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From Nobel Prize–winning physicist P. J. E. Peebles, the story of cosmology from Einstein to todayModern cosmology began a century ago with Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity and his notion of a homogenous, philosophically satisfying cosmos. Cosmology's Century is the story of how generations of scientists built on these thoughts and many new measurements to arrive at a well-tested physical theory of the structure and evolution of our expanding universe.In this landmark book, one of the world's most esteemed theoretical cosmologists offers an unparalleled personal perspective on how the field developed. P. J. E. Peebles was at the forefront of many of the greatest discoveries of the past century, making fundamental contributions to our understanding of the presence of helium and microwave radiation from the hot big bang, the measures of the distribution and motion of ordinary matter, and the new kind of dark matter that allows us to make sense of these results. Taking readers from the field's beginnings, Peebles describes how scientists working in independent directions found themselves converging on a theory of cosmic evolution interesting enough to warrant the rigorous testing it passes so well. He explores the major advances—some inspired by remarkable insights or perhaps just lucky guesses—as well as the wrong turns taken and the roads not explored. He shares recollections from major players in this story and provides a rare, inside look at how science is really done.A monumental work, Cosmology's Century also emphasizes where the present theory is incomplete, suggesting exciting directions for continuing research. Autorid: P. James E. Peebles

An insider's view on bringing extinct species back to lifeCould extinct species, like mammoths and passenger pigeons, be brought back to life? In How to Clone a Mammoth, Beth Shapiro, an evolutionary biologist and pioneer in ancient DNA research, addresses this intriguing question by walking readers through the astonishing and controversial process of de-extinction. From deciding which species should be restored to anticipating how revived populations might be overseen in the wild, Shapiro vividly explores the extraordinary cutting-edge science that is being used to resurrect the past. Considering de-extinction's practical benefits and ethical challenges, Shapiro argues that the overarching goal should be the revitalization and stabilization of contemporary ecosystems. Looking at the very real and compelling science behind an idea once seen as science fiction, How to Clone a Mammoth demonstrates how de-extinction will redefine conservation's future. Autorid: Beth Shapiro

"A fun and fact-filled A-Z treasury for the insect lover in all of usInsectpedia introduces you to the wonders of the insect world while inviting you to make discoveries of your own. Featuring dozens of entries on topics ranging from murder hornets and the "insect apocalypse" to pioneering entomologists such as Margaret James Strickland Collins and Douglas Tallamy, this beautifully illustrated, pocket-friendly encyclopedia dispels many common myths about insects while offering new perspectives on the vital relationships we share with these incredible creatures.This entertaining collection celebrates the long and storied history of entomology, highlights our dependence on insects for food and ecosystem services, and explains the meaning behind various entomological terms. With Eric Eaton as your guide, you will circle the globe in search of African Toktokkies and Australian beer bottle beetles, and witness the peculiar spectacle of cricket fighting in Asia. Profiles of influential figures in entomology provide insights into the curious minds that animate this extraordinarily broad field of scientific inquiry, while the book's portable size makes it the perfect travel companion no matter where your own entomological adventures may lead you.With captivatingillustrations by Amy Jean Porter, Insectpedia is an engaging blend of insect facts and folklore that will inspire anyone who delights in the marvels of nature"-- A fun and fact-filled A–Z treasury for the insect lover in all of usInsectpedia introduces you to the wonders of the insect world while inviting you to make discoveries of your own. Featuring dozens of entries on topics ranging from murder hornets and the “insect apocalypse” to pioneering entomologists such as Margaret James Strickland Collins and Douglas Tallamy, this beautifully illustrated, pocket-friendly encyclopedia dispels many common myths about insects while offering new perspectives on the vital relationships we share with these incredible creatures.This entertaining collection celebrates the long and storied history of entomology, highlights our dependence on insects for food and ecosystem services, and explains the meaning behind various entomological terms. With Eric Eaton as your guide, you will circle the globe in search of African Toktokkies and Australian beer bottle beetles, and witness the peculiar spectacle of cricket fighting in Asia. Profiles of influential figures in entomology provide insights into the curious minds that animate this extraordinarily broad field of scientific inquiry, while the book’s portable size makes it the perfect travel companion no matter where your own entomological adventures may lead you.With captivating illustrations by Amy Jean Porter, Insectpedia is an engaging blend of insect facts and folklore that will inspire anyone who delights in the marvels of nature.Features a real cloth cover with an elaborate foil-stamped design Autorid: Eric R. Eaton, Amy Jean Porter

