Science

Bill Bryson once again proves himself to be an incomparable companion as he guides us through the human body--how it functions, its remarkable ability to heal itself, and (unfortunately) the ways it can fail. Full of extraordinary facts (your body made a million red blood cells since you started reading this) and irresistible Bryson-esque anecdotes, The Body will lead you to a deeper understanding of the miracle that is life in general and you in particular. As Bill Bryson writes, "We pass our existence within this wobble of flesh and yet take it almost entirely for granted." The Body will cure that indifference with generous doses of wondrous, compulsively readable facts and information.

-- Just as most books on the brain are too complicated or focus on only one aspect of the brain and its functions, most Websites give only part of the story offered in this Complete Idiot's Guide "RM."

-- There's a Brain Awareness Week in March each year, sponsored by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives. And don't forget that the 1990s was the Decade of the brain!

-- Keyword "brain" calls up 1076 Web sites and almost 3 million Web pages on Yahoo (507,000 on the human brain), including the brain research and injury, brain and language or emotions, and so much more -- how wonderful to have all that information in one easy-to-read book.

The Complete Idiot's Guide "RM" to Understanding the Brain includes coverage of: the first brain, from Homo Erectus to Leonardo; paging Dr. Frankenstein to the decade of the brain; anatomy 101: left brain/right brain, and bridging the hemispheres; the human computer -- speaking, hearing, and making sense of it all.; the brain and everyday life -- sex, sleep, and knee-jerk reactions; you've got brain -- intelligence, creativity -- and here size matters!; what happens when the computer crashes -- conditions, disorders, and crossed wiring; and, brain treatment, couches, shocks, pills, and the dreaded knife.

In 1994 Bryan Sykes was called in as an expert to examine the frozen remains of a man trapped in glacial ice in northern Italy for over 5000 years--the Ice Man. Sykes succeeded in extracting DNA from the Ice Man, but even more important, writes Science News, was his "ability to directly link that DNA to Europeans living today." In this groundbreaking book, Sykes reveals how the identification of a particular strand of DNA that passes unbroken through the maternal line allows scientists to trace our genetic makeup all the way back to prehistoric times--to seven primeval women, the "seven daughters of Eve."

Taking on prominent thinkers who argue that music is nothing more than an evolutionary accident, Levitin poses that music is fundamental to our species, perhaps even more so than language. Drawing on the latest research and on musical examples ranging from Mozart to Duke Ellington to Van Halen, he reveals:

- How composers produce some of the most pleasurable effects of listening to music by exploiting the way our brains make sense of the world
- Why we are so emotionally attached to the music we listened to as teenagers, whether it was Fleetwood Mac, U2, or Dr. Dre
- That practice, rather than talent, is the driving force behind musical expertise
- How those insidious little jingles (called earworms) get stuck in our head

A Los Angeles Times Book Award finalist, This Is Your Brain on Music will attract readers of Oliver Sacks and David Byrne, as it is an unprecedented, eye-opening investigation into an obsession at the heart of human nature.

In The Tyranny of E-mail, John Freeman takes an entertaining look at the unrelenting nature of correspondence through the ages. Put down your smart phone and consider the consequences. As the toll of e-mail mounts, reducing our time for leisure and contemplation and separating us in an unending and lonely battle with the overfull inbox, John Freeman--one of America's preeminent literary critics--enters a plea for communication that is more selective and nuanced and, above all, more sociable.

From 1991 to 1994 Nick Pope investigated UFO sightings for the British government's Ministry of Defense. He is the only person ever to have conducted official research into this controversial subject -- Pope is the real-life version of Agent Fox Mulder from television's hit series, "The X-Files". In The Uninvited he provides an overview of UFO phenomenon, supported by some of the most sensational cases ever reported.

Thousands of people throughout the world have claimed they have been abducted by aliens. These people are ridiculed by the media, by scientists, by governments. In spite of that ridicule, they persist with their claims. Nick Pope's research has convinced him that many of the individual experiences are not in the mind. He has seen the proof that the phenomenon is real and more widespread than anyone has suspected -- he went in a skeptic and came out a believer.

The Uninvited is powerful stuff, providing convincing evidence for human encounters with non-human intelligence. Roswell and Project Blue Book are just the beginning -- this expose delves deep into one of the last great mysteries of our time.

Global warming, new epidemics, and the destruction of natural resources have all made the future of the planet seem increasingly dire. But the real truth, according to respected scientist Dr. Seymour Garte, is that the environment is actually in better shape than we have been led to believe.

Where We Stand will serve as a reality check for a debate surrounded by controversy. Garte presents irrefutable evidence that the state of the environment and human welfare has been improving steadily for the past two decades and that our efforts to "save the planet" are working. Contrary to popular opinion, the air and water are getting cleaner, cancer rates are decreasing, and forestation is improving. Meant to motivate -- not to lull -- Where We Stand will energize future efforts with the knowledge that we can make a difference. In giving us the good news, Garte does not neglect the bad; those issues that urgently need to be dealt with. There is still work to be done, but with a clearer picture of where we stand today, we will have a better chance for tomorrow. Hopeful, balanced, and convincing, this is a book that will change the way readers view the planet and the future.

The Conficker worm infected its first computer in November 2008 and within a month had infiltrated 1.5 million computers in 195 countries. Banks, telecommunications companies, and critical government networks (including the British Parliament and the French and German military) were infected. No one had ever seen anything like it. By January 2009 the worm lay hidden in at least eight million computers and the botnet of linked computers that it had created was big enough that an attack might crash the world. This is the gripping tale of the group of hackers, researches, millionaire Internet entrepreneurs, and computer security experts who united to defend the Internet from the Conficker worm: the story of the first digital world war.

This book provides practical advice to students who are learning to write according to the conventions in biology. Using the standards of journal publication as a model, the author provides, in a user-friendly format, specific instructions on: using biology databases to locate references; developing sound reading strategies; paraphrasing for improved comprehension; writing for a particular audience with the appropriate tone; preparing lab reports or scientific papers, posters, and oral presentations with accepted format and content; self-evaluating drafts; using peer and instructor feedback for professional development; and preparing oral presentations in PowerPoint.