{"title":"Series: Botanical","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eBotanical\u003c\/strong\u003e series invites readers on a diverse journey through knowledge, blending insights from \u003cem\u003ePhilosophy \u0026amp; Psychology\u003c\/em\u003e to \u003cem\u003eFinance \u0026amp; Investment\u003c\/em\u003e, exploring how nature’s principles inform human thought and enterprise. Whether delving into health, business strategies, or cultural history, this collection offers a thoughtful exploration of growth, resilience, and transformation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom contemplative works on wellbeing and psychology to guides on travel and technology, the series encourages a deeper understanding of our world’s complex systems. 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Humans have excellent practical knowledge of the uses of cannabis, yet limited understanding of its sociocultural consequences, past or present, due to its widespread prohibition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eCannabis\u003c\/em\u003e, Chris Duvall explores the cultural history and geography of humanity's most widely distributed crop, which supplies both hemp and marijuana. This book focuses on the plant's currently most valuable product, the psychoactive drug marijuana, and at the same time provides a global view of the plant, with coverage of little-studied regions including Africa and Australia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46854205112556,"sku":"9781780233413","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/23120543482821.jpg?v=1759237271"},{"product_id":"carnation-by-twigs-way-9781780236346","title":"Carnation","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCarnation\u003c\/em\u003e permeates our culture from the wedding bed to the funeral wreath. 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Twigs Way traces the trials and tribulations of early breeders, the florists' fascination with striped and spotted varieties, delightful names such as the 'Lustie Gallant' and the 'Bleeding Swain', and the symbolism of the red, white, and even the green carnation, which was made famous by Oscar Wilde.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThose who appreciate the carnation's glorious scent, both sensuous and soothing, will delight in the knowledge that the carnation can heal body and mind, used by herbalists in Europe and China.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs it ranges from the traditions of the medieval marriage bed to Renaissance paintings of the Madonna and Child, this lavishly illustrated book will entertain anyone with an interest in history, art, or culture. It is full of unexpected delights that will charm the mind and invigorate the senses—just like the carnation itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46854210257132,"sku":"9781780236346","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/23149873482821.jpg?v=1759237472"},{"product_id":"carnivorous-plants-by-dan-torre-9781789147780","title":"Carnivorous Plants","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn exploration of the science and cultural significance of carnivorous plants, now in paperback.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCarnivorous plants are a unique botanical group, possessing modified leaves to trap, kill, and consume small creatures. As a result, they are often depicted as killers in films and literature - from Audrey in \u003ci\u003eLittle Shop of Horrors\u003c\/i\u003e to the world-dominating plants of \u003ci\u003eThe Day of the Triffids\u003c\/i\u003e - yet many people regard carnivorous plants as exotic and beautiful specimens to collect and display.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this abundantly illustrated and highly entertaining book, Dan Torre describes the evolution, structure, and scientific background of carnivorous plants. Examining their cultural and social history, he also shows how they have inspired our imagination and been represented in art, literature, cinema, animation, and popular culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the Venus flytrap - a species endemic to the Carolinas - to pitcher plants, this fascinating history of these singular, arresting, beautiful, yet deadly plants is certain to be devoured.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Dan Torre takes you from Ed Wood to Pokemon, from surrealistic art to synergistic relationships between bats and plants, all without missing a beat. This is one of those books that takes an already fascinating topic - animal-eating plants - and makes it even more exciting, more weird and endlessly fascinating.' - Tim Entwhistle, Director and Chief Executive, Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria, Australia\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'We're not inclined to think of plants deriving nourishment from \"meat\" and yet there are currently more than 700 recognised species of carnivorous plants. 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All this set against the febrile kleptocracy of plant hunting from around the world and the increasing evolution of house plants as an almost neurological quest to return to the wild... You will return to it time and again.' — Sir Tim Smit KBE, cofounder of the Eden Project\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'If you have a gentle affinity for houseplants now, you will love and be inspired by them after reading this book. Maunder brings our unassuming, green live-in companions to dazzling life. Who knew we were sharing our homes with characters that belong in a rip-roaring adventure novel? Plant blindness has been cured by this book!' — Paul Smith, secretary general of Botanic Gardens Conservation International\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'A wonderful treatise that weaves science, conservation, and history into a highly readable narrative, this book is a timely reminder of our long association with house plants and the numerous benefits they bring to our households.' — Tim Upson, director of horticulture, education, and communities, Royal Horticultural Society\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46854589022444,"sku":"9781789145434","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781789145434.jpg?v=1759248024"},{"product_id":"orchid-by-dan-torre-9781789147087","title":"Orchid","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApproximately eight percent of all the Earth's flowering species are orchids. Known for their beautiful flowers, delicate forms, and sweet fragrances, orchids are unlike any other flower. Orchids have been contemplated by philosophers, celebrated by artists, and cultivated or even eaten by millions. They occupy our thoughts, stories, greenhouses, supermarkets, and homes. \u003cem\u003eOrchid\u003c\/em\u003e surveys all of this and more as Dan Torre explores the intriguing and multifaceted natural and cultural history of orchids.