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OverviewConfucius called them the “king of fragrant plants,” and John Ruskin condemned them as “prurient apparitions.” Across the centuries, orchids have captivated us with their elaborate exoticism, their powerful perfumes, and their sublime seductiveness.But the disquieting beauty of orchids is an unplanned marvel of evolution, and the story of orchids is as captivating as any novel. As acclaimed writer Michael Pollan and National Geographic photographer Christian Ziegler spin tales of orchid conquest in Deceptive Beauties: The World of Wild Orchids, we learn how these flowers can survive and thrive in the harshest of environments, from tropical cloud forests to the Arctic, from semi-deserts to rocky mountainsides; how their shapes, colors, and scents are, as Darwin put it, “beautiful contrivances” meant to dupe pollinating male insects in the strangest ways. What other flowers, after all, can mimic the pheromones and even appearance of female insects, so much so that some male bees prefer sex with the orchids over sex with their own kind? And insects aren’t the only ones to fall for the orchids’ charms. Since the “orchidelirium” of the Victorian era, humans have braved the wilds to search them out and devoted copious amounts of time and money propagating and hybridizing, nurturing and simply gazing at them. This astonishing book features over 150 unprecedented color photographs taken by Christian Ziegler himself as he trekked through wilderness on five continents to capture the diversity and magnificence of orchids in their natural habitats. His intimate and astonishing images allow us to appreciate up close nature’s most intoxicating and deceptive beauties. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Christian Ziegler , Michael Pollan , Natalie AngierPublisher: The University of Chicago Press Imprint: University of Chicago Press Dimensions: Width: 2.60cm , Height: 0.20cm , Length: 2.50cm Weight: 1.247kg ISBN: 9780226982977ISBN 10: 0226982971 Pages: 184 Publication Date: 30 October 2011 Audience: Professional and scholarly , Professional & Vocational Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: In stock We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately. Table of ContentsReviewsThe images are stunning, a glory of colors and shapes, but this book offers much more. Ziegler--a trained biologist, as well as photographer--shows these remarkable plants in the context of their habitat: marsh, semi-desert, tropical forest. That--and his astonishing photographs of orchids and their pollinators--reminds us how clever, precious and diverse nature can be, and why conservation matters. --Chris Johns, editor in chief, National Geographic Magazine<br> <br><br>--Chris Johns Author InformationChristian Ziegler is a biologist-turned-photographer specializing in tropical natural history. He is a frequent contributor to National Geographic Magazine, GEO, and Smithsonian, among others. He is an associate for communication with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and a founding fellow of the International League of Conservation photographers. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |