Life on Earth


David Attenborough - 1979
    Told through an examination of animal and plant life today - with occasional juxtapositions of extinct fossil forms to reveal the origin of living creatures - "Life on Earth" is an astonishing pageant of life, with a cast of characters drawn from the whole range of living animals the world over. Attenborough's perceptive, dynamic approach to the evolution of some four million species of living organisms that populate the planet is to trace the most significant thread in the history of each major group. He then proceeds to explain from the evidence of living representatives and fossil remains why certain animals adapted and survived, evolved to more complex and "higher" forms of life, while others, by some inherent limitation imposed by their physiology or structure, failed and became extinct. "Life on Earth" is a book of wonders. A model of clarity and ease as a guide, Attenborough takes the reader around the world with him into jungles where orchids have petals that "impersonate" wasps to attract pollinating insects; to Australia, where honeypot ants force feed nectar to workers of a special caste, then hang them up by their forelegs like living storage jars; to remote mountains in Japan where little monkeys called macaques have learned to combat the winter snows by bathing in hot volcanic springs.

RSPB Handbook of British Birds


Peter Holden - 2002
    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).

Myths: Tales of the Greek and Roman Gods


Lucia Impelluso - 2007
    Author Lucia Impelluso has drawn from a variety of sources, including the plays of Euripides and Aeschylus, the epics of Homer and Virgil, Aesop’s fables, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Petrarch’s sonnets, and the works of Pindar, Sophocles, Plutarch, Pliny the Elder, and Bocaccio.  Beginning with the stories of Earth’s creation and its early rulers, the Titans, Impelluso recounts the major episodes and figures of Greek and Roman mythology, with sections on the gods of the sky, the sea, the earth, and the underworld; the Fates and the Muses; monsters; human heroes; and the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid. Here are beloved stories, retold and illustrated in a wonderful, giftable format.

1,000 Places to See Before You Die


Patricia Schultz - 2003
    Sacred ruins, grand hotels, wildlife preserves, hilltop villages, snack shacks, castles, festivals, reefs, restaurants, cathedrals, hidden islands, opera houses, museums, and more. Each entry tells exactly why it's essential to visit. Then come the nuts and bolts: addresses, websites, phone and fax numbers, best times to visit. Stop dreaming and get going.This hefty volume reminds vacationers that hot tourist spots are small percentage of what's worth seeing out there. A quick sampling: Venice's Cipriani Hotel; California's Monterey Peninsula; the Lewis and Clark Trail in Oregon; the Great Wall of China; Robert Louis Stevenson's home in Western Samoa; and the Alhambra in Andalusia, Spain. Veteran travel guide writer Schultz divides the book geographically, presenting a little less than a page on each location. Each entry lists exactly where to find the spot (e.g. Moorea is located "12 miles/19 km northwest of Tahiti; 10 minutes by air, 1 hour by boat") and when to go (e.g., if you want to check out The Complete Fly Fisher hotel in Montana, "May and Sept.-Oct. offer productive angling in a solitary setting"). This is an excellent resource for the intrepid traveler.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

True Hallucinations


Terence McKenna - 1993
    Either a profoundly psychotic episode or a galvanizing glimpse into the true nature of time & mind, McKenna is a spellbinding storyteller, providing plenty of down-to-earth reasons for preserving the planet.Preface1 The Call of the Secret2 Into the Devil's Paradise3 Along a Ghostly Trail 4 Camped by a Doorway 5 A Brush with the Other6 Kathmandu Interlude 7 A Violet Psychofluid8 The Opus Clarified 9 A Conversation Over Saucers10 More on the Opus 11 The Experiment at La Chorrera12 In the Vortex 13 At Play in the Fields of the Lord14 Looking Backward 15 A Saucer Full of Secrets16 Return 17 Waltzing the Enigma18 Say What Does It Mean?19 The Coming of the Strophariad20 The Hawaiian Connection EpilogueAcknowledgmentsFurther Reading

The Double Helix


James D. Watson - 1968
    At the time, Watson was only 24, a young scientist hungry to make his mark. His uncompromisingly honest account of the heady days of their thrilling sprint against other world-class researchers to solve one of science's greatest mysteries gives a dazzlingly clear picture of a world of brilliant scientists with great gifts, very human ambitions & bitter rivalries. With humility unspoiled by false modesty, Watson relates his & Crick's desperate efforts to beat Linus Pauling to the Holy Grail of life sciences, the identification of the basic building block of life. Never has a scientist been so truthful in capturing in words the flavor of his work.

