Book picks similar to
To a Rocky Moon: A Geologist's History of Lunar Exploration by Don E. Wilhelms
science
space
non-fiction
geology
Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet
Leonard David - 2016
In October 2015, NASA declared Mars “an achievable goal”; that same season, Ridley Scott and Matt Damon’s The Martian drew crowds into theaters, grossing over $200 million.Now the National Geographic Channel fast forwards years ahead with Mars, a six-part series documenting and dramatizing the next twenty-five years as humans land on and learn to live on Mars. Following on the visionary success of Buzz Aldrin’s Mission to Mars and the visual glory of Marc Kaufman’s Mars Up Close, this companion book to the Nat Geo series shows the science behind the mission and the challenges awaiting those brave individuals.The book combines science, technology, and storytelling, offering what only National Geographic can create. Clear scientific explanations make the Mars experience real and provide amazing visuals to savor and return to again and again.
Culinary Reactions: The Everyday Chemistry of Cooking
Simon Quellen Field - 2011
In your kitchen you denature proteins, crystallize compounds, react enzymes with substrates, and nurture desired microbial life while suppressing harmful bacteria and fungi. And unlike in a laboratory, you can eat your experiments to verify your hypotheses. In Culinary Reactions, author Simon Quellen Field turns measuring cups, stovetop burners, and mixing bowls into graduated cylinders, Bunsen burners, and beakers. How does altering the ratio of flour, sugar, yeast, salt, butter, and water affect how high bread rises? Why is whipped cream made with nitrous oxide rather than the more common carbon dioxide? And why does Hollandaise sauce call for "clarified" butter? This easy-to-follow primer even includes recipes to demonstrate the concepts being discussed, including: Whipped Creamsicle Topping—a foam; Cherry Dream Cheese—a protein gle; Lemonade with Chameleon Eggs—an acid indicator; and more!
The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight
Martha Ackmann - 2003
They passed the same battery of tests at the legendary Lovelace Foundation as did the Mercury 7 astronauts, but they were summarily dismissed by the boys’ club at NASA and on Capitol Hill. The USSR sent its first woman into space in 1963; the United States did not follow suit for another twenty years. For the first time, Martha Ackmann tells the story of the dramatic events surrounding these thirteen remarkable women, all crackerjack pilots and patriots who sometimes sacrificed jobs and marriages for a chance to participate in America’s space race against the Soviet Union. In addition to talking extensively to these women, Ackmann interviewed Chuck Yeager, John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, and others at NASA and in the White House with firsthand knowledge of the program, and includes here never-before-seen photographs of the Mercury 13 passing their Lovelace tests. Despite the crushing disappointment of watching their dreams being derailed, the Mercury 13 went on to extraordinary achievement in their lives: Jerrie Cobb, who began flying when she was so small she had to sit on pillows to see out of the cockpit, dedicated her life to flying solo missions to the Amazon rain forest; Wally Funk, who talked her way into the Lovelace trials, went on to become one of the first female FAA investigators; Janey Hart, mother of eight and, at age forty, the oldest astronaut candidate, had the political savvy to steer the women through congressional hearings and later helped found the National Organization for Women. A provocative tribute to these extraordinary women, The Mercury 13 is an unforgettable story of determination, resilience, and inextinguishable hope.From the Hardcover edition.
Expert Oracle Database Architecture: Oracle Database 9i, 10g, and 11g Programming Techniques and Solutions
Thomas Kyte - 2005
Tom has a simple philosophy: you can treat Oracle as a black box and just stick data into it or you can understand how it works and exploit it as a powerful computing environment. If you choose the latter, then you’ll find that there are few information management problems that you cannot solve quickly and elegantly. This fully revised second edition covers the latest developments in Oracle Database 11g. Each feature is taught in a proof-by-example manner, not only discussing what it is, but also how it works, how to implement software using it, and the common pitfalls associated with it. Don’t treat Oracle Database as a black-box. Get this book. Get under the hood. Turbo-charge your career. Fully-revised to cover Oracle Database 11g Proof-by-example approach: Let the evidence be your guide Dives deeply into Oracle Databases’s most powerful features What you’ll learn Develop an evidence-based approach to problem solving Manage transactions in highly concurrent environments Speed access to data through table and index design Manage files and memory structures for performance and reliability Scale up through partitioning and parallel processing Load and unload data to interface with external systems Think for yourself; don’t take Tom’s word for it! Who this book is for This book is aimed at Oracle Database administrators, at PL/SQL and Java developers writing code to be deployed inside the database, and at developers of external applications who use Oracle Database as a data store. It is the go to book for those wishing to create efficient and scalable applications.
