PLANT-LIFE, a Walk with Nature is a new book by Edward Bent and self-published with www.nartura.net. Pages: 240 ISBN: 979-12-210-0957-6 Price: £21.00 online.
Is there anyone in the world who does not have some kind of interaction with the plant kingdom? Consider the food we eat, the landscapes we enjoy, the flowers we value for their beauty and colour, the habitats we acknowledge that shelter and support the amazing wildlife communities – just some of the ways that we understand and appreciate plants.
Less frequently however do we really stop to thoroughly investigate and admire the plant kingdom in all its myriad forms and appreciate all the incredible resources provided and the complexity of the plant world altogether.
This book – Plant-Life, a walk with Nature – sets out to entice and encourage us to be more mindful and questioning about the plant kingdom. The chapters range from identifying and celebrating nature through to holistic considerations of plant-life, evolution and inter-relationships, biodiversity, climate change, conservation and education. It is not a book which can be skipped through lightly but often because in each chapter fascinating questions are posed to make the reader question and think about what he/she might already understand or know. Not only are there many passages and paragraphs which give pause for reflection but the range of links to research, old and new, and the development and direction of new enquiries is incredible. In fact I would say that the depth and complexity of the book almost mirrors that found in the plant world itself.
Even with a number of photographs and diagrams, this book is a dense read and it might have been appropriate to publish the work in two (or more) volumes but I think in this case the author did not want to separate the vital interconnections and holistic view between say, art and science or identification and adaptations found within the plant world.
This book would appeal to those with a general love of nature – both as artists and scientists – and for those studying conservation and biodiversity at advanced level . It is also a book that would help readers to begin to understand the complexities of plant growth and adaptations which will be useful when future challenges regarding habitat loss and climate change need to be met.
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Reviewed by Sue Shanks