Opening Skinner's Box: Great Psychological Experiments of the Twentieth Century


Lauren Slater - 2004
    F. Skinner and the legend of a child raised in a box, Slater takes us from a deep empathy with Stanley Milgram's obedience subjects to a funny and disturbing re-creation of an experiment questioning the validity of psychiatric diagnosis. Previously described only in academic journals and textbooks, these often daring experiments have never before been narrated as stories, chock-full of plot, wit, personality, and theme.

Pioneer life; or, Thirty Years a Hunter, Being Scenes and Adventures in the Life of Philip Tome (1854)


Philip Tome - 2006
    Tome was born in 1782 near present-day Harrisburg and lived on the upper Susquehanna for much of his life. He tells colorful (and mostly true) tales about his hunting exploits in the Pennsylvania wilderness, as he tracked elk, wolves, bears, panthers, foxes, and other large animals through the state’s north-central mountains, earning wide renown among his contemporaries. His stories contain suspenseful chase scenes, accidents, and narrow escapes, inviting the reader to view a still-wild Pennsylvania through the eyes of one who “was never conquered by man or animal.” Pioneer Life, originally published in 1854, has since been reprinted several times. This classic hunting memoir includes the following chapters: I. Birth and Early Life II. Hunting the Elk III. Capturing a Live Elk IV. Face of the Country V. Face of the Country — Continued VI. Danger From Rattlesnakes VII. Wolf and Bear Hunting VIII. Another Elk Hunt IX. Elk-Hunting on the Susquehannah X. Elk-Hunting — Continued XI. Nature, Habits, and Manner of Hunting the Elk XII. Elk and Bear Hunting in Winter XIII. Hunting on the Clarion River XIV. Hunting and Trapping XV. The Bear, Its Nature and Habits XVI. Hunting Deer at Different Seasons XVII. Nature and Habits of the Panther, Wolf and Fox XVIII. Rattlesnakes and Their Habits XIX. Distinguished Lumbermen, Etc. XX.. Reminiscences of Cornplanter XXI. Indian Eloquence This book originally published in 1854 has been reformatted for the Kindle and may contain an occasional defect from the original publication or from the reformatting

Summary of The Body by Bill Bryson: A Guide for Occupants


Best Book Briefings - 2019
    So often, we take our bodies for granted. We’re rarely curious about how they work and what we can do to make them work better. In The Body, Bill Bryson takes you on a tour inside your body so you can gain a better understanding of how it functions and its amazing ability to heal itself. At the times you doubt yourself, or think of yourself as less than wonderful, this summary of The Body will remind you of the miracle you truly are.

The First


Dylan S. Perry - 2017
    Naseby, England. Baroness De Meaux lives a comfortable life and is content with where she fits into the hierarchy of society. She was groomed for the story she’s telling but several things set her apart from everyone around her. When her mother passes away suddenly, the visions she hides from the world—the ones that show her the future—force their way to the surface. And when she’s faced with the impossible, it leaves her questioning just how far apart her two contradicting worlds really are from another. Can Margaret make peace with her past and what she assumes is her imagination? Or will she give into the myths from her childhood to shape the future? Through it all, Margaret knows one truth is universal: trust is hard-won and easily broken when you don’t know who’s on your side.

Impossible Beyond This Point: True Adventure Creating A Self-Sufficient Life In The Wilderness


