The Bizarre and Incredible World of Plants - Softcover

[Review for previous edition] While most gardeners enjoy practical books on gardening techniques and plants, sometimes it's nice to have a book that just wows you.--Charlie Nardozzi"National Gardening Association" (11/24/2009)

[Review for previous edition] This visual treat, accompanied by engaging botanical descriptions, invites readers to discover the thrill of looking at the everyday from an uncommon perspective.--Natalya Stanko"Sierra Club" (09/08/2010)

[Review for previous edition] The Bizarre and Incredible World of Plants is actually the best of three other books, Pollen, Seeds and Fruit. All of them are pictorial wonders that use the best of science, art and technology to depict the anatomy of plants and their proficient reproduction. This lush and otherworldly picture book illustrates in the smallest detail the inscrutable work of plants making more plants, and fruits making more fruit, flowers making more flowers... This is truly a look into the secret life of plants.-- (11/08/2009)

[Review for previous edition] Nature's default mode is beauty. Consider the tiny grains of pollen, works of architecture so intricate and elegant as to defy belief. Humans have only been able to appreciate such wonders after inventing the electronic microscope... but it takes an artist to appreciate their aesthetics. Enter Kesseler, who transforms black-and-white informational images into photographs as resplendent as jewels. Palynologist Harley and seed morphologist Stuppy teamed up with Kestrel to produce three large, dazzling volumes-- Pollen, Seeds, and Fruit. The trio now presents a single, more compact and more mobile, and equally gorgeous and mind-blowing volume about the marvelous yet secret lives of plants.-- (12/01/2009)

[Review for previous edition] The most visually striking--and unusual--plant-related book of the year comes from Firefly, which has a long history of visually stunning books to its claim. None of them are quite like The Bizarre and Incredible World of Plants, written by a team of authors with serious credentials in the world of plant morphology. Scanning electron microscopy results in remarkable, even otherworldly photographs of pollen, seeds, and fruit; the very reason life continues to exist on this planet. The accompanying text explains how these structures work, both in terms of their individual species and in the wider world. The only drawback is that readers have to flip to the back of the book to find out what images are on any given page, as thee are no corresponding captions accompanying the photos. That caveat aside, this is an affordable book that will forever change the way you look at plants.-- (12/06/2009)

[Review for previous edition] From pollen to seeds to fruits, you'll see the intricacies of plant reproduction in a whole new way as you peruse the fantastic photographic images in The Bizarre and Incredible World of Plants. A compilation of the best of three earlier books, this volume is a visual feast of incredible, close-up photographs by visual artist Rob Kessler, who used special light and scanning electron microscopy to capture everything from an up-close view of the minute hairs covering the skin of a peach to the astounding array of shapes, sizes and structures of seeds and pollen. These entrancing images are accompanied by interesting information from seed morphologist Wolfgang Stuppy and pollen expert Madeline Harley on the botanical purposes of plants' reproductive structures and the roles they play in preserving biodiversity. You'll find out about the many strategies plants have devised for getting their pollen and seeds where they need to go for the continuation of the species. For example, you'll learn that the largest seed in the world is carried by the nut of the Seychelles palm and that only 10 percent of plants are wind-pollinated. What a great way to increase your botanical knowledge!--National Gardener (07/03/2010)

[Review for previous edition] Ever wonder what the difference is between seeds, spores and pollen, or how plants have adapted to make themselves appealing to pollinators? You'll find the answers in The Bizarre and Incredible World of Plants. The colorful book provides insight into the lives of plants, as well as the insects and animals that play a part in their pollination. The illustrations of magnified seeds and pollen combined with otherworldly-seeming photographs of plants make this a visual treat.-- (01/05/2010)

[Review for previous edition] The authors leverage the power of microscopes to enlarge tiny bits of plant material to fill entire pages in this photo anthology. Seen in a larger-than-life fashion, pollens and seeds become complete life forms with unique purposes. The photography and text convey a wealth of information about the organisms responsible for our plant world.-- (12/25/2009)

[Review for previous edition] Surrounded by the striking microphotography of Rob Kessler, text by two experts from London's Royal Botanic Gardens describes the many purposes filled by pollen, seeds, and fruit, and the roles they play both in plant reproduction and in preserving the Earth's biodiversity. Accessibly written and filled with stunning photographs, this book will be enjoyed both by specialist and general readers.-- (12/01/2009)

[Review for previous edition] Fantastic photos -- images that transcend the bounds of the ordinary -- dominate the book. Detailed information about each depicted plant or plant part is expertly included in "List of Illustrations," unobtrusively positioned at the back of the book. The running commentary offers technical insights... The authors of Bizarre and Incredible World of Plants rejoice in such "masterpieces of natural architecture and engineering," especially those invisible to the naked eye that have to be seen to be believed, or even imagined. Such detailed close-up features, brilliantly alight against glossy black backgrounds, amount to an unforgettable feast.-- (03/03/2010)