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Nature and Science June 2017
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| Where the Water Goes: Life and Death Along the Colorado River by David OwenEvery gallon of water in the Colorado River legally belongs to someone, explains New Yorker staff writer David Owen. This has consequences: though the river is supposed to flow to the Gulf of California, so much is diverted along the way that it simply runs dry near the U.S.-Mexico border. Following the Colorado from source to terminus, Owen explores the river's ecology as well as the complex network of systems that exploit its resources. With its in-depth examination of the links between natural and human-made ecosystems, this book may interest readers who enjoyed Dan Egan's The Death and Life of the Great Lakes. |
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How emotions are made : the secret life of the brain
by Lisa Feldman Barrett
Psychologist and neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett's theory of emotion is driving a deeper understanding of the mind and brain and shedding new light on what it means to be human. Her research overturns the widely held belief that emotions are housed in different parts of the brain and are universally expressed and recognized. Instead, she has shown that emotion is constructed in the moment, by core systems that interact across the whole brain, aided by a lifetime of learning. This new theory means that you play a much greater role in your emotional life than you ever thought. Its repercussions are already shaking the foundations not only of psychology but also of medicine, the legal system, child-rearing, meditation, and even airport security.
Why do emotions feel automatic? Does rational thought really control emotion? How does emotion affect disease? How can you make your children more emotionally intelligent? How Emotions Are Made answers these questions and many more, revealing the latest research and intriguing practical applications of the new science of emotion, mind, and brain.
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| Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert M. SapolskyAs both a neurobiologist and a primatologist, author Robert Sapolsky can confidently state that human behavior is...complicated. To understand why we do what we do, he asserts, one must take an interdisciplinary approach. In Behave, Sapolsky explores the best and worst of human behavior by taking a single (re)action and examining what's going on in the brain and body in the seconds, minutes, hours, days, and even years before it occurs. It's an unusual but fascinating approach that will make you reconsider your own behavior. |
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| 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. |
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Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon
by Jeffrey Kluger
Citing the space race, Cold War and 1967 Apollo 1 tragedy, a riveting account of the harried mission to use an untested rocket to secure America's position as the first nation to reach the moon reveals the dangers endured by its crew and the ways the mission brought inspiration and renewal to an America ravaged by assassinations and war.
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| Anatomies: A Cultural History of the Human Body by Hugh Aldersey-WilliamsIs 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. |
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I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and A Grander View of Life
by Ed Yong
Welcome to the microbiome, the complex ecosystem of commensal, symbiotic, and pathogenic microscopic organisms living in and on our bodies. In this accessible field guide to microbes of all descriptions, science writer Ed Yong reveals that microorganisms are more than germs to be wiped out; they are complex communities that play a vital role in digestion, immunity, and reproduction -- and, as a result, have become a critical part of medical research. For more on the subject, try Rob Dunn's The Wildlife of Our Bodies or Rodney Dietert's The Human Super-Organism.
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| We Have the Technology: How Biohackers, Foodies, Physicians, and Scientists Are... by Kara PlatoniAnnoyed 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. |
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| Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping, and Beyond by Robert R. ProvineIn 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. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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