In this deeply original book, science writer Anil Ananthaswamy sets out in search of the telescopes and detectors that promise to answer the biggest questions in modern cosmology. Why is the universe expanding at an ever faster rate? What is the nature of the "dark matter" that makes up almost a quarter of the universe? Why does the universe appear fine-tuned for life? Are there others besides our own?Ananthaswamy soon finds himself at the ends of the earth-in remote and sometimes dangerous places. Take the Atacama Desert in the Chilean Andes, one of the coldest, driest places on the planet, where not even a blade of grass can survive. Its spectacularly clear skies and dry atmosphere allow astronomers to gather brilliant images of galaxies billions of light-years away. Ananthaswamy takes us inside the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope on Mount Paranal, where four massive domes open to the sky each night "like dragons waking up."He also takes us deep inside an abandoned iron mine in Minnesota, where half-mile-thick rock shields physicists as they hunt for elusive dark matter particles. And to the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, where engineers are drilling 1.5 miles into the clearest ice on the planet. They're building the world's largest neutrino detector, which could finally help reconcile quantum physics with Einstein's theory of general relativity.The stories of the people who work at these and other dramatic research sites-from Lake Baikal in Siberia to the Indian Astronomical Observatory in the Himalayas to the subterranean lair of the Large Hadron Collider-make for a compelling new portrait of the universe and our quest to understand it. An atmospheric, engaging, and illuminating read, The Edge of Physics depicts science as a human process, bringing cosmology back down to earth in the most vivid terms.
At the heart of this classic, seminal book is Julian Jaynes's still-controversial thesis that human consciousness did not begin far back in animal evolution but instead is a learned process that came about only three thousand years ago and is still developing. The implications of this revolutionary scientific paradigm extend into virtually every aspect of our psychology, our history and culture, our religion -- and indeed our future.
Leonard Schiller is a novelist in his seventies, a second-string but respectable talent who produced only a small handful of books. Heather Wolfe is an attractive graduate student in her twenties. She read Schiller s novels when she was growing up and they changed her life. When the ambitious Heather decides to write her master s thesis about Schiller s work and sets out to meet him convinced she can bring Schiller back into the literary world s spotlight the unexpected consequences of their meeting alter everything in Schiller s ordered life. What follows is a quasi-romantic friendship and intellectual engagement that investigates the meaning of art, fame, and personal connection. "Nothing less than a triumph" ("The New York Times Book Review"), "Starting Out in the Evening" is Brian Morton s most widely acclaimed novel to date.
Derek and his friends, living outside of London during World War II, regard the frequent air raids with more fascination than fear--after all, they can barely remember a time without them. The boys are thrilled when school is canceled for a few days due to a raid, giving them time to work on their secret camp. But when their camp is savagely attacked by a rival gang from the neighborhood, the harsh reality of the violence surrouding them suddenly crashes down upon Derek and his friends--and a long night of bombing changes his feelings about the war forever. Includes a reader's guide.
How would you like to serve up five-star restaurant food at your next dinner party? QVC personality Hope Fox makes it possible with this one-of-a-kind cookbook, which shares amazing recipes from 100 top restaurants across the country?ten each from ten top food cities. Best of all, Fox has streamlined and simplified all of the recipes so you can easily prepare them in your own kitchen, using basic equipment and supermarket ingredients.The book is brimming with impressively delicious starters and main courses?Braised Duck Legs with Asian Spices from Jean Georges in New York, Seared Scallops with Tomato Beurre Blanc from Restaurant Michael Mina in San Francisco, and Chicory Coffee Lacquered Game Hens from Commander's Palace in New Orleans, to name just three. With dishes like these, plus 97 more from restaurants like Spaggia in Chicago, Jöel in Atlanta, and Lucques in Los Angeles, it'll be a cinch to impress your dinner party guests?for less!
An American original, Peter Rock brings our strangest beliefs to vivid and sympathetic life in this haunting novel inspired by true events.
