num_pages: 352
description: Cultural history at its bestthe engaging lively and definitive story of the beauty sexuality ecology myths lore and economics of the worlds flowers written by a passionately devoted author and scientist and illustrated with his stunning photographs.Flowers and the fruits that follow feed clothe sustain and inspire all humanity. They have done so since before recorded history. Flowers are used to celebrate all-important occasions to express love and are also the basis of global industries. Americans buy ten million flowers a day and perfumes are a worldwide industry worth $30 billion dollars annually. Yet we know little about flowers their origins bizarre sex lives or how humans relate and depend upon them.Stephen Buchmann takes us along on an exploratory journey of the roles flowers play in the production of our foods spices medicines perfumes while simultaneously bringing joy and health. Flowering plants continue to serve as inspiration in our myths and legends in the fine and decorative arts and in literary works of prose and poetry. Flowers seduce usand animals toothrough their myriad shapes colors textures and scents. And because of our extraordinary appetite for more unusual and beautiful super flowers plant breeders have created such unnatural blooms as blue roses and black petunias to cater to the human world of haute couture fashion. In so doing the nectar and pollen vital to the bees butterflies and bats of the world are being reduced. Buchmann explains the unfortunate consequences and explores how to counter them by growing the right flowers. Here he integrates fascinating stories about the many colorful personalities who populate the world of flowers and the flowers and pollinators themselves with a research-based narrative that illuminates just why there is indeed a Reason for Flowers.
language: English
title: The Reason for Flowers: Their History, Culture, Biology, and How They Change Our Lives
publisher: Scribner