Trade Books for Courses :: Trade Books For Courses: Science Books

Trade Paperback :
$16.00 Buy

Adam's Tongue

How Humans Made Language, How Language Made Humans

Derek Bickerton Hill and Wang

“The great puzzle of how human language evolved, and how it relates to animal communication, is tackled here with enthusiasm and directness by the always interesting Derek Bickerton. Being neither a complete gradualist nor a believer in Divine sparks, the author touches on all the issues and positions that are hotly debated today.”—Frans de Waal, Professor of Psychology, Emory University, and author of Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are

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Hardcover :
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The Matchbox That Ate a Forty-Ton Truck

What Everyday Things Tell Us About the Universe

Marcus Chown Faber and Faber, Inc.

"Why can't a broken teacup reassemble itself? How do stars turn hydrogen into iron? This lively, nontechnical look at the physics behind the world around us is rich with entertaining anecdotes and examples of some pretty complex ideas. Caltech astronomer Chown (The Quantum Zoo) uses simple examples from everyday life—a reflection on a windowpane, the solidity of the ground underfoot, the heat of our sun, the immense variety of objects in the world—to reveal evidence of everything from the Big Bang to the life cycle of stars and the inner structure of the atom. Skillful explanations are leavened with humor. Invocations of pop culture and literary references, from Homer Simpson and Walt Whitman to Edgar Allan Poe and Douglas Adams, help introduce each complex idea and enhance the discussion. Chapter notes and a comprehensive glossary offer additional information. Both deliberate readers and those who like to jump into things at random will be entertained and informed by this charming book."—Publishers Weekly

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Before the Big Bang

The Prehistory of the Universe

Brian Clegg St. Martin's Griffin

"Indeed, the existence of so many things, from dark matter to black holes to wormholes all has to be inferred. The Big Bang, too, is only provisional and seems to be waiting for a more graceful model to replace it. In Clegg’s words, the Big Bang theory 'has the feeling of something held together with a Band-Aid.' Whether what came before our universe was another universe or nothing, or something else yet unconsidered, for now the most accurate answer might be: We just don’t know."—Anthony Doerr, The Boston Globe

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Beyond Oil

The View from Hubbert's Peak

Kenneth S. Deffeyes Hill and Wang

"This work would be useful as a current holding for serving students of political science, economics, science, and technology."—W.C. Peters, Choice

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Hardcover :
$23.00 Buy

When Oil Peaked

Kenneth S. Deffeyes Hill and Wang

“This book addresses the critical issue of Peak Oil, when production begins to decline thanks to natural depletion. Very readable recollections of the early research into the subject and the personalities of those involved are followed by valuable ideas and recommendations for the future. Despite the serious nature of the subject, a delightful sense of humor permeates the pages. It is essential reading given the central role of oil-based energy in the modern world.”—Colin J. Campbell, founder and honorary chairman, Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas

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When You Were a Tadpole and I Was a Fish

And Other Speculations About This and That

Martin Gardner Hill and Wang

"If you're already addicted to Martin Gardner's plain prose, gentle, reasonable voice, exhaustive research and relentless logic, you will want to add this book to your collection . . . While [he] has always called himself 'strictly a journalist,' he should really be honored as one of this country's greatest cultural treasures."—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

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Evolution

The Story of Life on Earth

Written by Jay Hosler; Art by Kevin Cannon and Zander Cannon Hill and Wang

"Biology is a dynamic subject and I am always looking for new ways to reach my teenage students. Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth was an excellent way to reinforce the concepts we cover in class. The graphic novel was written and illustrated in such a way that automatically grabbed the students' interest. Students learn best when they are having fun in the midst of it. This entertaining and engaging book makes learning enjoyable."—Bertha Vasquez, Biology Teacher, George Washington Carver Middle School, Miami, Florida

Hardcover :
$28.00 Buy

Beyond Boundaries

The New Neuroscience of Connecting Brains with Machines---and How It Will Change Our Lives

Miguel Nicolelis Times Books

“Miguel Nicolelis has produced a delightful and scientifically important work by combining stories of his life with reflections on the big questions in neuroscience. The progress he and his coworkers have made toward a future where humans can use brain activity to directly control computers and mechanical devices to restore lost motor and communication functions is both awe-inspiring and filled with hope.”—Ion Kaas, Distinguished Centennial Professor, Vanderbilt University, and member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences

“In this wonderfully vivid and fascinating book, Miguel Nicolelis describes a new view of the human brain, and how interfacing it to machines will have important implications for rehabilitation medicine and beyond.”—Peter Agre, M.D., 2003 Nobel laureate in chemistry and university professor and director, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute

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Bonus

Hardcover :
$29.99 Buy

Feynman

By Jim Ottaviani, illustrated by Leland Myrick First Second

"In every picture, bubbles of text record Feynman's comments, mostly taken from stories he and others have told and published in earlier books . . . These images capture with remarkable sensitivity the essence of Feynman's character . . . Some western readers commonly use the Japanese word manga to mean serious comic-book literature. According to one of my Japanese friends, this usage is wrong . . . The correct word for serious comic-book literature is gekiga, meaning 'dramatic picture.' The Feynman picture-book is a fine example of gekiga for Western readers."—Freeman Dyson, The New York Review of Books

YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens
Horn Book Magazine Fanfare List
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens

Bonus

Trade Paperback : $6.95 Buy	Geology A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press Frank H. T. Rhodes; Illustrated by Raymond Perlman Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press have been updated and revised to revitalize the complete line of guides for a new generation of students.