THE BOOK WASHINGTON DOES NOT WANT YOU TO READHow is it that politicians often enter office with relatively modest assets, but then, as investors, regularly beat the stock market and sometimes beat the most rapacious hedge funds? How did some members of Congress know to dump their stock holdings just in time to escape the effects of the 2008 financial meltdown? And how is it that billionaires and hedge fund managers often make well-timed investment decisions that anticipate events in Washington? In this powerfully argued book, Peter Schweizer blows the lid off Washington's epidemic of "honest graft." He exposes a secret world where members of Congress insert earmarks into bills to improve their own real-estate holdings, and campaign contributors receive billions in federal grants. Nobody goes to jail. Throw Them All Out casts light into the darkest corners of the political system - and offers ways to clean house."Throw Them All Out is filled with stories of petty theft and so-called 'honest graft' . . . Unsparingly bipartisan in [its] criticism of Washington . . . Mr. Schweizer has performed a valuable service to his country." - Washington Times
"Intelligent, observant." --The New Yorker"If your patrons liked Roddy Doyle's Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha and if they rooted for Jamal Malik in Slumdog Millionaire, they will love Harri Opoku." --Library Journal, starred review"In turns funny and tragic . . . Its message is universal." -Huffington PostAdvise yourself! Jump into Pigeon English and experience the jubilant, infectious voice of Harrison Opoku--a boy awed by the city, obsessed with gummy candy, a friend to everyone he meets. See why he is bo-styles. How being the fastest runner in Year 7 makes him dope-fine. And how crazy things get when Harri and his best friend launch their own investigation into the murder of a classmate and one of the Dell Farm Crew's hutious criminals feels them closing in on him. You'll want this book to last donkey hours, and you'll see why Harri is truly a "hero for our times."*"Like Room . . . and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time . . . Pigeon English is a novel for adults told in the remarkable voice of a child. In this fine company, Kelman's novel stands out." --Milwaukee Journal Sentinel"Since Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, there have been certain rules observed when children play detective. Stephen Kelman throws them all out." --Christian Science Monitor
In this biting satire, the Cold War may have ended, but the eastern and western governments never told their citizens. Instead they created an elaborate ruse, wherein each side comes up with increasingly outlandish doomsday weapons--weapons that don't work. But when aliens invade, the top designers of both sides have to come together to make a real doomsday device--if they don't kill each other first.With its combination of romance, espionage, and alien invasion, The Zap Gun skewers the military-industrial complex in a way that's as relevant today as it was at the height of the Cold War.
Sophie is supposed to help out around the house, and that's bad enough. But then her mother comes up with a job chart, and all of a sudden Sophie has a whole list of new chores to do. Some of them, like cleaning the downstairs toilet, are gross! ?Menial,? says big brother Thad, who somehow manages to avoid doing any of his own new jobs. ?No fair!? says Sophie. Sophie's father went on strike when his beliefs were on the line. Now Sophie sees no alternative but to stand up for what she believes in. The ensuing battle of wills threatens to defeat even the indomitable Sophie. Will the Hartleys have to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for every meal from now on? Will they ever have happy family times together again?
Two novellas: the first, a parody of medieval knighthood told by a nun; the second, a fantasy about a nobleman bisected into his good and evil halves. ?Bravura pieces... executed with brilliance and brio?(Chicago Tribune). Translated by Archibald Colquhoun. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book
Extending the principles of the famed Peterson Identification System to the man-made world, A Field Guide to Airplanes will enable you to identify virtually any plane in North America, in the air or on the ground. This fully revised and updated third edition features more than 400 aircraft, including 75 new planes that incorporate the latest advances in general aviation, military aircraft, commercial airliners, business jets, and helicopters. Beautiful and accurate illustrations include arrows and detailed drawings to help pinpoint the differences between similar models. Clear, succinct descriptions of each plane include statistical information, history, and a list of important field marks that distinguish one plane from another. For serious enthusiasts and amateurs alike, this is the only true field guide to airplanes.
In a recent double fiction issue, The New Yorker devoted the entire back page to a single poem, "The Clerk's Tale," by Spencer Reece. The poet who drew such unusual attention has a surprising background: for many years he has worked for Brooks Brothers, a fact that lends particular nuance to the title of his collection. The Clerk's Tale pays homage not only to Chaucer but to the clerks' brotherhood of service in the mall, where "the light is bright and artificial, / yet not dissimilar to that found in a Gothic cathedral." The fifty poems in The Clerk's Tale are exquisitely restrained, shot through with a longing for permanence, from the quasi-monastic life of two salesmen at Brooks Brothers to the poignant lingering light of a Miami dusk to the weight of geography on an empty Minnesota farm. Gluck describes them as having "an effect I have never quite seen before, half cocktail party, half passion play . . . We do not expect virtuosity as the outward form of soul-making, nor do we associate generosity and humanity with such sophistication of means, such polished intelligence . . . Much life has gone into the making of this art, much patient craft."
