SEEDS a Seattle Times Best Book of 2015

The Seattle Times has named The Triumph of Seeds one of the Best Books of 2015!  Read the full article here.

SEEDS Shortlisted for 2016 PNBA Award

Great news from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association - The Triumph of Seeds has been shortlisted for the 2016 PNBA Award!  Read the announcement at the PNBA website, and a great blog post about the award at the Northwest Book Lovers blog.

SEEDS a Finalist for the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize

The Triumph of Seeds has been honored as a finalist for the 2016 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize, recognizing excellence in science writing for young adults.  Read the press release here.

Thor Talks SEEDS with Nancy Pearl

Thor sat down recently for an interview with celebrity librarian Nancy Pearl, on her monthly TV show, Book Lust.  Tune it in on The Seattle Channel, or click here to watch the episode on line.

Seeds and Dung Beetles - The New Yorker

Thor talks about a fascinating case of seed mimicry and dung beetles with Elif Batuman for The New Yorker online.  Read the full article here.

Robert Krulwich blogs about SEEDS

Robert Krulwich - host of the popular NPR show Radio Lab - recommends THE TRIUMPH OF SEEDS as "a rip-roaring read" on his National Geographic blog.  Read his full post here.

Seeds in Orion Magazine

The latest issue of Orion Magazine features Thor's essay "7 Seeds to Start Your Day."  Follow this link to read it (or to hear the author read it!):  ORION.

Thor Talks Seeds on NPR's Science Friday

Ira Flatow recently interviewed Thor about THE TRIUMPH OF SEEDS on the long-running NPR show Science Friday.  Listen to the complete episode here.

Thor Interviewed for National Geographic Book Talk

Thor recently discussed The Triumph of Seeds with Simon Worrall for Book Talk, one of the most popular features on National Geographic's website.  Read the full interview here.

The Triumph of Seeds Reviewed In THE NEW YORK TIMES and THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Kudos for THE TRIUMPH OF SEEDS continue to roll in.  Check out the latest reviews in THE NEW YORK TIMES and THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.

Image from THE NEW YORK TIMES

Tufted Puffins Listed As Endangered in Washington State

On April 10, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to list the Tufted Puffin as an endangered species in Washington State.  This listing paves the way for recovery efforts, and caps a four-year collaborative effort with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife that Thor began while working as a visiting scientist at the SeaDoc Society in 2011.  Read the press release here, and the final Tufted Puffin Status Report (co-authored with Gary Wiles) here.

Photo by Steven and Nadine Pavlov

Praise for The Triumph of Seeds

The Triumph of Seeds goes on sale March 24th, but early reviews have already started rolling in . . .

“[Hanson is] jocular and entertaining in his dispensing of remarkable facts about these little vessels of life-to-be.... From high-tech, high-security seed banks bracing for climate change to the story of the gum extracted from guar seeds that is used in everything from ice cream to fracking, this upbeat and mind-expanding celebration of the might of seeds is popular science writing at its finest.”  

⎯Booklist, starred review

“[F]ast and fascinating prose.... Hanson, who has also chronicled feathers and gorillas, is a conservation biologist and Guggenheim fellow, and an ace dot-connector: He can draw a line between all the grain panics and crises and the tiny, miraculous structure of the seeds themselves, because he dives deeply into botany, economy and history. Also, he’s just plain fun.”

⎯Denver Post

“Conservation biologist Hanson’s new book showcases an even more approachable style than his 2011 Feathers. Using a personalized viewpoint derived from his backyard lab and dissertation research in Costa Rica with the almendro tree, as well as visits with specialists worldwide, he describes how seeds nourish, unite, endure, defend, and travel.”

⎯Library Journal

“[A] delightful account of the origins, physiologies and human uses of a vast variety of objects that plants employ to make more plants.... A fine addition to the single-issue science genre.”

⎯Kirkus Reviews

“Who knew that seeds could be so thrilling and dangerous? Thor Hanson is a lively storyteller, a lyrical writer, and a quick wit. The Triumph of Seeds is more than an engrossing work of natural history. It’s a compelling and highly entertaining journey, populated by scientists and historians, criminals and explorers, aviators and futurists. Following Hanson’s global voyage is the best sort of armchair travel, because it is filled with wonder, poetry, and discovery.”  

—Amy Stewart, author of The Drunken Botanist