Reaching for the Sun: How Plants Work / Edition 2

by John King

Overview

Green plants are all around us. We are totally dependent on them for food; we cultivate them for our pleasure; and we have used them in a vast number of ways down the centuries. But have you ever wondered how plants work? Where do trees get the material to make wood? How does a bulb 'know' to sprout in the spring? Why are flowers different colours? This book answers these questions in a charming and accessible way. This is not just a book for keen gardeners and naturalists. This is a book for anyone who wants to understand why the earth is green.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521518048
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	01/06/2011
Edition description:	2nd Revised ed.
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

John King is Professor Emeritus of Biology at the University of Saskatchewan. He is a past President of the Canadian Society of Plant Physiologists and in 2001 he was awarded their highest honour, the Gold Medal, 'in recognition of outstanding contributions to plant physiology in Canada'. The first edition of Reaching for the Sun (Cambridge University Press, 1997) was nominated for the Rhône-Poulenc (now Aventis) Prize for Science (General Category).

Table of Contents

Preface to the Second Edition; Preface to the First Edition; Part I. Plants and Energy: 1. Photosynthesis: the leitmotiv of life; 2. Plant respiration: breathing without lungs; References; Part II. Plant Nutrition: 3. Plants are cool, but why?; 4. Nutrition for the healthy lifestyle; 5. Nitrogen, nitrogen, everywhere ...; 6. Transport of delights; References; Part III. Growth and Development: 7. Growth: the long and the short of it; 8. The time of their lives; 9. A dash of seasoning; 10. Dormancy: a matter of survival; 11. Color, fragrance, and flavor; References; Part IV. Stress, Defense, and Decline: 12. Stressful tranquility; 13. Chemical warfare; 14. Senescence and death; References; Part V. Plants and the Environment: 15. Elemental cycles; 16. The human touch; Appendix. Genetic engineering in a rapidly changing world; References; Epilogue; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"... a simple, accessible introduction to the living plant."
A.L. Jacobsen, Choice Magazine

"Overall, this text is highly accessible and comprehensible for nonspecialists, yet still an engaging read for specialists with a good knowledge of the plant life cycle and plant physiology. This text is highly recommended for any citizen looking for a straightforward and thorough overview of plants and their lives. It is an excellent resource for a non-majors course or course on plant biology for non-plant science majors."
Beronda L. Montgomery, Michigan State University for Plant Science Bulletin

"Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was interesting and presented many examples of plant species and environments from around the world."
Kathryn L. Buchanan for The Forestry Chronicle

"Reachin for the Sun is a very entertaining read for a basic overview of plant physiology. Casual readers interested in an overview of how plants function in the environment will find it easy to understand and quite informative."
Thomas Silva, Quarterly Review of Biology

"... one of the best-written, general accounts of plant biology that I know... King is a great teacher. In fact, he is more than that; he is a great story-teller. And this is nowhere better demonstrated than in his explanation of how water can rise to the top of very tall trees, a description that is built up seemingly effortlessly, and that along the way integrates strands of biophysics, biochemistry, physiology and anatomy, all of which are beautifully woven together to produce a complete and satisfying whole. So, if you are looking for a book to stress the significance of modern plant science/fascination of botany on young minds (or even no-so-young ones), look no further than the 2nd edition of John King's Reaching for the Sun!
Nigel Chaffey, Annals of Botany

From the Publisher