Ants: A Visual Guide

Ants: A Visual Guide 

by Heather Campbell, Benjamin Blanchard 

Language: English 

Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2023. 

224 pages : color illustrations, color maps ; 25 cm. 

ISBN: 9780691228525, 0691228523 

Summary: "A richly illustrated natural history of ants, covering their diversity, ecology, anatomy, behavior, and more. Plentiful and familiar, ants make up an estimated one-third of the world's insect biomass and can be found in virtually every part of the globe, from rainforest canopies to city sidewalks. But their importance is about more than numbers: ants are fundamental species in a range of habitats, their interactions with plants, fungi, and other animals ensuring the survival of many fragile and complex ecosystems. This beautifully illustrated book explores the extraordinary diversity of ants and offers insights into their elaborate social systems, investigating the key collective and competitive behaviors that operate within their varied colony structures.Featuring exceptional close-up photographs and clearly organized thematic chapters, the book covers anatomy, evolution, life cycle, ecology, and other important topics. Each chapter also features profiles of stand-out genera, chosen for their fascinating characteristics, including Leafcutter Ants who build nests containing up to 7,000 chambers, Pugnacious Ants whose colonies can destroy populations of crabs within hours, and Honeypot Ants whose worker caste store food in their stomachs for other colony members to consume. Drawing on current research, Ants offers an inviting and accessible introduction to these remarkable insects. Includes more than 200 stunning color photographs, plus infographics and diagrams, presents full profiles of 42 iconic genera from across the world. Features clearly structured thematic chapters."-- Provided by publisher

Astrobiology: The Search for Alien Life: The Illustrated Edition

Astrobiology: The Search for Alien Life: The Illustrated Edition 

by Andrew May 

Language: English 

London: Icon Books, 2023. 

320 pages illustrations ; 23 cm. 

ISBN: 9781785789700, 1785789708 

Summary: "Extraterrestrial life is a common theme in science fiction, but is it a serious prospect in the real world? Astrobiology is the emerging field of science that seeks to answer this question. The possibility of life elsewhere in the cosmos is one of the most profound subjects that human beings can ponder. Astrophysicist Andrew May gives an expert overview of our current state of knowledge, looking at how life started on Earth, the tell-tale signatures it produces, and how such signatures might be detected elsewhere in the Solar System or on the many exoplanets now being discovered by the Kepler and TESS missions. Along the way the book addresses key questions such as the riddle of Fermis paradox (Where is everybody?) and the crucial role of DNA and water they're essential to life as we know it, but is the same true of alien life? And the really big question: when we eventually find extraterrestrials, will they be friendly or hostile?"--Publisher's description

The Deep Ocean: Life in the Abyss

The Deep Ocean: Life in the Abyss 

by Michael Vecchione, Louise Allcock, I. G. Priede, Hans van Haren

Language: English 

Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2023. 

288 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), maps (chiefly color) ; 29 cm. 

ISBN: 9780691226811, 0691226814 

Summary: "The deep ocean comprises more than 90 percent of our planet's biosphere and is home to some of the world's most dazzling creatures, which thrive amid extreme pressures, scarce food supplies, and frigid temperatures. Living things down here behave in remarkable and surprising ways, and cutting-edge technologies are shedding new light on these critically important ecosystems. This beautifully illustrated book leads you down into the canyons, trenches, and cold seeps of the watery abyss, presenting the deep ocean and its inhabitants as you have never seen them before"-- Publisher's description

The Lives of Beetles: A Natural History of Coleoptera

The Lives of Beetles: A Natural History of Coleoptera 

by Arthur V. Evans 

Language: English 

Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2023. 

288 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), color maps ; 26 cm. 

