Book picks similar to
Toward a More Natural Science: Biology and Human Affairs by Leon R. Kass
philosophy
non-fiction
science
medicine
Life's Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe
Simon Conway Morris - 2003
The case rests on a remarkable compilation of examples of convergent evolution, in which two or more lineages have independently evolved similar structures and functions. The examples range from the aerodynamics of hovering moths and hummingbirds to the use of silk by spiders and some insects to capture prey. Going against the grain of Darwinian orthodoxy, this book is a must read for anyone grappling with the meaning of evolution and our place in the Universe. Simon Conway Morris is the Ad Hominen Professor in the Earth Science Department at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of St. John's College and the Royal Society. His research focuses on the study of constraints on evolution, and the historical processes that lead to the emergence of complexity, especially with respect to the construction of the major animal body parts in the Cambrian explosion. Previous books include The Crucible of Creation (Getty Center for Education in the Arts, 1999) and co-author of Solnhofen (Cambridge, 1990). Hb ISBN (2003) 0-521-82704-3
Anatomy & Physiology Coloring Workbook: A Complete Study Guide
Elaine N. Marieb - 1988
The author's straightforward approach promotes and reinforces learning on many levels through a wide variety of visual and written exercises. Along with its review of the human body from microscopic to macroscopic levels the workbook also includes practical, clinically oriented activities. KEY TOPICS: The Human Body: An Orientation, Basic Chemistry, Cells and Tissues, Skin and Body Membranes, The Skeletal System, The Muscular System, The Nervous System, Special Senses, The Endocrine System, Blood, The Cardiovascular System, The Lymphatic System and Body Defenses, The Respiratory System, The Digestive System and Body Metabolism, The Urinary System, The Reproductive System. MARKET: For all readers interested in learning the basics of anatomy and physiology.
Pathophysiology Made Incredibly Easy!
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins - 1998
Chapters cover cancer, infection, immune disorders, genetics, and disorders of each body system, highlighting pathophysiologic processes, resulting signs and symptoms, diagnostic test findings, and current treatments. Reader-friendly features include illustrations, checklists, and full-color miniguides illustrating the pathophysiology of specific disorders.This edition has new full-color miniguides on cancer pathophysiology and neuropathology. A new Focus on Genetics feature identifies gene-related discoveries and their implications for treatment or diagnosis. Review questions and answers follow current NCLEX-RN® requirements and alternate-format questions are included.
Eternity: God, Soul, New Physics
Trevelyan - 2013
This is a book about how many of the 'big' philosophical and religious questions that have puzzled mankind for centuries can be answered by recent breakthroughs in science.
Future Evolution
Peter D. Ward - 2001
Will our species change radically? Or will we become builders of the next dominant intelligence on Earth- the machine?These and other seemingly fantastic scenarios are the very possible realities explored in Peter Ward's Future Evolution, a penetrating look at what might come next in the history of the planet. Looking to the past for clues about the future, Ward describes how the main catalyst for evolutionary change has historically been mass extinction. While many scientist direly predict that humanity will eventually create such a situation, Ward argues that one is already well underway--the extinction of large mammals--and that a new Age of Humanity is coming that will radically revise the diversity of life on Earth. Finally, Ward examines the question of human extinction and reaches the startling conclusion that the likeliest scenario is not our imminent demise but long term survival--perhaps reaching as far as the death of the Sun!Full of Alexis Rockman's breathtaking color images of what animals, plants and other organisms might look like thousands and millions of years from now, Future Evolution takes readers on an incredible journey through time from the deep past into the far future.
Written in Stone: Evolution, the Fossil Record, and Our Place in Nature
Brian Switek - 2010
. . superbly shows that ‘[i]f we can let go of our conceit,’ we will see the preciousness of life in all its forms.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Highly instructive . . . a warm, intelligent yeoman’s guide to the progress of life.”—Kirkus Reviews“Magisterial . . . part historical account, part scientific detective story. Switek’s elegant prose and thoughtful scholarship will change the way you see life on our planet. This book marks the debut of an important new voice.”—Neil Shubin“Elegantly and engagingly crafted, Brian Switek’s narrative interweaves stories and characters not often encountered in books on paleontology—at once a unique, informative and entertaining read.”—Niles Eldredge“If you want to read one book to get up to speed on evolution, read Written in Stone. Brian Switek’s clear and compelling book is full of fascinating stories about how scientists have read the fossil record to trace the evolution of life on Earth.”—Ann Gibbons“[Switek's] accounts of dinosaurs, birds, whales, and our own primate ancestors are not just fascinating for their rich historical detail, but also for their up-to-date reporting on paleontology’s latest discoveries.”—Carl Zimmer"After reading this book, you will have a totally new context in which to interpret the evolutionary history of amphibians, mammals, whales, elephants, horses, and especially humans.”—Donald R. ProtheroSpectacular fossil finds make today's headlines; new technology unlocks secrets of skeletons unearthed a hundred years ago. Still, evolution is often poorly represented by the media and misunderstood by the public. A potent antidote to pseudoscience, Written in Stone is an engrossing history of evolutionary discovery for anyone who has marveled at the variety and richness of life.
