National Network for Equitable Library Service

Bill Bryson, bestselling author of A Short History of Nearly Everything, takes us on a head-to-toe tour of the marvel that is the human body. As compulsively readable as it is comprehensive, this is Bryson at his very best, a must-read owner's manual for everybody. Bill Bryson once again proves himself to be an incomparable companion as he guides us through the human body-how it functions, its remarkable ability to heal itself, and (unfortunately) the ways it can fail.

In this remarkable groundbreaking book, a documentarian and conservationist, determined to dispel misplaced fear and correct common misconceptions, explores in-depth the secret lives of sharks-magnificent creatures who play an integral part in maintaining the health of the world's oceans and ultimately the planet.From the Jaws blockbusters to Shark Week, we are conditioned to see sharks as terrifying cold-blooded underwater predators. But as Safeguard the Seas founder William McKeever reveals, sharks are evolutionary marvels essential to maintaining a balanced ecosystem.

As concise and enlightening as Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, this mind-expanding dive into the mystery of consciousness is an illuminating meditation on the self, free will, and felt experience. What is consciousness? How does it arise? And why does it exist? We take our experience of being in the world for granted. But the very existence of consciousness raises profound questions: Why would any collection of matter in the universe be conscious? How are we able to think about this? And why should we?

An astonishing exploration of planet formation and the origins of life by one of the world's most innovative planetary geologists.In 1959, the Soviet probe Luna 3 took the first photos of the far side of the moon. Even in their poor resolution, the images stunned scientists: the far side is an enormous mountainous expanse, not the vast lava-plains seen from Earth. Subsequent missions have confirmed this in much greater detail. How could this be, and what might it tell us about our own place in the universe' As it turns out, quite a lot.

The final book in the Mysteries of Nature trilogy by the New York Times bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben Nature is full of surprises-deciduous trees affect the rotation of the Earth, cranes sabotage the production of Iberian ham, and coniferous forests can make it rain-but what are the processes that drive these incredible phenomena? And why do they matter?

British-Iraqi physicist Jim Al-Khalili here unveils the Arabic legacy of science and philosophy--a legacy that has long been hidden from the West.

Written by Nikola Tesla at the age of sixty-three, this autobiography is a fascinating glimpse into the interior life of a man who may have contributed more to the fields of electricity, radio, and television than any other person living or dead, a man certainly possessed of genius, and one who some consider the most important man of the twentieth century.

The atom, the big bang, DNA--all are ideas that have revolutionized science; and all were dismissed out of hand when they first appeared. This book investigates a new wave of radical insights that are shaping the future of scientific discovery.

This story of Alex, a famous African Grey parrot, documents his thirty-year relationship with his trainer and the ways in which his life has changed scientific understanding about language and thought.

The legendary annihilation in 1883 of the volcano-island of Krakatoa was followed by an immense tsunami that killed nearly forty thousand people. Beyond the purely physical horrors of an event that has only very recently been properly understood, the eruption changed the world in more ways than could possibly be imagined. Winchester's long experience in the world wandering as well as his knowledge of history and geology give an entirely new perspective on this fascinating and iconic event as he brings it telling back to life.