The Charlotte & William Bloomberg Medford Public Library
December, 04 2024 03:39:19
The Gulf
By Davis, Jack E
The tragic collision between civilization and nature in the Gulf of Mexico becomes a uniquely American story in this environmental epic.When painter Winslow Homer first sailed into the Gulf of Mexico, he was struck by its "special kind of providence." Indeed, the Gulf presented itself as America's sea -- bound by geography, culture, and tradition to the national experience -- and yet, there has never been a comprehensive history of the Gulf until now. And so, in this rich and original work that explores the Gulf through our human connection with the sea, environmental historian Jack E. Davis finally places this exceptional region into the American mythos in a sweeping history that extends from the Pleistocene age to the twenty-first century.Significant beyond tragic oil spills and hurricanes, the Gulf has historically been one of the world's most bounteous marine environments, supporting human life for millennia. Davis starts from the premise that nature lies at the center of human existence, and takes readers on a compelling and, at times, wrenching journey from the Florida Keys to the Texas Rio Grande, along marshy shorelines and majestic estuarine bays, profoundly beautiful and life-giving, though fated to exploitation by esurient oil men and real-estate developers.Rich in vivid, previously untold stories, The Gulf tells the larger narrative of the American Sea -- from the sportfish that brought the earliest tourists to Gulf shores to Hollywood's engagement with the first offshore oil wells -- as it inspired and empowered, sometimes to its own detriment, the ethnically diverse groups of a growing nation. Davis' pageant of historical characters is vast, including: the presidents who directed western expansion toward its shores, the New England fishers who introduced their own distinct skills to the region, and the industries and big agriculture that sent their contamination downstream into the estuarine wonderland. Nor does Davis neglect the colorfully idiosyncratic individuals: the Tabasco king who devoted his life to wildlife conservation, the Texas shrimper who gave hers to clean water and public health, as well as the New York architect who hooked the "big one" that set the sportfishing world on fire.Ultimately, Davis reminds us that amidst the ruin, beauty awaits its return, as the Gulf is, and has always been, an ongoing story. Sensitive to the imminent effects of climate change, and to the difficult task of rectifying grievous assaults of recent centuries, The Gulf suggests how a penetrating examination of a single region's history can inform the country's path ahead. 26 illustrations
Liveright Publishing Corp
|
9780871408662
|
Hardcover
Urban Forests
By Jonnes, Jill
A celebration of urban trees and the Americans - presidents, plant explorers, visionaries, citizen activists, scientists, nurserymen, and tree nerds - whose arboreal passions have shaped and ornamented the nation's cities, from Jefferson's day to the present Nature's largest and longest-lived creations, trees play an extraordinarily important role in our cityscapes, living landmarks that define space, cool the air, soothe our psyches, and connect us to nature and our past. Today, four fifths of Americans live in or near cities, surrounded by millions of trees, urban forests containing hundreds of species. Despite the ubiquity and familiarity of those trees, most of us take them for granted and know little of their specific natural history or civic virtues.
Viking
|
9780670015665
|
Print book
Wild Horse Country
By Philipps, David
A Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter's history of wild horses in America -- and an eye-opening story on their treatment in our time.Wild horses -- also known as mustangs -- live in a strange twilight. They are deeply American but not native; they are free-born symbols of liberty but tightly managed, thriving yet persecuted. Today, the wild horse is a ward of the state, with tens of thousands held in captivity by the federal government -- nearly as many as are left in the wild.In a powerful blend of history and contemporary reporting, New York Times reporter David Philipps traces the rich history of wild horses in America: their introduction by the Spanish conquistadors, their role in the epic battles between Native Americans and settlers, their vital place in American self-mythology. He travels through some of the most remote parts of the American West, known as Wild Horse Country, to investigate the wild horse's current dilemma, caught between the clashing ideals of ranchers, scientists, animal rights activists, slaughterhouse employees, and government officials. 20 illustrations; 2 maps
W. W. Norton & Company
|
9780393247138
|
Hardcover
The Water Will Come
By Goodell, Jeff
A New York Times Critics' Top Book of 2017 One of Washington Post's 50 Notable Works of Nonfiction in 2017 One of BOOKLIST 's Top 10 Science Books of 2017 "An immersive, mildly gonzo and depressingly well-timed book about the drenching effects of global warming, and a powerful reminder that we can bury our heads in the sand about climate change for only so long before the sand itself disappears." (Jennifer Senior, New York Times) What if Atlantis wasn't a myth, but an early precursor to a new age of great flooding? Across the globe, scientists and civilians alike are noticing rapidly rising sea levels, and higher and higher tides pushing more water directly into the places we live, from our most vibrant, historic cities to our last remaining traditional coastal villages. With each crack in the great ice sheets of the Arctic and Antarctica, and each tick upwards of Earth's thermometer, we are moving closer to the brink of broad disaster.By century's end, hundreds of millions of people will be retreating from the world's shores as our coasts become inundated and our landscapes transformed. From island nations to the world's major cities, coastal regions will disappear. Engineering projects to hold back the water are bold and may buy some time. Yet despite international efforts and tireless research, there is no permanent solution-no barriers to erect or walls to build-that will protect us in the end from the drowning of the world as we know it.The Water Will Come is the definitive account of the coming water, why and how this will happen, and what it will all mean. As he travels across twelve countries and reports from the front lines, acclaimed journalist Jeff Goodell employs fact, science, and first-person, on-the-ground journalism to show vivid scenes from what already is becoming a water world.
