Science & Nature Books

Book SynopsisYou can change your genes - and this revelatory, cutting-edge popular science book will explain how.Trade ReviewFascinating and Highly accessible. * Sunday Times *Sharon Moalem peels away at the complex discussion of nature and nurture. * Dan Ariely, bestselling author of Predictably Irrational *In his new book, Moalem describes riveting dramas emerging from both defective genes and reparative epigenetics...fascinating. * The New York Times Book Review *Dr. Moalem is an eloquent guide through the astonishing new world of genetic discovery - with all its implications for both personal health and public policy. If you've wondered about the impact of genetics on your life- read this book! * Kinney Zalesne, New York Times bestselling author of Microtrends *

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Book SynopsisTime is central to our lived experience of the world. Yet, as this book reveals, it is startlingly difficult to reconcile the way we seem to experience time with many of the theories presented to us in physics and metaphysics. This comprehensive and accessible introduction guides the unfamiliar reader through difficult questions at the intersection of the metaphysics and physics of time. It starts with the assumption that physics and metaphysics are inextricably connected, and that each can, and should, shed light on the other. The authors explore a range of views about the nature of time, showing how different these are from the way we typically think about time and our place in it. They consider such questions as: whether time travel is possible, and, if it is, whether we can change the past; whether there is a single moment that is objectively present; whether time flows or is static; and whether, ultimately, time exists at all. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Time will appeal to students of physics and philosophy who want both a comprehensive overview of the area and enough depth to allow for rigorous discussion. The book’s detailed readings and exercises will challenge students and provide a clear roadmap for further study.Trade Review‘The metaphysics of time can be a tough nut to crack. Using down-to-earth language and highlighting important concepts, this highly readable book does an admirable job of giving students the tools they need to understand the field.’Craig Callender, UC San Diego ‘A simply excellent book that deserves to be read and is, I think, the best introduction to the topic of the philosophy of time on the market.’Jonathan Tallant, University of NottinghamTable of ContentsList of Figures Introduction 1. Dynamic and Static Theories of Time 2. The Passage of Time 3. The Experience of Time 4. Time and Physics 5. Temporal Asymmetries 6. Time and Causation 7. Persistence through Time 8. The Paradoxes of Time Travel Conclusion Index

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Book SynopsisIn this short book, renowned theoretical physicist and author Carlo Rovelli gives a straightforward introduction to Einstein''s General Relativity, our current theory of gravitation. Focusing on conceptual clarity, he derives all the basic results in the simplest way, taking care to explain the physical, philosophical and mathematical ideas at the heart of ?the most beautiful of all scientific theories?. Some of the main applications of General Relativity are also explored, for example, black holes, gravitational waves and cosmology, and the book concludes with a brief introduction to quantum gravity. Written by an author well known for the clarity of his presentation of scientific ideas, this concise book will appeal to university students looking to improve their understanding of the principal concepts, as well as science-literate readers who are curious about the real theory of General Relativity, at a level beyond a popular science treatment.Trade Review'General relativity is the most beautiful physical theory we have, and plays an increasingly central role in modern physics. Carlo Rovelli's introduction is both concise and comprehensive, written by a master of exposition as well as of the material. I envy anyone encountering these ideas for the first time.' Sean M. Carroll, Caltech; author of Spacetime and Geometry'This book addresses general relativity at a more sophisticated level than in a popular-level account, emphasizing conceptual understanding and results over the mathematical details of a standard textbook. Most impressive is the author's ability to distil important concepts into pithy statements illustrating deep physical insight. Rovelli's concise book provides a solid grounding in the conceptual framework of general relativity as a starting point.' Mike Guidry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; author of Modern General Relativity'The book is interesting, well written, and fills an otherwise vacant niche. Recommended.' Phillip Helbig, The Observatory'Rovelli is a well-published author of popular and advanced physics books, primarily in loop quantum gravity. His latest effort is an introduction to Einstein's general relativity, written with precision in the concise style for which he is acclaimed … Recommended.' J. F. Burkhart, Choice ConnectTable of ContentsWhat is General Relativity? Part I. Bases: 1. Physics: a field theory for gravity; 2. Philosophy: what are space and time? 3. Mathematics: curved space; Part II. The Theory: 4. Basic equations; 5. Action; 6. Symmetries and interpretation; Part III. Applications: 7. Newtonian limit; 8. Gravitational waves; 9. Cosmology; 10. The field of a mass; 11. Black holes; 12. Elements of quantum gravity; Index.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"These are crucial manifestos that changed the discourse and clarified our situation in the postmodern in stunning and beautiful ways. That we are animal and machine and human and full of potential is Donna Haraway’s enduring and inspirational message."—Kim Stanley Robinson, author of Aurora and the Mars trilogy "Here Donna Haraway’s manifestos are marvelously composted in the rich humus of reflection, erudition, and reasons for laughter that makes thinking with other people so generative. The brilliance that sparks between Cary Wolfe and Haraway illuminates everything that is between, around, underneath, and beside two most profound moments in critical thought."—Marilyn Strathern, University of Cambridge "Donna Haraway’s essays are invitations to scientists, artists, and everyone-who-must-improvise for respectful play with chimeras, hybrids, cyborgs, GMOs, holobionts, mosaics, allies, and fusions. They are invitations to generate new creative relationships for flourishing during and after the Anthropocene. As always, when presented with essays by Haraway, accept the invitation at the risk of becoming a different person."—Scott F. Gilbert, Swarthmore College"The social relations of science was a whole movement in the 1930s...It did not survive the cold war purges of intellectual life. Science studies has reinvented many of its themes and in many ways improved upon them. Yet perhaps, as Haraway once noted in passing, the “liberal mystification that all started with Thomas Kuhn…” has erased a little too much of its radical past. We are very fortunate that Donna Haraway and her kith reinvented it."—Public Seminar"Unusual and exciting. Every word adds a new detail, facet, nuance, reflection, to an infinitely detailed, faceted, nuanced reality."—London Review of Books"Manifestly Haraway is a timely and necessary publication in response to our own political moment if we are to link up with past failures, and explore new affinities for the future."—Arcadia"Widely influential."—Science Fiction Studies"Important, feminist, bio-political work."—Annals of Science "Manifestly Haraway is illuminating and engaging. Donna Haraway contextualizes the manifestos and considers how some of these early ideas are developing alongside fresh concepts and influences." —SociologyTable of ContentsContentsIntroduction Cary WolfeThe ManifestosA Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century The Companion Species Manifesto: Dogs, People, and Significant OthernessCompanions in ConversationDonna J. Haraway and Cary WolfeAcknowledgmentsIndex

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Book SynopsisArranged in chronological order from the early Greek mathematicians, Euclid and Archimedes through to present-day Nobel Prize winners, 100 Science Discoveries That Changed the World charts the great breakthroughs in scientific understanding. Each entry describes the story of the research, the significance of the science and its impact on the scientific world. There is also a resume of each scientist’s career along with their other achievements, sometimes – in the case of Isaac Newton – in a completely unrelated field (laws of motion and the component parts of light). The book covers all branches of science: geometry, number theory, cosmology, the laws of motion, particle physics, electricity, magnetism, the laws of gasses, optical theory, cell biology, conservation of energy, natural selection, radiation, quantum theory, special relativity, superconductivity, thermodynamics, genomes, plate tectonics, and the uncertainty principal. Scientists include: Albert Einstein, Alessandro Volta, Alexander Fleming, Amedeo Avogrado, Andre Geim, Antoine Lavoisier, Antony van Leeuwenhoek, Archimedes, Benoit Mandelbrot, Carl Friedrich Gauss, Charles Darwin, Christian Doppler, Copernicus, Crick and Watson, Dmitri Mendeleev, Edwin Hubble, Enrico Fermi, Ernest Rutherford, Erwin Schrodinger, Euclid, Fermat, Frederick Sanger, Galileo Galilei, Georg Ohm, Georges Lemaitre, Heike Kamerlingh, Isaac Newton, Jacques Charles, James Clerk Maxwell, James Prescott Joule, Jean Buridan, Johanes Kepler, John Ambrose Fleming, John Dalton, John O’Keefe, Joseph Black, Josiah Gibbs, Lord Kelvin, Lord Rayleigh, Louis Pasteur, Marie Curie, Martinus Beijerinck, Michael Faraday, Murray Gell-Mann & George Zweig, Neils Bohr, Nicholas Steno, Peter Higgs, Pierre Curie, Ptolemy, Robert Boyle, Robert Brown, Robert Hooke, Roger Bacon, Rudolf Clausius, Seleucus, Shen Kuo, Stanley Miller, Tyco Brahe, Werner Heisenberg, William Gilbert, William Harvey, William Herschel, William Rontgen, Wolfgang Pauli.Trade ReviewPraise for Colin Salter’s 100 Posters that Changed the World: 'Showcase[s] an extensive collection of the images and slogans that have shaped society as we know it.’ – Country Life 'This journey through images that can inspire, shock or just leave the viewer laughing is never less than fascinating… A beautifully produced volume that will find a very broad readership.' – All About History 'This engaging book is a vivid tapestry of poster styles with diverse commercial, cultural and political applications supplemented by informative single-page essays that stimulate curiosity page after page.’ – Morning Star

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsUnit 1: Basic Chemical and Biological Principles1. Cells and Organisms2. Basic Genetics3. DNA, RNA, and Protein4. Genes, Genomes, and DNA5. Manipulation of Nucleic Acids Unit 2: The Genome6. The Polymerase Chain Reaction7. Cloning Genes for Analysis8. DNA Sequencing9. Genomics and Systems BiologyNew Chapter to cover metagenomics, symbiosis, epigenomics etc Unit 3: The Central Dogma of Molecular Biology10. Cell Division and DNA Replication11. Transcription of Genes12. Processing of RNA (moved to Unit 4)13. Protein Synthesis14. Protein Structure and Function15. Proteomics: Global Analysis of Proteins Unit 4: Regulating Gene Expression16. Regulation of Transcription in Prokaryotes17. Regulation of Transcription in Eukaryotes12. Processing of RNA (moved from Unit 3)18. Regulation at the RNA LevelNew Chapter on Genome defense (RNAi and CRISPR). Would include their use in genetic analysis and genome editing19. Analysis of Gene Expression (Transcriptome) Unit 5: Subcellular Life Forms20. Plasmids21. Viruses22. Mobile DNA Unit 6: Changing the DNA Blueprint23. Mutations and Repair24. Recombination25. Bacterial Genetics26. Molecular Evolution

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Book SynopsisIngrid S Clay is a Celebrity Fitness Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, Figure Bodybuilder, and Plant-Based Chef. She has over 10 years' experience in the Health and Wellness space. She has been featured on Fabletics Fitness App, Livestrong, and Popsugar. She has spent several years designing and teaching HIIT classes. Ingrid has a background in Physics & Electrical Engineering. Her science background influences the way she approaches creating HIIT based programs. Insta: @ingridsclay www.ingridsclay.com