A captivating AZ treasury about birds and birding Birdpedia is an engaging illustrated compendium of bird facts and birding lore. Featuring nearly 200 entrieson topics ranging from plumage and migration to birds in art, literature, and folklorethis enticing collection is brimming with wisdom and wit about all things avian. Christopher Leahy sheds light on "hawk-watching," "twitching," and other rituals from the sometimes mystifying world of birding that entail a good deal more than their names imply. He explains what kind of bird's nests you can eat, why mocking birds mock, and many other curiosities that have induced otherwise sane people to peer into treetops using outrageously expensive optical equipment. Leahy shares illuminating insights about pioneering ornithologists such as John James Audubon and Florence Bailey, and describes unique bird behaviors such as anting, caching, duetting, and mobbing. He discusses avian fossils, the colloquial naming of birds, the science and history of ornithology, and more. The book's convenient size makes it the perfect traveling companion to take along on your own avian adventures. With charming illustrations by Abby McBride, Birdpedia is a marvelous mix of fact and fancy that is certain to delight seasoned birders and armchair naturalists alike. Features a cloth cover with an elaborate foil-stamped design Autorid: Christopher W. Leahy, Abby McBride

"A vibrant new translation of Seneca's "On the Shortness of Life," a pointed reminder to make the most of a precious asset: our timeWho doesn't worry sometimes that smart phones, the internet, and TV are robbing us of time and preventing us from having alife? How can we make the most of our time on earth? In the first century AD, the Stoic philosopher Seneca the Younger offered one of the most famous answers to that question in his essay, "On the Shortness of Life"-a work that has more to teach us todaythan ever before. In How to Have a Life, James Romm presents a vibrant new translation of Seneca's brilliant essay, plus two Senecan letters on the same theme, complete with the original Latin on facing pages and an inviting introduction.With devastatingsatiric wit, skillfully captured in this translation, Seneca lampoons the ways we squander our time and fail to realize how precious it is. We don't allow people to steal our money, yet we allow them to plunder our time, or else we give it away ourselvesin useless, idle pursuits. Seneca also describes how we can make better use of our brief days and years. In the process, he argues, we can make our lives longer, or even everlasting, because to live a real life is to attain a kind of immortality.A counterweight to the time-sucking distractions of the modern world, How to Have a Life offers priceless wisdom about making our time-and our lives-count"-- "In his moral treatise, De Brevitate Vitae("On the Shortness of Life"), the Stoic philosopher Seneca explored ways to change our experience of time so as to get more enrichment from the present, to diminish regret for the past and anxiety about the future, and to make our lives feel long even though death might cut them short at any moment. As he famously said, "it is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. ... Life is long if you know how to use it." The problem of how to make the most of our time is a universal one and especially pressing in a society like ours, which puts a high value on the maximizing fulfillment. The fear of missing out, or FOMO as it is known in popular culture, attests to our deep need for the kind ofteaching Seneca offers: A guide to living in the moment and making time count. "Live headlong," "Consider each day a life" - In these ways Seneca expressed something like what we mean by "Be here now." In this volume for our Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers series, his fourth, James Romm proposes a new translation of Seneca's De Brevitate Vitae along with selections from other moral essays, especially "On the Happy Life" and "On Tranquillity of Mind," that similarly deal with the need to use time well. Several of the "Moral Epistles" will be drawn on as well, including the very first letter in his immense collection, where Seneca tells his addressee, Lucilius, that "all other things are foreign to us; time alone is ours.""-- A vibrant new translation of Seneca’s “On the Shortness of Life,” a pointed reminder to make the most of our timeWho doesn’t worry sometimes that smart phones, the Internet, and TV are robbing us of time and preventing us from having a life? How can we make the most of our time on earth? In the first century AD, the Stoic philosopher Seneca the Younger offered one of the most famous answers to that question in his essay “On the Shortness of Life”—a work that has more to teach us today than ever before. In How to Have a Life, James Romm presents a vibrant new translation of Seneca’s brilliant essay, plus two Senecan letters on the same theme, complete with the original Latin on facing pages and an inviting introduction.With devastating satiric wit, skillfully captured in this translation, Seneca lampoons the ways we squander our time and fail to realize how precious it is. We don’t allow people to steal our money, yet we allow them to plunder our time, or else we give it away ourselves in useless, idle pursuits. Seneca also describes how we can make better use of our brief days and years. In the process, he argues, we can make our lives longer, or even everlasting, because to live a real life is to attain a kind of immortality.A counterweight to the time-sucking distractions of the modern world, How to Have a Life offers priceless wisdom about making our time—and our lives—count. Autorid: Seneca, James S. Romm

Finalist for the National Book AwardAn intimate reckoning with aquifer depletion in America's heartlandThe Ogallala aquifer has nourished life on the American Great Plains for millennia. But less than a century of unsustainable irrigation farming has taxed much of the aquifer beyond repair. The imminent depletion of the Ogallala and other aquifers around the world is a defining planetary crisis of our times. Running Out offers a uniquely personal account of aquifer depletion and the deeper layers through which it gains meaning and force.Anthropologist Lucas Bessire journeyed back to western Kansas, where five generations of his family lived as irrigation farmers and ranchers, to try to make sense of this vital resource and its loss. His search for water across the drying High Plains brings the reader face to face with the stark realities of industrial agriculture, eroding democratic norms, and surreal interpretations of a looming disaster. Yet the destination is far from predictable, as the book seeks to move beyond the words and genres through which destruction is often known. Instead, this journey into the morass of eradication offers a series of unexpected discoveries about what it means to inherit the troubled legacies of the past and how we can take responsibility for a more inclusive, sustainable future.An urgent and unsettling meditation on environmental change, Running Out is a revelatory account of family, complicity, loss, and what it means to find your way back home. Autorid: Lucas Bessire

