Collection: Adult Non Fiction - Environment

We like to think of ourselves as exceptional beings, but are we really any more special than other animals? Humans are the slightest of twigs on a single family tree that encompasses four billion years, a lot of twists and turns, and a billion species. All of those organisms are rooted in a singl...

Sound shapes our world in invisible but significant ways, and here Caspar Henderson brings his characteristic curiosity, knowledge and sense of wonder to the subject to take us on an exhilarating journey through the heard universe. A Little Book of Noises gathers together sounds from the cosmos, ...

Some plants have sustained empires and sparked wars. Some have ignited public outrage. Think tea, opium, tulips - and thistles.In 1852 South Australia passed its Thistle Act, probably the first weed control legislation anywhere in the world. The word 'thistle' refers to a large and widespread gro...

Discover the lavish beauty and fascinating history of the 40 most important and inspiring botanic gardens from across the globe. From the Renaissance gardens of Italy to the futuristic botanic gardens of Singapore, this gorgeous book tells the story of these unique institutions. It is a history o...

"A Brief History of the Earth's Climate is an accessible, illustrated, myth-busting guide to the natural evolution of the Earth's climate over 4.6 billion years, how and why human-caused global warming and climate change is different and more dangerous, and how to counter sceptics and deniers wit...

This brilliantly concise history of the Pacific Ocean nevertheless succeeds in examining both the indigenous presence on ocean's islands and Western control or influence over its islands and shores. There is a particular focus on the period from the 1530s to 1890 with its greater Western coastal ...

The deep sea is the last, vast wilderness on the planet. For centuries, myth-makers and storytellers have concocted imaginary monsters of the deep, and now scientists are looking there to find bizarre, unknown species, chemicals to make new medicines, and to gain a greater understanding of how th...

Are plants intelligent? Can they solve problems, communicate, and navigate their surroundings? For centuries, philosophers and scientists have argued that plants are unthinking and inert, yet discoveries over the past fifty years have challenged this idea, shedding new light on the complex interi...

An energy revolution is under way with far-reaching consequences for nations, companies, and the way we address climate change. Low oil prices are sending shockwaves through the global economy, and longtime industry observer Dieter Helm explains how this and other shifts are the harbingers of a c...

From the award-winning author of The Triumph of Seeds and Feathers, a natural and cultural history of the buzzing wee beasties that make the world go round. Bees are like oxygen: ubiquitous, essential, and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relation...