Cosmosapiens

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Author :
Publisher : Abrams
ISBN 13 : 146831324X
Total Pages : 711 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (683 download)

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Book Synopsis Cosmosapiens by : John Hands

Download or read book Cosmosapiens written by John Hands and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2017-10-31 with total page 711 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A critical overview of scientific orthodoxy in an attempt to answer the fundamental questions “what are we?” and “why are we here?” (Kirkus Reviews). Specialist scientific fields are developing at incredibly swift speeds, but what can they really tell us about how the universe began and how we as humans evolved to play such a dominant role on Earth? John Hands’s extraordinarily ambitious book merges scientific knowledge from multiple disciplines and evaluates without bias or preconception all the theories and evidence about the origin and evolution of matter, consciousness, and mankind. The result, a “pearl of dialectical reasoning” (Publishers Weekly, starred review), provides the most comprehensive account yet of current ideas such as cosmic inflation, dark energy, the selfish gene, and neurogenetic determinism. In the clearest possible prose, it differentiates the firmly established from the speculative and examines the claims of various fields to approach a unified theory of everything. In doing so it challenges the orthodox consensus in those branches of cosmology, biology, and neuroscience that have ossified into dogma. Its “shocking and invigorating” analysis (Daily Telegraph, A Best Science Book of 2015) reveals underlying patterns of cooperation, complexification, and convergence that lead to the unique emergence in humans of a self-reflective consciousness that enables us to determine our future evolution. This groundbreaking book is destined to become a classic of scientific thinking. Praise for Cosmosapiens “This is a truly exceptional piece of work.” —Tim Crane, Knightsbridge Professor of Philosophy, The University of Cambridge “A game-changer. In the tradition of Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, this lucidly written, penetrating analysis challenges us to rethink many things we take for granted about ourselves, our society, and our universe. It will become a classic.” —Peter Dreier, E P Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics, Occidental College “Hands is an astute observer of recent trends in scientific ideas bold enough to point out what he sees as sense and nonsense and intelligently explain why. Even in cases where one might disagree, the arguments are thought-provoking.” —Paul Steinhardt, Albert Einstein Professor in Science, Princeton University

Housing Co-Operatives

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780993371905
Total Pages : 188 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (719 download)

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Book Synopsis Housing Co-Operatives by : John Hands

Download or read book Housing Co-Operatives written by John Hands and published by . This book was released on 2015-10-18 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At a time of growing housing crisis in Britain this republication of John Hands's classic Housing Co-operatives could not be timelier. It provides a unique mixture of theory and practice, showing from other countries and from the author's own experience how housing co-operatives can work and how they can fail. In a new Introduction John Hands argues that the creation of a third tenure for housing in Britain distinct from both individual owner occupation on the one hand and tenancy-whether from private or social landlord-on the other hand is urgently needed. The par value housing co-operative provides the residents with all the benefits of ownership in terms of control and decision-making, but it is housing for use, not property for investment. Moreover, as the book shows, a well-structured co-operative promotes the development of community values based on mutual aid and shared responsibility for their homes and immediate neighbourhood. REVIEWS "This is a book for those who believe in the power of people to shape their own lives." -The Catholic Herald "Shock, horror, drama. A new book is out about housing which says it's all about people and not about social engineering or investing for your old age...it's by John Hands who has actually succeeded in doing what he's talking about, which is to set up co-operative housing schemes that actually work." -The Guardian John Hands' timely and exemplary guide is marvellous...this is a book for all concerned in with the role of and effects of housing in this society of ours." -The Architects' Journal "A most powerful mixture of common sense and idealism, a practical man's gospel and a visionary's handbook...this is a book intended to influence events here and now." -Building "The most comprehensive account we have of co-operative principles applied to housing, the experience of other countries, and the possibilities...John Hands' book is going to be indispensable." -Colin Ward in Municipal Engineering "He shows how housing co-ops could offer, in the immediate future, a valuable alternative form of social ownership in housing, enabling people to collectively own and control one of their fundamental human rights-housing-on the basis of mutual aid rather than individual gain or distant bureaucracy." -Housing Review "The strengths and pitfalls of a co-operative framework for housing are made admirably clear." -Architectural Design "A unique mixture, thorough and practically written by a person who has spent the last seven years working full-time in developing and managing housing co-operatives... One feels that a penetrating mind has been brought to bear on the subject and the book will be of great use not only to both professionals and tenants but also to anyone who cares about one of the common ills of today-the alienation and loneliness of individuals in modern urban society." -Voluntary Housing "Housing managers will find the book not only a valuable and interesting source of practical information about housing co-operatives, but also stimulating and provocative in its penetrating observations on recent housing policies and on social and community problems besetting modern urban society." -Housing Monthly "The importance of this book is that it not only states clearly what needs to be done but goes on to discuss in detail how it is to be done... This is a book to study and discuss." -Co-operative News "The major contribution his book should make to what we call the British Co-operative Movement should be one of challenge and stimulation." -Co-operative Review "John Hands has recently published an important book on housing co-operatives in which he surveys his experiences and findings...he does not shrink from employing a critical yardstick to housing co-operatives in other countries and outlines his views about the practical action to be taken in present and future circumstances." -International Co-operative Alliance Housing Bulletin