The Gluten Lie: And Other Myths About What You Eat
Alan Levinovitz - 2015
Salt. Sugar. Fat. These are the villains of the American diet—or so a host of doctors and nutritionists would have you believe. But the science is far from settled and we are racing to eliminate wheat and corn syrup from our diets because we've been lied to. The truth is that almost all of us can put the buns back on our burgers and be just fine. Remember when butter was the enemy? Now it's good for you. You may have lived through times when the Atkins Diet was good, then bad, then good again; you may have wondered why all your friends cut down on salt or went Paleo; and you might even be thinking about cutting out wheat products from your own diet. For readers suffering from dietary whiplash, The Gluten Lie is the answer. Scientists and physicians know shockingly little about proper nutrition that they didn't know a thousand years ago, even though Americans spend billions of dollars and countless hours obsessing over "eating right." In this groundbreaking work, Alan Levinovitz takes on bestselling physicians and dietitians, exposing the myths behind how we come to believe which foods are good and which are bad—and pointing the way to a truly healthful life, free from anxiety about what we eat.
Hormonal: The Hidden Intelligence of Hormones -- How They Drive Desire, Shape Relationships, Influence Our Choices, and Make Us Wiser
Martie Haselton - 2018
With fresh insight, Martie Haselton explains how the fertility cycle has evolved over millions of years into a fine-tuned signaling system. Among the fascinating findings: During ovulation, women's attractiveness peaks because their "mate search effort" is turned on. Their walking gait, voice, skin condition, and dance moves are more alluring, and they wear more revealing clothes. They also tend to shop more. Being on the Pill affects women's preferences in men, and PMS may have evolved to get rid of boyfriends with unfit sperm. The research is provocative, but Haselton also presents practical advice for women to use their hormonal cycles to their advantage, helping them achieve success in their relationships, careers, and lives. Groundbreaking and counter-intuitive, HORMONAL will empower women everywhere to embrace their biology.
Sciencia: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Astronomy for All
Burkard Polster - 2011
Lavishly illustrated with engravings, woodcuts, and original drawings and diagrams, Sciencia will inspire readers of all ages to take an interest in the interconnected knowledge of the modern sciences.Beautifully produced in thirteen different colors of ink, Sciencia is an essential reference and an elegant gift.Wooden Books was founded in 1999 by designer John Martineau near Hay-on-Wye. The aim was to produce a beautiful series of recycled books based on the classical philosophies, arts and sciences. Using the Beatrix Potter formula of text facing picture pages, and old-styles fonts, along with hand-drawn illustrations and 19th century engravings, the books are designed not to date. Small but stuffed with information. Eco friendly and educational. Big ideas in a tiny space. There are over 1,000,000 Wooden Books now in print worldwide and growing.
Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime
Val McDermid - 2014
To the right listener, they tell us all about themselves: where they came from, how they lived, how they died - and who killed them. Forensic scientists can unlock the mysteries of the past and help justice to be done using the messages left by a corpse, a crime scene or the faintest of human traces. Forensics uncovers the secrets of forensic medicine, drawing on interviews with top-level professionals, ground-breaking research and Val McDermid's own experience to lay bare the secrets of this fascinating science. And, along the way, she wonders at how maggots collected from a corpse can help determine time of death, how a DNA trace a millionth the size of a grain of salt can be used to convict a killer and how a team of young Argentine scientists led by a maverick American anthropologist uncovered the victims of a genocide.In her crime novels, Val McDermid has been solving complex crimes and confronting unimaginable evil for years. Now, she's looking at the people who do it for real, and real crime scenes. It's a journey that will take her to war zones, fire scenes and autopsy suites, and bring her into contact with extraordinary bravery and wickedness, as she traces the history of forensics from its earliest beginnings to the cutting-edge science of the modern day.
