Too early for Christmas? Maybe not.
'A Leaf in Time'
Looking for a safe gift for a 9-12 year old with a passion for the environment? Look no further. Sadly, this well received book is now out of print but Oxygraphics has most of the extant copies. Email books@oxygraphics.uk.net (or phone +441142305904) and we will sell you a copy for £5 (including delivery) or even give you a copy if you buy any of our products on CD, such as Global Climate Change If you can't afford £5 you may also download the digital (PDF) version, gratis, from here.
This book is about energy, plants and people. It also carries a warning about the health of our vulnerable planet. Almost all our energy comes from the Sun. While humans are busy turning fuels and food into carbon dioxide to release energy, green leaves do exactly the opposite. Plants turn light into electrical energy, and use it to convert carbon dioxide and water into food by photosynthesis. Millions of years ago, this process provided Earth with its atmosphere and fossil fuels. Thousand of years ago humans and trees lived in reasonable harmony. There were lots of trees and not many people. Trees were chopped down for cooking, heating and building, but new trees grew as fast as old ones were lost. The carbon dioxide went round and round and the air was much the same. All that has changed now. We must learn to save energy, to conserve our irreplaceable fossil fuels and discover new ways of converting energy from one form to another.
David Walker, PhD, DSc, FRS, is Emeritus Professor of Photosynthesis at the University of Sheffield. He is a pioneer of the field of photosynthesis, and his many papers and books have made a major contribution to present knowledge of plant biochemistry and physiology. He has contributed to technical training courses for scientists in many Third World countries. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and a Corresponding Member of the American Society of Plant Physiologists. In 1990 he was awarded the Humboldt Prize. In 1994 he was made a member of the Academia Europea and,in 2004, received the prestigious Communications Award of The International Society of Photosynthesis Research.
Reviews:
"A light-hearted book about photosynthesis sounds impossible, but A Leaf in Time does it beautifully. The importance of plants to life on Earth is traced from the origins of life to today's need for renewable energy, all told in a way that makes the story compelling and readable. A group of 9-11 year-olds sat down and discussed photosynthesis after reading it - surely a sign that this book is doing its job."
Nature
"This book in the 'Making sense of science' series discusses energy, plants and people and the health of the planet. It puts over the message that wothout plants we would have no air to breath, no food to eat and no fuel, through the use of narrative, illustrations, comic book-style speech bubbles and highlighted scientific language. I would certainly recommend this to teachers of upper key stage 2 and lower key stage 3, not only for science but also for literacy hour work. As such it is a good buy. The flowing narrative allows the reader to follow the barrage of information well; indeed at times it is hard to catch your thoughts as the book is full to the brim with factual information. It is useful for dipping into and just reading sections as well as reading from cover to cover. The illustrations are very clear and add to the narrative nature of the book; they include labels where appropriate. A useful book for children who can read independently and also enjoy science, with an abundance of scientific vocabulary."
Primary Science Review
"Nine and three quarters out of ten Ð a high assessment for this book from Alexander, age 10 years, in the centre of the target audience... Books like this are vital for the future of plant science, in stimulating the interest of young people at a time just before their interest in particular subjects begins to be channelled along different academic streams... Buy it for your children and they might just become hooked."
New Phytologist
"It's a good story and the pictures are exciting. I learned that plants give us oxygen to breathe. Clearly deserving of its place in the Making Sense of Science series."
New Scientist
"Seldom have I encountered a text so simple yet so thoroughly informative and in its best sense, instructive."
Books for Keeps
"The complex process of photosynthesis is explained in an easily understood - and highly readable way."
The National Association of Field Studies Officers Review Supplement
