evolution has to say about psychology, the development of the human mind and morality, and how we are still evolving. With the use of colour illustrations and clear diagrams throughout, this is a comprehensive introduction to evolution and the latest thinking on the subject.

From the gold potatoes at the Sun Temple in Cuzco, Peru, the muddy ones in Ireland and those grown in China for MacDonalds chips, via Mrs Beeton, Charles Darwin, Lenin and Chairman Mao, to the mapping of the potato genome, the story of the spud is both satisfying and fascinating. John Reader follows the thread of the potato's story through the tapestry of human history, from its origins and evolution to its mysterious arrival in Europe, where it became a crucial part of gastronomic and social fabric. As global population swells and environmental sustainability becomes ever more crucial, Reader asks what role the potato still has to play - in this lively, readable study of our most humble foodstuff.