What makes ice cubes cloudy? How do shark attacks make airplanes safer? Can a person traveling in a car at the speed of sound still hear the radio? Moreover, would they want to...?Do you often find yourself pondering life's little conundrums? Have you ever wondered why the ocean is blue? Or why birds don't get electrocuted when perching on high-voltage power lines? Robert L. Wolke, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh and acclaimed author of What ...

"Like having a scientist at your side to answer your questions in plain, non-technical language."—Science NewsWhy is red meat red? How do they decaffeinate coffee? Do you wish you understood the science of food but don't want to plow through dry, technical books? In What Einstein Told His Cook, University of Pittsburgh chemistry professor emeritus and award-winning Washington Post food columnist Robert L. Wolke provides reliable and witty explanations for...

The scientist in the kitchen tells us more about what makes our foods tick.This sequel to the best-selling What Einstein Told His Cook continues Bob Wolke's investigations into the science behind our foods—from the farm or factory to the market, and through the kitchen to the table. In response to ongoing questions from the readers of his nationally syndicated Washington Post column, "Food 101," Wolke continues to debunk misconceptions with reliable, commonsense a...

“All you have to do is ask ‘why’ and open to any page. Good luck putting it down.” —Alton Brown, host of Good Eats and Iron ChefHave you ever wondered why onions make us cry? Do you believe bananas contain more calories as they ripen and get sweeter? This sequel to the best-selling What Einstein Told His Cook continues Robert L. Wolke’s investigations into the science behind our foods. In response to ongoing questions from readers of his nationally syndic...

The ideal companion to Flour—Joanne Chang's beloved first cookbook—Flour, too includes the most-requested savory fare to have made her four cafés Boston's favorite stops for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Here are 100 gratifying recipes for easy at-home eating and entertaining from brunch treats to soups, pizzas, pasta, and, of course, Flour's famous cakes, tarts, and other sweet goodies. More than 50 glorious color photographs by Michael Harlan Turkell take the viewer ins...

Michael Ruhlman’s groundbreaking New York Times bestseller gets at the very “truth” of cooking: it is not about recipes but rather about basic ratios and fundamental techniques.Ratios are the simple proportions of one ingredient to another. Knowing a culinary ratio is not like knowing a single recipe; it’s instantly knowing a thousand.Why spend time sorting through millions of cookie recipes online or in cookbooks? Isn’t it easier to remember 1:2:3...

New York Times bestselling author Michael Ruhlman deconstructs the "essential knowledge all cooks and food people need" (The New York Times Book Review) in this indispensable cooking reference for home cooks, serious food lovers, and aspiring chefs, revealing what professional chefs know only after years of training and experience.With alphabetically ordered entries and eight beautifully written essays, Ruhlman outlines what it ta...

From an acclaimed military historian, a fascinating account of just how close the Allies were to losing World War II.Most of us rally around the glory of the Allies' victory over the Nazis in World War II. The story is often told of how the good fight was won by an astonishing array of manpower and stunning tactics. However, what is often overlooked is how the intersection between Adolf Hitler's influential personality and his military strategy was critical in caus...

For most of us, traveling means visiting the most beautiful places on Earth—Paris, the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon. It's rare to book a plane ticket to visit the lifeless moonscape of Canada's oil sand strip mines, or to seek out the Chinese city of Linfen, legendary as the most polluted in the world. But in Visit Sunny Chernobyl, Andrew Blackwell embraces a different kind of travel, taking a jaunt through the most gruesomely polluted places on Earth.From the hidden bars a...

From New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean comes incredible stories of science, history, finance, mythology, the arts, medicine, and more, as told by the Periodic Table.Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why is gallium (Ga, 31) the go-to element for laboratory pranksters?The Periodic Table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of adventur...

**PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • A dramatic story of groundbreaking scientific research of Darwin's discovery of evolution that "spark[s] not just the intellect, but the imagination" (Washington Post Book World) • With a new preface“Admirable and much-needed.... Weiner’s triumph is to reveal how evolution and science work, and to let them speak clearly for themselves.”—The New York Times Book Review**On a desert island in the heart of the Galapagos archipelago, w...

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the acclaimed author of No god but God comes “a lucid, intelligent page-turner” (Los Angeles Times) that challenges long-held assumptions about Jesus.“Riveting . . . [Reza] Aslan synthesizes Scripture and scholarship to create an original account.”—The New YorkerTwo thousand years ago, an itinerant Jewish preacher walked across the Galilee, gathering followers to establ...