You Can Lead a Politician to Water, But You Can't Make Him Think: Ten Commandments for Texas Politics


Kinky Friedman - 2007
    It was a solid race, and he fought the good fight. Getting on the ballot as an independent -- a feat that had not been achieved in over a century -- was a victory in itself. And with ideas like "slots for tots" (legalized gambling to pay for education), the five Mexican generals plan (bribes to enforce border protection), and a firm stand against the "wussification" of the state, he would have done a helluva job.If that 2006 election was any indication -- and it was -- the political landscape in both Texas and the country at large needs a significant overhaul. The hucksters, the wealthy, and the twofaced rule; there is no room for Truth, and the little guys are quickly forgotten in all the muck. But Kinky, (briefly) down yet certainly not out, is still looking out for his fellow Americans, and he has much wisdom to impart.In this hilarious, thought-provoking manifesto, Kinky lays forth his ten commandments for improving the state of Texas and politics everywhere, and for restoring order, logic, decency, and above all a sense of humor back to this country. It's classic Kinky in a brand new way. And he might just have a point.

Christmas Spurs


Bill Wallace - 1990
    And I'm scared. My little brother, Jimmy, is sick. All I want for Christmas is for him to get well. Santa seems to be listening when we get Buck, the best horse ever! I get spurs, and Jimmy gets a new cowboy hat, a real Stetson. He's so happy it almost makes us forget... until Jimmy's in the hospital again. I try to act big and strong. But I feel angry and sad, until the miracle happens... on an unforgettable Christmas day.

Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S.


Cynthia Barnett - 2007
    Cynthia Barnett does it by telling us the stories of the amazing personalities behind our water wars, the stunning contradictions that allow the wettest state to have the most watered lawns, and the thorough research that makes her conclusions inescapable. Barnett has established herself as one of Florida’s best journalists and Mirage is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of the state.”—Mary Ellen Klas, Capital Bureau Chief, Miami Herald “Mirage is the finest general study to date of the freshwater-supply crisis in Florida. Well-meaning villains abound in Cynthia Barnett’s story, but so too do heroes, such as Arthur R. Marshall Jr., Nathaniel Reed, and Marjorie Harris Carr. The author’s research is as thorough as her prose is graceful. Drinking water is the new oil. Get used to it.”—Michael Gannon, Distinguished Professor of history, University of Florida, and author of Florida: A Short History “With lively prose and a journalist’s eye for a good story, Cynthia Barnett offers a sobering account of water scarcity problems facing Florida—one of our wettest states—and the rest of the East Coast. Drawing on lessons learned from the American West, Mirage uses the lens of cultural attitudes about water use and misuse to plead for reform. Sure to engage and fascinate as it informs.”—Robert Glennon, Morris K. Udall Professor of Law and Public Policy, University of Arizona, and author of Water Follies: Groundwater Pumping and the Fate of America’s Fresh Waters Part investigative journalism, part environmental history, Mirage reveals how the eastern half of the nation—historically so wet that early settlers predicted it would never even need irrigation—has squandered so much of its abundant freshwater that it now faces shortages and conflicts once unique to the arid West. Florida’s parched swamps and supersized residential developments set the stage in the first book to call attention to the steady disappearance of freshwater in the American East, from water-diversion threats in the Great Lakes to tapped-out freshwater aquifers along the Atlantic seaboard. Told through a colorful cast of characters including Walt Disney, Jeb Bush and Texas oilman Boone Pickens, Mirage ferries the reader through the key water-supply issues facing America and the globe: water wars, the politics of development, inequities in the price of water, the bottled-water industry, privatization, and new-water-supply schemes. From its calamitous opening scene of a sinkhole swallowing a house in Florida to its concluding meditation on the relationship between water and the American character, Mirage is a compelling and timely portrait of the use and abuse of freshwater in an era of rapidly vanishing natural resources.

The Fly in the Ointment: 70 Fascinating Commentaries on the Science of Everyday Life


Joe Schwarcz - 2004
    This entertaining examination of everyday science from the fanciful to the factual covers topics ranging from pesticides and environmental estrogens to lipsticks and garlic.

Inorganic Chemistry


D.F. Shriver - 1990
    The bestselling textbook inorganic chemistry text on the market covers both theoretical and descriptive aspects of the subject, and emphasizes experimental methods, industrial applications, and modern topics.

Bang!: The Complete History of the Universe


Brian May - 2006
    He's certainly been thinking about it lately. May, a freshly minted astrophysics Ph.D., joins forces with legendary astronomer Patrick Moore and astrophysicist Chris Lintott in Bang! to consider the history of the universe from the Big Bang to Heat Death.Space, time, and matter were birthed 13.7 billion years ago and will continue on longer than we are able to comprehend. Infinitesimally small at first, the Universe is immense and ever expanding. Bang! explains how it all started, takes you on a tour of what is known about the evolution of the Universe, and posits how the end of time will come about.This fascinating book includes photographs, short biographies of key figures, an at-a-glance timeline, a glossary of terms, and suggested resources for further exploration.Based on the work of history’s most brilliant scientific minds, this amazing story features clear, straightforward discussions of the most perplexing and compelling aspects of existence—from the formation of stars, planets, and other galactic bodies to black holes, quasars, anti-matter, and dark matter to the emergence of life and the possibility that it could exist elsewhere.Pick up a copy of Bang! It will, it will rock you.

