The plant fossil record indicates that the genus Metasequoia was widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere from the early Late Cretaceous to the Plio-Pleistocene. Today the genus has shrunk to one species with approximately 5,000 mature individuals in southeastern China's Xiahoe Valley. This book distills the current understanding of the biology, ecology and physiology of fossil and living Metasequoia, current research directions and problems that remain unresolved.

The fact that racism has adverse effects on Blacks and other minorities is obvious. But what is not so obvious are the hidden impacts of racism on all members of society, including white people. Joseph Mensah and Christopher J. Williams argue that ethics of altruism and social justice are inadequate to curb racism because they neglect the impact of racism on whites. Just like a boomerang, acts of hatred and racism against people of colour and even unsolicited and sometimes unconscious exertions of white privilege ultimately come back to harm almost everyone in society. Timely and incredibly important, Boomerang Ethics is a much-needed resource in the fight against racism because it does not gloss over the self-interests of members of the privileged, who ultimately have the power to help alleviate racism.

The plant fossil record provides evidence that the genus Metasequoia was widely distributed and experienced a wide range of climatic and environmental conditions throughout the Northern Hemisphere from the early Late Cretaceous to the Plio-Pleistocene. Today the genus is limited to one species with approximately 5,000 mature individuals growing in the Xiahoe Valley in southeastern China. This book is a distillation of the collective efforts and results of the worlda (TM)s Metasequoia specialists and enthusiasts. It is the most up-to-date and comprehensive reference source for the genus and the authors have sought to incorporate obscure, hard-to-get and non-English reference sources. The book reviews what is known about the biology, ecology and physiology of fossil and living Metasequoia, current research directions and problems that remain unresolved.

This book presents a definitive overview of fossil and living Metasequoia and was written by sixteen of the worlda (TM)s experts on this important genus. Given the reality of increasing human pressure and the inevitability of global change, efforts to conserve this ancient genus are underway. This book will be of interest to botanists, geologists, paleobotanists, biogeographers, foresters, ecologists, paleoecologists, ecophysiologists, geochemists, climate modelers, geneticists, naturalists, science historians, and gardeners and will be useful as a supplemental text for advanced undergraduate and graduate level courses in paleoecology.