[bksvol-discuss] Fw: Nature and Science April 2009
- From: "Amber Wallenstein" <amber.wallens@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:49:48 -0400
Nature and Science April 2009
"It is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence. It
biases the judgment."
~ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), British author, A Study in Scarlet
New and Recently Released!
Einstein's Telescope: The Hunt for Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe
- by Evalyn Gates
Publisher: W.W. Norton
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 2/22/2009
ISBN-13: 9780393062380
ISBN-10: 0393062384
Together, matter and energy make up four percent of the universe. The other 96
percent consists of invisible dark matter and dark energy, which are causing
the universe to rapidly expand. But how do you find and measure something that
can't be seen? The answer, according to astrophysicist Evalyn Gates, is
something called a gravitational lens. Sometimes called "Einstein's Telescope"
(because it's based on his general theory of relativity), it occurs when
the light from a distant source bends around a massive object between the
source and the observer. With it, scientists can use an object's gravity to
determine
the location and mass of galaxies, black holes, and neutron stars. Booklist
calls Einstein's Telescope as "exciting as it is informative."
How We Decide - by Jonah Lehrer
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 2/9/2009
ISBN-13: 9780618620111
ISBN-10: 0618620117
For anyone who's ever done something they later regretted, it shouldn't come as
any surprise that emotion frequently outweighs reason when it comes to making
decisions. What is surprising is how often our "gut instincts" turn out to be
right. In this book, Jonah Lehrer, author of Proust Was a Neuroscientist,
examines the latest research into decision-making. Using examples from sports,
finance, and popular culture, Lehrer illuminates what happens in the brain
as it deals with everything from buying a car to surviving a natural disaster,
with explanations of how such factors as time and marketing come into play.
If you liked Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, then you'll enjoy How We Decide.
Intelligence and How to Get It: Why Schools and Cultures Count - by Richard E.
Nisbett
Publisher: W.W. Norton
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 2/1/2009
ISBN-13: 9780393065053
ISBN-10: 0393065057
In this book, psychology professor Richard E. Nisbett weighs in on the
nature-versus-nurture debate, arguing that factors such as culture and
socioeconomic
status play a bigger role in determining intelligence than genetics. In fact,
he claims that environment almost completely negates the influence of heredity
when it comes to academic performance. Relying on research and detailed
statistical analysis, Nisbett demonstrates that a child's surroundings heavily
influence his or her intellect and discusses ways that parents, schools, and
the government can help all young people achieve more in the classroom and
in life.
Early Spring: An Ecologist and Her Children Wake to a Warming World - by Amy
Seidl
Publisher: Beacon Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 3/18/2009
ISBN-13: 9780807085844
ISBN-10: 0807085847
As winter turns to spring, ecologist Amy Seidl and her two young children
experience the wonders of nature firsthand at their Vermont home. As a parent,
Seidl describes her childrens' engagement in such time-honored activities as
cherry-picking and nature walks. As a scientist, she explains the
interrelatedness
of life on earth and the implications of global climate change. The
consequences are more serious than simply being able to go kayaking at times
when skiing
used to be the norm. As winters get shorter and spring comes earlier, plants
are suddenly out of sync with their natural pollinators, threatening the
survival
of both...as well as those who depend on their bounty, including humans.
Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the Twenty-First Century
- by P.W. Singer
Publisher: Penguin Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 1/22/2009
ISBN-13: 9781594201981
ISBN-10: 1594201986
In less than a century, robotic warfare has evolved from crude,
radio-controlled planes to sophisticated robots that can peer around corners
and detect
the presence of bombs. So what's next? According to Brookings Institute fellow
P.W. Singer, the next generation of warfare will be one in which highly
advanced technology enables nations to engage in combat without putting their
soldiers at risk. But as technology improves and combat begins to resemble
science fiction novels and video games, serious ethical issues arise. Is war
without humans more or less humane? Wired for War will "thoroughly absorb
those seriously interested in the future of warfare" (Booklist).
Table of Contents
The Science of Crime
Teasing Secrets from the Dead: My Investigations at America's Most Infamous
Crime Scenes - by Emily Craig; foreword by Kathy Reichs
Publisher: Crown Publishers
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 8/31/2004
ISBN-13: 9781400049226
ISBN-10: 1400049229
As a graduate student, forensic anthropologist Emily Craig was sent to the
burned remains of the Branch Dravidian complex in Waco, Texas to identify
bodies.
Since then, she's aided in investigations across the U.S., including those for
the Oklahoma City bombing and 9/11. As the state forensic anthropologist
of Tennessee, the self-described "Boondock Bone Doc" investigates skeletal
remains in order to determine who the people were, what they looked like, and
how they died. If you're a fan of the novels of Kathy Reichs (who provides an
introduction to this book), read Teasing Secrets from the Dead to find out
more about real-life forensic anthropology.
First Chapter
Table of Contents
Thunderstruck - by Erik Larson
Publisher: Crown Publishers
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/24/2006
ISBN-13: 9781400080663
ISBN-10: 1400080665
In this fast-paced book by Erik Larson, author of Devil in the White City, the
Edwardian era comes to life through two intertwining narratives. Italian-born
Guglielmo Marconi invents the radiotelegraph system, while London doctor Hawley
Crippen murders his wife and flees to America with his mistress. These
seemingly disparate threads come together when police receive a wireless
telegram from the captain of the fugitives' ship, enabling a detective to board
a faster vessel and apprehend Crippen in Canada--making Crippen the first
criminal to be arrested with the aid of wireless communication. "Thunderstruck
triumphantly resurrects the spirit of another age" says Publishers Weekly.
First Chapter
Table of Contents
Cracking Cases: The Science of Solving Crimes - by Henry C. Lee with Thomas W.
O'Neil
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 4/1/2002
ISBN-13: 9781573929851
ISBN-10: 1573929859
In this book, forensic criminologist Henry C. Lee takes readers on a gruesome
yet informative tour of five high-profile murder cases, including the O.J.
Simpson case and the Woodchipper Murder, explaining how in each instance
forensic evidence was collected, analyzed, and used in court. Discussing DNA,
GSR (gunshot residue), blood spatters, crime scene photography, evidence
management (and mismanagement) and decomposition, Lee demonstrates a thorough
knowledge of forensics and criminology. Whether it's an explanation of how to
use superglue to pull fingerprints or a story about the man who used an air
conditioner to mislead investigators regarding a victim's time of death,
Cracking Cases will surprise and entertain you.
Table of Contents
The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear,
The Real Forensics Behind the Great Detective's Greatest Cases - by E.J. Wagner
Publisher: Wiley
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 3/31/2006
ISBN-13: 9780471648796
ISBN-10: 0471648795
"I suppose I am the only one in the world," Sherlock Holmes declared when he
described his work of catching criminals through the application of science.
The field has evolved considerably since Holmes' adventures were written down,
and in this book E.J. Wagner explores the history of forensic science from
its beginnings in the 19th century to its present-day practice. Covering
anatomy, blood and ballistics, fingerprints, handwriting, toxicology and the
handling
of evidence, Wagner also describes missteps such as the pseudo-science of
phrenology (measuring bumps on the skull) and true crime stories that might have
inspired Conan Doyle, such as a case involving a sinister black dog. Publishers
Weekly calls this book "a balanced view of the history of forensic science
that should appeal to a wide audience."
First Chapter
Table of Contents
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