A gorgeously photographed look into the collection of Chicago's Field Museum! This book goes into the reasons behind the decline of each specimen's species and either the eventual extinction, conservation efforts, or continuing worries for it's survival. At turns beautiful and informing; heart-rending and inspiring. A great book for conservation enthusiasts, science lovers, and those who want a coffee table book that's a bit different.
A wonderful resource for historical costumers and cosplayers of most levels! This book goes through the techniques and materials needed for most of the foundation pieces for elaborate cosplay and historically inspired outfits. The attention to detail is fantastic! Cosplay Foundations is full of gorgeous photos, and has bonus downloadable patterns to help you get started. This book has a place on every costumer's shelf!
A very charming book with absolutely beautiful illustrations! This is a celebration of and love letter to reading and books. It encapsulates the feelings books gave me as a child. This is a great book for anyone who loves reading or is trying to instill that love in a child!
An incredibly fun first entry in a new manga series for teens and adults! What if dinosaurs had survived on a remote island and were rediscovered? This slice of life story centers around Suma Suzume, a rookie dinokeeper, and her on the job learning. Interspersed in the story are little info files talking about the science behind the science fiction. A great choice for dinosaur fans and scifi manga lovers!
Follow the members of ROAR on an adventure to the far north as they race to rescue a Siberian Unicorn horn from the melting permafrost. This book has it all: exciting adventure, formerly extinct animals, found family, and an entire zoo of puns! In addition, there is a back section with information on the various animals in the book, fun science experiments and ideas for what we can do to fight climate change. This book is great for animal lovers, adventure-seekers, and anyone interested in protecting our planet!
The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us (Hardcover)
A brilliant history of the evolution and diversification of mammals. Brusatte combines humorous anecdotes, detailed scientific analysis (who doesn’t want more information about mammal jaw connections?), and imaginative reconstructed narratives of various time periods to create a cohesive and engaging look into mammals, their origins, and all the weird and wonderful ways they are different from other lineages. A great book for natural history buffs!
The universe is ancient. 13.77 Billion years old, a measure of time that is almost unimaginable. Deep Time takes us through those years in a way that both compresses time and A brilliant history of the evolution and diversification of mammals. Brusatte combines humorous anecdotes, detailed scientific analysis (who doesn’t want more information about mammal jaw connections?), and imaginative reconstructed narratives of various time periods to create a cohesive and engaging look into mammals, their origins, and all the weird and wonderful ways they are different from other lineages. A great book for natural history buffs! makes you aware of its vastness. Black utilizes gorgeous photography and interesting prose to talk about a wide range of topics including the Hubble Deep Field, the Grand Canyon, stromatolites, Pando, and Hadrian’s Wall. This is a great book for anyone who has an interest in Big History or wants a coffee table book that will inform as well as be beautiful.
A fantastic, informative book for upper-elementary to middle school readers. This book takes the reader through Earth’s 4.5 billion years of history. Utilizing 19th century inspired drawings and detailed transparent overlays, it covers topics ranging from the formation of the moon to Snowball Earth and all the weird and wonderful life that has called our planet home. This book is great for today’s budding geologists and paleontologists. I wish this book had existed when I was a kid!
In the 15th-13th centuries BC a globalized economy flourished throughout the Mediterranean. Then suddenly, in the early 12th century, all these great civilizations collapsed. This book goes into the whys and hows of the Late Bronze Age Collapse. Cline discusses the interconnected cultures of the many empires, from the Hittites, to the Mycenaeans, to the Egyptians and how that interdependence contributed to the fall of each one. This book is rich with detail, and highly accessible with quotes from primary sources (like the Amarna Letters) giving a weight and reality to history that can seem remote. This is one of the best books I have read about this time period!
I have loved Ruth Goodman ever since I saw Edwardian Farm. Domestic Revolution combines her astute and meticulous research with a humorous, entertaining presentation style. This book concentrates on the changeover from wood and other traditional fuels to coal in England between the 17th and 19th centuries. Goodman traces the ripple effects in both economic and domestic life. Her experience as a living historian allows for fascinating anecdotes in addition to research utilizing primary resources. This book is a fantastic read for anyone with an interest in history, especially the changing life of England!
