Ackerman,
Diane. A Natural History of the Senses.
Ackerman’s
historical and scientific study of the five senses and how they affect human
behavior draws on science, culture, history, and psychology to create an
entertaining, enlightening picture of how the body makes sense of the world
around it.
Uses
true stories and scientific finding to describe what happens to the human body
under extreme conditions, including high altitudes, under pressure (water
pressure), in extreme heat, in extreme cold, at extreme speed, and outside the
earth's atmosphere. Also includes information of some unusual species that have
adapted to unusual living conditions.
Beavan, Colin. Fingerprints: The Origins of Crime Detection and the Murder Case that Launched Forensic Science. (363.25 BEA).
Prior
to the 20th century, there was no reliable way to distinguish between the guilty
and the innocent. All that changed
in Britain in 1905, when the bodies of an elderly couple were found, murdered,
in their shop. A single fingerprint
was the only clue. And thus began a
fascinating story of scientific breakthrough that solved a crime and changed
criminal investigations forever. Dr.
Henry Faulds had been trying to convince Scotland Yard for 15 years to adopt his
method of criminal investigation without success. When a Scotland Yard detective
named Francis Galton stumbled across Faulds' method and claimed it as his own,
his status quickly convinced Scotland Yard to adopt the method.
One problem, however: Faults
was on the side of the defense. And he had evidence that would show that the
accused could not have left the fingerprint at the scene of the crime.
Biddle, Wayne. A Field Guide to the Invisible. (500 BID)
An
inside look at the world of germs, viruses, microbes, odors, miniscule bugs,
gases and rays, and other invisible perils that plague human beings.
Brockman, John. The Greatest Inventions of the Past 2000 Years: Today’s Leading Thinkers Choose the Creations that Shaped Our World. (609 BRO).
In
a series of short essays, various thinkers from around the world describe their
idea of the most important invention of the past two millennia.
Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. (632 CAR)
An
indictment of humans’ use of chemicals and an analysis of the effect of those
chemicals on nature, Carson’s book is a classic work of environmental study
and the source of much activism.
Cohl, Aaron. Are We Scaring Ourselves to Death? How Pessism, Paranoia, and a Misguided Media are Leading Us Toward Disaster. (302 COH)
Reveals
how media madness and simple human psychology fuel the fires of paranoia. Major
topics include breast cancer scares, hysteria about breast implants, fear of
fat, AIDS-related fears, fear about herpes, warnings and related fears about
cancer, fear of mad cow disease and hamburger consumption, and other
high-profile news items. The author uses statistical analyses and logical
explanation to alleviate our worries.
Cytowic, Richard E. The man who tasted shapes : a bizarre medical mystery offers revolutionary insights into emotions, reasoning and consciousness. (152 CYT)
An
exploration of the neurological causes for the bizarre anomaly of synthesia, in
which the sensory pathways are mixed up and individals experience a strange
array of sensations, such as "tasting" shapes, seeing colors when they
hear music, and feeling smells.
Evans, Colin. The Casebook of Forensic Detection: How Science Solved 100 of the World’s Most Baffling Crimes. (614.1 EVA)
Fascinating
look at how crimes are solved with microscopic evidence. This is an especially
interesting look at how modern forensic technology was developed and is used,
including using blood-spatters, bone fragments, ballistic tests, fiber analysis,
hair analysis, and other clues to determine the identity of criminals and their
victims.
Farrell, Jeanette. Invisible Enemies: Stories of Infectious Disease. (616.9)
Stories
of seven diseases that forever altered the course of human history:
smallpox, leprosy, cholera, malaria, plague, tuberculosis, and AIDS.
A mix of biology and history with a worldwide scope.
Gibbs, Harlan. The Medicine of ER: Or How We Almost Die. (616.02 GIB)
A
close look at the medical problems encountered by the staff of the emergency
room and the science of diagnosing and solving health emergencies. The author
discusses traumas faced in the fictional ER of the television show, and how they
are similar and different from real situations.
Giblin, James. When Plague Strikes: The Black Death, Smallpox, and AIDS.
