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The elements: a very short introduction (Very Short Introductions #Vol. 104)
By Philip Ball. 2004
Beginning with the ancient Greeks' earth, air, fire, and water, science journalist goes on to discuss the discovery of oxygen,…
the aesthetic and economic appeal of gold, the periodic table's origins, and practical uses of the elements in science, medicine, manufacturing, and technology. 2002Spaceman: an astronaut's unlikely journey to unlock the secrets of the universe
By Mike Massimino. 2016
An astronaut chronicles his life and the journey to his career. Discusses growing up in New York, figuring out how…
to achieve his dreams of working for NASA, his initial medical disqualification due to his eyesight, and his eventual training. Includes anecdotes of the other astronauts he has met over the years. 2016How the wise men got to Chelm: the life and times of a Yiddish folk tradition
By Ruth Von Bernuth. 2016
An examination of the Eastern European Jewish literary tradition of stories about a town called Chelm, which was meant to…
be a town of fools. Discusses the dual identity of Chelm in reality and folktale tradition. The author places Chelm literature in a historical context and discusses its precursors. 2016Tales of the quantum: understanding physics' most fundamental theory
By Art Hobson. 2017
Physicist explains the quantum, which is defined as a unified specific bundle of field energy and makes up photons, electrons,…
protons, atoms, and molecules. Pays particular attention to the resulting phenomena, including wave-particle duality, fundamental randomness, existence in two places simultaneously, quantum jumps, and more. 2017The people and the books: 18 classics of Jewish literature
By Adam Kirsch. 2016
Poet examines Jewish literary tradition to understand central questions and themes repeated through Jewish history and culture, such as the…
nature of God and the Promised Land. Discusses the books of Deuteronomy and Esther from the Bible and works by Flavius Josephus, Maimonides, Glückel of Hameln, and more. 2016Why time flies: a mostly scientific investigation
By Alan Burdick. 2017
Journalist distills his ten years of research into the concept of time. Discusses time as a scientific concept, the ways…
time is experienced according to age and geographic location, and twenty-first century investigations into it--including those by neuroscientists. 2017The boy on the wooden box: how the impossible became possible ... on Schindler's list
By Leon Leyson, Marilyn J. Harran, Elisabeth B. Leyson. 2013
Memoir of Leon Leyson (born Leib Lejzon), who was only ten years old when the Nazis invaded Poland. Recounts the…
day his Jewish family was forced to relocate to the Kraków ghetto, their perseverance in the Plaszów concentration camp, and the relationship they formed with Oskar Schindler. For grades 5-8. 2013A None's story: searching for meaning inside Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, & Islam
By Corinna Nicolaou. 2016
Nicolaou, who was raised without a religious tradition, discusses her experiences exploring Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism in the Pacific…
Northwest, California, Texas, and Washington, D. C. Discusses the people she meets, what she learns about various sects, and what it means for her to continue to identify as a "none."2016Water: a very short introduction (Very Short Introductions)
By John Finney, J. L. Finney. 2015
Physics professor introduces the science of water, explaining that the structure of water molecules gives rise to its physical and…
chemical properties. Considers water in all of its states--ice and steam as well as liquid. Identifies the importance of the science of water in many fields, including chemistry, astrophysics, and environmental research. 2015Sound: a very short introduction (Very Short Introductions)
By Mike Goldsmith. 2015
Science writer explores the science of sound in different contexts, covering the audible and the inaudible, sound under the ground…
and under water, acoustic and electric sound, and hearing in humans and animals. Describes the physical basis of pitch and harmony and how sound waves are exploited in musical instruments. 2015Relativity: a very short introduction (Very Short Introductions)
By Russell Stannard. 2008
Physicist and professor sets out to make Einstein's special and general theories of relativity accessible and understandable, using minimal mathematics.…
Explores the theories' impact on science and our contemporary understanding of the universe. Explains the formula E=mc² and ventures into the concepts of curved space-time and black holes. 2008Historian chronicles the development of Jewish kosher laws and the integration of them into the twentieth-century American food industry. Discusses…
divergences of opinion among Jewish sects on what is and is not kosher, further accommodations with secular entities, and the interplay with ethics moving into the twenty-first century. 2016Newton: a very short introduction (Very Short Introductions)
By Robert Iliffe, Rob Iliffe. 2007
Professor of intellectual history provides a balanced appraisal of Isaac Newton (1642-1727), one of the most influential mathematicians and scientists…
who ever lived. Explains Newton's scientific discoveries, the forces that shaped his thinking, and his radical theology and controversial beliefs--including a keen interest in alchemy. 2007Nuclear power: a very short introduction (Very Short Introductions)
By J. M Irvine, Maxwell Irvine. 2011
Physics professor provides an overview of the development of nuclear science and the emergence of the nuclear power industry. Assesses…
risks, costs, and potential future prospects. Addresses anxieties provoked by reactor incidents such as those at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima. Examines the possibility of nuclear fusion replacing nuclear fission. 2011Galaxies: a very short introduction (Very Short Introductions)
By John Gribbin. 2008
Astrophysicist explains how understanding of our galaxy and its place in the universe has increased dramatically due to technological advances.…
Indicates that discovery of the ages of the universe, galaxies, and stars appears to confirm twentieth-century physics and quantum mechanics. Explores black holes and dark matter. Includes glossary. 2008Kabbalah: a very short introduction (Very Short Introductions)
By Joseph Dan. 2007
Authority on Jewish mysticism--who acknowledges that "kabbalah" has had many meanings over the centuries--surveys phenomena described as "kabbalistic" in various…
periods and cultures. Discusses kabbalah's roots in medieval Jewish texts, integration into Christian theology and European philosophy, and importance in contemporary New Age thought. 2006Nuclear physics: a very short introduction (Very Short Introductions)
By Frank Close, F. E. Close. 2015
Oxford physics professor describes the historical development of nuclear physics, beginning with J.J. Thomson's discovery of the electron at the…
end of the nineteenth century. The field ranges from the study of heavy nuclei in supernova to applications in the world of medicine, including MRI and PET scans. 2015Materials: a very short introduction (Very Short Introductions)
By Christopher Hall. 2014
Materials scientist explains "useful matter" of all sorts, from gold, sand, and string to the nickel-aluminum superalloys that make jet…
travel possible. Details the importance of understanding the internal structure of materials, their various properties, and how they are used. 2014A history of time (Very Short Introductions)
By Leofranc Holford-Strevens. 2005
A detailed account of various societies' methods of measuring the passage of hours, days, months, and years, from ancient times.…
Considers the political and religious implications and examines Greenwich Mean Time, time zones, experiments and controversies in establishing a calendar, and different approaches to the number of annual seasons. 2005Particle physics: a very short introduction (Very Short Introductions #Vol. 109)
By Frank Close, F. E. Close. 2012
Professor of physics journeys inside the atom to examine its known components: quarks, electrons, and neutrinos. Describes the processes by…
which scientists have discovered these particles and how our understanding of the physical world has been radically revised. Discusses antimatter and identifies particle physicists' future inquiries. 2004