The Big Book of American Trivia


Stephen J. Lang - 1997
    More than 3,000 questions will fill up countless hours of fun as you learn fascinating facts about our country. The Big Book of American Trivia is perfect for party games, family gatherings, and vacations. A collection sure to please all the trivia fanatics you know!{sample questions}Q. What is the only state that borders only one state?A. See page 15Q. What city is only 90 miles from Havana, Cuba?A. See page 313Q. What famous patriotic song was written on the back of an envelope during the bombing of a fort?A. See page 85]Q. What twentieth-century president was the first to be born in a hospital?A. See page 299

How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food


Mark Bittman - 1998
    Just as important, How to Cook Everything takes a relaxed, straightforward approach to cooking, so you can enjoy yourself in the kitchen and still achieve outstanding results.

The Nature and Properties of Soil


Nyle C. Brady - 1984
    It has an ecological approach that explains the fundamentals of soil science effectively. Chapter topics include Soil Erosion and Its Control, Soil Acidity, Soils and Chemical Pollution, and Organisms and the Ecology of the Soil. For individuals interested in soil and the environment."

The Book of Common Prayer


The Episcopal Church - 2011
    OVERVIEWThe most recent Episcopal Book of Common Prayer from 1979 contains two rites for the most common services, the first from traditional language from previous versions, and the second using only contemporary language (some of it newly composed, and some adapted from the older language).This Kindle version of the Book of Common Prayer contains a fully interactive table of contents, index, as well as references and links to the actual pages numbers in the paper version of the Book.CONTENTS:The Book of Common PrayerAdministration of the SacramentsOther RitesCeremonies of the ChurchThe Psalter or Psalms of David

Crystal Power, Crystal Healing: The Complete Handbook


Michael Gienger - 1997
    Gaze at each crystal in dazzling color photographs, focusing on its shape and facets, and learn to reap its restorative effects with this easy-to-understand, precise guide. Find the most helpful healing stones for your needs, and the best ways to wear or use them. Place a crystal directly on your body; lie within a "stone circle"; meditate with stones resting against your skin; and take gem essences internally. They'll do wonders for grief, headaches, low self-confidence, and so much more. 416 pages (200 in color), 6 x 8.

Holy Blood, Holy Grail


Michael Baigent - 1982
    The tale seems to begin with buried treasure and then turns into an unprecedented historical detective story - a modern Grail quest leading back through cryptically coded parchments, secret societies, the Knights Templar, the Cathar heretics of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and a dynasty of obscure French kings deposed more than 1,300 years ago. The author's conclusions are persuasive: at the core is not material riches but a secret - a secret of explosive and controversial proportions, which radiates out from the little Pyrenees village all the way to contemporary politics and the entire edifice of the Christian faith. It involves nothing less than... the Holy Grail.

Glacial Lake Missoula: And Its Humongous Flood


David D. Alt - 2001
    Harlen Bretz walked the dry scabland channels of eastern Washington in the 1920s, it dawned on him that he was viewing a landscape sculpted by water. Lots of water. A flood of catastrophic proportions. Glacial Lake Missoula and Its Humongous Floods tells the gripping tale of a huge Ice Age lake that drained suddenly--not just once but repeatedly--and reshaped the landscape of the Northwest. The narrative follows the path of the floodwaters as they raged from western Montana across the Idaho Panhandle, then scoured through eastern Washington and down the Columbia Gorge to the Pacific Ocean. This is also the story of geologists grappling with scientific controversy--"of how personalities, pride, and prejudice sometimes superseded scientific evidence."

Alchemy & Mysticism


Alexander Roob - 1996
    This unique selection of illustrations with commentaries and source texts guides us on a fascinating journey through the representations of the secret arts.

Element Encyclopedia of Secret Signs and Symbols: The Ultimate A-Z Guide from Alchemy to the Zodiac


Adele Nozedar - 2008
    A book that has definitions & explanation about numerous signs & symbols