Little, Brown and Company
|
9780316260244
|
Hardcover
PIG/PORK
By Spry-marqués, Pía
Pigs unite and divide people, but why? Pig/Pork explores the love-hate relationship between humans and pigs through the lenses of archaeology, biology, history, and gastronomy, providing a close and affectionate look at the myriad causes underlying this multi-millennial bond. What is it that people in all four corners of the world find so fascinating about the pig? When did the human obsession with pigs begin, how did it develop through time, and where is it heading? Why are pigs so special to some of us, but not to others? Pig/Pork sets out to answer these and other porcine-related questions, examining human-pig interactions across the globe through time, from the Palaeolithic to the present day. The book dissects pig anatomy and behavior, and describes how this knowledge plays a major role in the advance of the agricultural and medical sciences, among others.
Bloomsbury Sigma
|
9781472911391
|
Hardcover
The Dog Lover's Guide to Travel
By Carter, Kelly
National Geographic's ultimate resource for traveling with your furry friend features hundreds of dog-friendly places to pamper your pooch, from doggie daycare to canine cruises. Special features include walks you can take with your dog, insider tips from local pet parents on how to best enjoy their area with a pup, and sidebars detailing unique opportunities for coddled canines, such as winery hikes in California wine country. New York Times bestselling author and pet parent Kelly E. Carter, and her beloved longhaired Chihuahua, Lucy, give you the inside scoop on pet-friendly hotels and restaurants, beaches, parks, and dog runs, plus the lowdown on events for four-legged visitors and dog-friendly attractions. A detailed introduction discussed everything you need to know when taking your pooch on vacation, including the lay of the land for road tripping and flying cross-country.
National Geographic Society
|
9781426212765
|
Paperback
The Equations of Life
By Cockell, Charles
A groundbreaking new view on the theory of evolution, arguing that life develops in predictable waysWe are all familiar with the popular idea of strange alien life wildly different from life on earth inhabiting other planets. Maybe it's made of silicon! Maybe it has wheels! Or maybe it doesn't. In The Equations of Life, biologist Charles S. Cockell makes the forceful argument that the laws of physics narrowly constrain how life can evolve, making evolution's outcomes predictable. If we were to find on a distant planet something very much like a lady bug eating something like an aphid, we shouldn't be surprised. The forms of life are guided by a limited set of rules, and as a result, there is a narrow set of solutions to the challenges of existence.A remarkable scientific contribution breathing new life into Darwin's theory of evolution, The Equations of Life makes a radical argument about what life can--and can't--be.
Basic Books
|
9781541617599
|
Hardcover
Rain
By Barnett, Cynthia
"Cynthia Barnett's "Rain" begins four billion years ago with the torrents that filled the oceans, and builds to the storms of climate change. It weaves together science--the true shape of a raindrop, the mysteries of frog and fish rains--with the human story of our ambition to control rain, from ancient rain dances to the 2,203 miles of levees that attempt to straitjacket the Mississippi River... As climate change upends rainfall patterns and unleashes increasingly severe storms and drought, Barnett shows rain to be a unifying force in a fractured world."--Book jacket.
