Assesses a promising new approach to restoring the health of our bodies and our planet Most of us are familiar with probiotics added to milk or yogurt to improve gastrointestinal health. In fact, the term refers to any intervention in which life is used to manage life—from the microscopic, like consuming fermented food to improve gut health, to macro approaches such as biological pest control and natural flood management. In this ambitious and original work, Jamie Lorimer offers a sweeping overview of diverse probiotic approaches and an insightful critique of their promise and limitations. During our current epoch—the Anthropocene—human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment, leading to the loss of ecological abundance, diversity, and functionality. Lorimer describes cases in which scientists and managers are working with biological processes to improve human, environmental, and even planetary health, pursuing strategies that stand in contrast to the “antibiotic approach”: Big Pharma, extreme hygiene, and industrial agriculture. The Probiotic Planet focuses on two forms of “rewilding” occurring on vastly different scales. The first is the use of keystone species like wolves and beavers as part of landscape restoration. The second is the introduction of hookworms into human hosts to treat autoimmune disorders. In both cases, the goal is to improve environmental health, whether the environment being managed is planetary or human. Lorimer argues that, all too often, such interventions are viewed in isolation, and he calls for a rethinking of artificial barriers between science and policy. He also describes the stark and unequal geographies of the use of probiotic approaches and examines why these patterns exist. The author’s preface provides a thoughtful discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to the probiotic approach. Informed by deep engagement with microbiology, immunology, ecology, and conservation biology as well as food, agriculture, and waste management, The Probiotic Planet offers nothing less than a new paradigm for collaboration between the policy realm and the natural sciences.

"In Planet Taco, Jeffrey Pilcher traces the historical origins and evolution of Mexico's national cuisine, explores its incarnation as a Mexican American fast-food, shows how surfers became global pioneers of Mexican food, and how Corona beer conquered the world. Pilcher is particularly enlightening on what the history of Mexican food reveals about the uneasy relationship between globalization and authenticity. The burritos and taco shells that many people think of as Mexican were actually created in the United States. But Pilcher argues that the contemporary struggle between globalization and national sovereignty to determine the authenticity of Mexican food goes back hundreds of years. During the nineteenth century, Mexicans searching for a national cuisine were torn between nostalgic "Creole" Hispanic dishes of the past and French haute cuisine, the global food of the day. Indigenous foods were scorned as unfit for civilized tables. Only when Mexican American dishes were appropriated by the fast food industry and carried around the world did Mexican elites rediscover the foods of the ancient Maya and Aztecs and embrace the indigenous roots of their national cuisine"--

A thrilling Star Trek: The Original Series adventure featuring Captain James T. Kirk and the USS Enterprise in a strange battle for dilithium crystals against the Klingons. Dilithium. In crystalline form, the most valuable mineral in the galaxy. It powers the Federation’s starships...and the Klingon Empire’s battlecruisers. Now on a small, out-of-the-way planet named Direidi, the greatest fortune in dilithium crystals ever seen has been found. Under the terms of the Organian Peace Treaty, the planet will go to the side best able to develop the planet and its resourses. Each side will contest the prize with the prime of its fleet. For the Federation—Captain James T. Kirk and the Starship Enterprise. For the Klingons—Captain Kaden vestai-Oparai and the Fire Blossom. Only the Direidians are writing their own script for this contest—script that propels the crew of the Starship Enterprise into their strangest adventure yet!

Since the dawn of the modern environmental movement, Frances Beinecke has been on its front lines, leading the charge for clean air, fresh water, healthy wildlife and fertile lands. As she prepares to retire as president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, The World We Create captures the story of her remarkable tenure as head of America’s leading environmental advocacy organization and lays out her vision for the future of the movement and the environmental challenges in the years ahead. This is the personal story of one of the few women ever to lead a national environmental organization in this country. It is a forward-leaning story that puts Beinecke at the table and on the ground with the emerging voices shaping the next generation of environmental stewardship and with the challenges they will inherit to confront issues such as climate change, fracking, nuclear power, the Keystone pipeline, and many others. Most important, The World We Create is a story of solutions, lighting the path forward to the kind of country, and the kind of world, we must leave to our children.

Probiotic Cities covers a body of work that is at the forefront of emerging knowledge within architecture, towards designing informed indoor and built environment microbiomes. Sited within the broader field of Bio Design, the book presents highly experimental design research at the intersection of architecture, engineering and microbiology. The book describes work which explores novel strategies towards directly (re)introducing beneficial microbes into buildings and cities. Through discussion of both the work and the processes and methodologies used, it provides a framework to enable designers and practitioners to begin to engage with contemporary human–microbe relationships towards the design of healthy and resilient cities. The book defines a new microbial paradigm for architecture that engages with broader emerging ecological or ‘more than human’ philosophies for design within the age of the Anthropocene.

This book is the answer to Climate Change. The solution wasn’t a answer, it was a vision. Explore the legendary ideas of the best selling author, Christian Cassarly, that can save the world.

A revealing look at the 300 trillion microorganisms that keep us healthy—and the foods they need to thrive These days, probiotic yogurt and other "gut-friendly" foods line supermarket shelves. But what's the best way to feed our all-important microbiome—and what is a microbiome, anyway? In this engaging and eye-opening book, science journalist Katherine Harmon Courage investigates these questions, presenting a deep dive into the ancient food traditions and the latest research for maintaining a healthy gut. Courage’s insights include: • Meet your microbiome: What it is, how it works, and why it's essential for our immune system--and overall health • Gut-friendly food traditions: A guided tour of artisanal makers of yogurt, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, olives, cocoa, and other vibrant, ancient foods from around the world that feed our microbiome (along with simple recipes for curious at-home cooks) • Cutting-edge science: A first-hand look at some of the top lab facilities where microbiologists are working to better understand the human gut and how to feed it for good health Equal parts science explainer, culinary investigation, and global roadmap for healthy eating, Cultured offers a wealth of information for anyone interested in making smart food choices in our not-so-gut-friendly modern world.