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Book SynopsisProvides comprehensive coverage on using X-ray fluorescence for laboratory applications This book focuses on the practical aspects of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy and discusses the requirements for a successful sample analysis, such as sample preparation, measurement techniques and calibration, as well as the quality of the analysis results. X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy for Laboratory Applications begins with a short overview of the physical fundamentals of the generation of X-rays and their interaction with the sample material, followed by a presentation of the different methods of sample preparation in dependence on the quality of the source material and the objective of the measurement. After a short description of the different available equipment types and their respective performance, the book provides in-depth information on the choice of the optimal measurement conditions and the processing of the measurement results. It covers instrument types for XRF; acquisition and evaluation of X-Ray spectra; analytical errors; analysis of homogeneous materials, powders, and liquids; special applications of XRF; process control and automation. An important resource for the analytical chemist, providing concrete guidelines and support for everyday analyses Focuses on daily laboratory work with commercially available devices Offers a unique compilation of knowledge and best practices from equipment manufacturers and users Covers the entire work process: sample preparation, the actual measurement, data processing, assessment of uncertainty, and accuracy of the obtained results X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy for Laboratory Applications appeals to analytical chemists, analytical laboratories, materials scientists, environmental chemists, chemical engineers, biotechnologists, and pharma engineers.Trade ReviewX-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for laboratory applications is a strongly recommended, high-quality monograph in the field of X-ray spectroscopy. [?] [I]t is a unique resource for practitioners and scientists. Kerstin Leopold in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry (29.07.2021)Table of ContentsPreface xvii List of Abbreviations and Symbols xix About the Authors xxiii 1 Introduction 1 2 Principles of X-ray Spectrometry 7 2.1 Analytical Performance 7 2.2 X-ray Radiation and Their Interaction 11 2.2.1 Parts of an X-ray Spectrum 11 2.2.2 Intensity of the Characteristic Radiation 13 2.2.3 Nomenclature of X-ray Lines 15 2.2.4 Interaction of X-rays with Matter 15 2.2.4.1 Absorption 16 2.2.4.2 Scattering 17 2.2.5 Detection of X-ray Spectra 20 2.3 The Development of X-ray Spectrometry 21 2.4 Carrying Out an Analysis 26 2.4.1 Analysis Method 26 2.4.2 Sequence of an Analysis 27 2.4.2.1 Quality of the Sample Material 27 2.4.2.2 Sample Preparation 27 2.4.2.3 Analysis Task 28 2.4.2.4 Measurement and Evaluation of the Measurement Data 28 2.4.2.5 Creation of an Analysis Report 29 3 Sample Preparation 31 3.1 Objectives of Sample Preparation 31 3.2 Preparation Techniques 32 3.2.1 Preparation Techniques for Solid Samples 32 3.2.2 Information Depth and Analyzed Volume 32 3.2.3 Infinite Thickness 36 3.2.4 Contaminations 37 3.2.5 Homogeneity 38 3.3 Preparation of Compact and Homogeneous Materials 39 3.3.1 Metals 39 3.3.2 Glasses 40 3.4 Small Parts Materials 41 3.4.1 Grinding of Small Parts Material 42 3.4.2 Preparation by Pouring Loose Powder into a Sample Cup 43 3.4.3 Preparation of the Measurement Sample by Pressing into a Pellet 44 3.4.4 Preparation of the Sample by Fusion Beads 48 3.4.4.1 Improving the Quality of the Analysis 48 3.4.4.2 Steps for the Production of Fusion Beads 49 3.4.4.3 Loss of Ignition 53 3.4.4.4 Quality Criteria for Fusion Beads 53 3.4.4.5 Preparation of Special Materials 54 3.5 Liquid Samples 55 3.5.1 Direct Measurement of Liquids 55 3.5.2 Special Processing Procedures for Liquid Samples 58 3.6 Biological Materials 58 3.7 Small Particles, Dust, and Aerosols 59 4 XRF Instrument Types 61 4.1 General Design of an X-ray Spectrometer 61 4.2 Comparison of Wavelength- and Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometers 63 4.2.1 Data Acquisition 63 4.2.2 Resolution 64 4.2.2.1 Comparison of Wavelength- and Energy-Dispersive Spectrometry 64 4.2.2.2 Resolution of WDS Instruments 66 4.2.2.3 Resolution of EDS Instruments 68 4.2.3 Detection Efficiency 70 4.2.4 Count Rate Capability 71 4.2.4.1 Optimum Throughput in ED Spectrometers 71 4.2.4.2 Saturation Effects in WDSs 72 4.2.4.3 Optimal Sensitivity of ED Spectrometers 73 4.2.4.4 Effect of the Pulse Throughput on the Measuring Time 74 4.2.5 Radiation Flux 75 4.2.6 Spectra Artifacts 76 4.2.6.1 Escape Peaks 76 4.2.6.2 Pile-Up Peak 77 4.2.6.3 Diffraction Peaks 77 4.2.6.4 Shelf and Tail 79 4.2.7 Mechanical Design and Operating Costs 79 4.2.8 Setting Parameters 80 4.3 Type of Instruments 80 4.3.1 ED Instruments 81 4.3.1.1 Handheld Instruments 82 4.3.1.2 Portable Instruments 83 4.3.1.3 Tabletop Instruments 84 4.3.2 Wavelength-Dispersive Instruments 85 4.3.2.1 Sequential Spectrometers 85 4.3.2.2 Multichannel Spectrometers 87 4.3.3 Special Type X-Ray Spectrometers 87 4.3.3.1 Total Reflection Instruments 88 4.3.3.2 Excitation by Monoenergetic Radiation 90 4.3.3.3 Excitation with Polarized Radiation 91 4.3.3.4 Instruments for Position-Sensitive Analysis 93 4.3.3.5 Macro X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer 94 4.3.3.6 Micro X-Ray Fluorescence with Confocal Geometry 95 4.3.3.7 High-Resolution X-Ray Spectrometers 96 4.3.3.8 Angle Resolved Spectroscopy – Grazing Incidence and Grazing Exit 96 4.4 Commercially Available Instrument Types 98 5 Measurement and Evaluation of X-ray Spectra 99 5.1 Information Content of the Spectra 99 5.2 Procedural Steps to Execute a Measurement 101 5.3 Selecting the Measurement Conditions 102 5.3.1 Optimization Criteria for the Measurement 102 5.3.2 Tube Parameters 103 5.3.2.1 Target Material 103 5.3.2.2 Excitation Conditions 104 5.3.2.3 Influencing the Energy Distribution of the Primary Spectrum 105 5.3.3 Measurement Medium 107 5.3.4 Measurement Time 108 5.3.4.1 Measurement Time and Statistical Error 108 5.3.4.2 Measurement Strategies 108 5.3.4.3 Real and Live Time 109 5.3.5 X-ray Lines 110 5.4 Determination of Peak Intensity 112 5.4.1 Intensity Data 112 5.4.2 Treatment of Peak Overlaps 112 5.4.3 Spectral Background 114 5.5 Quantification Models 117 5.5.1 General Remarks 117 5.5.2 Conventional Calibration Models 118 5.5.3 Fundamental Parameter Models 121 5.5.4 Monte Carlo Quantifications 124 5.5.5 Highly Precise Quantification by Reconstitution 124 5.5.6 Evaluation of an Analytical Method 126 5.5.6.1 Degree of Determination 126 5.5.6.2 Working Range, Limits of Detection (LOD) and of Quantification 127 5.5.6.3 Figure of Merit 129 5.5.7 Comparison of the Various Quantification Models 129 5.5.8 Available Reference Materials 131 5.5.9 Obtainable Accuracies 132 5.6 Characterization of Layered Materials 133 5.6.1 General Form of the Calibration Curve 133 5.6.2 Basic Conditions for Layer Analysis 135 5.6.3 Quantification Models for the Analysis of Layers 138 5.7 Chemometric Methods for Material Characterization 140 5.7.1 Spectra Matching and Material Identification 141 5.7.2 Phase Analysis 141 5.7.3 Regression Methods 143 5.8 Creation of an Application 143 5.8.1 Analysis of Unknown Sample Qualities 143 5.8.2 Repeated Analyses on Known Samples 144 6 Analytical Errors 149 6.1 General Considerations 149 6.1.1 Precision of a Measurement 151 6.1.2 Long-Term Stability of the Measurements 153 6.1.3 Precision and Process Capability 154 6.1.4 Trueness of the Result 156 6.2 Types of Errors 156 6.2.1 Randomly Distributed Errors 157 6.2.2 Systematic Errors 158 6.3 Accounting for Systematic Errors 159 6.3.1 The Concept of Measurement Uncertainties 159 6.3.2 Error Propagation 160 6.3.3 Determination of Measurement Uncertainties 161 6.3.3.1 Bottom-Up Method 161 6.3.3.2 Top-Down Method 162 6.4 Recording of Error Information 164 7 Other Element Analytical Methods 167 7.1 Overview 167 7.2 Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) 168 7.3 Optical Emission Spectrometry 169 7.3.1 Excitation with a Spark Discharge (OES) 169 7.3.2 Excitation in an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP-OES) 170 7.3.3 Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) 171 7.4 Mass Spectrometry (MS) 172 7.5 X-Ray Spectrometry by Particle Excitation (SEM-EDS, PIXE) 173 7.6 Comparison of Methods 175 8 Radiation Protection 177 8.1 Basic Principles 177 8.2 Effects of Ionizing Radiation on Human Tissue 178 8.3 Natural Radiation Exposure 179 8.4 Radiation Protection Regulations 181 8.4.1 Legal Regulations 181 9 Analysis of Homogeneous Solid Samples 183 9.1 Iron Alloys 183 9.1.1 Analytical Problem and Sample Preparation 183 9.1.2 Analysis of Pig and Cast Iron 184 9.1.3 Analysis of Low-Alloy Steel 185 9.1.4 Analysis of High-Alloy Steel 187 9.2 Ni–Fe–Co Alloys 188 9.3 Copper Alloys 189 9.3.1 Analytical Task 189 9.3.2 Analysis of Compact Samples 189 9.3.3 Analysis of Dissolved Samples 189 9.4 Aluminum Alloys 191 9.5 Special Metals 192 9.5.1 Refractories 192 9.5.1.1 Analytical Problem 192 9.5.1.2 Sample Preparation of Hard Metals 192 9.5.1.3 Analysis of Hard Metals 193 9.5.2 Titanium Alloys 194 9.5.3 Solder Alloys 194 9.6 Precious Metals 195 9.6.1 Analysis of Precious Metal Jewelry 195 9.6.1.1 Analytical Task 195 9.6.1.2 Sample Shape and Preparation 196 9.6.1.3 Analytical Equipment 197 9.6.1.4 Accuracy of the Analysis 198 9.6.2 Analysis of Pure Elements 198 9.7 Glass Material 199 9.7.1 Analytical Task 199 9.7.2 Sample Preparation 200 9.7.3 Measurement Equipment 202 9.7.4 Achievable Accuracies 202 9.8 Polymers 203 9.8.1 Analytical Task 203 9.8.2 Sample Preparation 204 9.8.3 Instruments 205 9.8.4 Quantification Procedures 205 9.8.4.1 Standard-Based Methods 205 9.8.4.2 Chemometric Methods 206 9.9 Abrasion Analysis 209 10 Analysis of Powder Samples 213 10.1 Geological Samples 213 10.1.1 Analytical Task 213 10.1.2 Sample Preparation 214 10.1.3 Measurement Technique 215 10.1.4 Detection Limits and Trueness 215 10.2 Ores 216 10.2.1 Analytical Task 216 10.2.2 Iron Ores 216 10.2.3 Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb Ores 217 10.2.4 Bauxite and Alumina 218 10.2.5 Ores of Precious Metals and Rare Earths 219 10.3 Soils and Sewage Sludges 221 10.3.1 Analytical Task 221 10.3.2 Sample Preparation 221 10.3.3 Measurement Technology and Analytical Performance 222 10.4 Quartz Sand 223 10.5 Cement 223 10.5.1 Analytical Task 223 10.5.2 Sample Preparation 224 10.5.3 Measurement Technology 225 10.5.4 Analytical Performance 226 10.5.5 Determination of Free Lime in Clinker 227 10.6 Coal and Coke 227 10.6.1 Analytical Task 227 10.6.2 Sample Preparation 228 10.6.3 Measurement Technology and Analytical Performance 229 10.7 Ferroalloys 230 10.7.1 Analytical Task 230 10.7.2 Sample Preparation 230 10.7.3 Analysis Technology 232 10.7.4 Analytical Performance 234 10.8 Slags 235 10.8.1 Analytical Task 235 10.8.2 Sample Preparation 235 10.8.3 Measurement Technology and Analytical Accuracy 236 10.9 Ceramics and Refractory Materials 237 10.9.1 Analytical Task 237 10.9.2 Sample Preparation 237 10.9.3 Measurement Technology and Analytical Performance 238 10.10 Dusts 239 10.10.1 Analytical Problem and Dust Collection 239 10.10.2 Measurement 242 10.11 Food 242 10.11.1 Analytical Task 242 10.11.2 Monitoring of Animal Feed 243 10.11.3 Control of Infant Food 244 10.12 Pharmaceuticals 245 10.12.1 Analytical Task 245 10.12.2 Sample Preparation and Analysis Method 245 10.13 Secondary Fuels 246 10.13.1 Analytical Task 246 10.13.2 Sample Preparation 247 10.13.2.1 Solid Secondary Raw Materials 247 10.13.2.2 Liquid Secondary Raw Materials 249 10.13.3 Instrumentation and Measurement Conditions 250 10.13.4 Measurement Uncertainties in the Analysis of Solid Secondary Raw Materials 251 10.13.5 Measurement Uncertainties for the Analysis of Liquid Secondary Raw Materials 252 11 Analysis of Liquids 253 11.1 Multielement Analysis of Liquids 254 11.1.1 Analytical Task 254 11.1.2 Sample Preparation 254 11.1.3 Measurement Technology 254 11.1.4 Quantification 255 11.2 Fuels and Oils 255 11.2.1 Analysis of Toxic Elements in Fuels 256 11.2.1.1 Measurement Technology 256 11.2.1.2 Analytical Performance 258 11.2.2 Analysis of Additives in Lubricating Oils 258 11.2.3 Identification of Abrasive Particles in Used Lubricants 260 11.3 Trace Analysis in Liquids 261 11.3.1 Analytical Task 261 11.3.2 Preparation by Drying 261 11.3.3 Quantification 262 11.4 Special Preparation Techniques for Liquid Samples 263 11.4.1 Determination of Light Elements in Liquids 263 11.4.2 Enrichment Through Absorption and Complex Formation 264 12 Trace Analysis Using Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence 267 12.1 Special Features of TXRF 267 12.2 Sample Preparation for TXRF 269 12.3 Evaluation of the Spectra 271 12.3.1 Spectrum Preparation and Quantification 271 12.3.2 Conditions for Neglecting the Matrix Interaction 272 12.3.3 Limits of Detection 273 12.4 Typical Applications of the TXRF 274 12.4.1 Analysis of Aqueous Solutions 274 12.4.1.1 Analytical Problem and Preparation Possibilities 274 12.4.1.2 Example: Analysis of a Fresh Water Standard Sample 275 12.4.1.3 Example: Detection of Mercury in Water 277 12.4.2 Analysis of the Smallest Sample Quantities 278 12.4.2.1 Example: Pigment Analysis 278 12.4.2.2 Example: Aerosol Analysis 279 12.4.2.3 Example: Analysis of Nanoparticles 279 12.4.3 Trace Element Analysis on Human Organs 280 12.4.3.1 Example: Analysis of Blood and Blood Serum 280 12.4.3.2 Example: Analysis of Trace Elements in Body Tissue 282 12.4.4 Trace Analysis of Inorganic and Organic Chemical Products 283 12.4.5 Analysis of Semiconductor Electronics 284 12.4.5.1 Ultra-Trace Analysis on SiWafers with VPD 284 12.4.5.2 Depth Profile Analysis by Etching 285 13 Nonhomogeneous Samples 287 13.1 Measurement Modes 287 13.2 Instrument Requirements 288 13.3 Data Evaluation 290 14 Coating Analysis 291 14.1 Analytical Task 291 14.2 Sample Handling 292 14.3 Measurement Technology 293 14.4 The Analysis Examples of Coated Samples 294 14.4.1 Single-Layer Systems: Emission Mode 294 14.4.2 Single-Layer Systems: Absorption Mode 297 14.4.3 Single-Layer Systems: Relative Mode 298 14.4.3.1 Analytical Problem 298 14.4.3.2 Variation of the Specified Working Distance 298 14.4.3.3 Sample Size and Spot Size Mismatch 299 14.4.3.4 Non-detectable Elements in the Layer: NiP Layers 300 14.4.4 Characterization of Ultrathin Layers 302 14.4.5 Multilayer Systems 304 14.4.5.1 Layer Systems 304 14.4.5.2 Measurement Technology 305 14.4.5.3 Example: Analysis of CIGS Solar Cells 305 14.4.5.4 Example: Analysis of Solder Structures 306 14.4.6 Samples with Unknown Coating Systems 307 14.4.6.1 Preparation of Cross Sections 308 14.4.6.2 Excitation at Grazing Incidence with Varying Angles 309 14.4.6.3 Measurement in Confocal Geometry 311 15 Spot Analyses 313 15.1 Particle Analyses 313 15.1.1 Analytical Task 313 15.1.2 Sample Preparation 314 15.1.3 Analysis Technology 315 15.1.4 Application Example:Wear Particles in Used Oil 315 15.1.5 Application Example: Identification of Glass Particles by Chemometrics 316 15.2 Identification of Inclusions 318 15.3 Material Identification with Handheld Instruments 318 15.3.1 Analytical Tasks 318 15.3.2 Analysis Technology 319 15.3.3 Sample Preparation and Test Conditions 320 15.3.4 Analytical Accuracy 320 15.3.5 Application Examples 321 15.3.5.1 Example: Lead in Paint 321 15.3.5.2 Example: Scrap Sorting 321 15.3.5.3 Example: Material Inspection and Sorting 322 15.3.5.4 Example: Precious Metal Analysis 322 15.3.5.5 Example: Prospecting and Screening in Geology 323 15.3.5.6 Example: Investigation of Works of Art 323 15.4 Determination of Toxic Elements in Consumer Products: RoHS Monitoring 324 15.4.1 Analytical Task 324 15.4.2 Analysis Technology 325 15.4.3 Analysis Accuracy 327 15.5 Toxic Elements in Toys: Toys Standard 328 15.5.1 Analytical Task 328 15.5.2 Sample Preparation 328 15.5.3 Analysis Technology 330 16 Analysis of Element Distributions 331 16.1 General Remarks 331 16.2 Measurement Conditions 332 16.3 Geology 333 16.3.1 Samples Types 333 16.3.2 Sample Preparation and Positioning 333 16.3.3 Measurements on Compact Rock Samples 334 16.3.3.1 Sum Spectrum and Element Distributions 334 16.3.3.2 Object Spectra 335 16.3.3.3 Treatment of Line Overlaps 336 16.3.3.4 Maximum Pixel Spectrum 339 16.3.4 Thin Sections of Geological Samples 340 16.4 Electronics 342 16.5 Archeometric Investigations 344 16.5.1 Analytical Tasks 344 16.5.2 Selection of an Appropriate Spectrometer 346 16.5.3 Investigations of Coins 347 16.5.4 Investigations of Painting Pigments 349 16.6 Homogeneity Tests 350 16.6.1 Analytical Task 350 16.6.2 Homogeneity Studies Using Distribution Analysis 351 16.6.3 Homogeneity Studies Using Multi-point Measurements 352 17 Special Applications of the XRF 355 17.1 High-Throughput Screening and Combinatorial Analysis 355 17.1.1 High-Throughput Screening 355 17.1.2 Combinatorial Analysis for Drug Development 357 17.2 Chemometric Spectral Evaluation 358 17.3 High-Resolution Spectroscopy for Speciation Analysis 361 17.3.1 Analytical Task 361 17.3.2 Instrument Technology 361 17.3.3 Application Examples 362 17.3.3.1 Analysis of Different Sulfur Compounds 362 17.3.3.2 Speciation of Aluminum Inclusions in Steel 363 17.3.3.3 Determination of SiO2 in SiC 365 18 Process Control and Automation 367 18.1 General Objectives 367 18.2 Off-Line and At-Line Analysis 369 18.2.1 Sample Supply and Analysis 369 18.2.2 Automated Sample Preparation 371 18.3 In-Line and On-Line Analysis 376 19 Quality Management and Validation 379 19.1 Motivation 379 19.2 Validation 380 19.2.1 Parameters 384 19.2.2 Uncertainty 385 Appendix A Tables 387 Appendix B Important Information 419 B.1 Coordinates of Main Manufacturers of Instruments and Preparation Tools 419 B.2 Main Suppliers of Standard Materials 422 B.2.1 Geological Materials and Metals 422 B.2.2 Stratified Materials 423 B.2.3 Polymer Standards 424 B.2.4 High Purity Materials 424 B.2.5 Precious Metal Alloys 425 B.3 Important Websites 425 B.3.1 Information About X-Ray Analytics and Fundamental Parameters 425 B.3.2 Information About Reference Materials 426 B.3.3 Scientific Journals 427 B.4 Laws and Acts, Which Are Important for X-Ray Fluorescence 427 B.4.1 Radiation Protection 427 B.4.2 Regulations for Environmental Control 428 B.4.3 Regulations for Performing Analysis 428 B.4.4 Use of X-ray Fluorescence for the Chemical Analysis 428 B.4.4.1 General Regulations 428 B.4.4.2 Analysis of Minerals 429 B.4.4.3 Analysis of Oils, Liquid Fuels, Grease 430 B.4.4.4 Analysis of Solid Fuels 432 B.4.4.5 Coating Analysis 433 B.4.4.6 Metallurgy 433 B.4.4.7 Analysis of Electronic Components 434 References 435 Index 453

