Greetings from Amazon.com Delivers Science and Nature Editor, Therese Littleton FEATURED IN THIS E-MAIL: * What We're Reading: "Faster," "The Code Book," and "The Feeling of What Happens" * Jane Goodall's Journey * On the Wings of a Monarch: Lepidopterist Robert Michael Pyle * Why the Cipher Challenge? Simon Singh's $15,000 code-breaking contest * Bestselling Science & Nature: "Isaac's Storm" and "The Elegant Universe" * New in Paperback: "Silent Thunder" and "Life: A Natural History of the First Four Billion Years of Life on Earth" WHAT WE'RE READING ****************** "Faster" by James Gleick http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679408371/entertainmentsit Have you ever punched the Close Door button in an elevator trying to speed it up? Chaos-master James Gleick takes a closer look at these little hurry-up moments and what they actually buy us, as individuals and as a society, in "Faster: The Acceleration of Just About Everything." "The Code Book" by Simon Singh http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385495315/entertainmentsit "The Code Book" is Simon Singh's history of secrecy from the 1500s to the present day. Crypto fans will find lots of great stories, trivia, and insight here, not to mention the worldwide Cipher Challenge--can you crack the code and win the prize? "The Feeling of What Happens" by Antonio Damasio http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0151003696/entertainmentsit Neurologist Antonio Damasio explains how the mind-body connection works in his groundbreaking book, "The Feeling of What Happens." Damasio's erudite yet accessible style makes this a perfect book for scholars and curious readers alike. JANE GOODALL'S JOURNEY ********************** Jane Goodall is world-renowned for her research on the behavior and societies of chimpanzees. In the decades she's spent at the Gombe Stream Reserve, she's seen both miracles and horrors--in her own life and in the lives of the chimps she studies. Her new book, "Reason for Hope," chronicles Goodall's spiritual journeys along the way. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search/?keyword=jane+goodall&tag=entertainmentsit ON THE WINGS OF A MONARCH ************************* Lepidopterist Robert Michael Pyle has been following butterflies around since he was a boy. In "Chasing Monarchs," he describes the cross-country journeys of these majestic American insects. Amazon.com's Gregory McNamee got Pyle to slow down long enough to answer some questions about monarchs, lepidoptery, and why we should learn to love milkweed. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search/?keyword=robert+michael+pyle&tag=entertainmentsit WHY THE CIPHER CHALLENGE? ************************* In "The Code Book," Simon Singh traces cryptography from its earliest roots to the present day. Singh also poses his Cipher Challenge worth $15,000 to a lucky (and smart) code breaker. In an article for Amazon.com customers, Singh explains why he's sure you'll want to crack the code. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search/?keyword=cipher+challenge&tag=entertainmentsit BESTSELLING SCIENCE & NATURE **************************** "Isaac's Storm" by Erik Larson http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0609602330/entertainmentsit The hurricane that struck Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900 remains the deadliest natural disaster in American history. "Isaac's Storm" tells the story of the storm and a time when, basking in the hubris of a new century, people believed they could disregard even nature. "The Elegant Universe" by Brian Greene http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393046885/entertainmentsit Still on top, Brian Greene's clear, accessible explanation of big physics is a great choice for anyone curious about relativity, hyperspace, superstrings, and other dimensions. NEW IN PAPERBACK **************** "Silent Thunder" by Katy Payne http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140285962/entertainmentsit More than a decade ago, naturalist Katy Payne felt something like the vibration from an organ's lowest notes while standing near an elephant cage at a zoo. Ever since, she has studied the possibility that elephants might use infrasound to communicate. Her studies have brought her close to these huge mammals--close enough that she's grief-stricken over their senseless slaughter. Payne's moving book, "Silent Thunder," examines the zoological and sociological significance of elephant communication. "Life: A Natural History of the First Four Billion Years of Life on Earth" by Richard Fortey http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/037570261X/entertainmentsit Life probably began in "something approximating the medieval idea of Hell," writes paleontologist Richard Fortey in "Life: A Natural History of the First Four Billion Years of Life on Earth." Investigate the connections between individual lives and the lives of everything from bacteria to whales in this personal, poetic chronicle. ****** You'll find more great books, articles, excerpts, and interviews in Amazon.com's Science & Nature section at Science & Nature
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