Hardcover :
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Deep Future

The Next 100,000 Years of Life on Earth

Curt Stager Thomas Dunne Books

"Deep Future is a clear, concise, and thought provoking work, one that takes a refreshingly frank look at the science behind global warming and, more importantly, what is coming next. In a field where hyperbolic claims and bitter skepticism prevail, the clarity and unflappability of Stager’s account is like a breath of fresh, slightly heated air."—The Faster Times

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Hardcover :
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Dance of the Photons

From Einstein to Quantum Teleportation

Anton Zeilinger Farrar, Straus and Giroux

“Those seeking an accessible popular account of this fascinating field will find their search over . . . Taking some of the most complex ideas from cutting-edge science, Zeilinger provides simple and clear explanations that in no way compromise the fundamental concepts.”—Jeremy L. O'Brian, Science

“From the sewers under Vienna to a whirlwind tour of the great physicists of the twentieth century and their wild ideas, this is a marvelous introduction to the world of quantum physics by one of the most accomplished experimenters working in the field today. Zeilinger takes the reader on a very personal journey while providing a remarkably clear and cogent discussion of the mind-bending world of quantum mechanics and its potential to change the future of technology.”—Lawrence M. Krauss, director of the Origins Initiative at Arizona State University and author of Quantum Man: Richard Feynman’s Life in Science

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Trade Paperback :
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Junk Science

An Overdue Indictment of Government, Industry, and Faith Groups That Twist Science for Their Own Gain

Dan Agin, Ph.D. St. Martin's Griffin/Thomas Dunne Books

"Junk Science is a passionate, minutely-informed and scrupulously fair analysis of all the abuses and misuses of science that are rampant today—a clarion call to action which concerns us all. One might wish that such a book were not needed, but it is, more now than ever before."—Oliver Sacks, M.D., author of Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat

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Instant Egghead Guide

The Mind

Emily Anthes & Scientific American, with a Foreword by Steve Mirsky St. Martin's Griffin

The Instant Egghead Guide to the Mind thoroughly covers the human brain, explaining everything from neurons to consciousness in the blink of an eye (which takes 300 milliseconds). Based on Scientific American’s wildly popular "60-Second Science" podcast, The Instant Egghead Guide to the Mind takes you though the whorls and curves of the human brain, explaining everything from how quickly you can possibly think (and that left-handed people think faster) to why being bad feels so good (yes, there’s a biochemical explanation).

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Biological Exuberance

Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity

Bruce Bagemihl Stonewall Inn Editions

"A scholarly, exhaustive, and utterly convincing refutation of the notion that human homosexuality is an aberration in nature . . . Bagemihl does realize that some among us will never be convinced that homosexuality occurs freely and frequently in nature. But his meticulously gathered, congently delivered evidence will quash any arguments to the contrary."—Kirkus Reviews

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ALA Stonewall Book Award - Honor Book - Nonfiction

Bonus

Awards

Trade Paperback : $6.95 Buy	Stars A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press Herbert S. Zim, Ph.D., Sc.D. and Robert H. Baker, Ph.D., D.Sc., Revised and Updated by Mark R. Chartrand, Ph.D.; Illustrated by James Gordon Irving Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press have been updated and revised to revitalize the complete line of guides for a new generation of students.

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The Body Toxic

How the Hazardous Chemistry of Everyday Things Threatens Our Health and Well-being

Nena Baker North Point Press

“This important book will make it impossible to ignore the inconvenient truths about products we use everyday. Be prepared to be amazed at what is known and not known about thousands of chemicals that are used in our clothes, our homes, our pizza boxes, and just about everything else.”—Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D., President, National Research Center for Women & Families

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Critical Mass

How One Thing Leads to Another

Philip Ball Farrar, Straus and Giroux Paperbacks

Are there “natural laws” that govern the ways in which humans behave and organize themselves, just as there are physical laws that govern the motions of atoms...

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The Myth of Monogamy

Fidelity and Infidelity in Animals and People

David P. Barash, Ph.D. and Judith Eve Lipton, M.D. Holt Paperbacks

"The revelation that social pair-bonds do not necessarily imply exclusive mating relationships has spurred a revolution in how scientists think about mating systems. This book explores when and why social and sexual monogamy often do not coincide."—Paul W. Sherman, Professor of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University

Trade Paperback : $21.00 Buy	The Survival Game How Game Theory Explains the Biology of Cooperation and Competition David P. Barash Holt Paperbacks "An accessible, intriguing explanation of game theory . . . that can help explain much human behavior." -Seattle Post-Intelligencer Humans, like...

Hardcover : $16.95 Buy	Why Sht Happens The Science of a Really Bad Day Peter J. Bentley, PhD Rodale Books Have you ever fallen victim to Murphy’s law? Sometimes bad things just happen. In Why Sht Happens, esteemed British scientist Peter J. Bentley takes readers...

Hardcover : $45.00 Buy	The Wisdom of Birds An Illustrated History of Ornithology Tim Birkhead Bloomsbury USA What the birds have taught us: a gorgeously rendered and comprehensive history of ornithology, from folklore to facts—the perfect gift for bird enthusiasts...

Trade Paperback : $13.00 Buy	The Flying Book Everything You've Ever Wondered About Flying On Airplanes David Blatner Walker & Company Whether you fear, thrill at, or, like many, have never bothered to stop and think about the wonder of commercial flight, The Flying Book will inform, surprise,...

Hardcover : $25.00 Buy	E=mc2 A Biography of the World’s Most Famous Equation David Bodanis; With a new introduction by Simon Singh Walker & Company To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s miracle year of discoveries, a new edition of the bestselling “biography” of his famous equation Generations...