Best of
Biology

2019

The Body: A Guide for Occupants


Bill Bryson - 2019
    Full of extraordinary facts and astonishing stories, The Body: A Guide for Occupants is a brilliant, often very funny attempt to understand the miracle of our physical and neurological make up.A wonderful successor to A Short History of Nearly Everything, this book will have you marvelling at the form you occupy, and celebrating the genius of your existence, time and time again.

Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don't Have To


David A. Sinclair - 2019
    But what if everything we’ve been taught to believe about aging is wrong? What if we could choose our lifespan? In this groundbreaking book, Dr. David Sinclair, leading world authority on genetics and longevity, reveals a bold new theory for why we age. As he writes: “Aging is a disease, and that disease is treatable.” This book takes us to the frontlines of research many from Dr. David Sinclair’s own lab at Harvard—that demonstrate how we can slow down, or even reverse, aging. The key is activating newly discovered vitality genes, the descendants of an ancient genetic survival circuit that is both the cause of aging and the key to reversing it.

Dinosaurs Rediscovered: The Scientific Revolution in Paleontology


Michael J. Benton - 2019
    New technologies have revealed secrets locked in prehistoric bones that no one could have previously predicted. We can now work out the color of dinosaurs, the force of their bite, their top speeds, and even how they cared for their young.Remarkable new fossil discoveries—giant sauropod dinosaur skeletons in Patagonia, dinosaurs with feathers in China, and a tiny dinosaur tail in Burmese amber—remain the lifeblood of modern paleobiology. Thanks to advances in technologies and methods, however, there has been a recent revolution in the scope of new information gleaned from such fossil finds.In Dinosaurs Rediscovered, leading paleontologist Michael J. Benton gathers together all the latest paleontological evidence, tracing the transformation of dinosaur study from its roots in antiquated natural history to an indisputably scientific field. Among other things, the book explores how dinosaur remains are found and excavated, and especially how paleontologists read the details of dinosaurs’ lives from their fossils—their colors, their growth, and even whether we will ever be able to bring them back to life. Benton’s account shows that, though extinct, dinosaurs are still very much a part of our world.

The PE Diet: Leverage your biology to achieve optimal health.


Ted Naiman - 2019
     All of us WANT to achieve optimum wellness, but not all of us know how. There are some basic levers that drive health in one of two directions: towards perfection, or towards chronic degenerative disease. If you understand the principles that govern your physiology, you can achieve complete mastery over your own body composition and become the best possible version of yourself. The P:E Diet is the SIMPLEST and MOST PRACTICAL diet and exercise book ever written. Once you understand the core tenets of your biology, you will know HOW to increase your lean mass while decreasing your fat mass—and you will know WHY it works. The P:E Diet breaks down every single dietary strategy into one incredibly simple metric: PROTEIN versus ENERGY. The protein to energy ratio explains EVERY SINGLE DIET PHENOMENON. The P:E Diet breaks down the cause of the obesity epidemic and the solution using this one powerful weapon. This is not ‘paleo’ or ‘keto’ or ‘low carb’ or ‘low fat’ or ‘plants versus animals’ or ‘calorie counting’—instead this is one MASTER CONCEPT that explains the success of EVERY SINGLE DIETARY STRATEGY out there. This book completely TRANSCENDS ALL OF THE DIET CAMPS and explains why they ALL offer some value—and once you understand this underlying principle, you unlock EVERY DIET. The P:E Diet explains EXACTLY why FOOD CHOICE is everything — once you choose WHAT to eat, your body will tell you HOW MUCH to eat. This approach teaches you how to eat INTUITIVELY to achieve your goals, without unnecessary tracking or micromanaging quantity.
 The exercise portion of this book is just as revelatory: all you need for the optimum adaptive response to exercise is to generate MAXIMUM TENSION in your muscles for the MAXIMUM TIME possible. All exercise can be broken down into three exercise motions: PUSH, PULL, and LEGS. This requires NO EQUIPMENT WHATSOEVER and can be accomplished with bodyweight only. By maximizing INTENSITY and FREQUENCY you can build muscle with absolute MINIMUM TIME. Packed with hundreds of photos and illustrations, The P:E Diet is a life-changing knowledge bomb that absolutely anyone and everyone should read. PLEASE NOTE: MAY NOT WORK ON ALL KINDLE DEVICES! Will work well on the Kindle App but may not work on all Kindle devices.

Ten Drugs: How Plants, Powders, and Pills Have Shaped the History of Medicine


Thomas Hager - 2019
    It could be an oddball researcher’s genius insight, a catalyzing moment in geopolitical history, a new breakthrough technology, or an unexpected but welcome side effect discovered during clinical trials. Piece together these stories, as Thomas Hager does in this remarkable, century-spanning history, and you can trace the evolution of our culture and the practice of medicine.  ​Beginning with opium, the “joy plant,” which has been used for 10,000 years, Hager tells a captivating story of medicine. His subjects include the largely forgotten female pioneer who introduced smallpox inoculation to Britain, the infamous knockout drops, the first antibiotic, which saved countless lives, the first antipsychotic, which helped empty public mental hospitals, Viagra, statins, and the new frontier of monoclonal antibodies. This is a deep, wide-ranging, and wildly entertaining book.

Fantastic Fungi: How Mushrooms Can Heal, Shift Consciousness, and Save the Planet


Paul StametsMichael Pollan - 2019
    Contributions from Michael Pollan, Andrew Weil, Eugenia Bone, and many more experts make Fantastic Fungi an awe-inspiring visual journey through the exotic, little-known realm of fungi and its amazing potential to positively influence our lives.An all-star team of professional and amateur mycologists, artists, foodies, ecologists, doctors, and explorers joined forces with time-lapse master Louie Schwartzberg to create Fantastic Fungi, the life-affirming, mind-bending film about mushrooms and their mysterious interwoven rootlike filaments called mycelium. What this team reveals will blow your mind and possibly save the planet. This visually compelling companion book of the same name, edited by preeminent mycologist Paul Stamets, will expand upon the film in every way through extended transcripts, new essays and interviews, and additional facts about the fantastic realm of fungi.Fantastic Fungi is at the forefront of a mycological revolution that is quickly going mainstream. In this book, learn about the incredible communication network of mycelium under our feet, which has the proven ability to restore the planet’s ecosystems, repair our health, and resurrect our symbiotic relationship with nature. Fantastic Fungi aspires to educate and inspire the reader in three critical areas: First, the text showcases research that reveals mushrooms as a viable alternative to Western pharmacology. Second, it explores studies pointing to mycelium as a solution to our gravest environmental challenges. And, finally, it details fungi’s marvelous proven ability to shift consciousness. Motivating both the visually stunning film and this follow-up book is an urgent mission to change human consciousness and restore our planet.

Our Planet: The official companion to the ground-breaking Netflix original Attenborough series with a special foreword by David Attenborough


Alastair Fothergill - 2019
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The Missing Lynx: The Past and Future of Britain's Lost Mammals


Ross Barnett - 2019
    In The Missing Lynx, Ross Barnett uses case studies, new fossil discoveries, biomolecular evidence and more to paint pictures of these extinct species, and to explore the significance of the lynx's disappearance in ecological terms. He also discusses how the Britons that these animals shared their home with might have viewed them, and why some survived while others vanished.Barnett also looks in detail and the realistic potential of reintroductions and even of resurrection--topics that capture public interest today. With Beaver now wild again in various parts of Britain and even Great Bustard on Salisbury Plain, what about the return of sabretooths, mammoths, and the aurochs to modern ecosystems? Will we ever be able to bring these animals back? And should we?At a time where rewilding is moving from pie-in-the-sky to actual reality, this timely and important book looks from a scientific perspective at the magnificent megafauna we've lost, why we lost it and what happened as a result, and how we might realistically turn the ecological tide.

The Goodness Paradox: The Strange Relationship Between Virtue and Violence in Human Evolution


Richard W. Wrangham - 2019
    What occurred during human evolution to account for this paradox? What are the two kinds of aggression that primates are prone to, and why did each evolve separately? How does the intensity of violence among humans compare with the aggressive behavior of other primates? How did humans domesticate themselves? And how were the acquisition of language and the practice of capital punishment determining factors in the rise of culture and civilization?Authoritative, provocative, and engaging, The Goodness Paradox offers a startlingly original theory of how, in the last 250 million years, humankind became an increasingly peaceful species in daily interactions even as its capacity for coolly planned and devastating violence remains undiminished. In tracing the evolutionary histories of reactive and proactive aggression, biological anthropologist Richard Wrangham forcefully and persuasively argues for the necessity of social tolerance and the control of savage divisiveness still haunting us today.

