Seeds: Time Capsules of Life [Hardcover]

Rob Kesseler (Author), Wolfgang Stuppy (Author), Alexandra Papadakis (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 2006

A remarkable collaboration of art and science celebrating the diversity of seeds.

An orchid seed may be minuscule, so small and light that one gram contains more than 7.5 million seeds. In contrast, a single-seeded Seychelles seed is a nut weighing up to 20 pounds. All seeds have the same purpose -- to travel through time and space until they reach the right place at the right moment to create a new plant.

This large-format book melds art and science in an authoritative examination of the design and function of seeds. Special light and scanning electron microscopy are used to obtain astonishing images of diverse seeds at various states of maturity. Pods, pouches, keys, nuts and other vehicles of dispersal are explained and illustrated.

These time capsules of life for plants familiar and strange are presented in minute, beautiful detail. Microphotographs of the tiniest seeds and extraordinarily detailed cutaway images of larger seeds are combined with text that explains the formation and maturation of seeds and describes how they find their way to becoming a copy of the parent plant. Literary references to plant reproduction are featured as well, along with early botanical illustrations.

Authoritative and richly illustrated, Seeds offers a fascinating and intimate look at the remarkable reproductive process of plants.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Seeds, the minute building block of plant life, contain firmaments of otherworldly beauty. Through the marvel of scanning electron photomicroscopy, and in collaboration with two renowned experts, visual artist Kesseler unveils the delicate artistry and vibrant wizardry of these horticultural workhorses in an incandescent blend of exacting science and extraordinary art. Seeds' distinctive shapes and sizes enable them to withstand journeys of thousands of miles and hundreds of years before they complete their task of plant germination. Stuppy energetically relates the story of some 300 million years of evolutionary adaptations that have enabled plants to populate the earth's surface from the Antarctic to the Amazon, while simultaneously drawing attention to the alarming extinction rate of the world's remaining plant species. On a more hopeful note, Stuppy describes the Millennium Seed Bank Project's work collecting and conserving seeds that will ensure the planet's future biodiversity. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

A guide to seeds the likes of which you've never seen before... expose[s], in astonishingly exquisite detail, the beauty and sophistication of seeds. (Mike Gillespie Ottawa Citizen 20070127)

The book contains a huge amount of technical information about seeds and plant anatomy. However, the glorious color format makes it pleasant to dip into again and again, as your botanical knowledge grows. (Clear Englebert West Hawaii Today )

Like a walk through a mystifying alien universe... astounding images of seed... awe-inspiring beauty. Accompanied by fascinating scientific descriptions. (Jessica Damiano Melville Newsday 20061221)

Magnetic... much in the way of information as well: basic descriptions of plant cycles, the history of botanical science, functions of seeds and pollen, and, also enhancing the artistic angle, the history of illustration of the subjects. Large, glossy, elegant, and a treat. (Kim Long Bloomsbury Review 200612)

Alexandra Papadakis edits this stunning natural history of seeds, which uses an oversized format/presentation to display close-up photos and electron microscopy images of seed evolution. The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew are involved in this reference's publication, which obtains some astonishing images and focuses on the diversity, design and function of seeds the world over. (Bookwatch 20070501)

A natural history of seeds showcasing their specialized architecture in stunning close-up photographs and scanning electron micrographs. (Nature 20060907)

Breathtaking... a great combination of beautiful photographs and well-written text that packs in a lot of detail and will be interesting to both the novice and the experienced biologist... a beautiful, well-written, easy-to-follow book. (Carole Saravitz Science Books and Films 200703)

[reviewed with Pollen] These are the most ravishing biology lessons we've ever seen, with spectacular photos that will make you rethink your plants and text that makes [the books] worth keeping.... An enlightening gift or a personal indulgence. (Beth Botts Chicago Tribune 20070311)

[Globe and Mail 2006 Holiday Gift Book selection] A gloriously illustrated work that will fascinate anyone interested in plants, and that is a splendid piece of art in its own right. (Globe and Mail 20061209)

Bright color and deep magnification show us the stunning range of shapes and detail hidden in the microworld. (Barbara Julian Victoria Times Colonist 20070114)

Astonishing, possibly even groundbreaking... beautiful almost beyond description. You've never seen botanical photography quite like this. (Linda L. Richards January Magazine 200612)

Stunning ... astonishing images. (Diane C. Donovan The Midwest Book Review 200705)

Full of interesting nuggets. (Mark Ellis Columbus Dispatch )

In Kesseler's stunning photographs,... the ingenious mechanisms of dispersal stand exposed as evolutionary wizardry.... Forget anything you may have thought about the carefully segregated protocols of science and art. (Peter Friederici Audubon 200706)

264 pages of wonder and beauty that you will want on your coffee table, handy to browse through and learn from. (Helen Halpenny The Lanark Era 20071204)

Lavish... document[s] the astonishing complexity of botanical sex. (Sarah Richardson Discover 200610)

264 pages of wonder and beauty that you will want on your coffee table, handy to browse through and learn from in the cold winter months. (Helen Halpenny Review-Mirror (Westport, ON) 20071220)

