In this uplifting memoir, a professor and activist shares what birds can teach us about life, social change, and protecting the environment.Trish O'Kane is an accidental ornithologist. In her nearly two decades writing about justice as an investigative journalist, she'd never paid attention to nature. But then Hurricane Katrine destroyed her New Orleans home, sending her into an emotional tailspin.Enter a scrappy cast of feathered characters - first a cardinal, urban parrots, and sparrows, then a catbird, owls, a bittern, and a woodcock - that cheered her up and showed her a new path. Inspired, O'Kane moved to Madison, Wisconsin, to pursue an environmental studies PhD. There she became a full-on bird obsessive - logging hours in a stunningly biodiverse urban park, filling field notebooks with bird doings and dramas, and teaching ornithology to college students and middle-school kids.
Ecco
|
9780063223141
|
Hardcover
The Blue Machine
By Czerski, Helen
A scientist's exploration of the "ocean engine" -- the physics behind the ocean's systems -- and why it matters.All of Earth's oceans, from the equator to the poles, are a single engine powered by sunlight, driving huge flows of energy, water, life, and raw materials. In The Blue Machine, physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski illustrates the mechanisms behind this defining feature of our planet, voyaging from the depths of the ocean floor to tropical coral reefs, estuaries that feed into shallow coastal seas, and Arctic ice floes.Through stories of history, culture, and animals, she explains how water temperature, salinity, gravity, and the movement of Earth's tectonic plates all interact in a complex dance, supporting life at the smallest scale -- plankton -- and the largest -- giant sea turtles, whales, humankind.
W. W. Norton & Company
|
9781324006718
|
Hardcover
Chasing Lakes
By Anthony, Katey Walter
An aquatic ecologist and permafrost scientist recalls her captivating adventures across the Arctic studying climate change, her quest to find belonging and family, and her journey of faith in a world of science in this poignant, eye-opening, and hopeful memoir in the spirit of Lab Girl, Educated, and Finding the Mother Tree.Katey Walter Anthony's enchantment with lakes began when she was growing up amid the Sierra Nevada mountains. Today, her love for these bodies of water have taken her to the deepest reaches of Alaska and Siberia, where she is undertaking pioneering research on methane emissions. Chasing Lakes is her story: one-part adventure - complete with shipwrecks and treacherous treks through Arctic storms by helicopter, snowmobile, and foot to measure greenhouse gases - part coming-of-age tale, as she searches for belonging in the wake of a broken childhood, and part spiritual quest to find a wholeness science cannot fill.
HarperOne
|
9780063001992
|
Hardcover
How to Raise the Perfect Dog
By Spivey, Adam
Rodale Books
|
9780593797099
|
Paperback
The Naked Neanderthal
By Slimak, Ludovic
A riveting scientific journey exploring the enigma of the Neanderthal and the species' unique form of intelligence.. What do we really know about our cousins, the Neanderthals? For over a century we saw Neanderthals as inferior to Homo Sapiens. More recently, the pendulum swung the other way and they are generally seen as our relatives: not quite human, but similar enough, and still not equal. Now, thanks to an ongoing revolution in paleoanthropology in which he has played a key part, Ludovic Slimak shows us that they are something altogether different -- and they should be understood on their own terms rather than by comparing them to ourselves. As he reveals in this stunning book, the Neanderthals had their own history, their own rituals, their own customs.
Pegasus Books
|
9781639366163
|
Hardcover
The Secret Life of Corals
By Vaughan, David E.
When we think of coral reefs we tend to think of beautiful rock-like structures teaming with colorful fish and other marine life. But what exactly are the "corals" in the coral reef? What are these creatures that start out very small and then have the ability to grow large enough to be seen from outer space? Are they animals, plants, microbes, or rocks?. With humor and clarity, David Vaughan takes us on an incredible journey through the secret life of corals to answer these questions, and more. He shines a light on the unlikely partners that comprise actual corals and reveals the curious ways they live, grow, reproduce, protect themselves, and defend their turf. In addition, Vaughan helps us understand why corals are so important for all life - both on land and in the sea.
J. Ross Publishing
|
9781604271881
|
Hardcover
Starborn
By Trotta, Roberto
A sweeping inquiry into how the night sky has shaped human history . For as long as humans have lived, we have lived beneath the stars. But under the glow of today's artificial lighting, we have lost the intimacy our ancestors once shared with the cosmos. . In Starborn, cosmologist Roberto Trotta reveals how stargazing has shaped the course of human civilization. The stars have served as our timekeepers, our navigators, our muses - they were once even our gods. How radically different would we be, Trotta also asks, if our ancestors had looked up to the night sky and seen ... nothing? He pairs the history of our starstruck species with a dramatic alternate version, a world without stars where our understanding of science, art, and ourselves would have been radically altered.
Basic Books
|
9781541674776
|
Hardcover
The Sky at Night
By Hunter, Tim
Ideal for backyard stargazers, this introduction to astronomy offers a unique blend of advice and personal observations. Drawn from decades of experiences and enjoyment watching the night sky, Tim B. Hunter helps beginners take up the hobby of watching the night sky. An avid stargazer and astronomy columnist, Hunter covers all the basics - from the Moon, planets, and stars to the history and origins of constellations and selected famous astronomers and events. Emphasis is on naked-eye viewing with an occasional reference to using a pair of binoculars or a small telescope, encouraging beginners to explore the skies while giving them a solid understanding of what they see. Building on his writings for the long-running Sky Spy column, Hunter defines and outlines astronomical terms and how they relate to locating objects in the sky.
