Archeologists have found evidence of beekeeping, or apiculture, in the Middle East dating back more than five thousand years. If you've ever tasted good clover honey, it's not hard to understand why. But it's not just for the honey that more than 125,000 people (and growing) in the United States, alone, keep hives. Anyone interested in nature can't help but be fascinated by those buzzing yellow bundles of energy and the exotic world they inhabit, with all its weird rituals and incredible efficiency. Also, dedicated gardeners appreciate the extra bounty that pollinating bees bring to their fruits, flowers, and vegetable gardens. In this easy-to-follow guide, Howland Blackiston, one of the nation's most respected authorities on the subject, takes the mystery (and the sting) out of beekeeping. Taking a step-by-step approach to successful backyard beekeeping, he gets you up and running with all the information you need to:Build a hive Establish your first colony Inspect your hives with confidence Maintain healthy colonies Deal with pests and fix common problems Harvest and enjoy fresh homemade honey Bottle and market your honey Howland Blackiston covers all the bases, from bee anatomy, society, and behavior, to identifying and healing common illnesses afflicting bees. He also offers inventive solutions to most common and many uncommon problems you're likely to run into. Among other things, you'll discover:Where to put your hive, basic equipment you'll need, and how to assemble a hive The best and safest way to inspect and enjoy your bees Year-round tasks a beekeeper must perform to maintain a healthy colony How to recognize and deal with common problems with brood production and the precious queen How to harvest honey and decide what kind of honey you'd like to make Making products from beeswax and propolis For both fun and profit, beekeeping has become a booming enterprise. A real honey of a book, Beekeeping For Dummies gets you on the road to enjoying this ancient, highly-rewarding, and oh-so-tasty hobby.

    With 77 million baby boomers entering the program, questions about what Medicare is and how it affects seniors are certain to arise. Medicare For Dummies addresses this uncertain topic and helps those eligible for Medicare benefits maneuver the complicated process. Topics include: summary of Medicare benefits; Medicare coverage options; Medicare rights and protections; updated information on changes to Medicare based on recent changes in healthcare legislation; how the economy affects Medicare; and more. * Includes up-to-date information on the changing healthcare landscape so recipients can take advantage of the new provisions * Helps readers make sense of Medicare in these uncertain times If you're one of the millions of Americans looking to get the lowdown on Medicare, this hands-on, friendly guide has you covered.

    The best thing is that your new puppy is a blank canvas just waiting to be made into a masterpiece. Adopting a puppy means not only caring for his physical and emotional needs, but you must also train him to be an upstanding member of society. There are unacceptable behaviors, even for puppies. It doesn’t matter how cute and adorable they are when they ruin your carpet and stink up your house all the time. But it’s up to you to teach your puppy where and when to “go.” In this book, you will only learn time-tested strategies from potty training your puppy to, teaching him obedient safety measures, manners and leash walking etiquette to fun and unique tricks. You will learn step-by-step instructions that will help you train your puppy like a pro. Here is a glance of what you will learn in this book.. How to establish boundaries with your puppy Powerful techniques to potty train your puppy Non- Compliance warning signs New House training techniques Best Puppy obedience training techniques Noise control strategies Much much more With this book in your hand, you will learn how to efficiently and without stress conduct puppy training lessons. From hints about setting up the scene and tone of the classroom to learning how to be assertive yet kind, you will see how simple it is to be the best teacher ever. Even better, your dog will be such a good student that he will earn his rightful title as “teacher’s pet.” Did you know that dogs mirror their owners? If you come to class stressed, your pup will pick up on it and act out accordingly. On the same note, if you are positive and ready to roll, he is likely to be as well. If you are still a little shaky, rest assured that I have trained literally hundreds of puppies. I have trained a myriad of nervous puppy owners too. I have successfully trained them, and… I’ll train you too. Without another wag of your pup’s tail, let’s get on with our step-by-step training of your new puppy. Download your copy today.. Go to the top of the page and click the orange “Add To Cart” button on the right to order now!