The Trouble with Gravity: Solving the Mystery Beneath Our Feet
Richard Panek - 2019
What is gravity? Nobody knows—and just about nobody knows that nobody knows. How something so pervasive can also be so mysterious, and how that mystery can be so wholly unrecognized outside the field of physics, is one of the greatest conundrums in modern science. But as award-winning author Richard Panek shows in this groundbreaking book, gravity is a cold case that we are closer to cracking than ever—and whose very investigation has yielded untold truths about the cosmos and humanity itself. Part scientific detective story, part metaphysical romp, The Trouble with Gravity is a revelation: the first in-depth, accessible study of this ubiquitous, elusive force. Gravity and our efforts to understand it, Panek reveals, have shaped not only the world we inhabit, but also our bodies, minds, and culture. Its influence can be seen in everything from ancient fables to modern furniture, Dante’s Inferno to the pratfalls of Laurel and Hardy, bipedalism to black holes. As we approach the truth about gravity, we should also be prepared to know both our universe and ourselves as never before.
Casa Marcela: Recipes and Food Stories of My Life in the Californias
Marcela Valladolid - 2017
This book captures a culture centered around food, loved ones, and gatherings with mouthwatering recipes and in vibrant photography, all shot at Valladolid's home. Mexican food really is simple at its core, if you have some extra time for slow roasting meats or to prepare a few salsas, and the results are sure to impress. There are small bites like Cod Fritters with Chipotle Tartar Sauce and Grilled Steak and Cheese Tostadas; entrees such as Red Chile Lamb Stew and Roasted Tomatillo Salmon; and even drinks and desserts for special occasions, including Strawberry Layered Tres Leches Cake. With mouthwatering recipes and evocative photography, Casa Marcela presents Mexican food in a way never seen before.
Fast Easy Cheap Vegan: 101 Recipes You Can Make in 30 Minutes or Less, for $10 or Less, and with 10 Ingredients or Less!
Sam Turnbull - 2021
She is cooking up even simpler vegan comfort food--on a budget, with fewer ingredients, and in 30 minutes or less!
Some people think that a vegan diet can be too time-consuming, too much work, and too expensive! In Sam Turnbull's Fast Easy Cheap Vegan, she's busting those myths and showing us just how simple (with 10 ingredients or fewer), inexpensive (for $10 or less), and quick (in 30 minutes or less) it can be to cook delicious plant-based comfort food at home. Wholesome recipes can be made using items you already have in your pantry and fridge. And if they're not stocked in your kitchen, these ingredients are easily found at your local grocery store. Fast Easy Cheap Vegan is filled with 101 recipes, many of them perfect for busy weeknights, like 10-Ingredient Creamy Basil Gnocchi, Gorgeous Greek Bowl, and Quicker Quesadillas. You'll have tons of options for speedy breakfasts and lunches, including Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies, 20-Minute Breakfast Sandwiches, 15-Minute Apple Chickpea Salad, and DIY Instant Ramen Soup, and no shortage of ready-to-go snacks, like Cheesy Cracker Snackers, Loaded Queso Dip, and Cool Ranch Popcorn. And don't skip dessert because there's Lickety-Split Ice Cream, Easy Peasy Peanut Butter Squares, Brownie in a Cup, and 10-Minute Mini Berry� Crisp. Fast Easy Cheap Vegan is all about smart tips and easy techniques that simplify cooking. Many recipes are one-pot, freezer-friendly, and make-ahead meals, creating a stress-free kitchen. So whether it's breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert, Sam has thought of everything to help get delicious, fuss-free meals on the table in no time flat.
