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Rob Kesseler
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Seeds: Time Capsules of Life Hardcover – Illustrated, 28 Jun. 2006

by Robe Kesseler (Author), Wolfgang Stuppy (Author)
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Seeds are the most complex organs plants ever produce. A major keystone in the evolution of land plants, the first seeds appeared some 360 million years ago. Since then they have developed into highly sophisticated propagules that enable plants to dominate the Earth's surface and conquer almost every possible habitat from the Antarctic to the hottest deserts. The diversity of shapes and sizes encountered in seeds is nearly endless and ranges from the impressive Seychelles nut at twenty kilos to the dust-like seeds of the orchids. No matter how small, packed into every seed is the complete genetic information needed to give rise to a new plant, whether it is a tiny herb or a giant rainforest tree. True time capsules of life, seeds may travel thousands of miles and wait, if necessary, for hundreds of years before they germinate. In this book, artist Rob Kesseler and Wolfgang Stuppy of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, present a natural history of seeds, illustrated with close-up photographs and scanning electron micrographs. The images afford an unprecedented view into a most astonishing microcosm, where the tiniest examples present us with the most exquisite beauty and sophistication. This volume is an essential source book not only for those fascinated by the natural world, but also for artists and designers, and anyone interested in the development of biological structures. We are all familiar with seeds, but never has their structure been revealed so powerfully. Published in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
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  1. ISBN-10
    1901092666
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1901092660
  3. Edition
    First Edition
  4. Publisher
    Papadakis
  5. Publication date
    28 Jun. 2006
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    30.5 x 2.5 x 28 cm
  8. Print length
    264 pages
  9. See all details
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Product description

Review

Seeds is a very impressive book, as a work of science as well as a work of art! It is very well written, beautifully illustrated and very well produced. Congratulations to the authors and publishers. I recommend this book to all botanists, scientists and amateurs alike. The price is more than right! --Frits Adema, Blumea, Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Geography

This marvelous book is a lively account of seeds and their significance illuminating their beauty and diversity through a series of stunning images. --Professor Sir Peter Crane, Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

This marvelous book is a lively account of seeds and their significance illuminating their beauty and diversity through a series of stunning images. --Professor Sir Peter Crane, Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

About the Author

Wolfgang Stuppy is the seed morphologist for the Millennium Seed Bank Project at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. At the heart of this large international project, which collects and stores seeds and fruits from all over the world, Dr. Stuppy has found the ideal environment to feed his passion for research into the astonishing diversity of seeds and fruits. Visual artist Rob Kesseler is a professor at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design. He has a long career of working with plants as a source of inspiration for his work. In 2001 he was appointed NESTA Fellow at Kew, where he has since been working with microscopic plant material. His work has been shown in museums and galleries in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Papadakis; First Edition (28 Jun. 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1901092666
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1901092660
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 30.5 x 2.5 x 28 cm
  • Customer reviews:

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Rob Kesseler

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
13 global ratings

Top reviews from United Kingdom

David H
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing & Unbelievable!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 April 2024
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What's the most amazing and unbelievable thing about this book is how few reviews it has here on Amazon !!....talk about being under the radar!!.
For anyone remotely interested in the natural world this is a must buy....and on every level....get the hardback....had mine since 2006.
The quality of the photography and text really is on a whole new level.
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Sandy C
5.0 out of 5 stars Mind blowing beauty!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 August 2007
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I bought this book after hearing the author interviewed on Radio 4, not only did it live up to my expectations, it far exceeded them. The photographs are utterly spectacular, and inspiring. I would recommend it to anyone interested in art and design - the colours, structures and shapes revealed in these tiny, often miniscule seeds are a revelation.
14 people found this helpful
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Stevie B
5.0 out of 5 stars It just cannot be an accident
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 December 2013
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The best art, buildings, designs seem to imitate what we know deep down and see sometimes superficially could not have happened by chance, repeated millions of time with such accuracy and precision. A great read. Outstanding photography. Prepare to be amazed.
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Top reviews from other countries

MFK
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning images
Reviewed in Canada on 22 March 2018
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Amazing photography, I look at this book time and again.
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E. Mcginnis
5.0 out of 5 stars Seeds: Time Capsules of Life
Reviewed in the United States on 24 January 2008
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I saw this book in the library and after checking it out once, twice and then three times, I knew I had to own it.

I can't really comment on the text, I don't know enough about the subject. I only know that I read the book and was facinated by the more scientific information. But I can say that I never tire of looking at the pictures. They are simply beautiful. When I want inspiration for building a new clay form, when I am looking for a color theme for painting or crocheting or glazing, I find it in the photographs in Seeds. The quality of the photography is excellent and the selection of seeds chosen for the book is varied enough that each picture illustrates something new.

This is not a book that once read, has nothing more to offer. I would recommend Seeds:Time Capsules of Life even to those who only wanted to look at the photographs and be inspired by the design and color revealed inside.
11 people found this helpful
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Renee Stout
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiration from Nature
Reviewed in the United States on 20 October 2014
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As an artist this book is visually stimulating and provides inspiration for forms, textures and color combinations. This should be in every elementary school, on up to high school, library to stimulate the imaginations of any budding artists.
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sdteacher
4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book -- But Not in Great Condition
Reviewed in the United States on 20 October 2016
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This book is beautiful, and I'm so glad I was able to find it on Amazon. In addition to huge colorized pictures, there's a wealth of information about plant life cycles, plant evolution, etc. This would have been a five star review except for the condition the book arrived in--I bought a used copy labeled to be in "very good" condition, but it arrived with all of the corners bent, a large bit of the binding separated from the pages, and a price tag for $5.00 in the corner :) other than that, I love this book, and I'm so glad I could add it to my library.
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Shelby Ellis
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning Photos
Reviewed in the United States on 6 February 2007
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This book and the companion book "Pollen" will wow both professionals and layman. Buy it just for the beauty of the superb photos or for the detailed data. Lay these books out on the coffee table and you can be sure they will be picked up over and over again. The photos mezmerize with the sheer magnitude of nature's design.
6 people found this helpful
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