It encompasses lucid descriptions of behaviour, evolutionary history, development, proximate mechanisms and applications.

    The first volume in this annual series of the best writing by Americans, meticulously selected by bestselling author James Gleick, one of the foremost chronicles of scientific social history, debuts with a stellar collection of writers and thinkers.  Many of these cutting-edge essays offer glimpses of new realms of discovery and thought, exploring territory that is unfamiliar to most of us, or finding the unexpected in the midst of the familiar.  Nobel Laureate physicist Steven Weinberg challenges the idea of whether the universe has a designer; Pulitzer Prize winner Natalie Angier reassesses caveman (and-woman) couture; bestselling author and Darwinian theorist Stephen Jay Gould makes a claim for the man whose ideas Darwin discredited; Timothy Ferris proposes a realistic alternative to wrap-speed interseller travel; neurologist and bestselling author Oliver Sacks reminisces about his first loves-chemistry and math.  This diverse, stimulating and accessible collection is required reading for anyone who wants to travel to the frontier of knowledge.

    Honey bees, and the daily workings of their close-knit colonies, are one of nature's great miracles. And they produce one of nature's greatest edible bounties: honey. More than just a palate pleaser, honey was once an offering to the gods, a preservative, and a medicine whose sought-after curative powers were detailed in ancient texts . . . and are being rediscovered by modern medical science.In Letters from the Hive, Prof. Stephen Buchmann takes us into the hive--nursery, honey factory, queen's inner sanctum--and out to the world of backyard gardens, open fields, and deserts in full bloom, where the age-old sexual dance between flowers and bees makes life on earth as we know it possible. Hailed for their hard work, harmonious society, and, mistakenly, for their celibacy, bees have a link to our species that goes beyond biology. In Letters from the Hive, Buchmann explores the fascinating role of bees in human culture and mythology, following the "honey hunters" of native cultures in Malaysia, the Himalayas, and the Australian Outback as they risk life and limb to locate a treasure as valuable as any gold.To contemplate a world without bees is to imagine a desolate place, culturally and biologically, and Buchmann shows how with each acre of land sacrificed to plow, parking lot, or shopping mall, we inch closer to what could become a chilling reality. He also offers honey-based recipes, cooking tips, and home remedies--further evidence of the gifts these creatures have bestowed on us.Told with wit, wisdom, and affection, and rich with anecdote and science, Letters from the Hive is nature writing at its best. This is natural history to be treasured, a sweet tribute that buzzes with life.From the Hardcover edition.

    It is one of many awe-inspiring, magical processes that have evolved among the fungi, yet this group remains the least studied and most poorly understood kingdom of organisms. In Mushroom, NicholasMoney offers a vibrant introduction to the world of mushrooms, investigating the science behind these organisms as well as their enduring cultural and imaginative appeal. Beginning with the basics of mushroom biology, Money leads us through a history of mushroom research, painting portraits of thecolorful characters involved in their study--among them, Beatrix Potter, the celebrated author and creator of Peter Rabbit, and Captain Charles McIlvaine, a Civil War veteran who engaged in a dangerous quest to determine the edibility of every mushroom in North America. Money also discusses the usesof mushrooms today, exploring their importance as food and medicine, their use as recreational drugs, and as the cause of horrific poisonings. A cultural, natural, and scientific history in one, Mushroom is a must-read for mycophiles, mushroom gatherers, and nature lovers alike.

    The germ revolution came after two decades of scientific virtuosity, outstanding feats of intellectual courage and bitter personal rivalries, doctors at last recognised that infectious diseases are caused by mircoscopic organisms.

    With this new book you can:read a passage from Scripture for each dayreflect on the beauty and importance of Catholic faith and practicemeditate on thought-provoking questionsfind a unique and inspiring prayer for each day of LentThese timely and inspirational words will help renew your enthusiasm for being Catholic, while encouraging you to delve more deeply into the spirituality of the lenten season—a perfect companion for individual reading or for group study.

    Her twenty- five-year career conducting experiments that involve rats has led her to a surprising conclusion: Through their adaptive strategies and good habits, these unassuming little animals can teach us some essential lessons about how we, as humans, can lead successful lives. From emotional resilience and a strong work ethic to effective parenting and staying healthy, the lab rat is an unlikely but powerful role model for us all. This is a surprising and engaging guided tour into the sophisticated mental, emotional, and behavioral worlds of these frequently maligned and often misunderstood little creatures.

    Becoming Ageless presents a three-month, detailed diet and exercise plan to create a leaner, more muscular and happier you. Developed by business mogul and fitness buff Strauss Zelnick--founder of the private equity firm Zelnick Media Capital and president and CEO of Take-Two Interactive, the company behind blockbuster video games such as Grand Theft Auto and NBA2K-- the strategies contained in Becoming Ageless are the same tactics that allowed Zelnick to evolve from a skinny, out-of-shape business executive (a workaholic wunderkind who headed the film studio 20th Century Fox in his early 30s) to one of the world's fittest and most physically active executives who reached his best-ever shape in his late 50s! "If you believe my fitness buddies," Zelnick writes, "I have a body that's aging in reverse...And Becoming Ageless is filled with the amazing tips and unique principles you'd find if you trained with me."

