In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan ingeniously demonstrates how people and domesticated plants have formed a similarly reciprocal relationship. He masterfully links four fundamental human desires—sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control—with the plants that satisfy them: the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. In telling the stories of four familiar species, Pollan illustrates how the plants have evolved to satisfy humankind’s most basic yearnings. And just as we’ve benefited from these plants, we have also done well by them. So who is really domesticating whom?

    Whether you’re new to gardening or interested in saving costs, Vegetable Gardening for Beginners offers easy-to-follow steps for starting and sustaining your very own vegetable garden.Learn the basics of starting your dream garden, including tips on choosing between in-ground or raised bed gardens and creating a full-season garden plan. Discover how to make your own soil mix, transplant seedlings, and maintain and harvest a thriving vegetable garden for seasons to come.Vegetable Gardening for Beginners includes:* Beet-by-beet gardening―Get the lowdown on planning, prepping, and planting―including building and filling garden beds, watering, mulching, and more.* Garden variety―Choose the right seeds with 30 in-depth profiles on popular vegetables and key decisions, like choosing companion plants.* Weed out problems―Troubleshoot plant problems, including bitter carrots, blight, and even pests like the squash vine borer.Go from greenhorn to green thumb with Vegetable Gardening for Beginners.

    They run the gamut from traditional sausage ragu to Thai peanut, Gorgonzola chive butter, all-American barbecue, coconut lemon, Parmesan leek, cheesy cashew garlic, and Meyer lemon spinach. Every recipe is accompanied by a quick-reference chart showing the best base combinations of proteins and vegetables. The struggle to make imaginative, flavorful weeknight meals is over. With a few of these sauces stashed away in the freezer, a great meal can be topped off in minutes.

    Using her own upsate New York property as her model and laboratory, she leads us through the garden's seasons as they parallel the stages of our own lives. First is conception (the idea of the garden as it takes shape in January and February), followed by birth (the planting time of March and April), youth (an explosion of flowers in May and June), adulthood (harvesting and dividing in July and August), senescence (taking inventory in September and October), and death and afterlife (the winter garden of November and December).For every month she makes note of the activities of the moment -- how to plan a garden before the snow melts, select hardy and forgiving plants that build the gardener's confidence, plant a 'late-start' vegetable garden, create a crevice garden in the cracks of the patio, and force bulbs indoors to stave off the winter blues.Throughout, Roach's friendly, conversational writing not only explains exactly what needs to be done and how to do itt, but also inspires us with a love of gardening itself -- the closest many of us come to nature in our everyday lives.

    Brunstetter, is a collection of over 200 recipes that are great for taking along and sharing where people meet to worship, work, and play. Included are tips for traveling with and serving food as well as personal stories of how gatherings are at the heart of the Amish community. The well-organized book boasts contributions from Amish and Mennonites from across the United States. Categories include Beverages, Snacks, Breads and Rolls, Salads, Side Dishes, Main Dishes, Desserts, and Feeding a Crowd. Encased in a lay-flat binding and presented in full color, home cooks from all backgrounds will want to add this cookbook to their collection. Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Gatherings Cookbook is sure to become a treasured resource.

    Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is an enthralling narrative that will open your eyes in a hundred new ways to an old truth: You are what you eat.

    Far beyond simply being a sports league, the NBA has become an entertainment and pop culture juggernaut. From all kinds of team logo merchandise to officially branded video games and players crossing over into reality television, film, fashion lines, and more, there is an inseparable line between sports and entertainment. But only four decades ago, this would have been unthinkable. Featuring writing that leaps off the page with energy and wit, journalist and basketball fan Pete Croatto takes us behind the scenes to the meetings that lead to the monumental American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, revolutionizing the NBA’s image. He pays homage to legendary talents including Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan and reveals how two polar-opposite rookies, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, led game attendance to skyrocket and racial lines to dissolve. Croatto also dives into CBS’s personality-driven coverage of key players, as well as other cable television efforts, which launched NBA players into unprecedented celebrity status. Essential reading whether you’re a casual or longtime fan, From Hang Time to Prime Time is an enthralling and entertaining celebration of basketball history.

    Here are more than 60 easy-to-prepare recipes plus behind-the-scenes insight into creating a beautiful, inviting table for every occasion, including tips on choosing a theme, styling your food in creative ways, and achieving that "wow factor" with linens, flowers, music, and more. There are 20 visually striking spreads that range from Ladies Night Lettuce Wraps to a Christmas Morning Dutch Baby Party, Dips for Dinner, and a Boozy Bloody Mary Bar. Rich with gorgeous and instructive photography, Tables & Spreads is inspiring yet totally accessible, perfect for home cooks who like to host gatherings of all sizes, and those who loved Shelly's first book, Platters & Boards. Complete with timelines, shopping lists, diagrams, and more, this book includes all the tools you need to make every meal delicious and unforgettable.• NEXT LEVEL ENTERTAINING: Tables & Spreads takes easy entertaining to the next level with additional recipes and robust guidance on casual styling of beautiful platters and tables for any number of guests.• ON TREND: The simple but impactful guidelines in this book speak to the way people are eating and entertaining today—often casually, with beautiful presentation, and a "help yourself" mentality. This book teaches us how to do that elegantly and create gorgeous grazing tables whether you're preparing a "snack dinner" for one, a family brunch, or a large-scale wedding or holiday table.• FOR ALL SKILL LEVELS: Anyone can make successful, beautiful spreads with these easy-to-follow guidelines and visual inspiration. These grazing spreads offer low-effort, high-impact results with easily sourced ingredients to feed a crowd-perfect for anyone that loves to eat and entertain.Perfect for:• Fans of Shelly Westerhausen and of Platters & Boards• Ina Garten and Martha Stewart fans who are always looking for creative & tasty ideas• People who seek inspiration in tablescaping, arranging, menus, and party inspirations