A wonderful, scientifically accurate, book for kids with an interest in natural science! Out of the Blue takes you from the earliest beginnings of life in the Archean through to modern life. It gives a basic introduction to cladistics with explanations on how physical similarity is not always an indication of close relationship. The art is delightful and builds on the text narrative. This is a must for 6-11 year olds who love dinosaurs, extinct creatures, or animals in general!
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There are many arguments for and against exercise. Lieberman strikes a balance between the two extremes, making the argument that we need both exercise and rest. He goes through the various benefits of exercise and dispels many myths about exercise and human evolution. The book goes through the effects of inactivity and the various types of activity (eg. those that require strength vs those that require endurance) Lieberman then uses evolutionary strategies to suggest ways to improve our modern ways of exercising. This book is written in an approachable, engaging manner that above all doesn't shame those that have difficulty with continuing an exercise program. This is a great book for anyone with an interest in human evolution, exercise, the human body, or who just wants to know why they don't like to run.
We know the universe began. We can even narrow down when and how it began. The end is a bit harder. Dr. Katie Mack takes us through five possible endings theoretical astrophysics has come up with. With warm humor, she gives the reader an overview of major theories in quantum mechanics, cosmology, and other fields of astrophysics. For a book about the possible ends of the universe, this is surprisingly upbeat and reassuring! The science is easy to follow, without the explanations becoming condescending. I would recommend this to those who have an interest in science, especially astrophysics, and anyone who wants an overview of the history and theoretical future of our universe.
No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks. A true classic, considered by many the first science fiction novel, Frankenstein is the story of scientific hubris. Victor Frankenstein is a brilliant young scientist meddling in things beyond his understanding. He is set against both conventional science and against his own creation, known only as The Creature. The story takes inspiration from the science of the early 19th century and poses philosophical questions of nature vs nurture and the necessity of compassion contrasted with the results of its lack. The story combines beautiful prose with a compelling story that still resonates today. This is great for anyone who likes classic science fiction, philosophy or 19th century literature.
An adorable bedtime story! Froggies have much better things to do than sleep at bedtime. From singing opera to belching contests with aliens, will they ever go to bed? Read and find out!
Everyone knows the classic story of the fall of Troy, or at least parts of it. Stephen Fry has collected the scattered sources to synthesize a coherent story of Troy, from its earliest beginnings to its fall. With his signature humor, Fry brings new life to the characters and events that are simultaneously familiar and millennia distant. Even as a lifelong mythology nerd, there were new things for me to learn while being highly entertained. If you like mythology, Stephen Fry, or want to read the Iliad but feel daunted by the prospect, then this is the book for you!
A fascinating look into the history of epidemics! Kang and Pederson utilize their signature mix of lively storytelling and accessibly-written science to give us the history of 21 of the world’s worst outbreaks. From the Bubonic Plague to Ebola as well as the similarities and differences between our current situation and the 1918 Influenza pandemic. The authors go through historic “Patient Zeros”, the way diseases spread, and science’s fight to end them before they kill everyone. I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in epidemiology, medical science, or good storytelling about humanity!
Many years after a galactic rebellion, the fallout from the Stavenger Empires revenge on the rebellious stations is still felt by the people left. Generational ships are the norm, as are stations run by genetic bloodlines. Into this situation the main character, Pendt Harland, is born. Identified at a young age as having an undesirable genetic mutation, she is neglected and abused by her family. Pendt bides her time until she gets the chance to escape on Brannick Station. Teaming up with the twin heirs, the three teens hatch a plot to take control of their lives. This book combines fantastic character interactions with important ethical quest ions tied together with an exciting plot and amazing world building. I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys E. K. Johnston's other work and fans of sweeping space opera.