    William Sears was diagnosed with cancer. He, like so many people, wanted-and needed-to take control of his health. Dr. Sears created a comprehensive, science based, head-to-toe program for living a long, fit life-and it worked. Now at the peak of health, Dr. Sears shares his program in PRIME-TIME HEALTH. This engaging and deeply informative book will motivate readers to make crucial behavior and lifestyle changes. Dr. Sears explores how to keep each body system healthy and delay those usual age-related changes. Written in Dr. Sears's wise, accessible, and entertaining voice, PRIME-TIME HEALTH is a practical program to help you live your best life possible-pain-free, disease-free, stress-free, and medication-free.

    Although molecular topics are presented first, instructors can assign the chapters in any sequence. Pedagogical features such as chapter-opening “Key Questions” and strategically placed “Keynotes” help readers to efficiently master genetic concepts. The Genetics Place Companion Website contains interactive iActivities and narrated animations that help readers visualize and understand processes and concepts that are illustrated in the book. Genetics: An Introduction, DNA: The Genetic Material, DNA Replication, Gene Control of Proteins, Gene Expression: Transcription,Gene Expression: Translation, DNA Mutation, DNA Repair, and Transposable Elements, Structural Genomics, Functional and Comparative Genomics, Recombinant DNA Technology, Mendelian Genetics, Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance, Extensions of and Deviations from Mendelian Genetic Principles, Genetic Mapping in Eukaryotes, Genetics of Bacteria and Bacteriophages, Variations in Chromosome Structure and Number, Regulation of Gene Expression in Bacteria and Bacteriophages, Regulation of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes, Genetic Analysis of Development, Genetics of Cancer, Quantitative Genetics, Population Genetics, Molecular Evolution Intended for those interested in learning the basics of genetics

    The discovery initiated Gessen into a club of sorts: the small (but exponentially expanding) group of people in possession of a new and different way of knowing themselves through what is inscribed in the strands of their DNA. As she wrestled with a wrenching personal decision—what to do with such knowledge—Gessen explored the landscape of this brave new world, speaking with others like her and with experts including medical researchers, historians, and religious thinkers. Blood Matters is a much-needed field guide to this unfamiliar and unsettling territory. It explores the way genetic information is shaping the decisions we make, not only about our physical and emotional health but about whom we marry, the children we bear, even the personality traits we long to have. And it helps us come to terms with the radical transformation that genetic information is engineering in our most basic sense of who we are and what we might become.

    For the first time in comic book history, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers will join forces with some of the most popular Power Rangers teams in the franchise from across time and space to face the ultimate threat...one that will mean the death of a Ranger!   Join New York Times best-selling writer Kyle Higgins (Nightwing) and artists Daniele Di Nicuolo (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Pink) and Diego Galindo (Red Sonja) for the Power Rangers epic that redefined the comic book series. Collects Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #25-30, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Free Comic Book Day Special, and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Shattered Grid #1.

    But ask a physicist and there’s no doubt that James Clerk Maxwell will be near the top of the list.  Maxwell, an unassuming Victorian Scotsman, explained how we perceive colour. He uncovered the way gases behave. And, most significantly, he transformed the way physics was undertaken in his explanation of the interaction of electricity and magnetism, revealing the nature of light and laying the groundwork for everything from Einstein’s special relativity to modern electronics.   Along the way, he set up one of the most enduring challenges in physics, one that has taxed the best minds ever since. ‘Maxwell’s demon’ is a tiny but thoroughly disruptive thought experiment that suggests the second law of thermodynamics, the law that governs the flow of time itself, can be broken. This is the story of a groundbreaking scientist, a great contributor to our understanding of the way the world works, and his duplicitous demon.

    I’m definitely having a midlife crisis…I didn’t expect to be single at forty-five, but I’ve always prided myself on facing up to a challenge. A new town, a better job, and a cozy cottage of my own are all at the top of my To Do list. A new man? Right at the bottom. I’m far too busy for love.Returning to the Devon village of Crows Tor on Dartmoor brings a new lease of life for me – in more ways than one. It turns out my old school friend, Fiona, makes a secret moonshine at her whisky distillery using spring water collected under the full moon. Apparently it enhances your psychic powers, and she tempts me to have a shot… or three.I’m thrilled at the prospect of developing my psychic abilities. And then I look into a crystal ball at the May Day fair and have a vision of a murder. Suddenly it’s not such a fun idea after all, especially when my prediction comes true. Consumed by guilt because I didn’t warn the victim, I’m determined to find the killer, even if it puts me in the very path of danger…*The Midlife Moonshine stories are set on Dartmoor in Devon, England, and contain British English spelling and usage. They are clean reads with no graphic violence, strong language, or sex, but they’re packed with magic, mystery, romance, and history – all starring women in the prime of midlife!

    However much we may think we have evolved from our animal ancestors, Desmond Morris shows that our instinct and behavior are still rooted in our animal past. 140 full-color and 10 black-and-white photographs.