[ebooks] Zen Penguins: The Art of Keeping Chill (Extreme Images) by Jonathan Chester; Patrick Regan in Arts-Photography

Description

ldquo;Llewellynrsquo;s images reflect a depth of detail that until now; only the best botanical illustrators could approach.rdquo; mdash;The Washington Post A centuries-old saying goes; ldquo;Great oaks from little acorns grow.rdquo; But as this dazzling book reveals; there is much more to a seed than the plant it will someday become: seeds; seedheads; pods; and fruits have their own astounding beauty that rivals; and sometimes even surpasses; the beauty of flowers. Bitter melon seeds resemble a handful of rubies. Poppy pods could be art nouveau salt shakers. And butterfly vine seeds look exactly like those delicate insects captured in mid-flight. Seeds also come with fascinating stories. Jewels of Opar got its name from a fabled city in Edgar Rice Burroughsrsquo;s Tarzan stories. Lotus seeds sent into orbit by Chinese scientists came back to earth mysteriously altered. And fava beansmdash;beloved of foodiesmdash;have a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality: they can cause the debilitating condition known as favism in some individuals and at the same time combat the microorganism that causes malaria. In these stunning pages yoursquo;ll gain an understanding of how seeds are formed and dispersed; why they look the way they do; and how they fit into the environment. Seeing Seeds will take you to strange and wonderful places. When you return; itrsquo;s safe to say that yoursquo;ll never look at a seed the same way again.