Crown Publishers
|
9780804137119
|
Print book
Darwin's Fossils
By Lister, Adam
Reveals how Darwin's study of fossils shaped his scientific thinking and led to his development of the theory of evolution.Darwin's Fossils is an accessible account of Darwin's pioneering work on fossils, his adventures in South America, and his relationship with the scientific establishment.While Darwin's research on Galpagos finches is celebrated, his work on fossils is less well known. Yet he was the first to collect the remains of giant extinct South American mammals; he worked out how coral reefs and atolls formed; he excavated and explained marine fossils high in the Andes; and he discovered a fossil forest that now bears his name. All of this research was fundamental in leading Darwin to develop his revolutionary theory of evolution. This richly illustrated book brings Darwin's fossils, many of which survive in museums and institutions around the world, together for the first time.
Smithsonian Books
|
9781588346179
|
Paperback
Secret Service Dogs
By Goodavage, Maria
In an age fraught with terrorism, United States Secret Service canine teams risk their lives to safeguard the president, vice president, their families, visiting heads of state, and a host of others. Unprecedented access to these heroic dog teams has allowed a fascinating first-time-ever look at a very special breed of heroes.Wherever the president goes, there will be dogs. They'll be there no matter what the country or state. They'll be there regardless of the political climate, the danger level, the weather, or the hour. "If you let down your guard on the job," says Special Agent Bill G., canine program manager, "it can change the history of the world." It's a burden Secret Service dog handlers take extremely seriously regardless of their specialty. Tactical dog handlers on the White House lawn, handlers whose dogs sniff for explosives around the world, and those who walk their amiable floppy-eared dogs up and down Pennsylvania Avenue all live one common mantra: Not on my watch. Or my dog's.Secret Service Dogs immerses readers into the heart of this elite world of canine teams who protect first families, popes, and presidential candidates: the selection of dogs and handlers, their year-round training, their missions around the world, and, most important, the bond - the glue that holds the teams together and can mean the difference between finding bombs and terrorists or letting them slip by. "These animals will gladly run into a hail of gunfire," says '"Stew," a Secret Service ERT tactical canine unit supervisor. "All they ask in return is for their handlers to throw the ball with them, pet them, and talk to them in an embarrassingly high voice." Secret Service Dogs celebrates the Secret Service's most unforgettable canine heroes. It is a must-read for fans of Maria Goodavage, anyone who wants a rare inside view of the United States Secret Service, or just loves dogs.
The Gulf
By Davis, Jack E
The tragic collision between civilization and nature in the Gulf of Mexico becomes a uniquely American story in this environmental epic.When painter Winslow Homer first sailed into the Gulf of Mexico, he was struck by its "special kind of providence." Indeed, the Gulf presented itself as America's sea -- bound by geography, culture, and tradition to the national experience -- and yet, there has never been a comprehensive history of the Gulf until now. And so, in this rich and original work that explores the Gulf through our human connection with the sea, environmental historian Jack E. Davis finally places this exceptional region into the American mythos in a sweeping history that extends from the Pleistocene age to the twenty-first century.Significant beyond tragic oil spills and hurricanes, the Gulf has historically been one of the world's most bounteous marine environments, supporting human life for millennia. Davis starts from the premise that nature lies at the center of human existence, and takes readers on a compelling and, at times, wrenching journey from the Florida Keys to the Texas Rio Grande, along marshy shorelines and majestic estuarine bays, profoundly beautiful and life-giving, though fated to exploitation by esurient oil men and real-estate developers.Rich in vivid, previously untold stories, The Gulf tells the larger narrative of the American Sea -- from the sportfish that brought the earliest tourists to Gulf shores to Hollywood's engagement with the first offshore oil wells -- as it inspired and empowered, sometimes to its own detriment, the ethnically diverse groups of a growing nation. Davis' pageant of historical characters is vast, including: the presidents who directed western expansion toward its shores, the New England fishers who introduced their own distinct skills to the region, and the industries and big agriculture that sent their contamination downstream into the estuarine wonderland. Nor does Davis neglect the colorfully idiosyncratic individuals: the Tabasco king who devoted his life to wildlife conservation, the Texas shrimper who gave hers to clean water and public health, as well as the New York architect who hooked the "big one" that set the sportfishing world on fire.Ultimately, Davis reminds us that amidst the ruin, beauty awaits its return, as the Gulf is, and has always been, an ongoing story. Sensitive to the imminent effects of climate change, and to the difficult task of rectifying grievous assaults of recent centuries, The Gulf suggests how a penetrating examination of a single region's history can inform the country's path ahead. 26 illustrations
Urban Forests
By Jonnes, Jill
A celebration of urban trees and the Americans - presidents, plant explorers, visionaries, citizen activists, scientists, nurserymen, and tree nerds - whose arboreal passions have shaped and ornamented the nation's cities, from Jefferson's day to the present Nature's largest and longest-lived creations, trees play an extraordinarily important role in our cityscapes, living landmarks that define space, cool the air, soothe our psyches, and connect us to nature and our past. Today, four fifths of Americans live in or near cities, surrounded by millions of trees, urban forests containing hundreds of species. Despite the ubiquity and familiarity of those trees, most of us take them for granted and know little of their specific natural history or civic virtues.
