From ancient scourges to modern-day pandemics!Throughout history--even recent history--highly contagious, deadly, and truly horrible epidemics have swept through cities, countrysides, and even entire countries. Outbreak! catalogs fifty of those incidents in gruesome detail, including:The Sweating Sickness that killed 15,000, including Henry VIII's older brotherSyphilis, the "French Disease," which spread throughout Europe in the lat...

A clear and straightforward explanation of genetics in this new edition of the popular 101 series.Our genetic makeup determines so much about who we are, and what we pass on to our children—from eye color, to height, to health, and even our longevity. Genetics 101 breaks down the science of how genes are inherited and passed from parents to offspring, what DNA is and how it works, how your DNA affects your health, and how you can use your personal genomics...

The truth about performance beyond the 10,000-hour theory.Are champions born or made? In The Sports Gene, investigative journalist David Epstein unpacks the decades-long debate about nature versus nurture in human performance. Drawing on genetics, physiology and psychology, Epstein explores how elite athletes push the limits of body and mind - from the DNA variations that enhance endurance to the training cultures that mou...

"The Physicians of Myddfai"("Meddygon Myddvai" in Welsh), or "The medical practice of the celebrated Rhiwallon and his sons, of Myddfai, in Carmarthenshire, physicians to Rhys Gryg, lord of Dynevor and Ystrad Towy", was written about the middle of the 13th century.The collection of herbal remedies are associated with Rhiwallon Feddyg (eldest son of the Lady of the Lake) , founder of a medical dynasty that lasted over 500 years and comes from the manuscript called the "Red Book of H...

'From your brain to your fingertips, you emerge from her book entertained and with a deeper understanding of yourself' Richard Dawkins'A masterful account of why our bodies are the way they are . . . this book really shines . . . Roberts's lightness of touch is joyous, and celebratory' Observer'Witty, personal and above all informed by passion and deep knowledge, this is the story of you, not just from conc...

Caring for the wounded of the First World War was tough and challenging work, demanding extensive knowledge, technical skill, and high levels of commitment. Although allied nurses were admired in their own time for their altruism and courage, their image was distorted by the lens of popular mythology. They came to be seen as self-sacrificing heroines, romantic foils to the male combatant and doctors' handmaidens, rather than being appreciated as trained professionals performing significant...

'A long-awaited book that answers many questions.' Jan de Vries Antibiotics were developed in the 1940s. Then, they were hailed as a huge breakthrough in the treatment of bacterial infections. Today, they are the most commonly prescribed drugs worldwide. But massive over-prescription of antibiotics has created its own problems. The advent of antibiotic-resistant organisms – or 'superbugs' – has led more and more people to demand alternatives. Natural Alternatives to Antibiotics is a revise...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “Exciting and provocative . . . A tour de force of a book that begs to be seen as well as to be read.”—The Washington Post Book WorldWorld renowned scientist Carl Sagan and acclaimed author Ann Druyan have written a Roots for the human species, a lucid and riveting account of how humans got to be the way we are. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors is a thrilling saga that starts with the origin of the Earth. It shows with...

A New York Times bestseller“A smart and important book.”—Gretchen Reynolds, author of The First 20 MinutesPublications as varied as Wired, Men’s Fitness, and The New Yorker are abuzz over the New York Times bestseller Faster, Higher, Stronger. In it, veteran journalist Mark McClusky explains how today’s top athletes are turning to advanced technology and savvy science to improve their p...

A bestselling history of medicine, enriched with a new foreword, concluding essay, and bibliographic essay.Erwin H. Ackerknecht’s A Short History of Medicine is a concise narrative, long appreciated by students in the history of medicine, medical students, historians, and medical professionals as well as all those seeking to understand the history of medicine.Covering the broad sweep of discoveries from parasitic worms to bacilli and x-rays, and hi...

Over the past thirty years, a new systemic conception of life has emerged at the forefront of science. New emphasis has been given to complexity, networks, and patterns of organisation, leading to a novel kind of 'systemic' thinking. This volume integrates the ideas, models, and theories underlying the systems view of life into a single coherent framework. Taking a broad sweep through history and across scientific disciplines, the authors examine the appearance of key concepts such as auto...

Respiratory System is a presentation of the human respiratory system although many of the details are transferrable to other animals as well. It begins with an examination of the structures and functions involved with external respiration across the surface of alveoli before it considers the mechanics of breathing and how inhaled air is conditioned before it arrives at the alveoli. The unit then considers in detail the processes and chemistry of gas exchange and the forces that drive these...