Natural Science

"A diamond is forever." Who among us doesn't recognize this slogan and, with it, the fascination that diamonds hold in our collective imagination as emblems of royalty, glamor, and eternal love? Rachelle Bergstein's cultural biography illuminates the enticing, often surprising story of our society's enduring obsession with diamonds - and the people who have worked tirelessly to ensure their continued allure.

A comprehensive catalog of the most devastating and deadly events-natural or man-made-in human history. If you follow the news it can seem like injury, sickness, and death are now constant, inescapable occurrences that threaten us every second of every day. But such catastrophic events - as terrible and frightening as they are - have been happening for as long as mankind has walked the Earth.... and even before. From ancient volcanoes and floods to epidemics of cholera and smallpox to Hitler's mass killings in the 20th century, humanity's continued existence has always seemed perilous.

As nature's largest and longest-lived creations, trees play an extraordinarily important role in our cities; they are living landmarks that define space, cool the air, soothe our psyches, and connect us to nature and our past. Jill Jonnes's Urban Forests tells the captivating stories of the founding mothers and fathers of urban forestry, in addition to those arboreal advocates presently using the latest technologies to illuminate the value of trees to public health and to our urban infrastructure.

Even among special agents, Andromeda Stone is special. Her unique ability to walk in the dreams of others has placed her in the services of a secret government research and defense facility known only as The Agency. She always assumed it was because of her gift that she felt out of place, even among her family; but as she faces an entirely new and dangerous mission, perhaps it's something deeper that sets her apart.

This riveting adventure is set in a satellite world created as a refuge from a dying Earth. Edgar, a gifted climber, is a lonely boy scaling the perilous cliffs that separate the three realms of Atherton, including a vast wasteland where he must confront an unspeakable danger that could destroy his people. When Edgar discovers a book containing the history of Atherton's origins and ultimate apocalypse, his world quite literally begins to turn inside out.

The never-before-told story of the horned rabbit - the myths, the hoaxes, the very real scientific breakthrough it inspired - and how it became a cultural touchstone of the American West.

Eco-friendly living made simple. As a lifestyle guide and an introduction to sustainable living, Sustainable Badass shows you why and how to minimize your consumption while effortlessly making your habits greener.

There’s never a dull moment in the Supernatural Travel Agency. This time, I’m leading my girls on an expedition to a mysterious dimension. I figured it would be a nice little adventure, filled with strange but wonderful experiences that can’t be found on Earth. But what do you know, the Blue Sun Clan are involved.

War of the Whales is the gripping tale of a crusading attorney who stumbles on one of the US Navy’s best-kept secrets: a submarine detection system that floods entire ocean basins with high-intensity sound - and drives whales onto beaches. As Joel Reynolds launches a legal fight to expose and challenge the Navy program, marine biologist Ken Balcomb witnesses a mysterious mass stranding of whales near his research station in the Bahamas.

In 1934, hundreds of jobless World War I veterans were sent to the remote Florida Keys to build a highway from Miami to Key West. The Roosevelt Administration was making a genuine effort to help these down-and-out vets. But the attempt to help them turned into a tragedy. The supervisors in charge of the veterans misunderstood the danger posed by hurricanes in the low-lying Florida Keys. The hurricane that struck the Upper Florida Keys on the evening of September 2, 1935, is still the most powerful hurricane to make landfall in the US.

Based on "Eight Years", Joe Klein’s critically acclaimed article that first appeared in The New Yorker, this is the first book to deal with both sides of Bill Clinton—the personal flaws and the policy successes. Primary Colors, of which Klein was the "anonymous" author, spent 25 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list. His previous books include The Running Mate, Payback: Five Marines After Vietnam and Woody Guthrie: A Life.

30 años después, es una notable obra en la que, a través del testimonio de sobrevivientes, familiares de las víctimas y la voz de otras reconocidas personalidades, como Elena Poniatowska, Carlos Monsiváis y Humberto Mussachio, podemos acercarnos a los recuerdos de la que fuese una de las peores tragedias que la Ciudad de México ha sufrido: el terremoto del 19 de septiembre de 1985.

In Dragons in the Snow, Power delves into the research and science behind avalanche forecasting and rescue, weaving in the art of backcountry skiing as well as dramatic tales of avalanche accidents, rescues, and recoveries. And he paints compelling portraits of the men and women who have made the study of avalanches their life's work. The tales told by these avalanche forecasters, as well as the stories of the backcountry riders who may "wake the dragon" make for not just a compelling listen, but also a powerful tool for raising avalanche awareness.

A Harvard-trained obstetrician-gynecologist, a prominent blogger, and author of the classic How Your Baby Is Born delivers a timely, important, and sure to be headline-making exposé that shines a light on the natural parenting movement and the multimillion-dollar industry behind it.

Through explorations of a rich and varied urban landscape, Brenner reveals the complex micro-habitats and surprising nature found in the middle of a city. In her hometown of Seattle, which has plowed down hills, cut through the land to connect fresh- and saltwater, and paved over much of the rest, she exposes a diverse range of strange and unknown creatures.

From star-nosed moles that have super-sensing snouts to electric eels that paralyze their prey, animals possess unique and extraordinary abilities. In Great Adaptations, Kenneth Catania presents an entertaining and engaging look at some of nature's most remarkable creatures. Telling the story of his biological detective work, Catania sheds light on the mysteries behind the behaviors of tentacled snakes, tiny shrews, zombie-making wasps, and more.

Rivers, more than any road, technology, or political leader, have shaped the course of human civilization. They have opened frontiers, founded cities, settled borders, and fed billions. They promote life, forge peace, grant power, and can capriciously destroy everything in their path. Even today, rivers remain a powerful global force - one that is more critical than ever to our future. In Rivers of Power, geographer Laurence C. Smith explores the timeless yet underappreciated relationship between rivers and civilization as we know it.

If you're new to herbal medicine, unsure which medicinal plants and herbs are actually good for digestive health, and want to discover their effectiveness based on scientific fact, then this guide is for you.

Coal mining in the UK dates back to Roman times, but in the 21st century, has practically disappeared. In this history, Jeremy Paxman charts our vital relationship with coal and all the extraordinary change it has fuelled. Told through the stories of real people, Paxman travels the regions of the UK where communities were built around coal, to the industrial revolution, to the beginnings of time and coal’s geological formation, to the great tragedies such as Aberfan, and to the picket lines of the miners’ strike.

With Everly's situation dire, the Howell team are on the case to save her before time runs out. The answer they are looking for may be in the local lighthouse, but what they actually discover there turns out to be something straight out of legend. When myth and reality collide, the consequences will be deadly.