Danna Staaf earned a PhD in biology from Stanford University with her studies of baby squid. She is the author of Monarchs of the Sea and The Lady and the Octopus, and she has written for Science, Atlas Obscura, and Nautilus. She lives in California with her human family, a cat, and a garden full of grubs, caterpillars, maggots, and innumerable other babies. Richard Strathmann, PhD, is an expert in the diverse patterns of animal development, with a particular focus on marine animals. He finds the beauty and variety of changes from eggs through embryos, larvae, and metamorphosis endlessly entertaining. He joined the faculty of the University of Washington in 1973.
"Every page of Danna Staaf’s Nursery Earth brims with strange
wonders. This book is a gobsmacking delight!"
*Sy Montgomery, New York Times–bestselling author of The Soul of an
Octopus*
"Some animal babies are really cute (kittens), and some are a bit
horrifying (larval parasites), but this book shows how all are
incredibly interesting. Packed with the fascinating and the
fantastic, Nursery Earth is a surprising page-turner, as hard to
put down as a new puppy."
*Carl Safina, New York Times–bestselling author of Beyond Words:
What Animals Think and Feel*
"There is certainly a cuteness factor here. . . . [But] beyond the
oohs and ahs, scientist Staaf shares significant findings about the
connections between the environment and human genes. The miracle of
life (and developmental biology, Staaf’s specialty) is the book’s
journey, documenting each stage, from egg to juvenile/teenager,
with easy-to-understand research and illuminating analogies."
*Booklist*
"I can’t count the number of times the word wow crossed my lips as
I eagerly turned to the next page of Nursery Earth. If you’ve ever
wondered how nature works, Staaf shows us why you’d best not ignore
the beginnings. This book is the finest kind of science writing:
heartwarming and perspective-shifting!"
*Juli Berwald, author of Spineless and Life on the Rocks*
"Praise for Monarchs of the Sea
"Cephs rule! [Monarchs of the Sea], like its protagonists, is
nimble, fast, surprising, smart, and weird in the very coolest
sense of the word. What could be more fun than jetting back in time
to primordial seas with the monsters who really ruled our planet?
In these pages, Danna Staaf makes every dino-lover and every
undersea adventurer’s dream come true. It’s a fabulous read with
squishy, slimy delight on every page."
*Sy Montgomery, New York Times–bestselling author of The Soul of an
Octopus*
"This crystal-clear book will open your world to wider horizons and
much deeper times. . . . Long before vertebrates evolved anything
like higher intelligence, squids and octopuses were on a separate
track to versatility, problem-solving, individual recognition, and
deceit. Before we can know who we are, we must know who we are here
with, and who has come before us."
*Carl Safina, New York Times–bestselling author of Beyond Words:
What Animals Think and Feel*
"Takes the reader on a rip-roaring journey on every imaginable
aspect of the early phases of animal life. . . . [Staaf] explores
the unintended consequences of human activity – especially climate
change – on baby animals, and the complicated role of conservation
efforts. . . . More than anything, the book is an inspiration to
find out more about the world of baby animals, and to learn more
about our own place in that world."
*Earth.org*
"I loved this book. . . . Staaf’s approach is short and sweet,
well-illustrated, and strong on playful narrative."
*Nature*
"It is a treat to come across a writer with such specialized
training who is able to turn esoteric knowledge into a page-turning
read for all audiences. . . . Staaf captures what is rarely seen
outside the ivory tower: scientists talking among themselves with a
touch of irreverence. Researchers everywhere will surely
relate."
*Science*
"This engaging book may do for early cephalopods what
paleontologists did for dinosaurs in the 1960s: spark a public
renaissance of appreciation for these magnificent creatures who
once ruled the seas."
*Jennifer Ouellette, author of Me, Myself, and Why and The Calculus
Diaries*
"Intriguing . . . This in-depth coverage of an often neglected but
ecologically vital group will change your view of squid, octopuses,
and their relatives."
*New Scientist*
"A book like [Monarchs of the Sea] is a reminder that in any
scientific narrative, there are always two stories at play. There
is the history of the subject you’re studying, and then there is
the history of its discovery."
*New Republic*
"Fiendishly readable."
*The Inquisitive Biologist*
"Fresh and fascinating."
*The Times Literary Supplement*
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