Marooned
Martin Caidin - 1964
Caidin has invented a new literary form: the electronic novel. He substitutes communications devices, computers, guidance systems and launching specifications for those homely old paragraphs of food, love and labor that used to hold our interest. What he has done is to create a melodramatic situation that allows him to exploit, mention and catalogue every fuel line, transistor and operation in ... More Project Mercury. Major Richard J. Pruett, USAF, on detached service with NASA, is hanging just outside the atmosphere in a space capsule whose retro-rockets won't fire and get him back to earth. He's our fifth astronaut and quite likely first casualty (only three days of oxygen left). Cape Canaveral starts mysterious preparations but before they can be completed the Russians launch a rocket which attempts to rescue Pruett for a propaganda feat. The Russian cosmonaut adjusts his orbit to the American's and tells him he'll pick him up, but meanwhile Pruett's best friend has taken off in a missile to beat the Russian. Though the Russian is satisfied that he could perform the rescue, he aids the best friend to rescue Pruett. Each detail of this story is patiently particularized, with the slow-motion climax of a launchpad cavalry charge to save a white man from the Reds.--Kirkus
The Vegan Way: 21 Days to a Happier, Healthier Plant-Based Lifestyle That Will Transform Your Home, Your Diet, and You
Jackie Day - 2016
A lifestyle guide that’s a real game-changer, The Vegan Way is for those who are intimidated by going vegan overnight, but don’t want the transition to stretch out for months or even years. In a 21 day plan that emphasizes three core reasons for going vegan—being as healthy as you can be, being compassionate to animals, and respecting our planet—Jackie provides inspiration along with a specific goal to achieve with all of the support you need to accomplish it. It might be something as simple as switching out your coffee creamer for vanilla almond milk or kicking the cheese habit. Readers will learn where to dine and what to order when eating out, the most vegan-friendly places to visit, how to avoid clothing made from animals, and how to decipher those pesky ingredients lists. And throughout, Jackie will be providing glimpses into the finer points of vegan living, giving readers something to aspire to as they get past Vegan 101. Readers will also find a handful of easy and delicious recipes sprinkled throughout. The Vegan Way is a road map that puts positive thoughts about health, the environment, and animals into action, transforming your life into a vibrant, healthy, and compassionate one.
The Hunt for Vulcan: ...And How Albert Einstein Destroyed a Planet, Discovered Relativity, and Deciphered the Universe
Thomas Levenson - 2015
November 2015 is the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s discovery of the General Theory of Relativity.Levenson, head of MIT’s Science Writing Program, tells the captivating, unusual, and nearly-forgotten backstory behind Einstein’s invention of the Theory of Relativity, which completely changed the course of science forever. For over 50 years before Einstein developed his theory, the world’s top astronomers spent countless hours and energy searching for a planet, which came to be named Vulcan, that had to exist, it was thought, given Isaac Newton’s theories of gravity. Indeed, in the two centuries since Newton’s death, his theory had essentially become accepted as fact. It took Einstein’s genius to realize the mystery of the missing planet wasn’t a problem of measurements or math but of Newton’s theory of gravity itself. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity proved that Vulcan did not and could not exist, and that the decades-long search for it had merely been a quirk of operating under the wrong set of assumptions about the universe. Thomas Levenson tells this unique story, one of the strangest episodes in the history of science, with elegant simplicity, fast-paced drama, and lively characters sure to capture the attention of a wide group of readers.
Elemental: How the Periodic Table Can Now Explain (Nearly) Everything
Tim James - 2018
When the seventh row of the periodic table of elements was completed in June 2016 with the addition of four final elements—nihonium, moscovium, tennessine, and oganesson—we at last could identify all the ingredients necessary to construct our world.In Elemental, chemist and science educator Tim James provides an informative, entertaining, and quirkily illustrated guide to the table that shows clearly how this abstract and seemingly jumbled graphic is relevant to our day-to-day lives.James tells the story of the periodic table from its ancient Greek roots, when you could count the number of elements humans were aware of on one hand, to the modern alchemists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries who have used nuclear chemistry and physics to generate new elements and complete the periodic table. In addition to this, he answers questions such as: What is the chemical symbol for a human? What would happen if all of the elements were mixed together? Which liquid can teleport through walls? Why is the medieval dream of transmuting lead into gold now a reality?Whether you're studying the periodic table for the first time or are simply interested in the fundamental building blocks of the universe—from the core of the sun to the networks in your brain—Elemental is the perfect guide.