The Creative Tarot

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Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1501120239
Total Pages : 352 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (11 download)

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Book Synopsis The Creative Tarot by : Jessa Crispin

Download or read book The Creative Tarot written by Jessa Crispin and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-02-16 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A guide for artists and creative people looking to tarot for guidance and inspiration. Written for novices and seasoned readers alike, "The Creative Tarot" is a unique guidebook that reimagines tarot cards and the ways they can boost the creative process.

Perestroika Christi

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Author :
Publisher : HarperPrism
ISBN 13 : 9780061007286
Total Pages : 500 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (72 download)

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Book Synopsis Perestroika Christi by : John Hands

Download or read book Perestroika Christi written by John Hands and published by HarperPrism. This book was released on 1994 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: According to legend, the Virgin Mary entrusted three Russian children with secrets that could spell the end of life on Earth. As the Iron Curtain crumbles, powerful forces struggle for the very souls of humanity. Only one man holds all the keys to humanity's salvation, but can one American priest defeat both the KGB and the agents of Satan?

Dance to the Tune of Life

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Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1107176247
Total Pages : 315 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (71 download)

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Book Synopsis Dance to the Tune of Life by : Denis Noble

Download or read book Dance to the Tune of Life written by Denis Noble and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book formulates a relativistic theory of biology, challenging the common gene-centred view of organisms.

How the Dog Became the Dog

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Author :
Publisher : Abrams
ISBN 13 : 1590209915
Total Pages : 207 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (92 download)

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Book Synopsis How the Dog Became the Dog by : Mark Derr

Download or read book How the Dog Became the Dog written by Mark Derr and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2011-10-27 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This “informative account” of canine evolution will “appeal to dog lovers with a curiosity about the origins of their favorite companion.” (Publishers Weekly) Many have made the case that dogs have evolved from wolves but the evolutionary link between wolves and dogs remains a mystery. In How the Dog Became the Dog, Mark Derr posits that the dog’s evolution from wolf was inevitable due to the mutually beneficial nature of the relationship between wolves and hunter-gatherer humans. How the Dog Became the Dog presents the domestication of the dog as a biological and cultural process that began with a reciprocal cooperation between dogwolves and humans that evolved over time, from the first dogs that took refuge with humans against the cold at the end of the last Ice Age, to the 18th century, when humans began to exercise full control of dog reproduction, life, and death, through centuries of natural and artificial selection that led us to the many breeds of dogs we know and love today. “A transporting slice of dog/wolf thinking that will pique the interest of anyone with a dog in their orbit.” —Kirkus Reviews

Quantum Evolution

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Author :
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN 13 : 9780393323108
Total Pages : 356 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (231 download)

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Book Synopsis Quantum Evolution by : Johnjoe McFadden

Download or read book Quantum Evolution written by Johnjoe McFadden and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2002 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marrying physics and biology, McFadden theorizes that evolution may not be random but directed, and that quantum mechanics endows living organisms with the ability to initiate specific actions, including new mutations. Illustrations.

