The Bizarre and Incredible World of Plants
Nature’s default mode is beauty. Consider the tiniest grains of pollen, works of architecture so intricate and elegant as to defy belief. Humans have been able to appreciate such wonders only after inventing the electronic microscope, which has enabled scientists to fully study the elaborate and dynamic reproductive strategies of plants, but it takes an artist to fully appreciate their aesthetics. Enter Rob Kesseler, who transforms black-and-white informational images into photographs as resplendent as jewels. Palynologist Harley and seed morphologist Stuppy teamed up with Kesseler to produce three large, dazzling volumes—Pollen (2006), Seeds (2006), and Fruits (2008). The trio now presents a single, more compact and mobile, and equally gorgeous and mind-blowing volume about the marvelous yet secret lives of plants. The astonishing pictures are matched by scientifically exacting explanations of how plants, which produce oxygen and “feed—either directly or indirectly—all life on Earth,” have evolved “sophisticated survival strategies,” including symbiotic relationships with pollinators. The authors hope to inspire awe and gratitude, because, as they so graciously remind us, we owe our lives to plants. --Donna Seaman