Seasons of Life

by Russell Foster, Leon Kreitzman

The natural world is full of rhythms. How do birds know when to return to their nesting grounds? What effect do the seasons have on our wellbeing, and how does the season in which we are born affect our subsequent life chances? How did humans get the idea that there were seasons 50,000 years ago? Seasons of Life explains why the seasons occur, the impact of seasonal change and how organisms have evolved to anticipate these changes. For although we mask the effects of seasonal changes by warming our homes, lighting our nights, preserving foods and storing water, we cannot hide from them.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Science, Biology

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 19, 2009

Reviews

[Elentarri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhythms of LifeSeasons of Life deals with circannual or yearly seasonal rhythms.  The first half of the book discusses animals and plants - how they adapt to seasonal cycles, the mechanism, and some interesting examples.  This section discusses changing leaf colour, hibernation, migration and seasonal reproduction.  The second half of the book deals with people.  If we even have a circannual internal clock, how changing seasons effect our reproduction, if they effect the diseases we acquire, our moods and when we die.  Seasons of Life is not nearly as technical as Rhythms of Life, but still makes for fascinating and pleasurable reading.

NOTE:  One does not have to read Rhythms of Life before Seasons of Life.  Each book is a self-contained entity.  They compliment each other.

[Max Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit too science-ey for me so i skipped parts, but overall, Facinating.