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Herbarium explores the histories, associations and uses of 100 herbs, as well as providing ideas for both food and wellbeing. Each entry features a specially commissioned illustration with texts that include the botanical name, place of origin, varieties and areas where the herb is most commonly grown. The essence of each herb is explored in a brief history peppered with interesting anecdotes, complemented by suggestions of classic combinations and helpful tips for gardeners. A reference section includes pieces on how to grow and keep herbs, seasonality and a map showing where our herbs are grown. A contemporary evolution of the traditional herbarium, presented in a fresh way for a younger audience and a new generation of cooks, Herbarium will expand readers' knowledge, improve culinary skills and enhance their appreciation of the incredible world of tastes offered by herbs.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

A lyrical tribute to the diversity of trees, their physical beauty, their special characteristics and uses, and their ever-evolving meanings Since the beginnings of history trees have served humankind in countless useful ways, but our relationship with trees has many dimensions beyond mere practicality. Trees are so entwined with human experience that diverse species have inspired their own stories, myths, songs, poems, paintings, and spiritual meanings. Some have achieved status as religious, cultural, or national symbols. In this beautifully illustrated volume Fiona Stafford offers intimate, detailed explorations of seventeen common trees, from ash and apple to pine, oak, cypress, and willow. The author also pays homage to particular trees, such as the fabled Ankerwyke Yew, under which Henry VIII courted Anne Boleyn, and the spectacular cherry trees of Washington, D.C. Stafford discusses practical uses of wood past and present, tree diseases and environmental threats, and trees' potential contributions toward slowing global climate change. Brimming with unusual topics and intriguing facts, this book celebrates trees and their long, long lives as our inspiring and beloved natural companions.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Introduction: Empires of Tea,
• Section 1: An Exotic Brew (1650-1720),
• Section 2: A Cultural Infusion (1720-1780),
• Section 3: A Drink of Nations (1770-1955), Epilogue: Global Tea.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

Tea has a rich and well-documented past. The beverage originated in Asia long before making its way to seventeenth-century London, where it became an exotic, highly sought after commodity. Over the subsequent two centuries, tea's powerful psychoactive properties seduced British society, becoming popular across the nation from castle to cottage. Now the world'smost popular drink, tea was one of the first truly global products to find a mass market, with tea drinking now stereotypically associated with British identity. Imported by the East India Company in increasing quantities across the eighteenthcentury, tea inaugurated the first regular exchange between China and Britain, both commercial and cultural. While European scientists struggled to make sense of its natural history and medicinal properties, the delicate flavour profile and hot preparation of tea inspired poets, artists and satirists. Becoming central to everyday life, tea was embroiled in controversy, from the gossip of the domestic tea table to the civil disorder occasioned by smuggling, and the political scandal of theBoston Tea Party to the violent conflict of the Anglo- Chinese Opium War.Such stories shaped the contexts for the imperial teaindustry that later developed across India and Sri Lanka. Empire of Tea is based on extensive original research, providing a rich cultural history that explores how the British 'way of tea' became the norm across the Anglophone world.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

What should we have for dinner? When you can eat just about anything nature (or the supermarket) has to offer, deciding what you should eat will inevitably stir anxiety, especially when some of the foods might shorten your life. Today, buffeted by one food fad after another, America is suffering from a national eating disorder. As the cornucopia of the modern American supermarket and fast food outlet confronts us with a bewildering and treacherous landscape, what's at stake becomes not only our own and our children's health, but the health of the environment that sustains life on earth. Pollan follows each of the food chains--industrial food, organic or alternative food, and food we forage ourselves--from the source to the final meal, always emphasizing our coevolutionary relationship with the handful of plant and animal species we depend on. The surprising answers Pollan offers have profound political, economic, psychological, and even moral implications for all of us.--From publisher description.