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Demands of the Day: On the Logic of Anthropological Inquiry
by Paul Rabinow Anthony StavrianakisDemands of the Day asks about the logical standards and forms that should guide ethical and experimental anthropology in the twenty-first century. Anthropologists Paul Rabinow and Anthony Stavrianakis do so by taking up Max Weber’s notion of the “demands of the day.” Just as the demand of the day for anthropology decades ago consisted of thinking about fieldwork, today, they argue, the demand is to examine what happens after, how the experiences of fieldwork are gathered, curated, narrated, and ultimately made available for an anthropological practice that moves beyond mere ethnographic description. Rabinow and Stavrianakis draw on experiences from an innovative set of anthropological experiments that investigated how and whether the human and biological sciences could be brought into a mutually enriching relationship. Conceptualizing the anthropological and philosophic ramifications of these inquiries, they offer a bold challenge to contemporary anthropology to undertake a more rigorous examination of its own practices, blind spots, and capacities, in order to meet the demands of our day.
Dementia: Person-Centered Assessment and Intervention
by Ellen Hickey Michelle S. BourgeoisPerson-centered care for persons with dementia has been developed and expanded over the last few decades. Speech-language pathologists are uniquely positioned to understand the striking impact that communication challenges have on persons with dementia and their caregivers, and can lead the charge to improve access to communication and participation. This volume serves as a starting point and reference manual for those who want to provide person-centered and life-enhancing services to persons with dementia, and to inspire the continued generation of quality research to demonstrate the value of cognitive-communication, behavioral, and caregiver interventions. It serves as a call to action for an interprofessional team of healthcare providers across healthcare settings to promote meaningful life engagement in persons with dementia using evidence-based assessment and intervention approaches. This volume provides background on the evolution of caring for persons with dementia, as well as a description of the diagnostic process for dementia syndromes and the cognitive and communication characteristics of dementias with an emphasis on Alzheimer’s dementia. Its chapters cover the person-centered assessment process for persons with cognitive and communicative disorders of dementias; intervention approaches for the wide variety of cognitive, communicative, eating/swallowing, and behavioral symptoms and consequences of dementia syndromes; reimbursement and documentation issues for various settings in which persons with dementia are seen; and issues and challenges of quality of life and end-of-life care.
Dementia Lab 2021: Proceedings of the 5th Dementia Lab Conference, D-Lab 2021, January 18–28, 2021 (Design For Inclusion #2)
by Rens Brankaert Caylee Raber Maarten Houben Paulina Malcolm Jon HannanThis book gathers revised and selected contributions to the 5th Dementia Lab Conference, D-Lab 2021, organized online on January 18-28, 2021, from the Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Vancouver, Canada. It describes original strategies in which design or creative methods have been shown to uncover, support and enhance the abilities of people living with dementia. Papers report on new ideas and findings relating to three main themes: engagement, empowerment and identity. They cover: ethics of inclusion and solutions for shifting the culture of care to be focused on both personal independence and reconnecting with the community; new ways of designing with people living with dementia; strategies for breaking negative stereotypes and preconceived opinions; and approaches to retaining personhood and dignity. Offering a timely source of information on new design and creative methods to a broad community of industrial, communication, interactive and inclusive designers, this book is also meant to address and inspire various stakeholders and organizations in dementia care.
Dementia Lab 2022: Proceedings of the 6th Dementia Lab Conference, D-Lab 2022, September 20–22, 2022, Leuven, Belgium (Design For Inclusion #3)
by Rens Brankaert Maarten Houben Niels Hendriks Andrea Wilkinson Kellie MorrisseyThis book gathers the revised and selected contributions to the 6th Dementia Lab Conference, D-Lab 2022, held on September 20-22, 2022, in Leuven. It describes original and innovative research on how design can contribute to the quality of life of people with dementia, their loved ones, and caregivers. The papers highlight the value of participation within design, analyzing it at three levels: personal, product, and organizational. The presented ideas and findings address ‘The Residue of Design’ and go beyond the initial impact of the design itself by looking at what benefits design research brings for people with dementia. The papers cover topics such as the development of creative design methods to foster participation and engagement from people with dementia, evaluation studies or critical reflections that reveal the impact of products and the built environment in dementia care, and raising awareness and countering stigma in societal views on dementia.
