Bill Bryson is one of the worlds most beloved and bestselling writers. In A Short History of Nearly Everything, he takes his ultimate journeyinto the most intriguing and consequential questions that science seeks to answer. Its a dazzling quest, the intellectual odyssey of a lifetime, as this insatiably curious writer attempts to understand everything that has transpired from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization. Or, as the author puts it, how we went from there being nothing at all to there being something, and then how a little of that something turned into us, and also what happened in between and since. This is, in short, a tall order.To that end, Bill Bryson apprenticed himself to a host of the worlds most profound scientific minds, living and dead.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780767908177
|
Hardcover
Universe
By Editors, Phaidon Phaidon
Explore the stars and planets and beyond through 300 fascinating images - an international panel of experts take you on a journey through man's record of the universe - from ancient cave paintings to animation.Universe is a groundbreaking survey that celebrates the popular subject of astronomy through 300 images created by those who have tried to understand - or who have been inspired by - the beauty and mystery of stars, planets, and beyond. Carefully chosen by an international panel of experts and arranged to highlight thought-provoking contrasts and similarities, the selection includes paintings, photographs, sculpture, animation, prints, sketches, and digital renderings with iconic works by renowned photographers, artists, and astronomers alongside previously unpublished finds.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780714874616
|
Hardcover
Endurance
By Kelly, Scott
A stunning memoir from the astronaut who spent a record-breaking year aboard the International Space Station--a candid account of his remarkable voyage, of the journeys off the planet that preceded it, and of his colorful formative years.The veteran of four space flights and the American record holder for consecutive days spent in space, Scott Kelly has experienced things very few have. Now, he takes us inside a sphere utterly inimical to human life. He describes navigating the extreme challenge of long-term spaceflight, both existential and banal: the devastating effects on the body; the isolation from everyone he loves and the comforts of Earth; the pressures of constant close cohabitation; the catastrophic risks of depressurization or colliding with space junk, and the still more haunting threat of being unable to help should tragedy strike at home--an agonizing situation Kelly faced when, on another mission, his twin brother's wife, Gabrielle Giffords, was shot while he still had two months in space. Kelly's humanity, compassion, humor, and passion resonate throughout, as he recalls his rough-and-tumble New Jersey childhood and the youthful inspiration that sparked his astounding career, and as he makes clear his belief that Mars will be the next, ultimately challenging step in American spaceflight. A natural storyteller and modern-day hero, Kelly has a message of hope for the future that will inspire for generations to come. Here, in his personal story, we see the triumph of the human imagination, the strength of the human will, and the boundless wonder of the galaxy.
Publisher: n/a
|
9781524731595
|
Hardcover
First Man
By Hansen, James R.
On 20 July 1969, the world stood still to watch 38-year-old astronaut Neil Armstrong become the first person ever to walk on the Moon. Perhaps no words in recent human history became better known than those few he uttered at that historic moment. Upon his return to Earth, Armstrong was honoured and celebrated for his achievement. But he was also misunderstood. As authorised biographer James Hansen reveals in this fascinating and important book, it was the act of flying that had driven Armstrong rather than the pull of the destination, from his distinguished career as a fighter pilot in the Korean War right through to his most famous mission. Drawing on flight logs, family and Nasa archives and over 125 original interviews with key participants, FIRST MAN vividly re-creates Armstrong's life and career in flying, from the heights of honour earned as a naval aviator, test pilot and astronaut, to the dear personal price paid by Armstrong and, even more so, by his wife and children, for his dedication to his vocation.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780743256315
|
Hardcover
The Martian
By Weir, Andy
Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American ReadSix days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive - and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills - and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit - he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
Publisher: n/a
|
9780804139021
|
Hardcover
How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
By Yu, Charles
*This ebook includes photos, illustrations, and a bonus short story, which add to the ever-expanding world of Minor Universe 31. Photos and illustrations appear as hyperlinks in text. National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 Award winner Charles Yu delivers his debut novel, a razor-sharp, ridiculously funny, and utterly touching story of a son searching for his father . . . through quantum space-time. Minor Universe 31 is a vast story-space on the outskirts of fiction, where paradox fluctuates like the stock market, lonely sexbots beckon failed protagonists, and time travel is serious business. Every day, people get into time machines and try to do the one thing they should never do: change the past. That's where Charles Yu, time travel technician - part counselor, part gadget repair man - steps in. He helps save people from themselves. Literally. When he's not taking client calls or consoling his boss, Phil, who could really use an upgrade, Yu visits his mother (stuck in a one-hour cycle of time, she makes dinner over and over and over) and searches for his father, who invented time travel and then vanished. Accompanied by TAMMY, an operating system with low self-esteem, and Ed, a nonexistent but ontologically valid dog, Yu sets out, and back, and beyond, in order to find the one day where he and his father can meet in memory. He learns that the key may be found in a book he got from his future self. It's called How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, and he's the author. And somewhere inside it is the information that could help him - in fact it may even save his life. Wildly new and adventurous, Yu's debut is certain to send shock waves of wonder through literary space-time.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780307379207
|
eBook
The Martian Chronicles
By Bradbury, Ray
Publisher: n/a
|
9781451678192
|
Mass Market Paperback
Good Omens
By Gaiman, Neil
The classic collaboration from the international bestselling authors, now available in a keepsake hardcover edition. . . . "The Apocalypse has never been funnier." - Clive BarkerReaders around the world have embraced the brilliance of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Now, 15 years after it was first published, their classic comic novel of the endtimes - the only collaborative effort of these two masters - is available in a special collector's edition sure to attract the attention of devoted fans and new readers alike.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780060853969
|
Hardcover
The Sirens of Titan
By Vonnegut, Kurt
The Sirens of Titan is an outrageous romp through space, time, and morality. The richest, most depraved man on Earth, Malachi Constant, is offered a chance to take a space journey to distant worlds with a beautiful woman at his side. Of course there's a catch to the invitation-and a prophetic vision about the purpose of human life that only Vonnegut has the courage to tell.
