He provides readers with non-trivial insights into research fields they may not have encountered previously . . . I think everyone who has ever considered the possibility that other intelligent civilizations exist elsewhere within our galaxy will enjoy Where Is Everybody? They will find much to agree with, and much to argue about, in this very accessible volume.� �SCIENCE During a Los Alamos lunchtime conversation that took place more than 50 years ago, four world-class scientists agreed, given the size and age of the Universe, that advanced extraterrestrial civilizations simply had to exist. The sheer numbers demanded it. But one of the four, the renowned physicist and back-of-the-envelope calculator Enrico Fermi, asked the telling question: If the extraterrestrial life proposition is true, he wondered, "Where IS everybody?" In this lively and thought-provoking book, Stephen Webb presents a detailed discussion of the 50 most cogent and intriguing answers to Fermi's famous question, divided into three distinct groups: - Aliens are already here among us. Here are answers ranging from Leo Szilard's suggestion that they are already here, and we know them as Hungarians, to the theorists who claim that aliens built Stonehenge and the Easter Island statues. - Aliens exist, but have not yet communicated. The theories in this camp range widely, from those who believe we simply don't have the technologies to receive their signals, to those who believe the enormities of space and time work against communication, to those who believe they're hiding from us. - Aliens do not exist. Here are the doubters' arguments, from the Rare Earth theory to the author's own closely argued and cogently stated skepticism. The proposed solutions run the gamut from the crackpot to the highly serious, but all deserve our consideration. The varieties of arguments -- from first-rate scientists, philosophers and historians, and science fiction authors -- turn out to be astonishing, entertaining, and vigorous intellectual exercises for any reader interested in science and the sheer pleasure of speculative thinking. Stephen Webb is a physicist working at the Open University in England and the author of Measuring the Universe.

    Respect all life2. Live as part of the Animal Kingdom3. Educate our children to respect animals4. Treat animals as you would like to be treated5. Be a steward6. Value the sounds of nature and help preserve them7. Do not harm life in order to learn about it8. Have the courage of your convictions9. Act knowing that your actions make a difference10. Act knowing that you are not alone.Filled with inspirational stories, The Ten Trusts provides lessons Jane Goodall has learned from a lifetime of experience, with the warmth and emotion her readers have come to expect from her. Marc Bekoff, cofounder of the Roots and Shoots program with Jane, also contributes his profound insights and research, which Jane has come to rely on. Together, they share their hope and vision for humanity and all the earth's creatures, distilled into ten eloquent spiritual lessons. Within these ten trusts, Goodall reveals how we can gain true enlightenment by living in harmony with the animal kingdom and honoring the interconnection between all species.

    He shows how oxygen underpins the origin of biological complexity, the birth of photosynthesis, the sudden evolution of animals, the need for two sexes, the accelerated aging of cloned animals like Dolly the sheep, and the surprisingly long lives of bats and birds. Drawing on this grand evolutionary canvas, Oxygen offers fresh perspectives on our own lives and deaths, explaining modern killer diseases, why we age, and what we can do about it. Advancing revelatory new ideas, following chains of evidence, the book ranges through many disciplines, from environmental sciences to molecular medicine. The result is a captivating vision of contemporary science and a humane synthesis of our place in nature. This remarkable book will redefine the way we think about the world.

    Carl Safina's guide and inspiration is an albatross he calls Amelia, whose life and far-flung flights he describes in fascinating detail. Interwoven with recollections of whalers and famous explorers, Eye of the Albatross probes the unmistakable environmental impact of the encounters between man and marine life. Safina's perceptive and authoritative portrait results in a transforming ride to the ends of the Earth for the reader, as well as an eye-opening look at the health of our oceans.

    . . By turns harrowing and elegiac, thrilling and informative." —Michiko Kakutani, The New York TimesThree or four times an hour, eighty or more times a day, a unique species of plant or animal vanishes forever. And yet, every so often one of these lost species resurfaces. "Having adventures most of us can only dream about" (The Times-Picayune), Scott Weidensaul pursues stories of loss and recovery, of endurance against the odds, and of surprising resurrections.

    Its pages contain 1,200 colour illustrations, plus seven comparison spreads, with comprehensive text on identification, habitats, food, breeding and conservation, and accurate range maps. In addition, the epub edition features songs, calls and other sounds from each species, making this the ultimate one-stop resources for anyone interested in identifying and learning more about the birds they see.This collection of images and sounds represents a step change in the way birdwatchers operate. No more carrying heavy books into the field; no more trying to remember sounds days later, while all other methods for taking sounds into the field are consigned to the dustbin.The RSPB Handbook of British Birds e-book provides a complete field-based ID solution – no birdwatcher will want to be without it.(Note: Audio may not play on all devices. Please check your user manual for details).

