Fire has always been and, seemingly, will always remain, the most terrible of the elements. To the early tribes it must also have been the most mysterious; for, while earth and air and water were always in evidence, fire came and went in a manner which must have been quite unaccountable to them. Thus it naturally followed that the custom of deifying all things which the primitive mind was unable to grasp, led in direct line to the fire-worship of...

Trace the history of antibiotic development and explore how the eight classes of antibiotics attack bacterial infections. Gain an introduction to the increasingly important concern of antibiotic resistance, and learn how you can contribute to the more prudent use of antibiotics.

Healing That's Ahead of the Times Thousands of veterans suffer daily in silence and confusion, oftentimes alone. Many contemplate suicide. The invisible injuries of our current wars have become the "signature wounds" of this generation of combat veterans-leaving these young men and women feeling hopeless, broken and destroyed. The Miracle Workers of South Boulder Road tells a dramatic story, beginning with a detailed account of how two severely...

Learning marine biology from a textbook is one thing. But take readers to the bottom of the sea in a submarine to discover living fossils or to coral reefs to observe a day in the life of an octopus, and the sea and its splendors come into focus, in brilliant colors and with immediacy. In Sensuous Seas, Eugene Kaplan offers readers an irresistibly irreverent voyage to the world of sea creatures, with a look at their habitats, their beauty and, yes,...

"From the acclaimed author of Tubes, a lively and surprising tour of the infrastructure behind the weather forecast, the people who built it, and what it reveals about our climate and our planet. The weather is the foundation of our daily lives. It's a staple of small talk, the app on our smartphones, and often the first thing we check each morning. Yet behind these quotidian interactions is one of the most expansive machines human beings have ever...

A transplant surgeon discusses the pioneers, science, and ethical challenges of organ transplantation as well as the ways that organ transplants have revolutionized medical care, and offers illuminating stories of his own patients. "A gifted surgeon illuminates one of the most awe-inspiring achievements of modern-day medicine: the movement of organs between bodies. At the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Dr. Joshua Mezrich...