ISBN: 9780691236513, 0691236518 

Summary: "A richly illustrated introduction to the incredible world of beetles. With some 400,000 species, beetles are among the largest and most successful groups of organisms on earth, making up one-fifth of all plant and animal species. No other animals exhibit such a dazzling range of size, form, and color. Mostly small, sturdy, and compact, beetles are incredibly well-equipped to find food, reproduce, and avoid predators. Additionally, their collective roles as herbivores, hunters, and recyclers are critical to the sustainability of terrestrial ecosystems. In this lavishly illustrated book, beetle expert and author Arthur Evans presents an inviting and comprehensive introduction to the fascinating lives of the world's beetles. Universal in scope, The Lives of Beetles is packed with the latest scientific findings, presented in an accessible way. Individual chapters cover beetles' structure and function; evolution, diversity, classification, and distribution; communication, reproduction, and development; feeding habits; uses in medicine, science, and technology; and study and conservation. Each chapter concludes with nine stunningly illustrated profiles that highlight the lives of some of the world's most beautiful and interesting species. The book also features an up-to-date family classification, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading. We need beetles for the ecological services they provide, the technological innovations they inspire, and the scientific insights they reveal, so it is essential that we all get to know beetles better and strive to conserve their habitats. The Lives of Beetles is the perfect place to begin this journey of discovery and understanding"--Amazon.com

Reviews: Quarterly Review of Biology

Shapeshifters: The Wondrous World of Jellyfish

Shapeshifters: The Wondrous World of Jellyfish 

by Lisa-Ann Gershwin 

Language: English 

New York: Abrams, 2023. 

223 pages : color illustrations ; 28 cm. 

ISBN: 9781419766107, 1419766104 

Summary: "Jellyfish come in a dazzling array of colors, shapes, and sizes, drifting through every ocean, from the surface to the deepest of the deep seas, and are even found in freshwater locations. These ancient creatures, also called sea jellies (they are not, technically, fish), are so otherworldly and luminous that it is no wonder they are often compared to mythical shapeshifters. Some are so delicate that they shatter with the smallest disturbance to the water, while the tenacity of others means they can withstand almost any temperature, any salinity, starvation, and even being dismembered. And some are truly biologically immortal. This visually breathtaking book showcases 100 species of jellyfish within its pages -- from the ubiquitous Aurelia to the enigmatic Velella -- along with astounding facts about these fascinating marine life-forms. Some are splendid, some strange, some poisonous, some deadly. Some carry surprising secrets and some are barely known, but every one of them is remarkable and has a tale to tell. An introduction by noted expert Lisa-ann Gershwin, with her commentary throughout, invites you into the wondrous world of jellyfish"--Back cover

Shoes A-Z : the collection of the museum at FIT

Shoes A-Z : the collection of the museum at FIT 

Language: English 

Cologne: Taschen, 2023. 

531 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), portraits ; 35 cm. 

ISBN: 9783836574297, 9783836596244, 3836574292, 3836596245 

Summary: Sky-high, ornate, and the pinnacle of glamour, both restrictive and liberating, art object and deeply ordinary, shoes tell the story of shifting attitudes toward desire, power, and wealth throughout history. Lace up for a journey through the most enviable shoe closet from the permanent collection at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology—and four centuries of fashion’s hardest working accessory.

Understanding the World. The Atlas of Infographics

Understanding the World: The Atlas of Infographics 

by Sandra Rendgen 

Language: English 

Köln: Taschen, 2023. 

456 pages : illustrations, maps ; 32 cm. 

ISBN: 9783836594967, 383659496X 

Summary: "Dazzling in scale, diversity and detail, the world never ceases to open our eyes and captivate our curiosity. Ever since the earliest cave paintings, humans have looked at this Earth that is our home and endeavored to understand it. This expansive visual atlas presents the most exciting, creative and inspiring ways of explaining the world in information graphics. Divided into five chapters, the book covers the environment, technology, economics, society, and culture to reveal some of the Earth's greatest intricacies in accessible visual form. Featuring more than 280 graphics, reproduced in large scale including seven fold-out spreads, the collection focuses on the 21st century, but also includes historical masterpieces to put our current situation into perspective. Nigel Holmes introduces the book with an exclusive infographic of his own, while Sandra Rendgen provides an illustrated historical essay to explore how we have studied and interpreted our world over the centuries. With graphics drawn from such sources as Fortune, National Geographic, and The Guardian, this is not only a showcase of outstanding data design, but also a fascinating digest of where and how we live"--Publisher's description

Reviews: Geographical Magazine

World's Greatest Sneaker Collectors

World's Greatest Sneaker Collectors 

by Simon Wood 

Language: English 

Köln: Taschen, 2023. 

