“A provocative and entertaining magical mineral tour through the life and afterlife of bone.” —Wall Street Journal Our bones have many stories to tell, if you know how to listen. Bone is a marvel, an adaptable and resilient building material developed over more than four hundred million years of evolutionary history. It gives your body its shape and the ability to move. It grows and changes with you, an undeniable document of who you are and how you lived. Arguably, no other part of the human anatomy has such rich scientific and cultural significance, both brimming with life and a potent symbol of death. In this delightful natural and cultural history of bone, Brian Switek explains where our skeletons came from, what they do inside us, and what others can learn about us when these artifacts of mineral and protein are all we've left behind. Bone is as embedded in our culture as it is in our bodies. Our species has made instruments and jewelry from bone, treated the dead like collectors' items, put our faith in skull bumps as guides to human behavior, and arranged skeletons into macabre tributes to the afterlife. Switek makes a compelling case for getting better acquainted with our skeletons, in all their surprising roles. Bridging the worlds of paleontology, anthropology, medicine, and forensics, Skeleton Keys illuminates the complex life of bones inside our bodies and out.
Bone is a marvel, an adaptable and resilient building material developed over 500 million years of evolutionary history. It has manifested itself in wings, sails, horns, armour, and an even greater array of appendages since the time of its origin. In dinosaur fossils, skeletons are biological time capsules that tell us of lives we’ll never see in the flesh. Inherited from a common fishy ancestor, it is the stuff that binds all of us vertebrates together into one great family. Swim, slither, stomp, fly, dig, run - all are expressions of what bones make possible. But that’s hardly all. In The Secret Life of Bones, Brian Switek frames the history of our species through the importance of bone from instruments and jewellery, to objects of worship and conquest from the origins of religion through the genesis of science and up through this very day. While bone itself can reveal our individual stories, the truth very much depends on who’s telling it. Our skeletons are as embedded in our culture as they are in our bodies. Switek, an enthusiastic osteological raconteur, cuts through biology, history, and culture to understand the meaning of what’s inside us and what our bones tell us about who we are, where we came from and the legacies we leave behind.
A Hudson Booksellers Staff Pick for the Best Books of 2013 One of Publishers Weekly's Top Ten Spring Science Books A Bookshop Santa Cruz Staff Pick Dinosaurs, with their awe-inspiring size, terrifying claws and teeth, and otherworldly abilities, occupy a sacred place in our childhoods. They loom over museum halls, thunder through movies, and are a fundamental part of our collective imagination. In My Beloved Brontosaurus, the dinosaur fanatic Brian Switek enriches the childlike sense of wonder these amazing creatures instill in us. Investigating the latest discoveries in paleontology, he breathes new life into old bones. Switek reunites us with these mysterious creatures as he visits desolate excavation sites and hallowed museum vaults, exploring everything from the sex life of Apatosaurus and T. rex's feather-laden body to just why dinosaurs vanished. (And of course, on his journey, he celebrates the book's titular hero, "Brontosaurus"—who suffered a second extinction when we learned he never existed at all—as a symbol of scientific progress.) With infectious enthusiasm, Switek questions what we've long held to be true about these beasts, weaving in stories from his obsession with dinosaurs, which started when he was just knee-high to a Stegosaurus. Endearing, surprising, and essential to our understanding of our own evolution and our place on Earth, My Beloved Brontosaurus is a book that dinosaur fans and anyone interested in scientific progress will cherish for years to come.
Darwin's theory of evolution was for more than a century dogged by a major problem: the evidence proving the connections between the main groups of organisms was nowhere to be found. By the 1970s this absence of 'transitional fossils' was hotly debated; some palaeontologists wondered if these 'missing links' had been so quick that no trace of them was left. However, during the past three decades fossils of walking whales from Pakistan, feathered dinosaurs from China, fish with feet from the Arctic Circle, ape-like humans from Africa, and many more bizarre creatures that fill in crucial gaps in our understanding of evolution have all been unearthed. The first account of the hunt for evolution's 'missing links', Written in Stone shows how these discoveries have revolutionised palaeontology, and explores what its findings might mean for our place on earth.
Discover the most dangerous carnivores that ever roamed the Earth in this exciting and action-packed exploration of Prehistoric Predators, featuring a unique cover that feels like dinosaur-skin! The biggest baddies of the prehistoric world -- the carnivores -- come alive in Prehistoric Predators. From favorites like T-Rex and Giganotosaurus, to the ferocious Spinosaurus and terrifying Megalodon, the stunning full-color illustrations from renowned paleoartist Julius Csotonyi make these dangerous creatures spring to life on each page. Bursting with fascinating facts written by National Geographic contributor Brian Switek, dynamic artwork, and a unique dino-skin textured cover, this is the perfect book for dinosaur lovers of every age!
Everyone's favorite dinosaur comes to life in an all-new, dinosaur-skin textured handbook: the terrifying Tyrannosaurus rex! Discover the most dangerous predators that ever roamed the planet in this exciting new exploration of the T. Rex and other big, bad carnivores, featuring a unique cover that feels like dinosaur-skin!