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Book SynopsisUnderstand how our immune system fights disease and enables the body to heal itself.'Thrilling... Reads like the best kind of adventure story' STEPHEN FRY'Excellent' TIM SPECTOR, Sunday Times bestselling author of Spoon-Fed Here, Professor Daniel Davis charts the groundbreaking scientific quest to understand how it fights disease and enables the body to heal itself. He explains how it is affected by stress, sleep, age and our state of mind, and reveals how all of this knowledge is now unlocking a revolutionary approach to medicine and well-being. The Beautiful Cure tells a dramatic story of detective work and discovery, of puzzles solved and of the mysteries that remain, and of lives sacrificed and saved. SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 'Wonderful... recounts in exceptionally clear and sympathetic prose how research into the immune system has resulted in a health revolution' HENRY MARSH 'Thoroughly absorbing... Davis is a wonderful storyteller' BILL BRYSONTrade ReviewThrilling ... An eye-opening tour de force of scientific writing that reads like the best kind of adventure story -- Stephen FryOne of the best accounts I have yet come across of the nature of biological science … Daniel Davis’s wonderful book recounts in exceptionally clear and sympathetic prose how research into the immune system has resulted in a health revolution -- Henry Marsh * New Statesman *Thoroughly absorbing ... Davis is a wonderful storyteller -- Bill BrysonTerrific ... Davis relates the extraordinary modern developments in supercharging the body’s own immune system to fight disease, and one day maybe even eliminate cancer -- Steven Poole * *****Telegraph *Thrilling … Do not underestimate the importance of immunology. This field relates to you personally -- Adam Rutherford * Guardian *An inspirational book that not only reveals the secret joys of scientific discovery but is jam-packed full of revelations for non-scientists * Mail on Sunday *Forget AI, robotics, the internet of things. This is where the future feels strange and exciting: in the 'inner universe' of our immune system, and in the radically new therapies that are using it to conquer disease * Sunday Times *Highly readable, beautifully researched, backed up with notes, references and interviews by Davis himself, whose status as an immunology professor confers added credibility. He believes that we now know enough about the major components and interactions of the immune system to begin manipulating them to cure diseases such as cancer. We stand, he predicts, on the threshold of a medical revolution * New Scientist *A sweeping tour d’horizon … lucid and entertaining … Much as Siddhartha Mukherjee did in his book The Gene, Davis expertly weaves together human stories and scientific endeavour * The Times *New ways to treat cancer, diabetes, arthritis and other age-related diseases … Davis is a sure and engaging guide to these developments * Observer *

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Book SynopsisA ground-breaking identification guide ... the perfect marriage of artistic excellence, deep knowledge and, dare I say it, of scientists'' genuine affection. BRETT WESTWOODThis brand new illustrated field guide covers all 47 species of ladybird occurring in the British Isles in a handy and easy-to-use format. Twenty-seven species are colourful and conspicuous and easily recognised as ladybirds; the remaining species are more challenging, but the clear illustrations and up-to-date text in this guide will help to break down the identification barriers. A useful introduction provides an overview of ladybird ecology, tips on studying and recording, and suggested sites for finding ladybirds. The main part of the book comprises detailed species texts, covering field characters, food, habitats, suggested survey methods, ranges, conservation statuses and distribution trends. An illustrated at-a-glance identification guide and helpful pointers for differentiating similar-lTrade ReviewWhether you fancy the challenge of trying to find all 47 UK species, or just want to identify the half-dozen or so that might turn up in your back garden, you need a good field guide, and this could well be it. -- Ken Thompson * British Ecological Society's 'The Niche' magazine *A fantastic field guide. -- Roger Tabor * British Naturalists' Association's 'Country-Side' magazine *Authoritative but well-written text supported by illustrations of the quality we have all come to expect from Richard Lewington, not to mention an excellent collection of photographs ... highly recommended. -- Andy Musgrove * BTO book reviews *The content of this book is a credit to both the authors and illustrator and with its wealth of useful information should certainly be given a place in the library of every specialist and general naturalist. -- Peter Hodge * Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society *Table of ContentsForeword Acknowledgements Introduction Ladybird habitats Regional guides Using this field guide At-a-glance guide Conspicuous ladybirds Inconspicuous ladybirds Similar species Potential new species Useful resources Glossary Plant names Animal names Photographic credits Index

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Book SynopsisA Financial Times 'Best Thing I Read This Year' LONGLISTED FOR THE FT & MCKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDGoogle. Amazon. Facebook. The modern world is defined by vast digital monopolies turning ever-larger profits. Those of us who consume the content that feeds them are farmed for the purposes of being sold ever more products and advertising. Those that create the content – the artists, writers and musicians – are finding they can no longer survive in this unforgiving economic landscape. But it didn’t have to be this way. In Move Fast and Break Things, Jonathan Taplin offers a succinct and powerful history of how online life began to be shaped around the values of the entrepreneurs like Peter Thiel and Larry Page who founded these all-powerful companies. Their unprecedented growth came at the heavy cost of tolerating piracy of books, music and film, while at the same time promoting opaque business practices and subordinating the privacy of individual users to create the surveillance marketing monoculture in which we now live.It is the story of a massive reallocation of revenue in which $50 billion a year has moved from the creators and owners of content to the monopoly platforms. With this reallocation of money comes a shift in power. Google, Facebook and Amazon now enjoy political power on par with Big Oil and Big Pharma, which in part explains how such a tremendous shift in revenues from creators to platforms could have been achieved and why it has gone unchallenged for so long.And if you think that’s got nothing to do with you, their next move is to come after your jobs. Move Fast and Break Things is a call to arms, to say that is enough is enough and to demand that we do everything in our power to create a different future.Trade ReviewTaplin wields his axe mercilessly...by the end of this book you will agree with Taplin that the tech firms are abusing their monopoly power to rip us off and debase our culture - breaking the world as he sees it...It is time for consumers to break back. This manifesto is a punchy start. * The Sunday Times *A bracing, unromantic account of how the internet was captured…Move Fast and Break Things is a timely and useful book * The Observer *Taplin is angry as hell about the immense size and power of the tech giants, and has a compelling pitch for why we should all be worried too * The Evening Standard *Comprehensive…Where Taplin excels is by putting all this into the context of the changing global economy * The Times *A new analysis of the dark side of the digital revolution...Taplin goes beyond familiar critiques * Financial Times *Taplin’s sense of outrage is palpable and his case is often compelling * The Guardian *A radical remedy * The Economist *A nuanced look at the downside of what is glibly tossed around as "disruption" by various cyber-messianic blowhards. Taplin is hunting big game; it is his contention that the giants of the cyberworld-from Google to Amazon-are threats to the fundamental foundations of democracy and that they also cement inequality into our systems in new and dangerous ways * Esquire *Jonathan Taplin's Move Fast and Break Things argues that the radical libertarian ideology and monopolistic greed of many Silicon Valley entrepreneurs helped to decimate the livelihoods of musicians and is now undermining the communal idealism of the early internet * Walter Isaacson, New York Times Book Review *Mr Taplin brings an informed perspective to his task * Wall Street Journal *Jonathan Taplin's new book could not be more timely. Twenty years after the initial euphoria of the Web, ten years after the invention of social media, it's time to stop breaking things and start thinking seriously about the new habitat we're creating. Move Fast and Break Things provides a blueprint for a future that humans can live in * Frank Rose, author of The Art of Immersion *Move Fast and Break Things goes on my bookshelf beside a few other indispensable signposts in the maze of life in the 21st Century--The Technological Society by Jacques Ellul, The Image by Daniel Boorstin, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction by Walter Benjamin, The Medium is the Message by Marshall McLuhan, The Media Monopoly by Ben Bagdikian, Christ and the Media by Malcolm Muggeridge, and Future Shock by Alvin Toffler. I pray the deepest and highest prayer I can get to that this clarion warning is heeded. The survival of our species is at stake * T Bone Burnett, Oscar-Winning Songwriter, soundtrack and record producer *Jonathan Taplin's Move Fast and Break Things, a rock and roll memoir cum internet history cum artists' manifesto, provides a bracing antidote to corporate triumphalism - and a reminder that musicians and writers need a place at the tech table and, more to the point, a way to make a decent living * Jeffrey Toobin, author of American Heiress *A powerful argument for reducing inequality and revolutionizing how we use the Web for the benefit of the many rather than the few * Kirkus Review *Jonathan Taplin, more than anyone I know, can articulate the paralyzing complexities that have arisen from the intertwining of the tech and music industries. He counters the catastrophic implications for musicians with solutions and inspiration for a renaissance. He shows the way for artists to reclaim and reinvent subversion, rather than be in servitude to Big Tech. Every musician and every creator should read this book. * Rosanne Cash, Grammy-winning Singer and Songwriter *An absolute must-read for anyone who wants to gain a little savvy in the internet era * Newsweek *Insightful.... Taplin provides a keen, thorough look at the present and future of Americans' lives as influenced and manipulated by the technological behemoths on which they've come to depend. His work is certainly food for thought * Publishers Weekly *A breakthrough, must-read book… a tour de force—a compelling, story-driven work focusing on the handful of men who have shaped and essentially taken over the massive tech industry. Along the way, Taplin tells his own personal story with charm and insight. If you want to understand what has happened to our country and where tech will take us in the era of Trump, put aside some time to read this book. It will take your breath away * Alternet *Jonathan Taplin's excellent new book explains exactly how Google, Facebook and Amazon are undermining democratic institutions, accelerating the rise of oligarchy...and destroying both cultural and economic opportunities for millions of people. * The Chicago Tribune *

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Book SynopsisWhat makes an engaging presentation or a useful meeting? How can companies motivate and inspire people to do their best at work? Who are the most effective leaders? Bestselling author and scientist Dr John Medina uses peer-reviewed research to answer the most important questions about the workplace today, providing answers that will help you get ahead. The author of international bestseller Brain Rules, Medina here turns his expertise to the professional world, guiding the reader through what brain science and evolutionary biology have to say on topics ranging from office space and work—life balance to power dynamics and work interactions. He examines why taking breaks in nature during the workday improves productivity; how planning a meeting beforehand makes it more effective; why open plan isn’t a good office plan; how a more diverse team is a better team; why allowing for failure is vital to a company’s success; and much more. Breaking down the science to practical applications that every reader can understand and benefit from, Brain Rules for Work is the essential guide to modern office life.

