Showing titles in Biological Sciences

In The Genius of Birds, acclaimed author Jennifer Ackerman explores the newly discovered brilliance of birds and how it came about. Consider, as Ackerman does, the Clark's nutcracker, a bird that can hide as many as 30,000 seeds over dozens of square miles and remember where it put them several months later; the mockingbirds and thrashers, species that can store 200 to 2,000 different songs in a brain a thousand times smaller than ours; and the well-known pigeon, which knows where it's going, even thousands of miles from familiar territory.

'Steve Brusatte, the author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, brings mammals out from the shadow of their more showy predecessors . . . In this beautifully written . . . terrific book, he tells the extraordinary story of how mammals came to be and makes the case for them as creatures who...

Brought to you by Penguin. We've been told we need to master our emotions and think rationally to succeed. But cutting-edge science shows that feelings are every bit as important to our success as thinking. You make hundreds of decisions every day, from what to eat for breakfast to how to...

The problem of agriculture is as old as civilization. Throughout history, great societies that abused their land withered into poverty or disappeared entirely. Now we risk repeating this ancient story on a global scale due to ongoing soil degradation, a changing climate, and a rising population. But there is reason for hope. David R. Montgomery introduces us to farmers around the world at the heart of a brewing soil health revolution that could bring humanity's ailing soil back to life remarkably fast.

In the misty Puerto Rican El Yunque rainforest, coquí frogs no larger than your thumb fill the air with their distinctive two-note song: “co-quí, co-quí.” They alternate routines—one night singing to attract potential mates, the next hunting to fuel up for tomorrow’s performance. In this episode, we follow a singer and a hunter amid the vibrant nighttime chorus.

The ability to communicate with animals is not a rare gift, but a skill we all possess. On The Beginner s Guide to Animal Communication, author and teacher Carol Gurney brings nearly 20 years of experience in interpreting the language of animals to anyone seeking a heart-to-heart connection with...

The Biology Book is packed with short, pithy explanations of more than 95 momentous ideas in science, from cell theory to evolution by natural selection. Themed chapters explore key areas of the life sciences including ecology, zoology and biotechnology, tracing the history of scientific thought and introducing the scientists who shaped the subject, such as Carl Linnaeus, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel. Coverage of topical issues such as cloning, neuroscience, human evolution and gene-editing brings the story right up to date.

Wherever there are people, there are penises. And even though men always carry their penis with them, we might not know it as well as we think.... Members Club is a fascinating and important exploration of the penis written by leading urologist Piet Hoebeke.

From University of Washington professor Chantel Prat comes The Neuroscience of You, a rollicking adventure into the human brain that reveals the surprising truth about neuroscience, shifting our focus from what’s average to an understanding of how every brain is different, exactly why our...

Life is the most extraordinary phenomenon in the known universe; but how does it work? Even in this age of cloning and synthetic biology, the remarkable truth remains: nobody has ever made anything living entirely out of dead material. Life remains the only way to make life. Are we missing a vital ingredient in its creation? Like Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene, which provided a new perspective on how evolution works, Life on the Edge alters our understanding of life's dynamics.

Conventional wisdom about running is passed down like folklore (and sometimes contradicts itself). In Running Smart, Mariska van Sprundel, a science journalist and recreational runner who has had her fair share of injuries, sets out to explore the science behind such claims. 

By identifying the structure of DNA, the molecule of life, Francis Crick and James Watson revolutionized biochemistry and won themselves a Nobel Prize. At the time, Watson was only 24, a young scientist hungry to make his mark. His uncompromisingly honest account of the heady days of their thrilling sprint against other world-class researchers to solve one of science's greatest mysteries gives a dazzlingly clear picture of a world of brilliant scientists with great gifts, very human ambitions, and bitter rivalries.

Перед вами одна из ключевых работ выдающегося философа, теоретика и практика анархизма Петра Алексеевича Кропоткина, которая остается актуальной более ста лет после первой публикации. В ней автор рассматривает общественные отношения через призму эволюционной теории, доказывая, что способность сотрудничать и поддерживать друг друга является важнейшим преимуществом, обеспечивающим процветание колоний муравьев, волчьих стай, групп высших приматов, а также человеческих сообществ во все исторические эпохи.

Биотехнология вошла в жизнь человека примерно 10 000 лет назад, когда дрожжи и бактерии стали помогать людям делать сыр и печь хлеб. Но мир меняется, и еда меняется вместе с ним. За последние несколько десятков лет новые биотех-­подходы изменили растениеводство и животноводство до неузнаваемости и внедрились во все сферы пищевой промышленности.

In the years 1804, 1805, and 1806, two men commanded an expedition which explored the wilderness that stretched from the mouth of the Missouri River to where the Columbia enters the Pacific, and dedicated to civilization a new empire. Their names were Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. This book relates that adventure from its inception through its completion as well as the effect the expedition had upon the history of the United States. (Summary from the text and Roger Melin)

“Father Marquette” is a biography of the French priest, devout missionary and courageous explorer who led an expedition, along with Louis Joliet, to find a route from the Great Lakes to the “Great River”, the Mississippi, and thence to its mouth. Their expedition traveled by 2 frail canoes from northern Michigan, along Lake Michigan, entering Green Bay, up the Fox River, portaging to the Wisconsin River, and then, oh joy!, to the Mississippi. They followed the Mississippi down to Arkansas, where deeming it too risky to go farther on account of hostile tribes and Spanish soldiers, they ...

This book includes fascinating essays by Robert Louis Stevenson about his travels in England, Europe, and the United States. They provide evocative descriptions of the scenery in the various locations and insights into the individuals he meets while traveling. (Summary by mkirkpat)

Departing from the usual third person narratives of biographies, this account is told in the first person as the reminiscences of a now retired George Washington. Reflecting on his days as a youth, he relates his family history, education, and military life up to the age of about 26 when he was a colonel. Naturally the author takes much liberty in filling in the details of Washington’s life, but largely remains true to history and the spirit of the man. The result is an engaging story that flows naturally, entertaining as it informs. - Summary by Larry Wilson

James P. Beckworth, born in Virginia at the dawn of our Nation, moved with his family to eastern Missouri settling a few miles below what is now St. Charles. Still young, James began his education in the character of the Indian nations where he gained first hand knowledge of the Indian tactics and at times, their brutality. At the young age of 19, he became a member of the famed company known as Ashley's hundred. Working along side some our countries most revered adventurers. Hugh Glass, Jim Bridger, Kit Carson and of course, General Ashley himself. After many adventures working for the ...

The results of a survey undertaken by Galton to learn more about individual differences and similarities between the "pre-eminent" men of his time. Brief biographical information, biometric data and extensive quotations have been compiled and presented. Summary by niobium.