The first book on the hunt for evolution’s ‘missing links’ over the last three decades – and what palaeontologists’ findings mean for our place on earth. Darwin’s theory was for more than a century dogged by a major problem: the evidence proving the connections between the main groups of organisms was nowhere to be found. By the 1970s this absence of ‘transitional fossils’ was hotly debated; some palaeontologists wondering if these ‘missing links’ had been so quick that no trace of them was left. However, during the past three decades fossils of walking whales from Pakistan, feathered dinosaurs from China, fish with feet from the Arctic Circle, ape-like humans from Africa, and many more bizarre creatures that fill in crucial gaps in our understanding of evolution have all been unearthed. These discoveries have revolutionised the way in which the fossil record is read to make sense of life on Earth, including the evolution of human beings. WRITTEN IN STONE – a hugely compelling scientific history by an up-and-coming star of popular science – is the first account of the remarkable discovery of these gap-fossils and of the new stories they tell about the evolution of life.
I was recently in a brainstorming session with market research and R&D managers at a Fortune 50 client. The marketing manager turns to the R&D technical lead and asks, “can you give me a list of all possible technologies out there?” She was speaking the language of high level summary of the universe of possibilities. The technical lead, on the other hand, translated it as “give me information on the technologies we are capable of delivering in the near future.” Simple miscommunication? Little business impact? Not if you’re trying to stretch the innovation possibilities and the R&D lead disqualifi es longer term technologies because they’re not ready now. That’s one reason why innovation at some companies looks like the same old stuff re-packaged.
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Iran-iraq War, Military-Industrial Complex, Arms Industry, Rakon, Us/saudi Awacs Sale, National Defense Industrial Association, Training Within Industry, Action Target, United States Foreign Military Financing, Dsei, United States Security Assistance Organizations, Canadian Arms Trade, Khyber Pass Copy, Military-Industrial Commission of Russia, Arab Organization for Industrialization, Defense Industry of Russia, Ministry of Defence Industry of Azerbaijan, United States Military Aid, Hybricon Corporation, International Defence Exhibition, Military-Industrial-Media Complex, Meteor Zavod, Foreign Military Sales, Paradigm Technologies, Milipol, Association for Enterprise Information, Eurosatory, Low Rate Initial Production. Excerpt: In 1990} Photo Galleries ... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=14889
“A provocative and entertaining magical mineral tour through the life and afterlife of bone.” —Wall Street Journal Our bones have many stories to tell, if you know how to listen. Bone is a marvel, an adaptable and resilient building material developed over more than four hundred million years of evolutionary history. It gives your body its shape and the ability to move. It grows and changes with you, an undeniable document of who you are and how you lived. Arguably, no other part of the human anatomy has such rich scientific and cultural significance, both brimming with life and a potent symbol of death. In this delightful natural and cultural history of bone, Brian Switek explains where our skeletons came from, what they do inside us, and what others can learn about us when these artifacts of mineral and protein are all we've left behind. Bone is as embedded in our culture as it is in our bodies. Our species has made instruments and jewelry from bone, treated the dead like collectors' items, put our faith in skull bumps as guides to human behavior, and arranged skeletons into macabre tributes to the afterlife. Switek makes a compelling case for getting better acquainted with our skeletons, in all their surprising roles. Bridging the worlds of paleontology, anthropology, medicine, and forensics, Skeleton Keys illuminates the complex life of bones inside our bodies and out.
Everyone's favorite dinosaur comes to life in an all-new, dinosaur-skin textured handbook: the terrifying Tyrannosaurus rex! Discover the most dangerous predators that ever roamed the planet in this exciting new exploration of the T. Rex and other big, bad carnivores, featuring a unique cover that feels like dinosaur-skin!
Darwin's theory of evolution was for more than a century dogged by a major problem: the evidence proving the connections between the main groups of organisms was nowhere to be found. By the 1970s this absence of 'transitional fossils' was hotly debated; some palaeontologists wondered if these 'missing links' had been so quick that no trace of them was left. However, during the past three decades fossils of walking whales from Pakistan, feathered dinosaurs from China, fish with feet from the Arctic Circle, ape-like humans from Africa, and many more bizarre creatures that fill in crucial gaps in our understanding of evolution have all been unearthed. The first account of the hunt for evolution's 'missing links', Written in Stone shows how these discoveries have revolutionised palaeontology, and explores what its findings might mean for our place on earth.
Inside this book, you will find more than just poetry. You will find another point of view from my own perspective of life and death. As I have heard before, death is only the beginning. So why do people fear death? Are we that afraid to trust in Jesus, or is it that we dont like new beginnings? Writing this book is my testament of the faith that I have in God. Jesus still wants me to live to tell my whole story. He is continuing to live within me, and I will never give up on my life until He wants me to come home and complete the final chapter of my living on this earth. My reward is in heaven, not here on earth.
Of our many virtues, patience can lead to greater understanding, tolerance, empathy and acceptance. The title, Pathways to Patience...A Road Less Traveled, focuses on the virtue of patience in an impatient world.
When God created human beings, He gave them the capacity and desire for pleasure. Human entertainment can glorify the Lord by expressing joy and creativity. But when unrestrained, it often degenerates into self-gratification.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.