Check us out at http://blogs.nyu.edu/library/colessciencecenter/. And don’t forget to update your bookmarks!
New Books (11/14/2004)
November 14, 2007 at 10:38 pm (New Books)
Check out these new books to keep you company on the long ride home for the holiday. These books should keep you entertained and sharp despite all the tryptophan.
A Certain Ambiguity by Suri,Gauruv and Bal, Hartosh Singh. Princeton University Press, 2007
QA99.S872007
“GOOD stories need rich characters that we care about, not mathematical theorems, however fascinating. So a work of fiction subtitled A mathematical novel makes you fear that it may only expose the tremendous difficulty of blending science and logic with the emotion and dramatic tension required of good literature. Fortunately, in this case that fear is misplaced, because A Certain Ambiguity succeeds both as a compelling novel and as an intellectual tour through some startling mathematical ideas.”-www.newscientist.com
Passions & Tempers: A History of the Humours. Arika, Noga. Ecco, 2007
QP90.5.A75 2007
“From Publishers Weekly
Leading medical minds were once convinced that health and sickness resulted from the interplay of the four “humors”: blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile, each associated with a certain personality trait (e.g., black bile signifies melancholic) and with one of the basic elements of the universe (e.g., yellow bile is linked to fire). The rational mindset naturally recoils at the crudity and superstition of this ancient medical framework, but independent historian Arikha’s pleasing historical survey usefully reminds us that our modern theories of the relationship between mind, mood and body rest on gains made by humoral analogy. To investigate the humors is to probe all of Western medicine, starting with the ancient physicians Hippocrates and Galen, the Persian Hunayn ibn-Is’haq, through the bloodlettings of the Middle Ages and Harvey’s experiments on blood, to Mesmer and Freud and beyond. If Arikha’s defense is occasionally a touch too fervent, her passion, intellectual energy and empathy are laudable . After all, says Arikha, neurotransmitters are today’s humors, and pharmaceutical companies are not all that different from the apothecaries of yore. This is a stimulating work that shows the Western mind nobly grappling with the inscrutable nature of the human body.”-Amazon.com
Of Victorians & Vegetarians: The Vegetarian Movement in Nineteenth Century Great Britain. Gregory, James. Tauris Academic Studies, 2007
TX392.G78 2007
“Nineteenth-century Britain was one of the birthplaces of modern vegetarianism in the West. In ‘Of Victorians and Vegetarians’ James Gregory explores the relationship between this newly organized movement and wider culture and society. It evolved with a myriad of meanings and voices: partly for propagandist reasons, but also because of the varied motivations and characteristis[sic] of vegetarians. Teetotallers, animal lovers, mystics, spiritualists and theosophists, as well as those who saw the diet as an effective and democratic medical treatment, all provided the constituents for a movement whose critics associated it with radicalism and faddism. Frequently counter-cultural, in its association with socialism and communitarianism throughout the period, vegetarianism also expressed in heightened form the already well-established values of self-help, philanthropy, thrift, Puritanism, domesticity and a belief in progress”-Amazon.com
Global Health Governance and the Fight against HIV/AIDS. Wolfgang, Hein; Bartsch, Sonja; Kohlmorgen, Lars. Palgrave McMillan, 2007
RA441.G5683 2007
“The devastating effects of HIV/AIDS have propelled a multiplicity of activities at global, national and local level. This book is based on in-depth studies of the major global institutions in health (WHO, UNAIDS, World Bank, WTO, Global Fund); the role of pharmaceutical corporations; the functions of NGOs; and the national responses to HIV/AIDS in Brazil and South Africa. The authors offer a unique political science perspective on this important issue and bring to light the relevance of their conclusions for other areas of health and global governance.” Amazon.com
Coffee @ Coles Science Center
October 24, 2007 at 11:07 pm (Uncategorized)
Join the 9th Floor Science Center Staff and your fellow students for a little caffeine, conversation and relaxation. Coffee @ Coles is a perfect time to chat with a science librarian about your research. And, best of all it’s FREE!!!