3 BOWLS presents the outstanding vegetarian specialties that draw thousands of visitors each year to Dai Bosatsu Zendo, a traditional Zen monastery in New York's Catskill Mountains. From Sesame Crepes with Portobello Mushrooms in Port Cream Sauce and Spaghetti with Chipotle and Garlic to Coconut-Pecan Carrot Cake with Orange Cream-Cheese Frosting, these recipes are deftly creative, yet all are simple to prepare.
Charles Yu experiments with form and genre to explore the stories we tell ourselves while navigating contemporary life. In "Third Class Superhero," a would- be good guy must come to terms with the darkness in his heart. A couple living in the Luxury Car Commercial subdivision in "401(k)" are disappointed when their exotic vacation turns into a Life Insurance/Asset Management pitch. The author struggles to write the definitive biography of his mother in "Autobiographical Raw Material Unsuitable for the Mining of Fiction." In these and other stories, Yu's characters run up against the conventions and parameters of their artificial story lines while tackling the terrifying aspects of existence: mothers, jobs, spouses, the need to express feelings. Heartbreaking, hilarious, smart, and surprising, Third Class Superhero marks the arrival of an impressive new talent.
Fun Cakes for Every Boy and GirlPhoto of Every RecipeKids will love the 20 cakes here. There are pretty cakes, including the Butterfly Cake and the Rainbow Angel Cake; sporty cakes like the Soccer Ball Cake and the Roller Coaster Cake; and ones that are just plain fun, such as the Monster Cake or the Gum Ball Machine Cake. Whatever type of cake your kid likes, you'll be celebration ready with this great collection of recipes!
In lush, glowing prose, Louise Hawes's historical novel draws readers into the life and art of sixteenth-century Bologna with a compelling account of Lavinia Fontana, arguably the most famous female painter of the Italian Renaissance. Here readers will find a coming-of-age story filled with quest, complication, and catastrophe as well as miracles and hope. Although the novel is set four hundred years ago, the hard choices it involves speak to all times, all places, and are sure to tap into readers' own conflicts between head and heart, real life and dreams.
An honest look at one girl's response to her family's financial and personal crises, this narrative is told through an inventive mix of poems and journal entries revealing the teen's curiosity, spirit, and loss.
Focusing on the color, shape, and texture of the plants, and avoiding the technicalities presented by most botanical guides, this first and only popular book on the subject provides a lively account of the history, ecology, and uses of 135 species of grasses.Horticulture. 368 line drawings.
Discusses how to write fiction, exploring point of view, dialogue, endings, and revision.
One of America's foremost literary critics presents twenty-eight essays on American and European writers, including Joyce, Flaubert, Fitzgerald, Melville, Dostoevsky, and Faulkner.
Vegetarian Times Low-Fat and FastIf you've been searching for a cookbook to help you put delicious meatless meals on the table in a hurry, then look no further. The editors of Vegetarian Times magazine, the leading authorities on the vegetarian lifestyle, have compiled this delicious collection of 150 recipes, all of which can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. In fact, many of the recipes are easy enough to complete in just 15 or 20 minutes.Not just easy, all of the recipes in Vegetarian Times Low-Fat and Fast are low in fat, too. Of course, eating meatless meals is always healthful, but, as the Vegetarian Times editors explain, you still need to watch what you eat to stay fit and healthy. Light vegetarian cooking can be made simple by cutting back on eggs, using low-fat cheeses, sauteing with olive oil instead of butter, and trying healthy cooking techniques like grilling, broiling, roasting, and steaming, all of which bring out the best flavors in your food.Whether you're a longtime vegetarian or vegan looking for some exciting new and easy recipes to try, or a "part-time" vegetarian just trying to eat meatless meals a few times a week for better health, this is the book for you. Vegetarian Times Low-Fat and Fast is a timesaving cookbook that will make anyone, even beginner cooks, feel at home in the kitchen.Sample Recipes* Caribbean Bean Burgers* Sesame Broccoli* Mexican Lasagna* Vegan Caesar Salad* Black Bean Flautas* Pesto Mashed Potatoes* Tandoori-Style Chickpeas* Indonesian Fried Rice* Six Vegetable Couscous* Gingered Carrot Soup
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