Science & Health

When Columbus crossed the Atlantic in 1492, his journey prompted the exchange of not only information but also food, animals, insects, plants and viruses between the continents. Charles C. Mann documents the lesser-known consequences of Columbus' voyage to the New World.

An investigation into the ways in which people and cultures relate to and engage with sharks covers Papua New Guinea's creation myths, the finning practices of mainland China, and the counsel of a Miami shark-fishing guide to his celebrity clients.

During the 1980s, singer-songwriter Elton John watched friends and loved ones suffer and die from HIV and AIDS. Struggling with a drug addiction, he says, he did nothing to help people with the disease. That changed after he met Ryan White, a teenage hemophiliac who was shunned by his community after contracting HIV. As the musician's memoir explains, White's struggle and death prompted John to enter rehab, kick his addictions and become a vocal advocate for AIDS research, prevention and treatment.

The best-selling author of The Disappearing Spoon discusses DNA, the building block of life, describing how genes can explain why JFK's skill was bronze, Einstein was a genius and why people with exceptional thumb flexibility can become world-class violinists.

Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy's book charts the history, science and cultural mythology of rabies. Before the vaccine, the disease caused fatal brain infections and inspired depictions of monsters, werewolves, vampires and zombies.

Wayne Coates looks at the history and benefits of Chia, a seed full of omega-3 fatty acids and protein, once used by the Aztecs as a super food. Coates explores many of its recipes, such as chia-oat porridge, chia meatloaf and chia frittata.

Andrew Blackwell takes a jaunt through the most gruesomely polluted places on Earth, from the hidden bars and convenience stores of a radioactive wilderness to the sacred but reeking waters of India. Blackwell visits a rogue's gallery of environmental disaster areas in search of a deeper understanding of what's really happening to our planet.

The award-winning author of The Mind of the Raven describes his investigation into the animal world's treatment of death to glean ecological and spiritual lessons, from animal burial and prey disposal behaviors to the important role of humans as scavengers. 20,000 first printing.

An investigative journalist who has studied global warming for the past 20 years makes recommendations for how individuals and groups can navigate a world dangerously impacted by climate change, covering such topics as rising temperatures, dwindling water supplies and cataclysmic storms.

Ben Mezrich draws on court records, FBI transcripts, NASA documents and first-person interviews to reconstruct NASA fellow Thad Roberts' theft of invaluable moon rocks, offering insight into Roberts' personality and the nature of his accomplices.

Highlights achievements of Bell Labs as a leading innovator, exploring the role of its highly educated employees in developing new technologies while considering the qualities of companies where innovation and development are most successful.

A Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist and author of In Search of Memory documents the work of five leading minds including Sigmund Freud and Gustave Klimt in 1900 Vienna, revealing how their critical breakthroughs in science, medicine and art laid the groundwork for present-day discoveries in brain science.

Explores the latest beliefs about why people tell stories and what stories reveal about human nature, offering insights into such related topics as universal themes and what it means to have a storytelling brain.

A psychologist draws on years of research to introduce his "machinery of the mind" model on human decision-making, revealing the faults and capabilities of intuitive versus logical thinking.