Book picks similar to
Human Paleobiology by Robert B. Eckhardt
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Some Assembly Required: Decoding Four Billion Years of Life, from Ancient Fossils to DNA
Neil Shubin - 2020
Shubin describes how over the last half-century, scientists have been able to explore how genetic recipes build bodies during embryological development--how these inventions and adaptations occur in a nonprogressive manner in different contexts, at different speeds. Paleontology has been transformed over the last 50 years by tools and techniques of molecular biology--and it is that revolution in our understanding of the evolution of life that Shubin traces here. Each of us is a mosaic of precursors that came about at different times and places, with deep rooted connections across species that Darwin, for all he understood, could never even have imagined.
A Long Bright Future
Laura L. Carstensen - 2009
Supersized life spans are going to radically alter society, and present an unprecedented opportunity to change our approach not only to old age but to all of life’s stages. The ramifications are just beginning to dawn on us.... yet in the meantime, we keep thinking about, and planning for, life as it used to be lived. In A Long Bright Future, longevity and aging expert Laura Carstensen guides us into the new possibilities offered by a longer life. She debunks the myths and misconceptions about aging that stop us from adequately preparing for the future both as individuals and as a society: that growing older is associated with loneliness and unhappiness, and that only the genetically blessed live well and long. She then focuses on other important components of a long life, including finances, health, social relationships, Medicare and Social Security, challenging our preconceived notions of “old age” every step of the way.
The Hungry Gene: The Inside Story of the Obesity Industry
Ellen Ruppel Shell - 2002
Shell traces the epidemic's inception in the Ice Age, its rise during the Industrial Revolution, and its growth through the early days of medicine and into modernity. She takes readers to the front lines of the struggle to come to grips with this baffling plague — from a children's food marketing convention, to the cutthroat race to find the obese gene, to a far-flung tropical island, where a horrifying outbreak of obesity has helped unravel the disorder's genetic and evolutionary roots. Offering an unflinching insider's look into the radical and controversial surgical and pharmacological approaches used to combat what drug makers have dubbed the trillion-dollar disease, Shell takes aim at the collusion of industry and government that lies behind the crises and shows conclusively that obesity is not a matter of gluttony or weak will, but of an increasingly greedy culture preying on vulnerable human biology. Gripping and provocative, The Hungry Gene is the unsettling saga of how the world got fat — and what we can do about it.
This Explains Everything: Deep, Beautiful, and Elegant Theories of How the World Works
John BrockmanSean Carroll - 2013
Why do we recognize patterns? Is there such a thing as positive stress? Are we genetically programmed to be in conflict with each other? Those are just some of the 150 questions that the world's best scientific minds answer with elegant simplicity.With contributions from Jared Diamond, Richard Dawkins, Nassim Taleb, Brian Eno, Steven Pinker, and more, everything is explained in fun, uncomplicated terms that make the most complex concepts easy to comprehend.
A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters
Andrew H. Knoll - 2021
Probably most or even all of the above. The story of our home planet and the organisms spread across its surface is far more spectacular than any Hollywood blockbuster, filled with enough plot twists to rival a bestselling thriller. But only recently have we begun to piece together the whole mystery into a coherent narrative. Drawing on his decades of field research and up-to-the-minute understanding of the latest science, renowned geologist Andrew H. Knoll delivers a rigorous yet accessible biography of Earth, charting our home planet's epic 4.6 billion-year story. Placing twenty first-century climate change in deep context, A Brief History of Earth is an indispensable look at where we’ve been and where we’re going.Features original illustrations depicting Earth history and nearly 50 figures (maps, tables, photographs, graphs).
An Orphan's Heart
Lori Crane - 2013
Eventually, she has to return to face her demons and learns you can never go home again. Finally, she ventures to the great plains of Texas and finds what her heart yearns for, only to have everything ripped from her in a shattering turn of events. Follow the great adventure of a young woman’s travels across the rugged 1880′s Deep South in search of the only thing that is important to her…love.
