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Nature and ScienceOctober 2014
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"Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is." ~ Douglas Adams (1952-2001), English writer and humorist, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
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New and Recently Released!
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| The Human Age: The World Shaped by Us by Diane AckermanIn this exploration of the Anthropocene Epoch -- our current geological age, one characterized by the planet-altering activities of humans -- Diane Ackerman, author of An Alchemy of Mind and A Natural History of the Senses, discusses homo sapiens' pivotal and not always benign role in shaping its environment. From reducing biodiversity to changing the climate, humans have made their mark on the Earth...but for how much longer? Lush, lyrical, and highly literate, The Human Age covers some of the same ground as Elizabeth Kolbert's bestselling The Sixth Extinction. |
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| The Fantastic Laboratory of Dr. Weigl: How Two Brave Scientists Battled Typhus... by Arthur AllenThis is the true story of two Polish immunologists, Dr. Rudolf Weigl and his Jewish assistant, Dr. Ludwig Fleck, who were "recruited" by the Nazis to develop a typhus vaccine and who displayed considerable ingenuity under duress. Using his laboratory as a refuge for members of the resistance, Weigl also produced fake vaccines for the German army (while smuggling doses of the real medicine into ghettos and concentration camps). Meanwhile, Fleck -- compelled by the SS to conduct his research in Buchenwald -- falsified data and concealed his real research from his captors. A fascinating tale of science and sabotage during World War, The Fantastic Laboratory of Dr. Weigl should interest readers of both military and science history. |
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| A Wolf Called Romeo by Nick JansWhen a lone black wolf appeared in Nick Jans' backyard in Juneau, Alaska, the author and photographer was fascinated but cautious. Well aware that wolves -- despite Romeo's well-documented love of dog toys -- are wild animals, not pets, Jans initially observed Romeo's comings and goings from a safe distance. Gradually, however, the gulf between man and beast narrowed, with Romeo becoming the town's unofficial mascot as well as a steadfast friend to a number of local pooches (including Jans' own Labrador). In addition to documenting Romeo's six-year relationship with Juneau's residents, Jans also discusses larger issues such as wildlife management policies, human incursions into wilderness areas, and the perils of habituation (i.e. when wild animals become accustomed to humans). |
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Farming with native beneficial insects : ecological pest control solutions
by Xerces Society
Filled with full-color photos and step-by-step instructions, four experts from the Xerces Society, a world leader in conservation and environmental issues, show readers how to create a farm or garden habitat that will attract beneficial insects and thereby reduce crop damage from pests without the use of pesticides. Original.
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For goodness sex : changing the way we talk to teens about sexuality, values, and health
by Al Vernacchio
A high school sexuality educator presents a new approach to sex education for parents and teens that challenges traditional teaching models and instead embraces 21st-century realities by promoting healthy sexuality, values and body image in young people, in a book that includes real-life examples from the classroom, exercises and quizzes. 25,000 first printing.
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A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians
by Robert C. Stebbins
An updated guide to the reptiles and amphibians of Western North America identifies more than five hundred species and subspecies and provides information on habitat, behavior, breeding data, key characteristics, and survival status of threatened species, along with updated range maps and hundreds of color photographs, illustrations, and line drawings. Original.
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Spook : science tackles the afterlife
by Mary Roach
Draws on the beliefs and achievements of a range of contemporary and historical scientists, engineers, and mediums to consider the feasibility of life after death, from a reincarnation researcher's experimentation with out-of-body experiences to laboratory investigations into ghosts and the nature of consciousness. By the author of Stiff. Reprint. 100,000 first printing.
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Brainstorm : the power and purpose of the teenage brain : an inside-out guide to the emerging adolescent mind, ages 12-24
by Daniel J. Siegel
Between the ages of twelve and twenty-four, the brain changes in important and, at times, challenging ways. In Brainstorm, the renowned psychiatrist Daniel Siegel busts a number of commonly held myths about adolescence. According to Siegel, during adolescence we learn important skills, such as how to leave home and enter the larger world, how to connect deeply with others, and how to safely experiment and take risks, thereby creating strategies for dealing with the world's increasingly complex problems. Siegel presents listeners with an inside-out approach to focusing on how brain development affects our behavior and relationships. Drawing on important new research in the field of interpersonal neurobiology, he explores exciting ways in which understanding how the brain functions can improve the lives of adolescents, making their relationships more fulfilling and less lonely and distressing on both sides of the generational divide
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The Big, Bad Book of Botany : The World's Most Fascinating Flora
by Michael Largo
Introducing a world of wild, wonderful and weird plants, this fascinating combination of the latest biological information with bizarre facts about the plant kingdom's oddest members is organized alphabetically and features more than 150 photographs and illustrations. Original. 25,000 first printing.
