Books by Stephen Moss
The Bumper Book of Nature: A User's Guide to the Great Outdoors
by Stephen Moss
When was the last time you climbed a tree? Picked blackberries? Held a snail race? Made maple syrup candy, an old-fashioned quill pen from a bird feather you found, or a plaster cast of an animal track? If the answer is "can't remember" or quite possibly "never," The Bumper Book of Nature will inspire you to get outdoors and enjoy the very best kind of free entertainment for you and your family.
Who wouldn't love to discover a colorful butterfly hibernating in a woodshed for the winter or look at a snowflake under a magnifying lens? In warmer weather, why not explore rock pools by the seaside, pick wild meadow flowers (and then fry up elderflower fritters!), or go on a city safari?
Whether you live in the heart of the city, the suburbs, or the deepest countryside, The Bumper Book of Nature will bring out the child in you with its treasure trove of offbeat, playful nature activities arranged by season. With lovely full-color illustrations as well as related trivia, quotes, and bits of poetry, it's a wonderful keepsake as well as a one-of-a-kind field guide.
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The Rookie: An Odyssey through Chess (and Life)
by Stephen Moss
Chess was invented more than 1,500 years ago, and is played in every country in the world. Stephen Moss sets out to master its mysteries, and unlock the secret of its enduring appeal. What, he asks, is the essence of chess? And what will it reveal about his own character along the way?
In a witty, accessible style that will delight newcomers and irritate purists, Moss imagines the world as a board and marches across it, offering a mordant report on the world of chess in 64 chapters--64 of course being the number of squares on the chessboard. He alternates between “black” chapters--where he plays, largely uncomprehendingly, in tournaments--and “white” chapters, where he seeks advice from the current crop of grandmasters and delves into the lives of great players of the past.
It is both a history of the game and a kind of “Zen and the Art of Chess;” a practical guide and a self-help book: Moss’s quest to understand chess and become a better player is really an attempt to escape a lifetime of dilettantism. He wants to become an expert at one thing. What will be the consequences when he realizes he is doomed to fail?
Moss travels to Russia and the US--hotbeds of chess throughout the 20th century; meets people who knew Bobby Fischer when he was growing up and tries to unravel the enigma of that tortured genius who died in 2008 at the inevitable age of 64; meets Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen, world champions past and present; and keeps bumping into Armenian superstar Levon Aronian in the gents at tournaments.
He becomes champion of Surrey, wins tournaments in Chester and Bury St Edmunds, and holds his own at the famous event in the Dutch seaside resort of Wijk aan Zee (until a last-round meltdown), but too often he is beaten by precocious 10-year-olds and finds it hard to resist the urge to punch them. He looks for spiritual fulfillment in the game, but mostly finds mental torture.
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Ten Birds That Changed the World
by Stephen Moss
From “a captivating storyteller” (Wall Street Journal), the natural history of humankind told through our long relationship with birds
For the whole of human history, we have lived alongside birds. We have hunted and domesticated them for food; venerated them in our mythologies, religions, and rituals; exploited them for their natural resources; and been inspired by them for our music, art, and poetry.
In Ten Birds That Changed the World, naturalist and author Stephen Moss tells the gripping story of this long and intimate relationship through key species from all seven of the world’s continents. From Odin’s faithful raven companions to Darwin’s finches, and from the wild turkey of the Americas to the emperor penguin as potent symbol of the climate crisis, this is a fascinating, eye-opening, and endlessly engaging work of natural history.
Copies
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$22.99
Ten Birds That Changed the World
by Stephen Moss
From “a captivating storyteller” (Wall Street Journal), the natural history of humankind told through our long relationship with birds
For the whole of human history, we have lived alongside birds. We have hunted and domesticated them for food; venerated them in our mythologies, religions, and rituals; exploited them for their natural resources; and been inspired by them for our music, art, and poetry.
In Ten Birds That Changed the World, naturalist and author Stephen Moss tells the gripping story of this long and intimate relationship through key species from all seven of the world’s continents. From Odin’s faithful raven companions to Darwin’s finches, and from the wild turkey of the Americas to the emperor penguin as potent symbol of the climate crisis, this is a fascinating, eye-opening, and endlessly engaging work of natural history.
Copies
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$30.00
Viewfinder: Insects
by Stephen Moss, John Woodward, Nicholas Forder
There's lots of buzz when it comes to bugs, especially if you're a kid. From smelly stinkbugs to beautiful butterflies, young readers can explore the amazing world of insects in Viewfinder: Insects. Innovative interactive elements, like a removable magnifier, give curious kids the chance to examine insects up close. Learning becomes fun as kids use flaps and slider panels to explore the details of featured insects. To top it all off, spreads feature large, colorful illustrations, photos, and fascinating facts to keep kids engaged for hours.
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Mrs Moreau's Warbler: How Birds Got Their Names
by Stephen Moss
We use names so often that few of us ever pause to wonder about their origins. What do they mean? And where did they come from?
From the common starling to the many-colored rush tyrant, the names we have given to birds are some of the most vivid and evocative words in the English language. They can carry whole stories – of arctic expeditions, pitched battles between rival ornithologists or touching romantic gestures.
Through fascinating encounters with the bird kingdom and the rich cast of characters responsible for coming up with their names, in Mrs Moreau’s Warbler Stephen Moss shows how these words reveal as much about ourselves and our relationship with the natural world as about the creatures they describe.
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Mrs Moreau's Warbler: How Birds Got Their Names
by Stephen Moss
Swallow and starling, puffin and peregrine, blue tit and blackcap. We use these names so often that few of us ever pause to wonder about their origins. What do they mean? Where did they come from? And who created them? The words we use to name birds are some of the most lyrical and evocative in the English language. They also tell incredible stories: of epic expeditions, fierce battles between rival ornithologists, momentous historical events and touching romantic gestures. Through fascinating encounters with birds, and the rich cast of characters who came up with their names, in Mrs Moreau’s Warbler Stephen Moss takes us on a remarkable journey through time. From when humans and birds first shared the earth to our fraught present-day coexistence, Moss shows how these names reveal as much about ourselves and our relationship with the natural world as about the creatures they describe.
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Urban Aviary: A modern guide to city birds
by Stephen Moss
A unique guide to the unusual and often surprising birds that soar above our cities around the world.
From frigatebirds wheeling over Rio de Janeiro to bowerbirds displaying in the suburbs of Canberra, penguins in Cape Town to pelicans in San Francisco, and huge flocks of starlings roosting around the Colosseum in Rome, the world’s cities are home to a remarkable array of feathered citizens.
Through Stephen Moss’s expert knowledge and insight, Urban Aviary provides a beautiful guide to some of the most extraordinary species of city birds that have become native, including helpful spotting hints and fact boxes for each bird, all of which are brought to life by Marc Martin’s distinctive and beautiful watercolours.
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Do Birds Have Knees? (RSPB)
by Stephen Moss
This RSPB-endorsed book answers all those burning questions about birds that beginners and experts alike may ask themselves:
How do ducks keep their feet from freezing in winter? Why don't swallows stay in Africa? Are birds really dinosaurs, or were dinosaurs really birds? And do birds have knees?
Taking a "questions and answers" approach, each specific question leads to an answer which expands the theme under discussion, so that all aspects of bird life and the hobby of birding are covered. The scientifically rigorous answers together form an impressive and fascinating body of bird-related information. This highly readable book will intrigue anyone with an interest in birds.
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No copies available.