Fire in the Sky: Cosmic Collisions, Killer Asteroids, and the Race to Defend Earth
Gordon L. Dillow - 2019
The only question is when. In the meantime, we need to get much better at finding objects hurtling our way, and if they’re large enough to penetrate the atmosphere without burning up, figure out what to do about them. We owe many of science’s most important discoveries to the famed Meteor Crater, a mile-wide dimple on the Colorado Plateau created by an asteroid hit 50,000 years ago. In his masterfully researched Fire in the Sky, Dillow unpacks what the Crater has to tell us. Prior to the early 1900s, the world believed that all craters—on the Earth and Moon—were formed by volcanic activity. Not so. The revelation that Meteor Crater and others like it were formed by impacts with space objects has led to a now accepted theory about what killed off the dinosaurs, and it has opened up a new field of asteroid observation, which has recently brimmed with urgency. Dillow looks at great asteroid hits of the past and spends time with modern-day asteroid hunters and defense planning experts, including America’s first Planetary Defense Officer. Satellite sensors confirm that a Hiroshima-scale blast occurs in the atmosphere every year, and a smaller, one-kiloton blast every month. While Dillow makes clear that the objects above can be deadly, he consistently inspires awe with his descriptions of their size, makeup, and origins. At once a riveting work of popular science and a warning to not take for granted the space objects hurtling overhead, Fire in the Sky is, above all, a testament to our universe’s celestial wonders.
Patrick Moore: The Autobiography
Patrick Moore - 2003
The man behind the much-loved, larger-than-life personality; not only an astronomer but also a self-taught musician and talented composer, and passionate supporter of cricket.
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Aki Kamozawa - 2013
On the cutting edge of kitchen science, Kamozawa and Talbot regularly consult for restaurants to help them solve cooking conundrums. And yet they often find it’s the simplest tips that can be the most surprising—and the ones that can help home cooks take their cooking to a new level. With this book, you’ll learn: • Why steaming potatoes in the pressure cooker before frying them makes for the crispiest French fries • Why, contrary to popular belief, you should flip your burgers often as you cook them for the best results • How a simple coating of egg white, baking soda, and salt helps create chicken wings that are moist and juicy on the inside with a thin, crackling exterior • How to cook steak consistently and perfectly every time • How to make easy egg-free ice creams that are more flavorful than their traditional custard-base cousins • How to make no-knead Danish that are even better than the ones at your local bakery • How to smoke vegetables to make flavorful vegetarian dishes • Why pâte à choux—or cream puff dough—makes foolproof, light-as-air gnocchi • How pressure cooking sunflower seeds can transform them into a creamy risotto • How to elevate everyday favorites and give them a fresh new spin with small changes—such as adding nori to a classic tomato salad Sharing expert advice on everything from making gluten-free baking mixes and homemade cheeses and buttermilk to understanding the finer points of fermentation or sous-vide cooking, Kamozawa and Talbot chronicle their quest to bring out the best in every ingredient. With a focus on recipes and techniques that can help anyone make better meals every day and 75 color photographs that show both step-by-step processes and finished dishes, Maximum Flavor will encourage you to experiment, taste, play with your food, and discover again why cooking and eating are so fascinating and fun.
It Shouldn't Happen to a Midwife!
Jane Yeadon - 2012
In this sequel to "It Won't Hurt a Bit", it's time for Jane Yeadon to move on from her basic training to her exciting new life as a midwife. It's a whole new challenge with a new set of intriguing colleagues far from home as she heads from Scotland to Belfast for a brand new adventure. When she arrives at the Royal Maternity Hospital, Jane encounters the usual glacial matron overseeing the nurses and doing her best to keep them out of too much trouble, as well as fellow nurses English Cynthia, Timid Marie and Strongminded Margaret. As they're thrown in at the deep end, Jane discovers that this is life in the medical fast lane where there are very few straightforward births and every day is a steep learning curve. And as well as their daily work, the nurses get caught up in the local issues and find out that there is also much to learn about this divided community which is rapidly being overshadowed by the gathering Troubles which will soon rip the city apart.