The Bizarre and Incredible World of Plants

Praise for Pollen: The Hidden Sexuality of Flowers
"These are the most ravishing biology lessons we've ever seen [...] An enlightening gift or a personal indulgence."
– Chicago Tribune

Praise for Seeds: Time Capsules of Life
"An incandescent blend of exacting science and extraordinary art."
– Booklist

Praise for Fruit: Edible, Inedible, Incredible
"Little short of astonishing. If the book never gets further than your coffee table, it's still likely to blow the stuffing out of anything else laid near it."
– January Magazine

Three landmark books, Pollen: The Hidden Sexuality of Flowers; Seeds: Time Capsules of Life; and Fruit: Edible, Inedible, Incredible, earned high praise that varied from "breathtaking" and "ravishing" to "enlightening" and "truly revelatory." The Bizarre and Incredible World of Plants, which sold 6000 copies in hardcover and is now available in paperback, brings together the best of these three books in one fascinating union of art and science.

Visual artist Rob Kesseler uses special light and scanning electron microscopy to create astonishing images of a variety of pollen, seeds and fruits. His razor-sharp cross-sections reveal intricate interiors, pods, pouches, keys, and other examples of botanical architecture and seed dispersal. Seed morphologist Wolfgang Stuppy and palynologist Madeline Harley deftly explain the botanical purposes for which the pollen, seeds and fruit are designed, how they fulfill their mission, and their role in preserving the biodiversity of our planet. Literary references and early botanical illustrations pepper the text.

The Bizarre and Incredible World of Plants is groundbreaking in its intimate examination of plant reproduction. It is an essential source and reference for artists, designers and photographers and will fascinate gardeners and readers interested in the natural world.

"Fantastic photos – images that transcend the bounds of the ordinary – dominate the book. Detailed information about each depicted plant or plant part is expertly included in "List of Illustrations," unobtrusively positioned at the back of the book. The running commentary offers technical insights [...] The authors of Bizarre and Incredible World of Plants rejoice in such "masterpieces of natural architecture and engineering," especially those invisible to the naked eye that have to be seen to be believed, or even imagined. Such detailed close-up features, brilliantly alight against glossy black backgrounds, amount to an unforgettable feast."
– William Scheick, University of Texas at Austin, Texas Gardener (01/01/2010)