Wild Horse Country
By Philipps, David
A Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter's history of wild horses in America -- and an eye-opening story on their treatment in our time.Wild horses -- also known as mustangs -- live in a strange twilight. They are deeply American but not native; they are free-born symbols of liberty but tightly managed, thriving yet persecuted. Today, the wild horse is a ward of the state, with tens of thousands held in captivity by the federal government -- nearly as many as are left in the wild.In a powerful blend of history and contemporary reporting, New York Times reporter David Philipps traces the rich history of wild horses in America: their introduction by the Spanish conquistadors, their role in the epic battles between Native Americans and settlers, their vital place in American self-mythology. He travels through some of the most remote parts of the American West, known as Wild Horse Country, to investigate the wild horse's current dilemma, caught between the clashing ideals of ranchers, scientists, animal rights activists, slaughterhouse employees, and government officials. 20 illustrations; 2 maps
The Water Will Come
By Goodell, Jeff
A New York Times Critics' Top Book of 2017 One of Washington Post's 50 Notable Works of Nonfiction in 2017 One of BOOKLIST 's Top 10 Science Books of 2017 "An immersive, mildly gonzo and depressingly well-timed book about the drenching effects of global warming, and a powerful reminder that we can bury our heads in the sand about climate change for only so long before the sand itself disappears." (Jennifer Senior, New York Times) What if Atlantis wasn't a myth, but an early precursor to a new age of great flooding? Across the globe, scientists and civilians alike are noticing rapidly rising sea levels, and higher and higher tides pushing more water directly into the places we live, from our most vibrant, historic cities to our last remaining traditional coastal villages. With each crack in the great ice sheets of the Arctic and Antarctica, and each tick upwards of Earth's thermometer, we are moving closer to the brink of broad disaster.By century's end, hundreds of millions of people will be retreating from the world's shores as our coasts become inundated and our landscapes transformed. From island nations to the world's major cities, coastal regions will disappear. Engineering projects to hold back the water are bold and may buy some time. Yet despite international efforts and tireless research, there is no permanent solution-no barriers to erect or walls to build-that will protect us in the end from the drowning of the world as we know it.The Water Will Come is the definitive account of the coming water, why and how this will happen, and what it will all mean. As he travels across twelve countries and reports from the front lines, acclaimed journalist Jeff Goodell employs fact, science, and first-person, on-the-ground journalism to show vivid scenes from what already is becoming a water world.
PIG/PORK
By Spry-marqués, Pía
Pigs unite and divide people, but why? Pig/Pork explores the love-hate relationship between humans and pigs through the lenses of archaeology, biology, history, and gastronomy, providing a close and affectionate look at the myriad causes underlying this multi-millennial bond. What is it that people in all four corners of the world find so fascinating about the pig? When did the human obsession with pigs begin, how did it develop through time, and where is it heading? Why are pigs so special to some of us, but not to others? Pig/Pork sets out to answer these and other porcine-related questions, examining human-pig interactions across the globe through time, from the Palaeolithic to the present day. The book dissects pig anatomy and behavior, and describes how this knowledge plays a major role in the advance of the agricultural and medical sciences, among others.
