"[A] whimsical book on aging . . . the author mixes art, science, and humor to brew a highly readable concoction, presenting one aging theory after another." — Publishers WeeklyEverything that lives will die. That's the fundamental fact of life. But not everyone dies at the same age: people vary wildly in their patterns of aging and their life spans—and that variation is nothing compared to what's found in other animal and plant species.With The ...

A "delectably erudite" study of how natural selection has shaped the foods we eat: "This intricate scientific banquet is a marvelous read: bon appétit." — NatureWhat do eggs, flour, and milk have in common? They form the basis of waffles, of course, but these breakfast staples also share an evolutionary function: eggs, seeds (from which we derive flour by grinding), and milk have each evolved to nourish offspring. Indeed, ponder the genesis of your breakfas...

For all the "selfishness" of genes, they team up to survive. Is the history of life in fact a story of cooperation? Amid the violence and brutality that dominates the news, it's hard to think of ourselves as team players. But cooperation, Jonathan Silvertown argues, is a fundamental part of our make-up, and deeply woven into the whole four-billion-year history of life. Starting with human society, Silvertown digs deeper, to show how cooperation is key to the cells forming...

Cities pose formidable obstacles to nonhuman life. Vast expanses of asphalt and concrete are inhospitable to plants and animals; traffic noise and artificial light disturb natural rhythms; sewage and pollutants imperil existence. Yet cities teem with life: In rowhouse neighborhoods, tiny flowers bloom from cracks in the sidewalk. White clover covers lawns, its seeds dispersed by shoes and birds. Moths flutter and spiders weave their webs near electric lights. Sparrows and squirrels feast o...

Cities pose formidable obstacles to nonhuman life. Vast expanses of asphalt and concrete are inhospitable to plants and animals; traffic noise and artificial light disturb natural rhythms; sewage and pollutants imperil existence. Yet cities teem with life: In rowhouse neighborhoods, tiny flowers bloom from cracks in the sidewalk. White clover covers lawns, its seeds dispersed by shoes and birds. Moths flutter and spiders weave their webs near electric lights. Sparrows and squirrels feast o...

In this provocative reimagining of what it is to be a plant, an evolutionary biologist draws on a lifetime of research to offer an original and beguiling behind-the-scenes perspective on how plants really work—and how we truly depend on leaves for our survival. For readers of Entangled Life and An Immense World.Leaves are so familiar that they are easy to overlook. Yet it is through leaves that plants perform their magic—not least building towers ...

Have you always wanted to write a novel?Emily Winslow will help you develop the mindset and skills to get you started, keep you going, and see you through. Time to Write is a creative writing guide aimed at anyone who wants to write a novel and could use some support.It contains 49 lessons, each easy to read and packed with insights based on experience. Emily has taken her own work to high levels with major publishers, and has learned from teaching...

Leah Elson draws upon her wildly popular web series, 60 Seconds of Science, in this highly entertaining and visually appealing giftable book of real-world scientific questions and answers.How does DNA work?Does chicken noodle soup actually help with being sick?When cats purr, what is actually making the noise?Does singing to plants really help them grow?Is it possible to clone a woolly mammoth?In the vein of Randall Munroe’s What If? and p...

The timeless stories of Greek mythology come to life in these reimagined tales written in the voices of Zeus, Oedipus, Odysseus, and many others.Though the gods are featured prominently in Greek mythology, there is nothing sacred about it. Anyone is free to bring their own interpretation to these stories, just as Homer, Sophocles, and Euripides did centuries ago. In this volume, classicist and author Robert Garland presents nearly forty Greek legends as told by the ...

How the meaningless process of natural selection produces purposeful beings who find meaning in the world . . .“A challenging though rewarding exploration of the meaning and purpose of life” that blends evolutionary biology and philosophy (Kirkus Reviews).Evolutionary biologist David Haig explains how a physical world of matter in motion gave rise to a living world of purpose and meaning. Natural selection, a process without purpos...

"Addresses an important topic for biologists and zoologists about vertebrates' place in the 'grand scheme' . . . genuinely witty and charming . . . magnificent." —Neil J. Gostling, University of SouthamptonOur understanding of vertebrate origins and the backbone of human history evolves with each new fossil find and DNA map. Many species have now had their genomes sequenced, and molecular techniques allow genetic inspection of even non-model organisms. But as longti...

How they changed the world, and how they can change it again.This is the best book on philosophy I have ever read, and I have four master's degrees. —Philip van Heusen for Readers' FavoriteFor better or worse, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle engineered the Western mind.Above all, they formed part of a movement that stood at the crossroads of mythological and scientific-rational thought, at the crossroads of mythos and logos....