The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) of Korea: Protection, Conservation and Restoration of a Unique Ecosystem
by Kwi-Gon KimUntouched since 1953, the Korean DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) has transformed itself into one of the few ecologically pristine zones and a vital habitat for endangered species. Often cited as a potential "peace park", it could one day be a common ground for reconciliation and harmony. A wealth of data and information has been produced over time, documenting significant aspects of the DMZ and its implications for human and ecological security, both in Korea and worldwide. However, there is no single book in English that brings together the findings on the mechanism of evolution, the ecology and biodiversity of the DMZ. "The DMZ of Korea", by Kwi-Gon Kim, is the first step in this direction. It seeks to link scientific information and policy making for the future DMZ ecosystem management, taking into account the fact that the area has become, over the years, a natural treasure as a habitat for rare birds and other wildlife and a fertile environment for a thriving plant community. It also provides a framework for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the DMZ. The book holistically describes the current environmental status of the DMZ, and identifies bioregions, resources, habitats, and species. By outlining the current scientific data and information needed to classify the different wetland types, assess the biological integrity, understand the threat factors, and to suggest conservation and management strategies, the book provides a "one stop shop" scientific and policy source of information, which will undoubtedly be of great interest to students, researchers, practitioners, and policy decision-makers, in the areas of planning, natural resource management, public management, ecology, landscape architecture, geography, and the life sciences. Prof.Dr.Kwi-Gon Kim obtained his Ph.D. at UCL, University of London, UK. He is a professor emeritus at Seoul National University and the Co- President of the Korea DMZ Council in Seoul, Korea.
Democracy Betrayed: The Rise of the Surveillance Security State
by William W. Keller“A persuasive cri de coeur from a national security expert . . . makes a spirited case for preferring untrammeled freedom to managed and monitored safety.” —Kirkus Reviews In the aftermath of 9/11, in lockstep with booming technological advancements, a new and more authoritarian form of governance is supplanting liberal democracy. The creation of the Security Industrial Complex—an “internal security state-within-the-state” fueled by tech companies, private security firms, and the Intelligence Community to the tune of $120 billion a year—is intruding on civil liberties to an unprecedented extent. As a society, we have yet to comprehend the meaning of universal digital interconnection, its impact on our psychology, and its transformation of our government and society. America is at a crossroads in contending with a security goliath; allowing the beginnings of a police state, and the conversion of our “liberal democracy” to a “secure democracy”—one where government overreaches, tramples on civil liberties, and harnesses great advancements in technology to spy on the populace. Keller walks us through what these changes can mean to our society and, more importantly, what we can do to halt our march toward intrusive and widespread surveillance. “William Keller’s warning bell for democracy is both frightening and clarifying. We are caught into a rare convergence of technology and terrorism—both of which are overwhelming average citizens. Keller will help us think clearly about what we are facing.” —William Greider, author of One World, Ready or Not and national correspondent for The Nation
Democracy, Intelligent Design, and Evolution: Science for Citizenship (Routledge Research in American Politics and Governance)
by Susan P. LiebellShould alternatives to evolution be taught in American public schools or rejected as an establishment of religion? Democracy, Intelligent Design, and Evolution argues that accurate science education helps shape a democratic temperament. Rather than defending against Intelligent Design as religion, citizens should defend science education as crucial to three aspects of the democratic person: political citizenship, economic fitness, and moral choice. Through an examination of Tammy Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School District, contemporary political theory, and foundational American texts, this volume provides an alternative jurisprudence and political vocabulary urging American liberalism to embrace science for citizenship.
The Democracy of Suffering: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe, Philosophy in the Anthropocene
by Todd DufresneIn The Democracy of Suffering philosopher Todd Dufresne provides a strikingly original exploration of the past, present, and future of this epoch, the Anthropocene, demonstrating how the twin crises of reason and capital have dramatically remade the essential conditions for life itself. Images, cartoons, artworks, and quotes pulled from literary and popular culture supplement this engaging and unorthodox look into where we stand amidst the ravages of climate change and capitalist economics. With humour, passion, and erudition, Dufresne diagnoses a frightening new reality and proposes a way forward, arguing that our serial experiences of catastrophic climate change herald an intellectual and moral awakening – one that lays the groundwork, albeit at the last possible moment, for a future beyond individualism, hate, and greed. That future is unapologetically collective. It begins with a shift in human consciousness, with philosophy in its broadest sense, and extends to a reengagement with our greatest ideals of economic, social, and political justice for all. But this collective future, Dufresne argues, is either now or never. Uncovering how we got into this mess and how, if at all, we get out of it, The Democracy of Suffering is a flicker of light, or perhaps a scream, in the face of human extinction and the end of civilization.