The
stories of three diseases that killed thousands and have had a lasting impact on
human history: plague, smallpos,
and AIDS. Includes information about how these diseases have led to further
understanding about the human body and its ability to fight disease.
Gore, Al. Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit. (363.7 GOR)
Explains
how civilization must heal itself in order to save the environment. Presents a
comprehensive plan for action addressing population trends, technology, and environmental
education.
Gross,
Michael. Life on the Edge: Amazing Creatures Thriving in Extreme Environments.
(578.4 GRO)
Examines
life forms that live in extreme environments that scientists had previously
thought were uninhabitable, including the antarctic ice, hot springs, and on
Mars.
Hickam, Homer H. Rocket Boys: A Memoir. (629.1 HIC)
An
entertaining and extraordinary memoir of Homer Hickam's life in Coalwood, West
Virginia-a town where the only things that mattered were coal mining and
high-school football. After watching the Soviets launch Sputnik in 1957, Homer
and his friends took the future into their own hands, changing their lives and
their town forever by turning scraps into rockets and launching their futures as
NASA scientists.
Presents
information on Julia Butterfly Hill's two-year "tree-sit" that she
hoped would stop the Pacific Lumber company from clear-cutting the ancient
redwood forest in California, and discusses how she began a new era in the
environmental movements around the world.
Junger, Sebastian. The Perfect Storm. (974.4 JUN)
Takes
us to the heart of the storm of October, 1991 and recreates the last moments of
the Andrea Gail crew and the heroic acts of the National Guard rescue team.
Includes interesting details about the science of wave formation, storms, and
weather systems.
Kinder, Gary. Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea. (910.91 KIN)
An
amazing account of how science and the scientific method solve mysteries. A
young inventor develops a the first-ever technology capable of plumbing the
depths of the ocean for shipwrecks and their treasure, and finds the remains of
the Central America and her millions of dollars in gold.
Kirwin, Barbara R. The Mad, the Bad, and the Innocent: The Criminal Mind of Trial—Tales of a Forensic Psychologist. (614 KIR)
Kirwin
describes her work on hundreds of murder cases around the country in which she
has used her knowledge of human behavior—and increased it—as she determines
the reasons people choose to kill other people.
Klawans, Harold. Defending the Cavewoman and Other Tales of Evolutionary Neurology. (616.8)
A
master neurologist's clinical tales, both funny and profound, about the
evolution of the brain. Among his anecdotes are stories of how he and other
scientists have studied and help treat neurological disorders such as
Parkinson's Disease and Huntington's Disease. He also tackles issues of
neurology such as literacy and the brain, how reading affects and changes neural
pathways, and how music is stored and remembered by the brain.
Lambrecht,
Bill. Dinner at the New Gene Café: How genetic engineering is changing what we
eat, how we live, and the global politics of food. (363.19 LAM)
More
than half of America's processed grocery products contain genetically altered
food. But few consumers understand what theat means--either the science behind
it or the implications for our health when we consume these foods.
The author analyzes the history of processed foods and examines the
reasons behind the divisive controversy surrounding genetically modified foods.
Levy, Harlan. And the Blood Cried Out: A Prosectuor’s Spellbinding Account of the Power of DNA. (345.73)
An
analysis of how DNA analysis (DNA fingerprinting) can be used to solve crimes
and free wrongly-charged prisoners. The author uses well-known cases from around
the world to demonstrate how DNA evidence to illustrate information about DNA.
Of special interest is his analysis of the DNA evidence used in the O.J.
Simpson trial.
Linden, Eugene. The Parrot’s Lament and other true tales of animal intrigue, intelligence, and ingenuity. (591.5 LIN)
Examines
the behavior, intelligence, and ingenuity of animals through true tales of their
amazing interaction with humans and other species.
Lindsay, David. House of Invention: The Secret Life of Everyday Products. (609 LIN)
The
invention of numerous common products, such as pencils, cornflakes, Muzak, and
Vaseline, are discussed in this short, interesting book.