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Book SynopsisArtificial intelligence (AI) is often discussed as something extraordinary, a dream--or a nightmare--that awakens metaphysical questions on human life. Yet far from a distant technology of the future, the true power of AI lies in its subtle revolution of ordinary life. From voice assistants like Siri to natural language processors, AI technologies use cultural biases and modern psychology to fit specific characteristics of how users perceive and navigate the external world, thereby projecting the illusion of intelligence. Integrating media studies, science and technology studies, and social psychology, Deceitful Media examines the rise of artificial intelligence throughout history and exposes the very human fallacies behind this technology. Focusing specifically on communicative AIs, Natale argues that what we call AI is not a form of intelligence but rather a reflection of the human user. Using the term banal deception, he reveals that deception forms the basis of all human-computer interactions rooted in AI technologies, as technologies like voice assistants utilize the dynamics of projection and stereotyping as a means for aligning with our existing habits and social conventions. By exploiting the human instinct to connect, AI reveals our collective vulnerabilities to deception, showing that what machines are primarily changing is not other technology but ourselves as humans. Deceitful Media illustrates how AI has continued a tradition of technologies that mobilize our liability to deception and shows that only by better understanding our vulnerabilities to deception can we become more sophisticated consumers of interactive media.Trade Reviewa real breath of fresh air ... fundamental reading for an understanding of AI as a socio-material phenomenon * Domenico Napolitano, Prometheus *Deceitful Media makes a compelling case that the development of artificial intelligence is inextricably woven together with fallacies of human perception. Analyzing archival documents from the 1950s onward, Simone Natale demonstrates the prevalence of what he calls 'banal deception,' the everyday taken-for-granted interactions that attribute human-equivalent intelligence to algorithmic processes that in themselves are quite different. A remarkable achievement, this accessible and well-written book is a 'must-read' for media scholars, cultural critics, and anyone interested in the significance of artificial intelligence for our time. * N. Katherine Hayles, author of Postprint: Books and Becoming Computational *From the time of Alan Turing's Game of Imitation, the benchmark of machine intelligence has been deceptive communicative behavior. In Deceitful Media, Simone Natale provides a decisive and revealing analysis of the history, significance, and social consequences of deception in artificial intelligence, demonstrating how and why deceit is not a bug to be fixed but a defining feature of both the theory and practice of AI. * David J. Gunkel, Northern Illinois University *A fundamental fear surrounding artificial intelligence is that it will one day become a technology of deception. As Simone Natale informs us in Deceitful Media, that day is already here. However, such deception is not the malicious kind of science fiction; rather, the deceit of AI is one enacted in our minds as they encounter technologies carefully crafted to our social nature. By situating AI within the context of media and communication theory, Natale dispels the hype surrounding AI as a technology, replacing it with a theoretical lens informed by the seemingly mundane elements of our ongoing interactions with AI as forms of media. As a result, Deceitful Media provides us with not only a new way to think about AI, but also a more grounded approach to assessing its impact for ourselves and society. * Andrea Guzman, Northern Illinois University *A remarkable critical history of the artifice central to artificial intelligence. Natale has peered beyond the scandalously uncanny valleys, the many muddily mediated human-machine thought experiments, and scurrilous bids for grants and investor capital to uncover the dark heart of artificial intelligence: namely, the everyday ordinary ways that 'banal deception' is integrated into our lives. In so doing, Deceitful Media offers pressingly ethical, sober, and sophisticated pathways to reclaiming the unnatural ordinariness of the human psyche in the shadow of artificial intelligence. Highly readable and deeply instructive. * Benjamin Peters, University of Tulsa *Table of ContentsTable of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1. The Turing Test: Cultural life of an idea Chapter 2. How to dispel magic: Computers, interfaces, and the problem of the observer Chapter 3. The Eliza effect: Joseph Weizenbaum and the emergence of chatbots Chapter 4. Of daemons, dogs and trees: Situating AI in software Chapter 5. How to create a bot: Programming deception at the Loebner Prize Chapter 6. To believe in Siri: A critical analysis of voice assistants Conclusion: Our sophisticated selves Bibliography

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Book SynopsisFrom the world''s foremost neuroscientist of romantic love comes a personal story of connection and heartbreak that brings new understanding to an old truth: it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.At thirty-seven, Dr. Stephanie Cacioppo was content to be single. She was fulfilled by her work on the neuroscience of romantic love; how finding and growing with a partner literally reshapes our brains. That was, until she met the foremost neuroscientist of loneliness. A whirlwind romance led to marriage, to sharing an office at the University of Chicago. After seven years of being inseparable at work and home, she lost her beloved husband following a devastating battle with cancer.In Wired for Love, Dr. Stephanie Cacioppo tells not just a science story, but also a love story. She shares revelatory insights into how we fall in love, and why; what makes love last; and how we process love lost - all grounded in cutting-edge fTrade Review'This meditation on love is deep in every sense: in scientific richness, in human insight, and in moving personal involvement' Steven Pinker, author of How the Mind Works'When John and Steph met it was electric, consuming, forever. One might even say 'wacky' from the start. But then their love grew to be inseparable, collaborative, joyous and infinitely inventive. And while their scholarship and devotion to science hit new levels, it was their bond in love that was a joy to know. This book captures that joy' Michael Gazzaniga, author of The Consciousness Instinct'Anyone looking for love would be well advised to read her expert tips on how to spark romance and make it last. Don't offer anyone your heart. Offer them your brain and enjoy the fireworks' - Daily Mail'Cacioppo's writing becomes more intimate as her life story stitches closer to her research. Her conclusion is enchanting and uplifting ... A beautiful testament to romantic love, scientific passion and the endless possibility of connection' Kirkus'Filled with a little something for everyone, Wired for Love is a unique take on a memoir that will take you on a journey of grief and healing with a reminder to keep your heart open to all the beauty and pain that life might bring' Mindful'Cacioppo blends memoir and science in her debut, an enlightening testament to love's ability to enhance one's life ... Readers will be both fascinated and moved' Publishers Weekly'...an engaging guide through the scientific portions of the book, and her own experiences of connection and loss enrich the narrative. Together, these intertwined strands of science and personal narrative make for a sprightly, illuminating book' BookPage

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Book SynopsisThe spellbinding stories of the scientists whose eureka! breakthroughs in modern physics reveal science's astonishing predictive power.'An excellent popular science book.'DARA Ã? BRIAIN'A thoroughly informative and entertaining read.'ANNA BURNS, Booker Prize-winning author of Milkman'One of the best-written books about phsyics I have ever come across.'POPULAR SCIENCE'Highly entertaining and accessible.' IRISH TIMES'Fascinating, life enhancing entertainment.' PROSPECT'Thoroughly enjoyable . . . Chown has done it again.' BBC SKY AT NIGHTBreakthrough takes us on a breathtaking, mind-altering tour of the eureka! moments of modern physics. Charting the spellbinding stories of the scientists who predicted and discovered the existence of unknown planets, black holes, invisible force fields, ripples in the fabric of space-time,

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Book Synopsis'A glorious green adventure story.' Ann Treneman, The Times 'Books of the Year''The most enthralling historical book I’ve read this year.' Claire Tomalin, New Statesman 'Books of the year' Daringly innovative when it opened in 1848, the Palm House in Kew Gardens remains one of the most beautiful glass buildings in the world today. Seemingly weightless, vast and yet light, the Palm House floats free from architectural convention, at once monumental and ethereal. From a distance, the crowns of the palms within are silhouetted in the central dome; close to, banana leaves thrust themselves against the glass. To enter it is to enter a tropical fantasy. The body is assaulted by heat, light and the smell of damp vegetation. In Palace of Palms, Kate Teltscher tells the extraordinary story of its creation and of the Victorians’ obsession with the palms that filled it. It is a story of breathtaking ambition, of scientific discovery and, crucially, of the remarkable men whose vision it was. The Palm House was commissioned by the charismatic first Director of Kew, Sir William Hooker, designed by the audacious Irish engineer, Richard Turner, and managed by Kew’s forthright curator, John Smith, who battled with boilers and floods to ensure the survival of the rare and wondrous plants it housed.Trade ReviewThe most enthralling historical book I’ve read this year. -- Claire Tomalin * New Statesman 'Books of the year' *Teltscher skilfully brings to life the human story behind the growth of Kew and the creation of its extraordinary centrepiece. What's more remarkable, however, is her command of the details of the new technology that went into the construction of the Palm House . . . she makes such matters unexpectedly fascinating. * Literary Review *A fascinating and rip-roaring account of the building of one of the great – and experimental – glass buildings of the Victorian age. * Daily Telegraph *A glorious green adventure story. -- Ann Treneman * The Times 'Books of the Year' *Stories of botanical exploration are combined with biographies of the characters behind the famous building, transporting the reader to 19th-century London and the countries that supplied the palms for the glasshouse. One can only marvel at the scale of the achievement and feel humbled by how much we owe to the enslaved peoples who enabled countless plants to be brought to our shores from the colonies. -- Rachel de Thame * Sunday Times *The fascinating story of one of the greatest showpieces of Victorian Britain: the Palm House in Kew Gardens. -- Sam Leith * Spectator *The story of the creation of the Palm House and the men whose vision it was, are engrossingly told. * Choice Magazine 'Hardback Book of Month' *I stand corrected by this exhilarating book - but also delighted, astounded and vastly entertained . . . This is gardening history at its best - a sparkling window on the colourful and contradictory Victorian era. -- Ambra Edwards * The Garden *This beautifully crafted book invokes a world of breathtaking Victorian engineering, glass houses and lush tropical vegetation to tell a tale of exploration, botanical science and the making of new imaginaries. -- Vinita Damodaran, Professor of South Asian History and Director, Centre for World Environmental History, University of SussexLively . . . vividly drawn . . . Wearing her research lightly, Teltscher tells her tale of politicking and financial wrangles, domestic tragedies and epic plant hunting expeditions with a pace and vibrancy more commonly found in novels than in academic study. * Gardens Illustrated *Kate Teltscher skilfully distils the historical facts of the creation of the Palm House into a piece of storytelling that is difficult to put down. * English Garden *Truly, this is a work of which all interested in the history of natural history and the history of botany should immediately take note. -- Johannes E. Riutta * The Well-read Naturalist *The story of its [the Palm House's] creation and the plant collections in it encompass all the qualities that make a great story: personal ambition, disagreements, eccentricity, struggles, fashions, fights and ultimately a building that triumphs. * This England *Not since Anna Pavord's The Tulip has a book so brilliantly captured the spirit of its subject. Kate Teltscher's Palace of Palms is a glorious headrush into Victorian history via one of the most iconic and beautiful glasshouses in the world. This is a bright, shining jewel of a book, a hedonists' delight and an escapists' antidote to the humdrum. -- Amanda ForemanIn this fascinating book, Kate Teltscher introduces us not just to the Palm House at Kew, but to the world of the palm. In so doing, she roams from botany and horticulture, through plant hunting expeditions and literary traditions, to engineering and architecture. Some of the people met on this journey are the privileged members of society, some technical geniuses, others working men who toiled in gruelling conditions to transport a tropical world to Victorian London. -- Margaret Willes, author of The Gardens of the British Working ClassTeltscher is a remarkable new historian . . . wholly original -- William DalrympleThis book gives a marvelous glimpse into a lost and luscious Victorian world, peopled not only with plants but with energetic, ambitious - and sometimes frankly bonkers - characters. -- Lucy WorsleyKate Teltscher’s highly readable account breathes life into the key characters and events that shaped the remarkable evolution of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew during the 19th century, and its most iconic building, the Palm House. -- Toby MusgraveThe Palm House is unarguably the iconic building at Kew Gardens, and in my opinion, the most beautiful glasshouse in the world. The Victorians created this glorious temple to house their precious palms and today, 170 years later, it continues to delight and awe millions of visitors every year. This book tells its story. -- Richard Deverell, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, KewThe Palm House at Kew has been a world attraction since it was opened in 1848 - and Kate Teltscher's brilliantly researched account of the botanists and architects responsible is as thrilling as a novel. -- Claire TomalinThe establishment of Kew Gardens and the building of the great Palm House is a most remarkable story, that touches on every aspect of 19th century life. Kate Teltscher knows it all – the politics, the science, the engineering – and writes about it with effortless elegance to weave the most wonderfully compelling narrative. -- Michael Frayn