Exploring Medical Language: A Student-Directed Approach
Myrna LaFleur Brooks - 1985
With a logical, body-systems organization and engaging terminology exercises throughout, it's your key to communicating confidently and effectively with other health care professionals.Systematic approach to terminology prepares you to recognize and define new words as you encounter them and build the medical vocabulary you'll need in the health care setting.Pronunciation key provides quick access to frequently referenced material.Complimentary and Alternative Medicine terms boxes highlight words and phrases associated with this increasingly popular discipline.Case studies encourage critical thinking and demonstrate how to apply the information you've learned.Terminology flash cards, included with every book, give you valuable review and self-assessment tools you can take anywhere for study on the go.Evolve resources enhance your learning and reinforcement opportunities with additional exercises, a Spanish/English glossary, and the Body Spectrum Electronic Anatomy Coloring Book.Medical Terminology Online, available at an additional charge, gives you access to a complete online course for the most advanced learning and understanding.New terms and abbreviations familiarize you with the latest terminology in use in health care.New images and illustrations visually acquaint you with pathologic information and procedures you'll encounter in the clinical setting.Enhanced chapter features highlight important concepts and provide guidance for more effective learning and study.CD references within the text direct you to expanded learning opportunities on the companion CD.More than 20 new medical records let you practice medical terminology using the forms you'll encounter in the clinical setting.New icons make it easy to distinguish a variety of helpful boxes and reference the material you need quickly.Answers to review exercises help you gauge your strengths and weaknesses and configure the most effective study plan for you.Website boxes refer you to valuable content you can access online for further learning.Revised pharmacy appendix helps you easily reference key pharmaceutical terms.The vastly updated companion CD provides fun alternatives for reinforcing what you've learned with new learning games, including Medical Millionaire and Termbusters.Enhanced audio companion, available on CD or as iTerms downloads for portable media players, helps you perfect your pronunciation skills and confidently use the terms you've learned in practice.
The Chronic Cough Enigma: How to recognize, diagnose and treat neurogenic and reflux related cough
Jamie A. Koufman - 2014
The Chronic Cough Enigma is written for people who have been coughing for months or years and cannot get useful answers from their doctors.More than 20 million Americans suffer from what is known as enigmatic chronic cough. This book provides insights from Dr. Jamie Koufman’s almost forty years of successfully managing thousands of long-suffering cough patients. Indeed, the typical chronic cough patient who comes to her office has been coughing for more than a decade. This book provides the many who suffer from chronic cough new and potentially life-changing information and the potential to be cured.
The Best American Science Writing 2004
Dava Sobel - 2004
K. C. Cole's "Fun with Physics" is a profile of astrophysicist Janet Conrad that blends her personal life with professional activity. In "Desperate Measures," the doctor and writer Atul Gawande profiles the surgeon Francis Daniels Moore, whose experiments in the 1940s and '50s pushed medicine harder and farther than almost anyone had contemplated. Also included is a poem by the legendary John Updike, "Mars as Bright as Venus." The collection ends with Diane Ackerman's "ebullient" essay "We Are All a Part of Nature."Together these twenty-three articles on a wide range of today's most current topics in science -- from biology, physics, biotechnology, and astronomy, to anthropology, genetics, evolutionary theory, and cognition‚ represent the full spectrum of scientific writing from America's most prominent science authors, proving once again that "good science writing is evidently plentiful" (Scientific American).
Primal Loss: The Now-Adult Children of Divorce Speak
Leila Miller - 2017
Most of the contributors--women and men, young and old, single and married--have never spoken of the pain and consequences of their parents' divorce until now. They have often never been asked, and they believe that no one really wants to know. Despite vastly different circumstances and details, the similarities in their testimonies are striking; as the reader will discover, the death of a child's family strikes the human heart in universal ways. (Coming in paperback in May; paperback not available for pre-sale.)
The Birth of the Clinic: An Archaeology of Medical Perception
Michel Foucault - 1963
For the first time, medical knowledge took on a precision that had formerly belonged only to mathematics. The body became something that could be mapped. Disease became subject to new rules of classification. And doctors begin to describe phenomena that for centuries had remained below the threshold of the visible and expressible.In The Birth of the Clinic the philosopher and intellectual historian who may be the true heir to Nietzsche charts this dramatic transformation of medical knowledge. As in his classic Madness and Civilization, Michel Foucault shows how much what we think of as pure science owes to social and cultural attitudes — in this case, to the climate of the French Revolution. Brilliant, provocative, and omnivorously learned, his book sheds new light on the origins of our current notions of health and sickness, life and death.