    Illustrated throughout, this handbook of birds covers the most common British and European birds in detail.

    This "entertaining and enchanting" work (Washington Post Book World) chronicles how Watson's fascination grew into a lifelong quest to understand the nature and behavior of this impressive creature.From that moment on, Watson's fascination grew into a lifelong obsession with understanding the nature and behavior of this impressive creature. Around the world, the elephant—at once a symbol of spiritual power and physical endurance—has been worshipped as a god and hunted for sport."Watson's insights and speculations are dazzling, but what lends them power is his extraordinary knowledge of evolutionary biology and animal behavior, ethnography and South African history" (Wade Davis, National Geographic Society). "Like a shaman, Watson conjures up the spirit of the massive beast" (Publishers Weekly), documents the animal's wide-ranging capabilities to remember and to mourn, and reminds us of its rich mythic origins, its evolution, and its devastation in recent history. Part meditation on an elusive animal, part evocation of the power of place, Elephantoms presents an alluring mix of the mysteries of nature and the wonders of childhood.

    Beginning with the dermal system each layer addresses the skeletal system, digestive system, urinary system, circulatory system, repiratory system, muscular system, and nervous system. Children will learn why bones can bend without breaking, how blood travels thru the body and protects against germs, how different parts of the brain controls different functions of the body and what smoking does to your lungs.

    The discovery has been described as "the equivalent of finding a small dinosaur still alive on Earth."

    With winds surpassing 200 miles an hour and a storm surge topping 20 feet, the “Storm of the Century” killed more than 400 people in a two-day span, devastating small villages and killing hundreds of World War I veterans working on a federally sponsored project—and kicking up a far-reaching political storm of acrimony and controversy in its wake.

    What lives at the bottom of the sea? What does a shark really eat? How does a sea horse swim? In this book you'll find the answers and lots more about the fascinating things which live under the sea.

    Featuring full-color photos of 475 common species of bird, mammal, snake, lizard, insect, tree, and flower, Wildlife of East Africa takes us on an exquisite one-volume tour through the living splendor of the main national parks and game reserves of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Many of the species included--from pelicans to plovers, ostriches to elephants, from the daintiest of antelopes to cattlelike giants, from leopards to lions, baboons to gorillas, chameleons to crocodiles, acacias to aloes--also inhabit neighboring countries. The selection was based on the personal experiences of the authors, wildlife experts who have been leading safaris in the region for more than twenty years.Each species is illustrated with a photo and a detailed entry on the facing page; the text is commendably rich for such a compact guide. This information enables the particular animal or plant to be identified by such traits as size, plumage or pelage, color, and shape. An opening section on wildlife photography provides helpful tips on the best type of camera, film, and lenses to use, techniques, and codes of conduct. Wildlife of East Africa is a must for anyone considering a first-hand look at, or simply daydreaming of, the elegant, enormous, or exotic wildlife of East Africa. Covers the main parks and reserves of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, plus surrounding countries 475 common species of bird, mammal, snake, lizard, insect, tree, and flower--from ostriches to elephants, leopards to lions, baboons to gorillas, chameleons to crocodiles, acacias to aloes Full-color photographs and detailed entries describing each species Written and illustrated by wildlife experts who have been leading safaris in East Africa for more than 20 years Tips on wildlife photography, techniques, and codes of conduct

    The Himalayan kingdom of Nepal may be the only culture in the world where both shamanic and tantric techniques are still alive and in full practice today. The result of eighteen years of field research, Shamanism and Tantra in the Himalayas presents for the first time a comprehensive overview of shamanism that is based on the knowledge and experience of the different tribes from that region. Included are original statements from the various ethnic groups and 135 color thangkas, which act as visual guides to the specific practices of the tantric tradition. In addition to the thangkas, the book is lavishly illustrated with numerous photos of different shamanic healing ceremonies, ritual objects, and culturally significant plants that have never been published before. The book also contains a wealth of original recipes, smoking mixtures, scientific tables, charts, and descriptions of more than 20 plants whose psychoactive properties and uses by shamans have never before been researched or documented.

    Children learn simple facts and hone their critical thinking skills as they deduce the identity of 26 different animals arranged in alphabetical order.Incredibly rich, realistic, and inventive oil paintings by Ralph Masiello lay a trail of clever clues to the identity of the animals represented only by their skulls. Look even closer and find hidden in the unique settings portraits of 43 of the presidents of the United States.

