Subtitle: How a sharecropper's son discovered a world of talking
plants, smart insects, and natural solutions
Includes an introduction by John Ikerd and a foreword by Mark Schatzker.
Joe Lewis grew up poor on a Mississippi cotton farm without electricity
or running water. And yet it was a rich life - one lived in close
proximity to family and nature. Because of a childhood spent around
mules, chickens and insects of every kind, Lewis developed a deep and
abiding curiosity for the creatures of the natural world. That led him
on a trajectory to become an award-winning entomologist with the
USDA-ARS at the Tifton Campus, University of Georgia.
During his 40-year career, Lewis discovered how plants use "SOS" signals
to recruit beneficial insects to their defense. In 2008, he was awarded
the coveted Wolf Prize in Agriculture for this groundbreaking work. In
his new book, Lewis looks back on his charmed childhood and
distinguished scientific career while tracing our industrialized
country's increasing alienation from nature.
Lewis believes we can reconnect with nature through learning to speak a
new language of co-existence and cooperation - both in our agriculture
and our everyday lives. This coming-of-age tale will inspire anyone
interested in agriculture, talking plants and smart insects.
Includes a foreword by Mark Schatzker. Preface by John Ikerd.
