{"product_id":"9780997966664","title":"Orchids and Butterflies: The Life and Times of Theodore Mead","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe story of a man who transformed ornamental horticulture in America.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this historically accurate biography, Paul Butler paints a vivid picture of the life and times of Theodore Mead. As a young man he hunted butterflies in Colorado, discovering dozens of new species. Later, as a Florida citrus and tropical plant grower, he amassed a huge collection of orchids and imported ornamental plants from all over the world, cross-breeding them to produce new varieties.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLife was anything but easy as a pioneering settler in Florida. He faced bouts of malaria, the harrowing loss of his only daughter to scarlet fever, the catastrophic financial damage of the great citrus freeze of 1894\/95, and the brutal excesses of the Medfly crisis of 1929\/30.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTheodore Mead helped keep Florida a “Land of Flowers,” and was one of America’s most distinguished entomologists and horticulturists. But despite this success, a significant part of his life remained unfulfilled. Orchids \u0026amp; Butterflies is ultimately the story of one man’s search for meaning in life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Paul Butler","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47024309043440,"sku":"9780997966664","price":39.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780997966664_p0.jpg?v=1763943338","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780997966664","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}