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Torre dazzles us again with his compelling blend of science, culture, and intrigue in this perfect entree into the bizarre and intriguing world of orchids. There are tales of dangerous liaisons between plants and animals, erotic orchid iconography in art, and all kinds of botanical skulduggery. As this book demonstrates so clearly, orchids are like no other plants (or living things) on this planet, and their stories must be read to be believed. Torre, as always, is the master storyteller.'\u003c\/strong\u003e – Tim Entwisle, director and chief executive, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, and author of \u003cem\u003eEvergreen: The Botanical Life of a Plant Punk\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46854732382444,"sku":"9781789147087","price":44.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/ff265cffac80ce40dc38e9cdfadf6641.jpg?v=1759265808"},{"product_id":"palm-by-fred-gray-9781780239170","title":"Palm","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe extraordinary palm: diverse, prolific, essential, symbolic, and often sacred, exotic—and at times erotic—exploited and controversial.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe signature plant of the tropics and subtropics, these record-breaking botanicals produce the world's biggest and heaviest seed, the longest leaf, and the longest stem. 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The plant is embedded in modern consumer societies but mired in environmental controversy over the destruction of rainforests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003ePalm\u003c\/em\u003e, Fred Gray portrays the cultural and historical significance of this iconic and controversial plant over thousands of years. 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Part of the appeal of these books is the unexpected facts and stories they throw up.\u003c\/strong\u003e — \u003cem\u003eSpectator\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReaktion Books are building a tasty line in tree and plant books... beautifully produced with the qualities of a traditional novel, but illustrated page after page by colour photographs and drawings, the [Botanical] series aims to provide a cultural guide to species... \u003cem\u003ePine\u003c\/em\u003e offers a valuable tour of the Pinus genus.\u003c\/strong\u003e — \u003cem\u003eSmallwoods\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46854754402540,"sku":"9781789148664","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/89b959dbf009e37eaa10ee0423db7269.jpg?v=1759265442"},{"product_id":"rhododendron-by-richard-milne-9781780238159","title":"Rhododendron","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHas a group of plants ever inspired such love in some, and such hatred in others, as rhododendrons? 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But the fact is weeds are a plant just like any other, and it is only we who designate them as a weed or not, as a plant we will dote over or one we will tear out of the earth with abandon. And as Nina Edwards shows in this history, that designation is constantly changing. Balancing popular history with botanical science, she tells the story of the lowly, but proud, weed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs Edwards shows, the idea of the weed is a slippery one, constantly changing under different needs, fashions, and contexts. In a tightly controlled field of corn, a scarlet poppy is a bright red intruder, but in other parts of the world it is an important cultural symbol, a potent and lucrative pharmaceutical source, or simply a beautiful, lakeside ornament. What we consider a pest, \u003ci\u003eAristolochia Rotunda\u003c\/i\u003e, or 'fat hen', was, in Neolithic times, a staple crop, its seeds an important source of nutrition. Sprinkled with personal anecdotes and loads of useful information, \u003ci\u003eWeeds\u003c\/i\u003e sketches history after history of the fashions and attitudes that have shaped our gardens, showing us that it is just as important what we keep out of them as what we put in, and that just because we despise one species does not mean that there haven't been others whose very lives have depended on it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'This latest in Reaktion's \u003ci\u003eBotanical\u003c\/i\u003e series, which is an engaging amalgam of natural and cultural history, is well suited to such treatment because it focuses on plants that have been our companions since our species first began to leave its mark on the planet, such as goosegrass and darnel (the \"tares\" mentioned in the Bible). Reading Nina Edwards's entertaining account of their place in our fields, cities, art, and even diet gave me a new respect for these resilient plants.' — \u003ci\u003eBBC Wildlife Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Is it a weed? Good question. Nina Edward's main point in this well-written book is that it all depends on what you mean...There is plenty more of this food for thought here — and, indeed, some food for eating. Recipes are given for ground-elder quiche and dandelion fritters...All this dense discussion is thought-provoking.' — \u003ci\u003eCountry Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855480508652,"sku":"9781789149586","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/7ac6327a0cd5aafa7b9554af0774c62d.jpg?v=1759278189"},{"product_id":"yew-by-fred-hageneder-9781789147216","title":"Yew","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBotanists around the world marvel at the unique characteristics of the yew, Europe's most ancient species of tree. It is a 'conifer' without resin or cones but with juicy scarlet fruits that feed many birds and animals. 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Chase, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47288439734508,"sku":"9781836391111","price":63.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/22981723482841.jpg?v=1770553070"},{"product_id":"peony-by-gail-harland-9781836390589","title":"Peony","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeople have always loved flowers, and peonies are among the most highly regarded, with petals of the finest silk and often a distinctive perfume. Their large, flamboyantly coloured blooms are attractive and photogenic, ideal for celebrations. Beyond the flowers, the colourful new shoots, described by landscape gardener Gertrude Jekyll as 'dear rosy snouts', add value and interest to any garden. Peonies appear in the art and literature of China, Korea, Japan, the classical Mediterranean and medieval Europe. 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Hinkley, author of \u003ci\u003eWindcliff: A Story of People, Plants, and Gardens\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn this extensively researched, highly informative book, Gail Harland presents an entertaining and fascinating guide to a group of one of our favourite garden plants, peonies. No stone is left unturned in this wide-ranging, beautifully illustrated account, which describes not only aspects of their biology and cultivation, but also highlights their cultural significance in herbal medicine, literature, art, and music.\u003c\/strong\u003e — Richard J. 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