Empire of Ants: The Hidden World and Extraordinary Lives of Earth's Tiny Conquerors


Susanne Foitzik - 2019
    (How do we observe the behavior of ants just a few millimeters in size—or monitor activity in a brain as small as the tip of a needle?)Ants’ global dominance (there are 10 quadrillion ants worldwide) and supreme staying power (they have existed since the dinosaurs) give a sense of scale to our own empire- building and destroying. Empire of Ants may leave its human readers asking: Who really runs the world?

The First Cell: And the Human Costs of Pursuing Cancer to the Last


Azra Raza - 2019
    A lyrical journey from hope to despair and back again, The First Cell explores cancer from every angle: medical, scientific, cultural, and personal. Indeed, Raza describes how she bore the terrible burden of being her own husband's oncologist as he succumbed to leukemia. Like When Breath Becomes Air, The First Cell is no ordinary book of medicine, but a book of wisdom and grace by an author who has devoted her life to making the unbearable easier to bear.

Your Brain, Explained: What Neuroscience Reveals About Your Brain and its Quirks


Marc Dingman - 2019
    Memory. Pleasure. Fear. Language. We experience these things every day, but how do our brains create them? Your Brain, Explained is a personal tour around your gray matter. Neuroscientist Marc Dingman gives you a crash course in how your brain works and explains the latest research on the brain functions that affect you on a daily basis.You'll also discover what happens when the brain doesn't work the way it should, causing problems such as insomnia, ADHD, depression or addiction. You’ll learn how neuroscience is working to fix these problems, and how you can build up your defenses against the most common faults of the mind.Along the way you'll find out:· Why brain training games don't prevent dementia· What it's like to remember every day of your life as if it were yesterday· Which popular psychiatric drug was created from German rocket fuel· What triggers sleep loss or lapses in concentrationDrawing on the author's popular YouTube series, 2-minute Neuroscience, this is a friendly, engaging introduction to the human brain and its quirks from the perspective of a neuroscientist - using real-life examples and the author's own eye-opening illustrations. Your brain is yours to discover!

Identity Theft: Rediscovering Ourselves After Stroke


Debra Meyerson - 2019
    In addition to providing realistic expectations for the hard work needed to regain everyday capabilities, Meyerson focuses on the less frequently documented emotional journey in recovery. Virtually every survivor is haunted by questions like: “Who am I now?” and “How do I rebuild a meaningful and rewarding life?” after losing so much of what they had before—capabilities, careers and jobs, relationships, and more. This is a book full of hope for survivors—from stroke or other injuries—as well as their families and support networks.Debra Meyerson and her husband, Steve Zuckerman, have created Stroke Onward (strokeonward.org), a non-profit initiative of the Social Good Fund, to provide stroke survivors, families and caregivers with more resources to help them navigate the emotional journey to rebuild their identities and rewarding lives.”Winner of the 2019 Silver Nautilus Book Award, Identity Theft centers on Debra’s experience: her stroke, her extraordinary efforts to recover, and her journey to redefine herself. But she also draws on her skills as a social scientist, sharing stories from several dozen fellow survivors, family members, friends, colleagues, therapists, and doctors she has met and interviewed. By sharing this diversity of experiences, Debra highlights how every person is different, every stroke is different, and every recovery is different. She provides a valuable look at the broad possibilities for successfully navigating the challenging physical recovery—and the equally difficult emotional journey toward rebuilding one’s identity and a rewarding life after a trauma like stroke.

What Darwin Didn't Know: The Modern Science of Evolution


Scott Solomon - 2019
    

An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives


Matt Richtel - 2019
    An epic, first-of-its-kind book, entwining leading-edge scientific discovery with the intimate stories of four individual lives, by the Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times journalist.A terminal cancer patient rises from the grave. A medical marvel defies HIV. Two women with autoimmunity discover their own bodies have turned against them. Matt Richtel's An Elegant Defense uniquely entwines these intimate stories with science’s centuries-long quest to unlock the mysteries of sickness and health, and illuminates the immune system as never before.The immune system is our body’s essential defense network, a guardian vigilantly fighting illness, healing wounds, maintaining order and balance, and keeping us alive. Its legion of microscopic foot soldiers—from T cells to “natural killers”—patrols our body, linked by a nearly instantaneous communications grid. It has been honed by evolution over millennia to face an almost infinite array of threats.For all its astonishing complexity, however, the immune system can be easily compromised by fatigue, stress, toxins, advanced age, and poor nutrition—hallmarks of modern life—and even by excessive hygiene. Paradoxically, it is a fragile wonder weapon that can turn on our own bodies with startling results, leading today to epidemic levels of autoimmune disorders.Richtel effortlessly guides readers on a scientific detective tale winding from the Black Plague to twentieth-century breakthroughs in vaccination and antibiotics, to the cutting-edge laboratories that are revolutionizing immunology—perhaps the most extraordinary and consequential medical story of our time. The foundation that Richtel builds makes accessible revelations about cancer immunotherapy, the microbiome, and autoimmune treatments that are changing millions of lives. An Elegant Defense also captures in vivid detail how these powerful therapies, along with our behavior and environment, interact with the immune system, often for the good but always on a razor’s edge that can throw this remarkable system out of balance.Drawing on his groundbreaking reporting for the New York Times and based on extensive new interviews with dozens of world-renowned scientists, Matt Richtel has produced a landmark book, equally an investigation into the deepest riddles of survival and a profoundly human tale that is movingly brought to life through the eyes of his four main characters, each of whom illuminates an essential facet of our “elegant defense.”

Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save Our Wild Places


Julian Hoffman - 2019
    Unique ecosystems of plants and animals are being destroyed by human intervention. From the tiny to the vast, from marshland to meadow, and from Kent to Glasgow to India to America, they are disappearing.Irreplaceable is not only a love letter to the haunting beauty of these landscapes and the wild species that call them home, including nightingales, lynxes, hornbills, redwoods, and elephant seals, it is also a timely reminder of the vital connections between humans and nature, and all that we stand to lose in terms of wonder and well-being. This is a book about the power of resistance in an age of loss, a testament to the transformative possibilities that emerge when people unite to defend our most special places and wildlife from extinction.Exploring treasured coral reefs and remote mountains, tropical jungle and ancient woodland, urban allotments and tallgrass prairie, Julian Hoffman traces the stories of threatened places around the globe through the voices of local communities and grassroots campaigners as well as professional ecologists and academics. And in the process, he asks what a deep emotional relationship with place offers us--culturally, socially and psychologically. In this rigorous, intimate, and impassioned account, he presents a powerful call to arms in the face of unconscionable natural destruction.

Rewired: An Unlikely Doctor, a Brave Amputee, and the Medical Miracle That Made History


Ajay K. Seth - 2019
    After days of treatment for recurring infection, it becomes obvious that her arm must be amputated. Dr. Ajay Seth, the son of immigrant parents from India and a local orthopaedic surgeon in private practice, performs his first-ever amputation procedure. In the months that follow, divine intervention, combined with Melissa’s determination and Dr. Seth’s disciplined commitment and dedication to his patients, brings about the opportunity for a medical breakthrough that will potentially transform the lives of amputees around the world.Rewired is the inspirational, miraculous story of Dr. Seth’s revolutionary surgery that allows Melissa to not just move a prosthetic arm simply by thinking, but to actually feel with the prosthetic hand, just as she would with her natural arm. This resulted in what others have recognized as the world’s most advanced amputee, all done from Dr. Seth’s private practice in a community hospital, using a local staff, and with no special training or extensive research funding.

Healing Earth: An Ecologist's Journey of Innovation and Environmental Stewardship


John Todd - 2019
    Each chapter offers a workable engineering solution to an existing environmental problem: healing the aftermath of mountain-top removal and valley-fill coal mining in Appalachia, using windmills and injections of bacteria to restore the health of a polluted New England pond, working with community members in a South African village to protect an important river. A mix of both success stories and concrete suggestions for solutions to tackle as yet unresolved issues, Todd's narrative provides an important addition to the conversation about specific ways we can address the planetary crisis. Eighty-five color photos and images illustrate Todd's concepts. This is a refreshingly hopeful, proactive book and also a personal story that covers a known practitioner's groundbreaking career.