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The Anthropocene is a proposed term for the current geological age in which humans have profoundly reshaped the planet and its biodiversity. This book, based on John Green's podcast of the same name, collects his essays reviewing certain aspects of human experience and the way we interact with the world through the lens of his own life. It covers a wide range of subjects from the Lascaux Cave Paintings to Diet Dr. Pepper and even some negative experiences like Viral Meningitis. The essays are part memoir and part personal analysis of each experience. This book is filled with humor, an amazing amount of optimism, and a joy in life that comes th rough, even with difficult topics. This book is a must read for fans of his previous books as well as anyone who wants to consider our impact and place on this planet.
The Morrison Formation...it's beneath your feet. This book is a fantastic overview of the geology, and the important fossil discoveries of the formation which sprawls over Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and parts of other states; even up into Canada. This book is full of gorgeous color photographs and illustrations; as well as some historical B&W photos, maps and charts. This is written for the layman, but it has enough detail to engage any enthusiast. It is a wonderful resource for paleontology nerds as well as anyone with an interest in the prehistory of the west.
How did we get here? is one of the most important questions humanity can ask itselves. The evolution of our brain is an important part of this. Stetka takes the reader from our earliest, nonvertebrate beginnings through hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary change. He also explains how we came to understand what we do about our own brains, as well as our similarities to and differences from our nearest ape relatives. Using easily accessible language, Stetka relates how our ancestors changing environment and their response to these changes shaped us. He gives an overview of how our brains work before speculating on possible future evolution. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in evolutionary science or who wants to know why humans are the way we are.
This is one of my favorite takes on time travel. Billy Pilgrim has become unstuck in his own timeline. He bounces around experiencing different parts of his life, from WW2 and a prison camp to encounters with the Tralfamadorians, who experience reality in four dimensions rather than three. Told through a series of flashbacks and flash forwards, the reader is given a view of an alternate America through Vonnegut's signature irony and black humor. It contrasts Christian philosophy with the more fatalistic Tralfamadorian mindset. It shows the struggle between free will and determinism. The unreliable narrator is key in this. If you like explorations of philosophy, science fiction, and irreverent humor, I would recommend this book to you.
Lucy is the hominid ancestor everyone knows about. Ardi was an even earlier ancestor that doesn't get nearly as much publicity, but who is equally important in the story of human prehistory. This book is the story of the team that found and scientifically described Ardi (or Ardipithecus ramidus. It is a loving, though not always flattering, look at Tim White and his team, as well as his allies and rivals and a look at the politics of the paleoanthropology community as a whole throughout the mid to late 20th century. The discussions of ethics (especially lack of transparency versus possibly over-haste to publish) is fascinating. This book also takes you through early hominid history, describing various adaptations and explaining why living primates may not be the best lens to view our ancestors through. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of scientific discovery, or an interest in where we, as a species, came from.
Have you ever finished a story and desperately wanted more? Thankfully JRR Tolkien wrote many other fragments in his world spanning the First through the Fourth Ages. His son, Christopher gathered some of these into Unfinished Tales. From the founding of Rohan to a description of the origins of the Istari (like Gandalf), these stories are left as JRR Tolkien left them after his death with minimal editing. After each are notes to explain any inconsistencies or obscure facts. This is written in a style closer to The Lord of the Rings, so it is more accessible for some than The Silmarillion was without alienating those who loved it. This edition has many beautiful illustrations by Lee, Howe and Nasmith as well! I would recommend this to anyone who loves The Lord of the Rings and wants to spend some more time in Middle Earth.
Hwaet! So starts one of England's earliest epics. Seamus Heaney brings a story of monsters, dragons and battles into the modern age. He balances meaning with poetical rhythms to allow a peek into the Viking mind and heart. When you read it, you almost feel as if you were listening to an ancient skald reciting on a winters night. The story is brought to life as Beowulf fights Grendel and others. This is the definitive translation! Its especially nice that this edition has the original text side by side with the translation. I would recommend this to anyone who loves Tolkien, poetry, or epic fantasy.`
