Alice in the Land of Plants

Yiannis Manetas was born in Athens, Greece (1947), studied Natural Sciences and Geography in the University of Athens (1970) and received his PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Patras, Greece (1976). Since 1978 he serves at various research and teaching positions in the University of Patras and he is currently Professor of Plant Physiology in the Department of Biology. He also worked during short research visits in the Universities of Goteborg (Sweden), Stirling (Scotland), Essen and Karlsruhe (Germany) and in the Experimental Station of Abisco (Swedish Lapland). His publication list includes more than 120 research papers and review articles in international journals. His current research interests concern the ecophysiology of Mediterranean plants, the role of foliar anthocyanins and the function of non-foliar chloroplasts.

Introduction: Plants are no less complex than animals - they are just different.- Basic plant organisation- how it differs from that of animals.- Why trees are almost immortal and other related issues.- Short evolutionary history of plants.- Sex in non-motile organisms.- The world through the eyes of plants.- The defence of a stationary organism.- Symbiosis galore.- Deviations from the basic biological type.- A final word on plant intelligence.- Epilogue: Tribute to Darwin.

From the reviews:

"In this new book, experienced plant physiologist Manetas (Univ. of Patras, Greece) draws attention to the fascinating and complex world of plant biology. In an effort to reach a wide audience, the author writes in a more general style, with minimal specialized jargon. ... Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and general readers." (R. B. Pratt, Choice, Vol. 50 (5), January, 2013)