Tales From The Underground PDF Download

Author: David Wolfe
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0786730935
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
There are over one billion organisms in a pinch of soil, yet we know much more about deep space than about the universe below. In Tales from the Underground, Cornell ecologist David Wolfe takes us on a tour through current scientific knowledge of the subterranean world. We follow the progress of discovery from Charles Darwin's experiments with earthworms, to Lewis and Clark's first encounter with prairie dogs, to the use of new genetic tools that are revealing an astonishingly rich ecosystem beneath our feet. Wolfe plunges us deep into the earth's rocky crust, where life may have begun-a world devoid of oxygen and light but safe from asteroid bombardment. Primitive microbes found there are turning our notion of the evolutionary tree of life on its head: amazingly, they represent perhaps a full third of earth's genetic diversity. As Wolfe explains, creatures of the soil can work for us, by providing important pharmaceuticals and recycling the essential elements of life, or against us, by spreading disease and contributing to global climate change. The future of our species may well depend on how we manage our living soil resources. Tales from the Underground will forever alter our appreciation of the natural world around-and beneath-us.

Author: Maxine Beneba Clarke
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 0733632572
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 140

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Book Description
Winner of ABIA Literary Fiction of the Year Award 2015 Winner of the Indie Book Award for Debut Fiction 2015 Winner of the Victorian Premier's Unpublished Manuscript Award 2013 In Melbourne's western suburbs, in a dilapidated block of flats overhanging the rattling Footscray train lines, a young black mother is working on a collection of stories. The book is called Foreign Soil. Inside its covers, a desperate asylum seeker is pacing the hallways of Sydney's notorious Villawood detention centre, a seven-year-old Sudanese boy has found solace in a patchwork bike, an enraged black militant is on the warpath through the rebel squats of 1960s Brixton, a Mississippi housewife decides to make the ultimate sacrifice to save her son from small-town ignorance, a young woman leaves rural Jamaica in search of her destiny, and a Sydney schoolgirl loses her way. The young mother keeps writing, the rejection letters keep arriving . . . In this collection of award-winning stories, Melbourne writer Maxine Beneba Clarke has given a voice to the disenfranchised, the lost, the downtrodden and the mistreated. It will challenge you, it will have you by the heartstrings. 'Maxine Beneba Clarke is a powerful and fearless storyteller, and this collection - written with exquisite sensitivity and yet uncompromising - will stay with you with the force of elemental truth. Clarke is the real deal, and will, if we're lucky, be an essential voice in world literature for years to come.' - Dave Eggers bestselling author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius 'Foreign Soil is a collection of outstanding literary quality and promise. Clarke is a confident and highly skilled writer.' - Hannah Kent, bestselling author of Burial Rites 'An assured and skilful debut' - Weekend Australian

Author: Stanley Appelbaum
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 0486143139
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 278

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Book Description
Wide-ranging stories offer a glimpse into witchcraft, magic, Crusaders, astrology, alchemy, pacts with the Devil, chivalry, trial by torture, church councils, mercantile life, other elements of Middle Ages.

Author: Robert B. Kearl
Publisher: FriesenPress
ISBN: 1039157297
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
“The newspaper headline declared in large bold letters: “Shoot Out At High Noon.” Reading the first paragraph of the article disclosed the truth of the old saying, “don’t take a knife to a gun fight.” The man with the knife lay dead on the ground, while the fellow with the rifle fled the scene in his blue Ford F-150 full-size pickup truck” (from “The Love Triangle”). Tales and Torts: Stories of a Country Lawyer is a unique collection of short stories proving the axiom, “sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.” Each story recounted is based on a real legal case and each illuminates the human condition. Love, prized animals, tragedy, murder, swindlers and thieves, disgruntled family members, and hardened criminals. These tales involve a wide variety of cases in many areas of the law with astonishing fact patterns and extraordinary individuals chosen out of thousands of cases over a forty-year legal career. From the Jewish Russian tenor escaping religious persecution in Russia, to the Tongan travelling to experience the miracle of snow in Canada, to Li jing, whose life was tragically altered on Chinese New Year’s Eve, each character is brought to life with humour, compassion, and an eye to achieving one goal: justice.

