06/29/2015
Buchmann (The Forgotten Pollinators), a biologist specializing in pollination ecology, uses his eighth book to enthuse about the importance that flowers have played in human civilization. While his excitement is both palpable and contagious, and while some of his anecdotes are fascinating (for example, some flowers might be losing their scents because of climate change), the book doesn’t work well as a whole because Buchmann only has time to touch lightly on all of his myriad topics. The section on the modern flower industry is captivating, as he discusses the worldwide movement of flowers and the centrality of the Amsterdam auction house where every day millions of flowers are flown in, sold, and then redistributed around the globe. Unfortunately most other sections do not meet the standard he sets there; too often they read merely like interesting, eclectic lists of subjects that have some passing relationship to flowers. Few readers, for instance, will be surprised to learn that artists have painted flowers for centuries or that such paintings have occurred across many cultures. A modest number of photographs are included, but the book would be more accessible had other descriptions been paired with pictorial examples. Buchmann’s passion is not matched by the content. Photos. (Aug.)

"[Buchmann's] knowledge and enthusiasm jump off the page...fascinating."

"Buchmann, a prolific and ardent pollination ecologist, peels back the petals to reveal fascinating aspects of floriculture....Intensely researched, well paced, intricately detailed, and delightfully accessible, Buchmann’s exploration of this trove of living sensory delights is a boon to both casual and committed flower lovers."

The Reason for Flowers is an extraordinarily good book. It covers the subject with thoroughness and scientific accuracy,working it (as flowers deserve) into history and culture, and written with poetic sensitivity.

"Humans often use flowers as decorative accessories. But in this book, Stephen Buchmann, a professor of ecology at the University of Arizona, explains that they also serve other, more urgent purposes."

The Reason for Flowers is a gardening book and more. Buchmann entertains with particulars of the patriotic gardens of Washington and Jefferson, and those of Asia and ancient Rome. We learn how our most beloved flowers came to be, along with new oddities like the black petunia. Every gardener and flower-lover will want this book.

Aesthetically, flowers enrich our lives and symbolize our emotions, but they are of even greater importance to us in their natural function in nature. In this attractive book, Steve Buchmann brings to life for the interested reader the many facets of their existence and their interplay with insects and other animals, informing us well about how they evolved and the roles that they play in our world.

Stephen Buchmann is to plants and their pollinators as Jaques Cousteau, Sylvia Earle and Carl Safina have been to the oceans. He opens our eyes to wondrous worlds we have never seen before. This world-renowned explorer of nature’s inner workings will delight you while unobtrusively edifying you at the same time.

"The Reason for Flowers is a riveting account of the science, history and culture surrounding blooms since the dawn of humankind."

Do flowers need a reason? In The Reason for Flowers,Stephen Buchmann reminds us that flowers exist for more than just beauty and fragrance. They are miniature chemical factories, wireless signal stations,inspiration for artists, and—of course—sustenance for the most important creatures living on the planet. In short, flowers run the world. Stephen Buchmann is a gifted storyteller and an inquisitive scientist who is intrigued by the dazzling and intricate world of flowers. Thanks to this delightful new book, you will be, too.

"Stephen Buchmann is a gifted storyteller and an inquisitive scientist who is intrigued by the dazzling and intricate world of flowers." ---Amy Stewart, author of The Flower Confidential

"Buchmann, a prolific and ardent pollination ecologist, peels back the petals to reveal fascinating aspects of floriculture....Intensely researched, well paced, intricately detailed, and delightfully accessible, Buchmann’s exploration of this trove of living sensory delights is a boon to both casual and committed flower lovers."

"[Buchmann's] knowledge and enthusiasm jump off the page...fascinating."

"Stephen Buchmann is a gifted storyteller and an inquisitive scientist who is intrigued by the dazzling and intricate world of flowers." —Amy Stewart, author of The Flower Confidential

Here, we discover through our captivating guide, just how interdependent flowers and people are: from ancient burials to modern Ikebana, to chefs and edible blooms, to Monet’s Wisteria and flower gardens, to jasmine and rose attar in classic perfumes, to Shakespearian sonnets and the Rolling Stones. The Reason for Flowers is a fascinating tapestry of floral inspirations. Buchmann draws inspiration from bees and other pollinators that bring every third bite to our tables as he crafts stories of their sex lives from the field.

06/15/2015
Flowering plants feed, clothe, heal, and brighten our lives. Buchmann (ecology & environmental biology, Univ. of Arizona; Letters from the Hive), a pollination ecologist specializing in bees, shares stories of the biology of flowers, along with their myriad relationships with humans and other animals. In accessible language, Buchmann offers information about flower anatomy, flowers' past and present uses by humankind, the evolution of blossoming plants, pollinators and pollination, flowers in art and literature, plant breeding, the floral industry, and the language of flowers. Entire books have been written on many of Buchmann's topics, thus readers seeking more details about a specific subject would do well to look elsewhere, and there are unfortunately too few photographs. VERDICT This well-researched book is best for those interested in an overview of the many aspects of flowers, both biological and cultural.—Sue O'Brien, Downers Grove P.L., IL

2015-04-24
With a subtitle that serves as a swift, sweet summary, an adjunct professor (Entomology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology/Univ. of Arizona) compresses the cultural and natural history of flowers into a few hundred graceful pages. Buchmann—the author of numerous scholarly papers and books, including The Forgotten Pollinators (1996), co-written with Gary Paul Nabhan—realizes he has an impossible task: every chapter could be a fat book, so he draws a map of a remarkable world. The early sections deal with biology, which he knows well and explains clearly. The author reminds us of the parts of plants, the evolution of flowers, the role of pollen-carrying critters that include, of course, bees but also moths, butterflies, and even bats. History plays a major role in just about every chapter. How did the Egyptians use flowers? The Chinese? Victorian England? The American Founding Fathers? Buchmann notes that many of the latter were very interested in gardens—including, of course, Benjamin Franklin, who did experiments. Charles Darwin, Luther Burbank, Gregor Mendel—these and other notables arrive now and then for a visit, and there are allusions to a wide variety of artists, including Shakespeare, Walt Whitman (but no Emily Dickinson?), and Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. We learn about flowers as gifts, as burial ornaments, as food (becoming more popular again, notes the author), as personal decoration (remember your prom?), and as medical treatments. Buchmann explains how honey (about which he has a lot to say) is now returning to hospitals, where some physicians use it as part of a treatment regimen for burn victims. We also learn about the commercial aspects. No surprise: Valentine's Day is the biggest single purchase day in the United States. A volume that is like a Eurail Pass that will carry you through gorgeous terrain you will want to explore in more depth.