A fascinating exploration of lakes around the world, from Walden Pond to the Dead Sea.More than a century and a half have passed since Walden was first published, and the world is now a very different place. Lakes are changing rapidly, not because we are separate from nature but because we are so much a part of it. While many of our effects on the natural world today are new, from climate change to nuclear fallout, our connections to it are ancient, as cor...

A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction of 2011 titleA bold, far-reaching look at how our actions will decide the planet's future for millennia to come.Imagine a planet where North American and Eurasian navies are squaring off over shipping lanes through an acidified, ice-free Arctic. Centuries later, their northern descendants retreat southward as the recovering sea freezes over again. And later still, future nations plan how to avert an approaching Ice Age... by burning w...

"Delightful alchemy: Curt Stager transforms atomic science into lustrous, golden stories about the hidden connections that unite us all." —David George Haskell, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of The Forest UnseenWhat do atoms have to do with your life? In Your Atomic Self, scientist Curt Stager reveals how they connect you to some of the most amazing things in the universe.You will follow your oxygen atoms through fire and water...

Discover the Mysteries of Our Universe Weird Universe is your gateway to the wonders of space. Have you ever looked up at the night sky and marveled at the mysteries hidden beyond the stars? This book takes that curiosity and turns it into an accessible, fun introduction to space, packed with all the weirdness we've discovered out there. Unlock the wonders of space with a fresh and exciting perspective. Erika Hamden, a renowned astrophysicist and educator, brings her passion for space to l...

We've been told that artificial intelligence (AI) will both destroy and create jobs, fuel and strangle creativity, be our friend and deceive us, and not only take our orders at the drive-thru, but flip the burgers, too. So what exactly is AI? And what does it mean for us?The Complete Guide to AI cuts through the hype to explain what AI is (and is not), how it works, and the likely outcomes ahead. It will empower you to thrive in an AI-driven future and teach you how to sur...

**“A captivating must-read for anyone who aspires to learn and grow.” —Katy Milkman, author of How to ChangeA neuroscientist reveals the hidden calculations that shape our daily decisions—and how to make more fulfilling, impactful choices in our work, relationships, and lives.**With so many competing priorities pulling us in different directions every day—family, friends, work, our health—it can feel difficult to make decisions that are aligned with what we care ab...

**A Wall Street Journal Best Book To ReadA song comes on—and suddenly, you’re somewhere else.**Reliving past heartbreak. Picturing a serene future. Imagining a fantastical scene. Across genres, music has an uncanny ability to carry us into distinct inner worlds.In Transported, acclaimed music cognition researcher Elizabeth Margulis explores the phenomenon of musical daydreams—the vivid, spontaneous, emotionally charged images, stories, and...

Feeling wired, tired, and stretched too thin? You're not alone—and you're not broken.In Wonder and Joy for the Wired and Tired, Dr. Pam Stephens Lehenbauer, a respected researcher, epidemiologist, clinician, and thought leader on joy, wonder, and well-being, offers a compassionate and eye-opening look at why so many people feel chronically stressed, fatigued, and disconnected. She also reveals why the traditional wellness model, first conceived decades ago, is no l...

In this ambitious and groundbreaking history of the dollar, financial journalist and economic scholar Brendan Greeley makes a new argument about the origins of our money—and the people and nations who have surrendered to it.“Eye-opening, educational, exhaustively reported, and very fun to read.”—Foreign PolicyAmerica’s money is global money—nearly every nation in the world writes international contracts in dollars, and in 2023, cen...

**An Apple Best Book of the MonthFrom award-winning journalist and coauthor of The 15:17 to Paris, an affecting human history of the first self-steering bomb**Paveway, the first "smart" bomb, was created to be a more precise and ostensibly humane weapon, reducing civilian casualties. The true impact of the bomb, however, is ever more complex and unpredictable.In The Warhead, Jeffrey Stern tells the story of Paveway through the lives of seven interc...

**An awe-inspiring investigation into the hidden world of the deep sea—the most mysterious, unforgiving environment on Earth—whose secrets can radically revise our understanding of life itself and chart our planetary future.“A brilliant scientist and storyteller, Jeffrey Marlow takes us on a page-turning descent into the deepest mysteries on the planet.”—Jack E. Davis, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea**A NEW YORKE...

#1 Amazon Bestseller in Maritime History & PiracyThe players change. The stage stays the same.What if the most important forces in history aren't the generals, the ideologues, or the statesmen — but the narrow passages of water they're all fighting over?"A bad-boy history teacher who won't color inside the lines." — Tamim Ansary, author of Destiny DisruptedIn 3 Straits & A Ditch, Norm Coady traces four strategic passages — the Turkish Straits, Gibraltar, the...