    Drawing from years of teaching modern physics to nonscientists, Wolfson explains in a lively, conversational style the simple principles underlying Einstein's theory.Relativity, Wolfson shows, gave us a new view of space and time, opening the door to questions about their flexible nature: Is the universe finite or infinite? Will it expand forever or eventually collapse in a "big crunch"? Is time travel possible? What goes on inside a black hole? How does gravity really work? These questions at the forefront of twenty-first-century physics are all rooted in the profound and sweeping vision of Albert Einstein's early twentieth-century theory. Wolfson leads his readers on an intellectual journey that culminates in a universe made almost unimaginably rich by the principles that Einstein first discovered.

    Learn about scientists' theories and observations and how they came to their conclusions. Discover where T.rex fossils were found in the US, if they were hunters or scavengers, if they were related to birds, and how fast this enormous animal could run.

    This is a fascinating story, told with humor and passion, of forests battling prairies for dominance; of grasslands plowed, wetlands drained, and species driven to extinction in the settlement of the Midwest; and of caring conservationists fighting to preserve and restore the native plants and animals. Intermingling historical anecdotes and episodes straight from the words of early settlers and naturalists with current scientific information, Greenberg places the natural history of the region in a human context, showing how it affects our everyday existence in even the most urbanized landscape of Chicago.

    - Amazing photographs and illustrations combine with lively text to illustrate the basics of our planet's animals, what's out in space and much more

    This scholarly yet fun book examines the qualities that make plants unique, so different from animals. Experienced in both the academic and in-the-field sides of science, the opinionated Hallé delightfully makes the case that plants differ so profoundly from animals that questions are raised about the meaning of individuality and the nature of life and death.

    As Steven Wise continues his exploration of animal cognition along the evolutionary spectrum -- from apes to dolphins, parrots, elephants, dogs, and even honeybees -- he finds astonishing answers to the big question in animal rights today: Where do we draw the line? The law has firm criteria for personhood and Wise shows how certain non-human animals meet those criteria. Readers will be enthralled as they follow Wise's firsthand investigations of the work of the world's most famous animal experts: in Kenya with Cynthia Moss and the touchingly affectionate elephant families of Amboseli, in the mountains of Uganda with Richard Wrangham and the chimpanzees of the Kibale Forest, at MIT with Irene Pepperberg and her amazing and witty gray parrot, Alex, and in the California sanctuary where Penny Paterson has spent two decades learning about the skills and vivid personality of Koko the gorilla. In many cases, Wise was even able to sustain an extended conversation with these extraordinary creatures. Steven Wise is the world's foremost expert on the legal rights of animals and has devoted his life to litigating, writing, and working on their behalf. No one with a shred of curiosity about animals, about rights, or about justice will want to miss this book. A Merloyd Lawrence Book

    The information is easily searchable, with cross indexing of chemical structures, trivial names, plants names, and plant family names. The introduction gives information about isoquinolines, and how this book is put together. There are journal references, and an appendix explaining isobenzofuranone nomenclature.

    These bacteria are everywhere: in and on our bodies, in homes, schools, hospitals, crowded airplanes, day-care centers. And, as The Killers Within makes frighteningly clear, so far the bacteria are winning.

    TaylorIs there a place for animals in the moral consideration of nature? by Eric KatzCan animal rights activists be environmentalists? by Gary E. VarnerAgainst the moral considerability of ecosystems by Harley CahenThe varieties of intrinsic value by John O'NeillValue in nature and the nature of value by Holmes Rolston IIIThe source and locus of intrinsic value : a reexamination by Keekok LeeEnvironmental ethics and weak anthropocentrism by Bryan G. NortonWeak anthropocentric intrinsic value by Eugene HargroveMoral pluralism and the course of environmental ethics by Christopher D. StoneThe case against moral pluralism by J. Baird CallicottMinimal, moderate, and extreme moral pluralism by Peter S. WenzThe case for a practical pluralism by Andrew LightDeep ecology : a new philosophy of our time? by Warwick FoxThe deep ecological movement : some philosophical aspects by Arne NaessEcofeminism : toward global justice and planetary health by Greta Gaard and Lori GruenEcological feminism and ecosystem ecology by Karen J. Warren and Jim CheneyBeyond intrinsic value : pragmatism in environmental ethics by Anthony WestonPragmatism in environmental ethics : democracy, pluralism, and the management of nature by Ben A. Minteer and Robert E. ManningThe ethics of sustainable resources by Donald SchererToward a just and sustainable economic order by John B. Cobb, Jr.Ethics, public policy, and global warming by Dale JamiesonFaking nature by Robert ElliotThe big lie : human restoration of nature by Eric KatzEcological restoration and the culture of nature : a pragmatic perspective by Andrew LightAn amalgamation of wilderness preservation arguments by Michael P. NelsonA critique of and an alternative to the wilderness area by J. Baird CallicottWilderness--now more than ever : a response to Callicott by Reed F. NossFeeding people versus saving nature? by Holmes Rolston IIISaving nature, feeding people, and ethics by Robin AttfieldIntegrating environmentalism and human rights by James W. Nickel and Eduardo ViolaEnvironmental justice : an environmental civil rights value acceptable to all world views by Troy W. HartleySustainability and intergenerational justice by Brian BarryDemocracy and sense of place values in environmental policy by Bryan G. Norton and Bruce HannonEnvironmental awareness and liberal education by Andrew Brennan

