The array of bottles is impressive, their contents finely tuned to varied tastes. But they all share the same roots in Mesoamerica's natural bounty and human culture.
The drink is tequila--more properly, mescal de tequila, the first mescal to be codified and recognized by its geographic origin and the only one known internationally by that name. In Tequila A Natural and Cultural History, Ana G. Valenzuela-Zapata, the leading agronomist in Mexico's tequila industry, and Gary Paul Nabhan, one of America's most respected ethnobotanists, plumb the myth of tequila as...
The array of bottles is impressive, their contents finely tuned to varied tastes. But they all share the same roots in Mesoamerica's natural b...
Longtime residents of the Sonoran Desert, the Tohono O'odham people have spent centuries living off the land--a land that most modern citizens of southern Arizona consider totally inhospitable. Ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan has lived with the Tohono O'odham, long known as the Papagos, observing the delicate balance between these people and their environment. Bringing O'odham voices to the page at every turn, he writes elegantly of how they husband scant water supplies, grow crops, and utilize wild edible foods. Woven through his account are coyote tales, O'odham children's impressions of...
Longtime residents of the Sonoran Desert, the Tohono O'odham people have spent centuries living off the land--a land that most modern citizens...
In this book, Nabhan describes the circumstances of several of important--even breakthrough--discoveries that came about through the cross-pollination of science and the arts. His stories mix the personal and scientific in an engaging way. When he found out in high school that he is color blind, an amazing teacher chided him to use his so-called problem to explore varieties of perception. Years later, Nabhan organized teams of color-blind and color-normal scientists to survey a plant thought to be endangered. The color-blind scientists' results changed the views of that ecosystem. Nabhan...
In this book, Nabhan describes the circumstances of several of important--even breakthrough--discoveries that came about through the cross-pollination...
Conservation of plant resources is often focused on seed banks and botanical gardens. However, the two authors of this volume present a comprehensive conservation strategy that complements this ex-situ approach with practical guidance on in-situ management and conservation of plant resources. The book aims to facilitate better management of protected areas and to illustrate new approaches to conservation of plants within their landscapes. It draws on concepts from forestry, the agricultural sciences, anthropology, ethnology and ethnobotany and should be useful to practitioners, academics and...
Conservation of plant resources is often focused on seed banks and botanical gardens. However, the two authors of this volume present a comprehensive ...
Ethnobotanist Gary Paul Nabhan provides 26 essays that go beyond mere observations of wildlife but offer theories of links between cultural and biological diversity. He champions a shift away from the preservation efforts of the mainstream environmental movement, rejecting the separateness of ecological preserves that exclude humans. Nabhan argues that biodviersity thrives best in the presence of an involved, participatory culture, and his argument is bolstered by research and years of field experiecne.
Ethnobotanist Gary Paul Nabhan provides 26 essays that go beyond mere observations of wildlife but offer theories of links between cultural and biolog...
Why does food taste better when you know where it comes from? Because history--ecological, cultural, even personal--flavors every bite we eat. Whether it's the volatile chemical compounds that a plant absorbs from the soil or the stories and memories of places that are evoked by taste, layers of flavor await those willing to delve into the roots of real food. In this landmark book, Gary Paul Nabhan takes us on a personal trip into the southwestern borderlands to discover the terroir--the "taste of the place"--that makes this desert so delicious.
To savor the terroir of the...
Why does food taste better when you know where it comes from? Because history--ecological, cultural, even personal--flavors every bite we eat. Whet...
Today's beekeepers face unprecedented challenges, a fact that is now front-page news with the spread of -colony collapse disorder.- Newly introduced pests like varroa and tracheal mites have made chemical treatment of hives standard practice, but pest resistance is building, which in turn creates demand for new and even more toxic chemicals. In fact, there is evidence that chemical treatments are making matters worse.
It's time for a new approach. Now revised and updated with new resources and including full-color photos throughout, Natural Beekeeping offers all the latest...
Today's beekeepers face unprecedented challenges, a fact that is now front-page news with the spread of -colony collapse disorder.- Newly introduce...
How to harvest water and nutrients, select drought-tolerant plants, and create natural diversity
Because climatic uncertainty has now become -the new normal, - many farmers, gardeners and orchard-keepers in North America are desperately seeking ways to adapt their food production to become more resilient in the face of such -global weirding.- This book draws upon the wisdom and technical knowledge from desert farming traditions all around the world to offer time-tried strategies for:
Building greater moisture-holding capacity and nutrients in...
How to harvest water and nutrients, select drought-tolerant plants, and create natural diversity
Ethnobiology holds a special place in the hearts and minds of many because of its dedication to celebrating the knowledge and values of some of the most distinctive cultural practices in some of the most distinctive places on Earth. Yet we live in a world of diminishing natural and linguistic diversity. Whether due to climate change or capitalism, homogeneity is trumping the once-resplendent heterogeneity all around us.
In this important new collection, Gary Paul Nabhan puts forth a call for the future not only of ethnobiology but for the entire planet. He articulates and broadens the...
Ethnobiology holds a special place in the hearts and minds of many because of its dedication to celebrating the knowledge and values of some of the mo...