    From the Himalayan slopes of Bhutan to the most isolated mountain ranges of New Guinea, The Kingdom of Rarities takes us to some of the least-traveled places on the planet to catch a glimpse of these unique animals and many others. As he shares stories of these species, Eric Dinerstein gives readers a deep appreciation of their ecological importance and the urgency of protecting all types of life—the uncommon and abundant alike.An eye-opening tour of the rare and exotic, The Kingdom of Rarities offers us a new understanding of the natural world, one that places rarity at the center of conservation biology. Looking at real-time threats to biodiversity, from climate change to habitat fragmentation, and drawing on his long and distinguished scientific career, Dinerstein offers readers fresh insights into fascinating questions about the science of rarity and unforgettable experiences from the field.

    Laura Berman shows how it is possible to combine the reality of everyday life with fantastic sex. Sex in real life is not the sex we see in the media, and this book's images and advice reflect life and sex naturally. This book helps the reader to connect with her own sexuality, looking at physical and emotional health, and how she feelsabout herself and sex. Dr. Laura then provides information on techniques and tips on how to maximize your sex life, including how to express your needs and explore new positions.Best-selling author and renowned sex therapist, Dr. Laura Berman is America's leading expert in female sexual health. She is the founder and director of the Berman Center in Chicago, which specializes in sexual health and therapy, and she is assistant clinical professor of psychiatry and obstetrics/gynecology atthe Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.

    Just ask biotechnologist Matti Leisola. It all started when a student loaned the Finnish scientist a book criticizing evolutionary theory. Leisola reacted angrily, and set out to defend evolution, but found his efforts raised more questions than they answered. He soon morphed into a full-on Darwin skeptic, even as he was on his way to becoming a leading bio-engineer.Heretic is the story of Leisola's adventures making waves-and many friends and enemies-at major research labs and universities across Europe. Tracing his investigative path, the book draws on Leisola's expertise in molecular biology to show how the evidence points more strongly than ever to the original biotechnologist-a designing intelligence whose skill and reach dwarf those of even our finest bioengineers, and leave blind evolution in the dust.Endorsements "Award-winning Finnish biotechnologist Matti Leisola has written a fascinating account of what happens when a scientist follows the evidence wherever it leads. Leisola's account of how he succeeded should inspire up-and-coming scientists who face the same challenge." Biologist Jonathan Wells, PhD, author of Icons of Evolution and Zombie Science "Scientists, like all other intellectuals, have ideas about what constitutes and what does not constitute reality. However, they are often not aware-and sometimes not ready to admit-that such ideas represent the principles of their philosophy. Leisola and Witt's Heretic is a unique first-hand account of the life-long adventures of a scientist who dared to challenge philosophical principles of colleague scientists. In my opinion, the outcome shows that to many scientists their philosophy is dearer than their science." Biochemist and inventor Branko Kozulic, PhD "This book is an exciting story about how a scientist's relentless search for truth makes him a heretic in the eyes of a cultural community more concerned about prestige than principle." Tapio Puolimatka, PhD and EdD, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland "This book is a personal, strong, and motivated plea for intelligent design (ID) and 'swims against the current' of Darwinian evolution, now generally accepted in scientific circles and society. I personally do not endorse ID, but I am a good friend of the author, whom I also highly respect as a scientist active in academia and in the biotech industry over so many years. Heretic inspires readers to think critically and to open up a civilized discussion on neo-Darwinism versus ID. It covers the science and philosophical parts adequately; it is accessible to a large readership; and statements are underpinned by relevant research and literature data. Its value lies in the author's lifelong engagement and personal crusade to stimulate the public debate among scientists as well as laymen over Darwinism (chance/random mutation and natural selection) versus ID, a vision that Leisola strongly advocates." Dr. Erick J. Vandamme, Emeritus Professor of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Belgium "Matti Leisola has written the exciting story of almost the entire spectrum of aberrant motives, absurd fears, and unreasonable reactions to intelligent design (ID) by evolutionary scientists, clergymen, and church institutions alike, notably during his career as a scientist over the last some forty years. I would add a word on the fears of so many critics that accepting ID also means accepting the dogmata of some 1700 years of church history. ID is thoroughly neutral concerning such topics. So, the reader is invited to carefully check the historical and, what is more, the enormous wealth of scientific data Matti Leisola has presented in the present book: Test them carefully with an open mind and form your own independent opinion!" Dr. Wolf-Ekkehard Lonnig, geneticist, Cologne,

