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Microhistories looking at history and culture through unique lens
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The body : a guide for occupants
by Bill Bryson
The award-winning author of A Short History of Nearly Everything presents an engaging head-to-toe tour of the human body that shares anecdotal insights into its functions, ability to heal and vulnerability to disease.
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Consider the fork : a history of how we cook and eat
by Bee Wilson
The history of cooking is explored through a series of engaging cultural anecdotes while demonstrating how technological innovations ranging from the mortar and pestle to the microwave have shaped how and what humans eat.
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The disappearing spoon : and other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements
by Sam Kean
Explores intriguing tales about every element of the periodic table, sharing their parts in human history, finance, mythology, war, evil, love, the arts, and the lives of the colorful scientists who discovered them.
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The emperor of all maladies : a biography of cancer
by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Here is a magnificent, profoundly humane "biography" of cancer - from its first documented appearances thousands of years ago through the epic battles in the twentieth century to cure, control, and conquer it to a radical new understanding of its essence. Physician, researcher, and award-winning science writer Siddhartha Mukherjee examines cancer with a cellular biologist's precision, a historian's perspective, and a biographer's passion.
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Grunt : the curious science of humans at war
by Mary Roach
The best-selling author of Gulp and Stiff explores the science of keeping humans healthy and focused in the extreme environments of war, drawing on interviews with doctors, uniform designers, trainers and weapons testers to illuminate how soldiers are conditioned to survive traumas ranging from heat and panic to exhaustion and noise.
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Heart : a history
by Sandeep Jauhar
A leading cardiologist and author of Doctored and Intern examines the recent dismantling of historical taboos and the development of transformative heart procedures that have changed how we live and what we understand about illness.
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A history of the world in 6 glasses
by Tom Standage
An offbeat history of the world traces the story of humankind from the Stone Age to the twenty-first century from the perspective of six different drinks--beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola--describing their pervasive influence during pivotal eras of world history, from humankind's adoption of agriculture to the advent of globalization.
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How we got to now : six innovations that made the modern world
by Steven Johnson
An illustrated history of innovation shares lesser-known stories of accidental genius and brilliant mistakes, examines unexpected connections between seemingly unrelated fields and reveals how important inventions have had unintended consequences. By the best-selling author of Where Good Ideas Come From.
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The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot
Documents the story of how scientists took cells from an unsuspecting descendant of freed slaves and created a human cell line that has been kept alive indefinitely, enabling discoveries in such areas as cancer research, in vitro fertilization and gene mapping.
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In miniature : how small things illuminate the world
by Simon Garfield
Encouraging us to find greatness in the smallest of things, the author, focusing on miniatures—and bringing together history, psychology, art and obsession—explores the what fuels the strong appeal of miniature objects among collectors, modelers and fans.
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The mosquito : a human history of our deadliest predator
by Timothy C. Winegard
Follows the history of the nefarious and pesky mosquito and its impact on humanity throughout the ages and around the globe, explaining how the tiny insect influenced the results of wars, colonization and the modern world order.
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Musicophilia : Tales of Music and the Brain
by Oliver W. Sacks
Drawing on the individual experiences of patients, musicians, composers, and everyday people, the author of Awakenings explores the complex human response to music, detailing the full range of human reactions to music, what goes on and can go wrong when we listen to music, and how music can affect those suffering from a variety of ailments.
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Quackery : a brief history of the worst ways to cure everything
by Lydia Kang
A darkly whimsical chronicle of medicine's greatest mistakes incorporates vintage images and ads for historical cures, from morphine for colicky babies and strychnine for impotence to leeches for the common cold and liquefied gold for immortality.
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Rust : the longest war
by Jonathan Waldman
An environmental journalist traces the historical war against rust, revealing how rust-related damage costs more than all other natural disasters combined and how it is combated by industrial workers, the government, universities and everyday people.
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Salt : a world history
by Mark Kurlansky
Explores the role of salt in shaping history, discussing how one of the world's most sought-after commodities has influenced economics, science, politics, religion, and eating customs.
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The secret lives of color
by Kassia St. Clair
Tells the unusual stories of seventy-five fascinating shades, dyes and hues. From the brown that changed the way battles were fought to the white that protected against the plague, these surprising stories run like a bright thread throughout history. In this book, Kassia St. Clair has turned her lifelong obsession with colors and where they come from (whether Van Gogh's chrome yellow sunflowers or punk's fluorescent pink) into a unique study of human civilization.
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The tipping point : how little things can make a big difference
by Malcolm Gladwell
An introduction to the Tipping Point theory--first presented in a series of articles in "The New Yorker"--explains how minor changes in ideas and products can increase their popularity and how small adjustments in one's immediate environment can alter group behavior.
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