Saving the Last Rhinos: The Life of a Frontline Conservationist


Grant Fowlds - 2019
    There are fewer than 18,000 white rhinos and only 5,000 black rhinos left alive in the wild. The situation with regard to this corrupt illegal war on wildlife is clearly critical.An what are rhinos killed for? Their horns - sold in shavings as a snake-oil 'cure' for colds or impotence. The going price is $16,000 a kilogram, but a rhino's horn is simply keratin, the same material as our fingernails, with no magical, medicinal properties.Grant Fowlds is a passionate conservationist on the front line of protecting these iconic animals - right now, against armed poachers; but in the longer term, too, through his work with schoolchildren, communities and policymakers.He is fiercely focused on highlighting the alarming increase in rhino poaching, a scourge which has put these mighty animals at serious threat of extinction. He is a partner of Rhino Art, founded by philanthropic adventurer Kingsley Holgate. Rhino Art's 'Let the children's voices be heard' project aims to gather the largest number of children's 'Art Voices' ever recorded, in support of rhino protection, and to use these heartfelt messages from the children of Africa and elsewhere in the world as a rallying cry against rhino poaching.Grant works closely with all the biggest local and global conservation agencies, including the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). He has hosted Prince Harry at his family's game lodge, Leeuwenbosch, and the prince is very supportive of Grant's work.©2019 Grant Fowlds, Graham Spence (P)2019 Hachette Audio UK

The Plant-Based Cyclist


Nigel Mitchell - 2019
     Written by the acclaimed cycling WorldTour nutritionist, Nigel Mitchell – the nutrition brains behind historic Olympic gold medals and multiple GrandTour wins – this coffee table-style book’s 244-pages cover everything to do with being a plant-based cyclist: from diet, sports and cycling nutrition, micro and macronutrients, and gut health, to how to set up a plant-based kitchen, essential equipment and know-how, supplementation, travelling on a plant-based diet, fuelling for cycling races and events, and beyond – together with 23 great tasting and easy to make recipes for on and off the bike. “Nigel’s approach takes the guesswork out of riding on a plant-based diet” – Si Richardson, GCN Presenter Whether you’re just starting out on your cycling journey or are already an accomplished gran fondo or road racer, The Plant-Based Cyclist’s recipes are all designed to deliver you the perfect balance of taste and nutrition from every day, easy-to-source ingredients: from pre-ride breakfasts, smoothies, and light snacks, on-the-bike DIY energy drinks, energy bars/balls, post-ride meals, deserts, and many more. Nigel’s many, many years of experience at the highest levels of elite sport have gone into the creation of this book – all with the hope that you won’t need to invest anywhere near as much time yourself, instead taking its shortcuts to reap the benefits of being a plant-based cyclist. After all, the less time faffing with the minutiae of diet plans, macronutrients, or trying to track down obscure ingredients is more time spent doing what we all love: riding bikes – purely and simply.

Ocean Outbreak: Confronting the Rising Tide of Marine Disease


Drew Harvell - 2019
    Marine epidemics can cause mass die-offs of wildlife from the bottom to the top of food chains, impacting the health of ocean ecosystems as well as lives on land. Portending global environmental disaster, ocean outbreaks are fueled by warming seas, sewage dumping, unregulated aquaculture, and drifting plastic.Ocean Outbreak follows renowned scientist Drew Harvell and her colleagues into the field as they investigate how four iconic marine animals—corals, abalone, salmon, and starfish—have been devastated by disease. Based on over twenty years of research, this firsthand account of the sometimes gradual, sometimes exploding impact of disease on our ocean’s biodiversity ends with solutions and a call to action. Only through policy changes and the implementation of innovative solutions from nature can we reduce major outbreaks, save some ocean ecosystems, and protect our fragile environment.

The Deep


Alex Rogers - 2019
    Even now, the vast majority of this wilderness - which covers over 70% of the planet and forms its largest ecosystem - has never been seen by human eyes, let alone explored or investigated by scientists. Yet our oceans contain perhaps 90% of all life, and the physical and biological processes within it are critical to supporting our existence on Earth.Professor Alex Rogers has spent the past 30 years studying life in the deep ocean. In this book, he takes us on an epic and utterly unforgettable voyage to an alien world, and brings us right to the edge of what is known about our oceans today. Introducing us to glittering coral gardens, submarine mountains and a range of bizarre and breathtaking sea creatures, many of which he discovered first-hand, Rogers not only illustrates the ocean's enormous and untold impact on our lives, but also shows how we are damaging it catastrophically through pollution, overfishing, and the insidious and global effects of climate change.Imbued with the author's infectious sense of wonder, and replete with stunning photography of underwater life, The Deep is a magisterial study of a world we are only just beginning to understand - and a profoundly hopeful call to arms for us to reshape our relationship with it, before it is too late.

Foresight: How the Chemistry of Life Reveals Planning and Purpose


Marcos Eberlin - 2019
    Enter the strange world of carnivorous plants. And check out a microscopic protein machine in a bird’s eye that may work as a GPS device by harnessing quantum entanglement. Join renowned Brazilian scientist Marcos Eberlin as he uncovers a myriad of artful solutions to major engineering challenges in chemistry and biology, solutions that point beyond blind evolution to the workings of an attribute unique to minds—foresight. Marcos N. Eberlin is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and holds a PhD in chemistry from the University of Campinas. After postdoctoral work at Purdue, he founded the Thomson Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, growing it into a highly distinguished lab and supervising some 200 graduate and post-doctoral students, scientists who today work as researchers and professionals all around the globe. Winner of the prestigious Thomson Medal (2016) and the former president of the International Mass Spectrometry Foundation, Eberlin is recognized worldwide as one of the most productive mass spectrometrists ever, having published close to 1,000 scientific articles.

The Meaning of Pain: What it is, why we feel it, and how to overcome it


Nick Potter - 2019
    We take to our beds, swallow pills, even submit to surgery and think we are solving the problem. But what if everything you thought you knew about pain turned out to be wrong or only half the truth? In The Meaning of Pain, renowned osteopath Nick Potter draws on insights from biology, evolution and social behaviour to present a radical new understanding of pain and why we feel it. Although pain is unpleasant, it is essential – nature's way of alerting us to danger – and is often a sign that something is out of balance in our lives. Stress and anxiety corrode our health in hidden ways and, as Potter shows, understanding this is crucial to treating pain.In this sage and enlightening book, drawing on 25 years of clinical experience and success stories from his consulting room, Potter presents a timely, compelling roadmap for wellbeing, showing us how to break the vicious cycle of stress, pain and anxiety before the damage is done.

Biodiversity and Climate Change: Transforming the Biosphere


Thomas E. Lovejoy - 2019
    People who care about the planet and manage natural resources urgently need a synthesis of our rapidly growing understanding of these issues. In this all‑new sequel to the 2005 volume Climate Change and Biodiversity, leading experts in the field summarize observed changes, assess what the future holds, and offer suggested responses. From extinction risk to ocean acidification, from the future of the Amazon to changes in ecosystem services, and from geoengineering to the power of ecosystem restoration, this book captures the sweep of climate change transformation of the biosphere.

Look Inside: What Happens When You Eat?


Emily Bone - 2019
    Also find out about tiny bacteria living in your gut, why some people are allergic to foods, and what we should be eating. Part of the Look Inside series with lots of fun flaps on every page. Follow food as it goes from your mouth to out the other end, and discover what happens to nutrients in the food we eat and why we need them. Covers the hot topics of sugar and gut bacteria, made accessible for young children. Includes useful information about different types of food, so children know more about what they eat and how to have a balanced diet.

Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Everyday Life: Practical Solutions for Improving Your Health and Performance


Inna Khazan - 2019
    Minor changes to these actions can significantly improve physical and emotional well- being. In Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Everyday Life, Harvard Medical School faculty member Inna Khazan pairs biofeedback techniques with mindfulness practice to address some of life’s most common ailments— from anxiety and fear to stress and insomnia.She begins with a description of basic physiological information, explaining concepts such as breathing and overbreathing. In Part Two she dives into the practice of mindfulness. And in Part Three she zeroes in on applying this mind-body approach to an array of common problems.Khazan’s approach outlines simple solutions for readers who want to improve the way they respond to challenges. She guides them through increasing their resilience and emotional flexibility while empowering them to take back control of their overall health.