Publisher: n/a
|
9780385333498
|
Paperback
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
By Adams, Douglas
Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American ReadHow shall we begin? This is the story of a book called The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - not an Earth book, never published on Earth and, until the terrible catastrophe occurred, never seen or even heard of by any Earthman. Nevertheless, a wholly remarkable book. or This is the story of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a number-one best seller in England, a weekly radio series with millions of fanatic listeners, and soon to be a television spectacle on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. or This is the story of Arthur Dent, who, secnds before Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, is plucked off the planet by his friend, Ford Prefect, who has been posing as an out-of-work actor for the last fifteen years but is really a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Together they begin a journey through the galaxy aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, with the words don't panic written on the front. ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.") In their travels they meet: * Zaphod Beeblebrox - the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch President of the Galaxy * Trillian - Zaphod's girl friend, formerly Tricia McMillan, whom Arthur once tried to pick up at a cocktail party * Marvin - a paranoid android, a brilliant but chronically depressed robot * Veet Voojagig - former graduate student obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years To find the answers to these burning questions: Why are we born? Why do we die? And why do we spend so much time in between wearing digital watches? read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. But remember . . . don't panic, and don't forget to bring a towel.
A Short History of Nearly Everything
By Bryson, Bill
Bill Bryson is one of the worlds most beloved and bestselling writers. In A Short History of Nearly Everything, he takes his ultimate journeyinto the most intriguing and consequential questions that science seeks to answer. Its a dazzling quest, the intellectual odyssey of a lifetime, as this insatiably curious writer attempts to understand everything that has transpired from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization. Or, as the author puts it, how we went from there being nothing at all to there being something, and then how a little of that something turned into us, and also what happened in between and since. This is, in short, a tall order.To that end, Bill Bryson apprenticed himself to a host of the worlds most profound scientific minds, living and dead.
Universe
By Editors, Phaidon Phaidon
Explore the stars and planets and beyond through 300 fascinating images - an international panel of experts take you on a journey through man's record of the universe - from ancient cave paintings to animation.Universe is a groundbreaking survey that celebrates the popular subject of astronomy through 300 images created by those who have tried to understand - or who have been inspired by - the beauty and mystery of stars, planets, and beyond. Carefully chosen by an international panel of experts and arranged to highlight thought-provoking contrasts and similarities, the selection includes paintings, photographs, sculpture, animation, prints, sketches, and digital renderings with iconic works by renowned photographers, artists, and astronomers alongside previously unpublished finds.
Endurance
By Kelly, Scott
A stunning memoir from the astronaut who spent a record-breaking year aboard the International Space Station--a candid account of his remarkable voyage, of the journeys off the planet that preceded it, and of his colorful formative years.The veteran of four space flights and the American record holder for consecutive days spent in space, Scott Kelly has experienced things very few have. Now, he takes us inside a sphere utterly inimical to human life. He describes navigating the extreme challenge of long-term spaceflight, both existential and banal: the devastating effects on the body; the isolation from everyone he loves and the comforts of Earth; the pressures of constant close cohabitation; the catastrophic risks of depressurization or colliding with space junk, and the still more haunting threat of being unable to help should tragedy strike at home--an agonizing situation Kelly faced when, on another mission, his twin brother's wife, Gabrielle Giffords, was shot while he still had two months in space. Kelly's humanity, compassion, humor, and passion resonate throughout, as he recalls his rough-and-tumble New Jersey childhood and the youthful inspiration that sparked his astounding career, and as he makes clear his belief that Mars will be the next, ultimately challenging step in American spaceflight. A natural storyteller and modern-day hero, Kelly has a message of hope for the future that will inspire for generations to come. Here, in his personal story, we see the triumph of the human imagination, the strength of the human will, and the boundless wonder of the galaxy.
