With climate change at the forefront of current discussion, Words of Change: CLIMATE offers a curated collection of thought-provoking quotes and passages from the writings and speeches of activists in the environmental community, with a focus on diverse and previously unheard voices. Compiled by social scientist and researcher Tina Limpert, this collection of stirring words is intended to enlighten, to prompt change, to provide encouragement, and to deepen readers' conviction. Celebrating activism, focusing on solutions, and avoiding apathy and pessimism, this book is call to action. The back matter includes a brief bio for each person quoted to provide context for their life and work.

In the second volume of the Discovering Life's Story series by best-selling author Joy Hakim, the theory of evolution takes hold--transforming ideas about survival, extinction, and life itself. Can species change? Or go extinct? In the eighteenth century, most people answer no to both questions. But in the century that follows, that certainty gets challenged as some people in Europe question the common belief that all creatures are the same as they've been since life's creation. The Evolution of an Idea, the second volume of Discovering Life's Story, opens with the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, who attempts to create an organizing system for the myriad forms of life on earth. It continues into the late 1800s, when two Englishmen--Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace--each develop their own version of a startling new theory of how life-forms change over time. This evolutionary idea will alter the understanding of our place in the great web of life on earth. In this remarkable volume, author Joy Hakim continues charting the path of human discovery and shows how groundbreaking thinkers began to unlock the biological secrets of our own existence.

Everything you need to know about the fundamental materials that make up our world. This book unlocks the fascinating workings behind the building blocks of life, from the discovery of the very first elements to the formal naming in 2016 of the recently discovered elements 113, 115, 117 and 118 on the seventh row of the periodic table. They are now known as nihonium (Nh), moscovium (Mc), tennessine (Ts) and oganesson (Og), respectively. The Elements Bible makes the science and logic behind the daunting periodic table easier to comprehend and remember. Sections include: Mendeleev and the creation of the periodic table Atomic physics Patterns and trends within the periodic table Information about each individual element, from alkali metals and transition metals, through to noble gases, actinides and lanthanides Energy, stability, chemical reactions and how elements interact The uses of specific elements The composition and characteristics of the elements: neutrons, protons, electrons, weight, particles, radiation Stories of the scientists who often risked life and limb in their pursuit of new elements Modern scientific discoveries, and the naming of new elements. The text is set out in clear brief segments to avoid complexity that can overwhelm readers. The generous use of illustrations provides additional clarity. The Elements Bible introduces a complex subject and also provides insight into the extraordinary underlying stories and facts that you don't normally hear about. Fully illustrated and packed with quirky illustrations, helpful diagrams and historical anecdotes, it is sure to satisfy those seeking to understand the most fundamental ingredients of the universe.

An original and scientifically rigorous exploration of the darkest recesses of the human mind. What is it about evil that we find so compelling? From our obsession with serial killers to violence in pop culture, we seem inescapably drawn to the stories of monstrous acts and the aberrant people who commit them. But evil, Dr. Julia Shaw argues, is all relative, rooted in our unique cultures. What one may consider normal, like sex before marriage, eating meat or being a banker, others may find abhorrent. And if evil is only in the eye of the beholder, can it be said to exist at all? In Evil, Dr. Shaw uses case studies from academia, examples from popular culture and anecdotes from everyday life to break down complex information and concepts such as the neuroscience of evil, the psychology of bloodlust and workplace misbehaviour. In grappling with thorny dilemmas--from "Would I kill baby Hitler?" to "Why do I want to murder my spouse?"--Dr. Shaw offers readers a better understanding of the world, ourselves and our Google search histories.

Fast food has hastened the malling of our landscape, widened the chasm between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled American cultural imperialism abroad. That's a lengthy list of charges, but here Eric Schlosser makes them stick with an artful mix of first-rate reportage, wry wit, and careful reasoning. Schlosser's myth-shattering survey stretches from California's subdivisions where the business was born to the industrial corridor along the New Jersey Turnpike where many fast food's flavors are concocted. Along the way, he unearths a trove of fascinating, unsettling truths -- from the unholy alliance between fast food and Hollywood to the seismic changes the industry has wrought in food production, popular culture, and even real estate. (back cover)

