Introducing Physical Geography


Arthur N. Strahler - 1970
    Includes all new multimedia and pedagogy to bring physical geography to a new audience. The new fourth edition of Introducing Physical Geography, focuses on both content and pedagogy. The text also includes current examples of environmental phenomena, such as Hurricane Isabel and the recent earthquakes in Turkey. The readability of the text has been enhanced with new placements of boxed features and supplementary material.

The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness


Sy Montgomery - 2015
    From New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, she has befriended octopuses with strikingly different personalities—gentle Athena, assertive Octavia, curious Kali, and joyful Karma. Each creature shows her cleverness in myriad ways: escaping enclosures like an orangutan; jetting water to bounce balls; and endlessly tricking companions with multiple “sleights of hand” to get food.Scientists have only recently accepted the intelligence of dogs, birds, and chimpanzees but now are watching octopuses solve problems and are trying to decipher the meaning of the animal’s color-changing techniques. With her “joyful passion for these intelligent and fascinating creatures” (Library Journal Editors’ Spring Pick), Montgomery chronicles the growing appreciation of this mollusk as she tells a unique love story. By turns funny, entertaining, touching, and profound, The Soul of an Octopus reveals what octopuses can teach us about the meeting of two very different minds.

Evolution's Workshop: God & Science on the Galápagos Islands


Edward J. Larson - 1965
    Isolated and desolate, they were largely overlooked by early explorers until Charles Darwin arrived there in the 1830s. It was Darwin who recognized that Galapagos' isolation and desolation were advantages: the paucity of species and lack of outside influences made the workings of natural selection crystal clear. Since then, every important advance and controversy in evolutionary thinking has had its reflection on the Galapagos. In every sense-intellectually, institutionally, and culturally-the history of science on these islands is a history of the way evolutionary science was done for the past 150 years. Evolution's Workshop tells the story of Darwin's explorations there; the fabulous Gilded Age expeditions, run from rich men's gigantic yachts, that featured rough-and-ready science during the day and black-tie dinners every night; the struggle for control of research on the Galapagos; the current efforts by "creation scientists" to use the Galapagos to undercut evolutionary teaching; and many other compelling stories.

A Natural History of Rape: Biological Bases of Sexual Coercion


Randy Thornhill - 2000
    According to Thornhill and Palmer, evolved adaptation of some sort gives rise to rape; the main evolutionary question is whether rape is an adaptation itself or a by-product of other adaptations. Regardless of the answer, Thornhill and Palmer note, rape circumvents a central feature of women's reproductive strategy: mate choice. This is a primary reason why rape is devastating to its victims, especially young women. Thornhill and Palmer address, and claim to demolish scientifically, many myths about rape bred by social science theory over the past twenty-five years. The popular contention that rapists are not motivated by sexual desire is, they argue, scientifically inaccurate.Although they argue that rape is biological, Thornhill and Palmer do not view it as inevitable. Their recommendations for rape prevention include teaching young males not to rape, punishing rape more severely, and studying the effectiveness of "chemical castration." They also recommend that young women consider the biological causes of rape when making decisions about dress, appearance, and social activities. Rape could cease to exist, they argue, only in a society knowledgeable about its evolutionary causes.The book includes a useful summary of evolutionary theory and a comparison of evolutionary biology's and social science's explanations of human behavior. The authors argue for the greater explanatory power and practical usefulness of evolutionary biology. The book is sure to stir up discussion both on the specific topic of rape and on the larger issues of how we understand and influence human behavior.

Quantum Evolution: How Physics' Weirdest Theory Explains Life's Biggest Mystery


Johnjoe McFadden - 2000
    His simple but staggering theory of quantum evolution shows how quantum mechanics gives living organisms the ability to initiate specific actions, including new mutations. As Paul Davies exclaims, "if these ideas are right, they will transform our understanding of the relationship between physics and biology" and may radically revise the notion of random evolution and the debate over consciousness and free will.

Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease


Vinay Kumar - 1974
    No other resource has been able to match its outstanding coverage of pathophysiology and disease. Now renamed Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, the new, 7th Edition of this classic text delivers a host of improvements that make it an even clearer choice for students and practitioners!

Anatomicum (Welcome To The Museum)


Jennifer Z. Paxton - 2019
    The 2019 offering from Welcome to the Museum guides readers through the human body, from the muscles we use to show emotion, to the delicate workings of the brain. With sumptuous artwork by Katy Wiedemann and expert text by professor Dr Jennifer Z Paxton, this beautiful book is a feast of anatomical knowledge.

Eating Alive: Prevention Thru Good Digestion


Jonn Matsen - 1989
    This book provides practical information on how to improve health and prevent diseases through good digestion.

