Russell, Sharman Apt. Anatomy of a rose; exploring the secret life of flowers.Perseus. 215p. bibliog. index. c2001. 0-7382-0669-5. $13.00. SA On every page of this multifaceted, beautifully written book about flowering plants (no, not just roses) is something to make you smile and something to make you think. Nature writer Sharman Apt Russell explores such mysteries and wonders as the power of communication between plants, the promise held out by plant-derived drugs, and the capacity of various flowers to send communiques to their pollinators. (In her chapter "Travelin' Man," Russell reflects with characteristic humor on how "pollen has a job to do, going down that long, lonesome lone·some adj. 1. a. Dejected because of a lack of companionship. See Synonyms at alone. b. Producing such dejection: a lonesome hour at the bar. 2. highway ...") A dozen graceful drawings by Liddy Hubbell complement the text, making it possible, for example, not only to read Russell's fascinating description of the cereus cereus: see cactus. cereus Any of various large cacti (genus Cereus and related genera) of the western U.S. and tropical New World, including the saguaro and the organ-pipe cactus (Lemairocereus thurberi, also L. marginatus or C. thurberi). cactus, which blossoms only briefly once a year at night, but also to see what the blazing, short-lived bloom looks like. The inclusion of an extensive index and bibliography help make this information-packed book a valuable resource for science teachers, especially those planning units on botany, genetics and evolution, ecology, bioengineering bioengineering Application of engineering principles and equipment to biology and medicine. It includes the development and fabrication of life-support systems for underwater and space exploration, devices for medical treatment (see , and the history of science. With its clear, vibrant, often whimsical prose, Anatomy of a Rose is also an English teacher's dream--a model of well-written memoir. And with its stunning range of topics (early Greek fascination with flowery flow·er·y adj. flow·er·i·er, flow·er·i·est 1. Of, relating to, or suggestive of flowers: a flowery perfume. 2. Abounding in or covered with flowers. 3. perfumes, the intriguing number patterns found in nature known as Fibonacci numbers, the relationship between colors and emotion) it offers many interdisciplinary tie-ins between science and other classes such as world studies, math and health. Much as Rachel Carson did in decades past, Russell sounds the environmental alarm--from a new slant: she argues that protecting flowering plants is essential to our own survival and offers rich evidence for her thesis. Some of her support is predictable--such as her explanation of the conversion of usable energy by chlorophyll--but much is probably not. Who knew that sunflowers have been used at Chernobyl for decontamination decontamination /de·con·tam·i·na·tion/ (de?kon-tam-i-na´shun) the freeing of a person or object of some contaminating substance, e.g., war gas, radioactive material, etc. de·con·tam·i·na·tion n. , for instance--or that the bitter kola nut may combat the ravages rav·age v. rav·aged, rav·ag·ing, rav·ages v.tr. 1. To bring heavy destruction on; devastate: A tornado ravaged the town. 2. of the Ebola virus Ebola virus (ēbō`lə), a member of a family (Filovirus) of viruses that cause hemorrhagic fevers. The virus, named for the region in Congo (Kinshasa) where it was first identified in 1976, emerged from the rain forest, where it survives in ? This is a treasure that will be appreciated especially by readers who enjoy the meditative science writing of Lewis Thomas, Annie Dillard, Stephen Gould, and Loren Eisley. Gloria Bryant, Reading & English Teacher, Hoover M.S., Potomac, MD |
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