Cactus Eaters

Cacti are full of contradictions. Although many are found in the driest and most barren environments on earth, some grow exclusively in the branches of the rainforest canopy. Many species bristle with ferocious-looking spines, while other varieties are perfectly smooth. And while they might strike us as the most austere plants on earth, nearly all of them exhibit remarkable floral displays—some even larger than the plant itself. In Cactus, Dan Torre explores these unique plants as they appear all around the world and throughout art, literature, and popular culture. As Torre shows, cacti have played a prominent role in human history for thousands of years. Some species were revered by ancient civilizations, playing a part in their religious ceremonies; other varieties have been cultivated for their medicinal properties and even as a source of dye, as in the case of the prickly pear cactus and the cochineal insect, the source of red carmine used in everything from food to lipstick. Torre examines how cacti have figured in low-footprint gardens, as iconic features of the landscapes of Westerns, and as a delicious culinary ingredient, from nutritious Nopal pads to alluring Pitaya—or Dragon—fruits. Entertaining and informative, this book will appeal to any of us who have admired these hardy, efficient plants.

“In the well-written, laugh-out-loud, self-deprecating spirit of Bill Bryson’s A Walk In the Woods and Nora Ephron’s When Harry Met Sally, Dan White takes us along for a walk on the wild side of adventure and love. I couldn’t put it down.” —Eric Blehm, National Outdoor Book Award-winning author of The Last Season When Dan White and his girlfriend Melissa set out to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, which stretches from Mexico to Canada through boiling desert and snowcapped mountain passes, his parents wondered how two people who had never shared an apartment could survive in a tent in the desert. But when Dan and Melissa, dubbed “The Lois and Clark Expedition” by a fellow hiker, quit their doldrum jobs to set out into the wilderness, the hardships of the trail provided these addled adventurers with a crystalline view of the American wilderness, themselves, and each other. In his wickedly funny memoir, Dan White also shares the story of Warren Rogers, who risked ruin to chart the trail during the Great Depression. As he walks in Rogers’ footsteps, he starts to wonder if he’s assumed the man’s bravery—or his insanity. Both hilarious and harrowing, this account of a young couple's hike along the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail is a testament to the power of nature to change us and the power of love to get us through the uphill climbs.

Describes how the plants and animals of the Earth's deserts serve as food for each other.

Late one summer afternoon in 2010, wildlife rescuer Lisa Bates set off on a very strange rescue mission. Lisa drove into the Arizona desert with a dog crate in the back of her car. In the crate was a small animal—but it sure didn’t look like a dog. It had reddish-brown fur and a pig-like snout. It was a baby collared peccary that had been separated from its mother. Would Lisa find a way to reunite them? In Collared Peccary: Cactus Eater, kids go on a real-life adventure with wildlife biologist Lisa Bates as she tries to save a lost baby peccary. Along the way, children will learn how peccaries have adapted to their harsh desert climate, including how they find food, stay safe, and keep track of other herd members. Large, full-color photos and a dramatic narrative format will keep readers turning the pages.

Popular science tour de force from bestselling authors, on evolution of intelligence, culture and mind.

"The definitive book on camping in America. . . . A passionate, witty, and deeply engaging examination of why humans venture into the wild."--Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild From the Sierras to the Adirondacks and the Everglades, Dan White travels the nation to experience firsthand--and sometimes face first--how the American wilderness transformed from the devil's playground into a source of adventure, relaxation, and renewal. Whether he's camping nude in cougar country, being attacked by wildlife while "glamping," or crashing a girls-only adventure for urban teens, Dan White seeks to animate the evolution of outdoor recreation. In the process, he demonstrates how the likes of Emerson, Thoreau, Roosevelt, and Muir--along with visionaries such as Adirondack Murray, Horace Kephart, and Juliette Gordon Low--helped blaze a trail from Transcendentalism to Leave No Trace. Wide-ranging in research, enthusiasm, and geography, Under the Stars reveals a vast population of nature seekers, a country still in love with its wild places.

Introduces the concepts of biodiversity and evolution, discussing theories about how species change and adapt over time, with real-life examples.

A Southwest Book of the Year * 2005 Southwest Book Award "[A] monumental study." --Review of Texas Books "A reliable and handy general reference for those with an interest in cacti inside and outside this region. Recommended." --Choice "These authors have . . . provided the world with the much needed scientific clarification on this family of succulent plants that humans have loved and hated for thousands of years." --Sida "Information: Wow! . . . For both lay readers and for researchers looking for lots of data about the cacti of this rich flora, this book offers fascinating details presented in a very readable fashion." --Cactus and Succulents Journal "This will be the standard reference for decades to come."--Southwest Books of the Year Of the 132 species and varieties of cacti in Texas, about 104 of them occur in the fifteen counties of the Trans-Pecos region. This volume includes full descriptions of those many genera, species, and varieties of cacti, with sixty-four maps showing the distribution of each species in the region. The descriptions follow the latest findings of cactus researchers worldwide and include scientific names; common names; identifying characters based on vegetative habit, flowers, fruit, and seeds; identification of flowerless specimens; and phenology and biosystematics. The introduction--full of details about the biology and morphology of the family Cactaceae, the uses of cacti, and the horticulture and conservation of cacti--is an important reference for general readers. More than three hundred beautiful full-color photographs of the cacti in flower and in fruit, all cross-referenced to their description in the text, highlight the book. A glossary of cactus terms, an exhaustive list of literature, and a thorough index complete the book.