Alice in the Land of Plants. Biology of Plants and Their Importance for Planet Earth. 2012. illus. XIV, 272 p. gr8vo. Hardcover.

Why is it that plants do not need to move? How does a nonmotile organism have sex or defend itself? Why are plants asymmetric and not of a fixed size? Why are some plants virtually immortal? Why is cloning a routine matter in the plant kingdom? What is the mechanism that allows plants to exploit a practically inexhaustible extraterrestrial energy source? How do plants regulate the composition of our planets atmosphere, its water cycle, the cycle of matter and energy, and ultimately our climate? Why have there not been mass extinctions among plants as there have been among animals? How do plants perceive the animate and inanimate worlds? How do they communicate with one another? In the end, are plants intelligent organisms? These are some of the questions this book addresses in an attempt to convince readers that contrary to popular, and wrong, belief, plants are not simple organisms lacking specific behaviour and intelligence and thus are unworthy of our interest. In fact, this book promises to be as pleasant a surprise as Alices experience in the white rabbits warren, in which she encountered a world very different from ours.