The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey


Roger Highfield - 1998
    Can reindeer fly? Could scientists clone the perfect Christmas tree? How does Santa manage to deliver presents to an estimated 824 million households in a single night? These are among the questions explored in an irresistibly witty book that illuminates the cherished rituals, legends, and icons of Christmas from a unique and fascinating perspective: science.  "Excellent entertainment for the Christmas connoisseurs in your circle." --USA Today

Geography, an Integrated Approach


David Waugh - 1995
    The bestselling A Level text which contains advice from leading authorities in the field of geography research.

Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History


David Christian - 2004
    Beginning with the Big Bang, David Christian views the interaction of the natural world with the more recent arrivals in flora and fauna, including human beings.Cosmology, geology, archeology, and population and environmental studies—all figure in David Christian's account, which is an ambitious overview of the emerging field of "Big History." Maps of Time opens with the origins of the universe, the stars and the galaxies, the sun and the solar system, including the earth, and conducts readers through the evolution of the planet before human habitation. It surveys the development of human society from the Paleolithic era through the transition to agriculture, the emergence of cities and states, and the birth of the modern, industrial period right up to intimations of possible futures. Sweeping in scope, finely focused in its minute detail, this riveting account of the known world, from the inception of space-time to the prospects of global warming, lays the groundwork for world history—and Big History—true as never before to its name.

Journey to the Center of the Earth


Nicholas Harris - 1999
    A three-dimensional journey is conveyed by the use of a window on the cover and cut-outs on each spread to show the Earth's layers. A double gatefold provides the starting point for this fascinating scientific adventure that explores territory never seen by humankind. Dimensions (inches): 10 x 12

The Very Best of the Feynman Lectures


Richard P. Feynman - 2005
    Feynman's three-volume Lectures on Physics has been known worldwide as the classic resource for students and professionals alike. That text was based on transcriptions of the hundreds of hours of audio recordings made during Feynman's legendary classroom lectures. Now, for the first time on compact disc, the best of these recordings are available in digitally mastered quality. Ranging from the most basic principles of Newtonian physics through such formidable topics as Einstein's general relativity, superconductivity, and quantum mechanics, Feynman's lectures stand as a monument of clear exposition and deep insight. Timeless and collectible, these unabridged lectures are essential listening, not just for students of physics, but for anyone seeking an introduction to the field from the inimitable Richard Feynman. 6 CDs: Total playing time: Approx. 6 hours

For Us, the Living: A Comedy of Customs


Robert A. Heinlein - 2003
    

The New Quotable Einstein


Albert Einstein - 2005
    Tens of thousands of readers have enjoyed The Quotable Einstein and The Expanded Quotable Einstein, with translations into twenty-two languages. This updated edition--which appears on the 100th anniversary of Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity and the 50th anniversary of Einstein's death--offers more than 300 new quotations, or over 1,200 altogether. Nearly all are by Einstein himself and a few are about the self-professed lone wolf Time magazine named Man of the Century at the turn of the millennium.The New Quotable Einstein also includes a new section, On Aging, and fresh material has been added to the appendix-from a touching account by Helen Dukas of Einstein's last days to a day-by-day summary of Johanna Fantova's telephone conversations with Einstein during the final year and a half of his life.Also included are a poem called Einstein, by Robert Service; and three virtually unknown verses to the song As Time Goes By (made famous in the movie Casablanca) that refer to Einstein. New photographs have been selected to introduce each section of the book.Through well-documented quotations and supplementary information, The New Quotable Einstein provides a bigger and better biographical account of this multifaceted man-as son, husband, father, lover, scientist, philosopher, aging widower, humanitarian, and friend. It shows us even more vividly why the real and imagined Einstein continues to fascinate people across the world into the twenty-first century.300-plus new quotations, more than 1,200 in allA day-by-day summary of Johanna Fantova's phone conversations with Einstein toward the end of his lifeA touching account of Einstein's last daysA new section, On AgingThree virtually unknown original verses of the song As Time Goes By (from the movie Casablanca) that refer to EinsteinRobert Service's poem Einstein-- "New Scientist"

The Three Astronauts


Umberto Eco - 1966
    Arriving at their destination simultaneously, at first they consider each other to be foreigners and rivals; but the lonely condition on the alien world makes them realize that their differences are inconsequential when compared to what they have in common. This is reinforced when they meet a Martian, and not understanding its strange ways they discover that their enmity has shifted from each other to the real alien – but of course, they soon discover that this strange creature has emotions just as familiar as their own.The illustrations in the book are by award-winning artist Eugenio Carmi, and consist of colorful watercolors and montages. Surreal and symbolic, the artwork nicely accompanies Eco’s tale of understanding and compassion on another world. The astronauts are depicted by swatches of colored paper rather than as people; the American as a multicolored box of Chiclets, the Russian a red clipping from Pravda, and the Chinese as a yellow ideogram. Other than obviously standing in for whole nations, the overall effect is rather clever, and adds a sort of haunting quality to their lonely sojourn on the planet. The actual Martian is quite cute in a disturbingly alien kind of way, and it is remarkable how you begin to feel sympathy for it considering it is just an expressionless green head on top of a multi-armed torso.I haven’t heard the reaction of any children yet, but I kinda like it....

Prehospital Emergency Care


Joseph J. Mistovich - 1996
    This best-selling, student-friendly book contains clear, step-by-step explanations with comprehensive, stimulating, and challenging material that prepares users for real on-the-job situations. Featuring case studies, state-of-the-art scans, algorithms, protocols, and the inclusion of areas above and beyond the DOT protocols, the tenth edition effectively prepares students for success. The assessment and emergency care sections provide the most up-to-date strategies for providing competent care; and the enrichment sections further enhance students ability to assess and manage ill and injured patients in prehospital environments. The text s table of contents is organized to follow the National EMS Educational Standards."