752 pages : illustrations ; 32 cm. 

ISBN: 9783836596299, 3836596296 

Summary: "Simon "Woody" Wood, founder and editor-in-chief of Sneaker Freaker magazine, has spent the last two decades analyzing the global cult of footwear fanatics. That experience directly inspired World's Greatest Sneaker Collectors, a stonking 752-page journey into the priceless stockpiles and obsessive minds of prominent aficionados. From Tokyo to New York, via London, Philadelphia, Melbourne, and Stjordal, no crumbled midsole is left unturned as over 2,500 vintage classics, unique athlete SMUs, unobtainable samples, handmade 1-of-1 prototypes, stratospherically priced colabs, and Player Exclusives and game-worn Jordans with multi-million-dollar price tags are lauded with gusto. The endless quest for "Holy Grails" is both blessing and curse as our collectors fiend, scheme, and dream of "the one" shoe they don't yet own Luxuriously photographed profiles are augmented with a series of informative "How-to" guides stuffed with pro tips on sneaker photography, storage, insurance, cleaning, and avoiding the counterfeit curse. The expertise is priceless. The stories will entertain for days as we seek out the fundamentals of what it means, and takes, to define yourself as a "true collector.""--Publisher's description

The World’s Most Beautiful Libraries

The World’s Most Beautiful Libraries 

by Massimo Listri, Georg Ruppelt, Elisabeth Sladek 

Language: English 

Cologne: Taschen, 2023. 

510 pages : illustrations (chiefly colour) ; 22 cm. 

ISBN: 9783836593816, 3836593815 

Summary: "From the mighty halls of ancient Alexandria to the coffered ceilings of the Morgan Library in New York, human beings have had a long, enraptured relationship with libraries. Like no other concept and like no other space, the collection of knowledge, learning, and imagination offers a sense of infinite possibility. It?s the unrivaled realm of discovery, where every faded manuscript or mighty clothbound tome might reveal a provocative new idea, a far-flung fantasy, an ancient belief, a religious conviction, or a whole new way of being in the world. In this new photographic journey, Massimo Listri travels to some of the oldest and finest libraries to reveal their architectural, historical, and imaginative wonder. Through great wooden doors, up spiraling staircases, and along exquisite, shelf-lined corridors, he leads us through outstanding private, public, educational, and monastic libraries, dating as far back as 766. Between them, these medieval, classical, baroque, rococo, and 19th-century institutions hold some of the most precious records of human thought and deed, inscribed and printed in manuscripts, volumes, papyrus scrolls, and incunabula. In each, Listri?s poised images capture the library?s unique atmosphere, as much as their most prized holdings and design details. Featured libraries include the papal collections of the Vatican Apostolic Library and the Trinity College Library, home to the Book of Kells and Book of Durrow. With meticulous descriptions accompanying each featured library, we learn not only of the libraries? astonishing holdings--from which highlights are illustrated--but also of their often lively, turbulent, or controversial pasts. Like the Franciscan monastery in Lima, Peru, with its horde of archival Inquisition documents. At once a bibliophile beauty pageant, an ode to knowledge, and an evocation of the particular magic of print, this compact edition of our best-selling XXL-title is above all a cultural-historical pilgrimage to the heart of our halls of learning, to the stories they tell, as much as those they gather in printed matter along polished shelves."--Publisher

Reviews: Architectual Digest

1000 Skateboards

1000 Skateboards 

by Mackenzie Eisenhour, Grant Brittain 

Language: English 

Paris: La Martinière, 2023. 

255 pages : illustrations (chiefly color); 23 cm. 

ISBN: 9791040112099 

Summary: "A must-have for diehard fans and the perfect introduction for anyone just getting into skateboard culture, this definitive compilation profiles 1,000 boards from old-school classics to famed iconic boards as well as the latest innovations hitting the streets. Covering over seventy years of brands and designers, this is the skateboard bible to inspire both the experienced as well as a rising generation of new thrashers"--Provided by publisher.