Joel Horn - 2013
    Join the Horn family on the adventure of a lifetime. Learn how a couple from the city moved to the wilderness with three small boys and carved out a life in the middle of nowhere that has endured for nearly 50 years. With nearly 400 pages and over 100 photos, Impossible Beyond This Point is a compelling must-read for anyone interested in (or contemplating) getting away from it all.Excerpt1-A New BeginningA cool breeze drifted through tall Douglas fir and ponderosa pine and fluttered the leaves in clumps of black oak as they sat on rocks amongst their scattered possessions on the red clay dust of Backbone Ridge in the far Northern California wilds of Trinity County. The blue Ford station wagon would go no further, for from this point on, two miles of treacherous trail picked its way down to a lonesome canyon where a shell of a shack stood waiting. This would be their home. Virgil and Marcy, along with their three young sons, came to this juncture through an untamed notion to find a way of life that would give them independence, dignity and contentment.Virgil sat across from Marcy and his blue eyes twinkled. “I hope we made the right move, Ma. There’s no returning now.” “Yes,” she whispered. “We made the right move.”It was the beginning of June and the year was 1967.......ExcerptThe sun had gone down and heavy clouds were piling up in the west. If it snowed now and turned cold, Virgil doubted they could get out in time to finish the school year. A purple haze settled in the gulches, making it difficult to distinguish objects like trees or rocks that they were beginning to find hard to avoid.By the time they passed Wind Dance Lookout, it was dark. Below Wind Dance Lookout lay deep unbroken drifts and the dropping temperature formed a crust that supported them all. Partway down Marcy suddenly broke the crust and fell through to her hips in the snow. Exhausted, she struggled to get the leverage to free her legs. “I can't pull my legs out! I’m going to freeze to death!” she sobbed. Seeing his mother crying put Gaines in a panic and he frantically dug the hard corn snow away from her legs with his bare fingers until she managed to climb free.....ExcerptDarkness fell and they heard the rain pound the roof over the roar of the river. The boys had a hard time concentrating on their schoolwork and it was just as well because about eight that evening the incandescent light started dimming. “Power’s going out,” Kelly announced.Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the light. “Yep,” Gaines confirmed. “Can’t be from lack of water!” he laughed. “The creek must be really roaring up there and I bet it tore out the intake.”As the light faded to yellow and then orange, Virgil got up and took a book of matches from his front pocket and lit a candle bug. “I’ll go turn the valve off so it doesn’t drag crap down the line,” he said as he headed out the door.The family fell asleep to the sound of rain on the roof. The first few times the river had come up in the early years, Virgil and Marcy had nervously gotten up every few hours to check the water level but they never got up to check anymore.Marcy awoke around midnight and listened to the rain. The river was quieter and she sleepily turned over, drifting back to sleep. Suddenly she remembered something Red had told them. “As long as the river is roaring, it isn't so dangerous, but beware if it gets quiet," he’d warned.She looked at the phosphorescent face of her Big Ben clock. Noting it was a quarter to one in the morning, she concentrated on the sound of the river again. The hushed river was no longer relaxing, but foreboding. Unable to go to sleep, she got up and put on a coat, lit her candle bug and stepped out on the porch. Tom, his fur glistening with drops of water, yowled loudly and she let him in the house.Crystal water ran from the eves and splattered in a puddle in the pathway leading from the porch. She walked to the summer kitchen area and down to the gravel bar where the sawmill was located. At the edge of this bar, she came to a sudden stop. Right in front of her, muddy waves of debris-laden water slammed against the gravel only two inches from the top. The river was three feet higher than she’d ever seen it, which was a huge difference considering that the three additional feet of depth was spread across 300 feet of width and moving at a greatly increased speed. Apprehension overcame her.Though a candle bug is great for casting a soft diffused light for walking, it’s impossible to see beyond eight feet when using one, and in the streaming rain the visibility was even less. Marcy could only listen to what was going on beyond the cone of yellow light. Rumbles, hissing, sucking, splashing and surging, all in varying levels, met her ears. Quickly she headed back to the cabin. Virgil was asleep and she gently shook his shoulder. “The river’s real high, Virg,” Marcy whispered so as not to awaken the boys....

Gray's Anatomy


Henry Gray - 1858
    About The Author: Henry Gray, F.R.S., Fellow of the royal college of Surgeons: Lecturer on anatomy at St. George?s Hospital Medical School. Table Of Contents: Descriptive and Surgical Anatomy The Articulations Muscles and Fasclae The Blood-vascular system The Lymphatics The Nervous system The Organs of special sense The Organs of Digestion The Organs of voice and respiration The urinary organs The Male Organs of Generation The Female Organs of Generation The Surgical Anatomy of Hernia Surgical Anatomy of the Perinaeum General Anatomy or Histology Embryology

Undoctored: Why Health Care Has Failed You and How You Can Become Smarter Than Your Doctor


William Davis - 2017
    William Davis changed the lives of millions of people by teaching them to remove wheat from their diet to reverse years of chronic health damage. Now he'll go beyond cutting wheat to help you take charge of your own overall health in Undoctored. Dr. Davis wants you to understand that conventional medicine is no longer working in your favor. He will expose how millions of people are prescribed unnecessary medications, given dietary recommendations crafted by big business, and undergo unnecessary procedures recommended by healthcare practitioners to feed revenue-hungry healthcare systems. He then shows how the modern boom in information tools can be applied to create a comprehensive program to reduce, reverse, and cure common health issues through simple strategies, including harnessing the collective wisdom of new online technologies, so that you can break free of a health care system that puts profits over health.Undoctored is the spark of a new individually-empowered health care movement. The results of Dr. Davis' 6-week program are superior to solutions provided by the conventional healthcare system. You will be equipped to manage your own health and sidestep the misguided motives of a profit-driven medical system.

