The first part of the book is a fictional story about a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting nature preserves around the world; the second part of the book is a collection of essays on the subjects of nature, human nature, evolutionary biology, and biodiversity.

A gripping and groundbreaking history of how ancient cultures developed and used biological, chemical, and other unconventional weapons of war Flamethrowers, poison gases, incendiary bombs, the large-scale spreading of disease: are these terrifying agents of warfare modern inventions? Not by a long shot. In this riveting history of the origins of unconventional war, Adrienne Mayor shows that cultures around the world have used biological and chemical weapons for thousands of years—and debated the morality of doing so. Drawing extraordinary connections between the mythical worlds of Hercules and the Trojan War, the accounts of Herodotus and Thucydides, and modern methods of war and terrorism, this richly illustrated history catapults readers into the dark and fascinating realm of ancient war and mythic treachery.

A comprehensive survey of organic compounds used as poisons—on arrows and spears, in food, and even as insecticides—by numerous Native American tribes. Biological warfare is a menacing twenty-first-century issue, but its origins extend to antiquity. While the recorded use of toxins in warfare in some ancient populations is rarely disputed (the use of arsenical smoke in China, which dates to at least 1000 BC, for example) the use of “poison arrows” and other deadly substances by Native American groups has been fraught with contradiction. At last revealing clear documentation to support these theories, anthropologist David Jones transforms the realm of ethnobotany in Poison Arrows. Examining evidence within the few extant descriptive accounts of Native American warfare, along with grooved arrowheads and clues from botanical knowledge, Jones builds a solid case to indicate widespread and very effective use of many types of toxins. He argues that various groups applied them to not only warfare but also to hunting, and even as an early form of insect extermination. Culling extensive ethnological, historical, and archaeological data, Jones provides a thoroughly comprehensive survey of the use of ethnobotanical and entomological compounds applied in wide-ranging ways, including homicide and suicide. Although many narratives from the contact period in North America deny such uses, Jones now offers conclusive documentation to prove otherwise. A groundbreaking study of a subject that has been long overlooked, Poison Arrows imparts an extraordinary new perspective to the history of warfare, weaponry, and deadly human ingenuity. “A unique contribution to the field of American Indian ethnology. . . . This information has never been compiled before, and I doubt that many ethnologists in the field have ever suspected the extent to which poison was used among North American Indians. This book significantly extends our understanding.” —Wayne Van Horne, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Kennesaw State University

Poison dart frogs are cute and tiny. They come in many eye-catching colors. These colors, however, aren’t meant to make them attractive. The bright colors tell other animals that they shouldn’t try to eat them. These vibrant amphibians are covered with a deadly poison that makes predators very sick. It’s so strong that some Native American tribes even used it to make poison darts for hunting. Readers will surely enjoy getting up close to these small but deadly poison dart frogs.

Introduces poison dart frogs, describing their physical charcateristics, habitat, and the venom that they use to protect themselves from predators.

Stanley Feldman is a leading light in the field of modern anaesthetics, a former Professor of Anaesthetics at London University and was appointed to the Imperial College School of Medicine. He is the author of many books, papers and lectures on the subject. He is also the author of Life Begins..., a positive guide to retirement, and co-editor of the acclaimed Panic Nation with Vincent Marks.

This high-interest Science title is one of the 4 titles sold in a Book Pack as a part of the Tony Stead Independent Reading Reptiles and Amphibians Theme Set.