    In Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?, best-selling author and mortician Caitlin Doughty answers the most intriguing questions she’s ever received about what happens to our bodies when we die. In a brisk, informative, and morbidly funny style, Doughty explores everything from ancient Egyptian death rituals and the science of skeletons to flesh-eating insects and the proper depth at which to bury your pet if you want Fluffy to become a mummy. Now featuring an interview with a clinical expert on discussing these issues with young people—the source of some of our most revealing questions about death—Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? confronts our common fear of dying with candid, honest, and hilarious facts about what awaits the body we leave behind.

    Have you ever wondered if your dog might be a bit depressed? How about heartbroken or homesick? Animal Madness takes these questions seriously, exploring the topic of mental health and recovery in the animal kingdom and turning up lessons that Publishers Weekly calls “Illuminating…Braitman’s delightful balance of humor and poignancy brings each case of life….[Animal Madness’s] continuous dose of hope should prove medicinal for humans and animals alike.” Susan Orlean calls Animal Madness “a marvelous, smart, eloquent book—as much about human emotion as it is about animals and their inner lives.” It is “a gem…that can teach us much about the wildness of our own minds” (Psychology Today).

    Countless behaviors separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom, but all of them can be traced one way or another to six traits that are unique to the human race—our big toe, our opposable thumb, our oddly shaped pharynx, and our ability to laugh, kiss, and cry. At first glance these may not seem to be connected but they are. Each marks a fork in the evolutionary road where we went one way and the rest of the animal kingdom went another. Each opens small passageways on the peculiar geography of the human heart and mind.Walter weaves together fascinating insights from complexity theory, the latest brain scanning techniques, anthropology, artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, and robotics to explore how the smallest of changes over the past six million years – all shaped by the forces of evolution -- have enabled a primate once on the brink of extinction to evolve into a creature that would one day create all of the grand and exuberant edifices of human culture.As the story of each trait unfolds, Walter explains why our brains grew so large and complex, why we find one another sexually attractive, how toolmaking laid the mental groundwork for language, why we care about what others think, and how we became the creature that laughs and cries and falls in love. Thumbs, Toes and Tears is original, informative, and delightfully thought-provoking.

    The faculty of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, one of the most prestigious and pioneering veterinary schools in the world, now shares its accumulated knowledge and experience in this groundbreaking whole-dog approach to raising the healthiest, happiest, most well-behaved puppy possible.The authors of Puppy's First Steps are singularly qualified to look at a puppy from all angles, physical, emotional, and behavioral. In contrast to a single breeder's or trainer's theory about what is effective most of the time, the recommendations in this book are scientifically proven to work. This integrative body-and-mind approach stands out from the one-size-fits-all mentality that pervades the dog-training world. And the advice here delivers not just during the puppy's first year -- the most essential twelve months of a dog's development -- but throughout the dog's life, ensuring a strong, happy bond between you and your new best friend for years and years to come.Puppy's First Steps features:* How to test a puppy’s temperament before you decide which one to take home* The most nutritious, safest food for your puppy* To crate or not to crate?* Socializing your puppy with other people and dogs* Easy-to-implement training methods based on reward, not punishment* Housetraining in less than a week* Overcoming puppy’s fears and phobias* Keeping your puppy happy while you’re at work* What to do in a medical emergencyYou'll want to get your puppy off on the right foot, and now the best advice is in your hands. Comprehensive yet accessible, sensitive, and, above all, practical, Puppy’s First Steps is the only book a puppy owner will need.