Dem Bones


Bob Barner - 1996
    The frolicking skeletons will captivate children and adults while they sing along with this well-known, catchy song. Accompanied by interesting, informative "bone facts" this book makes a wonderful addition to both home and classroom libraries and a fun treat for Halloween!

Molecular Cell Biology


Harvey F. Lodish - 1992
    Molecular Cell Biology stands out from its peers in this course in that it provides a clear introduction to the techniques and experiments of scientists past and present, not just an "encyclopedia" of information.  This experimental emphasis, together with a solid pedagogical framework in the chapters, provides the clearest, most cutting-edge text available.

The Female Brain


Louann Brizendine - 2006
    Though referenced like a work of research, Brizedine's writing style is fully accessible. Brizendine provides a fascinating look at the life cycle of the female brain from birth ("baby girls will connect emotionally in ways that baby boys don't") to birthing ("Motherhood changes you because it literally alters a woman's brain-structurally, functionally, and in many ways, irreversibly") to menopause (when "the female brain is nowhere near ready to retire") and beyond. At the same time, Brizedine is not above reviewing the basics: "We may think we're a lot more sophisticated than Fred or Wilma Flintstone, but our basic mental outlook and equipment are the same." While this book will be of interest to anyone who wonders why men and women are so different, it will be particularly useful for women and parents of girls.

The Case of the Midwife Toad


Arthur Koestler - 1971
    It isn't surprising then that Koestler should hark back to the opprobrious case of Dr Paul Kammerer, an Austrian biologist whose controversial experiments on the evolutionary process (using among other amphibians the midwife toad, so named for its mating habits) were denounced as fraudulent in 1926 by an American herpetologist, G.K. Noble, in the pages of Nature-- whereupon Kammerer blew his brains out, seemingly confirming the old saw "confession is suicide & suicide is confession." But Koestler's investigation, begun as a study of a scientist who betrayed his commitment to truth, indicates that Kammerer, far from being a laboratory quisling, was probably innocent; a victim of an unknown colleague's machinations to discredit his work & therefore in the larger sense a casualty of the still unresolved war between the nco-Darwinist evolutionists who support the random mutation theory & the heretical Lamarckians who maintain (as did Kammerer's experiments) that acquired characteristics can be transmitted from one generation to another. "I did not start with the intention to rehabilitate Paul Kammerer," says Koestler, "but I ended up with an attempt to do so." In the course of that effort he uses his skill as both inventive fantast & experienced researcher to give the midwife toad case a sense of drama & veracity. Those who found The Double Helix satisfying will enjoy this one too, no matter if they agree with Koestler's conclusions.--Kirkus (edited)

Molecular Biology of the Cell


Bruce Alberts - 1983
    By extracting the fundamental concepts from this enormous and ever-growing field, the authors tell the story of cell biology, and create a coherent framework through which non-expert readers may approach the subject. Written in clear and concise language, and beautifully illustrated, the book is enjoyable to read, and it provides a clear sense of the excitement of modern biology. Molecular Biology of the Cell sets forth the current understanding of cell biology (completely updated as of Autumn 2001), and it explores the intriguing implications and possibilities of the great deal that remains unknown. The hallmark features of previous editions continue in the Fourth Edition. The book is designed with a clean and open, single-column layout. The art program maintains a completely consistent format and style, and includes over 1,600 photographs, electron micrographs, and original drawings by the authors. Clear and concise concept headings introduce each section. Every chapter contains extensive references. Most important, every chapter has been subjected to a rigorous, collaborative revision process where, in addition to incorporating comments from expert reviewers, each co-author reads and reviews the other authors' prose. The result is a truly integrated work with a single authorial voice. Features : - Places the latest hot topics sensibly in context - including genomics, protein structure, array technology, stem cells and genetics diseases. - Incorporates and emphasises new genomic data. - All of molecular biology is brought together into one section (chapters 4-7) covering classically defined molecular biology and molecular genetics. - Two chapters deal exclusively with methods and contain information on the latest tools and techniques. - New chapters on "Pathogens, Infection, and Innate Immunity". - Cell Biology Interactive CD-ROM is packaged with every copy of the book. - Contains over 1,600 illustrations, electron micrographs and photographs, of which over 1,000 are originally conceived by the authors.

The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus: The Mathematics of Christmas


Hannah Fry - 2016
    And proves once and for all that maths isn't just for old men with white hair and beards who associate with elves.Maths has never been merrier.

The Malaria Capers : More Tales of Parasites and People, Research and Reality


Robert S. Desowitz - 1991
    Desowitz asks, has biotechnical research on malaria produced so little when it had promised so much? An expert in tropical diseases, Desowtiz searches for answers in this provocative book.