Picturing joy : stories of connection

Picturing joy : stories of connection 

by George Lange 

Language: English 

Seattle: Flashpoint, 2023. 

138 pages : chiefly illustrations (chiefly color) ; 21 cm.

ISBN: 9781959411352, 1959411357 

Summary: "While growing up in Pittsburgh, Lange cherished his happy childhood, and he found himself unconsciously yearning for that feeling in his adult life. He strove to re-create those fleeting sparks of childhood joy in his relationships and his photographs. "Each day I am trying to find the place we are all connected, but I never know where that place will be. I create spaces where my subjects feel safe and trusting and can share their part of their own joy." Picturing Joy: Stories of Connection is a lively guide to Lange's approach to life as well as the highlights of his career. This optical and optimistic book captures his curiosity, energy, and enthusiasm for people and photography. It also distills wisdom gleaned from a lifelong search for quotidian beauty that might otherwise go unnoticed. Through intimate stories and more than eighty photo, Picturing Joy invites readers to appreciate life with all their senses and to change their perspective by being open to new things"-- Provided by publisher

Reviews: Publishers Weekly

Classic car : the definitive visual history

Classic car : the definitive visual history 

by Martin Gurdon, David Long, Andrew Noakes, Chris Quiller-Rees 

Language: English 

New York: DK Publishing, 2023. 

320 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 29 cm. 

ISBN: 9780744073751, 0744073758 

Summary: Features more than 250 classic car models from the 1940s to the early 1990s, highlighting their specificiations and key features.

Reviews: Booklist

Shoes : an illustrated history

Shoes : an illustrated history 

by Rebecca Shawcross 

Language: English 

London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2023. 

304 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 26 cm. 

ISBN: 9781350266476, 1350266477 

Summary: "With 20% new content, and a new 24-page closing chapter, this beautifully illustrated revision maintains and consolidates the book's position as the leading reference work and overview of the history of shoes from the ancient to the contemporary"-- Provided by publisher

Gotcha day! : adoption tales of remarkable rescue dogs

Gotcha day! : adoption tales of remarkable rescue dogs

by Greg Murray 

Language: English 

Logan, Utah: Gibbs Smith, 2023. 

156 pages : color illustrations ; 23 cm. 

ISBN: 9781423655275, 1423655273 

Summary: Meet Killian who is obsessed with clothes and just has to find the right outfit each morning; Jet who snores louder than a human; and Roger, who came to his family from a puppy mill and learned that people can be kind and loving. Gotcha Day! spotlights the adoption tales of over 60 adorable rescue dogs and their new forever families. The unique personality of each pup shines through the candid photos by animal advocate and photographer Greg Murray, and their humans let us in on their inspiring stories, funny quirks, and all the many things that make them special.

Reviews: Publishers Weekly

Great Rivers: An Illustrated History of the Waterways that Shaped Civilizations

Great Rivers: An Illustrated History of the Waterways that Shaped Civilizations 

by Geordie Torr 

Language: English 

London: Sirius Publishing, a division of Arcturus Publishing Limited, 2023. 

255 pages : color illustrations, color maps ; 28 cm. 

ISBN: 9781398830264, 9781839408717, 1398830267, 1839408715 

Summary: "From the majestic waters of the Nile to the mighty Yellow and Yangtze rivers to the grand Mississippi to the immense Amazon river, the great rivers of the world have captured the human imagination and shaped our history. In this fascinating guide, Geordie Torr explores the natural forces that have created these rivers, their impacts on the environment, and the myriad ways they have affected societies and cultures."-- Provided by publisher

Mountains: Great Peaks and Ranges of the World

Mountains: Great Peaks and Ranges of the World 

by Chris McNab 

Language: English 

London: Amber Books, 2023. 

223 Seiten Illustrationen 28 cm. 

ISBN: 9781838863128, 1838863125 

Summary: Featuring over 200 photos of the greatest, most spectacular, most infamous and legendary peaks from every part of the world, Mountains is a photographic guide arranged by geographical region, with each entry explaining the significance and history of the mountain.

Volcano: Live, Dormant and Extinct Volcanoes Around the World

Volcano: Live, Dormant and Extinct Volcanoes Around the World 

by Robert J. Ford 

Language: English 

London: Amber Books, 2021. 

