Intimate in size yet quietly breathtaking in scope, this graceful gift book will forever change how you think, and how you feel, about trees. In poetically sparse scientific observations, renowned conservation biologist Gretchen Daily narrates the evolution, impact, and natural wonder of trees. Alongside photographs by Chuck Katz, the text and images form a quiet and moving meditation on The Power of Trees.
Twenty-six duotone black and white photographs illustrate the development of trees: how trunks were formed, what tree rings tell us about human societies, and how trees define the future of humanity. Pictures of trees threading through the landscape - dotting mountainsides, braiding along the sides of glassine rivers - bear witness to the lyrical force and clarity of Daily's observations.
Recreating the authors' hike together through the landscape of the Skagit River in Washington State, the balletic movement between Daily's commentary and Katz's vision reaches out to readers, inviting them to enjoy the landscape through a scientific understanding of trees. At once emotional and intellectual, The Power of Trees is the first collection of nature photographs that invites the reader to not only delight in the gorgeous play between light and shadow, but also the fascinating natural mechanisms that create such striking natural beauty.
An ecologist by training, Gretchen Daily is an internationally acclaimed conservancy advocate and scholar. Her role as a National Trustee for The Nature Conservancy will feature prominently in the national marketing campaign to bridge the gap between scientific educators and the general nature reader.

For decades, gangs have been emerging across the globe, disrupting citizen security, the rule of law, health and education, and local economies. The Caribbean, like many other regions, has a significant gang problem. Unfortunately, however, there has been limited academic attention given to the issue. Gangs in the Caribbean is intended fill this gap by providing sound research conducted by leading Caribbean criminologists that encourages thoughtful and data driven discussions between researchers and policymakers. The book is broken into two sections. Section one focuses on the scope and nature of the Caribbean gang problem. It not only provides a cutting edge description of the Caribbean's gang problem but it also details differences between organized crime groups and street gangs, and how these differences impact the types of problems that communities face. Section two focuses on policies and programmes that have been designed and implemented to respond to Caribbean gangs, as well as what we have learned about them in terms of their effectiveness and unintended consequences. In doing so Gangs in the Caribbean provides researchers, policymakers, and students with a foundation of knowledge on a core issue confronting the Caribbean and provides these readers with a clear road map for responding to gangs in the future.