LEAVES & PODS

Both a photographic art book and a botanical guide, this compact volume reveals the splendor, complexity, and function of some of the most common objects in our natural world. In 100 photographic scans of delicate new growth, jewel-toned fall foliage, and brown winter husks, Josie Iselin celebrates a tree's leaves and the protective pods that cradle its seeds as transitory objects of beauty, as metaphors for our lives, and as sustenance. Nature writer Mary Ellen Hannibal thoughtfully comments on these leaves and pods in all their variety, explaining why they look as they do and their essential role in supporting life on earth.