An Appeal to Reason

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Publisher : Abrams
ISBN 13 : 159020526X
Total Pages : 138 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (92 download)

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Book Synopsis An Appeal to Reason by : Nigel Lawson

Download or read book An Appeal to Reason written by Nigel Lawson and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2009-12-29 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “His insights are keen and refreshingly iconoclastic . . . [A] contrarian synthesis of political thinking and economic analysis” on the topic of climate change (Publishers Weekly). In this well-informed and hard-hitting response to the scaremongering of the climate alarmists, Nigel Lawson, former Secretary of State for Energy under Margaret Thatcher, argues that it is time for us to take a cool look at global warming. Lawson carefully and succinctly examines all aspects of the global warming issue: the science, the economics, the politics, and the ethics. He concludes that the conventional wisdom on the subject is suspect on a number of grounds, that global warming is not the devastating threat to the planet it is widely alleged to be, and that the remedy being proposed, which is in any event politically unattainable, would be worse that the threat it is supposed to avert. Argued with logic, common sense, and even wit, and thoroughly sourced and referenced, this is a long overdue corrective to the barrage of spin and hype to which the politicians and media have been subjecting the public on this important issue.

Citizen Science

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Author :
Publisher : Abrams
ISBN 13 : 1468314149
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (683 download)

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Book Synopsis Citizen Science by : Caren Cooper

Download or read book Citizen Science written by Caren Cooper and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2016-12-20 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: True stories of everyday volunteers participating in scientific research that “may well prompt readers to join the growing community” (Booklist). Think you need a degree in science to contribute to important scientific discoveries? Think again. All around the world, in fields ranging from meteorology to ornithology to public health, millions of everyday people are choosing to participate in the scientific process. Working in cooperation with scientists in pursuit of information, innovation, and discovery, these volunteers are following protocols, collecting and reviewing data, and sharing their observations. They’re our neighbors, in-laws, and coworkers. Their story, along with the story of the social good that can result from citizen science, has largely been untold, until now. Citizen scientists are challenging old notions about who can conduct research, where knowledge can be acquired, and even how solutions to some of our biggest societal problems might emerge. In telling their story, Caren Cooper just might inspire you to rethink your own assumptions about the role that individuals can play in gaining scientific understanding—and putting that understanding to use as a steward of our world. “Engaging.” —Library Journal (starred review)

A Different Mirror

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Author :
Publisher : eBookIt.com
ISBN 13 : 1456611062
Total Pages : 787 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (566 download)

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Book Synopsis A Different Mirror by : Ronald Takaki

Download or read book A Different Mirror written by Ronald Takaki and published by eBookIt.com. This book was released on 2012-06-05 with total page 787 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Takaki traces the economic and political history of Indians, African Americans, Mexicans, Japanese, Chinese, Irish, and Jewish people in America, with considerable attention given to instances and consequences of racism. The narrative is laced with short quotations, cameos of personal experiences, and excerpts from folk music and literature. Well-known occurrences, such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the Trail of Tears, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Japanese internment are included. Students may be surprised by some of the revelations, but will recognize a constant thread of rampant racism. The author concludes with a summary of today's changing economic climate and offers Rodney King's challenge to all of us to try to get along. Readers will find this overview to be an accessible, cogent jumping-off place for American history and political science plus a guide to the myriad other sources identified in the notes.

Of Orcas and Men

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Author :
Publisher : Abrams
ISBN 13 : 1468312294
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (683 download)

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Book Synopsis Of Orcas and Men by : David Neiwert

Download or read book Of Orcas and Men written by David Neiwert and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2015-06-16 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A journalist “convincingly spells out the threats to their survival, their misery in captivity, and what scientists can learn by studying them” (Kirkus). The orca—otherwise known as the killer whale—is one of earth’s most intelligent animals. Remarkably sophisticated, orcas have languages and cultures and even long-term memories, and their capacity for echolocation is nothing short of a sixth sense. They are also benign and gentle, which makes the story of the captive-orca industry—and the endangerment of their population in Puget Sound—that much more damning. In Of Orcas and Men, a marvelously compelling mix of cultural history, environmental reporting, and scientific research, David Neiwert explores an extraordinary species and its occasionally fraught relationship with human beings. Beginning with their role in myth and contemporary culture, Neiwert shows how killer whales came to capture our imaginations, and brings to life the often catastrophic environmental consequences of that appeal. In the tradition of Barry Lopez’s classic Of Wolves and Men, David Neiwert’s book is a triumph of reporting, observation, and research, and a powerful tribute to one of the animal kingdom’s most remarkable members. Praise for Of Orcas and Men “Human beings need to learn from and understand the cooperative nature of orca society. Everyone who is interested in both animal and human behavior should read this remarkable book.” —Temple Grandin, New York Times–bestselling author of Animals in Translation and Animals Make Us Human “Powerful and beautifully written.” —Jane Goodall “Humans and killer whales have a long and complicated history, one that David Neiwert describes forcefully and eloquently in this fascinating and highly readable book.” —David Kirby, New York Times–bestselling author of Death at SeaWorld “[A] breathtaking survey of orca science, folklore, and mystery.” —The Stranger