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Book Synopsis'Entertaining and insightful' -- Evening Standard'One of the most important books of the year... Compelling' Jamie Bartlett, Literary Review'Timely' -- New StatesmanAs the world becomes better connected and we grow ever more dependent on technology, the risks to our infrastructure are multiplying. Whether it's a hostile state striking the national grid (like Russia did with Ukraine in 2016) or a freak solar storm, our systems have become so interlinked that if one part goes down the rest topple like dominoes.In this groundbreaking book, former government minister Oliver Letwin looks ten years into the future and imagines a UK in which the national grid has collapsed. Reliant on the internet, automated electric cars, voice-over IP, GPS, and the internet of things, law and order would disintegrate. Taking us from high-level government meetings to elderly citizens waiting in vain for their carers, this book is a wake up call for why we should question our unshakeable faith in technology. But it's much more than that: Letwin uses his vast experience in government to outline how businesses and government should respond to catastrophic black swan events that seem distant and implausible - until they occur.Trade ReviewEntertaining and insightful... The picture [Letwin] paints is bleak as he uses chapters that alternate between a fictional depiction of chaotic meltdown in the year 2037 and analysis of the real-life causes to show why such disaster could occur. * Evening Standard *One of the most important books of the year... compelling * Jamie Bartlett, Literary Review *Timely... it provides an insight into the mindsets that prevent politicians and civil servants from properly preparing for catastrophes. * New Statesman *A vivid and engaging account of how the risks inherent in our increasing dependence on technology could someday coalesce into a perfect storm with disastrous consequences. Apocalypse How? reads like a dystopian thriller, but makes it clear that the dangers are very real. * Martin Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Rise of the Robots *A vital guide for anyone in business or government who wants to know how to respond when apparently distant and implausible events strike home. * Prospect *Masterful, disturbing and informed, Letwin takes us to the abyss - to a society paralysed by the total failure of its interconnected power and communications networks. His contingency plans should be mandatory reading. * Professor Richard Susskind OBE, Chair of Advisory Board, Oxford Internet Institute *From severe floods and accelerating climate change to cyber-attacks and space weather, there is a whole series of threats that could bring a modern country to a standstill. Oliver Letwin spent more time than any minister in recent history trying to understand, prevent and combat the unexpected disasters that could engulf a modern government. * David Cameron *Table of Contents0: Prologue 1: Could it happen? 2: The Cabinet Office 3: The social impact of black-swan events 4: Out in the darkness 5: Fragility and resilience 6: A difficult choice 7: Myths and realities 8: For whom the bell tolls 9: The global perspective

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"I want to emphasize that this book is not just for Galápagos giant tortoise enthusiasts. It also highlights the many lessons that have been learned from restoration of Galápagos ecosystems. I teach an undergraduate course on conservation biology and always include a discussion of “ecological substitutes” as a means or restoring lost ecological functions. The comprehensive list of tortoise rewilding efforts around the globe (Chapter 2) will definitely be incorporated into my discussion of this topic the next time I give the course. My course similarly includes a unit on eradication of invasive species, and the eradications successfully completed in the Galápagos (Chapter 19) are certainly a guide for future eradication attempts around the globe. I was particularly interested in the rat eradication carried out on Pinzón Island (Chapter 22) and the immediate benefits detected for not only Galápagos giant tortoises, but also land snails, lava lizards, Galápagos snakes, cactus finches, and Galápagos rails. This leads to my final point about the book’s inspiring accounts of individual tortoises. Although we are all aware of the incredible longevity of giant tortoises, the stories in this volume brought it home to me in a way I had not experienced before. I was particularly moved by the story of Diego (Chapter 21), the Española giant tortoise who was collected from his home island in 1934, spent 43 years at the San Diego Zoo, was then transferred to the Tortoise Breeding Center to participate in the captive breeding program for another 43 years, before being returned to his home island in 2020. It is incredible to think of any living organism having witnessed so much change, but the authors of this volume calculate that 2% of Galápagos giant tortoises alive today would have been present when Darwin visited the islands in 1834. It is only due to their extreme longevity that the tortoises were able to persist through centuries of human exploitation and invasive species (e.g., there was no natural tortoise recruitment on Pinzón for over a century). I commend the authors for composing engaging chapters across the board and the editors for forming them into a cohesive volume." --The Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsSection I: Overview 1. The Galapagos: Island Home of Giant Tortoises 2. Galapagos tortoises: Protagonists in the spectacle of life on Earth Section II: History of Human - Tortoise Interactions 3. Human perceptions of Galapagos tortoises through history 4. The era of exploitation: 1700-1959 5. Darwin and the Galapagos giant tortoises 6. The Collectors: Beginnings of scientific inquiry and the lasting impacts of living and museum collections Section III: Natural History 7. Evolution and phylogenetics 8. Morphology 9. Reproduction 10. Thermoregulation 11. Behavior and Diet 12. Population biology 13. Movement ecology 14. Habitats 15. Role in Ecosystems 16. Galapagos Tortoises in a Changing Climate Section IV: Conservation: Slow Rescue from Near Destruction 17. History of Galapagos tortoise conservation 18. Tortoise health 19. Invasive Species: Impacts, Control, and Eradication 20. Tortoise Populations after 60 Years of Conservation Section V: Restoration Case Studies 21. Española Island: From Near Extinction to Recovery 22. Pinzón Island: A Century of Zero Tortoise Hatchlings to a Growing Population 23. Floreana and Pinta Islands: Restoring Tortoise Populations through Lost Lineage Recovery 24. Santa Fe Island: Return of tortoises via a replacement species Section VI: Into the Future 25. Beyond rescue to full recovery

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Book SynopsisWe need a new philosophy of the earth. Geological time used to refer to slow and gradual processes, but today we are watching land sink into the sea and forests transform into deserts. We can even see the creation of new geological strata made of plastic, chicken bones, and other waste that could remain in the fossil record for millennia or longer. Crafting a philosophy of geology that rewrites natural and human history from the broader perspective of movement, Thomas Nail provides a new materialist, kinetic ethics of the earth that speaks to this moment. Climate change and other ecological disruptions challenge us to reconsider the deep history of minerals, atmosphere, plants, and animals and to take a more process-oriented perspective that sees humanity as part of the larger cosmic and terrestrial drama of mobility and flow. Building on his earlier work on the philosophy of movement, Nail argues that we should shift our biocentric emphasis from conservation to expenditure, flux, and planetary diversity. Theory of the Earth urges us to rethink our ethical relationship to one another, the planet, and the cosmos at large.Trade Review"One of the most remarkable books I've read in some time. Thomas Nail forges a mode of materialist philosophy in conversation with recent, cross-disciplinary movements in the environmental humanities, generating a mode of thinking and theorizing that moves beyond the scale of human life." -- Claire Colebrook * Pennsylvania State University *"Thomas Nail has developed a much-needed, and previously underrepresented philosophy of geology. In elaborating a process theory of a kinetic earth, this book helps us imagine our planet as neither a static place of habitation nor a protective Mother Earth." -- Matthias Fritsch * Concordia University *"Is ecocide, unconsciously practiced by industrio-techno-capitalist humans to their own detriment and potential extinction, a direct result of the reduction and destruction of Earth's complex energy dissipation? In an ambitious and fabulous synthesis, with a Lucretian sensibility and deep scientific rapprochement, Thomas Nail gives us back a real Earth, where life is part of a planetary more-than-human dissipative system and humans better get with the flow. A fascinating, difficult, needed scientifico-philosophical document, Theory of the Earth should interest and irritate scientists as it provides a needed provocation to much modern environmental philosophy." -- Dorion Sagan * author of Cosmic Apprentice: Dispatches from the Edges of Science *"While Anthropocene ideology focuses on the destructive action of humans on a passive Earth, Nail posits that conceptual refocusing—away from conservation toward an ethics of energy transformation—can help address the serious environmental problems we face. Though chiefly a work of philosophy, this text is accessible for any advanced reader interested in environmental meta issues. Recommended." -- E. Kincanon * CHOICE *Table of ContentsContents and AbstractsIntroduction chapter abstractWe are witnessing a second Copernican revolution, in which the earth is not just moving around the sun but is itself internally on the move. Terrestrial events that we could in the past only have imagined taking place over huge time scales are now happening before our eyes. Flora and fauna are headed north in mass migrations, throwing tens of thousands of species into motion around the world. Today, half of all species on earth are on the move, including insects, viruses, and microbes. However, since not all species are moving at the same rate or in the same way, species are coming into contact with one another in new ways and producing new hybrids. A new history of the earth is necessary in order to understand the immanent conditions of the present and the kind of earth that we are. 1The Flow of Matter chapter abstractThe earth flows because the matter of the cosmos flows through it. It is not an unchanging or even uniformly changing substance following its own autonomous processes. Geology is also cosmology, and the cosmos flows. Flows of matter continually compose, cycle through, and flow out of the earth. The earth is only a regional circulation of a much larger kinetic and entropic process. Historically, however, philosophy, politics, and much of geology have not taken the ongoing flow of cosmic matter seriously. This has led to a complete inversion of what the earth is and the human relationship to it. The earth is not a planet, but rather a process of terrestrialization. 2The Fold of Elements chapter abstractThe pedetic flow and fluctuation of matter is constitutive of the earth and its elemental body. The word "earth" designates not only a planet and its soil but also one of the four classical elements. The earth is elemental and elementary only because the universe is—and the latter is the key to understanding the former. If the element "earth" is mineral, then the earth must share its elemental namesake with the mineral bodies of the cosmos. In this sense, earth is not just on the earth, but in the universe and from the universe. In other words, the universe was already earthly before the earth was terrestrialized. 3The Planetary Field chapter abstractMatter flows and folds into elements, but these elements are in turn distributed into celestial and planetary fields. Elements are conjoined into atomic and molecular composites that in turn are arranged and ordered together in a field of celestial and planetary circulation. This is the third core concept of geokinetics. If matter flows and elements fold into periodic cycles, planetary fields organize them all in a continuous feedback loop. This chapter provides a geokinetic theory of how conjoined flows become organized according to distinct regimes or planetary fields. 4Centripetal Minerality chapter abstractThe earth is material, kinetic, and thus historical; it is possible for different, coexisting, and mixed planetary fields to emerge. In other words, it is possible for matter to distribute itself differently over time into different patterns or orders of arrangement. There is no way to know what the earth is without understanding its historical process of becoming. If this is the case then it is possible to study this material history and to discern the planetary regimes or fields along with the different elements and beings that are distributed there: minerals, atmosphere, plants, and animals. What this means is that the contemporary earth is not defined by a single geokinetic field or pattern of motion, but is composed of a motley mixture of everything that has ever been. 5Hadean Earth chapter abstractIn this chapter we look closely at the kinetic patterns produced by three major geokinetic phenomena that define the Hadean earth: meteors, the moon, and water. The argument of this chapter is that each of these major phenomena is defined predominately by a distinctly centripetal pattern of motion and a geokinetics of mineralization. Centripetal mineralization was the first major transcendental kinetic regime invented by the earth. This first movement inward toward the center from the periphery along differentiated layers continues today as the immanent condition of planetary life and mineral-based technologies. 6Centrifugal Atmospherics chapter abstractThe second major geokinetic field to rise to dominance in the earth's history was the atmospheric field. This second type of field became increasingly prevalent over the course of the Archean Eon, from about 4 billion years ago to about 2.5 billion years ago. Three major events define this transition: the end of heavy meteor bombardment, the emergence of living organisms, and the rise of a highly oxygenated atmosphere. These events were the cause of a dramatic historical shift in the earth's pattern of motion, from one of largely centripetal accretion and crystallization to one of increasingly centrifugal movements of outward expansion, respiration, and reproduction. 7Archean Earth I: Pneumatology chapter abstractDuring the Archean Eon (4 to 2.5 billion years ago), the entire planet began to move in an increasingly centrifugal pattern of motion from the center out to the periphery (and back). This chapter argues that the emergence of a prevailing centrifugal pattern of motion occurs increasingly over the course of the Archean Eon. The deep history of atmospherization is the material condition of terrestrial motion for all subsequent eons, up to the present. In this chapter we look closely at the kinetic patterns produced by four major geokinetic phenomena that define the Archean earth: sky, clouds, mountains, and life. The argument of this chapter is that each of these major phenomena is defined predominately by a distinctly centrifugal pattern of motion and a geokinetics of atmospherics. 8Archean Earth II: Biogenesis chapter abstractThe second major historical event of the Archean Eon was the emergence of living organisms (prokaryotic bacteria and archaea) with metabolism, genetic multiplication, and natural selection. Organisms are dissipative or vortical systems that have the distinct ability to remember and reproduce the material kinetic patterns that produced them. During the Archean, the entire earth erupted into centrifugal motion. Volcanoes blasted themselves into the air, the ocean evaporated into the clouds, and organisms released an incredible amount of volatiles and stored energy. However, by the end of the Archean Eon, around 2.5 billion years ago, a new form of life emerged that would change the motion of the planet yet again: plants. 9Tensional Vegetality chapter abstractThe third major geokinetic planetary field to rise to dominance in the earth's history was the vegetal field. Over the course of the Proterozoic Eon, the longest eon in the earth's history, from about 2.5 billion years ago to 541 million years ago, three major events occurred: the emergence of eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus and organelles), the development of multicellular organisms (such as protozoa, fungi, and plants), and the arrival of life on land. All these events were defined by a new kind of tensional motion inside, between, and through these organisms. But this new pattern of motion defined by a system of held contrasts was not limited to life alone. Life, like mineral and atmospheric flows, is not just one discrete region among others, in isolation. Vegetal life completed, saturated, and transformed all planetary processes. 10Proterozoic Earth chapter abstractDuring the Proterozoic Eon, the entire life-saturated planet began to fold itself up into a vast knotwork of cellularized tensions. The birth of cellular and complex cellular life was not just the birth of a new type of substance "on" the earth but a new kinetic relation of the earth to itself. This chapter argues that the emergence of a prevailing tensional pattern of motion occurred increasingly over the course of the Proterozoic Eon. I argue that the deep history of phytality is the material condition of terrestrial motion for all subsequent eons, up to the present. In this chapter we look closely at the increasingly tensional kinetic patterns produced by vegetal bodies and that eventually defined the Proterozoic and early Phanerozoic earth: thallus, stem, leaf, root, seed, and flower. 11Elastic Animality chapter abstractAnimality is the fourth major geokinetic planetary pattern of motion. The rise of animality overlapped with the end of the Proterozoic Eon as vegetality slowly dovetailed into the Phanerozoic Eon, from 541 million years ago to the present. The Phanerozoic Eon began with the Cambrian explosion of diverse animal and plant life. This explosion was itself made possible by increased oxygen in the atmosphere and mineral-rich soils produced by vegetal life across the continents. The emergence and proliferation of animals on the earth was the source of a radical new regime of elastic motion defined by the ability of living matter to expand, contract, stretch and oscillate back and forth to a degree never before seen on the earth. 12Phanerozoic Earth I: Kinomorphology chapter abstractThe Phanerozoic Eon (541 million years ago to the present) is our geological eon. It began with the Cambrian explosion of living forms, the greatest number of evolving creatures in a a single period in the history of the earth. During the Phanerozoic, the entire planet became increasingly elastic as the proliferation of life forms expanded, contracted, and mutated more rapidly than ever before. The more new organisms emerged, the faster they changed their environment. This chapter argues that the emergence of a prevailing elastic pattern of motion occurred increasingly over the course of the Phanerozoic Eon. In this chapter we look closely at the increasingly elastic kinetic structures produced by animal bodies that eventually saturated the late Proterozoic and early Phanerozoic Earth: body, head, and tail. 13Phanerozoic Earth II: Terrestrialization chapter abstractThe third major historico-morphological event of the Phanerozoic Eon was the explosion of elastic sensory organs and limbs in the animal body. With the evolution of mollusks, arthropods, and vertebrates, an enormous transformation occurred as animal life in the seas spread to the land and the skies. The process of terrestrial animality saturated the untapped energy of these new regions—completing the transformation of the earth into its full animality. The material evolution of animal morphology is also a kinetic evolution toward the increasingl elasticity, mobility, sensitivity, and energy expenditure of the earth more broadly. Animals are not on the earth but aspects of the earth itself—the becoming animal and becoming elastic of the earth. 14Kinocene Earth chapter abstractToday, the earth is in increasingly unstable motion. The earth, as we have seen in this book, has always been in motion, but today these four major patterns of geological motion have become increasingly disrupted due to the coordinated efforts of certain human groups. What I am calling the "Kinocene" in the final Part of this book is a new geological period not because motion is new to the earth, as we have seen, but because of the increasing mobility of the earth's geological strata, described in Parts I and II. At the same time, however, we are also witnessing for the first time in a long time a significant reduction in the net kinetic expenditure of the planet as a whole. 15Kinocene Ethics chapter abstractThe ethics of kinetic expenditure is not a universal ethical ground but a hypothetical ethical ground that allows us to say not only that capitalism is descriptively wrong about nature but that it is unethical (assuming we want to survive), on the grounds that it leads to the reduction of planetary expenditure (including the reduction of human and ecological diversity). Furthermore, the ethics of expenditure relates to the material conditions of all human society as such. If we even want to have humanist ethics in the first place, there must be humans alive to practice it. Thus, implicit in all humanist ethics is the assumption of planetary existence and survival. In short: If we want human ethics, then we need to be alive and survive, and if we want to survive then we need to try to increase planetary expenditure (with all that entails). Conclusion: The Future chapter abstractEverything is in motion. The earth is in motion because so is the cosmos. The West's historically mistaken belief in a static or stable earth is one of the biggest mistakes ever made. This mistake is symptomatic of a similar belief in stasis in politics, ontology, science, and the arts. Together, the belief in stasis of one form or another across the major domains of human knowledge and activity is the source of our contemporary world crisis. Movement and expenditure had always been primary. Human history was not the progressive realization of static forms. Progress and development in the Western tradition are dead. Human history can now be seen for what it is: a series of kinetic patterns iterated in the material diffusion of the cosmos itself.

