Tyler and Lucinda have returned to a far-from-ordinary place for the summer. Instead of pigs and sheep, this farm is home to dragons, unicorns, flying monkeys... This summer, everything has changed - security fences are everywhere and Ordinary Farm is in no small danger. Shortly after Uncle Gideon declares he wants to leave the farm to Tyler and Lucinda, he goes missing, and the children suspect the evil hand of the witch-housekeeper, Mrs. Needle. But then Gideon just as mysteriously returns, weak and unwell. Mrs. Needle persuades him that the children are conspiring against him and, suddenly, horribly, the tables are turned... So begins an adventure to save the farm, involving a magnificent dragon, magic mirrors and a haunted mine.
Tyler and Lucinda have returned to a far-from-ordinary place for the summer. Instead of pigs and sheep, this farm is home to dragons, unicorns, flying monkeys...This summer, everything has changed - security fences are everywhere and Ordinary Farm is in no small danger. Shortly after Uncle Gideon declares he wants to leave the farm to Tyler and Lucinda, he goes missing, and the children suspect the evil hand of the witch-housekeeper, Mrs. Needle. But then Gideon just as mysteriously returns, weak and unwell. Mrs. Needle persuades him that the children are conspiring against him and, suddenly, horribly, the tables are turned...So begins an adventure to save the farm, involving a magnificent dragon, magic mirrors and a haunted mine.
A Newbery Medal Winner An Incan boy who tends llamas in a hidden valley in Peru learns the traditions and secrets of his ancestors. "The story of an Incan boy who lives in a hidden valley high in the mountains of Peru with old Chuto the llama herder. Unknown to Cusi, he is of royal blood and is the 'chosen one.' A compelling story."—Booklist
This book,a fascinating companion to The Secret Life of Plants by the same authors, tells the story of the innovative, nontraditional, often surprising things that certain scientists, farmers, and mystics are doing to prevent the slow degradation of our planet. For example, using the techniques of Rudolf Steiner s biodynamic agriculture with its reliance on ethereal forces from the planets,Dan Carlson s growth stimulating Sonic Bloom, and rock dust fertilizer to revitalize depleted soils; or gardening with the help of truly amazing new technologies to reverse serious agricultural problems.The authors illustrate,in a truly enlightening and convincing manner, the pivotal role that the natural elements play in ourlives, and the necessity of cultivating and sustaining a relationship with one most basic of them the soil.
Discovering the beautiful Miranda, the daughter of Prospero, Caliban the Beast has a single evening in which to tell her the most compelling stories she has ever heard. By the author of Tailchaser's Song. Reprint.
Simon, a young kitchen boy and magician's apprentice, finds his world torn apart by a civil war fueled by immortal enemies and the dark powers of sorcery.
How our collective intelligence has helped us to evolve and prosper Humans are a puzzling species. On the one hand, we struggle to survive on our own in the wild, often failing to overcome even basic challenges, like obtaining food, building shelters, or avoiding predators. On the other hand, human groups have produced ingenious technologies, sophisticated languages, and complex institutions that have permitted us to successfully expand into a vast range of diverse environments. What has enabled us to dominate the globe, more than any other species, while remaining virtually helpless as lone individuals? This book shows that the secret of our success lies not in our innate intelligence, but in our collective brains—on the ability of human groups to socially interconnect and learn from one another over generations. Drawing insights from lost European explorers, clever chimpanzees, mobile hunter-gatherers, neuroscientific findings, ancient bones, and the human genome, Joseph Henrich demonstrates how our collective brains have propelled our species' genetic evolution and shaped our biology. Our early capacities for learning from others produced many cultural innovations, such as fire, cooking, water containers, plant knowledge, and projectile weapons, which in turn drove the expansion of our brains and altered our physiology, anatomy, and psychology in crucial ways. Later on, some collective brains generated and recombined powerful concepts, such as the lever, wheel, screw, and writing, while also creating the institutions that continue to alter our motivations and perceptions. Henrich shows how our genetics and biology are inextricably interwoven with cultural evolution, and how culture-gene interactions launched our species on an extraordinary evolutionary trajectory. Tracking clues from our ancient past to the present, The Secret of Our Success explores how the evolution of both our cultural and social natures produce a collective intelligence that explains both our species' immense success and the origins of human uniqueness.