The Democracy of Suffering: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe, Philosophy in the Anthropocene
by Todd DufresneIn The Democracy of Suffering philosopher Todd Dufresne provides a strikingly original exploration of the past, present, and future of this epoch, the Anthropocene, demonstrating how the twin crises of reason and capital have dramatically remade the essential conditions for life itself. Images, cartoons, artworks, and quotes pulled from literary and popular culture supplement this engaging and unorthodox look into where we stand amidst the ravages of climate change and capitalist economics. With humour, passion, and erudition, Dufresne diagnoses a frightening new reality and proposes a way forward, arguing that our serial experiences of catastrophic climate change herald an intellectual and moral awakening - one that lays the groundwork, albeit at the last possible moment, for a future beyond individualism, hate, and greed. That future is unapologetically collective. It begins with a shift in human consciousness, with philosophy in its broadest sense, and extends to a reengagement with our greatest ideals of economic, social, and political justice for all. But this collective future, Dufresne argues, is either now or never. Uncovering how we got into this mess and how, if at all, we get out of it, The Democracy of Suffering is a flicker of light, or perhaps a scream, in the face of human extinction and the end of civilization.
Democratic Dilemmas in the Age of Ecology: Trees and Toxics in the American West
by Daniel PressEnvironmental problems present democratic dilemmas. The problems are so large and so often pit localities and interest groups against each other that they challenge basic democratic institutions, particularly the ideal of citizen participation in society's choices. In this book, Daniel Press examines the conflict between environmental political thought and democratic theory and asks whether successful environmental protection is beyond the capabilities of democratic decisionmaking.Press introduces the primary debate in this confrontation as a choice between political centralization and decentralization. Do citizens faced with environmental crises tend to look first to a centralized leadership for solutions or do they tend to respond at a more local and grassroots level? What is the role of technical expertise in this process and how does it effect public participation in these matters? Do confrontations over environmental issues increase support for a more fully democratic decisionmaking process? Representing social, political, and economic challenges to democracy, these and other questions are then investigated empirically through analyses of case studies. Focusing on two recent controversies in the western United States, ancient-forest logging in Oregon and California and hazardous waste management in California, and drawing on in-depth interviews with individuals involved, Press clarifies the relationship between environmentalism and democracy and explores the characteristics of "new" democratic forms of environmental policymaking.Revealing a need for a more decentralized process and increased individual and collective action in response to environmental crises, Democratic Dilemmas in the Age of Ecology will be of interest to a wide range of audiences, from scholars concerned with applications of democratic theory, to activists and policymakers seeking to change or implement environmental policy.
Democratic Experiments: Problematizing Nanotechnology and Democracy in Europe and the United States (Inside Technology)
by Brice LaurentAn examination of nanotechnology as a lens through which to study contemporary democracy in both theory and practice.In Democratic Experiments, Brice Laurent discusses the challenges that emerging technologies create for democracy today. He focuses on nanotechnology and its attendant problems, proposing nanotechnology as a lens through which to understand contemporary democracy in both theory and practice. Arguing that democracy is at stake where nanotechnology is defined as a problem, Laurent examines the sites where nanotechnology is discussed and debated by scientists, policymakers, and citizens. It is at these sites where the joint production of nanotechnology and the democratic order can be observed. Focusing on the United States, France, and Europe, and various international organizations, Laurent analyzes representations of nanotechnology in science museums, collective discussions in participatory settings, the making of categories such as “nanomaterials” or responsible innovation” in standardization and regulatory arenas, and initiatives undertaken by social movements. He contrasts American debates, in which the concern for public objectivity is central, with the French “state experiment,” the European goal of harmonization, and the international concern with a global market. In France, public debate proceeded in response to public protest and encountered a radical critique of technological development; the United States experimented with an innovative approach to technology assessment. The European regulatory approach results in lengthy debates over political integration; the United States relies on the adversarial functioning of federal agencies. Because nanotechnology is a domain where concerns over anticipation and participation are pervasive, Laurent argues, nanotechnology—and science and technology studies more generally—provides a relevant focus for a renewed analysis of democracy.
