Pollen The Hidden Sexuality of Flowers (compact edition) /anglais

by Madeline Harley Rob Kesseler, Madeline Harley

"This book is the result of the shared fascination of an artist and a scientist with the perfect design of organisms too small to be seen without a microscope - pollen grains, which are enclosed beyond the accessible beauty of the flower until the moment of release, when they will be carried by wind, water or animal vectors to achieve their purpose, procreation. Pollen is ubiquitous; in childhood we all learn a little of plant reproduction and the role of the bee but few people are aware of the astonishing diversity of the structure of pollen grains, although these tiny and extraordinary forms have fascinated the scientifically curious since the seventeenth century." Starting with a clear explanation of the structure and form of pollen, the authors go on to examine the remarkable events from pollination to fertilisation, and the many ways in which pollen impacts unseen on our lives. All of this is interwoven with a dazzling array of original images by the authors, created especially for the book, interpreting this magical world in a way that no other book on the subject has ever done.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Nature

264 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 2006

Reviews

[Nihal Vrana]

It has some nice SEM pictures but overall it is a very weak popular science book. Awful text, nearly no context in what we are shown on the pages and the constant shift of text colors made it more of an eyesore than an eye candy for me.

[Sally]

A truly beautiful book. The pollen look like weirdly lovely science-fiction creations, the text is informative without being heavy. Highly recommended to borrow from the library (it costs $60).

[Ellen]

this is one of my most favorite and mystifying books of all times.