From the award-winning, bestselling author of The Golden Spruce and The Tiger comes a stunning account of a colossal wildfire, and a panoramic exploration of the rapidly changing relationship between fire and humankind. In May 2016, Fort McMurray, the hub of Canada's petroleum industry and America's biggest foreign supplier, was overrun by wildfire. The multi-billion-dollar disaster melted vehicles, turned entire neighborhoods into firebombs, and drove 88,000 people from their homes in a single afternoon. Through the lens of this apocalyptic conflagration—the wildfire equivalent of Hurricane Katrina—John Vaillant warns that this was not a unique event but a shocking preview of what we must prepare for in a hotter, more flammable world. For hundreds of millennia, fire has been a partner in our evolution, shaping culture, civilization, and, very likely, our brains. Fire has enabled us to cook our food, defend and heat our homes, and power the machines that drive our titanic economy. Yet this volatile energy source has always threatened to elude our control, and in our new age of intensifying climate change, we are seeing its destructive power unleashed in previously unimaginable ways. With masterly prose and a cinematic eye, Vaillant takes us on a riveting journey through the intertwined histories of North America's oil industry and the birth of climate science, to the unprecedented devastation wrought by modern forest fires, and into lives forever changed by these disasters. John Vaillant's urgent work is a book for—and from—our new century of fire, which has only just begun.

Celebrity forester: Peter Wohlleben has presented alongside Jane Goodall, been endorsed by Hollywood celebrities, profiled in the New Yorker andthe New York Times, and topped international bestseller lists. Author credited for changing the conversation about trees: In his instant NYT bestseller The Hidden Life of Trees,Wohlleben drew on scientific studies to explain how trees communicate and live in social networks, sparking an online conversation about tree sentience that continues today. More than 3 million copies of The Hidden Life of Trees have sold worldwide in all formats. Unique co-author partnership: For the first time, Peter and his longtime translator and editor, Jane Billinghurst, are teaming up to write an original book together--like a conversation between two old friends who love trees. Forest bathing is a recognized way to rejuvenate, reconnect, and restore our energy: The Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) has exploded in popularity in recent years due to the proven physical and mental health benefits of reconnecting with nature.

A captain's tell-all about the biggest-ever Arctic expedition--an account filled with adventure, suspense, and new groundbreaking research on the climate crisis. In this gripping book, atmospheric scientist Markus Rex recounts the monumental Arctic expedition he captained for one year. The MOSAiC expedition--spearheaded by the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research--sought crucial data on how the climate crisis is impacting and changing Arctic environments. Beginning in 2019, hundreds of scientists from over 80 institutes around the world set out to live and work in the North Pole year round--a feat that had never been done before due to dangerous, near-unlivable conditions on the ice. Rex begins with life aboard the Polarstern, a powerful icebreaker ship that is frozen into the ice and carried across the Arctic by the Transpolar Drift. Away from the rest of the world, the team must live under brutal conditions on the ice, setting up "cities" and "towns" to perform their research on the Arctic ecosystem, its atmosphere, ocean, sea ice, and more. The team must work through terrifying storms, cracking ice floes, frost-bite, and even quarantines as Covid-19 sweeps the globe. But Markus Rex captures heartwarming moments, too, like Christmas parties on the ice and polar bears playing with scientific equipment like puppies. He muses on expeditions past, such as the ill-fated Franklin Expedition, and Fridtjof Nansen's Fram expedition, which he follows as a guide. And he explores answers to the pressing questions facing the Arctic today: How will climate change impact this precious ecosystem--and the rest of the world? What is the best way to protect the Arctic from invaders? Interweaving history, science, and memoir, The Greatest Polar Expedition of All Time is a page-turner about the teamwork it takes to complete a risky goal, all in the name of understanding--and responding to--the climate crisis.

An amusing and informative illustrated guide to life beyond our own planet that covers everything from training for and living in space to the future of space travel and tourism Now that suborbital space tourism is predicted to become a billion-dollar industry in the next ten years and NASA has announced its plans for landing humans on Mars in the 2030s, the dream of traveling and living in space is taking on new reality. But given that life on Earth can be complicated enough, how can we survive and thrive in the zero-gravity, absolute-zero far reaches of space? Look no further: How to Live in Space is chock-full of all the essential information you need to equip yourself for life beyond our blue planet. Grounded in space science, planetary biology, and rocket science, this accessible guide propels readers through takeoff, life in orbit, terraforming, and the long-term effects of space on the human body. Infographics and full-color illustrations help How to Live in Space to answer your burning questions, including: How do you sleep in microgravity? How do you grow food without water? Will your muscles waste away out there? How do you protect yourself from radiation? This is a light-hearted yet informative guide to a life far from terra firma.