Nature and Science June 2017 "There is no single, universal experience of 'reality,' no single objective portrait of the world we collectively share. There is only perception: what seems real to you." ~ from Kara Platoni's We Have the Technology   Recent Releases The evolution of beauty : how Darwin's forgotten theory of mate choice shapes the natural world-- and us by Richard O. Prum A major reevaluation of how evolutionary forces work examines how mating preferences, what Darwin termed, "the taste for the beautiful," have driven adaptive evolution and created an extraordinary range of aesthetic and elaborate ornament in the animal world. Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History by Bill Schutt Never has the expression "you are what you eat" been more apt. Sometimes called "intraspecific predation," cannibalism -- in which members of a species eat part or all of other members of their species -- is widespread in the animal kingdom for reasons that include (but are not limited to) overpopulation and the stresses of captivity. It's also not that uncommon among humans, who may engage in cannibalism for medicinal purposes, as part of funeral rites, or as a demonstration of filial piety. Examining biological and cultural aspects of cannibalism, author and zoologist Bill Schutt also offers thoughts on the circumstances (such as famine and disease caused by climate change) that could make this taboo more...um, palatable. Ice ghosts : the epic hunt for the lost Franklin expedition by Paul Watson A journalist and member of the expedition that discovered the wreck of HMS Erebus in 2014 describes how an unlikely combination of marine science and Inuit knowledge helped solve the mystery of the Lost Franklin Expedition of 1845 Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson "America's most approachable astrophysicist" (Kirkus Reviews) offers readers a concise and conversational introduction to cosmology. In 12 engaging chapters, Neil deGrasse Tyson explains, in straightforward and mostly jargon-free prose, the composition of the universe and the laws that govern it. Covering topics ranging from the Big Bang to general relativity to dark matter, he also describes what we don't yet know about the universe. While some science background is always useful when confronting astrophysics, it's not essential to enjoy this book. The end of the wild by Nicole Lea Helget Helping her impoverished family hunt and forage for food in the forest near her home, 11-year-old Fern worries that a fracking company's plans will damage the local environment but cannot get her family and neighbors, who are more focused on the prospect of jobs, to understand the threat. By the author of Wonder at the Edge of the World. Simultaneous eBook. 25,000 first printing. The Human Body Anatomies: A Cultural History of the Human Body by Hugh Aldersey-Williams Is the human body a territory to be mapped? A machine to be maintained? A canvas to be decorated? No matter what metaphor one prefers, it's clear that the body is more than the sum of its parts and that anatomy is just one lens through which we view ourselves. As he did in Periodic Tales, science writer Hugh Aldersey-Williams draws as much from art and history as he does from science and medicine in this engaging head-to-toe examination of the human body. The Wild Life of Our Bodies: Predators, Parasites, and Partners that Shape Who We... by Rob Dunn In this accessible look at evolutionary ecology, biologist Rob Dunn argues that human evolution is intimately connected to that of other species and the environment. Positing that the presence of venomous snakes may have led to enhanced color vision in primates, and that ticks and lice might have played a role in rendering humans nearly hairless, Dunn examines how our species' interactions with the natural world influenced our genetic code. However, there's a downside: as human survival becomes easier, human susceptibility to disease increases. The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease by Daniel E. Lieberman You'd think that after six million years of evolution, humans would be less vulnerable to disease. However, as biologist Daniel Lieberman explains, we didn't evolve for optimal health, but rather to produce viable offspring in challenging environments. What's more, cultural evolution creates mismatches between the bodies we inherited from our ancestors and the environments we create and transform for ourselves and our descendants. This thought-provoking book uses our evolutionary history to examine the challenges we currently face in staying alive. We Have the Technology: How Biohackers, Foodies, Physicians, and Scientists Are... by Kara Platoni Annoyed by the limitations of the human body? You're not alone. As science writer Kara Platoni demonstrates, there's a growing community of "citizen scientists" whose members are pushing the boundaries of human perception -- often by experimenting on themselves. Understanding what these "biohackers" are doing requires knowledge of both sensory science and metasensory perception (how we experience time, pain, or memories) and Platoni provides readers with an overview of the science while introducing them to the eccentric individuals bent on upgrading our basic hardware. Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping, and Beyond by Robert R. Provine In this follow-up to Laughter: A Scientific Investigation, neuroscientist Robert Provine explains the evolutionary reasons behind the everyday behaviors we take for granted -- such as yawning, sneezing, crying, hiccups, and more. Accessible and full of intriguing examples, this engaging book is perfect for readers who have always wondered why we can't tickle ourselves or why yawning is often contagious. Contact your librarian for more great books! Contra Costa County Library 777 Arnold Drive, Suite 210 | Martinez, California 94553 | 800-984-4636 ccclib.org