The First Hebrew Primer: The Adult Beginner's Path to Biblical Hebrew


Ethelyn Simon - 1981
    Thirty lessons provide enough information and practice to enable you, with the aid of a Hebrew-English dictionary, to understand most biblical texts. The goal of the Primer is to teach students to read and understand Biblical Hebrew as quickly as possible; therefore, the lessons emphasize recognition and translation - not memorization. The thirty lessons incorporate: Verb, grammar, and spelling charts Vocabulary lists Oral reviews Exercises Stories Biblical quotes Book of Ruth This revised third edition introduces several new terms and clarifies grammatical points, but will look the same to long-time Primer readers. The key change we have made is the inclusion of new explanatory endnotes. Many readers have expressed a desire to deepen their knowledge of Biblical Hebrew, but have unanimously endorsed the clear, uncomplicated tone of the Primer. We have responded by adding these optional supplementary notes. Students may read the notes to enrich their understanding of Hebrew grammar or concentrate solely on the main text. Either way, the Primer provides a sound foundation for more advanced studies in the Hebrew Bible.

A Haunting Homicide: Halloween Cozy Mystery Boxed Set


Kathy Bacus - 2017
    the amateur sleuths are on the case! Curl up by the fire and sip a cup of cider with this collection of 4 full-length, spooky cozy mystery novels from USA Today bestselling and award winning authors! This collection includes: Calamity Jayne and the Haunted Homecoming Calamity Jayne Mysteries It's autumn in the heartland, but this year, Tressa Jayne Turner isn't just enjoying the candy corn, popcorn balls and caramel apples. This reporter is on a mission to sniff out a serious story. Enter a blackmailing, six-foot-two-inch homecoming queen candidate with all the charm of Frankenstein in taffeta, a rival reporter out to scoop the competition, and a séance-hosting grandmother! Mystic Mayhem Mystic Isle Mysteries book #1 Melanie Hamilton brings home the bacon by inking tattoos at New Orleans's Mansion at Mystic Isle, a resort in the middle of the bayou that caters to fans of the peculiar and paranormal. But when a guest of the resort, a millionaire's widow, is poisoned, and Melanie's close friend is arrested for the murder, things go from hectic to downright dangerous. Lipstick, Lies & Dead Guys Gianna Mancini Mysteries book #1 Gianna Mancini has chatted with ghosts most of her life. It's never affected her much. Until now. The latest ghost in Gianna's world is a woman she despises and to get her of her apartment, Gianna chooses to help her move on. But she doesn't expect to come across poisonous jam, a vengeful cop, or a group of friendly clowns...and a whole lot of trouble. Murder Casts Its Spell Petra Paranormal Mysteries book #1 Attorney Petra Rakowtiz lives in a world much like ours...except that her latest client is a wizard. Petra might agree that magic can be unpredictable...especially when she suddenly possesses those powers herself. With the Wizard Council threatening to lock her up for inability to control her new power, and her client's life on the line if she doesn't prove him innocent, Petra could be in trouble. "The ghosts are booing in the eerie bayou in this fantastic southern tale, MYSTIC MAYHEM. Charming, cunning and clever." ~ Romance Junkies "Fans of Janet Evanovich will be glad to see that you don't always have to go to the burgh for mirthful murder and mayhem." (Calamity Jayne Mysteries) ~ Booklist "If you like your cozy mysteries on the humorous side, then look no further." (Gianna Mancini Mysteries) ~ Fresh Fiction

The Checklist Manifesto: Summary of Gawande's Instruction on How to Get Things Right


Concise Summaries - 2014
    This is not the full 200+ page book. This concise summary of Gawande’s manifesto will convey everything you need to know about how and why checklists are so effective and how to successfully compose your own checklists. These checklists will improve your level of success in any field or activity you are trying to achieve excellence in. Put yourself head and shoulders above the competition with this simple, intuitive tool. Not convinced that a checklist is sophisticated enough for your particular goal? Gawande presents case studies showing the effectiveness of the checklist in a range of complex environments from surgery to aviation, engineering to emergency response, venture capitalism to disease control. Imagine if you could substantially eradicate your own human fallibility with such a simple tool! By engaging with the simple concepts in this short guide you will be able to devise and implement the checklists that will ensure your peak performance in every area of your life.

