The Variety Of Life

This appealing compendium pays tribute to the Earth's biodiversity with each spread showcasing a different species of fauna or flora, along with a general introduction to each type, individual profiles offer fascinating facts, and the scientific names of every creature. Full color.

View a collection of videos on Professor Wilson entitled "On the Relation of Science and the Humanities" "In the Amazon Basin the greatest violence sometimes begins as a flicker of light beyond the horizon. There in the perfect bowl of the night sky, untouched by light from any human source, a thunderstorm sends its premonitory signal and begins a slow journey to the observer, who thinks: the world is about to change." Watching from the edge of the Brazilian rain forest, witness to the sort of violence nature visits upon its creatures, Edward O. Wilson reflects on the crucible of evolution, and so begins his remarkable account of how the living world became diverse and how humans are destroying that diversity. Wilson, internationally regarded as the dean of biodiversity studies, conducts us on a tour through time, traces the processes that create new species in bursts of adaptive radiation, and points out the cataclysmic events that have disrupted evolution and diminished global diversity over the past 600 million years. The five enormous natural blows to the planet (such as meteorite strikes and climatic changes) required 10 to 100 million years of evolutionary repair. The sixth great spasm of extinction on earth--caused this time entirely by humans--may be the one that breaks the crucible of life. Wilson identifies this crisis in countless ecosystems around the globe: coral reefs, grasslands, rain forests, and other natural habitats. Drawing on a variety of examples such as the decline of bird populations in the United States, the extinction of many species of freshwater fish in Africa and Asia, and the rapid disappearance of flora and fauna as the rain forests are cut down, he poignantly describes the death throes of the living world's diversity--projected to decline as much as 20 percent by the year 2020. All evidence marshaled here resonates through Wilson's tightly reasoned call for a spirit of stewardship over the world's biological wealth. He makes a plea for specific actions that will enhance rather than diminish not just diversity but the quality of life on earth. Cutting through the tangle of environmental issues that often obscure the real concern, Wilson maintains that the era of confrontation between forces for the preservation of nature and those for economic development is over; he convincingly drives home the point that both aims can, and must, be integrated. Unparalleled in its range and depth, Wilson's masterwork is essential reading for those who care about preserving the world biological variety and ensuring our planet's health.

Whatever living thing the reader comes across, from E coli to an oak tree or an elephant, this volume aims to show what kind of creature it is, and how it relates to all the others. Yet there are far too many creatures to present merely as a catalogue.

The distinguished classicist William Fitzgerald examines the concept, value and practice of variety in Latin literature and its reception. He argues that variety was an important value in ancient aesthetic discourse and played a significant role in thinking about, among other things, nature, rhetoric, pleasure and empire. Fitzgerald explains how a discourse of variety passed from Latin writers into the post-classical world up to the modern age, in which words like choice and diversity have taken over its work, though with associative meanings that are much different."

Concepts of Biology is designed for the single-semester introduction to biology course for non-science majors, which for many students is their only college-level science course. As such, this course represents an important opportunity for students to develop the necessary knowledge, tools, and skills to make informed decisions as they continue with their lives. Rather than being mired down with facts and vocabulary, the typical non-science major student needs information presented in a way that is easy to read and understand. Even more importantly, the content should be meaningful. Students do much better when they understand why biology is relevant to their everyday lives. For these reasons, Concepts of Biology is grounded on an evolutionary basis and includes exciting features that highlight careers in the biological sciences and everyday applications of the concepts at hand.We also strive to show the interconnectedness of topics within this extremely broad discipline. In order to meet the needs of today's instructors and students, we maintain the overall organization and coverage found in most syllabi for this course. A strength of Concepts of Biology is that instructors can customize the book, adapting it to the approach that works best in their classroom. Concepts of Biology also includes an innovative art program that incorporates critical thinking and clicker questions to help students understand--and apply--key concepts.

"Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity; United Nations Development Programme; United Nations Environment Programme; IUCN--The World Conservation Union."

Written by a team of best-selling authors, BIOLOGY: THE UNITY AND DIVERSITY OF LIFE, 14th Edition reveals the biological world in wondrous detail. Packed with eye-catching photos and images, this text engages students with applications and activities that encourage critical thinking. Chapter opening Learning Roadmaps help students focus on the topics that matter most and section-ending “Take Home Messages” reinforce key concepts. Helpful in-text features include a running glossary, case studies, issue-related essays, linked concepts, self-test questions, data analysis problems, and more. The accompanying MindTap for Biology is the most engaging and easiest to customize online solution in Biology. Known for a clear, accessible style, BIOLOGY: THE UNITY AND DIVERSITY OF LIFE, 14th Edition puts the living world of biology under a microscope for students to analyze, understand, and enjoy! Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.

“A literary experience unlike any I’ve had in recent memory . . . a blueprint for this moment and the next, for where Black folks have been and where they might be going.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice) What does it mean to be Black and alive right now? Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham have brought together this collection of work—images, photos, essays, memes, dialogues, recipes, tweets, poetry, and more—to tell the story of the radical, imaginative, provocative, and gorgeous world that Black creators are bringing forth today. The book presents a succession of startling and beautiful pieces that generate an entrancing rhythm: Readers will go from conversations with activists and academics to memes and Instagram posts, from powerful essays to dazzling paintings and insightful infographics. In answering the question of what it means to be Black and alive, Black Futures opens a prismatic vision of possibility for every reader.