The
author, a former cattle rancher who was sued by the cattle industry after airing
his views about the dangers of mad cow disease on national television, reveals
the reasons why he has gone from being a meat-loving cowboy to a vegetarian
environmental activist.
Maples, William. Dead Men Do Tell Tales. (614.1 MAP)
A noted forensic anthropologist describes
how he solved numerous murders using clues left behind by skeletal and dental
remains.
Masson,
Jeffrey. The Emporer's Embrace:
Reflections on Animal Families and Fatherhood. (591.5 MAS)
The
author describes animal fathers around the globe, and how various species
produce fathers which especially attuned to the needs of their offspring and
responsible for much of their care. Among the animals discussed are wolves,
dogs, beavers, sea horses, marmosets, penguins, lions, bears, and humans.
Masson, Jeffrey. When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals. (591.5 MAS)
A
look into the world of animals that discusses their emotions, which seem to be
the same as those of humans.
Miller,
Judith. Germs: Biological Weapons
and America’s Secret War. (358.58
MIL).
Three
New York Times reporters uncover the truth about biological weapons and show why
bio-warfare and bio-terrorism are becoming more threatening.
They examine: how the CIA built and tested germ bomblets; how the Pentagon
embarked on a secret effort to make a "superbug,"; how Moscow's
scientists made an untraceable germ that instructs the body to destroy itself;
the Pentagon's chaotic efforts to improvise defenses against Iraq's biological
weapons during the 1991 Persian Gulf War; and other stories.
Page, George. Inside the animal mind, a groundbreaking exploration of animal intelligence. (591.5 PAG)
Studies
animal intelligence, cognitive ability, problem solving, and emotions in various
animal species.
Parsons, Russ. How to Read a French Fry and Other Stories of Intriguing Kitchen Science. (641.5 PAR)
Presents more than one hundred recipes
along with scientific facts about cooking and foods, including what makes the
best marinade, why strawberry and rhubarb are a good combination, scientifically
speaking; why french fries cooked in fresh oil don't brown completely, and many
other fascinating scientific facts about cooking.
Paterniti
describes his fascination with the stories surrounding Einstein’s brain, which
was reportedly taken from his body during an autopsy in 1955 and kept by the
pathologist who performed the procedure, Thomas Harvey. Paterniti tracks Harvey
down, and the two begin a bizarre cross-country car trip to deliver the brain to
Einstein’s granddaughter, Evelyn, in California.
Preston, Robert. The Hot Zone. (614.5 PRE)
The
dramatic story of how scientists stopped the spread of the Ebola virus after it
had been transmitted to the United States in 1989.
Rhodes,
Richard. Deadly Feasts: Tracking
the Secrets of a Deadly New Plague. (616.8 RHO)
Rhodes
traces the history, biology, and pathology of a bizarre contagion that causes
“mad cow disease”—a spongiform decaying of the brain tissue in
people and animals who consume beef with the disease.
Sagan, Carl. The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark.
Sagan
examines the beliefs that people have about aliens, alien abduction, astrology,
and other pseudosciences, and debunks them with careful, thought-provoking, and
often humorous scientific explanations.
Sheldrake,
Rupert. Dogs That Know When Their
Owners Are Coming Home And Other Unexplained Powers Of Animals.
(133.8 SHE)
Filled
with captivating stories and thought-provoking analysis.
This book is an exploration of animal behaviour that will profoundly
change the way we think about animals, and ourselves.
After extensive research Sheldrake proves what many pet owners already
know-that there is a strong connection between humans and animals that lies
beyond present-day scientific understanding.
*Souder,
William. A Plague of Frogs: The Horrifying True Story. (597.8 SOU)
A group of Minnesota schoolchildren came
upon a pond filled with deformed frogs which launched a four-year federal
investigation into the possible pollution of local water supplies.
*Stark,
Peter. Last Breath: Cautionary
Tales from the Limits of Human Endurance. (616 STA).
Ever wondered what it would be like to
freeze to death? How about drown? Maybe not, but this fascinating book will show
you, in detail how people die in extreme circumstances, including malaria,
scurvy, jellyfish attack, drowning, falling, and dehydration. The author invents
characters to show just how the body can get into these deadly situations, and
how it succumbs to them.
