[bksvol-discuss] Fw: Nature and Science June 2008
- From: "Amber Wallenstein" <amber.wallens@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:42:07 -0400
Nature and Science June 2008
"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children."
~ Native American proverb
New and Recently Released!
Newton - by Peter Ackroyd
Publisher: Nan A. Talese/Doubleday
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 4/15/2008
ISBN: 9780385507998
ISBN-10: 0385507992
Famed 17th-century scientist Isaac Newton was born prematurely and left by his
mother at the age of three to be raised by his grandmother. From this
inauspicious
start he went on to obtain a degree from Cambridge, eventually discovering the
laws of gravitation and developing calculus. In addition to highlighting
Newton's contributions in the fields of science and math, biographer Peter
Ackroyd notes Newton's forays into alchemy, feuds with fellow scientists, and
relationship with church doctrine. If you're looking to learn a little about
this mathematical genius, Ackroyd's slender portrait is a great place to start.
First Chapter
Table of Contents
The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments - by George Johnson
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 4/8/2008
ISBN: 9781400041015
ISBN-10: 1400041015
In deciding upon the ten most "beautiful" experiments in the history of
science, science writer George Johnson looked for simplicity and elegance--the
former
criteria naturally excluding most modern research tackled by teams or
corporations. Some of the experiments he selected are famous, such as Pavlov's
work
with dogs or Newton's light-splitting prism, while others showcase how
attitudes towards research methods have changed. All show how a single brilliant
mind can change the world.
Table of Contents
Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injury and Its Aftermath - by Michael Paul Mason
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 4/1/2008
ISBN: 9780374134525
ISBN-10: 0374134529
Author Michael Paul Mason's day job is to assess brain-injured patients for
rehabilitation and try to find a place for them in an overburdened health care
system. Most of the men and women he sees have traumatic brain injuries due to
car wrecks, other accidents, or illness, but the war in Iraq is swelling
the number of brain-injured patients. In a series of 12 intimate case studies,
Mason provides vivid glimpses into brain science and the traumatic effects
that brain injuries bring; he also sheds light on how the health care system
fails these patients. Though written in a more personal tone, Mason's book
will appeal to fans of Oliver Sacks' writings.
First Chapter
Table of Contents
American Earth: Environmental Writing Since Thoreau - by Bill McKibben
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 4/17/2008
ISBN: 9781598530209
ISBN-10: 1598530208
Compiled from the writings of more than 100 authors, this weighty tome contains
pieces from well-known figures like Henry David Thoreau and John Muir as
well as from other writers and activists who may not be as familiar. Spanning
more than 200 years of American environmentalism, the anthology covers topics
from national parks to toxic pollution, and focuses in particular on writings
from the last 25 years, many of which tackle the ever-more urgent situations
of today. You may pick up American Earth for its scientific information, but
you'll enjoy it for "the sheer beauty of the writing" (Publishers Weekly).
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex - by Mary Roach
Publisher: W.W. Norton
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 3/1/2008
ISBN: 9780393064643
ISBN-10: 0393064646
From the woman who brought you Stiff: The Curious World of Cadavers and Spook:
Science Tackles the Afterlife comes a look at another topic sure to inspire
curiosity--the science of sexual physiology. In her trademark light-hearted
style (which is backed up by considerable research), Mary Roach considers the
lighter side of such topics as a woman's ability to experience orgasm, erectile
dysfunction among polygamists, and the ineffectiveness of Viagra on female
pandas. Kirkus Reviews calls her efforts "a lively, hilarious and informative
look at science's dirty secrets."
Table of Contents
The Hot Topic: What We Can Do about Global Warming - by Gabrielle Walker and
Sir David King
Publisher: Harcourt
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 4/7/2008
ISBN: 9780156033183
ISBN-10: 0156033186
In this excellent introduction to a hot topic, science journalist Gabrielle
Walker and British science advisor David King sort through the vast array of
information and misinformation surrounding the issue of global warming. With a
definitive overview of the problem and a discussion of potential solutions,
as well as an exploration of the science of climate change and the national and
global politics involved, they end on a positive note, though there is
much work to be done. "Entertaining as well as deadly serious," says Publishers
Weekly.
First Chapter
Focus on: Climate Change
The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life
on Earth - by Tim Flannery
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 4/3/2006
ISBN: 9780871139351
ISBN-10: 0871139359
Climate change has been in the news a lot recently, in part due to the
record-breaking 2005 hurricane season, recent widespread droughts, and of course
the U.S. presidential election. In The Weather Makers, Australian scientist Tim
Flannery combines an education on the history of climate change, a forecast
for the next century, and a discussion of what we can do to prevent a
cataclysmic future. He also includes suggestions for both lawmakers and
individuals,
from investing in renewable power sources to reducing deadly carbon dioxide
emissions. Perfect for the Weather Channel crowd, this sobering book is also
for environmentally minded readers concerned about climate change and global
warming.
First Chapter
Table of Contents
Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change - by Elizabeth
Kolbert
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 3/7/2006
ISBN: 9781596911253
ISBN-10: 1596911255
Expanding on a series of articles published in The New Yorker, writer Elizabeth
Kolbert has created an "unbiased overview" (Publishers Weekly) of a burgeoning
crisis. As glaciers melt and animals adapt to growing--or shrinking--climate
zones, Kolbert approaches climate change from every angle, visiting the Artic
and interviewing researchers and environmentalists. With skill, she explains
the science behind climate change, draws frightening parallels to lost ancient
civilizations, and presents the personal tales of those who are being affected
most. She also explores what's being done by governments and local
organizations,
and includes a bibliography for future reading.
First Chapter
Table of Contents
The Winds of Change: Climate, Weather, and the Destruction of Civilizations -
by Eugene Linden
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 2/7/2006
ISBN: 9780684863528
ISBN-10: 0684863529
Taking the long view of climate change, award-winning science writer Eugene
Linden looks back over human civilization and analyzes how climate has helped,
hindered, and destroyed empires and peoples. He sees a pattern--civilizations
become prosperous and complacent during good weather only to collapse when
that climate changes, either through such direct effects as floods or droughts
or through indirect consequences like disease or civil disorder. He addresses
lost societies from arctic Greenland to the rain forests of Central Africa, and
argues that we could share their fates.
First Chapter
Table of Contents
The Revenge of Gaia: Earth's Climate in Crisis and the Fate of Humanity - by
James Lovelock; foreword by Sir Crispin Tickell
Publisher: Basic Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 7/3/2006
ISBN: 9780465041688
ISBN-10: 046504168X
In the early 1970s, geophysicist James Lovelock introduced the Gaia theory, in
which he proposed that the Earth is a self-regulating system. But he believes
that the delicate equilibrium that has been maintained for so long is
threatened by human activity--precisely, by global warming--and that the
resulting
climate change could have dire results for human civilization. The Revenge of
Gaia is an excellent crash course on the effects of global warming; to prevent
catastrophe, Lovelock argues that nuclear energy may be the best option.
Table of Contents
With Speed and Violence: Why Scientists Fear Tipping Points in Climate Change -
by Fred Pearce
Publisher: Beacon Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 3/7/2007
ISBN: 9780807085769
ISBN-10: 0807085766
Self-described "skeptical" environmental journalist Fred Pearce takes on the
atmosphere in this well-documented and rather frightening review of the evidence
suggesting that abrupt and irreversible climate change may be just around the
corner. Each chapter in this accessible book addresses a different indicator
of drastic climate change, including greenhouse gases, aerosol emissions in
India and China, and Artic Sea "chimneys." Curious about what the world may
look like in ten years? Check out With Speed and Violence before it's too late!
Table of Contents
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