Evolution in Four Dimensions: Genetic, Epigenetic, Behavioral, and Symbolic Variation in the History of Life


Eva Jablonka - 2005
    New findings in molecular biology challenge the gene-centered version of Darwinian theory according to which adaptation occurs only through natural selection of chance DNA variations. In Evolution in Four Dimensions, Eva Jablonka and Marion Lamb argue that there is more to heredity than genes. They trace four dimensions in evolution -- four inheritance systems that play a role in evolution: genetic, epigenetic (or non-DNA cellular transmission of traits), behavioral, and symbolic (transmission through language and other forms of symbolic communication). These systems, they argue, can all provide variations on which natural selection can act. Evolution in Four Dimensions offers a richer, more complex view of evolution than the gene-based, one-dimensional view held by many today. The new synthesis advanced by Jablonka and Lamb makes clear that induced and acquired changes also play a role in evolution. After discussing each of the four inheritance systems in detail, Jablonka and Lamb put Humpty Dumpty together again by showing how all of these systems interact. They consider how each may have originated and guided evolutionary history and they discuss the social and philosophical implications of the four-dimensional view of evolution. Each chapter ends with a dialogue in which the authors engage the contrarieties of the fictional (and skeptical) I.M., or Ifcha Mistabra -- Aramaic for the opposite conjecture -- refining their arguments against I.M.'s vigorous counterarguments. The lucid and accessible text is accompanied by artist-physician Anna Zeligowski's lively drawings, which humorously and effectively illustrate the authors' points.

Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny


Amartya Sen - 2006
    Challenging the reductionist division of people by race, religion, and class, Sen presents an inspiring vision of a world that can be made to move toward peace as firmly as it has spiraled in recent years toward brutality and war.

The Hidden Dimension


Edward T. Hall - 1966
    Introducing the science of "proxemics," Hall demonstrates how man's use of space can affect personal business relations, cross-cultural exchanges, architecture, city planning, and urban renewal.

Language & Silence: Essays on Language, Literature, and the Inhuman


George Steiner - 1967
    How do we evaluate the power and utility of language when it has been made to articulate falsehoods in certain totalitarian regimes or has been charged with vulgarity and imprecision in a mass-consumer democracy? How will language react to the increasingly urgent claims of more exact speech such as mathematics and symbolic notation? These are some of the questions Steiner addresses in this elegantly written book, first published in 1967 to international acclaim.

Swearing Is Good for You: The Amazing Science of Bad Language


Emma Byrne - 2017
    She explores every angle of swearing—why we do it, how we do it, and what it tells us about ourselves. Packed with the results of unlikely and often hilarious scientific studies—from the “ice-bucket test” for coping with pain, to the connection between Tourette’s and swearing, to a chimpanzee that curses at her handler in sign language—Swearing Is Good for You presents a lighthearted but convincing case for the foulmouthed.

Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene


Donna J. Haraway - 2016
    Haraway offers provocative new ways to reconfigure our relations to the earth and all its inhabitants. She eschews referring to our current epoch as the Anthropocene, preferring to conceptualize it as what she calls the Chthulucene, as it more aptly and fully describes our epoch as one in which the human and nonhuman are inextricably linked in tentacular practices. The Chthulucene, Haraway explains, requires sym-poiesis, or making-with, rather than auto-poiesis, or self-making. Learning to stay with the trouble of living and dying together on a damaged earth will prove more conducive to the kind of thinking that would provide the means to building more livable futures. Theoretically and methodologically driven by the signifier SF—string figures, science fact, science fiction, speculative feminism, speculative fabulation, so far—Staying with the Trouble further cements Haraway's reputation as one of the most daring and original thinkers of our time.