Democratizing Our Data: A Manifesto
by Julia LaneWhy America's data system is broken, and how to fix it.Why, with data increasingly important, available, valuable and cheap, are the data produced by the American government getting worse and costing more? State and local governments rely on population data from the US Census Bureau; prospective college students and their parents can check data from the National Center for Education Statistics; small businesses can draw on data about employment and wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But often the information they get is out of date or irrelevant, based on surveys--a form of information gathering notorious for low response rates. In A Data Manifesto, Julia Lane argues that bad data is bad for democracy. Her book is a wake-up call to America to fix its broken public data system.
Democratizing Risk Governance: Bridging Science, Expertise, Deliberation and Public Values
by Monica GattingerThis open access book features contributions from a multidisciplinary team of leading and emerging scholars focused on democratization of risk assessment, management, and communication. The volume identifies and sheds light on key risk governance dilemmas related to public trust, risk perception and public participation. The first part of the book articulates the relationship among science, expertise, deliberation and public values, featuring an in-depth analysis of the concept of ‘motivated reasoning,’ and the role of trust, values and worldviews in understanding and addressing contemporary controversies over risk decision-making. The volume’s second part features eight case studies from three policy fields – energy, genomics, and public health – and a special section dedicated to vaccine decision-making for Covid-19. Chapters analyze the level, nature and mechanisms of public involvement in risk decision-making, assessing its contribution to the effectiveness and legitimacy of decisions. The case studies focus predominantly on Canada, but they draw on global scholarship and are of direct relevance for scholars and practitioners of risk governance in any country.
Democratizing Science: The Political Roots of the Public Engagement Agenda
by Paola MatteiPublic trust in the scientific community is under extraordinary pressure. Crucial areas of human activity and public policy, such as education, universities, climate and health care are influenced by populist political strategies rather than evidence-based solutions. Moreover, data-driven methods are becoming increasingly subject to delegitimization. This book examines potential remedies for improving public trust and the legitimacy of science. It reviews different policy approaches adopted by governments to incentivize the empowerment of stakeholders through co-production arrangements, participatory mechanisms, public engagement and interaction between citizens and researchers. Offering an original analysis of the political roots of the governmental impact and engagement agenda, this book sheds much-needed light on the wider connections to democracy.
Demographic Change in Australia's Rural Landscapes
by Rosemary Black Gary W. Luck Digby RaceThroughout history, humans have lived primarily in rural landscapes. In 2008, for the first time, the global population became predominantly urban. While much research has focussed on the impacts of increasing urbanisation, we have very little knowledge of the implications of these changes for rural landscapes. Global trends suggest populations in rural landscapes are, relatively speaking, in decline. Yet this broad trend is too simplistic and can be very misleading for researchers, land managers and policy makers. This generalisation often masks a much more complex and dynamic process of demographic change, with some rural areas increasing in popularity and experiencing new environmental pressures. The patterns of change can be broadly characterised in two ways: population decline and dissolving rural communities; and amenity-led in-migration (or counter-urbanisation) - a trend identified in developed regions such as North America and Australia. Both of these patterns have substantial implications for the management and sustainability of rural landscapes and communities. This book examines broad and local-scale patterns of demographic change in rural landscapes, identifying some of the drivers of these changes using local case studies, and outlining the implications of changes for society and the environment. The book adopts an interdisciplinary approach by explicitly linking demographic change with environmental, land-use, social and economic factors. The book will provide a useful resource for researchers and graduate students interested in urban development, sustainability science, landscape studies and demographic change, as well as environmental management, human and physical geography and rural sociology.