The American War in Afghanistan

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Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0197550797
Total Pages : 601 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (975 download)

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Book Synopsis The American War in Afghanistan by : Carter Malkasian

Download or read book The American War in Afghanistan written by Carter Malkasian and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021-06-15 with total page 601 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New York Times Notable Book Winner of 2022 Lionel Gelber Prize The first authoritative history of American's longest war by one of the world's leading scholar-practitioners. The American war in Afghanistan, which began in 2001, is now the longest armed conflict in the nation's history. It is currently winding down, and American troops are likely to leave soon but only after a stay of nearly two decades. In The American War in Afghanistan, Carter Malkasian provides the first comprehensive history of the entire conflict. Malkasian is both a leading academic authority on the subject and an experienced practitioner, having spent nearly two years working in the Afghan countryside and going on to serve as the senior advisor to General Joseph Dunford, the US military commander in Afghanistan and later the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Drawing from a deep well of local knowledge, understanding of Pashto, and review of primary source documents, Malkasian moves through the war's multiple phases: the 2001 invasion and after; the light American footprint during the 2003 Iraq invasion; the resurgence of the Taliban in 2006, the Obama-era surge, and the various resets in strategy and force allocations that occurred from 2011 onward, culminating in the 2018-2020 peace talks. Malkasian lived through much of it, and draws from his own experiences to provide a unique vantage point on the war. Today, the Taliban is the most powerful faction, and sees victory as probable. The ultimate outcome after America leaves is inherently unpredictable given the multitude of actors there, but one thing is sure: the war did not go as America had hoped. Although the al-Qa'eda leader Osama bin Laden was killed and no major attack on the American homeland was carried out after 2001, the United States was unable to end the violence or hand off the war to the Afghan authorities, which could not survive without US military backing. The American War in Afghanistan explains why the war had such a disappointing outcome. Wise and all-encompassing, The American War in Afghanistan provides a truly vivid portrait of the conflict in all of its phases that will remain the authoritative account for years to come.

Joy on Demand

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Author :
Publisher : HarperCollins
ISBN 13 : 0062378945
Total Pages : 213 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (623 download)

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Book Synopsis Joy on Demand by : Chade-Meng Tan

Download or read book Joy on Demand written by Chade-Meng Tan and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2016-05-31 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A long-awaited follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Search Inside Yourself shows us how to cultivate joy within the context of our fast-paced lives and explains why it is critical to creativity, innovation, confidence, and ultimately success in every arena. In Joy on Demand, Chade-Meng Tan shows that you don’t need to meditate for hours, days, months or years to achieve lasting joy—you can actually get consistent access to it in as little as fifteen seconds. Explaining joy and meditation as complementary things that naturally reinforce each other, Meng explains how these two skills form a virtuous cycle, and once put into motion, become a solid practice that can be sustained in daily life. For many years, meditation has been taught and practiced in cultures where almost all meditators practice full-time for years, resulting in training programs optimized for practitioners with lots of free time and not much else to do but develop profound mastery over the mind. Seeing a disconnect between the traditional practice and the modern world, the bestselling author and Google’s “Jolly Good Fellow” has developed a program, through “wise laziness,” to help readers meditate more efficiently and effectively. Meng shares the three pillars of joy (inner peace, insight, and happiness), why joy is the secret is to success, and demonstrates the practical tools anyone can use to cultivate it on demand.

The Collapse of Materialism

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Author :
Publisher : Rainbow Ridge
ISBN 13 : 9781937907211
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (72 download)

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Book Synopsis The Collapse of Materialism by : Philip Comella

Download or read book The Collapse of Materialism written by Philip Comella and published by Rainbow Ridge. This book was released on 2014-04 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Philip Comella, takes a fresh and bold look at the debate between science and religion--and attempts to go farther than any other book to unite them. For years, we have been led to believe that the universe traces its roots back to the Big Bang, a cataclysmic explosion of ethereal energy that resulted in the formation of the planets, stars, and everything in-between. Suppose, though, that the cosmos wasn't, in fact, borne of a random eruption--but rather stems from the ever-evolving imagination of a multi-dimensional dreaming mind? Such a drastically different perspective would no doubt change the way we see not only ourselves, but also our place in the infinite realm of the universe. Such is the central premise of The Collapse of Materialism. Probing, well written, and thoroughly researched, Comella's insightful volume serves as a treatise on the popular misconceptions that the world of science would lead us to believe about the origins--and subsequent development-- of the universe. Comella paints the compelling picture of life as a purposeful, directed means to an end. Bolstered by a wide range of enlightening sources, including religion, eastern philosophy--and science itself--this book breaks important ground regarding the limited purview of life as we've come to know it, encouraging readers to explore the unfettered depths of a new vision of universal purpose." --Dominique Sessons, Apex Reviews

