This small book has been written for nature-lovers who are visiting Cuba and are interested in identifying the islands flowering herbaceous plants, vines, bushes and trees, whether they be in cities, on the beach, or in the islands woods, savannas or mountains. This book covers over a hundred flowering plants and includes a glossary of botanical terms, although efforts have been made to avoid verbal technicalities. In each case there is explanatory text.

“A Way to Garden prods us toward that ineffable place where we feel we belong; it’s a guide to living both in and out of the garden.” —The New York Times Book Review For Margaret Roach, gardening is more than a hobby, it’s a calling. Her unique approach, which she calls “horticultural how-to and woo-woo,” is a blend of vital information you need to memorize and intuitive steps you must simply feel and surrender to. In A Way to Garden, Roach imparts decades of garden wisdom on seasonal gardening, ornamental plants, vegetable gardening, design, gardening for wildlife, organic practices, and much more. She also challenges gardeners to think beyond their garden borders and to consider the ways gardening can enrich the world. Brimming with beautiful photographs of Roach’s own garden, A Way to Garden is practical, inspiring, and a must-have for every passionate gardener.

The Study of Plants in a Whole New Light “Matt Candeias succeeds in evoking the wonder of plants with wit and wisdom.” ―James T. Costa, PhD, executive director, Highlands Biological Station and author of Darwin's Backyard #1 New Release in Nature & Ecology, Plants, Botany, Horticulture, Trees, Biological Sciences, and Nature Writing & Essays In his debut book, internationally-recognized blogger and podcaster Matt Candeias celebrates the nature of plants and the extraordinary world of plant organisms. A botanist’s defense. Since his early days of plant restoration, this amateur plant scientist has been enchanted with flora and the greater environmental ecology of the planet. Now, he looks at the study of plants through the lens of his ever-growing houseplant collection. Using gardening, houseplants, and examples of plants around you, In Defense of Plants changes your relationship with the world from the comfort of your windowsill. The ruthless, horny, and wonderful nature of plants. Understand how plants evolve and live on Earth with a never-before-seen look into their daily drama. Inside, Candeias explores the incredible ways plants live, fight, have sex, and conquer new territory. Whether a blossoming botanist or a professional plant scientist, In Defense of Plants is for anyone who sees plants as more than just static backdrops to more charismatic life forms. In this easily accessible introduction to the incredible world of plants, you’ll find: • Fantastic botanical histories and plant symbolism • Passionate stories of flora diversity and scientific names of plant organisms • Personal tales of plantsman discovery through the study of plants If you enjoyed books like The Botany of Desire, What a Plant Knows, or The Soul of an Octopus, then you’ll love In Defense of Plants.

For anyone wishing to identify the most commonly seen trees in Cuba, whether they be in the city, beside the road, on the beach or on other parts of the island. There are well over eight hundred species of tree growing on the island, thus this volume presents only a sample of the enormous arboreal variety to be found in Cuba. The reader will find both native and cultivated species, which have been balanced to present an objective guide.

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE IN HISTORY WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE IN HISTORY “Full of…lively insights and lucid prose” (The Wall Street Journal) an epic, sweeping history of Cuba and its complex ties to the United States—from before the arrival of Columbus to the present day—written by one of the world’s leading historians of Cuba. In 1961, at the height of the Cold War, the United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba, where a momentous revolution had taken power three years earlier. For more than half a century, the stand-off continued—through the tenure of ten American presidents and the fifty-year rule of Fidel Castro. His death in 2016, and the retirement of his brother and successor Raúl Castro in 2021, have spurred questions about the country’s future. Meanwhile, politics in Washington—Barack Obama’s opening to the island, Donald Trump’s reversal of that policy, and the election of Joe Biden—have made the relationship between the two nations a subject of debate once more. Now, award-winning historian Ada Ferrer delivers an “important” (The Guardian) and moving chronicle that demands a new reckoning with both the island’s past and its relationship with the United States. Spanning more than five centuries, Cuba: An American History provides us with a front-row seat as we witness the evolution of the modern nation, with its dramatic record of conquest and colonization, of slavery and freedom, of independence and revolutions made and unmade. Along the way, Ferrer explores the sometimes surprising, often troubled intimacy between the two countries, documenting not only the influence of the United States on Cuba but also the many ways the island has been a recurring presence in US affairs. This is a story that will give Americans unexpected insights into the history of their own nation and, in so doing, help them imagine a new relationship with Cuba; “readers will close [this] fascinating book with a sense of hope” (The Economist). Filled with rousing stories and characters, and drawing on more than thirty years of research in Cuba, Spain, and the United States—as well as the author’s own extensive travel to the island over the same period—this is a stunning and monumental account like no other.

"In the year 1957, my wife and I were fascinated when we saw a flower of Polyrrhiza lindenii. We were greatly impressed when we learned that this amazing leafless orchid, the flower of which resembles the ghoulish ghost of a frog leaping in mid-air, was a native of our own state of Florida. We became excited over plans to find one, which we accomplished without too much trouble except for getting our feet wet. The fun we had in finding this species and the photographs we took home as lasting trophies led us from one orchid to another. This was only the beginning of a hobby which was soon to develop into a gigantic effort to find and photograph every species of orchid known to have occurred naturally in Florida, and eventually to publish this book. As years wore on, horizons widened. A second volume on the native orchids of the United States and Canada, exclusive of those species found only in the southeasternmost states contained in this volume, will follow. Many monographs on local orchid flora have appeared throughout the years. The present work has been designed first of all for orchidophiles like ourselves, be they amateur or professional. With the treatises of Morris and Eames and of Correll as basic guides, each genus is described as a separate chapter. Since the recognition of a plant by a technical description and line drawings may be difficult, especially for an amateur, a series of photographs in color has been assembled, which will provide the reader with a greater feeling of familiarity with each species, something we have always wanted to see ourselves. With very few exceptions each species has been pictured in its native habitat. Close-up portraits of individual flowers and such interesting features as roots, fruit, and unusual variations have been included."--