Conversation
Conversation

Author: Stephen Miller

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2008-10-01

Total Pages: 380

ISBN-13: 030013018X

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Essayist Stephen Miller pursues a lifelong interest in conversation by taking an historical and philosophical view of the subject. He chronicles the art of conversation in Western civilization from its beginnings in ancient Greece to its apex in eighteenth-century Britain to its current endangered state in America. As Harry G. Frankfurt brought wide attention to the art of bullshit in his recent bestselling On Bullshit, so Miller now brings the art of conversation into the light, revealing why good conversation matters and why it is in decline. Miller explores the conversation about conversation among such great writers as Cicero, Montaigne, Swift, Defoe, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, and Virginia Woolf. He focuses on the world of British coffeehouses and clubs in “The Age of Conversation” and examines how this era ended. Turning his attention to the United States, the author traces a prolonged decline in the theory and practice of conversation from Benjamin Franklin through Hemingway to Dick Cheney. He cites our technology (iPods, cell phones, and video games) and our insistence on unguarded forthrightness as well as our fear of being judgmental as powerful forces that are likely to diminish the art of conversation.

A New Garden Ethic
A New Garden Ethic

Author: Benjamin Vogt

Publisher: New Society Publishers

Published: 2017-09-01

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 1771422459

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In a time of climate change and mass extinction, how we garden matters more than ever: “An outstanding and deeply passionate book.” —Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals Plenty of books tell home gardeners and professional landscape designers how to garden sustainably, what plants to use, and what resources to explore. Yet few examine why our urban wildlife gardens matter so much—not just for ourselves, but for the larger human and animal communities. Our landscapes push aside wildlife and in turn diminish our genetically programmed love for wildness. How can we get ourselves back into balance through gardens, to speak life's language and learn from other species? Benjamin Vogt addresses why we need a new garden ethic, and why we urgently need wildness in our daily lives—lives sequestered in buildings surrounded by monocultures of lawn and concrete that significantly harm our physical and mental health. He examines the psychological issues around climate change and mass extinction as a way to understand how we are short-circuiting our response to global crises, especially by not growing native plants in our gardens. Simply put, environmentalism is not political; it's social justice for all species marginalized today and for those facing extinction tomorrow. By thinking deeply and honestly about our built landscapes, we can create a compassionate activism that connects us more profoundly to nature and to one another.

The Earth in Her Hands
The Earth in Her Hands

Author: Jennifer Jewell

Publisher: Hachette UK

Published: 2020-03-03

Total Pages: 748

ISBN-13: 1604699833

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The Earth in Her Hands celebrates the important contributions women make to the wide world of plants—in the fields of horticulture, environmental science, botany, floral design, farming, landscape architecture, herbalism, food justice, and more.

Gardenlust
Gardenlust

Author: Christopher Woods

Publisher: Timber Press

Published: 2018-09-25

Total Pages: 417

ISBN-13: 160469890X

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“An extraordinary collection of 21st-century gardens that will arouse wanderlust… Whether you are a garden globetrotter or an armchair explorer, this book is definitely one to add to your collection.” —Gardens Illustrated A steep hillside oasis in Singapore, a garden distinguished by shape and light in Marrakech, a haunting tree museum in Switzerland—these are just a few of the extraordinary outdoor havens visited in Gardenlust. In this sumptuous global tour of modern gardens, intrepid plant expert Christopher Woods spotlights 50 gardens that push boundaries and define natural beauty in significant ways. Featuring both private and public gardens, this journey makes its way from the Americas and Europe to Australia and New Zealand, with stops in Asia, Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula. Along the way, you'll learn about the people, plants, and stories that make these iconic gardens so lust-worthy. As inspiring as it is insightful, Gardenlust will delight your passion for garden inspiration—and the many places it grows.

Under Western Skies
Under Western Skies

Author: Jennifer Jewell

Publisher: Timber Press

Published: 2021-05-11

Total Pages: 413

ISBN-13: 160469999X

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“Atkinson and Jewell invite each of us to reimagine one’s connection to the land while cultivating nature close to home. A must-read for anyone searching for inspired solutions for designing or refining a garden.” —Emily Murphy, founder of Pass the Pistil From windswept deserts to misty seaside hills and verdant valleys, the natural landscapes of the American West offer an astounding variety of climates for gardens. Under Western Skies reveals thirty-six of the most innovative designs—all embracing and celebrating the very soul of the land on which they grow. For the gardeners featured here, nature is the ultimate inspiration rather than something to be dominated, and Under Western Skies shows the strong connection each garden has with its place. Packed with Atkinson’s stunning photographs and illuminated by Jewell’s deep interest in the relationships between people and the spaces they inhabit, Under Western Skies offers page after page of encouraging ingenuity and inventive design for passionate gardeners who call the West home.

Conversations of Modern World History: 50 Voices from 1400 to the Present
Conversations of Modern World History: 50 Voices from 1400 to the Present

Author: Zachary Wingerd

Publisher:

Published: 2016-12-13

Total Pages: 458

ISBN-13: 9781516510603

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Featuring fifty primary source documents introduced within an historical narrative, Conversations of Modern World History: 50 Voices from 1400 to the Present offers readers an overview of the last six hundred years of the human experience. From the Chinese Ming dynasty to the emerging Russian Federation, students learn stories and perspectives of the past as told by those who lived them. Both a textbook and a source reader, Conversations of Modern World History provides the historical and biographical contexts needed to understand and thoughtfully react to the conversation of history. A diverse group of men and women offer their perspective of various moments in history through their speeches, political statements, books, and journals. Each annotated document naturally leads to the next, helping readers understand that historical events were interconnected and that current discussions have roots going back hundreds of years. Conversations of Modern World History combines the best of general narrative textbooks, short biographies, and primary source readers to help students see the interconnectedness of humanity past and present. It is an ideal text for world history survey courses from the 1400s onward. Zachary Wingerd earned his Ph.D. in transatlantic history from the University of Texas, Arlington. He taught at Lon Morris College and the University of Texas, Tyler before joining the faculty at Baylor University. Dr. Wingerd has taught courses in world, American, Atlantic, Texas, and Latin American history, as well as historiography.