Reexamining the life of Golda Meir, the only female prime minister of Israel, through a feminist lens, this authoritative biography explores the tensions between her personal and political identities while also illuminating the difficulties all women face as they try to ascend in male-dominated fields. Illustrations. "One of the founders of the state of Israel, Golda Meir (1898-1978) was Israel's ambassador to the USSR in 1948-49, subsequently served as Israel's Minister of Labor and Foreign Minister, and in 1969 became Israel's fourth Prime Minister. Born to poor and uneducated parents in Kiev as Golda Mabovitz and raised in Milwaukee, she settled in the British Mandate of Palestine in 1917. American Jews of an older generation cherish memories of her as an affable, grandmotherly head of state, a mesmerizing speech maker, a tough negotiator with the likes of Nixon and Kissinger, and as a sort of mother of the Jewish people. However, public memory of her is much more equivocal in Israel, partly due to misogynistic strains in Israeli political culture and to her perceived failures as Prime Minister during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the conflict that arguably led to her resignation and withdrawal from politics. This biography of Golda Meir explores the evolution of her political persona from her teenage years until her death, focusing in particular on her ever-recurring role as the only woman in a room full of male political actors. Pnina Lahav reexamines the story of Golda Meir's early passion for socialist Zionism, her decision to marry early, her separation from husband Morris Meyerson, her decision to leave her children in the care of others in order to pursue her political ambitions, and her conduct first in the Israeli cabinet and then as the country's Prime Minister. Often derided and humiliated by the men with whom she had to work, Golda Meir had her own complicated issues with gender and showed clear signs of having internalized the masculine ideals of the twentieth-century Zionist leadership (as when, for example, she derided her colleague and fellow cabinet minister Abba Eban, a cultivated, highly-educated man, as "effeminate"). And like another notable twentieth-century female political leader, Margaret Thatcher, she was less than supportive of younger women who wanted to follow in her footsteps. While Golda Meir has been the subject of several biographies, Lahav's is unique in its exploration of Golda's complicated and evolving relationship to her identity as a woman, particularly one who ascended to the apex of a patriarchal power structure"-- A feminist biography of the only woman to become prime minister of IsraelIn this authoritative and empathetic biography, Pnina Lahav reexamines the life of Golda Meir (1898–1978) through a feminist lens, focusing on her recurring role as a woman standing alone among men. The Only Woman in the Room is the first book to contend with Meir’s full identity as a woman, Jew, Zionist leader, and one of the founders of Israel, providing a richer portrait of her persona and legacy.Meir, Lahav shows, deftly deflected misogyny as she traveled the path to becoming Israel’s fourth, and only female, prime minister, from 1969 to 1974. Lahav revisits the youthful encounters that forged Meir’s passion for socialist Zionism and reassesses her decision to separate from her husband and leave her children in the care of others. Enduring humiliation and derision from her colleagues, Meir nevertheless led in establishing Israel as a welfare state where social security, workers’ rights, and maternity leave became law. Lahav looks at the challenges that beset Meir’s premiership, particularly the disastrous Yom Kippur War, which led to her resignation and withdrawal from politics, as well as Meir’s bitter duel with feminist and civil rights leader Shulamit Aloni, Meir’s complex relationship with the Israeli and American feminist movements, and the politics that led her to distance herself from feminism altogether.Exploring the tensions between Meir’s personal and political identities, The Only Woman in the Room provides a groundbreaking new account of Meir’s life while also illuminating the difficulties all women face as they try to ascend in male-dominated fields. Autorid: Pnina Lahav

An intellectual history of sovereignty that reveals how the Habsburg Empire became a crucible for our contemporary world orderSprawled across the heartlands of Europe, the Habsburg Empire resisted all the standard theories of singular sovereignty. The 1848 revolutions sparked decades of heady constitutional experimentation that pushed the very concept of “the state” to its limits. This intricate multinational polity became a hothouse for public law and legal philosophy, and spawned ideas that still shape our understanding of the sovereign state today. The Life and Death of States traces the history of sovereignty over one hundred tumultuous years, explaining how a regime of nation-states theoretically equal under international law emerged from the ashes of dynastic empire.Natasha Wheatley shows how a new sort of experimentation began when the First World War brought the Habsburg Empire crashing down: the making of new states. Habsburg lands then became a laboratory for postimperial sovereignty and a new international order, and the results would echo through global debates about decolonization for decades to come. Wheatley explores how the Central European experience opens a unique perspective on a pivotal legal fiction—the supposed juridical immortality of states.A sweeping work of intellectual history, The Life and Death of States offers a penetrating and original analysis of the relationship between sovereignty and time, illustrating how the many deaths and precarious lives of the region’s states expose the tension between the law’s need for continuity and history’s volatility. Autorid: Natasha Wheatley