The Way Of The Panda

In a most original book, science writer Henry Nicholls uses the rich and curious story of the panda from its 'discovery' 150 years ago in the highlands of China to its present international status as endearing icon of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF - fifty years old in 2011) and shy darling of the world's zoos to do several things - to chart the emergence of modern China onto the global stage; to examine our changing attitude to the natural world; and to offer a compelling history of the conservation movement.

The Book of Pandas: The Official Guide to Walking the Way of the Panda is the official companion book for Way of the Panda Tarot - written for tarot travelers and panda wayfarers who want to explore deeper into the world and philosophy of the pandas. The book contains the adorable and mystical lores of Panda Kingdom, jampacked with an awesome collection of panda-themed spreads, journaling prompts & questions for reflection, as well as spiritual / inspirational messages from the panda residents. Unlike the Little Black & White Book (the mini guidebook that accompanies each deck) The Book of Pandas focuses on exploring the panda as an archetype and engaging in deeper discussions about leading an intuitive and psychospiritual practice through the lens of the adorable and wise panda archetype as well as tarot.

Learn how the extraordinary impact of the panda--from obscurity to fame--is also the story of China's transition from shy beginnings to center stage.

Here is the astonishing true story of Ruth Harkness, the Manhattan bohemian socialite who, against all but impossible odds, trekked to Tibet in 1936 to capture the most mysterious animal of the day: a bear that had for countless centuries lived in secret in the labyrinth of lonely cold mountains. In The Lady and the Panda, Vicki Constantine Croke gives us the remarkable account of Ruth Harkness and her extraordinary journey, and restores Harkness to her rightful place along with Sacajawea, Nellie Bly, and Amelia Earhart as one of the great woman adventurers of all time. Ruth was the toast of 1930s New York, a dress designer newly married to a wealthy adventurer, Bill Harkness. Just weeks after their wedding, however, Bill decamped for China in hopes of becoming the first Westerner to capture a giant panda–an expedition on which many had embarked and failed miserably. Bill was also to fail in his quest, dying horribly alone in China and leaving his widow heartbroken and adrift. And so Ruth made the fateful decision to adopt her husband’s dream as her own and set off on the adventure of a lifetime. It was not easy. Indeed, everything was against Ruth Harkness. In decadent Shanghai, the exclusive fraternity of white male explorers patronized her, scorned her, and joked about her softness, her lack of experience and money. But Ruth ignored them, organizing, outfitting, and leading a bare-bones campaign into the majestic but treacherous hinterlands where China borders Tibet. As her partner she chose Quentin Young, a twenty-two-year-old Chinese explorer as unconventional as she was, who would join her in a romance as torrid as it was taboo. Traveling across some of the toughest terrain in the world–nearly impenetrable bamboo forests, slick and perilous mountain slopes, and boulder-strewn passages–the team raced against a traitorous rival, and was constantly threatened by hordes of bandits and hostile natives. The voyage took months to complete and cost Ruth everything she had. But when, almost miraculously, she returned from her journey with a baby panda named Su Lin in her arms, the story became an international sensation and made the front pages of newspapers around the world. No animal in history had gotten such attention. And Ruth Harkness became a hero. Drawing extensively on American and Chinese sources, including diaries, scores of interviews, and previously unseen intimate letters from Ruth Harkness, Vicki Constantine Croke has fashioned a captivating and richly textured narrative about a woman ahead of her time. Part Myrna Loy, part Jane Goodall, by turns wisecracking and poetic, practical and spiritual, Ruth Harkness is a trailblazing figure. And her story makes for an unforgettable, deeply moving adventure.

The Book of Pandas: The Official Guide to Walking the Way of the Panda is the official companion book for Way of the Panda Tarot - written for tarot travelers and panda wayfarers who want to explore deeper into the world and philosophy of the pandas. The book contains the adorable and mystical lores of Panda Kingdom, jampacked with an awesome collection of panda-themed spreads, journaling prompts & questions for reflection, as well as spiritual / inspirational messages from the panda residents. Unlike the Little Black & White Book (the mini guidebook that accompanies each deck) The Book of Pandas focuses on exploring the panda as an archetype and engaging in deeper discussions about leading an intuitive and psychospiritual practice through the lens of the adorable and wise panda archetype as well as tarot.

The debate over Intelligent Design seemingly represents an extension of the fundamental conflict between creationists and evolutionists. ID proponents, drawing on texts such as Darwin's Black Box and Of Pandas and People, urge schools to "teach the controversy" in biology class alongside evolution. The scientific mainstream has reacted with fury, branding Intelligent Design as pseudoscience and its advocates as religious fanatics. But stridency misses the point, argues Nathaniel Comfort. In The Panda's Black Box, Comfort joins five other leading public intellectuals—including Daniel Kevles and Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Larson—to explain the roots of the controversy and explore the intellectual, social, and cultural factors that continue to shape it. One of the few books on the ID issue that moves beyond mere name-calling and finger-pointing, The Panda's Black Box challenges assumptions on each side of the debate and engages both the appeal and dangers of Intelligent Design. This lively collection will appeal to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of what's really at stake in the debate over evolution.