Book recommendations

In this groundbreaking book, world-renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson tackles the world's thorniest philosophical conundrums, armed with wit, wisdom, and cutting-edge science. illed with paradigm-shifting concepts arising from the ideas of astrophysics today, this enlightening book will inspire readers of all ages.

Michio Kaku tells the story of the greatest quest in all of science. When Newton discovered the law of gravity, he unified the rules governing the heavens and the Earth. Since then, physicists have been placing new forces into ever-grander theories. But perhaps the ultimate challenge is achieving a monumental synthesis of the two remaining theories -- relativity and the quantum theory. It is a captivating, gripping story; what's at stake is nothing less than our conception of the universe.

Quick -- what do you worry about most? Your cell phone giving you cancer? The public bathroom you're using being dirty? GMOs in your food? An asteroid strike? Something else? In this witty and evidenced-based book, Lise Johnson and Eric Chudler get to the root of our worries, all the while using science to help tame the anxiety beast.

This stunningly illustrated handbook is split into eight sections that cover every aspect of astronomy. Learn about the history of discoveries in the field and astronomical phenomena, from the earliest human civilizations to the present day, and then take a lavish visual tour of our solar system, complete with the most recent photographs of the planets.

Guy P. Harrison not only offers science's best current answers to crucial questions but shows how all of this information fits together. Going well beyond the simplistic factoids readily available on any smartphone, he reveals the wider implications and deeper meanings inherent in the scientific worldview.

Why did European paintings before 1700 rarely feature the color blue? What is the hottest flame? Who won a Nobel because of a dish of red peppers? These are just a few of the thought-provoking questions addressed in this beautifully illustrated book.

This comprehensive resource features contributions from a host of international manufacturing and design experts. You will get thorough explanations of the entire range of advanced manufacturing processes and technologies as well as practical instructions and technical guidance.

In this fascinating discussion of these early years of mathematics, not only does physicist Peter S. Rudman chronicle the record of events in the evolution of mathematics prior to calculators, and even pencil and paper, but he also digs deeper into the more important questions of why different cultures did their math in their own particular ways.

Biomedical science -- the research that underlies our treatments and cures -- is in deep crisis. Every year, American taxpayers spend more than $30 billion funding it. About half of that work, by some estimates, is wrong. As Richard Harris reveals in "Rigor Mortis", this is not simply the result of trial and error. The economic imperative for researchers to get and keep jobs and funding encourages dubious behavior, from poor experimental design to sloppy statistics and shoddy analysis.

The emerging field of synthetic biology employs biotechnological approaches to recreate and enhance basic biological structures, intracellular processes and whole organisms. This book provides a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the opportunities and challenges of this complex field of biotechnology, which combines various scientific disciplines. It addresses a broad range of topics, including redesigning complex metabolic pathways, DNA/RNA and protein engineering, as well as novel synthetic biomaterials.

In "Technology in Postwar America", Carroll Pursell chronicles the history of American technology since World War II, analyzing the relationship between technological change and diverse topics such as consumption, militarism, and gender.

We know the universe has a history, but does it also have a story of self-creation to tell? Yes, in Roy R. Gould's account. He offers a compelling narrative of how the universe -- with no instruction other than its own laws -- evolved into billions of galaxies and gave rise to life, including humans who have been trying for millennia to comprehend it.