Humans 2.0: Scientific, Philosophical, and Theological Perspectives on Transhumanism


Fazale Rana - 2019
    Should we discourage advances in biotechnology and bioengineering that can be used for human enhancement? Or should we take control of our own “evolution” and usher in a posthuman age? Is there another option? In Humans 2.0, authors Fazale “Fuz” Rana and Kenneth Richard Samples open a window to the new world of human enhancement technologies and transhumanism—their promises, potential, and pitfalls.“What would it mean for humanity if technology’s advances merged with the human passion to be superhuman? Would we play God to extend our lives indefinitely or create genetically modified ‘designer babies’? If we could, should we? Showing how to examine these and other questions is an ambitious—and successful—endeavor of this book. It culminates in a reflection on how the desire for a complete human merging with technology—transhumanism—bears an unexpected relationship to the Christian gospel. Everyone concerned about the future of ‘human enhancement’ and its serious implications should read this book now while the crucial decisions to be made are still in our power to make.” –Mark R. Perez, Philosopher of Science

Love Bees: A family guide to help keep bees buzzing - With games, stickers and more


Vanessa Amaral-Rogers - 2019
    A great read with content for all the family.' - BugLife Bees need our love and attention! Help save bees and have fun along the way with Love Bees: A Family Guide to Keep Bees Buzzing. Bee colonies are fast declining and our buzzing buddies need our help urgently if they are to recover and thrive. In this bright, bubbly book, full of activities for families to do together, Vanessa Amaral-Rogers focuses on how we can help our nectar-collecting buddies flourish — and why these important insects are so awesome — through a whole swarm of engaging facts and fun games. Teach your kids that conservation is cool – and what the awesome rules are to become a bee’s BFF (Best Friend Forever). Find out together how to make a bee hotel or a wildflower window box, and play the Waggle Dance board game.  Pull-out activities include:64 colour stickersMake your own bee mobileWaggle Dance board gameBee-spotter's survey sheetWhere do I live? wheelWith exciting lessons in natural history and gardening, from planting pollinator-friendly flowers to growing a green wall, this is a call to action with a positively sunny outlook.If you like this book, you might like to take a look at Bees, Bugs & Butterflies for more fun ideas for young bug fans. . .

Anatomy: Exploring the Human Body


Phaidon Press - 2019
    Through 300 remarkable works, selected and curated by an international panel of anatomists, curators, academics, and specialists, the book chronicles the intriguing visual history of human anatomy, showcasing its amazing complexity and our ongoing fascination with the systems and functions of our bodies. Exploring individual parts of the human body from head to toe, and revealing the intricate functions of body systems, such as the nerves, muscles, organs, digestive system, brain, and senses, this authoritative book presents iconic examples alongside rarely seen, breathtaking works. The 300 entries are arranged with juxtapositions of contrasting and complementary illustrations to allow for thought-provoking, lively, and stimulating reading.

Propagating Plants: How to Create New Plants for Free


Alan Toogood - 2019
    A horticulturist's delight, this new edition features more than 1,800 detailed illustrations and photos that show both practical step-by-step gardening techniques and the plants themselves.How long do your seedlings need to germinate? What makes a healthy stem cutting? How do you know what type of rootstock to use when grafting plants? Find out the answer to these questions and more in the most comprehensive guide to propagating plants ever published.From palms and roses to culinary herbs and conifers, each chapter contains popular and botanically interesting plant groups. Explore the modes of propagation that are unique to the featured plants. Learn about their characteristic ways of reproduction and how these are exploited in various techniques. The techniques are fully illustrated with step-by-step photographs and explanatory artworks. The plants' special needs are discussed, with expert tips on how to achieve success. This gardening book is crammed with hundreds of step-by-step tutorials and clear advice, ranging from straightforward and simple to more in-depth. The rating system in the plant-by-plant A-Z dictionaries provides you with a quick reference to the relative ease or difficulty of each method of propagation.Fill Your Garden with Beautiful Plants for Next-To-NothingPlant propagation is a fun, rewarding and inexpensive way to add shrubs to your garden or multiply your collection of houseplants. This book helps you successfully reach your goals while steering you clear of common mistakes. It's an indispensable reference book for every propagator's bookshelf.Use this comprehensive gardening guide to:- Find out how to propagate more than 1,500 garden plants. - A-Z dictionaries of different genera of plants, like perennials, vegetables, or bulbous plants. - Follow the visual step-by-step guides and authoritative advice on cutting, layering, sowing, grafting, and more.

The Cartoon Guide to Biology


Larry Gonick - 2019
    From the inner workings of the cell, to the magic of gene expression, to the Krebs and Calvin cycles, to sexual and asexual reproduction, The Cartoon Guide to Biology uses simple, clear, humorous illustrations to make biology’s most complex concepts understandable and entertaining. Whether you’re peering into the microscope for the first time or brushing up after decades of de-evolution, this book has you covered.

A Season on the Wind: Inside the World of Spring Migration


Kenn Kaufman - 2019
      Every spring, billions of birds sweep north, driven by ancient instincts to return to their breeding grounds. This vast parade often goes unnoticed, except in a few places where these small travelers concentrate in large numbers. One such place is along Lake Erie in northwestern Ohio. There, the peak of spring migration is so spectacular that it attracts bird watchers from around the globe, culminating in one of the world’s biggest birding festivals.     Millions of winged migrants pass through the region, some traveling thousands of miles, performing epic feats of endurance and navigating with stunning accuracy. Now climate change threatens to disrupt patterns of migration and the delicate balance between birds, seasons, and habitats. But wind farms—popular as green energy sources—can be disastrous for birds if built in the wrong places. This is a fascinating and urgent study of the complex issues that affect bird migration.

Sensational Butterflies


Ben Rothery - 2019
    Butterflies and moths are some of the most amazing creatures in nature.There are over 180,000 different kinds and they can be found on every continent except the Antarctic.From Monarchs to swallowtails, Blue Morphos to birdwings, the intricate beauty of butterflies spans the globe and yet also settles close to home in a child's garden, local park or window box.This large-format book brings the vibrancy and ecosystem of butterflies to life with simple text and gorgeous illustrations, covering the key butterfly and moth families and including scores of fascinating facts.Learn the unique way that butterflies see, or be amazed by the multiple double-page spreads showing wingspans in sensational detail.A stunning showcase of the world's butterflies and moths, debuting one of the UK's finest natural history illustrators, Ben Rothery.

The Cosmic Origins of Life (Fundamental Questions Book 2)


John Gribbin - 2019
    Along the way he answers two questions: if living things are comprised of the same basic building blocks as inanimate ones, what is the spark that leads to life? And should we expect to find life elsewhere in the universe? The Cosmic Origins of Life is a journey through astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, genetics, physics and metaphysics – travelling from the smallest of cells to the entire Universe. Perfect for anyone who enjoyed Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson, or The Grand Design by Leonard Mlodinow and Stephen Hawking. Praise for John Gribbin: ‘Precise yet mysterious… as beautiful as a poem and as exciting as a novel’ – The Sunday Times ‘Immensely readable’ – The Times ‘One of the finest and most prolific writers of popular science around’ – The Spectator John Gribbin is an award-winning science writer best known for his book In Search of Schrodinger's Cat. He studied astrophysics under Fred Hoyle in Cambridge, before working as a science journalist for Nature and later the New Scientist, and is now a Visiting Fellow in Astronomy at the University of Sussex.

The Healing Power of UFOs: 300 True Accounts of People Healed by Extraterrestrials


Preston Dennett - 2019
    Supported by firsthand eyewitness testimonies, stretching back more than 100 years to the present day, coming from across the United States and the world, this book proves that healing humans is one of the primary alien agendas on our planet. Verified by doctors and leading UFO researchers, the UFO healing cases represent incontrovertible evidence of UFO reality. Preston Dennett began his research into UFO healings in the early 1990s. His first book, UFO Healings (1996, Wild Flower Press) was the first book published on the subject, and presented more than 100 cases. This new volume presents the original cases (with new information) plus 200 more, many of which have never been published before. Preston Dennett has been documenting and researching healing cases for more than 25 years and is the world’s leading expert on UFO healing accounts. This landmark book is the culmination of his research and settles the question once and for all that medical healings as the result of a UFO encounter do actually happen.The healings include a wide variety of conditions. Injuries and flesh wounds, colds, flu and infections, serious diseases--all have been cured by ETs. Inside you will find: •More than 70 healings of injuries. •More than 50 healings of colds, minor illnesses and ailments. •More than 120 healings of serious illnesses and chronic diseases. •More than 40 healings of cancer. •Cases involving “health upgrades.” •Cases involving healings of animals and even plants. •A study of the connection between UFO abductions and psychic healing. •Accounts in which people have been “rescued” by ETs. •A study of miraculous cures from angels, NDEs, OBEs, lightning strikes, past life therapy, Native American ceremonial healings and more. •Evidence that our governments have obtained UFO healing technology and are using it for themselves. Who is being healed and why? What types of ETs are doing the healing? How are these healings being done? Are ETs our friends or foes? This massive 500-page book dives into the heart of the phenomenon and answers all these questions and more. Ignored for far too long, the UFO healing cases show a positive aspect to a phenomenon that has been saturated with disinformation for decades. The truth can no longer be denied. The aliens have arrived and as this book will show, one of their primary missions is the healing of all humanity.

