{"title":"Jack Ashby","description":"\u003cp\u003eJack Ashby’s books invite readers into the fascinating world of wildlife and natural history, blending engaging storytelling with insightful facts. His works, such as \u003cem\u003eNature’s Memory\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ePlatypus Matters\u003c\/em\u003e, celebrate the quirks and wonders of animals, making science accessible and captivating for all ages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIdeal for both children and adults curious about the environment, Ashby’s writing encourages a deeper appreciation of the natural world. Expect vivid descriptions and charming narratives that bring to life the extraordinary creatures that share our planet.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"natures-memory-by-jack-ashby-9780241656884","title":"Nature's Memory","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn affectionate and eye-opening insider's guide to the world's great natural history museums.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eNature's Memory\u003c\/em\u003e, zoologist Jack Ashby shares hidden stories behind the world's iconic natural history museums, from enormous mounted whale skeletons to cabinets of impossibly tiny insects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLook closely and all is not as it seems—these museums are not as natural, Ashby shows us, as we might think. Mammals dominate the displays, for example, even though they make up less than 1 percent of species; there are many more male specimens than females; and often a museum's most popular draw—the dinosaur skeletons—are not actually real. Over 99 percent of museum collections are held in immense, unseen storehouses. And it's becoming clear that these institutions have not been as honest about their complex histories as they should be. Yet natural history museums are also the only museums that can save the world—it is just starting to be understood that their vast collections are indispensable resources in the fight against biodiversity loss and climate catastrophe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWeaving together fresh historical research with surprising insights, \u003cem\u003eNature's Memory\u003c\/em\u003e is a love letter to the joys, eccentricities, and planet-saving potential of the world's best-loved museums.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46631866663148,"sku":"9780241656884","price":65.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/282383482274.jpg?v=1751985575"},{"product_id":"platypus-matters-by-jack-ashby-9780008431471","title":"Platypus Matters","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWinner of the Whitley Award for Best Natural History Book 2022\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA compelling, funny, first-hand account of Australia's wonderfully unique mammals and how our perceptions impact their future.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThink of a platypus: they lay eggs (that hatch into so-called platypups), they produce milk without nipples and venom without fangs, and they can detect electricity. Or consider a wombat: their teeth never stop growing, they poo cubes, and they defend themselves with reinforced rears.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePlatypuses, possums, wombats, echidnas, devils, kangaroos, quolls, dibblers, dunnarts, kowaris: Australia has some truly astonishing mammals with incredible, unfamiliar features. But how does the world regard these creatures? And what does that mean for their conservation?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003ePlatypus Matters\u003c\/em\u003e, naturalist Jack Ashby shares his love for these often-misunderstood animals. Informed by his own experiences meeting living marsupials and egg-laying mammals on fieldwork in Tasmania and mainland Australia, as well as his work with thousands of zoological specimens collected for museums over the last 200-plus years, Ashby's tale not only explains the extraordinary lives of these animals but also the historical mysteries surrounding them and the myths that persist (especially about the platypus). He also reveals the toll these myths can take.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAshby makes it clear that calling these animals ‘weird’ or ‘primitive’ – or incorrectly implying that Australia is an ‘evolutionary backwater’ – a perception that can be traced back to the country's colonial history – has undermined conservation: Australia now has the worst mammal extinction rate of anywhere on Earth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eImportant, timely, and written with humour and wisdom by a scientist and self-described platypus nerd, this celebration of Australian wildlife will open eyes and change minds about how we contemplate and interact with the natural world – everywhere.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46631889535212,"sku":"9780008431471","price":26.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/27234613482190.jpg?v=1751986664"},{"product_id":"wild-by-jack-ashby-9781917044059","title":"Wild","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the rich diversity of the animal kingdom!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMeet dozens of creatures with extraordinary abilities, then understand how they have adapted to thrive in the wild. Discover the endless teeth of a great white shark, learn how bats can 'see' in the dark and understand why gentoo penguins are so cleverly coloured.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWritten by award-winning zoology writer Jack Ashby and illustrated by the inimitable Sara Boccaccini Meadows, this is a book bursting with life like no other.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDiscover more in the series:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eGlow\u003c\/i\u003e: A child's guide to the night sky.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eGrow\u003c\/i\u003e: A child's guide to plants and how to grow them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eFly\u003c\/i\u003e: A child's guide to birds and where to spot them.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House Distribution","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46996649148652,"sku":"9781917044059","price":34.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781917044059.jpg?v=1763132994"},{"product_id":"natures-memory-by-jack-ashby-9781802063837","title":"Nature's Memory","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn affectionate and eye-opening insider's guide to the world's great natural history museums.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eNature's Memory\u003c\/em\u003e, zoologist Jack Ashby shares hidden stories behind the world's iconic natural history museums, from enormous mounted whale skeletons to cabinets of impossibly tiny insects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLook closely and all is not as it seems—these museums are not as natural, Ashby shows us, as we might think. Mammals dominate the displays, for example, even though they make up less than 1 percent of species; there are many more male specimens than females; and often a museum's most popular draw—the dinosaur skeletons—are not actually real. Over 99 percent of museum collections are held in immense, unseen storehouses. And it's becoming clear that these institutions have not been as honest about their complex histories as they should be. Yet natural history museums are also the only museums that can save the world—it is just starting to be understood that their vast collections are indispensable resources in the fight against biodiversity loss and climate catastrophe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWeaving together fresh historical research with surprising insights, \u003cem\u003eNature's Memory\u003c\/em\u003e is a love letter to the joys, eccentricities and planet-saving potential of the world's best-loved museums.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47582704533740,"sku":"9781802063837","price":32.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781802063837-nature-s-memory.jpg?v=1777437385"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/jack-ashby.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}