Demographics of Exoplanetary Systems: Lecture Notes of the 3rd Advanced School on Exoplanetary Science (Astrophysics and Space Science Library #466)
by Valerio Bozza Luigi Mancini Alessandro Sozzetti Katia BiazzoThis book provides a detailed, state-of-the-art overview of key observational and theoretical aspects of the rapidly developing and highly interdisciplinary field of exoplanet science, as viewed through the lenses of eight world-class experts. It equips readers with a broad understanding of the complex processes driving the formation and the physical and dynamical evolution of planetary systems. It juxtaposes theoretical modeling with the host of techniques that are unveiling the exceptional variety of observed properties of close-in and wide-separation extrasolar planets. By effectively linking ingenious interpretative analyses to the main factors shaping planetary populations, the book ultimately provides the most coherent picture to date of the demographics of exoplanetary systems. It is an essential reference for Ph.D. students and early-stage career researchers, while the scope and depth of its source material also provide excellent cues for graduate-level courses.
Demographics of the Cold Universe with ALMA: From Interstellar and Circumgalactic Media to Cosmic Structures (Springer Theses)
by Seiji FujimotoThis book presents the cold side of the Universe illustrated by the rest-frame, far-infrared emission with Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The author constructed the largest-ever ALMA sample and dataset, which enables them to identify very faint, rest-frame, far-infrared dust continuums as well as the carbon fine-structure line emission from distant galaxies that have been missed in previous surveys. The observational findings described in this book reveal for the first time where and how much of the star formation, traced by the rest-frame far-infrared emission, is ongoing, from inter-stellar and circum-galactic media to cosmic structures. Moreover, since some of the findings are unexpected and as such challenge the current galaxy formation models, the book provides exciting questions that should be addressed in the next decades.
The Demography and Causes of Blindness
by Hyman GoldsteinA report on the statistics of blindness from an international point of view.
Demography and Infrastructure
by Wilhelm Kuckshinrichs Tobias KronenbergPopulation ageing has been going on for many decades, but population shrinking is a rather new phenomenon. The population of Germany, as in many other countries, has passed a plateau and is currently shrinking. Demographic change is a challenge for infrastructure planning due to the longevity of infrastructure capital and the need to match supply and demand in order to ensure cost-efficiency. This book summarises the findings of the INFRADEM project team, a multidisciplinary research group that worked together to estimate the effects of demographic change on infrastructure demand. Economists, engineers and geographers present studies from top-down and bottom-up perspectives, focusing on Germany and two selected regions: Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The contributors employed a broad range of methods, including an overlapping-generations model for Germany, regional input-output models, an energy systems model, and a spatial model of the transportation infrastructure.
The Demography of Disasters: Impacts for Population and Place
by Dávid Karácsonyi Andrew Taylor Deanne BirdThis open access book provides worldwide examples demonstrating the importance of the interplay between demography and disasters in regions and spatially. It marks an advance in practical and theoretical insights for understanding the role of demography in planning for and mitigating impacts from disasters in developed nations. Both slow onset (like the of loss polar ice from climate change) and sudden disasters (such as cyclones and man-made disasters) have the capacity to fundamentally change the profiles of populations at local and regional levels. Impacts vary according to the type, rapidity and magnitude of the disaster, but also according to the pre-existing population profile and its relationships to the economy and society. In all cases, the key to understanding impacts and avoiding them in the future is to understand the relationships between disasters and population change. In most chapters in this book we compare and contrast studies from at least two cases and summarize their practical and theoretical lessons.
The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
by Carl SaganHow can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don't understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions.<P> Casting a wide net through history and culture, Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies of the past as witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs. And yet, disturbingly, in today's so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning with stories of alien abduction, channeling past lives, and communal hallucinations commanding growing attention and respect. As Sagan demonstrates with lucid eloquence, the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong turn but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms.
