A wonderful guide to caring for fruit trees for both the beginner and experienced. Plainly written in lay-English, covers topics from site selection to pruning, to pest and disease control. Planting fruit trees is a great way to give back to the environment, beautify your property, and treat your palate.

One of the great classics for the home gardener, especially if you are starting your first vegetable garden. Raymond offers timeless advice and practical tips, always readable and enjoyable.

Spring is a wonderful time to take time out for the walk in the woods, or through your neighborhood park. There's nothing like watching a forest or stand of trees come to life after a long winter. Full of identification tips, as well as information about growth, habitat, history and uses, this is a great book to pack in your pocket and enjoy two favorite pastimes - nature walks and reading - at the same time. If you're in the Western U.S., check out the western edition instead.

Pollan examines the very curious interactions between humanity and four different plants: apples, tulips, potatoes, and cannabis. While not exactly about gardening, Pollan's background as a gardener informs the book and provides much food for thought.

The chestnut blight killed four billion mature chestnut trees, and changed the ecology of eastern North America dramatically. The story of the loss and recovery of this tree is a thoughtful, hopeful look at one of the great environmental restoration opportunities of our time.

Touching the Void is the single most inspirational book I have ever read. Author Joe Simpson's account of his now-famous journey down Peru's Siula Grande was impossible to put down. If you ever feel that life is de-valued, you will be heartened to hear this account of one person's struggle to hold onto his life despite pain, dehydration, starvation and despair.

This is not the only great story that Joe Simpson has to tell. He has written four other non-fiction books including This Game of Ghosts, a sequel to Touching the Void, and one novel, The Water People.

In an attempt to find catharsis for his confused emotions he wrote this extraordinary memoir, revealing his early life and his fifteen years of climbing on three continents, before and after the life-changing experience of Siula Grande. His gripping story recounts, with total honesty, experiences that range from hilarious to poignant to nearly unbelievable.

In "Storms Of Silence," Joe Simpson presents a thoughtful, funny, moving account of his maverick life as a mountaineer. But behind the rich tapestry of adventures lies a dark and brooding disquiet. Simpson recalls the terrifying avalanche that nearly wiped out his base camp during an attempt on the unclimbed north face of Gangchmpo in the Himalaya. While climbing on Cho Oyo he meets a band of Khampas, including a four-year-old boy, fleeing over the high Nangpa La pass from the brutality of Chinese oppression in Tibet. Simpson's love of Himalayan life contrasts with the ruthless Chinese destruction of the Tibetan culture and people.

In the tradition of The History of Salt, A History of the World in Six Glasses, and Coal: A Human History, this book is not only informative, but engaging as well. I love reading books about how certain objects have had profound effects on the course of our history, and this book is absolutely fascinating! The six plants addressed are: quinine, sugar, tea, cotton and the potato. This book is an easy read and you can put it down between sections if you want to--great for Spring Break or if you're sick of standard "beach books."

Okay, it's a little cheesy, but I have many friends who live in apartments with no outdoor space. So I refer them to a book that's easy to follow and helps them keep their plants alive in a small living environment. This author is prolific and has a sense of humor!

You never know when this book will be handy on or off the beaten path. And you can use your new knowledge of edible plants as conversation starters at parties, too!