In this New York Times bestseller, "you'll see star births described in pen and ink, antimatter realized in collage, and a hand-painted black hole" ( Discover Magazine).A science book like no other, The Where, the Why, and the How turns loose seventy-five of today's hottest artists onto life's vast questions, from how we got here to where we are going. Inside these pages some of the biggest (and smallest) mysteries of the natural world are explaine...

Stories and portraits of sixty-five unsung heroes behind some of history's greatest achievements in the arts, politics, science, and technology.Explore the secret stories of the individuals behind some of the most legendary figures in the arts, politics, science, and technology in this fascinating compendium of historical fact and biographical trivia. Learn about Michael and Joy Brown, who gifted Harper Lee a year's worth of wages to help her write To Kill a Moc...

Follow the real lives of seven kids from Italy, Japan, Iran, India, Peru, Uganda, and Russia for a single day! In Japan Kei plays Freeze Tag, while in Uganda Daphine likes to jump rope. But while the way they play may differ, the shared rhythm of their days—and this one world we all share—unites them. This genuine exchange provides a window into traditions that may be different from our own as well as a mirror reflecting our common experiences. Inspired by his own travels, Matt Lamothe tra...

“Readers will probably go right to their own state―and then find themselves hooked.”― Booklist, Starred Review"A rich, thought-provoking work that proves that despite our differences, there's much that we share." ―Kirkus, Starred ReviewA gorgeously illustrated companion to Matt Lamothe’s This Is How We Do It featuring 50 kids from across the United States.From the rocky coastline of Maine ...

"Coyne's knowledge of evolutionary biology is prodigious, his deployment of it as masterful as his touch is light." -Richard DawkinsIn the current debate about creationism and intelligent design, there is an element of the controversy that is rarely mentioned-the evidence. Yet the proof of evolution by natural selection is vast, varied, and magnificent. In this succinct and accessible summary of the facts supporting the theory of natural selection, Jerry A. Coyne d...

How did the replication bomb we call ”life” begin and where in the world, or rather, in the universe, is it heading? Writing with characteristic wit and an ability to clarify complex phenomena (the New York Times described his style as ”the sort of science writing that makes the reader feel like a genius”), Richard Dawkins confronts this ancient mystery.

Are plants intelligent? Can they solve problems, communicate, and navigate their surroundings? Or are they passive, incapable of independent action or social behavior? Philosophers and scientists have pondered these questions since ancient Greece, most often concluding that plants are unthinking and inert: they are too silent, too sedentary -- just too different from us. Yet discoveries over the past fifty years have challenged these ideas, shedding new light on the extraordinary capabilit...

Take a mind blowing journey beyond the furthest stars, from the Big Bang to the end of time. Witness the evolution of complexity, from organic chemistry to the Dinosaurs. Probe the deepest recesses of the human mind in search consciousness itself. It's all here in this dazzling first volume of Henry Kong's history of the Universe.

• Is there really such a thing as a blue moon?• What time is it at the North Pole?• Why don’t woodpeckers get concussed?• Why don’t snorers wake themselves with the racket they make?• Do insects sleep?These are just a few of the intriguing questions asked and answered in The Quirks & Quarks Question Book, the first question and answer book to come out of CBC Radio’s enormously popular weekly science program. Quirks & Quarks producers ha...

Continuing the journey begun in his acclaimed book The Cosmic Serpent, the noted anthropologist ventures firsthand into both traditional cultures and the most up-todate discoveries of contemporary science to determine nature's secret ways of knowing.Anthropologist Jeremy Narby has altered how we understand the Shamanic cultures and traditions that have undergone a worldwide revival in recent years. Now, in one of his most extraordinary journeys, Narby travels the globe-fro...

Biologists have long dismissed mathematics as being unable to meaningfully contribute to our understanding of living beings. Within the past ten years, however, mathematicians have proven that they hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of our world -- and ourselves.In The Mathematics of Life, Ian Stewart provides a fascinating overview of the vital but little-recognized role mathematics has played in pulling back the curtain on the hidden complexities of the natural worl...

Twenty-eight of the best pieces of science and nature writing in America in a collection edited by the renowned physicist and public intellectual.The Best American series is the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction and nonfiction. Each volume's series editor selects notable works from hundreds of periodicals. A special guest editor, a leading writer in the field, then chooses the best twenty or so to publish. This unique system has made the...