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Nature and ScienceDecember 2014
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"Today's greatest innovations are tomorrow's baseline, and you have to keep moving forward." ~ from Mark McClusky's Faster, Higher, Stronger
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New and Recently Released!
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| Dr. Mütter's Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine by Cristin O'Keefe AptowiczWhen Philadelphia surgeon Thomas Dent Mütter died in 1858 at the age of 48, he left behind grieving patients and colleagues as well as a treasure trove of 1,700 medical instruments and specimens acquired during his career, a collection that would later form the core of the Mütter Museum. Yet his legacy encompasses more than preserved human remains. During his comparatively brief life, this brilliant and eccentric doctor revolutionized medical treatment in the United States by introducing sterilization of instruments and general anesthesia during operations at a time when physicians were not required to possess either a medical degree or a license to practice medicine. |
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| The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital... by Walter Isaacson"Innovation is not a loner's endeavor," declares biographer Walter Isaacson in this engaging, richly detailed account of the invention of the computer, which follows its evolution from abstract theory to functional machine. Isaacson profiles the individuals whose contributions to a nascent scientific field heralded the dawn of the digital revolution, from Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage to the founders of Google. He also vividly evokes the cultures of the academic institutions, government research facilities, and corporate entities that provided both space and support for these pioneering endeavors. Emphasizing the role of collaboration in realizing the dream of a universal computing machine while chronicling the missteps, setbacks, and dead ends that occurred throughout the process, The Innovators presents an insightful history of computer science. |
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| How We Got to Now: Six Innovations that Made the Modern World by Steven JohnsonCiting "the strange chains of influence, the 'hummingbird effect'" that results in the cross-pollination of ideas across scientific disciplines, Steven Johnson, author of The Invention of Air and Where Good Ideas Come From, examines six deceptively simple concepts: glass, refrigeration, sound recordings, sanitation, clocks, and artificial light. While these may strike modern-day readers as mundane topics, Johnson argues that each is revolutionary in its own right and delves into the circumstances that made them possible. Full of engaging anecdotes and presented in an accessible style, How We Got to Now may interest fans of James Burke's Connections and The Day the Universe Changed, as well as Henry Petroski's technology-focused microhistories. |
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| The Lagoon: How Aristotle Invented Science by Armand Marie LeroiDid you know that Aristotle's favorite animal was the cuttlefish? The ancient Greek philosopher may be best known for his contributions to Western philosophy, but his true passion -- according to biologist Armand Marie Leroi -- was the natural world and its inhabitants. In The Lagoon, Leroi considers Aristotle's contributions to science while following in his footsteps from Athens to Lesbos to Macedonia (and back again). Combining travelogue, ancient history, and science, this thought-provoking book provides a fresh perspective on the life, work, and legacy of Aristotle. |
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| Faster, Higher, Stronger: How Sports Science is Creating a New Generation of... by Mark McCluskyWhat makes athletes excel? In Faster, Higher, Stronger, journalist Mark McClusky -- who has written for both Sports Illustrated and WIRED -- combines his knowledge of professional sports and cutting-edge technology in a detailed examination of sports science. Chapters such as "Hacking the Athlete" address the role of research in overcoming the body's natural limitations, while sections like "Gold Medal Genetics" examine the influence of heredity on athletic performance. From nutrition ("Eating to Win") to statistics ("The Numbers Game"), this book explores the science of sports from multiple angles. |
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| Planet of the Bugs: Evolution and the Rise of Insects by Scott R. ShawEver since the debut of their common ancestor during the Cambrian period (541 million years ago), a striking specimen that sported the first-ever exoskeleton and jointed limbs, insects have been on an evolutionary roll. Currently, there are more than one million distinct named species of insect living on Earth, and an estimated tens of millions awaiting discovery out in the wild. Armchair entomologists will be delighted by this grand tour of the insect world, although bug-averse readers may be tempted to stock up on insecticide. |
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| The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the World by Russell GoldAs controversial as it is profitable, hydraulic fracturing -- or "fracking" -- has evolved from an obscure mechanical process to a commonplace practice: 100 wells are drilled every day in the United States; each one of them is fracked. In The Boom, investigative journalist Russell Gold, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal as well as a Pulitzer Prize finalist, describes how North America's extensive shale deposits and technology that facilitates fuel extraction have contributed to the rise of natural gas as a serious competitor to coal and nuclear power. He also reflects on the consequences of prolonging the life of an energy economy based on fossil fuels at a time when the threat of climate change looms large. |
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| Power Surge: Energy, Opportunity, and the Battle for America's Future by Michael Levi"Everything we once knew about American energy seems to be changing," declares Michael Levi, senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan public policy think tank. Citing declining oil imports, a boom in domestic natural gas production, and the development of technologies that harness renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, Levi provides an accessible introduction to a complex topic. Readers with an interest in technology, environmental issues, and energy policy will want to check out this informative book. |
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| Under the Surface: Fracking, Fortunes and the Fate of the Marcellus Shale by Tom WilberHydraulic fracturing -- also known as "fracking" -- is the process by which pressurized chemicals are pumped into the earth to induce and sustain cracks in rock formations, thereby enabling the extraction of petroleum and natural gas from buried shale deposits. Lauded by advocates who envision a prosperous future of cheap, abundant energy and decried by opponents who fear ecological damage (especially water contamination), the process has proven both lucrative and controversial wherever it's practiced -- particularly in the Marcellus Shale, which runs from central New York State through West Virginia. In a book that Publishers Weekly calls "essential background reading," environmental journalist Tom Wilbur examines the history, science, politics, and human drama of an ongoing public debate. |
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| The Frackers: The Outrageous Inside Story of the New Billionaire Wildcatters by Gregory ZuckermanIn an examination of what he calls "one of the greatest energy revolutions in history," journalist Gregory Zuckerman discusses the rise of hydraulic fracturing and profiles the individuals who have embraced this technological innovation, making and losing fortunes in the process. Zuckerman's subjects include George P. Mitchell, who invented a novel method of extracting natural gas from shale deposits; Aubrey McLendon and Tom Ward, who control the mineral rights to more than 15 million acres (an area bigger than New Jersey); and Harold Hamm, who personally owns more oil in the ground than anyone on Earth. For a fascinating glimpse into the lives of a new breed of industrialist, don't miss The Frackers. |
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