The Art of the Bird: The History of Ornithological Art through Forty Artists


Roger J. Lederer - 2019
    But the art form has reached its peak in the last four hundred years. In The Art of the Bird, devout birder and ornithologist Roger J. Lederer celebrates this heyday of avian illustration in forty artists’ profiles, beginning with the work of Flemish painter Frans Snyders in the early 1600s and continuing through to contemporary artists like Elizabeth Butterworth, famed for her portraits of macaws. Stretching its wings across time, taxa, geography, and artistic style—from the celebrated realism of American conservation icon John James Audubon, to Elizabeth Gould’s nineteenth-century renderings of museum specimens from the Himalayas, to Swedish artist and ornithologist Lars Jonsson’s ethereal watercolors—this book is feathered with art and artists as diverse and beautiful as their subjects. A soaring exploration of our fascination with the avian form, The Art of the Bird is a testament to the ways in which the intense observation inherent in both art and science reveals the mysteries of the natural world.

Darwin Devolves : The New Science About DNA That Challenges Evolution


Michael J. Behe - 2019
    In his controversial bestseller Darwin’s Black Box, biochemist Michael Behe challenged Darwin’s theory of evolution, arguing that science itself has proven that intelligent design is a better explanation for the origin of life. In Darwin Devolves, Behe advances his argument, presenting new research that offers a startling reconsideration of how Darwin’s mechanism works, weakening the theory’s validity even more.A system of natural selection acting on random mutation, evolution can help make something look and act differently. But evolution never creates something organically. Behe contends that Darwinism actually works by a process of devolution—damaging cells in DNA in order to create something new at the lowest biological levels. This is important, he makes clear, because it shows the Darwinian process cannot explain the creation of life itself. “A process that so easily tears down sophisticated machinery is not one which will build complex, functional systems,” he writes.In addition to disputing the methodology of Darwinism and how it conflicts with the concept of creation, Behe reveals that what makes Intelligent Design unique—and right—is that it acknowledges causation. Evolution proposes that organisms living today are descended with modification from organisms that lived in the distant past. But Intelligent Design goes a step further asking, what caused such astounding changes to take place? What is the reason or mechanism for evolution? For Behe, this is what makes Intelligent Design so important.

Lost Anatomies: The Evolution of the Human Form


John Gurche - 2019
    The result is a visual record of the evolving human form that feels alive in a way no scientific illustration could match. While science provides an underpinning to Gurche’s art, his work’s primary purpose is to forge an aesthetic connection to the hominins that preceded us on Earth, capturing their humanity. With essays by leading authorities, Lost Anatomies carries the story of human evolution from apes and early hominins; to Australopithecus; to archaic Homo sapiens, including Homo erectus; to derived Homo sapiens, including Neanderthals and other species that are our most recent ancestors.

Rethinking Evolution: The Revolution That's Hiding in Plain Sight


Gene Levinson - 2019
    This updated evolutionary synthesis provides an accessible explanation for biological complexity that cuts through the confusion surrounding evolutionary theory in a practical way.In addition to a wide-ranging survey of proposed updates to the modern synthesis, this title provides extraordinary new insights including emergent evolutionary potential and the generative phenotype. Drawing on well-characterized empirical facts, Rethinking Evolution transcends classical Darwinian natural selection while retaining those core principles that have stood the test of time.The updated synthesis brings a broad spectrum of specialized research together to provide a more plausible naturalistic explanation for biological evolution than ever before. Perspectives ranging from the role of energy in the origin of life to the networks of protein-DNA interactions that govern multicellular development are woven together in a robust conceptual fabric consistent with 21st century cutting-edge research.Inspired in part by the surprising ways that DNA sequences change -- such as his early discovery of a fundamental mispairing mechanism by which DNA sequences expand -- and drawing on a career's worth of experience both as a research scientist as well as a biology and chemistry tutor -- the author provides an engaging account that is essential reading -- both for the public awareness and understanding of the science of evolution and for students and professionals in the biomedical sciences.

Butterflies in Room 6: See How They Grow


Caroline Arnold - 2019
    Best's classroom is always inspiring! Follow a classroom of real kindergartners as they participate in a popular classroom activity: raising butterflies. Astonishing photographs show the life cycle of the painted lady butterfly, from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to adult. Engaging text captures the children's wonder and explains the science behind metamorphosis.The Life Cycles in Room 6 series follows Mrs. Best's real kindergarten class as they help things grow. This photo-illustrated series engages readers with hands-on science in the classroom and beyond.

Ospreys: The Revival of a Global Raptor


Alan F. Poole - 2019
    From forests in Hokkaido to rivers in Oregon and islands off Australia, Ospreys steal the show as nature lovers easily watch them build their massive nests and tend to their young. The fact that the Osprey is one of the few large birds that can hover adds to its mystique, and to watch it plunge into the water, emerging with a fish clutched in its talons, is truly a sight one will remember. As widespread as Ospreys are, not long ago they were under threat of extinction. During the 1950s and '60s, scientists tied the decline of Osprey populations to the heavy use of DDT and other human pollutants. In the 1980s, Ospreys began a slow recovery due to the efforts of conservationists and through the resilience of the adaptable raptors themselves. Today they are again considered common in most parts of the world, although some populations remain threatened.In this gorgeously illustrated book, Alan F. Poole, one of America's premier Osprey experts, has written a lyrical exposé of these majestic creatures, describing their daily habits and exploring their relationship with the environment. Ospreys celebrates the species' miraculous recovery from contaminants and hunters, chronicles their spectacular long-distance migrations, and unveils their vital role in bringing life to coastal habitats. Few other birds have such a hold on the human imagination. This book shows us why.

The Human Brain Book: An Illustrated Guide to its Structure, Function, and Disorders


Rita Carter - 2019
    

The Oasis This Time: Living and Dying with Water in the West


Rebecca Lawton - 2019
    

The Last Butterflies: A Scientist's Quest to Save a Rare and Vanishing Creature


Nick Haddad - 2019
    But what about the Fender's Blue? Or the St. Francis' Satyr? Because of their extreme rarity, these butterflies are not well-known, yet they are remarkable species with important lessons to teach us. The Last Butterflies spotlights the rarest of these creatures--some numbering no more than what can be held in one hand. Drawing from his own first-hand experiences, Nick Haddad explores the challenges of tracking these vanishing butterflies, why they are disappearing, and why they are worth saving. He also provides startling insights into the effects of human activity and environmental change on the planet's biodiversity.Weaving a vivid and personal narrative with ideas from ecology and conservation, Haddad illustrates the race against time to reverse the decline of six butterfly species. Many scientists mistakenly assume we fully understand butterflies' natural histories. Yet, as with the Large Blue in England, we too often know too little and the conservation consequences are dire. Haddad argues that a hands-off approach is not effective and that in many instances, like for the Fender's Blue and Bay Checkerspot, active and aggressive management is necessary. With deliberate conservation, rare butterflies can coexist with people, inhabit urban fringes, and, in the case of the St. Francis' Satyr, even reside on bomb ranges and military land. Haddad shows that through the efforts to protect and restore butterflies, we might learn how to successfully confront conservation issues for all animals and plants.A moving account of extinction, recovery, and hope, The Last Butterflies demonstrates the great value of these beautiful insects to science, conservation, and people.

Drugs, Money, and Secret Handshakes: The Unstoppable Growth of Prescription Drug Prices


Robin Feldman - 2019
    In Drugs, Money and Secret Handshakes, Robin Feldman shines a light into the dark corners of the pharmaceutical industry to expose a web of shadowy deals in which higher-priced drugs receive favorable treatment and patients are channeled toward the most expensive medicines. At the center of this web are the highly secretive middle players who establish coverage levels for patients and negotiate with drug companies. By offering lucrative payments to these middle players (as well as to doctors and hospitals), drug companies ensure that inexpensive drugs never gain traction. This system of perverse incentives has delivered the kind of exorbitant drug prices - and profits - that everyone loves except for those who pay the bills.