CBD-Rich Hemp Oil - Cannabinoid Nursing 101: Cannabis Medicine is Back


Tina Rappaport - 2014
    Although it has a long history, the recent discovery (1992) of the body's widespread endocannabinoid system (ECS) has thrust cannabis back into the limelight again as a viable medicine. In 2012 over 2.5 million prescriptions were written for medical marijuana in the United States. CBD and THC are both cannabinoids found in cannabis. However, while THC produces a “high” in the user, CBD does not. And now legal CBD-rich hemp oil is available over-the-counter in all 50 states, without a prescription. It was discovered that the Hemp Family of plants (cannabis, marijuana) is loaded with cannabinoids that stimulate our ECS receptor sites. These sites are found in the brain, organs, glands, connective tissue and immune cells and plays regulatory roles in many physiological processes including appetite, pain-sensation, mood and memory. The primary purpose of this system revolves around maintaining balance in the body. Cannabinoids found in all varieties of cannabis work in harmony with the cannabinoids we naturally produce when our system is functioning properly. It is now coming to light that we may very well be “Endocannabinoid Deficient” and supplementing with Cannabidiol, known as CBD, may provide just what we’re missing to restore optimum health. The health benefits of cannabidiol (CBD) from natural hemp oil is this book's primary focus. It explores the similarities, differences, uses and benefits of hemp, cannabis and medical marijuana along with the interplay of THC and CBD. Their 480 other components are also discussed, such as terpenoids, flavonoids, enzymes, vitamins, etc. Make no mistake about it, the endocannabinoid system, although newly discovered, is just as important as any other bodily system, like the muscular, cardiac, circulatory or digestive system. The ECS requires its own specialized medicine as found in the Hemp Family of plants, which is also known as cannabis, and which includes all strains of marijuana. Here is a list of conditions known and/or being researched that may be helped by cannabinoid therapeutics and supplementation: Acne ADD/ADHD Addiction AIDS ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) Alzheimer’s Anorexia Antibiotic Resistance Anxiety Atherosclerosis Arthritis Asthma Autism Bipolar Cancer Colitis/Crohn’s Depression Diabetes Endocrine Disorders Epilepsy/Seizure Fibromyalgia Glaucoma Heart Disease Huntington’s Inflammation Irritable Bowel Kidney Disease Liver Disease Metabolic Syndrome Migraine Mood Disorders Motion Sickness Multiple Sclerosis Nausea Neurodegeneration Neuropathic Pain Obesity OCD Osteoporosis Parkinson’s Prion/Mad Cow Disease PTSD Rheumatism Schizophrenia Sickle Cell Anemia Skin Conditions Sleep Disorders Spinal Cord Injury Stress Stroke/TBI 10% of the proceeds from sales of this book will be donated to the American Cannabis Nurses Association in an effort to bring together nurses, to share, integrate and one day certify nurses in the science of endocannabinoid therapeutics in nursing practice.

Ubersleep: Nap-Based Sleep Schedules and the Polyphasic Lifestyle


PureDoxyk - 2008
    Written by Puredoxyk, the coiner of the term ""Uberman's Sleep Schedule"" and a long-term polyphasic sleeper.

To Have or to Be? The Nature of the Psyche


Erich Fromm - 1976
    Nothing less than a manifesto for a new social and psychological revolution to save our threatened planet, this book is a summary of the penetrating thought of Eric Fromm. His thesis is that two modes of existence struggle for the spirit of humankind: the having mode, which concentrates on material possessions, power, and aggression, and is the basis of the universal evils of greed, envy, and violence; and the being mode, which is based on love, the pleasure of sharing, and in productive activity. To Have Or to Be? is a brilliant program for socioeconomic change.>

The Craftsman


Richard Sennett - 2008
    The computer programmer, the doctor, the artist, and even the parent and citizen all engage in a craftsman’s work. In this thought-provoking book, Sennett explores the work of craftsmen past and present, identifies deep connections between material consciousness and ethical values, and challenges received ideas about what constitutes good work in today’s world. The Craftsman engages the many dimensions of skill—from the technical demands to the obsessive energy required to do good work. Craftsmanship leads Sennett across time and space, from ancient Roman brickmakers to Renaissance goldsmiths to the printing presses of Enlightenment Paris and the factories of industrial London; in the modern world he explores what experiences of good work are shared by computer programmers, nurses and doctors, musicians, glassblowers, and cooks. Unique in the scope of his thinking, Sennett expands previous notions of crafts and craftsmen and apprises us of the surprising extent to which we can learn about ourselves through the labor of making physical things.

Hygge: Discovering The Danish Art Of Happiness – How To Live Cozily And Enjoy Life’s Simple Pleasures


Olivia Telford - 2017
     For many of us in today’s crazy and hectic world of careers, family and social lives, we can often forget that the things which are simpler and give the greatest pleasure are often put to one side. The simple pleasure of sitting in silence, watching the sunset, or watching the crackle of a fire as you share a meal can often have a greater effect on our souls than any material thing. And this where Hygge makes its mark. Hygge is more than just a concept. It is a way of being and living that has been adopted by countless numbers of people throughout Scandinavia and the wider world and reflects a ‘cosiness’ that encompasses the positivity and enjoyment that one can get from simple everyday things. It does not need to cost a lot of money and can be as humble as having a warm fire and enough food to eat. Now, you can make Hygge a part of your life with Hygge: Discovering the Danish Art of Happiness ─ How to Live Cosily and Enjoy Life’s Simple Pleasures. Inside the pages of this book, you will find 12 chapters which give in-depth information on what Hygge is and how best to use it in your particular set of circumstances, including: Where Hygge comes from The fundamental principles of Hygge The benefits you can get from living a Hygge lifestyle How to apply Hygge to your life How Hygge changes with each season How to live a Hygge lifestyle, even when you have a budget to consider Millions of people around the world are turning to Hygge as a great way to live their lives. You can now be a part of this amazing revolution, build a simpler life, be happier, more content and in control of your life. Click the link below to view the book on Amazon! https://amzn.to/2KXgEM4