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Book SynopsisPawpaws is an in-depth guide to growing and marketing North America's forgotten native fruit at small commercial orchard scale. Coverage includes selecting cultivars, orchard planning, propagating, organic growing, pest management, harvesting, marketing, and value-added products. Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Chapter 1: Foraging for Wild Pawpaws Chapter 2: Description of North American Pawpaw Fruit Chapter 3: Flowering and Pollination Chapter 4: Site Design and Planting Chapter 5: Choosing Your Trees Chapter 6: Maintaining the Orchard Chapter 7: Harvesting Pawpaw Fruit Chapter 8: Tree Propagation Chapter 9: Pests, Diseases, Disorders and Their Management Chapter 10: Pawpaw Fruit Marketing Strategies Chapter 11: Pawpaw CultivarsChapter 12: Troubleshooting, Cost Analysis, and CalendarChapter 13: ConclusionResources NotesIndex About the AuthorAbout New Society Publishers

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Book SynopsisAn introductory text book for graduates and advanced undergraduates on group representation theory. It emphasizes group theory's role as the mathematical framework for describing symmetry properties of classical and quantum mechanical systems.Familiarity with basic group concepts and techniques is invaluable in the education of a modern-day physicist. This book emphasizes general features and methods which demonstrate the power of the group-theoretical approach in exposing the systematics of physical systems with associated symmetry.Particular attention is given to pedagogy. In developing the theory, clarity in presenting the main ideas and consequences is given the same priority as comprehensiveness and strict rigor. To preserve the integrity of the mathematics, enough technical information is included in the appendices to make the book almost self-contained.A set of problems and solutions has been published in a separate booklet.Trade Review"This book is written to meet precisely this need of the lack of suitable textbooks on general group-theoretical methods in physics for all serious students of experimental and theoretical physics at the beginning graduate and advanced undergraduate level." (orig./WL) Physics Briefs "This book is well organized and the material is presented in an appealing and easily absorbed style, ... comes closer than any other to being a modern version of Wigner's classic Group Theory and its Application to the Quantum Mechanics of Atomic Spectra." Foundations of Physics "A valuable addition to group theory texts for physicists. It is most appropriate for students who have taken or are taking graduate quantum mechanics, especially if their interests lie in modern field theory." Mathematical Reviews

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Book SynopsisTrees are one of Earth's oldest life forms; silent witnesses to human evolution and the passing of time. Many people today are unaware of their significance in Earth's ecology, their medicinal and nutritional properties, or the veneration bestowed on them by ancient peoples.This book captures all these elements in an inspiring holistic appraisal. Hageneder looks in detail at 24 of Europe and North America's best-loved trees: their physical characteristics, their healing powers, the traditions associated with them and how they have inspired human beings through the ages.Beautifully illustrated with black and white photographs and illustrations.Trade Review'Eloquent prose and deeply perceptive paintings.'-- Cygnus Review'The Spirit of Trees is an attractive, well-illustrated, and rewarding book that explores the relationship between humanity and trees...richly enhanced with photographs, sketches, drawings, and appealing, colorful paintings and watercolors. It is sturdy and attractive and Hageneder coherently presents a wide range of information on trees and related subjects.'-- New Age Retailer'Hagender's passion for his subject and the wealth of scientific fact, historical information, and traditional lore he gathered in the process have resulted in a virtual arboretum of 24 of the most common, best-loved trees of Europe and North America, presented with stunningly beautiful paintings, drawings, and photographs.'-- Kaya Jacolev, Napra Review 'How pleasant to be able to review a book so delightfully informative and thoughtfully inspiring as this one! The Spirit of Trees captures each of these themes in a beautifully illustrated, well printed and fluently written text. This is a book that has been sorely needed. General readers and specialists alike will find much within in its pages for stimulation, reflection and refreshment.'-- Peter Barlow, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol

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Book SynopsisNow in its sixth edition, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology provides the perfect balance between detail and conceptual understanding. Maintaining the much-praised clarity of previous editions, this edition incorporates both new techniques and pivotal discoveries in a succinct, easy-to-digest way, using updated figures and diagrams to help explain complex processes.Updated content on the manipulation of DNA and genes reflects the rapid introduction of new methods in contemporary research, and incorporates up-to-date discussions of recent developments such as gene editing. Chapter summaries are logically laid out, forming bulleted lists which provide students with a consolidation of difficult concepts and progressively guide them through the specifics whilst keeping the big picture in mind. Additional ''find out more'' sections provide helpful problem-solving support and the further reading is divided into types to cater for broader learning needs.With an integrated approach covering boTrade ReviewEasy to read with good use of simple figures and plenty of internal cross-references to other chapters or relevant pages. I was impressed with the inclusion of some very up to date findings. * Dr Peter Morris, School of Life Sciences, Heriot-Watt University *I don't know of any other biology/biochemistry book that explains DNA replication as well as this one. * Lynn Rogers, School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, Adelaide University *The style is very clear, logical and systematic. The diagrams complement the text well. * Dr Momna Hejmadi, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath *Good entry level biochemistry textbook that gives students an overview of the diversity of biochemistry and that introduces abstract concepts in a well-explained and accessible way. * Dirk Wildeboer, Natural Sciences, Middlesex University *This textbook presents classical biochemistry material with a balanced emphasis on details and conceptual understanding. Explanations are given in a conversational manner so that students are not distracted by an over-whelming amount of new terminology. * Amanda Storm, Biology, James Madison University *Table of ContentsPart 1: Basic concepts of life 1: The basic molecular themes of life 2: Cells and viruses 3: Energy considerations in biochemistryPart 2: Structure and function of proteins and membranes 4: The structure of proteins 5: Methods in protein investigation 6: Enzymes 7: The cell membrane and membrane proteins 8: Muscle contraction, the cytoskeleton, and molecular motorsPart 3: Metabolism and nutrition 9: General principles of nutrition 10: Food digestion, absorption and distribution to the tissues 11: The storage fuels: Mechanisms of transport, storage, and mobilization of carbohydrate and fat 12: Principles of energy release from food 13: Glycolysis, the TCA cycle, and the electron transport system 14: Energy release from fat 15: An alternative pathway of glucose oxidation: The pentose phosphate pathway 16: Synthesis of glucose (gluconeogenesis) 17: Synthesis of fat and related compounds 18: Nitrogen metabolism: amino acid metabolism 19: Nitrogen metabolism: nucleotide metabolism 20: Mechanisms of metabolic control and their applications to metabolic integration 21: Raising electrons of water back up the energy scale: photosynthesisPart 4: Information storage and utilization 22: The genome 23: DNA synthesis, repair and recombination 24: Gene transcription 25: Protein synthesis and controlled protein breakdown 26: Control of gene expression 27: Protein sorting and delivery 28: Manipulating DNA and genesPart 5: Cells and tissues 29: Cell signalling 30: The cell cycle, cell division, cell death and cancerPart 6: Protective mechanisms against disease 31: Blood clotting, xenobiotic metabolism, and reactive oxygen species 32: The immune system

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Book SynopsisTable of Contents 1. Chemistry in Our Lives 2. Chemistry and Measurements 3. Matter and Energy 4. Atoms and Elements 5. Nuclear Chemistry 6. Ionic and Molecular Compounds 7. Chemical Reactions and Quantities 8. Gases 9. Solutions 10. Reaction Rates and Chemical Equilibrium 11. Acids and Bases 12. Introduction to Organic Chemistry: Hydrocarbons 13. Alcohols, Phenols, Thiols, and Ethers 14. Aldehydes and Ketones 15. Carbohydrates 16. Carboxylic Acids and Esters 17. Lipids 18. Amines and Amides 19. Amino Acids and Proteins 20. Enzymes and Vitamins 21. Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis 22. Metabolic Pathways for Carbohydrates 23. Metabolism and Energy Production 24. Metabolic Pathways for Lipids and Amino Acids

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Book SynopsisDiscover this remarkable account of twenty-one years in remote Kenya with a troop of Savannah baboons from the New York Times bestselling author of Behave.'One of the best scientist-writers of our time' Oliver SacksBrooklyn-born Robert Sapolsky grew up wishing he could live in the primate diorama in the Museum of Natural History. At school he wrote fan letters to primatologists and even taught himself Swahili, all with the hope of one day joining his primate brethren in Africa. But when, at the age of twenty-one, Sapolky's dream finally comes true he discovers that the African bush bears little resemblance to the tranquillity of a museum. This is the story of the next twenty-one years as Sapolsky slowly infiltrates and befriends a troop of Savannah baboons. Alone in the middle of the Serengeti with no electricity, running water or telephone, and surviving countless scams, culinary atrocities and a surreal kidnapping, Sapolsky becomes ever more enamoured with his adopted baboon troop - unique and compelling characters in their own right - and he returns to them summer after summer, until tragedy finally prevails. 'A Primate's Memoir is the closest the baboon is likely to come - and it's plenty close enough - to having its own Iliad' New York Times Review of BooksExhilarating, hilarious and poignant, A Primate's Memoir is a uniquely honest window into the coming-of-age of one of our greatest scientific minds.Trade ReviewOne of the most engrossing, exhilarating and irreverent books on Africa and its wildlife ever published * Financial Times *Smart, stylish, distinctive... A magnificent tale of morality among the hamfisted machiavellians * Independent *Splendidly written and entertaining... ACE. Buy this book now * Scotsman *Flies along like a well-paced and finely crafted novel...[giving] us a cast of characters as memorably colorful as any that Dickens ever created * Newsweek *One of the best scientist-writers of our time -- Oliver Sacks