Author: Helen Browning
Publisher: Wildfire
ISBN: 1472258061
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
What is it about the humble pig that holds such a special place in our hearts? In a frosty field on the longest night of the year, eight little piglets snuffle their first breaths, and jostle close to their mother to feed... So begins the life of the farm animal that you think you already know. But think again... This is the magical account of the life and times of a gang of Saddleback pigs, from one of the most forward-thinking organic farmers in the United Kingdom. Helen Browning shines a light on the secret lives of these mischievous, intelligent, and inventive animals - and shares her vision for the future of ethical farming. If you liked The Secret Life of Cows and A Shepherd's Life, you'll love this evocative and illuminating tale... What people are saying about Helen: 'A woman who won't be cowed in the war against titan farms' - Independent 'Pioneering' - Guardian

Author: Nirupama Dutt
Publisher: Penguin Books India
ISBN: 014306858X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 342

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Book Description
A story of the Soil is a collection of over forty classic Punjabi short stories. Combining a rich oral tradition of kissas with tropes from Western literature, Punjabi short-story writers have developed their own unique way of portraying love, longing, ecstasy and malice. Spanning a century, these stories talk of life in the village and the town. There are haunting tales about Partition like 'A Matter of Faith' by Gulzar Singh Sandhu where a horrible tragedy is viewed through the eyes of a child. Along with sensitive accounts of life from across the border in Pakistan are tales by the Dalits who until recently had been rendered voiceless. Amrita Pritam's 'The Vault', a metaphor for a barren womb, explores the identity of a Punjabi woman while stories like Surjit Birdi's 'Flies' reveals the concerns faced by the Punjabi diaspora. Translated and edited by Nirupama Dutt, these carefully selected stories reflect every aspect of life in the land of five rivers.

Author: Christie Matheson
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
ISBN: 9780062393395
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
How do you make a garden grow? In this playful companion to the popular Tap the Magic Tree and Touch the Brightest Star, you will see how tiny seeds bloom into beautiful flowers. And by tapping, clapping, waving, and more, young readers can join in the action! Christie Matheson masterfully combines the wonder of the natural world with the interactivity of reading. Beautiful collage-and-watercolor art follows the seed through its entire life cycle, as it grows into a zinnia in a garden full of buzzing bees, curious hummingbirds, and colorful butterflies. Children engage with the book as they wiggle their fingers to water the seeds, clap to make the sun shine after rain, and shoo away a hungry snail. Appropriate for even the youngest child, Plant the Tiny Seed is never the same book twice—no matter how many times you read it! And for curious young nature lovers, a page of facts about seeds, flowers, and the insects and animals featured in the book is included at the end. Fans of Press Here, Eric Carle, and Lois Ehlert will find their next favorite book in Plant the Tiny Seed.

Author: Cameron Cooper
Publisher: Stories Rule Press
ISBN: 1779433964
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 481

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Book Description
Meet Ptolemy Jovan Lane—lawkeeper, investigator, and problem-solver—on the fringes of known space. From bodies found in zero-gravity brothels to mysterious severed limbs, Lane’s reputation as the town peacemaker takes him deep into the heart of murder, intrigue, and political machinations in Georgina’s Town. But it's not just about solving crimes; Lane must face the demons of his own past, new enemies he didn’t know he had, and even the impossible notion that Serials—the non-human citizens—might feel emotions just as strongly as humans. The Ptolemy Lane Tales Omnibus collects all five stories in this thrilling space opera series. From his early days chasing killers to a final confrontation that could change the future of humanity, Ptolemy Lane’s journey is packed with high-stakes mysteries, action, and the rich world-building of award-winning SF author Cameron Cooper. The Ptolemy Lane Tales: 1.0: The Body in the Zero Gee Brothel 2.0: The Captain Who Broke the Rules 3.0: The Maker of Widowmakers’ Arm 4.0: The Ancient Girl in the Autopod 5.0: The Return of the Peacemaker 5.5: Ptolemy Lane Tales Omnibus Space Opera Science Fiction Collection

Author: Karen King
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1796058734
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 223

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Book Description
A century of adventures, beliefs and musings come to life in Lundie’s Stories. The fourth generation Wyoming pioneer tells his tales with sensitivity, respect and details that readers will long remember and likely never read again. From family memories to garden tips, from political perspectives to wild weather, and from unusual animal encounters to military service, we are astounded by this Wyoming original. In a voice as distinct and open as the Wyoming range, Lundie Thayer entertains us with a personal glimpse at remarkable times and real-life characters before they vanish from collective memory. A wild west ride, Lundie’s Stories speaks to young and old alike.

Author: Rebecca E. Hirsch
Publisher: Millbrook Press TM
ISBN: 1728466776
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Book Description
Audisee® eBooks with Audio combine professional narration and sentence highlighting for an engaging read aloud experience! Do plants really move? Absolutely! You might be surprised by all ways plants can move. Plants might not pick up their roots and walk away, but they definitely don't sit still! Discover the many ways plants (and their seeds) move. Whether it's a sunflower, a Venus flytrap, or an exotic plant like an exploding cucumber, this fascinating picture book shows just how excitingly active plants really are. "With a doctorate in biology, Hirsch understands her subject, but equally important is her ability to communicate with well-chosen words that make the ideas fun and memorable for children. . . . A new way to see the plants around us."—starred, Booklist "Colorful, exuberant illustrations work impressively with the text. . . . Excellent collaboration produced a winner: graceful, informative, and entertaining."—starred, Kirkus Reviews