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Nature and Science June 2022 |
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How to Take Over the World: Practical Schemes and Scientific Solutions for the Aspiring...
by Ryan North; illustrated by Carly Monardo
What it is: a science-based guide to world domination for would-be supervillains that also shows readers how to save the world.
Topics include: building your own secret base of operations, controlling the weather, cloning dinosaurs, time travel, and achieving immortality.
About the author: Eisner Award-winning comics writer Ryan North tackled another science fiction scenario in How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler.
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Life on the Rocks: Building a Future for Coral Reefs
by Juli Berwald
What it's about: Marine biologist and science writer Juli Berwald (Spineless) takes readers around the world as she documents human efforts to save coral reefs, which are among Earth's most biodiverse ecosystems.
Destinations include: a coral genetics laboratory in Texas; Sulawesi, home to the world's largest reef restoration project; and protected areas in the Dominican Republic.
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The social lives of animals
by Ashley Ward
A biologist, in this insightful, engaging and entertaining book, searches for a more accurate picture of how animals build societies, showing that the social impulses we’ve long thought separated humans from other animals might actually be our strongest connection to them.
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The bald eagle : the improbable journey of America's bird
by Jack E. Davis
Featuring stories of Founding Fathers, rapacious hunters, heroic bird rescuers and the lives of bald eagles themselves, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Gulf presents a sweeping cultural and natural history of the bald eagle in America, demonstrating how this bird’s wondrous journey may provide inspiration today. Illustrations.
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The invisible siege : The Rise of Coronaviruses and the Search for a Cure
by Dan Werb
Drawing on decades of scientific investigation, an epidemiologist, tracing the rise of the coronavirus family and society’s desperate attempt to counter its threat, tells the story of a group of scientists who foresaw the danger and spent decades working to stop a looming pandemic. Illustrations.
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Astronomical : From Quarks to Quasars, the Science of Space at Its Strangest
by Tim James
Does the Big Bang prove the existence of God? What's the Universe expanding into? Is Earth the only planet which supports life? Space is the biggest, oldest, hottest, coldest, strangest thing a human can study. It's no surprise then, that the weirdest facts in science (not to mention the weirdest scientists themselves) are found in astrophysics and cosmology. If you're looking for instructions on how to set up your grandad's telescope this book probably isn't for you. In Astronomical, Tim James takes us on a tour of the known (and unknown) universe, focusing on the most-mind boggling stuff we've come across, as well as unpacking the latest theories about what's really going on out there. Guiding us through Einstein's relativity, quantum mechanics and string theory, Astronomical delves into the baffling corners of the cosmos and tackles the biggest mysteries we face: from alien life to the zodiac; from white holes to wormholes; from quasars to quark stars. This is the science of space at its absolute strangest.
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Paradise falls : the true story of an environmental catastrophe
by Keith O'Brien
Lois Gibbs, Luella Kenny and Barbara Quimby thought they had found a slice of the American dream when they and their families moved onto the quiet streets of Love Canal, a picturesque middle-class hamlet by Niagara Falls in the winter of 1977, the town had record snowfalls, and in the spring, rains filled the earth with water like a sponge and the basements of the neighborhood's homes with a pungent odor. It was the sweet, synthetic smell of chemicals. Then, one by one, the children of the more than 800 families that made Love Canal their home started getting very sick. In this propulsive work of narrative reportage, Keith O'Brien uncovers how Lois, Luella, Barbara and other local mothers uncovered the poisonous secret of Love Canal: that they were living on the site where industrial employer Hooker Chemical had been dumping toxic waste for years, and covering it up.
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The Carbon Footprint of Everything
by Mike Berners-lee
An award-winning, practical (and funny) guide to reducing your carbon footprint. Calculate your carbon footprint: with an item-by-item breakdown. Meet your company's carbon goals: using the latest research. Covid-19 and the carbon battle: understand the new global supply chain. The Carbon Footprint of Everything breaks items down by the amount of carbon they produce, creating a calorie guide for the carbon-conscious. With engaging writing, leading carbon expert Mike Berners-Lee shares new carbon calculations based on recent research. He considers the impact of the pandemic on the carbon battle--especially the embattled global supply chain--and adds items we didn't consider a decade ago, like bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
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Wildflowers of the Carolinas Field Guide
by Nora Bowers
With this famous field guide by Nora Bowers, Rick Bowers, and Stan Tekiela, you can make wildflower identification simple, informative, and productive. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of wildflowers that don't grow in the Carolinas. Learn about 200 of the most common and important species found in the region. They're organized in the field guide by color and then by size for ease of use. Fact-filled information contains the particulars that you want to know, while full-page photographs provide the visual detail needed for accurate identification.
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Into the Forest : The Secret Language of Trees
by Susan Hitchcock
For millennia, trees have offered renewal and inspiration. They have provided for humanity on every level, from spiritual sanctuary to the raw material for our homes, books, and food. In this beautiful and revealing book, National Geographic combines legendary photography with cutting-edge science to illuminate exactly how trees influence the life of planet Earth--from our personal lives to the weather cycle. Beautifully illustrated essays tell the stories of the world's most remarkable trees, from Tane Mahura in New Zealand, the ancient Maori "lord of the forest," to Pando, a single aspen spreading over 100 acres: Earth's largest living thing. You'll also discover how an astronaut carried tree seeds to the moon and back; the reason "microdosing" on tree gas is a sure way to boost your immune system; and why playing in the dirt boosts serotonin, happiness hormone.