Engines of Liberty

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Publisher : Basic Books
ISBN 13 : 0465098517
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (65 download)

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Book Synopsis Engines of Liberty by : David Cole

Download or read book Engines of Liberty written by David Cole and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2016-03-29 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the national legal director of the ACLU, an essential guidebook for anyone seeking to stand up for fundamental civil liberties and rights One of Washington Post's Notable Nonfiction Books of 2016 In an age of executive overreach, what role do American citizens have in safeguarding our Constitution and defending liberty? Must we rely on the federal courts, and the Supreme Court above all, to protect our rights? In Engines of Liberty, the esteemed legal scholar David Cole argues that we all have a part to play in the grand civic dramas of our era--and in a revised introduction and conclusion, he proposes specific tactics for fighting Donald Trump's policies. Examining the most successful rights movements of the last thirty years, Cole reveals how groups of ordinary Americans confronting long odds have managed, time and time again, to convince the courts to grant new rights and protect existing ones. Engines of Liberty is a fundamentally new explanation of how our Constitution works and the part citizens play in it.

The Tangled Tree

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Author :
Publisher : Simon & Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1476776636
Total Pages : 480 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (767 download)

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Book Synopsis The Tangled Tree by : David Quammen

Download or read book The Tangled Tree written by David Quammen and published by Simon & Schuster. This book was released on 2019-08-06 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this New York Times bestseller and longlist nominee for the National Book Award, “our greatest living chronicler of the natural world” (The New York Times), David Quammen explains how recent discoveries in molecular biology affect our understanding of evolution and life’s history. In the mid-1970s, scientists began using DNA sequences to reexamine the history of all life. Perhaps the most startling discovery to come out of this new field—the study of life’s diversity and relatedness at the molecular level—is horizontal gene transfer (HGT), or the movement of genes across species lines. It turns out that HGT has been widespread and important; we now know that roughly eight percent of the human genome arrived sideways by viral infection—a type of HGT. In The Tangled Tree, “the grandest tale in biology….David Quammen presents the science—and the scientists involved—with patience, candor, and flair” (Nature). We learn about the major players, such as Carl Woese, the most important little-known biologist of the twentieth century; Lynn Margulis, the notorious maverick whose wild ideas about “mosaic” creatures proved to be true; and Tsutomu Wantanabe, who discovered that the scourge of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a direct result of horizontal gene transfer, bringing the deep study of genome histories to bear on a global crisis in public health. “David Quammen proves to be an immensely well-informed guide to a complex story” (The Wall Street Journal). In The Tangled Tree, he explains how molecular studies of evolution have brought startling recognitions about the tangled tree of life—including where we humans fit upon it. Thanks to new technologies, we now have the ability to alter even our genetic composition—through sideways insertions, as nature has long been doing. “The Tangled Tree is a source of wonder….Quammen has written a deep and daring intellectual adventure” (The Boston Globe).

Before Galileo

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Author :
Publisher : Abrams
ISBN 13 : 1468308505
Total Pages : 291 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (683 download)

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Book Synopsis Before Galileo by : John Freely

Download or read book Before Galileo written by John Freely and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2013-08-27 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A physicist and historian sheds light on scientific minds, breakthroughs, and innovations that paved the way for the Scientific Revolution. Histories of modern science often begin with the heroic battle between Galileo and the Catholic Church, a conflict which ignited the Scientific Revolution and led to the world-changing discoveries of Isaac Newton. As a consequence of this narrative frame, virtually nothing is said about the European scholars who came before. In reality, more than a millennium before the Renaissance, a succession of scholars paved the way for the exciting discoveries usually credited to Galileo, Newton, Copernicus, and others. In Before Galileo, John Freely examines the pioneering research of the first European scientists, many of them monks whose influence ranged far beyond the walls of the monasteries where they studied and wrote.