B&N Recommends

For most of us, meteorites are simply ugly, misshapen rocks that have fallen from space. For geologists and other scientists, these dark objects conceal secrets to the origin of our solar system; for visionaries and poets, they are stony and metallic reminders of our primal connection with the universe. Christopher Cokinos' The Fallen Sky is not just a dull study of the composition of meteorites any more than his Hope Is A Thing with Feathers is a taxonomy of extinct birds. Instead, this intimate history approaches these celestial fragments through the eyes of the maverick scientists, meteorite collectors, and independent researchers who seek to discover their hidden meaning. Cokinos' own quest to track their story takes us from Polar Regions to the far expanses of space; from Iron Age ritual sites to post-modern laboratories. The Fallen Sky is a hybrid of science, poetry, adventure, and pure magic.

There is something indisputably magical or incongruent about seahorses. These fragile ocean creatures have somehow survived for at least 13 million years, but in ways, they seem more at home in cartoons or myths. Marine biologist Helen Scales has composed a charming little book about these monogamous bony fish that are extraordinary in every aspect; from anatomy and natural habitat to courting and reproduction. Against every expectation, her attentive scientific descriptions show these sea-drifting enigmas to be even more wondrous than we previously thought. Because few seahorses can survive long in captivity, Poseidon's Steed probably represents the best chance we have to observe these rarely-seen little creatures up close.

 

If there was ever a book to take to dinner, this is it. In Catching Fire, biological anthropologist Richard Wrangham proposes a startling new scientific theory, but he does it in such a lively, engaging way that you never once feel that you're in the presence of a ponderous "great thinker." Wrangham maintains that it was cooking that enabled our evolutionary leap from chimp-like primates into smaller gut, bigger brained humans. His theory is complicated and, of course, highly controversial, but he makes it with fascinating examples and a clarity that should make other scientists envious. And, let's face it; is there a more important subject than what makes us human?  

 

A witty cosmological narrative about a pint-sized planet that got “lost.”

 

Pluto had a seventy-six year run as a planet, until it was demoted in August 2006. Though now relegated to “dwarf planet” status, this cosmological runt still maintains its huge fan base, especially in the United States. In fact, some American scientists continue to fight an uphill battle to get the celestial body reinstated and recent straw polls show that Pluto remains the favorite planet among American elementary students, perhaps because its name sounds like that of a cartoon character. Neil deGrasse Tyson’s delightfully diverting The Pluto Files  tracks the weird history of this extraterrestrial underdog and its irrepressible popularity.

 

The best answers available to one of life’s core questions: How can I survive danger?

 

Even when we’re in the safest of situations, we humans worry and wonder about survival. Whether we’re imagining how we would escape from a burning building or plane; avoid a deadly wild animal attack; or stay alive as a psychopath’s hostage, we all know that surviving is the bottom line. Los Angeles Times journalist Ben Sherwood traveled the world to learn the secrets that helped real men and women stay alive in moments of extreme physical crisis. The stories are gripping; the lessons could be life-saving.

 

A specially gifted “animal translator” shares fascinating insights and observations on how we can treat other creatures in ways that are more truly humane.

 

The culmination of more than thirty years of work with other species, Temple Grandin’s Animals Make Us Human  delivers on the assertions of both its title and subtitle. Drawing on keen, hard-won observations, the author of the bestselling Animals in Translation and Thinking in Pictures draws on her experiences as an autistic woman to describe core emotion systems shared by humans and other creatures: a need to seek; a sense of rage, fear, and panic; feelings of lust; an urge to nurture; and an ability to play. Her detailed examples encompass much of the animal kingdom, including dogs, cats, horses, cows, pigs, poultry, wild creatures, and captives of zoos. An engaging nature book that spells out how we can make animals happy.

 

A mind-boggling, awe-inspiring view of our most astonishing asset, the human mind….

 

On March 14th 2004, Daniel Tammet recited 22,514 digits of Pi from memory. This mind-boggling achievement (which he accomplished in approximately five hours), however, might not be Tammet’s most momentous achievement. Scientists are even more impressed by the ability of this high-functioning autistic savant to explain how his own mind functions: “Savants can’t usually tell us how they do what they do. It just comes to them. Daniel can. He describes what he sees in his head. That’s why he’s exciting. He could be the Rosetta Stone.” In Embracing the Wide Sky  , the author of the bestselling memoir Born on a Blue Day describes what his experiences and cutting-edge neuroscience research have taught him about the human mind. Brimming with detail, this book will change the way you think about thinking.