    Jones was employed, confident, talented, smart, assertive and involved in many community activities in Indianapolis, Indiana. In contrast, when he was last seen, Brandon Sims, an only child, was a serious, quiet, thin boy who rarely maintained eye contact with his mother. After that night, he was never seen again. His body has never been found. For years Jones lied to her friends about Brandon, telling some that he was living with his father and others that he was staying with his grandmother in another state. When Brandon's father, who had been in jail, came looking for Brandon, Michelle's shocked friends confronted her. She confessed that Brandon was dead. She repeated her story of how Brandon died to a detective, after she admitted herself to the local psych unit. Days later she checked out of the unit and refused to reveal where he had hidden Brandon's body. She was sure she had gotten away with murder. And she would have except the detective didn't believe her story. He enlisted the help of a novice prosecutor because no experienced prosecutor would take the case. In Indiana, no one had ever been convicted of murder without a body. That prosecutor has written a book that reads like a mystery novel instead of the real murder prosecution. Truth is stranger than fiction where Santeria curses, the law and politics are only a few of obstacles to justice.

    Driven by a desire to fight against bias, reclaim Black culinary traditions, and energize a new generation of cooks, Marcus shares his own journey alongside 150 recipes in honor of dozens of top chefs, writers, and activists—with stories exploring their creativity and influence.   Black cooking has always been more than “soul food,” with flavors tracing to the African continent, to the Caribbean, all over the United States, and beyond.

    A celebrity wedding in a grand manor house in the beautiful English countryside.But then one guest goes missing.And another almost dies.Someone at this wedding will do anything to stop their dark secrets from being exposed.You might not live to tell the tale…

    This accessible and easy-to-follow guide examines the health risks posed by typical Western eating habits and explains how a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices can lead to lower blood pressure, healthy weight management, and longer life.Their flexible, customizable approach to eating challenges the conventional idea of breakfast, lunch, and dinner and focuses instead on soups, salads, sides, and sweets. With 100 delicious recipes to choose from, The Healthspan Solution make adopting a plant-based lifestyle simple and sustainable.- Evidence-based research on the scientific underpinnings of the healthspan diet - Easy-to-follow guidelines simplify food choices without being restrictive - Beautifully photographed recipes offer options and flexibility Praise for The Healthspan Solution "Ray and Julieanna didn't write a fad diet book. It's about making a permanent lifestyle transformation. The magic is I still can eat anything I want. The trick is what I want has profoundly changed. They did the trick for me and saved my life--now let them help you."--Penn Jillette, Las Vegas entertainer and magician"Ray is a scientific visionary and Julieanna is a master of nutrition. Together they've written a fact-based recipe book for longevity that belongs in every kitchen. Buy it."--David Sinclair, PhD, AO, Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School"Working with Julieanna and Ray has given me a profoundly new understanding of how food impacts health and how what we eat is often dictated by social influences. I'm excited to be a part of their effort to push to this message out to a far bigger audience."--Cyan Banister, angel investor and entrepreneur"Julieanna and Ray are an incredible team. While others have sought to demonstrate the adequacy of an exclusively plant-sourced diet, they teach how it can be superior and mimics longevity research."--Rich Roll, plant-powered ultra athlete and author

    You (and your bees) will be buzzing with delight.From picking the right hive and bringing your bees home to surviving winter and collecting honey, experienced beekeeper Amber Bradshaw takes you on an easy-to-follow journey through your first year of beekeeping and beyond.Beekeeping for Beginners includes: Just the essentials—Learn everything you need to know to begin your first colony—written with brand new beekeepers in mind. Modern beekeeping—Start your colony off right with guides that feature the newest practices and current, natural approaches. Learn to speak bee—Clearly defined terms and a complete glossary will have you talking like a pro beekeeper in no time. Begin your beekeeping the right way—and avoid getting stung by mistakes—with Beekeeping for Beginners.

    From agaves to ice plants and sedums to sempervivums, hardy succulents can bring color, texture, and versatility to perennial flower beds in any climate. This comprehensive guide offers clear growing instructions accompanied by vivid photography of these durable and beautiful plants. With tips on choosing the right varieties for every North American hardiness zone, you can enjoy all the quirky vibrancy of succulents wherever you live.

    Dumped by your beefcake boyfriend? BFF steal your one-and-only? Lab partner a more-than-periodic no-show? Don't take these battles online. (Seriously, don't do that, okay?). Get out your heaviest rolling pins, sharpest cleavers, and most blistering torches, and kill your enemies and exes . . . with kindness. That's right - bake that loser ex a pan of Go Fudge Yourself. Gift your former friend a You're the Devil Cake. And give that annoying admirer a Donut Call Me Again. Let them taste your over-them happiness and see what comes next . . . Pastry chef and tattoo artist Heather Kim serves up sinfully delicious recipes and bittersweet advice.