This large-format coffee-table book contains breathtaking photographs. (Phoenix Home and Garden 200710)

Visual artist Kesseler unveils the delicate artistry and vibrant wizardry of these horticultural workhorses in an incandescent blend of exacting science and extraordinary art... Stuppy energetically relates the story of some 300 million years of evolutionary adaptations. (Carol Haggas Booklist 20061201)

Images so astonishingly vivid that they verge on the bizarre... the photos in this album are spellbinding. (Carolyn Leitch Globe and Mail 20061124)

Spectacular... a delicious combination of eye-candy and brain-food... The format is quite brilliant in that it encourages a concentrated examination of the seeds, awakening a more perceptive understanding and appreciation, beyond merely identifying them. (Clear Englebert The Kona Outdoor Circle Newsletter 200610)

["Style at Home"'s Top Coffee Table Book] The images in this book are astounding... an almost alien beauty. (Kat Tancock Style at Home 200610)

Multi-armed hooked spheres that catch on passing fur, to delicate, winged laceworks that float on the wind. If plants could read, they might be appalled to see their sex lives explored so up close and personal, but we human beings can only marvel and delight. (Laurence A. Marschall Natural History 200612)

[reviewed with Pollen] These books ... will be appreciated by gardeners and nature lovers who also dig art. They're both gorgeous and educational ... Kesseler's microphotography is fabulous ... It's fascinating to be reminded that plants reproduce sexually in much the same way humans do, except plants perfected the skill millennia before we did. (Liz Primeau National Post 20061202)

The facts are fascinating, and dynamic art will ensure that you never look at a plant in the same way again. (Suzanne Hively Cleveland Plain Dealer 20061005)

The magnificence of Seeds... is beyond compare: hundreds of pages of stunning photography and fascinating information. (Catherine Therrien Gardening Life 200611)

This is a landmark effort of gorgeous photography and authoritative text. This is, in the truest sense of the word, a table-top masterpiece. (Ken Smith London Free Press 20061118)

[reviewed with Pollen] Science joins hands with art. ... wallops you with closeups of flowers' "birds and bees" bits and then pairs them with electron microscopy images of the same plant's pollen grains. The effect is stunning. ...will, of course, be of interest to the gardener, but more important, the dazzling images will inspire the artist. (Jarrett Smith Minneapolis Star Tribune 20061108)

Filled with stunning photographs created with electron microscopy. (David Hobson Kitchener-Waterloo Record 20061125)

Spectacular... a delicious combination of eye-candy and brain-food... The format is quite brilliant in that it encourages a concentrated examination of the seeds, awakening a more perceptive understanding and appreciation, beyond merely identifying them. (Mike Gillespie The Leader Post (Regina, SK) 20070224)

Who would have thought that a book about seeds could be a stunning work of art? ... Anyone who believes that life and art are inseparable will want to purchase this book immediately. The larger-than-life photographs and the unabashedly bold stories of plants and their survival mechanisms will appeal to a wide variety of readers. Highly Recommended. All levels. (J.C. Shane, University of New Mexico Choice 200710)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books; First edition (September 12, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1554072212
• ISBN-13: 978-1554072217
• Product Dimensions: 12.4 x 11.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #909,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Seeds: Time Capsules of Life January 23, 2008

By E. Mcginnis

Format:Hardcover

I saw this book in the library and after checking it out once, twice and then three times, I knew I had to own it.

I can't really comment on the text, I don't know enough about the subject. I only know that I read the book and was facinated by the more scientific information. But I can say that I never tire of looking at the pictures. They are simply beautiful. When I want inspiration for building a new clay form, when I am looking for a color theme for painting or crocheting or glazing, I find it in the photographs in Seeds. The quality of the photography is excellent and the selection of seeds chosen for the book is varied enough that each picture illustrates something new.

This is not a book that once read, has nothing more to offer. I would recommend Seeds:Time Capsules of Life even to those who only wanted to look at the photographs and be inspired by the design and color revealed inside.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning Photos February 6, 2007

By Shelby Ellis

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book and the companion book "Pollen" will wow both professionals and layman. Buy it just for the beauty of the superb photos or for the detailed data. Lay these books out on the coffee table and you can be sure they will be picked up over and over again. The photos mezmerize with the sheer magnitude of nature's design.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An oversized format/presentation to display close-up photos and electron microscopy images May 7, 2007

By Midwest Book Review

Format:Hardcover

The general-interest public will find more accessible Rob Kesseler and Wolfgang Stuppy's SEEDS: TIME CAPSULES OF LIFE. Alexandra Papadakis edits this stunning natural history of seeds, which uses an oversized format/presentation to display close-up photos and electron microscopy images of seed evolution. The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew are involved in this reference's publication, which obtains some astonishing images and focuses on the diversity, design and function of seeds the world over.

4.0 out of 5 stars awesome images February 27, 2013

By S. A. Conner

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The images in Seeds are exquisite. I am always amazed at God's creations and the intricacies and detail in the smallest element. I will enjoy this book for a long time.