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Ever green : saving big forests to save the planet
by John W. Reid
Five stunningly large, unbroken forests remain on Earth: the Taiga, extending from the Pacific Ocean across all of Russia and far-northern Europe; the North American boreal, ranging from Alaska's Bering seacoast to Canada's Atlantic coast; the Amazon, covering almost the entirety of South America's bulge; the Congo, occupying Africa's wet equatorial middle and parts of six nations; and the island forest of New Guinea, twice the size of California. These megaforests are vital to preserving global biodiversity, thousands of cultures, and a stable climate, economist John W. Reid and celebrated biologist Thomas E. Lovejoy argue convincingly in Ever Green. Megaforests serve an essential role in decarbonizing the atmosphere, and saving them constitutes the fastest, most affordable way to start addressing our planet's most formidable ongoing crisis. Clear, provocative, and persuasive, Ever Green offers practical solutions-from supporting Indigenous forest stewards to planning smarter roads-in an inspiring call to action for the planet.
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Sea turtles to sidewinders : a guide to the most fascinating reptiles and amphibians of the west
by Charles Hood
This accessible book encourages people to discover the amazing world of snakes, frogs, lizards, turtles, and newts. Emphasis is on "wow" species (colorful, fun), common backyard or easily-seen-on-a-day-hike species, and those species whose stories best reveal the changing face of nature today. All species accounts will have at least two photos, and a few have as many as five. Each entry will begin with a box of essential information to help orient the reader. An introductory chapter will define essential terms; talk about general natural history; discuss natives vs. exotics; provide pointers for viewing reptiles and amphibians; discuss safety (viz., how not to be bitten by snakes); and suggest citizen science projects. Timber's regional field guides have been quite successful; this book will provide more accessible-and interesting-information than a standard-format field guide, while still retaining the appeal of focusing on two fascinating groups of animals.
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Turtles of the World : A Guide to Every Family
by Jeffrey E. Lovich
A lavishly illustrated guide to the world's turtles that covers every family and genus. Turtles of the World reveals the extraordinary diversity of these amazing reptiles. Characterized by the bony shell that acts as a shield to protect the softer body within, turtles are survivors from the time of the dinosaurs and are even more ancient in evolutionary terms than snakes and crocodilians. Of more than 350 species known today, some are highly endangered. In this beautiful guide, turtle families, subfamilies, and genera are illustrated with hundreds of color photographs. Each genus profile includes a population distribution map, a table of information, and commentary that includes notable characteristics and discussion of related species. More than 250 beautiful color photos; Each profile features a distribution map, table of information, and commentary; Broad coverage includes every family and genus.
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Lizards of the World : A Guide to Every Family
by Mark O'Shea
Explores the diversity and adaptations of lizards in habitats around the world. Includes information on more than 80 families and subfamilies of lizards, with details on evolution, biology, behavior, distribution, and life cycles.
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The medicine book
by Steve Parker
Examines the milestones of medical history across generations and cultures all over the world
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The song of our scars : the untold story of pain
by Haider Warraich
In The Song of Our Scars, Haider Warraich offers a history of pain, both as a personal experience and as a medical ailment. We have only recently begun to treat pain as a purely physical sensation, and while the goal was to be able to offer safer, more reliable treatments, Warraich finds that it has actually had the opposite effect. Modern attitudes about pain paved the way for the opioid epidemic and made an already biased system of healthcare more racist, sexist, and classist. The medical community's attitudes toward pain have inspired us to make arbitrary and ill-supported distinctions between the "real" pain of the body and the "fake" pain that's in your head. And they have blinded us to the possibility that sometimes learning to live with your pain is better than trying to eliminate it. In the end, Warraich considers the possibility that pain, particularly chronic pain, is sometimes more usefully treated as an emotion than a sensation. A deeply felt investigation from a rising talent, The Song of Our Scars is both a trenchant indictment of a system gone astray and an empathic plea for a more holistic understanding of the human body.
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Wired For Love: A Neuroscientist's Journey Through Romance, Loss, and the Essence of Human Connection
by Stephanie Cacioppo
What it is: neuroscientist Stephanie Cacioppo's guide to the science of romance, from how "the power of love" works to why it evolved to how it affects our mental and physical health.
Why you might like it: Blending science and memoir, Cacioppo also recounts the story of her marriage to fellow neuroscientist John, who before his death from cancer was a leading researcher of loneliness.
Did you know? Romantic love affects 12 different areas of the brain!
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Pathological : The True Story of Six Misdiagnoses
by Sarah Fay
Over thirty years, doctors diagnosed Sarah Fay with six different mental illnesses--anorexia, major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and bipolar disorder. Pathological is the gripping story of what it was like to live with those diagnoses, and the crippling impact each had on her life. It is also a rigorous investigation into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)--psychiatry's "bible," the manual from which all mental illness diagnoses come.
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Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage
by Rachel E. Gross
What it's about: Science journalist Rachel E. Gross embarks on a quest to better understand what is commonly termed the "female reproductive system" (although it's so much more) and -- through conversations with gynecologists, medical anthropologists, surgeons, and more -- discovers just how little we know about it.
What sets it apart: Although much of the book focuses on cisgender women, its discussion of anatomy and physiology intentionally includes intersex people, transgender men, and nonbinary people of all genders.
Try these next: Vagina: A Re-Education by journalist Lynn Enright or The Wonder Down Under: The Insider's Guide to the Anatomy, Biology, and Reality of the Vagina by sex educators Ellen Stokken Dahl and Nina Brochmann.
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Iredell County Public Library
201 North Tradd Street
Statesville, North Carolina 28677
704-878-3090www.iredell.lib.nc.us/ |
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