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Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > Wild animals > General
There is something uplifting about having butterflies in your
flowerbeds, frogs in your water feature and birds in your bushes,
and knowing they're there because of you. Rich in detail and
accessible in style, Gardening for Wildlife is the crucial
companion to novices and expert gardeners alike. Adrian Thomas
dispels myths and offers new insights and ideas, helping everyone
understand what to do so gardens, large or small, can become ideal
homes for wildlife. Building on the success of the award-winning
first edition, this expanded and updated edition reflects the
latest research and developments in nature-friendly gardening. The
book serves as an expert guide to the practical aspects of this
rewarding pastime and educates readers about the ecological
principles involved, while exploding commonly held misconceptions
that often deter people from pursuing a kinder approach to
gardening. Adrian Thomas provides a detailed guide to the many and
varied species that can contribute to a natural and healthy garden.
Practical sections help you create entire habitats, such as
woodland and meadow gardens, in your garden. And the massively
expanded catalogue of the top 500 best garden flowers, shrubs and
trees for wildlife, now includes colour photos of every species. If
you love wildlife and want to encourage more to visit your garden,
this inspirational book will help you sow the seeds and reap the
rewards.
'Kindness and co-operation have played a crucial role in raising
humans to the top of the evolutionary tree ... We have thrived on
the milk of human kindness.' Observer BY THE AUTHOR OF ARE WE SMART
ENOUGH TO KNOW HOW SMART ANIMALS ARE? 'There is a widely-held
assumption that humans are hard-wired for relentless and ruthless
competition ... Frans de Waal sees nature differently - as a
biological legacy in which empathy, not mere self-interest, is
shared by humans, bonobos and animals.' Ben Macintyre, The Times
Empathy holds us together. That we are hardwired to be altruistic
is the result of thousands of years of evolutionary biology which
has kept society from slipping into anarchy. But we are not alone:
primates, elephants, even rodents are empathetic creatures too.
Social behaviours such as the herding instinct, bonding rituals,
expressions of consolation and even conflict resolution demonstrate
that animals are designed to feel for each other. From chimpanzees
caring for mates that have been wounded by leopards, elephants
reassuring youngsters in distress and dolphins preventing sick
companions from drowning, with a wealth of anecdotes, scientific
observations, wry humour and incisive intelligence, The Age of
Empathy is essential reading for all who believe in the power of
our connections to each other.
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