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Book SynopsisThe periodic table of elements is among the most recognizable image in science. It lies at the core of chemistry and embodies the most fundamental principles of science. In this new edition, Eric Scerri offers readers a complete and updated history and philosophy of the periodic table. Written in a lively style to appeal to experts and interested lay-persons alike, The Periodic Table: Its Story and Its Significance begins with an overview of the importance of the periodic table and the manner in which the term element has been interpreted by chemists and philosophers across time. The book traces the evolution and development of the periodic table from its early beginnings with the work of the precursors like De Chancourtois, Newlands and Meyer to Mendeleev''s 1869 first published table and beyond. Several chapters are devoted to developments in 20th century physics, especially quantum mechanics and and the extent to which they explain the periodic table in a more fundamental way. Other chapters examine the formation of the elements, nuclear structure, the discovery of the last seven infra-uranium elements, and the synthesis of trans-uranium elements. Finally, the book considers the many different ways of representing the periodic system and the quest for an optimal arrangement.Trade ReviewAs a whole, this book is not highly technical, and it has the attractiveness of providing material that doesn't appear in typical school textbooks ... This book will appeal to scholars and science readers alike, especially those interested in history of science, chemistry, physics, and philosophy. * Maria Elvira Callapez, ChemTexts *This second edition comprises 14 chapters, four of them new or modified versions of chapters in the first edition. The periodic table has evolved over the last 150 years, even over the last decade, so both editions of this book are valuable. * R. E. Buntrock, Choice *In this second edition of his classic tome, there is depth, lucidity, and comprehensiveness, making this book a must-buy for anyone who wants to completely understand the history and implications of the Periodic Table. Many of the readers of this review will already own a copy of the first edition and will wonder whether it is necessary to purchase the second edition. In the opinion of this reviewer, the answer is an emphatic "Yes." * Geoff Rayner-Canham, Memorial University, Canada, Centaurus *The concentrated wave of scholarship accompanying 150-year celebrations of the discovery of the periodic system, of course, is of value for those who want to expand their knowledge on a staple icon such as the periodic table ... * Karoliina Pulkkinen, Metascience *As a whole, this book is not highly technical, and it has the attractiveness of providing material that doesn't appear in typical school textbooks. Generally, those textbooks present the last triumphant version, not the unsuccessful episodes' history and context. Only a few experts know the "dark side" of the story, so this book fills in many useful parts of that bigger picture. This book will appeal to scholars and science readers alike, especially those interested in history of science, chemistry, physics, and philosophy. * Maria Elvira Callapez, ChemTexts *Scerri's book is one that I trust will find its way on to the shelves of all libraries, be they real or virtual, and no doubt it will be consulted by generations to come, as it well it deserves to be. * John Emsley, Foundations of Chemistry *The periodic table continues to generate new thoughts as the list of elements grows, its foundations are refined, and new portrayals are developed. Eric Scerri captures all these innovations in this timely updating of his very readable account of the origin, structure, and interpretation of the table. * Peter Atkins, University of Oxford *The 2nd edition of Eric's Scerri's journey through the periodic table is up-to-date, readable, and intellectually enticing. This icon of chemistry has never had a better expositor! * Roald Hoffmann, Cornell University *This second edition is a revised and expanded take on the philosophical and historical aspects of the periodic table that made his first edition such a worthy successor to van Spronsen's classic history. * Carmen Giunta, , Le Moyne College *Written to a high standard of scholarship, The Periodic Table is the best book on this subject currently available. It gives both an historical and philosophical perspective to the development of this key to the elements, as well as including all the recent additions to the table. * John Emsley, author of Nature's Building Blocks *Since Eric Scerri's The Periodic Table was the definitive book on the topic when it first appeared, it is wonderful to see that status claimed anew by this second edition during the International Year of the Periodic Table. The story is still unfolding, thanks in large part to the ingenuity of today's element-makers, and the additions bring this volume right up to date. It remains as clear, balanced and thoughtful as ever, and is the best guide to this iconic formulation of nature's atomic building blocks. * Philip Ball, author of Elements: A Very Short Introduction *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: The Periodic System Chapter 2: Quantitative Relationships among the Elements and the Origins of the Periodic Table Chapter 3: Discoverers of the Periodic System Chapter 4: Mendeleev Chapter 5: Prediction and Accommodation: The Acceptance of Mendeleev's Periodic System Chapter 6: The Nucleus and the Periodic Table: Radioactivity, Atomic Number, and Isotopy Chapter 7: The Electron and Chemical Periodicity Chapter 8: Electronic Explanations of the Periodic System Developed by Chemists Chapter 9: Quantum Mechanics and the Periodic Table Chapter 10: Astrophysics, Nucleosynthesis Chapter 11: The Missing Seven Elements Chapter 12: Synthetic Elements Chapter 13: Alternative Forms of the periodic table Chapter 14: More Chemistry Appendix Index Bibliography

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Book SynopsisMillion Dollar Maths is an invaluable guide to the straightforward and outlandish mathematical strategies that can make you rich. ____________How can you turn $1000 into $1 million? What is the best way to beat the lottery odds? When is the best time to take out a loan?How did one group of gamblers bet on hole-in-ones to win £500,000? How can maths help you set up a successful tech start-up? What about proving the Goldbach Conjecture for $1 million?Learn the techniques for growing your everyday finances, as well as the common mistakes to avoid. Discover the skills, both fair and foul, that offer an additional edge when investing and gambling. And discover why we often misunderstand probability and statistics - with troubling financial costs. From making the most of special offers to utilising the power of exponential growth in your investments; from the art of card counting, to inventing the next Google, Million Dollar Maths is the quintessential primer to the myriad ways maths and finance intersect.Trade ReviewGreat fun. A clear, original and highly readable account of the curious relationship between mathematics and money. * Professor Ian Stewart – author of Significant Figures *A lively crash course in the mathematics of gambling, investing, and managing. Hugh Barker makes deep ideas fun and profitable. * William Poundstone – author of How to Predict the Unpredictable *Table of Contents1: The Power of Exponential Growth 2: Beating the Casino 3: Gambling Systems and Strategies 4: The Successful Investor 5: Hacking, Cracking and Gaming the System 6: Designing the Next Google 7: Use Maths to Improve Your Performance 8: Proving the Impossible

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive overview of developments in augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality—and how they could affect every part of our lives.After years of hype, extended reality—augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR)—has entered the mainstream. Commercially available, relatively inexpensive VR headsets transport wearers to other realities—fantasy worlds, faraway countries, sporting events—in ways that even the most ultra-high-definition screen cannot. AR glasses receive data in visual and auditory forms that are more useful than any laptop or smartphone can deliver. Immersive MR environments blend physical and virtual reality to create a new reality. In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, technology writer Samuel Greengard offers an accessible overview of developments in extended reality, explaining the technology, considering the social and psychological ramifications, and discussing pos

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Book SynopsisCommunity ecology has undergone a transformation in recent years, from a discipline largely focused on processes occurring within a local area to a discipline encompassing a much richer domain of study, including the linkages between communities separated in space (metacommunity dynamics), niche and neutral theory, the interplay between ecology and evolution (eco-evolutionary dynamics), and the influence of historical and regional processes in shaping patterns of biodiversity. To fully understand these new developments, however, students continue to need a strong foundation in the study of species interactions and how these interactions are assembled into food webs and other ecological networks. This new edition fulfils the book''s original aims, both as a much-needed up-to-date and accessible introduction to modern community ecology, and in identifying the important questions that are yet to be answered. This research-driven textbook introduces state-of-the-art community ecology to a Table of Contents1: Community ecology's roots Part I The Big Picture: patterns, causes, and consequences of biodiversity 2: Patterns of biological diversity 3: Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning Part II The Nitty-Gritty: species interactions in simple modules 4: Population growth and density dependence 5: The fundamentals of predator-prey interactions 6: Selective predators and responsive prey 7: The fundamentals of competitive interactions 8: Species coexistence and niche theory 9: Beneficial interactions in communities: Mutualism and facilitation Part III Putting the Pieces Together: food webs, ecological networks and community assembly 10: Species interactions in ecological networks 11: Food chains and food webs: Controlling factors and cascading effects 12: Community assembly and species traits Part IV Patial Ecology: metapopulations and metacommunities 13: Patchy environments, metapopulations and fugitive species 14: Metacommunities Part V Species in Changing Environments: ecology and evolution 15: Species in variable environments 16: Evolutionary community ecology 17: Some concluding remarks and a look ahead

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Book SynopsisExplore the beauty and awe of the heavens through the rich celestial prints and star atlases offered in this third edition book. The author traces the development of celestial cartography from ancient to modern times, describes the relationships between different star maps and atlases, and relates these notions to our changing ideas about humanity’s place in the universe. Also covered in this book are more contemporary cosmological ideas, constellation representations, and cartographic advances.The text is enriched with 226 images (141 in color) from actual, antiquarian celestial books and atlases, each one with an explanation of unique astronomical and cartographic features. This never-before-available hardcover edition includes two new chapters on pictorial style maps and celestial images in art, as well over 50 new images. Additionally, the color plates are now incorporated directly into the text, providing readers with a vibrant, immersive look into the history of star maps.Trade Review“I found this to be a very fascinating aspect of this comprehensive work. I have read a number of books on the history of celestial cartography, but none with the depth and wealth of information on this important part of the history of astronomy. … I highly recommend this book to students of the history of astronomy or anyone interested in observing the night sky.” (Robert Garfinkle, Journal of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, Vol. 63 (4), 2021)“This third edition has certainly profited from the changes and additions, all of which ensure that Kanas’s work remains the primary reference compendium for celestial cartography, just as it continues to offer an enjoyable initiation into the history of astronomy.” (Thomas Horst and Luís Tirapicos, Imago Mundi, Vol. 73 (1), 2021)“As an often-awe-struck observer of the heavens and a map enthusiast who has always admired the beauty of celestial maps, I think Nick Kanas’s book is a useful resource for any collector of celestial maps, anyone with more than a passing or casual interest in astronomy, anyone with a keen interest in the history of astronomy and astronomical instruments, or any combination thereof.” (Gretchen Hause, The Portolan, Issue 110, Spring, 2021)“This is a work that contains many items of relevance to astronomers, who will find the illustrations of atlases and charts of particular interest, albeit with many failings in the text and descriptions. It is probably of more interest to collectors of antiquarian maps (and even they will have some problems using it).” (Storm Dunlop, The Observatory, Vol. 140 (1278), October, 2020)“You get a real bang for your buck with Kanas’s tome. Now in its third edition, the book is well written, thoroughly researched, and beautifully illustrated with 226 images (141 in color) from actual antiquarian books and atlases. … Star Maps should greatly appeal to amateur astronomers, map collectors, and historians of astronomy and art.” (Peter Tyson, Sky & Telescope, August, 2020)“Star Maps’s comprehensiveness, for all its jackdaw tendencies, is on balance a virtue. Like a curiosity shop packed to the rafters, it almost certainly has what you’re looking for tucked away somewhere.” (Jonathan Crowe, Calafia Journal, Issue 01, 2020)“Star Maps excels in the clarity of its writing, is highly accurate throughout, and will serve as the authoritative work on its subject for a very long time to come. This reviewer has a growing collection of astronomy books of well over a thousand in number now, and would include Star Maps as one among a small selection of books from his library he would say deserves to be read by every person interested in the history of astronomy.” (Alan Agrawal, Diablo Moonwatch, January, 2020)Table of ContentsPreface to Third Edition.- Foreword to First Edition.- Preface to First Edition.- Acknowledgments.- List of Figures.- List of Tables.- List of abbreviations and acronyms.- Chapter 1: What is a star map?.- Chapter 2: Non-European cosmology and constellation development.- Chapter 3: European cosmology.- Chapter 4: European constellation development.- Chapter 5: Early European star maps.- Chapter 6: The "Big Four" of the Golden Age of imaged star maps.- Chapter 7: Other important star maps of the Golden Age.- Chapter 8: Special topics.- Chapter 9: Mapping the stars in early America.- Chapter 10: The transition to non-imaged star maps.- Chapter 11: Terrestrial and celestial pictorial maps.- Chapter 12: Celestial images in artistic paintings.- Appendices.- Appendix A: Collecting celestial maps and prints.- Appendix B: Supplementary reference catalog.- Appendix C: Indices of major constellation atlases.- Appendix D: The British Library "Kings's" edition.- Appendix E: Glossary.- Index.

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Book SynopsisBy foregrounding the ways that human existence is bound together with the lives of other entities, contemporary cultural theorists have sought to move beyond an anthropocentric worldview. Yet as Eva Haifa Giraud contends in What Comes after Entanglement?, for all their conceptual power in implicating humans in ecologically damaging practices, these theories can undermine scope for political action. Drawing inspiration from activist projects between the 1980s and the present that range from anticapitalist media experiments and vegan food activism to social media campaigns against animal research, Giraud explores possibilities for action while fleshing out the tensions between theory and practice. Rather than an activist ethics based solely on relationality and entanglement, Giraud calls for what she describes as an ethics of exclusion, which would attend to the entities, practices, and ways of being that are foreclosed when other entangled realities are realized. Such an ethics oTrade Review“What Comes after Entanglement? is an exciting and novel book. It is unique in its combination of innovative theoretical explorations of activism and social change with suggestions for practical political interventions. Crucially, Eva Haifa Giraud explores the messy practicalities of activism. The findings and significance of her book go far beyond the case study focus on a broad variety of animal activism since the 1980s, which weaves together different times and places in really interesting ways.” -- Jenny Pickerill, author of * Cyberprotest: Environmental Activism Online *“Eva Haifa Giraud does not accept relationality theory without question. The force of her work is her seeing theory as in need of a thinking-through that does not simply apply it to situations, but instead sees the situated work of activism as rendering our notion of theory and relationality in a more nuanced fashion. I don't know of any other text that follows through on the activist potentials in the theories Giraud draws from as much as this one does. An impressive work.” -- Claire Colebrook, author of * Death of the PostHuman: Essays on Extinction *“When reading this stimulating text, I wished that I could have joined Giraud in kitchen table discussions as she wrestled with this wealth of material. Overall, this is a really well-structured text which builds its argument iteratively and holds in tension the productive ambivalence that Giraud illuminates.” -- Joan Haran * BioSocieties *“Eva Haifa Giraud’s book, What Comes after Entanglement?, offers what she calls a ‘sympathetic critique’ of ‘more than human, relational ethics.’ This critique is aimed at the new materialisms and the broader turn to relational ontology…. Giraud’s emphasis on the ethics of exclusion is something to which scholars of many kinds might well attend.” -- Samuel Diener * Year’s Work in Critical and Cultural Theory *“Eva Haifa Giraud’s book is an important contribution to recent moves within environmental political theory to expand environmental politics to the more-than-human. In particular, it addresses relevant questions of politics in non-anthropocentric environmental theory…. The book will be valuable to scholars of science and technology studies, ecofeminism, new materialism, media and communication studies, and related fields. Scholars focusing on environmental activism and campaigning will find Giraud’s attention to the conceptual significance of everyday practical problems inspiring, specifically the way she teases out some of the barriers to translating theory into practice and the context-specific tactics for negotiating these barriers.” -- Magdalena S. Rodekirchen * Environmental Politics *“What Comes After Entanglement? offers media scholars an insightful analysis of what materialist theory is doing on the ground and helps to clarify the stakes of posthumanism, for human and nonhuman animals alike.... Giraud is a well-balanced critic who pays attention to representation and infrastructure, theory and practice.” -- Cynthia Rosenfeld * Critical Studies in Media Communication *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction 1 1. Articulations 21 2. Uneven Burdens of Risk 46 3. Performing Responsibility 69 4. Hierarchies of Care 98 5. Charismatic Suffering 118 6. Ambivalent Popularity 142 Conclusion: An Ethics of Exclusion 171 Notes 183 Bibliography 225 Index 241