    But it gets much easier and a lot more fun when you follow a step-by-step approach that starts you off on the right foot, helps you build your skills one at a time, and gives you plenty of exercises to develop your craft. That's what you'll find in Oil Painting For Dummies. Completely free of arty jargon, this full-color guide has all the hands-on instruction you need to master the basics. You'll see how to plan a painting, build an image in layers, mix colors, and create stunning compositions. You'll also find everything you need to know about oil paints, solvents, and pigments; brushes, palettes, and painting surfaces; and how to keep costs down at the art supply store. Discover how to:Choose the right supplies Set up your studio and care for your equipment Handle your materials safely Develop your design and composition skills Make practice sketches and studies Use broken stroke, dry brush, glazing, scraffito and other brush strokes Try out different compositions Mix any color you want Simplify tricky still-life subjects Paint landscapes and common objects out doors Paint portraits and the human form Complete with handy color chart, basic materials list, and a very useful viewing square, Oil Painting For Dummies is the fun and easy way to discover your inner artist!

    Indeed, starting from this tiny, common speck, Jan Zalasiewicz offers readers a stimulating tour that begins with the Universe's dramatic birth in the unimaginable violence of the Big Bang and explores the construction of the Solar System and the origins of our own planet. Zalasiewicz shows the almost incredible complexity present in the apparently mundane pebble, starting with the astonishing number of atoms in each. We learn that many events in the Earth's ancient past can be deciphered from a pebble: volcanic eruptions; the lives and deaths of extinct animals and plants; the alien nature of long-vanished oceans; and even the creations of fool's gold and oil deep underground. Zalasiewicz also demonstrates how geologists reach deep into the Earth's past by forensic analysis of even the tiniest amounts of mineral matter. The pebble may be small, and ordinary, but it is also an eloquent part of our Earth's extraordinary, never-ending story.

     This field guide features detailed descriptions of 455 species of trees native to eastern North America, including the Midwest and the South. The 48 color plates, 11 black-and-white plates, and 26 text drawings show distinctive details needed for identification. Color photographs and 266 color range maps accompany the species descriptions.

    Earth, born in a nuclear explosion, is a radioactive planet; without radiation, life would not exist. And while radiation can be dangerous, it is also deeply misunderstood and often mistakenly feared. Now Robert Peter Gale, M.D,—the doctor to whom concerned governments turned in the wake of the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters—in collaboration with medical writer Eric Lax draws on an exceptional depth of knowledge to correct myths and establish facts. Exploring what have become trigger words for anxiety—nuclear energy and nuclear weapons, uranium, plutonium, iodine-131, mammogram, X-ray, CT scan, threats to the food chain—the authors demystify the science and dangers of radiation, and examine its myriad benefits, from safely sterilizing our food to the relatively low-risk fuel alternative of nuclear energy. This is the book for all readers who have asked themselves questions such as: What kinds of radiation, and what degree of exposure, cause cancer? What aftereffects have nuclear accidents and bombs had? Does radiation increase the likelihood of birth defects? And how does radiation work? Hugely illuminating, Radiation is the definitive road map to our post-Chernobyl, post-Fukushima world.

    This is not true. In fact, chess is accessible and can be played by anyone with a brain, a pair of eyes, and imagination. The ultimate guide for beginnersIf you've never played the game of chess or are still discovering it, this book is for you. It is a basic and comprehensive guide that will introduce you to the game and teach you everything you need to know, from the setup of a chess board to the delivery of checkmate. It is filled with advice for beginners, basic tactics, strategies, and diagrams to help you visualize every step of your progress. The start of a lifelong King's huntThe objective of this book is not to make you a chess master. That is an accomplishment that takes decades of research, regular practice, and an insane amount of talent. The goal here is for you to become a decent chess player. After reading this book, you will be able to play games with anyone, practice regularly, and sharpen your chess muscles until you reach a decent level of play. The more you'll play, the better you'll get. But it all starts with the basics which you will acquire in this book. So don't hesitate. If you've always wanted to learn to play chess, now is the time. Just scroll up and grab your copy now!