    Witness the array of life in and around a pond throughout the course of a year. From the giant glaciers that carved the earth and melted to create the pond, to the microscopic plankton eaten by the mussels that slowly scoot along its bottom, no detail is too large or too small to be revealed and explained.Author and renowned nature artist Gordon Morrison transports readers to the pond’s edge to sit and enjoy the beauty and abundance of living things all around them. His detailed, masterful watercolor illustrations make this book as beautiful as it is informative.

    But despite our frequent powerlessness in the face of it, there is much we do know. The Weather takes a thrilling voyage to the heart of this phenomenon, that even in an age of air conditioning and artificial environments, is still central to the everyday life of the planet. From hurricanes and sandstorms, monsoons to avalanches, solar storms to the jet stream, The Weather showcases the most dangerous and dynamic forces of the weather.Created by veteran BBC producer, editor and writer John Lynch, The Weather explains the science of weather clearly and accessibly, illustrated throughout with color photographs and graphics from The Learning Channel/BBC television series. The Weather begins with the basic questions: What is the weather, and what drives it? The book then goes on to cover every global weather phenomenon, with an in-depth introduction and sections on Wind, Wet, Cold and Hot. The book is especially revealing on how humans interact with weather -- how we've adapted to it, suffered from it, harnessed it, and, finally, how we may be inadvertently changing it. The final section, Change, is a look at the meaning of global climate change patterns.

    It features an illustrated key and glossary and a pictorial guide organized by flower colour, as well as detailed descriptions of the plant, habitat and blooming times, and notes on uses and ecology.

    But centuries of pollution and other abuse have gradually been killing off its marine life and have pushed the Sound to the brink of disaster. This fascinating book traces the history of the Sound and its use as a resource from the time of contact between the Native Americans and Dutch traders through the suburban sprawl of recent decades—and tells how a group of scientists and citizens has been working to save the Sound from ruin.Tom Andersen begins by describing the dramatic events of the summer of 1987, when a condition called hypoxia (lack of dissolved oxygen in the water brought about by a combination of pollution and other factors) killed large numbers of fish and lobsters in the Sound. He discusses how scientists first documented and explained the development of hypoxia and how research and cleanup are now being carried out to restore the Sound. Interweaving current events, natural history, and human history, Andersen presents a cautionary tale of exploitation without concern for preservation.

    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

    The contributors include cognitive ethologists, behavioral ecologists, experimental and developmental psychologists, behaviorists, philosophers, neuroscientists, computer scientists and modelers, field biologists, and others. The diversity of approaches is both philosophical and methodological, with contributors demonstrating various degrees of acceptance or disdain for such terms as consciousness and varying degrees of concern for laboratory experimentation versus naturalistic research. In addition to primates, particularly the nonhuman great apes, the animals discussed include antelopes, bees, dogs, dolphins, earthworms, fish, hyenas, parrots, prairie dogs, rats, ravens, sea lions, snakes, spiders, and squirrels. The topics include (but are not limited to) definitions of cognition, the role of anecdotes in the study of animal cognition, anthropomorphism, attention, perception, learning, memory, thinking, consciousness, intentionality, communication, planning, play, aggression, dominance, predation, recognition, assessment of self and others, social knowledge, empathy, conflict resolution, reproduction, parent-young interactions and caregiving, ecology, evolution, kin selection, and neuroethology.

    There is coverage of principles, theories, techniques, artefacts, materials, people, places, monuments, equipment, and descriptive terms--from amphora to ziggurat, and Beaker Culture to molluscan analysis. The dictionary focuses especially on Europe, the Old World, and the Americas, and covers legislation relating to the United Kingdom and the USA. The archaeology of a selection of key sites from around the world is also described. A quick reference section of maps and tables provides an easy way to rapidly locate information on the main chronological periods and traditions, international conventions, and stratigraphic subdivisions. Written by a leading authority, the dictionary's detailed but clear entries provide an essential reference source for students, teachers, professionals, and enthusiasts alike.

    Over thirteen chapters, each focussing on a major highway, naturalists Richard and Sydney Cannings reveal the secrets of roadside flora and fauna. Featuring full-colour photographs and black-and-white drawings of numerous plants and animals, and a map of featured highways, this guide is the ideal road trip companion.