Winter whales


Audun Rikardsen - 2019
    

Great Lakes Sea Lamprey: The 70 Year War on a Biological Invader


Cory Brant - 2019
    At the invasion’s apex in the mid-20th century, harvests of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), the lampreys’ preferred host fish in the Great Lakes, plummeted from peak annual catches of 15 million pounds to just a few hundred thousand pounds per year—a drop of 98% in only a few decades. Threatening the complete collapse of the fishery, the sea lamprey invasion triggered an environmental awakening in the region and prompted an international treaty that secured unprecedented cooperation across political boundaries to protect the Great Lakes. Fueled by a pioneering scientific spirit, the war on Great Lakes sea lampreys led to discoveries that are the backbone of the program that eventually brought the creature under control and still protects the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world to this day.Great Lakes Sea Lamprey draws on extensive interviews with individuals who experienced the invasion firsthand as well as a trove of unexplored archival materials to tell the incredible story of sea lamprey in the Great Lakes—what started the invasion, how it was halted, and what this history can teach us about the response to biological invaders in the present and future. Richly illustrated with color and black & white photographs, the book will interest readers concerned with the health of the Great Lakes, the history of the conservation movement, and the ongoing threat of invasive species.

The Neuroscience of Addiction


Francesca Filbey - 2019
    In the past decade, neuroscientific research has greatly advanced our understanding of the brain mechanisms of addiction. However this information still remains largely confined to scientific outlets. As legislation continues to evolve and the stigma surrounding addiction persists, new findings on the impact of substances on the brain are an important public health issue. Francesca Mapua Filbey gives readers an overview of research on addiction including classic theories as well as current neuroscientific studies. A variety of textual supports - including a glossary, learning objectives and review questions - help students better reinforce their reading and make the text a ready-made complement to undergraduate and graduate courses on addiction.

Knowledge Genius!: A Quiz Encyclopedia to Boost Your Brain


D.K. Publishing - 2019
    For every topic, pages are packed with eye-popping pictures--but do you know what they show? To help you, "Name Game" panels list what you're looking for. With three levels of difficulty, the challenge gets harder as you work your way from Starter, to Challenger, and finally the truly tricky Genius category. If you need it, there's a fun fact with every picture to give a helpful clue.With more than 80 topics throughout the encyclopedia, there's something for everyone. Can you name the countries of Asia? Do you know your cranium from your clavicle, or do you need to bone up on the parts of the human skeleton? Are you a demon on dinosaurs, and able to spot the difference between an archaeopteryx and an allosaurus? Perhaps you're brainy and can do all of this standing on your head?You can!Then what are you waiting for? Open the pages of Knowledge Genius to find out what you know, and challenge yourself to learn even more!

The Story of Life: Great Discoveries in Biology


Sean B. Carroll - 2019
    Carroll. This enriching text follows the structure of an introductory biology course, with brief chapters that span the breadth of the life sciences. This gives maximum flexibility to assign a few stories, or all of them.

Octopuses: A Ladybird Expert Book


Helen Scales - 2019
    THE PERFECT STOCKING FILLER FOR INQUISITIVE MINDSPart of the ALL-NEW LADYBIRD EXPERT SERIES- Why is it octopuses, and not octopi or octopodes?- How did octopuses evolve to be so clever? - How can octopuses see and speak with their skin?EXAMINE these crafty hunters of the seabed - shape-shifting, skin-signalling and using complex tools - their remarkable abilities are still being uncovered.BENDY BODIES, BIG BRAINSWritten by celebrated marine biologist and documentarian Helen Scales, Octopuses is an enthralling introduction to these utterly unique creatures, the myths and fiction they have inspired, and what they can tell us about the roots of intelligence.

When Animals Speak: Toward an Interspecies Democracy


Eva Meijer - 2019
    From geese and squid to worms and dogs, she highlights the importance of listening to animal voices, introducing ways to help us bridge the divide between the human and non-human world.Drawing on insights from science, philosophy, and politics, Meijer provides fascinating, real-world examples of animal communities who use their voices to speak, and act, in political ways. When Animals Speak encourages us to rethink our relations with other animals, showing that their voices should be taken into account as the starting point for a new interspecies democracy.

Apples and the Art of Detection


John Bunker - 2019
    The “art of detection” is what Sherlock Holmes called his profession. In John’s new book he channels his inner Sherlock as he searches through Maine’s past and present tracking down historic, unusual and occasionally illusive apple varieties and their stories. Part travelogue, part mystery and part how-to manual this book will take you for a ride across Maine and leave you excited to start searching for and identifying the old apple trees in your own neighborhood. Illustrated with hundreds of photos, as well as John’s signature cartoons and paintings of all the iconic Maine apples. 407 pages in full color.

Fungi of Temperate Europe


Thomas Læssøe - 2019
    Featuring more than 7,000 photographs, this lavish two-volume set treats more than 2,800 species of fungi across the region.Including agarics, boletes, chanterelles and morels but also more obscure groups such as cyphelloids, cup fungi, pyrenomycetous fungi and hysterioids, this guide takes an unprecedentedly broad approach to communicating fungal diversity. All species are illustrated with one or more photographs and information is given on morphology, ecology and distribution within temperate Europe. Furthermore, 1,500+ species are discussed as potential look-alikes. The books are divided into eighty "form groups," each starting with an innovative comparison wheel with guiding photos, distinguishing characteristics and drawings of essential microscopic features. Poisonous and edible species are colour coded within the text.Revealing the world of fungi in all its splendour, Fungi of Temperate Europe is a must-have resource for any amateur or professional mycologist.- 7,000+ photographs across 1,700 pages- Colourful, up-close photos unrivaled by other mycological guides- Coverage for 2,800+ fungal species- Innovative and accessible system of identification

The Empathy Gap: Male Disadvantages and the Mechanisms of Their Neglect


William Collins - 2019
    

The Demon in the Machine: How Hidden Webs of Information Are Solving the Mystery of Life


Paul C.W. Davies - 2019
    if you want to understand how the concept of life is changing, read this' Professor Andrew Briggs, University of OxfordWhen Darwin set out to explain the origin of species, he made no attempt to answer the deeper question: what is life? For generations, scientists have struggled to make sense of this fundamental question. Life really does look like magic: even a humble bacterium accomplishes things so dazzling that no human engineer can match it. And yet, huge advances in molecular biology over the past few decades have served only to deepen the mystery. So can life be explained by known physics and chemistry, or do we need something fundamentally new?In this penetrating and wide-ranging new analysis, world-renowned physicist and science communicator Paul Davies searches for answers in a field so new and fast-moving that it lacks a name, a domain where computing, chemistry, quantum physics and nanotechnology intersect. At the heart of these diverse fields, Davies explains, is the concept of information: a quantity with the power to unify biology with physics, transform technology and medicine, and even to illuminate the age-old question of whether we are alone in the universe.From life's murky origins to the microscopic engines that run the cells of our bodies, The Demon in the Machine is a breath-taking journey across the landscape of physics, biology, logic and computing. Weaving together cancer and consciousness, two-headed worms and bird navigation, Davies reveals how biological organisms garner and process information to conjure order out of chaos, opening a window on the secret of life itself.

Modern Statistics for Modern Biology


Susan Holmes - 2019
    The presentation minimizes mathematical notation and emphasizes inductive understanding from well-chosen examples, hands-on simulation, and visualization.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology - How Life Works


Kevin Ahern - 2019
    Unfortunately, the details of biochemistry often cause students to get lost, and consequently, they don’t get to see the big picture. Without connections to real life, the details simply become things to memorize for tests—and are soon forgotten.These lectures were designed to help everyone learn and enjoy biochemistry using explanations of real-world biochemistry problems as tools to understand the subject—while still introducing college-level biochemistry and not dumbing it down. And without any need for memorization, you won’t spend your time memorizing facts, giving much more time to listen to explanations and think through the concepts.Biochemistry combines biology—the science of life—and chemistry, the science of molecules. Biochemistry, then, is the molecular basis of life. Every single thing that makes people alive is due to biological molecules and their interactions.