Birding to Change the World
By O'kane, Trish
In this uplifting memoir, a professor and activist shares what birds can teach us about life, social change, and protecting the environment.Trish O'Kane is an accidental ornithologist. In her nearly two decades writing about justice as an investigative journalist, she'd never paid attention to nature. But then Hurricane Katrine destroyed her New Orleans home, sending her into an emotional tailspin.Enter a scrappy cast of feathered characters - first a cardinal, urban parrots, and sparrows, then a catbird, owls, a bittern, and a woodcock - that cheered her up and showed her a new path. Inspired, O'Kane moved to Madison, Wisconsin, to pursue an environmental studies PhD. There she became a full-on bird obsessive - logging hours in a stunningly biodiverse urban park, filling field notebooks with bird doings and dramas, and teaching ornithology to college students and middle-school kids.
The Blue Machine
By Czerski, Helen
A scientist's exploration of the "ocean engine" -- the physics behind the ocean's systems -- and why it matters.All of Earth's oceans, from the equator to the poles, are a single engine powered by sunlight, driving huge flows of energy, water, life, and raw materials. In The Blue Machine, physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski illustrates the mechanisms behind this defining feature of our planet, voyaging from the depths of the ocean floor to tropical coral reefs, estuaries that feed into shallow coastal seas, and Arctic ice floes.Through stories of history, culture, and animals, she explains how water temperature, salinity, gravity, and the movement of Earth's tectonic plates all interact in a complex dance, supporting life at the smallest scale -- plankton -- and the largest -- giant sea turtles, whales, humankind.
Chasing Lakes
By Anthony, Katey Walter
An aquatic ecologist and permafrost scientist recalls her captivating adventures across the Arctic studying climate change, her quest to find belonging and family, and her journey of faith in a world of science in this poignant, eye-opening, and hopeful memoir in the spirit of Lab Girl, Educated, and Finding the Mother Tree.Katey Walter Anthony's enchantment with lakes began when she was growing up amid the Sierra Nevada mountains. Today, her love for these bodies of water have taken her to the deepest reaches of Alaska and Siberia, where she is undertaking pioneering research on methane emissions. Chasing Lakes is her story: one-part adventure - complete with shipwrecks and treacherous treks through Arctic storms by helicopter, snowmobile, and foot to measure greenhouse gases - part coming-of-age tale, as she searches for belonging in the wake of a broken childhood, and part spiritual quest to find a wholeness science cannot fill.
How to Raise the Perfect Dog
By Spivey, Adam
The Naked Neanderthal
By Slimak, Ludovic
A riveting scientific journey exploring the enigma of the Neanderthal and the species' unique form of intelligence.. What do we really know about our cousins, the Neanderthals? For over a century we saw Neanderthals as inferior to Homo Sapiens. More recently, the pendulum swung the other way and they are generally seen as our relatives: not quite human, but similar enough, and still not equal. Now, thanks to an ongoing revolution in paleoanthropology in which he has played a key part, Ludovic Slimak shows us that they are something altogether different -- and they should be understood on their own terms rather than by comparing them to ourselves. As he reveals in this stunning book, the Neanderthals had their own history, their own rituals, their own customs.
The Secret Life of Corals
By Vaughan, David E.
When we think of coral reefs we tend to think of beautiful rock-like structures teaming with colorful fish and other marine life. But what exactly are the "corals" in the coral reef? What are these creatures that start out very small and then have the ability to grow large enough to be seen from outer space? Are they animals, plants, microbes, or rocks?. With humor and clarity, David Vaughan takes us on an incredible journey through the secret life of corals to answer these questions, and more. He shines a light on the unlikely partners that comprise actual corals and reveals the curious ways they live, grow, reproduce, protect themselves, and defend their turf. In addition, Vaughan helps us understand why corals are so important for all life - both on land and in the sea.
Starborn
By Trotta, Roberto
A sweeping inquiry into how the night sky has shaped human history . For as long as humans have lived, we have lived beneath the stars. But under the glow of today's artificial lighting, we have lost the intimacy our ancestors once shared with the cosmos. . In Starborn, cosmologist Roberto Trotta reveals how stargazing has shaped the course of human civilization. The stars have served as our timekeepers, our navigators, our muses - they were once even our gods. How radically different would we be, Trotta also asks, if our ancestors had looked up to the night sky and seen ... nothing? He pairs the history of our starstruck species with a dramatic alternate version, a world without stars where our understanding of science, art, and ourselves would have been radically altered.
The Sky at Night
By Hunter, Tim
Ideal for backyard stargazers, this introduction to astronomy offers a unique blend of advice and personal observations. Drawn from decades of experiences and enjoyment watching the night sky, Tim B. Hunter helps beginners take up the hobby of watching the night sky. An avid stargazer and astronomy columnist, Hunter covers all the basics - from the Moon, planets, and stars to the history and origins of constellations and selected famous astronomers and events. Emphasis is on naked-eye viewing with an occasional reference to using a pair of binoculars or a small telescope, encouraging beginners to explore the skies while giving them a solid understanding of what they see. Building on his writings for the long-running Sky Spy column, Hunter defines and outlines astronomical terms and how they relate to locating objects in the sky.