Science, Natural History, Medicine 2.qxp_Layout 1 03/01/2018 10:54 Page 1
Science, Natural History, Medicine New Titles Spring/Summer 2018 this season’s highlights
It's a Question of Space
An Ordinary Astronaut’s Answers to Sometimes Extraordinary Questions CLAYTON C. ANDERSON July 2018 224pp 33 photographs, 5 illus. 9781496205087 PB £12.99 University of Nebraska Press
Having spent over 150 days on his first tour of the International Space Station, Clayton C. Anderson knows a thing or two about space travel. Now retired and affectionately known as “Astro Clay,” Anderson has fielded thousands of questions over the years about what it’s like to be an astronaut. Covering topies such as what it’s like to walk in space, what astronauts are supposed to do when they see UFOs, and what role astronauts play in espionage. This beguiling collection gathers Anderson’s often humorous answers to all these questions and more are written in an accessible question-and-answer format that covers every aspect of life in space.
Jaws
The Story of a Hidden Epidemic SANDRA KAHN, PAUL R. EHRLICH April 2018 224pp 9781503604131 HB £19.99 Stanford University Press
There's a silent epidemic in western civilization. Our jaws are getting smaller and our teeth crooked and crowded, creating not only aesthetic challenges but also difficulties with breathing. Modern orthodontics has persuaded us that braces and oral devices can correct these problems. While teeth can certainly be straightened, what about the underlying causes of this rapid shift in oral evolution and the health risks posed by obstructed airways? Kahn and Ehrlich present the biological, dietary, and cultural changes that have driven us toward this health challenge. They propose simple adjustments that can alleviate this developing crisis, as well as a major alternative to orthodontics that promises more significant long-term relief. Jaws will change your life. Every parent should read this book.
Luminous Creatures
The Birds at My Table
May 2018 488pp 9780773553125 HB £40.00 McGill-Queen's University Press
March 2018 346pp 9781501710780 PB £15.99 Cornell University Press
Shows how mythical perceptions of bioluminescence gradually gave way to a scientific understanding of its mechanisms, functions, and evolution, and to the recognition of its usefulness for biomedical and other applied fields. Following the rise of the modern scientific method and the circumnavigations and oceanographic expeditions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, biologists began to realize the diversity of bioluminescence’s expressions in light organs and ecological imprints, and how widespread it is on the planet. Luminous Creatures tracks the history of scientific understanding the phenomenon through to the present day, and the trail-blazing accomplishments of the scientists involved.
Guides us through the history of bird feeding, pinpointing the highs and lows of the practice, and ponders this odd but popular form of interaction between humans and wild animals. Most importantly, he points out that we know very little about the impact of feeding birds despite millions of people doing it every day. Unerringly, Jones digs at the deeper issues and questions, and he raises our awareness of the things we don’t yet know and why we really should. Using the latest scientific findings, The Birds at My Table takes a global swoop from 30,000 feet down to the backyard bird feeder and pushes our understanding of the many aspects of bird feeding back up to new heights.
The History and Science of Light Production in Living Organisms MICHEL ANCTIL
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Why We Feed Wild Birds and Why It Matters DARRYL JONES