First Man
By Hansen, James R.
On 20 July 1969, the world stood still to watch 38-year-old astronaut Neil Armstrong become the first person ever to walk on the Moon. Perhaps no words in recent human history became better known than those few he uttered at that historic moment. Upon his return to Earth, Armstrong was honoured and celebrated for his achievement. But he was also misunderstood. As authorised biographer James Hansen reveals in this fascinating and important book, it was the act of flying that had driven Armstrong rather than the pull of the destination, from his distinguished career as a fighter pilot in the Korean War right through to his most famous mission. Drawing on flight logs, family and Nasa archives and over 125 original interviews with key participants, FIRST MAN vividly re-creates Armstrong's life and career in flying, from the heights of honour earned as a naval aviator, test pilot and astronaut, to the dear personal price paid by Armstrong and, even more so, by his wife and children, for his dedication to his vocation.
The Martian
By Weir, Andy
Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American ReadSix days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive - and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills - and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit - he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
By Yu, Charles
*This ebook includes photos, illustrations, and a bonus short story, which add to the ever-expanding world of Minor Universe 31. Photos and illustrations appear as hyperlinks in text. National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 Award winner Charles Yu delivers his debut novel, a razor-sharp, ridiculously funny, and utterly touching story of a son searching for his father . . . through quantum space-time. Minor Universe 31 is a vast story-space on the outskirts of fiction, where paradox fluctuates like the stock market, lonely sexbots beckon failed protagonists, and time travel is serious business. Every day, people get into time machines and try to do the one thing they should never do: change the past. That's where Charles Yu, time travel technician - part counselor, part gadget repair man - steps in. He helps save people from themselves. Literally. When he's not taking client calls or consoling his boss, Phil, who could really use an upgrade, Yu visits his mother (stuck in a one-hour cycle of time, she makes dinner over and over and over) and searches for his father, who invented time travel and then vanished. Accompanied by TAMMY, an operating system with low self-esteem, and Ed, a nonexistent but ontologically valid dog, Yu sets out, and back, and beyond, in order to find the one day where he and his father can meet in memory. He learns that the key may be found in a book he got from his future self. It's called How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, and he's the author. And somewhere inside it is the information that could help him - in fact it may even save his life. Wildly new and adventurous, Yu's debut is certain to send shock waves of wonder through literary space-time.
The Martian Chronicles
By Bradbury, Ray
Good Omens
By Gaiman, Neil
The classic collaboration from the international bestselling authors, now available in a keepsake hardcover edition. . . . "The Apocalypse has never been funnier." - Clive BarkerReaders around the world have embraced the brilliance of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Now, 15 years after it was first published, their classic comic novel of the endtimes - the only collaborative effort of these two masters - is available in a special collector's edition sure to attract the attention of devoted fans and new readers alike.
The Sirens of Titan
By Vonnegut, Kurt
The Sirens of Titan is an outrageous romp through space, time, and morality. The richest, most depraved man on Earth, Malachi Constant, is offered a chance to take a space journey to distant worlds with a beautiful woman at his side. Of course there's a catch to the invitation-and a prophetic vision about the purpose of human life that only Vonnegut has the courage to tell.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
By Adams, Douglas
Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American ReadHow shall we begin? This is the story of a book called The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - not an Earth book, never published on Earth and, until the terrible catastrophe occurred, never seen or even heard of by any Earthman. Nevertheless, a wholly remarkable book. or This is the story of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a number-one best seller in England, a weekly radio series with millions of fanatic listeners, and soon to be a television spectacle on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. or This is the story of Arthur Dent, who, secnds before Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, is plucked off the planet by his friend, Ford Prefect, who has been posing as an out-of-work actor for the last fifteen years but is really a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Together they begin a journey through the galaxy aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, with the words don't panic written on the front. ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.") In their travels they meet: * Zaphod Beeblebrox - the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch President of the Galaxy * Trillian - Zaphod's girl friend, formerly Tricia McMillan, whom Arthur once tried to pick up at a cocktail party * Marvin - a paranoid android, a brilliant but chronically depressed robot * Veet Voojagig - former graduate student obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years To find the answers to these burning questions: Why are we born? Why do we die? And why do we spend so much time in between wearing digital watches? read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. But remember . . . don't panic, and don't forget to bring a towel.