I Want To Live: The Story Of Madhubala


Khatija Akbar - 2011
    Her ‘reel life’ histrionic performances held (and continue to hold) audiences/viewers entranced. Her talent was phenomenal, and she could literally glide through a movie, whatever be the role. She could convey an impressive array of emotions with her eloquent eyes and facial expressions without resorting to melodramatic contortions. Tragedy, romance, comedy, drama, and what have you – she could take everything in her stride, exquisitely and flawlessly, as convincingly proved by superhits such as Mahal, Tarana, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi and the magnum opus, Mughal-e-Azam. All this she achieved despite a major heart disease, which assumed serious proportions as her career soared. This volume presents a fascinating panorama not only of the ‘reel life’ Madhubala but also of the ‘real life’ Madhubala, who was an extremely compassionate and caring human being, but lived in the shadow of her dominant father. The author recounts her captivating saga, right from her first film – Basant (1942), as a child star, up to the magnificent Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and beyond. Enthralling cameos from her masterpieces such as Mahal, Mr & Mrs 55 and Amar, are depicted in graphic detail. Also, all the drama involved in her love affair with Dilip Kumar, which culminated in intense acrimony, has been poignantly portrayed. The last few years of her life were spent in virtual solitude in spite of her being married to Kishore Kumar, and death, in a way, came as a release for her.

Floating Feathers: A Doctor's Harrowing Experience as a Patient Within Conventional Medicine --- and an Impassioned Call for the Future of Care in America


Ross I.S. Zbar - 2020
    Ross I.S. Zbar spent his career as a plastic surgeon, in the US as well as abroad in developing countries, mending disease- and trauma-related deformities--and he was never hesitant to make his voice heard as an advocate for better patient care.Then, on a warm December day in 2018, Ross suffered a trauma that nearly took his life, putting him into the hands of his profession in a way he never anticipated. While his life was ultimately saved, his journey to wellness within the conventional medical establishment--from three weeks in the ICU to in-patient rehab--was nothing short of nightmarish. Frequently sedated and physically restrained, he was inundated with mental, emotional, and sensory evidence of an industry gone haywire, experiencing clearly from the patient side what he had only touched on as an advocate.Vowing to be an even stronger voice for change, Ross used the power of his mind to recover faster than any of his doctors predicted. Floating Feathers not only recounts his compelling story but elucidates a thoughtful and authoritative critical call to the members of his beloved profession for a massive overhaul."We possess the technology and the brilliant minds to motivate this level of sweeping change so desperately required," he says. "We simply need to champion it as a non-negotiable priority."This profoundly personal yet overarchingly relative book endeavors to be a vital first step toward that goal.

Of Gods and Men


Stephen Aryan - 2018
    An original epic fantasy novella by Stephen Aryan focusing on a fan-favourite character from Battlemage: the gruff and mysterious warrior know as Vargus.

17


Bill Drummond - 2008
    He references his own contributions to the canon of popular music, and he provides fascinating insider portraits of the industry and its protagonists. But above all, he questions our ideas of music and our attitude to sound, introducing us throughout this provocative and superbly written book to his current work, The17.

The Best American Science Writing 2009


Natalie Angier - 2009
    Provocative and engaging, the Best American Science Writing 2009 as edited by Angier covers the full spectrum of scientific inquiry—from biochemistry, physics, and astronomy to genetics, evolutionary theory, and cognition.Introduction / by Natalie Angier --The itch / Atul Gawande --Twitchy / Sallie Tisdale --The first ache / Annie Murphy Paul --A journey inside the brain / Oliver Sacks --The truth about autism / David Wolman --Blocking the transmission of violence / Alex Kotlowitz --Reading the wounds / Jina Moore --A cloud of smoke / Jennifer Kahn --War! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing / John Horgan --Face-offs of the female kind / Marina Cords --Tough lessons from golden rice / Martin Enserink --Back to the future / J. Madeleine Nash --A tall, cool drink of ... sewage? / Elizabeth Royte --Contagious cancer / David Quammen --Looking up / Jennifer Margulis --Birdbrain / Margaret Talbot --Want to remember everything you'll ever learn? Surrender to this algorithm / Gary Wolf --Hello, HAL / John Seabrook --The anonymity experiment / Catherine Price --The sky is falling / Gregg Easterbrook --Big brain theory: have cosmologists lost theirs? / Dennis Overbye --The final frontier / Karen Olsson --Perhaps death is proud; more reason to savor life / Theresa Brown --Evolutionists flock to Darwin-shaped wall stain / The Onion