Authors Note ix
Acknowledgments xi
Preface: "Heed!" xiii
Introduction: The Fierce Energy xix
Seeds Nourish
Chapter 1 Seed for a Day 3
Chapter 2 The Staff of Life 19
Chapter 3 Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut 39
Seeds Unite
Chapter 4 What the Spike Moss Knows 55
Chapter 5 Mendel's Spores 70
Seeds Endure
Chapter 6 Methuselah 83
Chapter 7 Take It to the Bank 96
Seeds Defend
Chapter 8 By Tooth, Beak, and Gnaw 113
Chapter 9 The Riches of Taste 128
Chapter 10 The Cheeriest Beans 143
Chapter 11 Death by Umbrella 161
Seeds Travel
Chapter 12 Irresistible Flesh 179
Chapter 13 By Wind and Wave 193
Conclusion: The Future of Seeds 211
Appendix A Common and Scientific Names 217
Appendix B Seed Conservation 223
Notes 225
Glossary 245
Bibliography 251
Index 267