Dataclysm: Who We Are (When We Think No One's Looking)


Christian Rudder - 2014
    In Dataclysm, Christian Rudder uses it to show us who we truly are.   For centuries, we’ve relied on polling or small-scale lab experiments to study human behavior. Today, a new approach is possible. As we live more of our lives online, researchers can finally observe us directly, in vast numbers, and without filters. Data scientists have become the new demographers.   In this daring and original book, Rudder explains how Facebook "likes" can predict, with surprising accuracy, a person’s sexual orientation and even intelligence; how attractive women receive exponentially more interview requests; and why you must have haters to be hot. He charts the rise and fall of America’s most reviled word through Google Search and examines the new dynamics of collaborative rage on Twitter. He shows how people express themselves, both privately and publicly. What is the least Asian thing you can say? Do people bathe more in Vermont or New Jersey? What do black women think about Simon & Garfunkel? (Hint: they don’t think about Simon & Garfunkel.) Rudder also traces human migration over time, showing how groups of people move from certain small towns to the same big cities across the globe. And he grapples with the challenge of maintaining privacy in a world where these explorations are possible.   Visually arresting and full of wit and insight, Dataclysm is a new way of seeing ourselves—a brilliant alchemy, in which math is made human and numbers become the narrative of our time.

The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten: 100 Experiments for the Armchair Philosopher


Julian Baggini - 2005
    Taking examples from sources as diverse as Plato and Steven Spielberg, author Julian Baggini presents abstract philosophical issues in concrete terms, suggesting possible solutions while encouraging readers to draw their own conclusions: Lively, clever, and thought-provoking, The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten is a portable feast for the mind that is sure to satisfy any intellectual appetite.

Moral Origins: The Evolution of Virtue, Altruism, and Shame


Christopher Boehm - 2012
    Why, if the human instinct to survive and reproduce is “selfish,” do people engage in self-sacrifice, and even develop ideas like virtue and shame to justify that altruism? Many theories have been put forth, some emphasizing the role of nepotism, others emphasizing the advantages of reciprocation or group selection effects. But evolutionary anthropologist Christopher Boehm finds existing explanations lacking, and in Moral Origins, he offers an elegant new theory.Tracing the development of altruism and group social control over 6 million years, Boehm argues that our moral sense is a sophisticated defense mechanism that enables individuals to survive and thrive in groups. One of the biggest risks of group living is the possibility of being punished for our misdeeds by those around us. Bullies, thieves, free-riders, and especially psychopaths—those who make it difficult for others to go about their lives—are the most likely to suffer this fate. Getting by requires getting along, and this social type of selection, Boehm shows, singles out altruists for survival. This selection pressure has been unique in shaping human nature, and it bred the first stirrings of conscience in the human species. Ultimately, it led to the fully developed sense of virtue and shame that we know today.A groundbreaking exploration of the evolution of human generosity and cooperation, Moral Origins offers profound insight into humanity’s moral past—and how it might shape our moral future.

Why Only Us: Language and Evolution


Robert C. Berwick - 2015
    Within a year or so, infants master the sound system of their language; a few years after that, they are engaging in conversations. This remarkable, species-specific ability to acquire any human language -- "the language faculty" -- raises important biological questions about language, including how it has evolved. This book by two distinguished scholars -- a computer scientist and a linguist -- addresses the enduring question of the evolution of language.Robert Berwick and Noam Chomsky explain that until recently the evolutionary question could not be properly posed, because we did not have a clear idea of how to define "language" and therefore what it was that had evolved. But since the Minimalist Program, developed by Chomsky and others, we know the key ingredients of language and can put together an account of the evolution of human language and what distinguishes us from all other animals.Berwick and Chomsky discuss the biolinguistic perspective on language, which views language as a particular object of the biological world; the computational efficiency of language as a system of thought and understanding; the tension between Darwin's idea of gradual change and our contemporary understanding about evolutionary change and language; and evidence from nonhuman animals, in particular vocal learning in songbirds.