The Field Herping Guide: Finding Amphibians and Reptiles in the Wild


Mike Pingleton - 2019
    The Field Herping Guide: Finding Amphibians and Reptiles in the Wild is the first book to explore the fun and fascinating world of observing herpetofauna across North America. The natural world holds an amazing diversity of herps, some as close as our own backyards. This guidebook is geared toward new field herpers and uses proven methods from professional herpetologists Mike Pingleton and Joshua Holbrook.The guide addresses basic questions new field herpers have about amphibians and reptiles: What do I need to know about their biology? Where do I look for them, and when? These topics are covered in a straightforward manner, with images, a glossary of essential terms, personal anecdotes, and informational vignettes that support the subject material.TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE: Getting Started Understanding Herp Behavior Finding Herps Catching and Handling Herps Safety in the Field Ethics and Etiquette, Rights and Responsibilities Classification, Taxonomy, and Species Identification Citizen Science and Data Collection Herp Photography Social Aspects of Field Herping A History of Field Herping

How the World Works: Neuroscience


Anne Rooney - 2019
    It is as old as humanity itself, yet has only been recognized as a discrete science in the past hundred years or so. This book traces its history, from Ancient Egyptian and Greek beliefs about the mind, body and soul, through the findings of Leonardo, Vesalius, Descartes and others, to the brain-imaging technologies of the present day. The story of neuroscience weaves together narratives from philosophy, religion, psychology, physics, anatomy, chemistry, pharmacology and a host of other sciences. It is a story that is still unfolding today.

The Lives of Bees: The Untold Story of the Honey Bee in the Wild


Thomas D. Seeley - 2019
    The Lives of Bees is Thomas Seeley's captivating story of what scientists are learning about the behavior, social life, and survival strategies of honey bees living outside the beekeeper's hive--and how wild honey bees may hold the key to reversing the alarming die-off of the planet's managed honey bee populations.

Beyond Extinction: The Eternal Ocean—Climate Change the Continuity of Life


Wolfgang Grulke - 2019
    It is beautiful and bizarre, violent and mysterious. Inhabited by a cast of characters stolen from fantasy, it’s a dystopian world where dragons are real, and monsters are commonplace. Today's spectacular marine life has an ancient history preserved in stone - fossil strata that read like dramatic pages from the longest story ever told - tales of evolution, extinction, and surprising continuity. Having thrived a tumultuous 500 million years, this marine kingdom is now challenged by a new, arrogant and domineering life form. This book looks beyond the media focus on climate change and extinction to celebrate the continuity of ocean life. I’ll take you on a personal journey to explore origins and destinies, from primordial soup to today’s threatened oceans - towards a future we can influence. We always have a choice.

Six Legs Walking: Notes from an Entomological Life


Elizabeth Bernays - 2019
    In Six Legs Walking: Notes from an Entomological Life, Bernays takes us along on her evolution from backward child to accomplished biologist as she explores scholarship, culture, and love, all while immersed in the wonders of some of the smallest creatures on earth.Young Liz becomes enamored with insects in her home garden while working beside her mother, who worries over her daughter being deemed intellectually impaired. An introduction to a working scientist and the encouragement of a beloved teacher inspire Elizabeth to go on to the University of Queensland to study biology.While in graduate school in London, Elizabeth meets established entomologist Reg Chapman, who will become her partner in work and in life. As a British government scientist, she researches the habits of bugs in the hopes of finding biological solutions to controlling pests that damage crops in Nigeria, India, and Mali, working alongside local scientists and discovering the diversity of human cultural customs.As a professor at the University of California Berkeley, she learns about American individualism and advocating on her own behalf. At last, Bernays settles in the Sonoran Desert, where she is visited by a hawk moth that launches her on yet another entomological expedition.In this collection of autobiographical essays, Elizabeth Bernays educates readers on the progression and significance of biological research while sharing her sheer joy in the discoveries she makes. Six Legs Walking is the inspiring story of one woman's lifelong love affair with science.

Bringing Back the Birds: Exploring Migration and Preserving Birdscapes throughout the Americas


American Bird Conservancy - 2019
    

Rewilding


Nathalie Pettorelli - 2019
    The volume introduces key rewilding definitions and initiatives, highlighting their similarities and differences. It reviews matches and mismatches between the current state of ecological knowledge and the stated aims of rewilding projects, and discusses the role of human action in rewilding initiatives. Collating current scholarship, the book also considers the merits and dangers of rewilding approaches, as well as the economic and socio-political realities of using rewilding as a conservation tool. Its interdisciplinary nature will appeal to a broad range of readers, from primary ecologists and conservation biologists to land managers, policy makers and conservation practitioners in NGOs and government departments. Written for a scientifically literate readership of academics, researchers, students, and managers, the book also acts as a key resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses.

Reptiles: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)


T.S. Kemp - 2019
    From the mighty dinosaurs who dominated the land, the pterosaurs who took to the air, and the marine adapted ichthyosaurs, to the living reptiles today such as the lizards, snakes, crocodiles, and turtles, plus the single species of tuatara in New Zealand, reptiles have come in all shapes and sizes.In this Very Short Introduction Tom Kemp discusses the adaptations reptiles made to first leave the sea and colonise the land in dry conditions, such as their waterproof skin, their ability to expel almost dry waste products, their efficient use of external heat for maintaining their body temperature, and the amniotic egg that is laid and develops on dry land. Considering the different living groups of reptiles today, Kemp then describes how their respective bodies are adapted fortheir different ways of life, from snake feeding patterns to the way crocodiles breathe. Finally, Kemp assesses the threat of extinction to reptile species due to over-exploitation, habitat destruction, and climate change, and considers what can be done.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Values at the End of Life: The Logic of Palliative Care


Roi Livne - 2019
    This commitment has often meant that patients spend their last days suffering from heroic interventions that extend their life by only weeks or months. Increasingly, this approach to end-of-life care is coming under scrutiny, from a moral as well as a financial perspective. Sociologist Roi Livne documents the rise and effectiveness of hospice and palliative care, and growing acceptance of the idea that a life consumed by suffering may not be worth living.Values at the End of Life combines an in-depth historical analysis with an extensive study conducted in three hospitals, where Livne observed terminally ill patients, their families, and caregivers negotiating treatment. Livne describes the ambivalent, conflicted moments when people articulate and act on their moral intuitions about dying. Interviews with medical staff allowed him to isolate the strategies clinicians use to help families understand their options. As Livne discovered, clinicians are advancing the idea that invasive, expensive hospital procedures often compound a patient's suffering. Affluent, educated families were more readily persuaded by this moral calculus than those of less means.Once defiant of death--or even in denial--many American families and professionals in the health care system are beginning to embrace the notion that less treatment in the end may be better treatment.

Musical Illusions and Phantom Words: How Music and Speech Unlock Mysteries of the Brain


Diana Deutsch - 2019
    These astonishing illusionsshow that people can differ strikingly in how they hear musical patterns--differences that reflect variations in brain organization as well as influences of language on music perception. Drawing on a wide variety of fields, including psychology, music theory, linguistics, and neuroscience, Deutschexamines questions such as: When an orchestra performs a symphony, what is the real music? Is it in the mind of the composer, or the conductor, or different members of the audience? Deutsch also explores extremes of musical ability, and other surprising responses to music and speech. Why isperfect pitch so rare? Why do some people hallucinate music or speech? Why do we hear phantom words and phrases? Why are we subject to stuck tunes, or earworms? Why do we hear a spoken phrase as sung just because it is presented repeatedly? In evaluating these questions, she also shows how musicand speech are intertwined, and argues that they stem from an early form of communication that had elements of both. Many of the illusions described in the book are so striking and paradoxical that you need to hear them to believe them. The book enables you to listen to the sounds that aredescribed while reading about them.

The Greater and Lesser Worlds of Robert Fludd: Macrocosm, Microcosm, and Medicine


Robert Fludd - 2019
    A physician by profession, he was also a Christian Hermetist, a Rosicrucian, an alchemist, astrologer, musician, and inventor. His drive to encompass the whole of human knowledge--from music to alchemy, from palmistry to fortification--resulted in a series of books remarkable for their hundreds of engravings, a body of work recognized as the first example of a fully-illustrated encyclopedia. In this in-depth, highly illustrated reference, scholar and linguist Joscelyn Godwin explains Fludd’s theories on the correspondence between the macrocosm of elements, planets, stars, and subtle and divine beings and the microcosm of the human being and its creative activities. He shows how Fludd’s two worlds--the macrocosm and the microcosm--along with Paracelsus’s medical principles and the works of Hermes Trismegistus provided the foundation for his search for the cause and cure of all diseases. The more than 200 illustrations in the book represent the whole corpus of Fludd’s iconography, each one accompanied by Godwin’s expert commentary and explanation. Sharing many passages translated for the first time from Fludd’s Latin, allowing him to speak for himself, Godwin explores Fludd’s thoughts on cosmic harmonies, divination, the kabbalah, astrology, geomancy, and the rapport between the multiple levels of existence. He also analyzes Fludd’s writings in defense of alchemy and the Rosicrucians. An essential reference for scholars of Renaissance thinkers, traditional cosmology, metaphysics, and the Western esoteric tradition, this book offers intimate access to Fludd’s worlds and gives one a feel for an epoch in which magic, science, philosophy, spirituality, and imagination could still cohabit and harmonize within a single mind.