223 pages : illustrations ; 22 x 30 cm. 

ISBN: 9781838860639, 9781838863111, 1838860630, 1838863117 

Summary: Illustrated with 200 spectacular photographs, Volcano is a fascinating visual journey around the globe, selecting the most striking live and extinct volcanoes from Alaska to Antarctica, from Tanzania to Tasmania, from Kamchatka in Russia's far east to Indonesia and the Philippines. Did you know that there are more than 60 active volcanoes in Europe today? Or that the longest-existing lava lake is in Ethiopia? Or that Mount Stromboli off the coast of Italy has been in almost continuous eruption for the past 2,000 years? Alongside famous volcanoes such as Mount Etna in Sicily, Mount Vesuvius on the Italian mainland and Mount St. Helens in Washington State, this book features many lesser-known but equally interesting volcanoes across all the continents. Each entry is accompanied with a fascinating caption explaining not only the geological forces at work, but also how the volcano has shaped the history of the surrounding areas across millennia. Presented in a landscape format and with outstanding color photographs of around 100 entries, Volcano is a stunning collection of images.

The Earth in Our Hands: Photos from the International Space Station

The Earth in Our Hands: Photos from the International Space Station 

by Thomas Pesquet 

Language: English 

Richmond Hill, Ontario: Firefly Books, 2023. 

383 pages (some folded) : colour illustrations ; 28 cm. 

ISBN: 9780228104445, 0228104440 

Summary: "Astronaut Thomas Pesquet brought his camera along for the ride when he was deployed to the International Space Station, and from this exceptional vantage point, he captured the Earth and its surroundings in sweeping views and stunning detail."-- Provided by publisher

Beautiful Experiments: An Illustrated History of Experimental Science

Beautiful Experiments: An Illustrated History of Experimental Science 

by Philip Ball 

Language: English 

Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2023. 

240 pages : chiefly color illustrations ; 26 cm. 

ISBN: 9780226825823, 0226825825 

Summary: Featuring two hundred color plates, this history of the craft of scientific inquiry is as exquisite as the experiments whose stories it shares. This illustrated history of experimental science is more than just a celebration of the ingenuity that scientists and natural philosophers have used throughout the ages to study--and to change--the world. Here we see in intricate detail experiments that have, in some way or another, exhibited elegance and beauty: in their design, their conception, and their execution. Celebrated science writer Philip Ball invites readers to marvel at and admire the craftsmanship of scientific instruments and apparatus on display, from the earliest microscopes to the giant particle colliders of today. With Ball as our expert guide, we are encouraged to think carefully about what experiments are, what they mean, and how they are used. Ranging across millennia and geographies, Beautiful Experiments demonstrates why "experiment" remains a contested notion in science, while also exploring how we came to understand the way the world functions, what it contains, and where the pursuit of that understanding has brought us today.

Reviews: British Journal for the History of Science; American Journal of Physics; Metascience

Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion

Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion 

by Mitchell S. Jackson 

Language: English 

New York, NY: Artsian Books, 2023. 

218 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 31 cm. 

ISBN: 9781648290923, 1648290922 

Summary: "Equal parts stunning, photo-rich lookbook, and cultural commentary, Fly is the story of the extraordinary intersection of high fashion and basketball. Each chapter explores the style of an era and the cultural influences that shaped it: The league's inception in 1949, pre-Civil Rights Movement, when the NBA was mostly comprised of white players who wore suits and skinny ties. The years following the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the birth of funk and R&B when basketball fashion got flashier (think Walt "Clyde" Frazier and Wilt Chamberlain wearing fur coats and big hats). The Michael Jordan era of the 1980s and 1990s, with its oversize suits. The epic Iverson/Hip-Hop years of the late 1990s and early 2000s. And now to today, a time defined not only by social media and high fashion's birthing of the tunnel walk (think LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Russell Westbrook), but one in which athletes are idealized as style icons and activists, figures who inspire conversations beyond how they play and what they wear. "--Goodreads

Reviews: Publishers Weekly; New York Times Book Review