Spin: 20 Years of Alternative Music: Original Writing on Rock, Hip-Hop, Techno, and Beyond
Will Hermes - 2005
Through the introduction of MTV and the alternative rock revolution, it's been many things. Rude. Brilliant. Soulful. Snotty. Angry. Delirious. In the past two decades, genres have spawned like mad, from goth, indie rock, and gangsta rap to emo and the garage rock revival. This twentieth-anniversary tribute celebrates the passion and fury of the music, with original essays, quotes, and photographs by contributors who are as hopelessly obsessed with it as you are. SPIN: 20 Years of Alternative Music features: Alan Light on Beastie Boys, Ann Powers on U2, Charles Aaron on R.E.M., Dave Eggers on The Smiths + Morrissey, Marc Spitz on Goth, Simon Reynolds on Depeche Mode + Synth-pop, Dave Itzkoff on ’80s Teen Movies, Chuck Klosterman on Weezer, Will Hermes on Radiohead, Neil Strauss on Nine Inch Nails + Industrial, Sacha Jenkins on Public Enemy, Andy Greenwald on Emo, RJ Smith on Gangsta Rap, Jon Dolan on The White Stripes, Chris Norris on Nirvana, Doug Brod on Oasis + Britpop, Jim DeRogatis on Smashing Pumpkins, Laura Sinagra on Courtney Love, Ta-Nehisi Coates on Tupac
Solomon Speaks on Reconnecting Your Life
Eric Pearl - 2012
Eric Pearl had with one of his patients? What was it about that encounter that would not only radically accelerate the trajectory of his life, but ultimately affect the lives of millions . . . and will most likely profoundly affect your life as well? What is this phenomenon? In his international bestseller, The Reconnection: Heal Others, Heal Yourself, Dr. Pearl taught readers how to access and tap into a comprehensive spectrum of energy, light, and information previously inaccessible to anyone, anywhere. In doing so, he allowed us to entirely transcend complex healing "techniques" and bring about dramatic, often instantaneous, lifelong healings and life transformations! Since then, the world has clamored for Eric’s second book. His response? When I have something else to say. Today Dr. Pearl, in collaboration with Frederick Ponzlov, indeed has something else to say. You might have to reconsider everything you’ve read up until now about healing, consciousness, and our four-dimensional existence here on Earth. As guided by the spirit of Solomon, a multidimensional intelligence that speaks through Frederick Ponzlov, experience firsthand the insights imparted during the evolution of this unique transmodality known today as Reconnective Healing. Now you can discover these insights and apply them to your life—insights that have revolutionized the healing world and given us the key to access the immense power that we each have within our lives. Solomon speaks. . . .
The PE Diet: Leverage your biology to achieve optimal health.
Ted Naiman - 2019
All of us WANT to achieve optimum wellness, but not all of us know how. There are some basic levers that drive health in one of two directions: towards perfection, or towards chronic degenerative disease. If you understand the principles that govern your physiology, you can achieve complete mastery over your own body composition and become the best possible version of yourself. The P:E Diet is the SIMPLEST and MOST PRACTICAL diet and exercise book ever written. Once you understand the core tenets of your biology, you will know HOW to increase your lean mass while decreasing your fat mass—and you will know WHY it works. The P:E Diet breaks down every single dietary strategy into one incredibly simple metric: PROTEIN versus ENERGY. The protein to energy ratio explains EVERY SINGLE DIET PHENOMENON. The P:E Diet breaks down the cause of the obesity epidemic and the solution using this one powerful weapon. This is not ‘paleo’ or ‘keto’ or ‘low carb’ or ‘low fat’ or ‘plants versus animals’ or ‘calorie counting’—instead this is one MASTER CONCEPT that explains the success of EVERY SINGLE DIETARY STRATEGY out there. This book completely TRANSCENDS ALL OF THE DIET CAMPS and explains why they ALL offer some value—and once you understand this underlying principle, you unlock EVERY DIET. The P:E Diet explains EXACTLY why FOOD CHOICE is everything — once you choose WHAT to eat, your body will tell you HOW MUCH to eat. This approach teaches you how to eat INTUITIVELY to achieve your goals, without unnecessary tracking or micromanaging quantity.