Tracking The Highland Tiger: In Search of Scottish Wildcats


Marianne Taylor - 2019
    Just like domestic cats prowling in the garden, wildcats hunt for a wide range of prey, from mice and voles to grouse, rabbits and red squirrels. Their kittens are born in March, and quickly begin to learn key hunting skills. Wildcats have endured centuries of habitat loss; they have been hunted for fur and been killed as vermin, and are threatened by inbreeding with domestic moggies, along with other issues such as disease and vehicle collisions.In this book, Marianne Taylor--author of the award-winning Way of the Hare-- seeks out the beautiful and enigmatic Scottish Wildcat in a rich narrative interwoven with what we know about the cat's biology and history in Britain. The Highland Tiger is a great read for anyone with an interest in Britain's wildlife and wild places, and especially to those who are fond of felines.

The Emotional Mind: The Affective Roots of Culture and Cognition


Stephen T. Asma - 2019
    Yet, in evolutionary terms, rational cognition emerged only the day before yesterday. For nearly 200 million years before humans developed a capacity to reason, the emotional centers of the brain were hard at work. If we want to properly understand the evolution of the mind, we must explore this more primal capability that we share with other animals: the power to feel.Emotions saturate every thought and perception with the weight of feelings. The Emotional Mind reveals that many of the distinctive behaviors and social structures of our species are best discerned through the lens of emotions. Even the roots of so much that makes us uniquely human--art, mythology, religion--can be traced to feelings of caring, longing, fear, loneliness, awe, rage, lust, playfulness, and more.From prehistoric cave art to the songs of Hank Williams, Stephen T. Asma and Rami Gabriel explore how the evolution of the emotional mind stimulated our species' cultural expression in all its rich variety. Bringing together insights and data from philosophy, biology, anthropology, neuroscience, and psychology, The Emotional Mind offers a new paradigm for research into the complex origins of human uniqueness.

Evolution's Final Days: The Mounting Evidence Disproving The Theory of Evolution (problems, myth, hoax, fraud, flaws)


John Morrison - 2019
    In America, you can criticize the government, but not Darwin”. - Jun-Yuan Chen (Paleontologist) In this groundbreaking book, John Morrison examines the theory of evolution being currently taught in high schools and colleges across the world. This planet was once nothing but liquid and gas and over billions of years, somehow the millions of living organisms currently here on earth came into existence, including humans ultimately descending from apes. Once the currently taught theory is understood, John then proceeds to explain what the textbooks don't teach which puts the theory of evolution in a new light. Once you're done reading Evolution's Final Days, you'll realize that the theory of evolution could never have happened in the way scientists proclaim, and the many reasons why new theories are not currently being taught. You'll understand why we need to stand up as a community, and fight for science to be taught as it was intended. And you'll come to know why the theory of evolution is truly in its final days! Whether you're new to the theory of evolution or have your PhD, this book will truly make you question what you have been told, and you'll be sure to learn new information you may have never knew existed. As a FREE bonus, only for book buyers, you'll receive my special report titled "The Top 5 World Mysteries". This special report is not available to the public, or anywhere else. It exists solely as a "thank you" to buyers of this book. Expand your mind and learn what evolutionists don't want you to know. Click the "Buy Now" button at the top of the page and read Evolution's Final Days NOW!

It Can't Be True! Poo: Packed with Pootastic Facts


D.K. Publishing - 2019
    Every animal has its own special sort and some have fascinating uses for it. Wombats use their cube-shaped droppings to mark their territory; potato beetles build a shield of dung for defense; male hippos spray out a fecal shower to attract mates; and rabbits and dung beetles eat their pellets for extra nutrition. We might call it waste but in fact, poo is among the most useful stuff on Earth. From building materials and paper to coffee and even water purification, there's a multitude of manure-based matter in our lives.This unique book is jam-packed with scientific explanations and amazing trivia about human and animal deposits. Did you know, for example, that the global population produces more than a million tons of poo every day? Or that an average poo contains 10 trillion bacteria? Or that wars have been fought over guano? All these facts and more are presented, either with jaw-dropping CGI illustrations or eye-popping photography. Additional boxes feature infographics that make information easy to understand.With endlessly interesting information and incredible visuals, It Can't Be True! Poo is the perfect way to entertain and amuse your friends, family, and yourself. In fact, you'll never look at poo in the same way again!

Draw Like an Artist: 100 Realistic Animals: Step-by-Step Realistic Line Drawing **A Sourcebook for Aspiring Artists and Designers


Melissa Washburn - 2019
    This contemporary, step-by-step guidebook demonstrates fundamental art concepts like proportion, anatomy, and spatial relationships as you learn to draw a full range of creatures, all shown from a variety of perspectives. Each set of illustrations takes you from beginning sketch lines to a finished drawing. Author Melissa Washburn is a skilled illustrator whose clear and elegant drawing style will make this a go-to sourcebook for years to come.Draw Like an Artist: 100 Realistic Animals is the third book in the Draw Like an Artist series following Faces and Figures and Flowers and Plants. The books in the Draw Like an Artist series are richly visual references for learning how to draw classic subjects realistically through hundreds of step-by-step images created by expert artists and illustrators.

The Butterfly House: Step inside to discover over 100 species of nature's most beautiful insects


Katy Flint - 2019
    Spot the sleepy oranges mud-puddling, the monarchs migrating, or the green swallowtail beating its shimmering wings. With information on many butterfly and moth families, this gift package is the perfect introduction to the world’s most beautiful insects.

Moths: A Complete Guide to Biology and Behavior


David C. Lees - 2019
    This richly illustrated guide to their biology, evolution, and history demonstrates the incredible diversity of these winged insects and reveals the ruthless survival tactics used by some--including blood-sucking moths, cannibalism in the cocoon, and carnivorous caterpillars. The book also explores their extraordinary life cycle, charting development from egg to larva to cocoon to airborne adult, as well as the surprising variations of color and wing patterns that moths have evolved. Engaging narrative and specially commissioned photographs of moth specimens make Moths: A Complete Guide to Biology and Behavior a perfect gift book for scientists and science enthusiasts alike.

Transform Your Life and Save the World 2nd Edition: Through the Dreamed of Arrival of the Rehabilitating Biological Explanation of the Human Condition


Jeremy Griffith - 2019
    The book is supported by a very informative website at humancondition.com The world is in crisis! What is the solution?Ultimately, we have to find the redeeming, and thus transforming, understanding of our psychologically troubled human condition. And it is precisely that dreamed-of insight, and its now desperately needed transformation of our lives, that Australian biologist Jeremy Griffith presents in this book.Titled 'Transform Your Life And Save The World - Through The Dreamed Of Arrival Of The Rehabilitating Biological Explanation Of The Human Condition', this book is a very short but powerful condensation of Griffith’s definitive treatise of the human condition that is presented in his book 'FREEDOM: The End Of The Human Condition'.The genesis of 'Transform Your Life And Save The World' lay in Griffith’s address at the June 2016 launch of ‘FREEDOM' at the Royal Geographical Society in London. Commencing with very brief extracts from Tim Macartney-Snape’s Introduction at the launch, and Sir Bob Geldof’s keynote address, it goes on to summarise the content of 'FREEDOM' in 3 powerful chapters: ‘The Dishonest Biology’, ‘The Truthful Biology’, and ‘The Resulting Transformation Of The Human Race’.In fact, in just 82 pages of sensational world-shaking but at the same time spectacular world-saving TRUTH about human behaviour, Griffith delivers a presentation that is so profoundly liberating, relieving and transforming of your life that this little book may be all you need to read!As Professor Harry Prosen, a former President of the Canadian Psychiatric Association, has said, “I have no doubt this biological explanation of the human condition is the holy grail of insight we have sought for the psychological rehabilitation of the human race.”

Cells: An Owner's Handbook


Carolyn Fisher - 2019
    Join Ellie, a skin cell who lives on the derrière of a Boston Terrier, as she tells readers all about the amazing cells that make up every living thing on Earth.Did you know that every human is the proud owner of 37 trillion cells? (Give or take a few trillion.) They’re the itty-bitty building blocks that stack together to make you, you! Join a smart and silly skin cell named Ellie as she explains what a cell looks like, what a cell does, how cells divide and multiply, and much, much more in this fascinating and funny nonfiction picture book.