The Ant and the Peacock
The Ant and the Peacock

Author: Helena Cronin

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1991

Total Pages: 510

ISBN-13: 9780521457651

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This book is a success story. It explains two long-running puzzles of the theory of natural selection. How can natural selection favour those, like the ant, that renounce tooth and claw in favour of the public-spirited ways of the commune? How can it explain the peacock's tail, flamboyant and a burden to its bearer; surely selection would act against useless ornamentation? Helena Cronin's enthralling account blends history, science and philosophy in a gripping tale that is scholarly, entertaining and eminently readable. The hardback edition was selected by Nature as one of the best scientific books in 1992. Also the New York Times chose it as one of their best books of 1992. The author divides her time between the Philosophy Department at the London School of Economics and the Zoology Department at Oxford.

The Spooky Tail of Prewitt Peacock
The Spooky Tail of Prewitt Peacock

Author: Bill Peet

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Published: 1979-09

Total Pages: 36

ISBN-13: 9780395281598

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When Prewitt's tail feathers grow to resemble a monstrous face, the other peacocks banish him from the flock.

Subversive Seduction
Subversive Seduction

Author: Travis Landry

Publisher: University of Washington Press

Published: 2013-01-10

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 0295804424

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Male-male rivalry and female passive choice, the two principal tenets of Darwinian sexual selection, raise important ethical questions in The Descent of Man--and in the decades since--about the subjugation of women. If female choice is a key component of evolutionary success, what impact does the constraint of women's choices have on society? The elaborate courtship plots of 19th century Spanish novels, with their fixation on suitors and selectors, rivalry, and seduction, were attempts to grapple with the question of female agency in a patriarchal society. By reading Darwin through the lens of the Spanish realist novel and vice versa, Travis Landry brings new insights to our understanding of both: while Darwin's theories have often been seen as biologically deterministic, Landry asserts that Darwin's theory of sexual selection was characterized by an open ended dynamic whose oxymoronic emphasis on "passive" female choice carries the potential for revolutionary change in the status of women.

The Ancestor's Tale
The Ancestor's Tale

Author: Richard Dawkins

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 696

ISBN-13: 9780618619160

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A renowned biologist provides a sweeping chronicle of more than four billion years of life on Earth, shedding new light on evolutionary theory and history, sexual selection, speciation, extinction, and genetics.

Current Perspectives on Sexual Selection
Current Perspectives on Sexual Selection

Author: Thierry Hoquet

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-01-28

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 9401795851

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This root-and-branch re-evaluation of Darwin’s concept of sexual selection tackles the subject from historical, epistemological and theoretical perspectives. Contributions from a wealth of disciplines have been marshaled for this volume, with key figures in behavioural ecology, philosophy, and the history of science adding to its wide-ranging relevance. Updating the reader on the debate currently live in behavioural ecology itself on the centrality of sexual selection, and with coverage of developments in the field of animal aesthetics, the book details the current state of play, while other chapters trace the history of sexual selection from Darwin to today and inquire into the neurobiological bases for partner choices and the comparisons between the hedonic brain in human and non-human animals. Welcome space is given to the social aspects of sexual selection, particularly where Darwin drew distinctions between eager males and coy females and rationalized this as evolutionary strategy. Also explored are the current definition of sexual selection (as opposed to natural selection) and its importance in today’s biological research, and the impending critique of the theory from the nascent field of animal aesthetics. As a comprehensive assessment of the current health, or otherwise, of Darwin’s theory, 140 years after the publication of his Descent of Man, the book offers a uniquely rounded view that asks whether ‘sexual selection’ is in itself a progressive or reactionary notion, even as it explores its theoretical relevance in the technical biological study of the twenty-first century.

The Peacock
The Peacock

Author: Aesop

Publisher:

Published: 2016-05-04

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781367759374

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This Aesop's Fable has been re-imagined as part of a social venture project to raise money for literacy charities. DERT works with emerging designers to create unique, customized books. Each DERT book features the design and conceptual artwork created by graphic design students."The Peacock" is a fable that imparts the reader with a message of self-worth. A peacock may be beautiful, but that is not the only quality worthy of praise; everyone is special and talented in his or her own way.Aesop's Fables are a collection of stories credited to Aesop, a slave and storyteller who lived in ancient Greece from 620 - 560 BC. A keen observer of both animals and people, Aesop used the qualities and natural tendencies of animals to focus on human traits and wisdom within his stories. Each fable has an accompanying moral to be learned from the tale. Far from child-like moral lessons one would expect, these fables are also seen as clever jokes and witty one-liners that result in bite size pieces of wisdom for daily life.

Fly Tying
Fly Tying

Author: Joe Healy

Publisher: Down East Books

Published: 2010-12-16

Total Pages: 234

ISBN-13: 0892729805

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Readers will discover the most effective, most original, and most historic flies published in the 30-year history of Fly Rod & Reel magazine. The book is filled with fly-tying tips and fly-pattern designs straight from Fly Rod & Reel, contributors such as Darrel Martin, A.K. Best, Ted Leeson and many others; all make this a must-have or perfect gift for a fly tier of any skill level.

The Fly-Fisher's Craft
The Fly-Fisher's Craft

Author: Darrel Martin

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2016-03-15

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 151070373X

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An illustrated guide to historical and modern flies, hooks, lines, and loop rods. Whether looking for a back-to-basics approach to fly-tying or a better understanding of its history, The Fly-Fisher’s Craft is the perfect volume to educate the curious angler as well as to provide tips of the trade. A detailed history of fly-tying and historical flies are coupled with the author’s personal modern fly patterns, satisfying the fisher’s desire for the pastoral and practical. In The Fly-Fisher’s Craft, experienced outdoors writer Darrel Martin provides thoroughly researched history and careful instruction accompanied by color photographs throughout. Chapters cover a wide variety of topics, such as: Tying in antiquity Fly design Personal patterns Hooks and lines Loop-rods And much more! In a newly augmented edition, new readers will have the chance to discover the roots of fly fishing and fly tying from antiquity up through the modern era. With forewords by Ted Leeson and by John Betts, both respected angling authors, this book is a complete source for the fly-tier. Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for fishermen. Our books for anglers include titles that focus on fly fishing, bait fishing, fly-casting, spin casting, deep sea fishing, and surf fishing. Our books offer both practical advice on tackle, techniques, knots, and more, as well as lyrical prose on fishing for bass, trout, salmon, crappie, baitfish, catfish, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.