This historical study is "a compelling demonstration that the science of memory . . . is both a product of and an influence on the culture from which it springs" ( Bookforum).Think about a birthday you remember well. Now step back and ask: how clear are those memories? Is there a chance you're remembering incorrectly? And what about the details you can no longer recall? Are they hidden in your brain, or are they gone forever?Such questions have fasci...

How they changed the world, and how they can change it again.This is the best book on philosophy I have ever read, and I have four master's degrees. —Philip van Heusen for Readers' FavoriteFor better or worse, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle engineered the Western mind.Above all, they formed part of a movement that stood at the crossroads of mythological and scientific-rational thought, at the crossroads of mythos and logos....

"An outstanding contribution. . . . The glossary and illustrations are excellent and most helpful. This book will be the standard for years to come." —Robert M. Timm, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, and past president, American Society of MammalogistsDouglas A. Kelt and James L. Patton provide a long-overdue update to Timothy E. Lawlor's Handbook to the Orders and Families of Living Mammals in their new, wholly original w...

A resource of information about the cultural, political and social conditions of urban life in the capital of medieval England during the 1300s.For the medieval period that was witness to a legion of political and natural disasters, the rise and fall of empires across the globe and one of the most devastating and greatest pandemics human kind has ever experienced, the fourteenth century was transformative.Peering through the looking-glass to focus on one of E...

Stories of the archetypal Trickster from Michael Cadnum, Charles de Lint, Patricia A. McKillip, Jeffrey Ford, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, and others.World Fantasy Award FinalistThe mythic Trickster is both good and bad, wise and witless, sacred and profane. He appears in many different guises in world mythology, taking the form of a god in Greek legend; a coyote, raven, or rabbit in Native American lore; a meddlesome faery in English folktales; a la...

"An ambitious and exciting book about creativity . . . chart[s] new territory." — ScienceConsider Miles Davis, horn held high, sculpting a powerful musical statement full of tonal patterns, inside jokes, and thrilling climactic phrases—all on the fly. Or a comedy troupe riffing on cues from the audience until the whole room erupts with laughter; a team of software engineers brainstorming their way to the next Google; or the Einsteins of the world code-crack...

A social history that pulls back the covers on the most intimate piece of furniture in our lives: "Entertaining . . . will keep you awake long into the night." —Paul Chrystal, author of The History of SweetsLouis XIV ruled France from his bedchamber. Winston Churchill governed Britain from his during World War II. Travelers routinely used to bed down with complete strangers, and whole families shared beds in many preindustrial households. Beds were expensi...

"Cephalopods are often misunderstood creatures. Three biologists set the record straight on the behaviors and evolution of these invertebrates of the sea." — Science NewsLargely shell-less relatives of clams and snails, the marine mollusks in the class Cephalopoda—Greek for "head-foot" —are colorful creatures of many-armed dexterity, often inky self-defense, and highly evolved cognition. They are capable of learning, of retaining information—and of rapid de...

"Fascinating. . . . Will have a very special appeal to readers [interested] in the evolution of the English language, Roman history, and medieval British history." — Midwest Book ReviewThe end of empire in Britain was both more abrupt and more complete than in any of the other European Roman provinces. When the fog clears and Britain re-enters the historical record, it is, unlike other former European provinces of the Western Empire, dominated by a new cul...

" With poignancy and audacity, Frame builds an unexpected bridge between mathematical beauty and human sorrow, illuminating both." —Francis Su, author of Mathematics for Human FlourishingWe all know the euphoria of intellectual epiphany—the thrill of sudden understanding. But coupled with that excitement is a sense of loss: a moment of epiphany can never be repeated. In Geometry of Grief *,*mathematician Michael Frame draws on a career's worth of ...

Master and combine different media in your drawing—from soft pencils to graphite powder, ballpoint to fiber-tip pens, conté sticks to watercolor pencils.This visual directory of drawing techniques beyond the pencil provides you with the skills to explore and experiment with all the different techniques and mediums. Use it as a handy reference for when you want to know how to use a particular tool, or as a catalogue of inspiration when seeking new ideas to try....

This acclaimed biography of 19th century scientist Gregor Mendel is " a fascinating tale of the strange twists and ironies of scientific progress" ( Publishers Weekly).A National Book Critics Circle Award finalistIn The Monk in the Garden, award-winning author Robin Marantz Henig vividly chronicles the birth of genetics, a field that continues to challenge the way we think about life itself. Tending to his...