The Demon in the Freezer: A True Story
by Richard Preston<P>The first major bioterror event in the United States--the anthrax attacks in October 2001--was a clarion call for scientists who work with "hot" agents to find ways of protecting civilian populations against biological weapons. <P> In The Demon in the Freezer, his first nonfiction book since The Hot Zone, a #1 New York Times bestseller, Richard Preston takes us into the heart of Usamriid, the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, Maryland, once the headquarters of the U. S. biological weapons program and now the epicenter of national biodefense. <P>Peter Jahrling, the top scientist at Usamriid, a wry virologist who cut his teeth on Ebola, one of the world's most lethal emerging viruses, has ORCON security clearance that gives him access to top secret information on bioweapons. His most urgent priority is to develop a drug that will take on smallpox-and win. <P>Eradicated from the planet in 1979 in one of the great triumphs of modern science, the smallpox virus now resides, officially, in only two high-security freezers--at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and in Siberia, at a Russian virology institute called Vector. <P>But the demon in the freezer has been set loose. It is almost certain that illegal stocks are in the possession of hostile states, including Iraq and North Korea. <P>Jahrling is haunted by the thought that biologists in secret labs are using genetic engineering to create a new superpox virus, a smallpox resistant to all vaccines. <P>Usamriid went into a state of Delta Alert on September 11 and activated its emergency response teams when the first anthrax letters were opened in New York and Washington, D.C. <P>Preston reports, in unprecedented detail, on the government's response to the attacks and takes us into the ongoing FBI investigation. <P>His story is based on interviews with top-level FBI agents and with Dr. Steven Hatfill. <P> Jahrling is leading a team of scientists doing controversial experiments with live smallpox virus at CDC. <P>Preston takes us into the lab where Jahrling is reawakening smallpox and explains, with cool and devastating precision, what may be at stake if his last bold experiment fails. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
The Demon in the Machine: How Hidden Webs of Information Are Solving the Mystery of Life
by Paul DaviesWhat is life? For generations, scientists have struggled to make sense of this fundamental question, for life really does look like magic: even a humble bacterium accomplishes things so dazzling that no human engineer can match it. Huge advances in molecular biology over the past few decades have served only to deepen the mystery. In this penetrating and wide-ranging book, world-renowned physicist and science communicator Paul Davies searches for answers in a field so new and fast-moving that it lacks a name; it is a domain where biology, computing, logic, chemistry, quantum physics, and nanotechnology intersect. At the heart of these diverse fields, Davies explains, is the concept of information: a quantity which has the power to unify biology with physics, transform technology and medicine, and force us to fundamentally reconsider what it means to be alive—even illuminating the age-old question of whether we are alone in the universe. From life’s murky origins to the microscopic engines that run the cells of our bodies, The Demon in the Machine journeys across an astounding landscape of cutting-edge science. Weaving together cancer and consciousness, two-headed worms and bird navigation, Davies reveals how biological organisms garner and process information to conjure order out of chaos, opening a window onto the secret of life itself.
The Demon Under the Microscope: From Battlefield Hospitals to Nazi Labs, One Doctor's Heroic Search for the World's First Miracle Drug (Playaway Adult Nonfiction Ser.)
by Thomas HagerScience writer Hager describes the strange journey of the sulfa drug and the man who found it almost by accident, Dr. Gerhard Domagk, whose major blunder, if indeed he committed one, was discovering it the year Hitler took over his native Germany. The drug became a tool of the Allies as well as the Nazis, and finally a generation managed to survive the wounds of war. Domagk, however, barely survived the Gestapo; the corporate executives for whom he worked were defendants in the Nuremberg Trials; the US experienced the worst mass poisoning in its history; and the ways and means of developing new medicines were changed forever, perhaps not for the better. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)
Demons in Eden: The Paradox of Plant Diversity
by Jonathan SilvertownJonathan Silvertown here explores the astonishing diversity of plant life in regions as spectacular as the verdant climes of Japan, the lush grounds of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, the shallow wetlands and teeming freshwaters of Florida, the tropical rainforests of southeast Mexico, and the Canary Islands archipelago, whose evolutionary novelties--and exotic plant life--have earned it the sobriquet the Galápagos of botany. Along the way, Silvertown looks closely at the evolution of plant diversity in these locales and explains why such variety persists in light of ecological patterns and evolutionary processes. In novel and useful ways, he also investigates the current state of plant diversity on the planet to show the ever-challenging threats posed by invasive species and humans. This paperback edition will include an entirely new chapter on the astonishing diversity of plant life in the Western Cape of South Africa that focuses on fynbos, a vegetation endemic to the Cape. Bringing the secret life of plants into more colorful and vivid focus than ever before, Demons in Eden is an empathic and impassioned exploration of modern plant ecology that unlocks evolutionary mysteries of the natural world.