Evolution was not discovered single-handedly, Rebecca Stott argues, contrary to what has become standard lore, but is an idea that emerged over many centuries, advanced by daring individuals across the globe who had the imagination to speculate on nature's extraordinary ways, and who had the courage to articulate such speculations at a time when to do so was often considered heresy.

Brief biographies of 6 women naturalists from the 17th to 21st centuries: Maria Sibylla Merian, Anna Botsford Comstock, Frances Hamerstrom, Rachel Carson, Miriam Rothschild, and Jane Goodall.

"Meet Jean-Henri Fabre, one of the most important naturalists of all time, whose own life was as unusual as the lives of the creatures he studied"--Front jacket flap.

This acclaimed study of the history of scientific exploration in the Southwest from renowned biologist Dr. Samuel Wood Geiser, first published in its present revised edition in 1948, would be of interest to many types of readers: For those who love stories, of adventure and struggle, it narrates the lives and varying fates of men who lived under strange and difficult conditions, and who met those conditions, some with heroic resolution and resourcefulness,...

The life and the career of John Muir come to life through this inspiring and beautiful documentary set against the magnificent landscapes of the American West. The Scottish-born naturalist was one of the first nature preservationists in American history, inspiring others through his writing and his advocacy to keep the wilderness wild.

In 1660, at the age of thirteen, Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) began her study of butterfly metamorphosis years before any other scientist published an accurate description of the process. Later, Merian and her daughter ventured thousands of miles from their home in the Netherlands into the rainforests of South America seeking new and amazing insects to observe and illustrate.

Through his actions, his writings, and his founding of the Sierra Club, Muir is credited as one of the shapers of the modern environmental movement.