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The unthinkable: who survives when disaster strikes and why
By Amanda Ripley. 2008
Time magazine writer investigates the psychology of survival during disasters such as airline crashes, fires, hostage situations, and tsunamis. Reveals…
the traits that people demonstrate to help them escape. Includes interviews with subjects of the September 11, 2001, attacks; 2005's Hurricane Katrina; and the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting rampage. Some strong language. 2008The great warming: climate change and the rise and fall of civilizations
By Brian M Fagan. 2008
Anthropologist follows up The Little Ice Age (BR 13935) with an examination of the Medieval Warm Period (A.D. 800-1300). Describes…
changes in temperature and rainfall that brought bountiful harvests, population growth, and cultural advancement to western Europe while Central America and Southeast Asia experienced drought, famine, and decline. 2008Climat, le vrai et le faux (Manifestes)
By Valérie Masson-Delmotte. 2011
"Les sciences du climat font l'objet d'une médiatisation et d'une instrumentalisation politique extra-ordinaires. Et les débats, tant scientifiques que médiatiques,…
nous interrogent : que savons-nous vraiment ? Que pouvons-nous affirmer et de quoi doutons-nous ? Question subsidiaire : les scientifiques nous disent-ils la vérité ? Pour la communauté scientifique, il ne fait aucun doute que les activités humaines modifient la composition de l'atmosphère, ni que la surface de notre planète s'est globalement réchauffée depuis le début du XXe siècle. Mais nous vivons sur une planète finie : les ressources fossiles ne sont pas éternelles et les déchets s'accumulent. L'augmentation de l'effet de serre est-elle déjà en train de modifier le climat ? Est-ce le seul facteur qui va contrôler l'évolution du climat ? Quel serait le rythme naturel du climat ? Les scientifiques sont-ils capables de décortiquer les rouages de la machine climatique ? Comment se situe le changement climatique en cours vis-à-vis des turbulences passées ? Qu'est-ce qu'un changement climatique acceptable ? Ce petit livre répond clairement à toutes ces questions autant qu'on peut y répondre !" -- 4e de couvAccount of the author's journey to the Farallon Islands, twenty-seven miles from San Francisco, a renowned refuge of great white…
sharks. Casey, an editor, relates joining scientists Peter Pyle and Scot Anderson as they study the predators in their natural habitat. She describes shark attacks and the archipelago's beauty. Some strong language. 2005The autoimmune epidemic: bodies gone haywire in a world out of balance-- and the cutting-edge science that promises hope
By Donna Jackson Nakazawa. 2008
Journalist analyzes the growing prevalence of autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes, Crohn's disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid…
arthritis. Posits that the environment--full of industrial chemicals, heavy metals, and toxins--has accelerated such illnesses. Reports patients' first-person accounts, evidence of cluster epidemics, and relevant medical research. 2008The heartless stone: a journey through the world of diamonds, deceit, and desire
By Tom Zoellner. 2006
Reporter exposes the inner workings of the diamond industry. Recounts his travels to remote, sometimes dangerous locations on six continents…
where he encountered diamond smugglers, miners, geologists, jewel polishers, and chemists. Investigates poverty and civil war associated with gemstone production and the influence of the secretive De Beers cartel. 2006Flowers: how they changed the world
By William C Burger. 2006
Botanist explores the role of flowering plants in nature and in human history. Discusses biological basics and ways floral diversity…
protects against disease and ensures species survival. Emphasizes flowers' importance as an energy and food resource and as the basis of agriculture, enabling civilization to flourish. 2006Wolf: legend, enemy, icon
By Rebecca L Grambo. 2005
Explores the evolution of the wolf-human relationship. Covers early civilizations' reverence of the wolf, the wolf as a symbol of…
evil in the Middle Ages, and its near extinction in modern times. Describes the wolf's life cycle and its predatory nature, which incites both fear and admiration in humans. 2005Field notes from a catastrophe: man, nature, and climate change
By Elizabeth Kolbert. 2006
New Yorker staff writer addresses global warming in this examination of climate change. Kolbert recounts her visits to northern latitudes…
to document effects of greenhouse gases on land and people. Discusses the interplay of science and politics and details actions taken by organizations and individuals to avert a crisis. 2006Why size matters: from bacteria to blue whales
By John Tyler Bonner. 2006
Biologist contends that size rules life. Examines how size differences in animals and plants affect their biological shape, complexity, division…
of labor, evolution, abundance in nature, metabolic rates, life cycles, speed of movement, and pitch of voice. 2006Companion volume to the Academy Award-winning best documentary feature film presents the former U.S. vice president's personal assessment of the…
dangers facing our physical world due to the climate crisis. Gore discusses symptoms of change--greenhouse gases, glacier and polar melt, bleaching of coral--and profiles scientists investigating these issues. 2006Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
By Annie Dillard. 2007
Songbird journeys: four seasons in the lives of migratory birds
By Miyoko Coco Chu. 2007
Ornithologist describes the migratory, breeding, and wintering patterns of American songbirds such as blackbirds, crows, finches, jays, swallows, thrushes, warblers,…
and wrens, during each of the four seasons. Discusses researchers' efforts to understand the birds' movements, behaviors, and navigation methods and examines conservation issues and threats from human development. 2007The most important fish in the sea: menhaden and America
By H. Bruce Franklin. 2007
Professor examines the economic, historic, and ecological role of menhaden--small, bony, once-abundant fish used for industrial oil, fertilizer, and animal…
feed. Chronicles the fish's decline along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts due to overharvesting by large-scale corporations. Describes the impact of this depletion on marine ecosystems. 2007Celebrates the adaptation of heron, egret, Canada goose, coyote, peregrine falcon, red-tailed hawk, vulture, and crow to the urban landscapes…
of Washington, D.C., and New York City. In the title piece, the author reflects upon the nonvenomous black rat snake before rescuing a six-foot-long one from a human crowd. 2005Tigers in red weather: a quest for the last wild tigers
By Ruth Padel. 2006
British poet describes the plight of tigers as she travels to their habitats in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Russia, Korea,…
China, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia. Padel discusses tiger lore and history, the work of scientists and conservators in the field, and the reasons for the near extinction of tigers. 2006Blame it on the rain: how the weather has changed history
By Laura Lee. 2006
Surveys the impact of severe weather on historic events. Covers rainstorms and heavy winds during decisive battles, including the defeat…
of the Spanish Armada, Waterloo, and D-Day. Explores weather conditions related to the Stradivarius violin, the safety razor, and the hymn "Amazing Grace." 2006Divine wind: the history and science of hurricanes
By Kerry A Emanuel. 2005
Professor explains the atmospheric forces that cause tropical storms and explores the influence of such weather on human history and…
the arts. Discusses weather systems and forecasting and recounts remarkable historic storms including the 1935 Florida Labor Day hurricane and the seventeenth-century storm that inspired Shakespeare's play The Tempest. 2005Unearthing the dragon: the great feathered dinosaur discovery
By Mark Norell. 2005
Paleontology curator at the American Museum of Natural History discusses how the discovery of feathered dinosaur fossils in China blurred…
the modern distinction between reptiles and birds. Recounts his travels and explores the discovery's impact on popular culture and scientific understanding of avian flight, prehistoric ecosystems, and evolution. 2005Darwin: discovering the tree of life
By Niles Eldredge. 2005
Analyzes Charles Darwin's notes from his travels to South America and the Galapagos Islands in 1831-36. Traces the scientist's personal…
and professional life during the twenty years the notebooks were kept private. Discusses advances in evolutionary theory since Darwin's time and disputes the concept of intelligent design. 2005