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Nature and Science April 2018
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| The Source: How Rivers Made America and America Remade its Rivers by Martin DoyleWhat it's about: A river scientist makes a convincing case that much of U.S. history and culture is attributable to North America's waterways.
Did you know? The United States boasts more than 250,000 rivers that stretch out over some 3 million miles.
Further reading: David Owen's Where the Water Goes, about the Colorado River; Dan Egan's The Death and Life of the Great Lakes. |
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How Science Works: The Facts Visually Explained
by Inc. Dorling Kindersley
Using clear, easy-to-understand graphics, an ultimate science book explores answers to questions on 70 topics in the areas of matter, physics, energy, chemistry, life science, earth science, technology and the universe.
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The Math Behind... : Discover the Mathematics of Everyday Events
by Colin Beveridge
The Math Behind... is a fascinating compilation of everyday events analyzed for their probability of occurring and how those odds are determined using mathematical equations and science. The book examines everything from how predictive text works to why buses come in threes and the likelihood that toast will land butter side down. Accessible and clear explanations without dumbing down the science.
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Replenish: The Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity
by Sandra Postel
Explores water projects around the world that work with nature's rhythms, from a forest rehabilitation in New Mexico that is safeguarding drinking water to China's "sponge cities" to curb urban flooding.
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| Close Encounters with Humankind: A Paleoanthropologist Investigates Our... by Sang-Hee Lee with Shin-Young YoonWhat it's about: Korean paleoanthropologist Sang-Hee Lee discusses a variety of topics pertaining to human evolution in this eye-opening book.
Topics of note: cannibalism, fatherhood, lactose intolerance, and more.
You might also like: For another accessible introduction to paleoanthropology, try Lydia Pyne's Seven Skeletons, which examines human evolution through seven sets of ancient remains. |
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Blue Planet II: A New World of Hidden Depths
by James Honeyborne
Sharing stills and photographs from the BBC television program, examines different marine habitats and the animals that have adapted to live in each environment.
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Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine
by Alan P. Lightman
The acclaimed author of Einstein's Dreams presents a lyrical meditation on religion and science as they relate to the human yearning for permanence and certainty in spite of discoveries that prove the world's impermanent and uncertain nature.
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Planet of Microbes: The Perils and Potential of Earth's Essential Life Forms
by Ted Anton
This book takes readers into the latest discoveries about early microbial life, where findings from the earth's furthest extremes are seeking to reshape the future of our planet and ourselves. As scientists take the next step in applying the lessons of popular and controversial research, the world's tiniest, and sometimes most dangerous, microorganisms are being tapped as allies in achieving better health and sustainable energy, while revealing fundamental clues to the mystery of where we came from.
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The Meaning of Birds
by Simon Barnes
An illustrated examination of the lives of birds looks at how birds achieve the miracle of flight; why birds sing; what they tell us about the seasons of the year; the uses of feathers; what the migration of birds can tell us about climate change; and much more.
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Emerald Labyrinth: A Scientist's Adventures in the Jungles of the Congo
by Eli Greenbaum
An expert in herpetology and evolutionary genetics describes the rich and varied habitats of the Democratic Republic of the Congo which are home to a wide array of animal, plant and medical discoveries and also discusses the country’s troubled past and complicated present.
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| The Earth Gazers: On Seeing Ourselves by Christopher PotterWhat it's about: Discover how human flight has transformed our perceptions of planet Earth in this history of aviation from World War I to the Space Age.
What's inside: Profiles of aviator Charles Lindbergh, inventor Robert Goddard, and engineer Wernher von Braun, plus the experiences of the Apollo astronauts who first saw the Earth from space.
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| The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed... by Daniel StoneWhat it is: A biography of 19th-century botanist David Fairchild, who traveled the world in search of unusual plants with commercial potential.
For fans of: the Hass avocado, Egyptian cotton, pistachios, quinoa, or any of the hundreds of plants that Fairchild introduced to the U.S.
You might also like: Jane S. Smith's The Garden of Invention: Luther Burbank and the Business of Breeding Plants, about another agricultural pioneer whose work changed the way America eats. |
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| A Magical World: Superstition and Science from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment by Derek K. WilsonWhat it's about: Richly detailed yet briskly paced, A Magical World surveys the profound intellectual and cultural shifts that occurred in Europe between the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.
What sets it apart: Historian Derek K. Wilson rejects the notion of humanity's steady progress from barbarism to civilization and views great thinkers as products of their time, not anomalies.
Read it for: a thought-provoking meditation on the complementary roles of science and religion in Western civilization. |
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| Leonardo da Vinci by Walter IsaacsonWhat it is: An engaging biography of Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci, which examines his extraordinary ability to think across disciplines.
About the author: As with his biographies of Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Steve Jobs, journalist Walter Isaacson conducts copious research to tell the story of "history's most creative genius."
You might also like: Mike Lankford's Becoming Leonardo, another biography that celebrates da Vinci's intellectual curiosity. |
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| How We Got to Now: Six Innovations that Made the Modern World by Steven JohnsonWhat it's about: This thought-provoking book explores six simple concepts -- glass, refrigeration, sound recordings, sanitation, clocks, and artificial light -- that paved the way for modern life.
About the author: Steven Johnson, author of The Invention of Air and Where Good Ideas Come From, is known for his accessible style and anecdote-rich approach to fascinating, yet overlooked, topics.
You might also like: James Burke's Connections and The Day the Universe Changed, as well as Henry Petroski's technology-focused microhistories. |
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| The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain... by Sam KeanWhat it is: A collection of historical case studies that attempts to answer the question, "Where does the brain stop and the mind start?"
Chapters include: "Cells, Senses, Circuits" (about neurotransmitters and biochemistry); "Beliefs and Delusions" (about brain disorders).
Why you might like it: This witty book by the author of The Disappearing Spoon and The Violinist's Thumb provides a lively and accessible introduction to a complex subject. |
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| Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women... by Margot Lee ShetterlyWhat it is: An inspiring group biography of NASA's African American female mathematicians, whose work in the 1950s and '60s played a pivotal role in launching American astronauts into orbit.
For fans of: Nathalia Holt's Rise of the Rocket Girls, which also spotlights unseen heroines of the space race.
Media buzz: The 2016 film adaptation of Hidden Figures was a big hit with both audiences and critics. |
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| Brilliant Blunders: From Darwin to Einstein -- Colossal Mistakes by Great Scientists... by Mario LivioWhat it's about: Even geniuses make mistakes. This engaging book examines how so-called "blunders" can lead to scientific breakthroughs.
Contains: Plenty of examples! Charles Darwin, Linus Pauling, and Albert Einstein are just a few of the scientists who made major errors during their careers.
Want a taste? "Even the most impressive minds are not flawless; they merely pave the way for the next level of understanding." |
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Never be without a book you love! |
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