Trefill, James. The Edge of the Unknown: 101 Things You Don’t Know about Science and No One Else Does Either. (500 TRE)
Explores
scientific questions on a variety of topics including astronomy, genetics,
geology, and information technology.
Warner,
Shedd. Owls Aren't Wise & Bats
Aren't Blind. (591.5 WAR)
A naturalist debunks our favorite
fallacies about wildlife.
Weinberg, Steven.
Dreams of a Final Theory: The
Scientist’s Search for the Ultimate Laws of Nature.
(530 WEI)
Discusses the search for nature's final
laws of the universe.
Weiner,
Jonathan. The Beak of the Finch.
(598.8 WEI)
The
Pulitzer-Prize winning account of how Darwin received his first ideas about
evolution on a desert island in the Galapagos.
Wise, Stephen. Rattling the Cage: Toward Legal Rights for Animals. (179.3 WIS)
The
author makes a compelling argument for why animals should be granted legal
rights and afforded court representation in certain cases when their liberties
and happiness are threatened.
Wright, Lawrence. Twins and What They Tell Us About Who We Are. (155.44 WRI)
Examines
studies of identical twins who have lived entirely separate lives, and discusses
what that research reveals about the relative contributions of heredity and
environment to the makeup of individual human natures.
*Zimmer, Carl. Parasite Rex: inside the bizarre world of nature's most dangerous creatures. (591.7 ZIM).
Studies
the evolution, characteristics, and dangers of parasites and explains how
parasites have triggered the development of sex, shape ecosystems, and affected
world history.
Abbey, Edward. The Monkey-Wrench Gang. (PB ABB)
Throughout
the American West, nature is being victimized by dams, bridges, and concrete.
A motley quartet of individualists has decided that enough is enough. A burnt-out veteran, a mad doctor, a sexy revolutionary, and
a polygamist outdoorsman have joined forces to dismantle the machinery of
progress through peaceful means or otherwise.
Crichton, Michael. The Andromeda Strain. (F CRI)
For
five days, American scientists struggle to identify and control a deadly new
form of life.
Crichton, Michael. Jurassic Park. (PB CRI)
An
account of the attempt, through a hair-raising twenty-four hours on a remote
jungle island, to avert a global emergency--a crisis triggered by today's rush
to commercialize genetic engineering.
Gerritson, Tess. Gravity. (F GER)
Emma
Watson, a research physician, has been training to study living beings in space
on the International Space Station. Once onboard, however, the organism to be
studied begins to mutate and infect the crew.
Klass, David. California Blue. (PB KLA)
When
seventeen-year-old John Rodgers discovers a new sub-species of butterfly which
may necessitate closing the mill where his dying father works, they find
themselves on opposite sides of an environmental conflict.
Lightman, Alan. Einstein’s Dreams. (PB LIG)
Thirty
short fables that conjure images of various theoretical realms of time.
In one world, time is circular, and people fated to live the same day
over and over; in an other, men and women try to capture time—in the shape of
a nightingale—in a bell jar; in still another world, an entire lifetime is
lived in a single day.
Sagan, Carl. Contact.
Radio
telescopes on Earth receive a signal indicating the existance of life 26
light-years away in the vicinty of the star Vega. A brilliant scientist, Eleanor Arroway is instrumental in
responding to the message.
Thomas, Rob. Green Thumb. (F THO)
While
spending the summer in the Amazon rain forest of Brazil doing botanical
research, thirteen-year-old Grady discovers a secret language used by the trees
to communicate with each other and falls afoul of the dictatorial Dr. Carter,
whose motives seem questionable.
Verne,
Jules. Journey to the Center of the Earth.
(PB VER)
Three adventurers descend to the center
of the Earth, where they make astounding discoveries.
Werber,
Bernard. Empire of the Ants. (F
WER)
The
story of an ordinary family who accidentally threaten the security of a hidden
civilization as intelligent as our own.