Marc-André Selosse
Nature and prejudice:
Inviting humanity into natural history
Marc-André Selosse
Humans have long survived on Earth by tinkering with the knowledge available at the time. Monocultures, pesticides, fossil fuels... Today, we understand that we must do things differently. The idea behind this brilliant book is simple: the instructions for better inhabiting our world are right before our eyes. All we have to do is observe living things.
With humor and kindness, biologist and naturalist Marc-André Selosse deconstructs the prejudices that have prevented us from understanding nature (including human nature) and adjusting our actions accordingly. He gives us a closer look at the world we thought we knew, telling the stories of the microbes, plants, and animals that have surrounded us for a very long time. Plant intelligence, natural competition, autonomy, natural balances, human seduction, and animal displays... Readers emerge from these explorations feeling enthusiastic, sometimes troubled in their everyday convictions, and finally connected to this natural web of life that they thought was distant from them.
Throughout this deeply humanistic odyssey, the essence and hope of our lives emerge with clarity: our connection to living things, which could save us from our mistakes.
"Why had we cut ourselves off so much? Cut ourselves off from the world and from life? There are books that give birth to you, or rebirth you. The one you hold in your hands is one of that rare kind."
Erik Orsenna
[Actes Sud], 2024
Paperback: 5.5 x 7.9 x 1.3 cm
448 pages
Never alone:
the microbes that build plants, animals, and civilizations
Marc-André Selosse
Today we discover that microbes are not only associated with disease or decay: the health and survival of all living organisms, plant or animal, depend on them intimately.
In a rich and often surprising narrative, Marc-André Selosse recounts this veritable scientific revolution. First detailing the many symbioses that link microbes and living organisms in extraordinary adaptations, he then describes our own microbial companions—the human microbiota—and their contributions to our lives. He also demonstrates the importance of microbes in the cultural and dietary practices that have shaped civilizations and continue to accompany us.
At the end of this journey, intended for all and accompanied by a touch of humor, the amazed reader will open their eyes to a new world: what they could not see, yet which surrounds them at every moment.
[Actes Sud], Babel essays, 2021
Paperback: 18 x 11 cm
Hardcover: 14 x 20 x 2.6 cm
360 pages
The Origin of the World:
A natural history of soil for those who trample on it
Marc-André Selosse
The soil is the origin of the world, because it supports, nourishes, and protects it.
It is built by its biodiversity, which represents 25% of known species. It teems with animals and microbes that live and feed in incredibly varied ways: this diversity simply ensures... the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Soil also makes oceans fertile, regulates river flows, and modifies the climate. It is a powerful and astonishing construction of the living world.
Unfortunately, because we misunderstand soil, which seems opaque and dirty to us, we have been damaging it for thousands of years. Urbanization, unsuitable farming practices, salinization, pollution... prevent it from providing its invaluable services, and it is disappearing before our eyes through erosion.
Marc-André Selosse invites us on a magnificent underground journey, accessible to all, between the components of the soil and its abundant life. He introduces us to the underground and little-known part of plants. Finally, he concludes with optimism about the actions we can take to pass on intact soils to future generations. For these can become tools for sustainable development.
With his usual eloquence and a touch of humor in the illustrations, the author tells us about the soil in simple terms and sheds light on many everyday observations. By understanding the soil we tread on, we will reweave our lost connection to the natural world.
[Actes Sud], 2021
Paperback: 5.5 x 7.9 x 1.4 inches
,480 pages