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Book SynopsisThis monumental work by Dankmar Bosse presents, for the first time, a comprehensive picture of the evolution of the earth and its natural kingdoms, based primarily on geology and paleontology, and with reference to the work of Rudolf Steiner.Bosse explores many core questions of natural science, such as the relationship of humanity to the evolution of the animal kingdom, the origin of deep crystalline rocks, and the shaping of present-day landscapes.This is a fascinating exposition of the development of our natural world, and human beings, lavishly illustrated in colour. It is essential reading for anyone interested in how life on earth, and the earth itself, got to this point.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"There is an immediacy to Thewissen’s writing and an urgency to the excavations, and readers curious about paleontological fieldwork will appreciate the enthusiasm and specificity with which he approaches his subject matter. . . . The whale’s evolution and Thewissen’s contributions to its study are both extraordinary." * Publishers Weekly * "Does a splendid job of showing what it is like to be a palaeontologist. Thewissen's vivid descriptions of fieldwork in Pakistan and India will give readers a clear sense of the joys and frustrations, and the tedium and excitement, that the work entails. . . . Thewissen's book is a perfect introduction to the field." * NewScientist *"The Indiana Jones of biology is an engaging guide in this marine detective story. . . . The Walking Whales is part biological text, part detective story." * Times Higher Education *"Racily recounted adventures . . . Meticulous comparative work." -- Richard Shelton * Times Literary Supplement *"Delightful reading . . . Thewissen's book is a fine account." -- Rob Hardy * The Dispatch *"Mixes memoir, adventure, history, and popular science to tell one of the most fascinating stories to emerge from paleontology in the last quarter century. . . . This is an excellent, accessible summary of a fascinating and fruitful career and a treasure trove of information regarding the first 20 million years of cetacean history that will be used for years to come." -- Michael R. McGowen * Science Direct *"The book alternates between entertaining exploits in the field that reminded me of a gentler version of Indiana Jones and detailed discussions of whale anatomy and evolutionary descent. . . . The author is a good teacher, thorough and with a fine sense of humor." -- Rob Hardy * The Columbus Dispatch *"Thewissen provides an excellent balance between the science and the narrative. . . . an excellent read." -- T. A. Franz-Odendaal * CHOICE *Table of Contents1. A Wasted DigFossils and WarA Whale Ear2. Fish, Mammal, or Dinosaur?The King Lizard of Cape CodBasilosaurid Whales*Basilosaurids and Evolution3. A Whale with LegsThe Black and White HillsA Walking Whale4. Learning to SwimMeeting the Killer WhaleFrom Dog-Paddle to TorpedoAmbulocetid Whales*Ambulocetus and Evolution5. When the Mountains GrewThe High HimalayasKidnapping in the HillsIndian Whales6. Passage to IndiaStranded in DelhiWhales in the DesertA 150-Pound Skull7. A Trip to the BeachThe Outer BanksA Fossilized Coast8. The Otter WhaleThe Whale with No HandsRemingtonocetid Whales*Building a Beast out of Bones9. The Ocean Is a DesertForensic PaleontologyDrinking and PeeingFossilized Drinking BehaviorWalking with Ambulocetus10. The Skeleton PuzzleIf Looks Could KillHow Many Bones Make a Skeleton?Finding Whales’ Sisters11. The River WhalesHearing in WhalesPakicetid Whales*September 11, 200112. Whales Conquer the WorldA Molecular SINEThe Black WhaleProtocetid Whales*Protocetids and History13. From Embryos to EvolutionA Dolphin with Legs The Marine Park at Taiji Shedding Limbs Whaling in Taiji 14. Before Whales The Widow’s Fossils The Ancestors of Whales Indohyus* A Trust for Fossils 15. The Way Forward The Big Question Tooth Development Baleen as Teeth Notes Index *These six headings summarize the biology of the six fossil groups that form the transition between whales and their terrestrial ancestors. Their relationships to each other and to the living families of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) are given in figure 66.

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Book SynopsisIs my experience real?Or just a movie in my head?Am I no more than a super computer? You are your brain, neuroscientists tell us. Everything happens in there. Yet even the most sophisticated brain scan cannot tell us who we are. Nothing in our neurons remotely suggests the rich nature of our experience, the colours, sounds and smells that make up our lives. When Tim Parks came across a radical new theory of consciousness, he set on a quest that moves through one sparkling encounter after another to arrive at the deepest of questions: what stuff exactly is consciousness made of? And where is it? Inside or out? ‘An exceptionally witty and compelling look at the nature of consciousness… Parks is a delight to read’ Iain McGilchrist‘[It has] wit, humanity and insight… Parks is an entertaining companion throughout’ Mail on SundayTrade ReviewWith wit, humanity and insight… [Parks] tackles a question that the greatest philosophical and scientific minds have struggled with for centuries: what is consciousness?... Parks is an entertaining companion throughout * Mail on Sunday *Consciousness is weighty philosophical and scientific ground, yet Parks plots a chatty, accessible path through impenetrable academic papers and conferences on his quest to understand more about being human. So chatty, in fact, he often has conversations with himself, making Parks an even more likable guide to these lofty concepts. He’s not afraid to question some of Manzotti’s more ridiculous ideas, and muses on everything from the meaning of a midlife crisis to the much-loved Pixar film Inside Out, in which five cartoon emotions battle for control of the heroine’s psyche... A thoughtful quest to understand consciousness. * Observer *Parks, who is best-known for his Toujours Provence-like memoirs of life in Italy, succeeds admirably in bringing difficult ideas down a level. Eleanora Gallitelli, his Italian partner, who accompanies him to a psychiatric hospital in Heidelberg for research purposes, also helps. Gallitelli recently told me that she is deaf in one ear. The story of her sudden irreparable deafness — how her brain began to develop a mind of its own, playing tricks with spatial awareness and balance — is quite brilliantly told here. Parks writes well enough to appeal to the layman and the mind boffin alike. Out of My Head is pleasurably nutty, self-regarding and at times quite hilarious. * Evening Standard *[A] fantastic journey into the human brain...Parks makes an excellent point about what he calls the "internalist" position (that our picture of reality is just that: a subjective one, concocted by our brains), which is that it flatters our sense of our own importance, making of us creators of our own effectively unique worlds. -- Will Self * New Statesman *By describing his efforts to understand the phenomenon of consciousness in the form of a candid and entertaining journal-cum-memoir, Tim Parks has made a difficult subject interesting and accessible. He is an amateur in this crowded field but he presents professional neuroscientists with some challenging questions. -- David Lodge

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Book SynopsisArtificial intelligence has long been a mainstay of science fiction and increasingly it feels as if AI is entering our everyday lives, with technology like Apple's Siri now prominent, and self-driving cars almost upon us.But what do we actually mean when we talk about 'AI'? Are the sentient machines of 2001 or The Matrix a real possibility or will real-world artificial intelligence look and feel very different? What has it done for us so far? And what technologies could it yield in the future?AI expert Yorick Wilks takes a journey through the history of artificial intelligence up to the present day, examining its origins, controversies and achievements, as well as looking into just how it works. He also considers the future, assessing whether these technologies could menace our way of life, but also how we are all likely to benefit from AI applications in the years to come.Entertaining, enlightening, and keenly argued, this is the essential one-stop guide to the AI debate.

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Book SynopsisEverything You Need to Know about Mathematics for Science and EngineeringUpdated and expanded with new topics, The Mathematics Companion: Mathematical Methods for Physicists and Engineers, 2nd Edition presents the essential core of mathematical principles needed by scientists and engineers. Starting from the basic concepts of trigonometry, the book covers calculus, differential equations, and vector calculus. A new chapter on applications discusses how we see objects mathematically with the eye, how quantum mechanics works, and more.A Convenient, Student-Friendly Format Rich with Diagrams and Clear ExplanationsThe book presents essential mathematics ideas from basic to advanced level in a way that is useful to both students and practicing professionals. It offers a unique and educational approach that is the signature style of the author's companion books. The author explains mathematical concepts clearly, concisely, and visually, ilTrade Review"The book summarizes basic notions of mathematical methods for physicists and engineers in a schematic way. It is aimed both at science students and physicists who need a quick handy reference when they have to solve a specific mathematical problem."—Applications of Mathematics, 60, 2015Praise for the First Edition:"This is an interesting and useful little book … .it is very well done, and everything that might be expected to be there is there … . The book might also be invaluable for those undergraduate students in Mathematics, Science, or Engineering, who need to undertake first- and second-year courses in Mathematics, and it will serve those who wish to have quick access to all those formulae that seem to be so readily forgotten."—Australian Physics, March/April 2006Table of ContentsPart 1 Essential Mathematics: Basic mathematics. Differentiation. Integration. Exponentials and logarithms. Hyperbolic functions. Infinite series. Part 2 Advance Mathematics: Ordinary differential equations. Laplace transforms. Vector analysis. Partial derivatives. Multiple integrals. Fourier series. Special functions. Partial differential equations.

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Book SynopsisHero or villain? Few animals divide opinion like the Red Fox. This most successful of the world''s wild canids has lived alongside people from time immemorial. Celebrated by some for its resourcefulness and lush pelt, reviled by others for plundering chicken runs and overturning bins, it has worked its way deep into Western. Behind the folklore and tabloid headlines, however, lies a remarkable natural history success story. In Spotlight: Foxes Mike Unwin explores how the Red Fox''s versatility has allowed it to thrive across the northern hemisphere, from desert and mountain to farmland and urban jungle. This informative book covers all aspects of the Red Fox biology and lifestyle, including hunting and caching food, defending a territory, raising a litter and communication strategies. Finally, it examines the complex, often troubled relationship that the Fox has enjoyed and both endured with humankind, and suggests what the future might hold. The Spotlight series Table of ContentsMeet the Red Fox Ancestors and Relatives Grabbing a Bite Passing It On Getting Along Dangers and Disease City Slickers Foxes and People Watching Foxes Glossary Further Reading and Resources Image Credits Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisThis wonderfully illustrated book is a snapshot of our extensive national collection of botanical books, herbarium specimens and archival material. With more than three million preserved plant specimens and 70,000 books to choose from, the selection is just a sample of the treasures we hold, offering a glimpse into this unique collection. From objects that tell tales of daring plant collectors, to specimens of plants now extinct, historical maps and diaries, a letter from Charles Darwin and innovative nature printing techniques, this book showcases an international collection that reflects the rich scientific history of Scotland and is still used every day in our work to explore, explain and conserve the world of plants. This book won runner up in the Best New Publications category of the Association for Cultural Enterprises Awards 2015.

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Book SynopsisKeep your feet on the ground and experience the night sky to the fullest by exploring planets, satellites, and constellations with this all-inclusive reference guide to space. 100 Things to See in the Night Sky, Expanded Edition is full of information on the many amazing things you can see with a telescope, or just your naked eye! From shooting stars to constellations and planets to satellites, this book gives you a clear picture of what you can see on any given night. Learn about the celestial bodies that have captured people’s imaginations for centuries, with specific facts alongside traditional myths and beautifully illustrated photographs and star charts that will help you know where to look for the best view. With this illuminating guide, you’ll enjoy hours of stargazing, whether you’re travelling, camping, sitting in your back garden, or simply flipping through the beautiful images in this book. Trade Review“Mesmerizing.” —Sierra“[Regas’s] book points to an unexpected source of entertainment, and even solace, in the skies above … As the world roils, the stars spin on.” —The Washington Post “The photographs are fabulous, and the charts are informative.” —Books for Young Readers“A handy field guide for the best stargazing experience.” —Book of the Day“A perfect companion book for any child who enjoys marveling at the stars.” —Cincinnati Family Magazine“The ultimate stargazing book … this beautifully illustrated guide details everything you need to know.” —RV Life

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Book SynopsisAstrobiology, the study of life and its existence in the universe, is one of the hottest areas of scientific research. Lewis Dartnell considers some of the fascinating questions facing researchers today. Could life exist anywhere else in the universe? What might aliens really look like? Dartnell explains why Earth is uniquely suited for life and reveals our profound connection to the cosmos.Trade Review"Dartnell’s guide is much-needed overview of a discipline extending across life, the Universe and everything. Demanding read, but definitely rewarding" * BBC Sky at Night *"Explores the latest theories for how life came to evolve on Earth, and adds fascinating speculations on the prospects for finding it elsewhere." * The Times *"Dartnell explores the latest theories for how life came to evolve on Earth, and adds fascinating speculations on the prospects for finding it elsewhere." * The Times *"If one were to read a single book on astrobiology, this would be an excellent choice." * Choice *"Few books are more wide-ranging and thought-provoking than Life in the Universe, an excellent introduction to the emerging science of astrobiology." * Oxford Today *"If one were to read a single book on astrobiology, this would be an excellent choice… The book is a must for the newcomer to astrobiology and an excellent resource for anyone wishing to expand their understanding of the subject." * Choice *"Dartnell's style is direct, easy to follow and the subject matter comprehensive." * The Biologist *"Quite simply, this is a fantastic book… I recommend it for anyone with an interest in astrobiology in particular, biology in general, life, the universe and everything." * Microbiology Today *"A much-needed overview of a discipline extending across life, the universe, and everything." * BBC Sky at Night *

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