The exercise portion of this book is just as revelatory: all you need for the optimum adaptive response to exercise is to generate MAXIMUM TENSION in your muscles for the MAXIMUM TIME possible. All exercise can be broken down into three exercise motions: PUSH, PULL, and LEGS. This requires NO EQUIPMENT WHATSOEVER and can be accomplished with bodyweight only. By maximizing INTENSITY and FREQUENCY you can build muscle with absolute MINIMUM TIME. Packed with hundreds of photos and illustrations, The P:E Diet is a life-changing knowledge bomb that absolutely anyone and everyone should read. PLEASE NOTE: MAY NOT WORK ON ALL KINDLE DEVICES! Will work well on the Kindle App but may not work on all Kindle devices.
Thylacine: The Tragic Tale of the Tasmanian Tiger
David Owen - 2003
But was it a savage sheep killer or a shy, fussy, nocturnal feeder? And did it really drink its victims' blood? Once reviled, feared and slaughtered by government decree, the myth of the Tasmanian Tiger continues to grow. So treasured is it now, the Tasmanian Tiger has become the official logo of the island that wiped it out and a symbol of the conservation movement world-wide.A number of Australian species have miraculously reappeared after being labelled as extinct. Perhaps the Tiger is still with us. And if it's not, can it be brought back by cloning?
Games Primates Play: An Undercover Investigation of the Evolution and Economics of Human Relationships
Dario Maestripieri - 2012
The same rules regulate the exchange of grooming behavior in rhesus macaques or chimpanzees. Interestingly, some of the major aspects of human nature have profound commonalities with our ape ancestors: the violence of war, the intensity of love, the need to live together. While we often assume that our behavior in everyday situations reflects our unique personalities, the choices we freely make, or the influences of our environment, we rarely consider that others behave in these situations in almost the exact the same way as we do. In Games Primates Play, primatologist Dario Maestripieri examines the curious unspoken customs that govern our behavior. These patterns and customs appear to be motivated by free will, yet they are so similar from person to person, and across species, that they reveal much more than our selected choices.Games Primates Play uncovers our evolutionary legacy: the subtle codes that govern our behavior are the result of millions of years of evolution, predating the emergence of modern humans. To understand the rules that govern primate games and our social interactions, Maestripieri arms readers with knowledge of the scientific principles that ethologists, psychologists, economists, and other behavioral scientists have discovered in their quest to unravel the complexities of behavior. As he realizes, everything from how we write emails to how we make love is determined by the legacy of our primate roots and the conditions that existed so long ago. An idiosyncratic and witty approach to our deep and complex origins, Games Primates Play reveals the ways in which our primate nature drives so much of our lives.
Science of the Magical: From the Holy Grail to Love Potions to Superpowers
Matt Kaplan - 2015
Like Ken Jennings and Mary Roach, Kaplan serves as a friendly armchair guide to the world of the supernatural. From the strengthening powers of Viking mead, to the super soldiers in movies like Captain America, Kaplan ranges across cultures and time periods to point out that there is often much more to these enduring magical narratives than mere fantasy. Informative and entertaining, Science of the Magical explores our world through the compelling scope of natural and human history and cutting-edge science.
Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide
Judith E. Tintinalli - 1978
It is more concise and easier to read than some, yet it covers the breadth of emergency medicine practice more comprehensively than others. The bottom line is that I like this book. Just as previous editions did, the seventh presents all of the most pertinent and up-to-date information in a well-organized format that is comprehensive yet easy to read. That and many of the attractive new features in this current edition will ensure its place on my bookshelf for years to come."--JAMAWith 418 contributors representing over 120 medical centers around the world, Tintinalli’s Emergency Medicine is the most practical and clinically rigorous reference of its kind. It covers everything from prehospital care, disaster preparedness, and basic resuscitative techniques, to all the major diseases requiring emergency treatment, such as pulmonary emergencies, renal and GU disorders, and hemophilia. This authoritative, in-depth coverage makes this classic text indispensible not only in emergency departments, but also for residents and practitioners when studying or preparing for any exam they may face.While continuing to provide the most current information for acute conditions, the Seventh Edition of Tintinalli’s Emergency Medicine has been substantially revised and updated to cover all of the conditions for which patients seek emergency department care in a concise and easy-to-read-manner.NEW Features Full-color design with more figures and tables than ever Reader-friendly chapter presentation makes it easy to find important material. Updated tables covering drugs and important clinical information Patient safety considerations and injury prevention are integrated into chapters, as appropriate Total revision of the dermatology section enables diagnosis by lesion description and body area affected, and provides current treatment Organ systems sections reorganized to reflect considerations for actual clinical practice. New chapters: New adult chapters include Natural Disasters, Aneurysms of the Aorta and Major Arteries; Hip and Knee Pain, Aortic Dissection; Acute Urinary Retention; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage and Intracranial Bleeding; Clotting Disorders; Community –acquired Pneumonia and Noninfectious Pulmonary Infiltrates; Type I Diabetes; Type II Diabetes; Anemia; Tests of Hemostasis; Clotting Disorders; Head Injury in Adults and Children; the Transplant Patient; Grief, Death and Dying; and Legal Issues in Emergency Medicine. Twelve new pediatric chapters including The Diabetic Child, Hematologic-Oncologic Emergencies, Ear and Mastoids, Eye Problems in Infants and Children, Neck Masses, GI Bleeding, Nose and Sinuses, Urologic and Gynecologic Procedures in children, Renal emergencies in children, Behavioral and Psychiatric Disorders in children, Pediatric Procedures, Pediatric ECG Interpretation Greater coverage of procedures throughout for the most common conditions seen in the emergency department. Companion DVD features an additional 17 chapters, such as Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Principles of Imaging, Prison Medicine, Military Medicine, The Violent Patient, Forensics, Wound Ballistics, and Drug Interactions. Companion DVD also features videos and animations for teaching and learning performance of important procedures, especially Ultrasound-Guided Procedures
The Artificial Ape: How Technology Changed the Course of Human Evolution
Timothy Taylor - 2010
Unlike our cousins who subsist on raw food, spend their days and nights outdoors, and wear a thick coat of hair, humans are entirely dependent on artificial things, such as clothing, shelter, and the use of tools, and would die in nature without them. Yet, despite our status as the weakest ape, we are the masters of this planet. Given these inherent deficits, how did humans come out on top?In this fascinating new account of our origins, leading archaeologist Timothy Taylor proposes a new way of thinking about human evolution through our relationship with objects. Drawing on the latest fossil evidence, Taylor argues that at each step of our species' development, humans made choices that caused us to assume greater control of our evolution. Our appropriation of objects allowed us to walk upright, lose our body hair, and grow significantly larger brains. As we push the frontiers of scientific technology, creating prosthetics, intelligent implants, and artificially modified genes, we continue a process that started in the prehistoric past, when we first began to extend our powers through objects.Weaving together lively discussions of major discoveries of human skeletons and artifacts with a reexamination of Darwin's theory of evolution, Taylor takes us on an exciting and challenging journey that begins to answer the fundamental question about our existence: what makes humans unique, and what does that mean for our future?
Jet Man: The Making and Breaking of Frank Whittle, Genius of the Jet Revolution
Duncan Campbell-Smith - 2020
In 1985 Hans von Ohain, the scientist who pioneered Nazi Germany's efforts to build a jet plane, posed the question: 'Would World War II have occured if the Luftwaffe knew it faced operational British jets instead of Spitfires?' He immediately answered, 'I, for one, think not.'Frank Whittle, working-class outsider and self-taught enthusiast, had worked out the blueprint of a completely new type of engine in 1929, only for his ideas to be blocked by bureaucratic opposition until the outbreak of war in 1939. The importance of his work was recognized too late by the government for his revolutionary engine to play a major part in World War II. After the war Whittle's dream of civilian jet-powered aircraft became a reality and Britain enjoyed a golden age of 1950's jet-powered flight.Drawing on Whittle's extensive private papers, Campbell-Smith tells the story of a stoic and overlooked British hero, a tantalizing tale of 'what might have been'.