Natural History > General

At age eighty, Tony Taylor journeys from Sydney to British Columbia to fish the Cowichan River with his eight-year-old grandson, Ned. This trip is an opportunity for Tony to return to a landscape that has had a profound effect on his life and his way of thinking, and to share this place with his grandson. As Tony teaches Ned the patient art of fly-fishing, a lifetime of memories, thoughts and stories unspool in peaceful reflections by the water's edge. Fishing the River of Time is an elegant meditation on nature, life and family, w... read more

Ten years ago, "Walking with Dinosaurs" brought this species to life with groundbreaking CGI and new science. Since then we have entered into a golden age of dinosaur discoveries and in this explosive new book to accompany the landmark BBC series, we discover more monstrous, more horrific and more bizarre dinosaurs than we've ever known before. The opening up of new areas of the world such as China and Africa have led to a huge increase in our knowledge. We have discovered the biggest plant-eating dinosaurs that ever lived, the gia... read more

'can we doubt ...that individuals having any advantage, however slight, over others, would have the best chance of surviving and of procreating their kind?' In the Origin of Species (1859) Darwin challenged many of the most deeply held beliefs of the Western world. His insistence on the immense length of the past and on the abundance of life-forms, present and extinct, dislodged man from his central position in creation and called into question the role of the Creator. He showed that new species are achieved by natural selection, ... read more

Now in a new format, this is a brilliant debut by a wonderful popular science writer. James Woodford, the Sydney Morning Herald's award-winning science writer, has written an enthralling detective story about evolution and natural history, the freak survival of a species that offers a window into an ecosystem 100 million years old. The Wollemi Pine is the story of this discovery, and of the tree that became an overnight celebrity. Woodford's fascinating account is a detective story, a scientific mystery, and a timely reminder of... read more

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If you could talk to animals, what would you learn? In this heart-warming book, packed with remarkable stories, Trisha McCagh reveals what dogs, cats, horses and other creatures have to say about their health and happiness, their anxieties and quiet despair. Discover what animals want from us, what they love about the things we do, and what hurts them or drives them crazy. Sometimes sad, often funny, Stories from the Animal Whisperer is a must-read for anyone who loves animals.

Photographer Andrew Zuckerman's strikingly detailed images of animals from around the world are as delightful as they are inspiring. "The art of photography is about contact: contact with a fellow human being or contact with a particular scene or situation. This book speaks to me about the contact we have with the many different species that inhabit this planet with us," he says. Recommended by Mat at the front counter.

"Life" is an ambitious, exhilarating and beautifully illustrated study of animal behaviour, exploring the key groups of animals that inhabit this planet and their survival strategies. From cold-blooded reptilian killers to the armoured invaders of the insect world, the long-distance migratory birds to predatory mammals and the sociable and intelligent primates, "Life" reveals animal behaviour as never described before. By telling a series of unforgettable stories and focusing on intimate details, the book draws us into the biggest ... read more

At a riverbank in Africa's Serengeti, thousands of migrating wildebeest try desperately to cross as terrifying crocs feast on the galloping herds - which must attempt the river for a chance at survival. In the Falkland Islands, the albatross - king of migrations - journeys thousands of miles to nest despite the deadly cara, a predatory raptor. For countless animals species, migration is a dramatic, dangerous, and crucial undertaking...one that is portrayed in vivid color and unflinching candour in this magnificent book, companion t... read more

In 1838, John Gould and his wife, Elizabeth, left behind their family and home in London to travel to the far-flung colony of Van Diemens Land, from where Gould would travel around the mainland to observe the native fauna.

No doubt about it, sex sells. From homosexual penguins, lesbian ostriches to necrophiliac snakes and fellating fruitbats, it's all here in this unusual little book. Dr John Long discovered the Gogo Fish. What's that you say? It's a 380-million-year-old fossilised armoured shark-like fish replete with a perfectly preserved embryo still attached by an umbilical cord. The Gogo is described as the oldest mother in the world and its discovery three years ago has pretty much rewritten evolutionary history. His find showed the first evid... read more

The history of life on Earth is far older - and far odder - than many of us realise. In SURVIVORS, acclaimed author Richard Fortey traces this history not through fossil records, but in the living stories of organisms that have survived nearly unchanged for hundreds of millions of years and whose existence today affords us tantalising glimpses of landscapes long vanished. For evolution has not obliterated its tracks. Scattered across the globe, strange and marvellous plants and animals have survived virtually unchanged since life f... read more

There is room for a hive of bees in many a suburban garden and there is always something special about eating honey from your own hives. This revised second edition of Backyard Beekeeping is written especially for those who would like to experience that healthy pleasure. It is a comprehensive reference for all wishing to keep healthy bees and produce delicious honey. It provides essential information on the bees life cycle, the basic equipment required for beekeeping, where to position hives, and obtain a bee colony, how to care fo... read more

Trees of the World presents almost 250 photographs of the world's most gorgeous trees from Europe, Africa, the Amerikas and Australia, including the baobab, yucca and dracaena amongst others.

For more than a year, 69 of Europe's best nature photographers travelled to all corners of Europe's 48 countries to unveil the incredibly rich and amazingly varied natural heritage of the continent. Together they have contributed to a collection of more than 200,000 images of nature, many of which were published in the book "Wild Wonders of Europe". As a follow-up to this popular book, "Wild: The Trees and Forests of Europe" pays tribute to the multi-hued beauty of trees. From close-ups of minute arboreal details to panoramas of ep... read more

Laita's breathtaking images of sea life are mesmerising; his cutting-edge photographic techniques unveil the full splendour and other-worldliness of the ocean's creatures in an entirely new and thrilling way. Sea showcases the exquisite beauty and technical brilliance of Laita's images in a luscious large-format book. Leaping from the pages are piggy-backing sea horses, iridescent and deathly jellyfish, ethereal but menacing sting rays and deadly puffer fish - this master photographer reveals their colours, textures and personaliti... read more

Those soulful eyes that look up at you at the end of a rough day. The soft paws that knead into your lap and tell you that you are 'theirs'. Much more than a companion, more beloved than our nearest and dearest human family. Our pets. 43 per cent of UK households have them. Owners spend untold amounts of money on food, toys, even Christmas presents for their pets. And they don't stint when it comes to their pets' health. Dr. Shawn Messonnier has been a veterinarian for more than fifteen years. Once a conventional practitioner, he's... read more

"Frozen Planet" is the exciting successor to the ground-breaking "Planet Earth" and "Blue Planet" series, and has been created by the same award-winning team. Most of us will never travel to these great wildernesses and, even for those lucky enough to have gone, this portrait of our polar regions will surprise and astound. Take a journey to the last truly great wilderness regions. From the Great Melt in Spring to the 24-hour summer, the beginning of the Big Freeze and long dark winter, this epic series will follow the dramatic land... read more

Anna Pavord's irresistible story of the tulip in b-format paperback

In "Chickens", poultry breeder Suzie Baldwin offers a practical guide to everything both the beginner and more experienced hen owner needs to know, from whether to buy chicks or hens, what varieties to chose, how to tell if you're buying a healthy chicken and how to ensure it stays that way to how many chickens you should keep, and what kind of coop is best. She also answers all the questions commonly posed by first-time owners, from whether you need to have a cockerel, whether chickens ever fly away and how quickly they will start... read more