How flowers made our world : the story of nature's revolutionaries / David George Haskell ; illustrations by Lucy Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Haskell, David George, Author.

Contributor:

Smith, Lucy T., illustrator.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Flowers.

Natural history.

Plant ecology.

flower (plant material).

natural sciences.

Genre:

Informational works.

Physical Description:

xvii, 328 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Edition:

First United States edition.

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2026.

Summary:

"An exquisite exploration of the power of flowers, placing them at the center of the story of how evolution created the world we know today. We live on a floral planet, yet flowers don't get the credit they deserve. We admire them for their aesthetics, not their world-changing power. Inspired by the most up-to-date scientific research, David George Haskell observes, smells, and studies flowers such as magnolias, orchids, and roses, as well as fascinating but less well-known flowers such as seagrasses, to show us what we've been missing. Flowers are beautiful revolutionaries. When they evolved, they remade the natural world: They used beauty to transform former enemies into cooperative partners. They reinvented plant growth, sex, and motherhood. Through radical genetic flexibility, they turned past environmental upheavals into opportunities for renewal. This inventiveness allowed them to build and sustain rain forests, savannahs, prairies, and even ocean shores. Without flowers, human beings would not exist. We are a floral species, dependent on flowers for food and our habitats, as well as using flowers for beauty, scent, and culturally important rituals. Looking to the future, flowers offer us lessons on resilience and creativity in the face of rapid environmental change. How Flowers Made Our World combines lyrical writing, sensual exploration, and scientific expertise to explore some of the most consequential life forms ever to have evolved, showing how our planet came to be and how it thrives today"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Magnolia

Goatsbeard

Orchid

Grass

Seagrass

Rose

Tea

Pansy

Speculative futures

Afterword: On floral beauty and joy

Supplement: Invitations to play with flowers.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 283-314) and index.

Other Format:

Online version Haskell, David George How flowers made our world

ISBN:

9780593834961

0593834968

OCLC:

1561100924