The Dog Lover's Guide to Travel
By Carter, Kelly
National Geographic's ultimate resource for traveling with your furry friend features hundreds of dog-friendly places to pamper your pooch, from doggie daycare to canine cruises. Special features include walks you can take with your dog, insider tips from local pet parents on how to best enjoy their area with a pup, and sidebars detailing unique opportunities for coddled canines, such as winery hikes in California wine country. New York Times bestselling author and pet parent Kelly E. Carter, and her beloved longhaired Chihuahua, Lucy, give you the inside scoop on pet-friendly hotels and restaurants, beaches, parks, and dog runs, plus the lowdown on events for four-legged visitors and dog-friendly attractions. A detailed introduction discussed everything you need to know when taking your pooch on vacation, including the lay of the land for road tripping and flying cross-country.
The Equations of Life
By Cockell, Charles
A groundbreaking new view on the theory of evolution, arguing that life develops in predictable waysWe are all familiar with the popular idea of strange alien life wildly different from life on earth inhabiting other planets. Maybe it's made of silicon! Maybe it has wheels! Or maybe it doesn't. In The Equations of Life, biologist Charles S. Cockell makes the forceful argument that the laws of physics narrowly constrain how life can evolve, making evolution's outcomes predictable. If we were to find on a distant planet something very much like a lady bug eating something like an aphid, we shouldn't be surprised. The forms of life are guided by a limited set of rules, and as a result, there is a narrow set of solutions to the challenges of existence.A remarkable scientific contribution breathing new life into Darwin's theory of evolution, The Equations of Life makes a radical argument about what life can--and can't--be.
Rain
By Barnett, Cynthia
"Cynthia Barnett's "Rain" begins four billion years ago with the torrents that filled the oceans, and builds to the storms of climate change. It weaves together science--the true shape of a raindrop, the mysteries of frog and fish rains--with the human story of our ambition to control rain, from ancient rain dances to the 2,203 miles of levees that attempt to straitjacket the Mississippi River... As climate change upends rainfall patterns and unleashes increasingly severe storms and drought, Barnett shows rain to be a unifying force in a fractured world."--Book jacket.
Darwin's Fossils
By Lister, Adam
Reveals how Darwin's study of fossils shaped his scientific thinking and led to his development of the theory of evolution.Darwin's Fossils is an accessible account of Darwin's pioneering work on fossils, his adventures in South America, and his relationship with the scientific establishment.While Darwin's research on Galpagos finches is celebrated, his work on fossils is less well known. Yet he was the first to collect the remains of giant extinct South American mammals; he worked out how coral reefs and atolls formed; he excavated and explained marine fossils high in the Andes; and he discovered a fossil forest that now bears his name. All of this research was fundamental in leading Darwin to develop his revolutionary theory of evolution. This richly illustrated book brings Darwin's fossils, many of which survive in museums and institutions around the world, together for the first time.
Secret Service Dogs
By Goodavage, Maria
In an age fraught with terrorism, United States Secret Service canine teams risk their lives to safeguard the president, vice president, their families, visiting heads of state, and a host of others. Unprecedented access to these heroic dog teams has allowed a fascinating first-time-ever look at a very special breed of heroes.Wherever the president goes, there will be dogs. They'll be there no matter what the country or state. They'll be there regardless of the political climate, the danger level, the weather, or the hour. "If you let down your guard on the job," says Special Agent Bill G., canine program manager, "it can change the history of the world." It's a burden Secret Service dog handlers take extremely seriously regardless of their specialty. Tactical dog handlers on the White House lawn, handlers whose dogs sniff for explosives around the world, and those who walk their amiable floppy-eared dogs up and down Pennsylvania Avenue all live one common mantra: Not on my watch. Or my dog's.Secret Service Dogs immerses readers into the heart of this elite world of canine teams who protect first families, popes, and presidential candidates: the selection of dogs and handlers, their year-round training, their missions around the world, and, most important, the bond - the glue that holds the teams together and can mean the difference between finding bombs and terrorists or letting them slip by. "These animals will gladly run into a hail of gunfire," says '"Stew," a Secret Service ERT tactical canine unit supervisor. "All they ask in return is for their handlers to throw the ball with them, pet them, and talk to them in an embarrassingly high voice." Secret Service Dogs celebrates the Secret Service's most unforgettable canine heroes. It is a must-read for fans of Maria Goodavage, anyone who wants a rare inside view of the United States Secret Service, or just loves dogs.