The Botanical Bible
By Sonya Patel Ellis
Published by Abrams 2018
Pages 415 Price $40

This is an unusual book for a spring fling into the plant world. It is an artistic wonder, filled with beautiful photographs  drawings and paintings of flowers, fruits, plants, vegetables, herbs, remedies, and recipes. The whole book celebrates our connection to nature and what nature can offer us.

What is botany? It is the scientific study of plants and flowers. In ancient times it was the Key to survival. Today it helps us understand the beauty of nature and what plants can offer us in terms of health and in terms of visual beauty.

The book takes the reader from tiny plant cells to giant sequoia trees. Plants have an impact on our everyday life from the food we eat to the clothes we wear, the air we breathe and to the medicines we take. Botany is the combination of beauty and science together.

This book is for people who are passionate about gardening, art, cooking with natural fresh food, and health remedies from nature and plants. It does not promise to heal anyone.

It does say there are some plants known for providing a feeling of wellbeing. One plant which it discusses is thyme and says that it is the star of the herb garden. Thyme relieves stress, and can be brewed into a stress- busting tea. (I have never tried that but it was interesting to read.) Lavender is another plant recommended for its aroma that has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. Healing herbs including mint for tea, flax for joints, and rosemary for memory were mentioned.

Blueberries are great  source of vitamin K and C. Rosehips are good for herb tea  and syrup. Marsh loving wild cranberry blooms in the fall and is made into a common jelly and sauce.

Edible wild flowers were discussed. the wild daisy buds can be made into pickled capers. Sweet violet contains vitamin C and can be candied with sugar or used in jelly, syrups, jams and desserts.Dandelion leaves can be made into salads.Dandelion leaves can be dried and roasted and made into substitute coffee,
the book states. (I have never tried that.)

The elements that attracted me to this book are the beautiful illustrations of flowering plant life. Just looking at the art in this book gave me pleasure. What is the difference between botanical art and botanical illustrations? The author states,”In art  the finished painting is the whole object of the artist and it has no further purpose than be admired. Botanical illustration has a scientific purpose to illustrate a record of a plant species or plant part. I loved all the art work in the book and the history of plant life beside it.

The author states, “People have been plundering the plant kingdom for designs and style and materials since the dawn of civilization but botanical style seems to be born anew every day.”

This book is a testimony to that thought and reveals designers, writers, and artists historically like William Morris and Frederick Law Olmsted, as well as contemporary landscape artists Stefane Goeri, and Sonya Patel Ellis, (British writer, editor, and artist, who has written this book.)

The book is divided into eight huge chapters including a Glossary of terms and Introduction. Botany for Beginners, Growing and Gathering, Botanical Recipe, Botanical Remedies, and Designers Inspirited by Nature, are chapter topics covered. An ample index for looking up specific things found in the book is given. The most outstanding qualities in the book include its art, illustrations, and photography. If you are interested in the historic life of plants and how they impact our lives, this is a good book for you.

***
Sea Stories— My Life in Special Operations
by Admiral William H.McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired)
Grand Central Publishing (2019)
Pages 334 Price $30

Powerful, direct, and accurate are the tales of the sea told by Admiral William H. McRaven.The stories are action packed and exciting because they happened in real life. Adventure is found on every page along with Admiral McRaven’s steel character and fearless quality of facing the unknown.

The most outstanding story (among many) for me is described in Chapter 17 titled, “Neptune’s Spear.” It deals with the capture of Osama Ben Laden in 2011.The author says, ”As silly as it was I actually put some thought into the name of the mission. I wanted a name that would symbolize the SEAL assault force’s maritime roots, that would represent justice in the form of the sea.”

He wanted a name that would resonate with a team of hand picked operators, a name that people might remember if the mission went well, and would hopefully forget if it went south.

Three months earlier, Director of the CIA, Michael Morell, had briefed him that there was a lead on Osama Bin Laden that he might be living in a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, down the road from from the Paksitani Military Academy. Photos revealed an image they called “The pacer.” He walked up and down the interior but never outside the walls.

McRaven discussed it with the Pentagon and they asked him if he could do a raid. McRaven said, ”We do compound raids every night in Afghanistan. Getting to the target undetected might be difficult but once we are there, it’s pretty straight forward.” He was asked how many men will you need? McRaven said,”Normally a compound raid includes about 50 or 70 guys.You isolate the compound, position small elements at critical blocking, and have an assault force that breeches the walls and gets the high value target. Then you have to have a medical team, forensic team, and exploitation team etc.” Secretary Gates asked him how many men would he need for a Pakistani raid. McRaven related about 25 to 30.

It was highly unusual for McRaven to leave the battlefield but he secretly flew into Washington and met at the Pentagon. After two days of discussion with officials directly and looking at a small model of Abbottabad McRaven agreed to carry out the mission. Everything was top secret. As you read this memoir you feel you are there with the CIA,  McRaven, Secretary Gates, and Leon Panetta who wanted to make sure “The Pacer” was really Osama Bin Laden.

President Obama wisely dismissed the idea of including Pakistan in the mission and he was in on all discussions. After much discussion, President Obama asked “What else do you need?” McRaven said “I will need additional experts to help me with the air and ground planning.” A decision was okayed immediately and the President asked, “How long will this take?” McRraven said, “Three weeks.” The president said,”Get back to me in three weeks,” and left the room.The plans had been made. The decision to go in would come at the right time.

McRaven knew what he needed and who could give him the best experience on the ground. He was given two black Hawk helicopters and air support. The amazing amount of team work behind the scenes from the White House and at the Pentagon and with the CIA is incredible to read. We all know the result historically but the minute-to-minute description of what happened to Osama bin laden as revealed in this book is mind boggling.  I could not put the book down.

Perhaps I need (along  with the rest of America right now) a hero. Here he is, Admiral William H. McRaven, United States Retired  Head of Special Operations! Every story in the book is one of risk taking, adventure, and patriotism including early experiences from his childhood. The style of writing is down to earth, clear, and  strong. McRaven has both humility and humor but most important of all he has character, makes good decisions, is a great leader, and is responsible for others. I recommend this book highly.

— Pat Davidson Reef is a graduate of Emerson College in Boston. She received her Masters Degree at the University of Southern Maine. She taught English and Art History at Catherine McAuley High for many years. She now teaches at the University of Southern Maine in Portland in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Classic Films. She recently wrote a children’s book,”Dahlov Ipcar Artist,” and has now completed another children’s book “Bernard Langlais Revisited.”