Revealing the neuroscience and genetics behind synesthesia—and how this multi-sensory phenomenon changed our view of the brain.A person with synesthesia might feel the flavor of food on her fingertips, sense the letter “J” as shimmering magenta or the number “5” as emerald green, hear and taste her husband’s voice as buttery golden brown. Synesthetes rarely talk about their peculiar sensory gift—believing either that everyone else senses the world exactly as they d...

Based on today’s breakthrough science into neurotransmitters, Override reveals a clear path to overcoming bad habits that sabotage our success in career, love, and healthy living.Why, when we all want to live healthy and vital lives, do we so often botch it up? Why do we make decisions that negatively impact our work, relationships, and lifestyles? Why do our brains always seem to get in the way of our goals? The answer lies in our brain chemistry....

This sweeping history reveals how the use of chemicals has saved lives, destroyed species, and radically changed our planet: "Remarkable . . . highly recommended." — ChoiceIn The Chemical Age, ecologist Frank A. von Hippel explores humanity's long and uneasy coexistence with pests, and how the battles to exterminate them have shaped our modern world. He also tells the captivating story of the scientists who waged war on famine and disease with chem...

A “visual tour through the under-appreciated chemical beauty that surrounds us”—with astonishing photographs of the scientific processes that create snowflakes, bubbles, flames, and other natural wonders (WIRED)Chemistry is not just about microscopic atoms doing inscrutable things; it is the process that makes flowers and galaxies. We rely on it for bread-baking, vegetable-growing, and producing the materials of daily life. In stunning images and illuminat...

A “timely, informative, and fascinating” study of 8 inventions—and how they shaped our world—with “totally compelling” insights on little-known inventors throughout history (Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Sixth Extinction)In The Alchemy of Us, scientist and science writer Ainissa Ramirez examines 8 inventions and reveals how they shaped the human experience:• Clocks• Steel rails• Copper communication ...

What would it be like if you were transported back to Thebes, 1360 BCE? This time-traveler's guide is a fascinating way to find out . . .Imagine you were transported back in time to Ancient Egypt and you had to start a new life there. What would you see? How would the people around you think and believe? How would you fit in? Where would you live? What would you eat? Where would you go to have your hair done, or get help if you got ill or were mugged in the street?

A journey into the mysteries and meaning of quantum theory: "Gorgeously lucid text . . . easily the best book I've read on the subject." — The Washington Post"Anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it." Since Niels Bohr said this many years ago, quantum mechanics has only been getting more shocking. We now realize that it's not really telling us that "weird" things happen out of sight, on the tiniest level, in the atomic wor...

A New York Times-bestselling author explains how the physical world shaped the history of our speciesWhen we talk about human history, we often focus on great leaders, population forces, and decisive wars. But how has the earth itself determined our destiny? Our planet wobbles, driving changes in climate that forced the transition from nomadism to farming. Mountainous terrain led to the development of democracy in Greece. Atmospheric circulation patterns l...

A sharp and delightful celebration of libraries around the world, and throughout time—for the passionate bibliophile and literary historian.“Excellent . . . Tracks the history of that greatest of all cultural institutions.” —The Washington PostLibraries are much more than mere collections of volumes. The best are magical, fabled places whose fame has become part of the cultural wealth they are designed to preserve. Some still exist...

"Engrossing . . . Leave[s] us with a richer picture of physics as a lived activity." — Los Angeles Review of BooksIn Quantum Legacies, David Kaiser introduces readers to iconic episodes in physicists' still-unfolding quest to understand space, time, and matter at their most fundamental. In a series of vibrant essays, Kaiser takes us inside moments of discovery and debate among the great minds of the era—Albert Einstein, Erwin Schrödinger, Stephen H...

Studying plant intelligence reveals “humans may have been misunderstanding plants, and ourselves, for all of history”—for fans of The Hidden Life of Trees (Paris Review).“A compelling story of discovery . . . It will change the way you see the world.” —Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding SweetgrassIn this “phytobiography”—a collection of stories written in partnership with a plant—research scientist M...

What can altered states of consciousness—the dissolution of feelings of time and self—tell us about the mystery of consciousness?A groundbreaking study of out-of-body-experiences, drug intoxication, and shock—perfect for readers interested in psychedelics, psychology and meditation.During extraordinary moments of consciousness—shock, meditative states and sudden mystical revelations, out-of-body experiences, or drug intoxication—our senses ...