World renowned physicist Fred Alan Wolf explains the scientific concepts of quantum mechanics in accessible language for nonscientists.Winner of the National Book AwardTaking the Quantum Leap entertainingly traces the history of physics from the observations of the early Greeks through the discoveries of Galileo and Newton to the dazzling theories of such scientists as Planck, Einstein, Bohr, and Bohm. This humanized view of science ...

"Walker takes us on a fascinating and enjoyable wander through the confluence of science, nature, and spirituality without getting us lost." ―Terence McKeown, documentary filmmaker, producer of Planet Hunters , Playing God with Planet Earth , and Stonehenge UncoveredWhen science and spirituality coalesce, secrets of the natural world a...

In a quest to advocate for her daughter, Pepper Stetler uncovers the dark history of the IQ test, leading her to question what exactly we are measuring when we measure intelligence.When Pepper Stetler learned that her daughter, Louisa, who has Down Syndrome, would be required to take periodic IQ tests to secure support in school, she asked a simple question: Why? The hunt for an answer set Stetler on a winding, often dark investigation into how the IQ came...

"A hugely entertaining achievement." –Esquire“An engaging survey through a period of intellectual history that reveals as much about people who wear watches as the objects on their wrists." – Wall Street Journal"As impeccably crafted and precisely engineered as any of the watches on which the author has worked so lovingly over the years, this book is a joy to behold and a wonder to enjoy.” –Simon Winchester, author...

Inspired by the remarkable life of Dorothy Peto, the Metropolitan Police’s first female superintendent.During war, death isn’t only found on the battlefield…It’s 1915 and war continues to rage across Europe, but at home in England, the members of the Women Police Volunteers are more accepted and their numbers continue to grow. However, founding member, Dorothy Peto is frustrated at being consigned to office duties and training recruits. Then, early one morning, her friend M...

A NEW APPROACH TO EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY: A leading developmental psychologist proposes an evolutionary pathway to understanding human psychological agency.Nature cannot build organisms biologically prepared for every contingency they might possibly encounter. Instead, Nature builds some organisms to function as feedback control systems that pursue goals, make informed behavioral decisions about how best to pursue those goals in the current situation, and then mon...

From New York Times bestselling author and legendary Jeopardy! host and champion Ken Jennings comes a hilarious travel guide to the afterlife, exploring to die for destinations from literature, mythology, and pop culture.Ever wonder which circles of Dante’s Inferno have the nicest accommodations? Where’s the best place to grab a bite to eat in the ancient Egyptian underworld? How does one dress like a local in the heavenly palace of Hindu...

"A delightful exposition of commonly-encountered statistical fallacies and paradoxes and why they matter." —Samuel H. Preston, coauthor of Demography: Measuring and Modeling Population ProcessesAn essential guide to the ways data can improve decision making.Statistics are everywhere: in news reports, at the doctor's office, and in every sort of forecast, from the stock market to the weather. Allen B. Downey knows well that people have an innate abil...

An "exciting" account of the feud between monarchs, clergy, and explorers that split the globe between Spain and Portugal and made the oceans a battleground ( Kirkus Reviews).When Columbus triumphantly returned to Spain in 1493, his discoveries inflamed an already-smoldering conflict between Spain's monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, and Portugal's João II. Which nation was to control the world's oceans? To quell the argument, Pope Alexander VI—the notorious...

Regain personal power and eliminate procrastination—more than 100 exercises to master self disciplineIt's easy to get distracted by day-to-day life. Especially when the tasks feel endless and your motivation is nowhere to be seen. With 5-Minute Self Discipline Exercises, you can get back on track by gaining the tools you need to reconnect with your energy, overcome your resistance, and achieve your goals sans procrastination.Use the bite-sized 5-mi...

A 2021 Mathical Honor Book: "One of the best math teachers on the planet. His book is as buoyant, open-hearted, and energetic as he is." —Steven Strogatz, New York Times–bestselling author of Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the UniverseWhy aren't left-handers extinct? What makes a rainbow round? How is a pancreas like a pendulum? These may not look like math questions, but they are—because they all have to do with patterns. And...

"Exceptionally absorbing and thrilling. ... Masterful." — NatureA "magnificent" ( Scientific American), genre-defying narrative of the most ambitious science project ever conceived: NASA's deep space mission to Europa, the Jovian moon where might swim the first known alien life in our solar systemIn the spirit of Tom Wolfe and John McPhee, The Mission is an exuberant master class of creative nonfiction that reveal...