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Local : the new face of food and farming in America
by Douglas Gayeton
Combining the insights of today's foremost practitioners in food and farming with his Lexicon of Sustainability, the author educates, engages and inspires people to pay closer attention to how they eat, what they buy and their responsibly for creating a healthier, safer food system in America. 50,000 first printing.
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Space: The Final Frontier
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| An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris HadfieldAfter watching the Apollo 11 moon landing on television, nine-year-old Chris Hadfield "knew, with absolute clarity" that he wanted to be an astronaut. It was a lofty dream -- for one thing, his native Canada had no space program. Nevertheless, through a combination of luck, pluck, and dogged perseverance, Hadfield achieved his goal, becoming one of his country's few military test pilots before launching an equally distinguished career at NASA, one that culminated in a 146-day mission as Commander of the International Space Station (during which he recorded the world's first music video in space: a version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity"). Don't miss this inspiring memoir, which is also packed with fascinating details about everyday life as an astronaut. |
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| Dreams of Other Worlds: The Amazing Story of Unmanned Space Exploration by Chris Impey and Holly HenryFrom Mariner 4's earliest photographs of Mars in 1965 to Voyager 1's ongoing exploration of interstellar space (37 years and counting), unmanned spacecraft have played a pivotal role in astronomy. In accessible, engaging prose, Dreams of Other Worlds describes 12 missions that have expanded our knowledge of our solar system (Viking, Cassini), our galaxy (Hipparcos, Chandra), and beyond (WMAP, Kepler). Space buffs will be enthralled by this chronicle of scientific discovery. |
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| Voyager: Seeking Newer Worlds in the Third Great Age of Discovery by Stephen J. PyneAccording to environmental historian Stephen J. Pyne, the year 1957 -- which saw the launch of Sputnik -- kicked off the "Third Great Age of Discovery," an era as important to human civilization as the Age of Exploration that sent Columbus and others to the New World. In this "unique and engrossing" book (Publishers Weekly), Pyne focuses on the twin Voyager spacecraft sent to explore the outer solar system and beyond (they'll keep going until they lose power, around 2025) and discusses unmanned space missions in the context of their cultural, technical, and political similarities to earlier geocentric expeditions. |
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Mars up close : inside the Curiosity mission
by Marc Kaufman
Featuring previously unpublished landscape photographs and complemented by a downloadable app, a detailed reference written in consultation with NASA scientists documents the ambitious space expedition through inside stories, accessible science and theories about the future of space exploration.
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| Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier by Neil deGrasse Tyson; edited by Avis LangHumans should be exploring space, argues astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of New York's Hayden Planetarium and a familiar onscreen presence through the TV series NOVA as well as his recent revamp of Cosmos. In three sections, titled "Why," "How," and "Why Not," Tyson discusses how the idea of space exploration inspires individuals and nations, while maintaining that the benefits of scientific discovery far outweigh the costs -- which are less than one might expect, given that the U.S. military's expenditures in just one year are equivalent to NASA's entire 50-year operating budget. Space enthusiasts will devour this engaging essay collection, while NASA skeptics may want to contemplate a world without the agency's technological legacies, including GPS, cordless power tools, and smoke detectors. |
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Neil Armstrong : a life of flight
by Jay Barbree
Published to coincide with the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch, a definitive portrait of the pioneering astronaut draws on personal notes and interviews with the Armstrong family and includes previously unshared photos and mission details. 60,000 first printing.
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| Red Rover: Inside the Story of Robotic Space Exploration, from Genesis to the Mars Rover Curiosity by Roger WiensAmong other achievements, geochemist Roger Wiens was instrumental in building the ChemCam, a device -- currently mounted on NASA's Curiosity Rover -- that uses a laser to reveal the mineral composition of Martian rocks. In this memoir, Weins recounts his career in science, discussing personal triumphs and setbacks, as well as exploring the political, financial, and bureaucratic hurdles that routinely hobble space exploration. Red Rover will appeal to anyone fascinated by astronomy, but fans of rovers and robots in particular should also check out Steve Squyres' Roving Mars: Spirit, Opportunity, and the Exploration of the Red Planet. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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