Date: Thursday November 15th, 2007
Time: 3:00-5:00PM
Place: Coles Science Center, Bobst Library-9th FLR
New Books
October 9, 2007 at 6:18 pm (New Books, Uncategorized)
A new batch of books have arrived. Even though required reading has commenced I suggest you take a look at these new titles, because reading is always just a little bit more pleasurable when it is just for you. Here are a few titles I have pulled from the cart:
Surgery Junkies by Victoria Pitts-Taylor. Rutgers University Press, 2007
RD119.P522007
“Drawing on years of research, her personal experience with cosmetic surgery, analysis of newspaper articles and television shows, and in-depth interviews with surgeons, psychiatrists, lawyers, judges, and others, Pitts-Taylor brings new perspectives to the promotion of “extreme” makeovers on television, the medicalization of “surgery addiction,” the moral and political interrogation that many patients face, and feminist debates on the topic.
While many feel that cosmetic surgery is a deeply personal choice and that its pathology is rooted in the individual psyche, Pitts-Taylor makes a compelling argument that the experience, meanings, and motivations for cosmetic surgery are highly social. A much needed “makeover” of our cultural understanding of cosmetic surgery, this book is both authoritative and thoroughly engaging.”-Amazon.com
The Fatal Sleep by Peter Kennedy. Luath Press Limited, 2007
RC186.T82 k46 2007
“Human African trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness, continues to be largely neglected by the Western world and pharmaceutical companies. In this expos[sic], Kennedy pens the true story of Africa’s killer disease that had gone undiscovered for centuries and the doctors struggling to fight it.”-Amazon.com
Traveling at the Speed of Thought by Daniel Kennefick. Princeton University Press,2007
“David Kaiser, author of “Drawing Theories Apart: The Dispersion of Feynman Diagrams in Postwar Physics” : This book is a very impressive achievement. Kennefick skillfully introduces readers to some of the most abstruse yet fascinating concepts in modern physics stemming from Einstein’s gravitational theory. And he charts the often haphazard, meandering, at times contentious development of these ideas over the course of nearly a century. More than an intellectual history, this book is a kind of detective story. Amid unfolding clues, partial insights, evolving institutions, the play of personalities, and hard thinking, the reader is treated to larger lessons about how theoretical physics works. Until now, we had virtually no serious study of what happened to Einstein’s general relativity after he published his famous equations. Kennefick is among the first to begin to fill in this story.”-Amazon.com
Other New Books worthy of your attention:
Ethics, Technology and the American Way of War by Reuben E. Brigety II. Routledge, 2007
UA23.B7828 2007
Rickover by Thomas B. Allen and Norman Polmar. Potomac Books, Inc, 2007
V63.R54 A55 2007
Book Shifting
August 13, 2007 at 9:36 pm (Library Instruction)
As mentioned in the following post, the ninth floor is currently undergoing a BOOK SHIFTING PROJECT. As a result, books may not be in the proper locations. Please be aware of the shifting process when looking for books on the shelves, and feel free to ask for assistance at the reference desk. Thank you for your patience.
Last Summer Leisure Reads (New Books)
August 13, 2007 at 9:30 pm (New Books)
A new batch of books has arrived. Get your hands on these exciting books before required reading begins! Here are a few titles I have pulled from the new books cart:
Rat by Jerry Langton. St. Martin’s Press, 2007.
QL737 .R666 L345
“The very word rat can make your flesh crawl as your mouth curls in revulsion. And with a rat population worldwide that outnumbers humans, there is almost no place to go (except Antarctica) to escape rats. As journalist Langton points out in his introductory chapter, rats can do something most other species of animals cannot–they can compete with humans and win. In this engrossing, quick read, Langton leads the reader through the world of the black and brown rats that have formed commensal relationships with humans. Rats are the main vector for the bubonic plague when their infected fleas leave dying rats and then bite humans. Rats eat our food, helping themselves not only to scraps and garbage but also to our stored grain. On the other hand, rats are extremely valuable subjects for medical research because their internal systems are so similar to ours. In chatty prose, Langton discusses every phase of rat-human interactions.” – Nancy Bent, Booklist
Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle over Global Warming by Chris Mooney. Harcourt Books, 2007.
QC944 .M66
“…Since storm research’s early 19th-century inception, Mooney found, there has been a split between those who believed the field should be rooted in the careful collection of data and observations (e.g., weathermen) and those who preferred theory-based deductions from the laws of physics (e.g., climatologists). Whirling around this longstanding antagonism is a mix of politics, personalities and the drama of these frightening storms. The urgency and difficulty of resolving the question of global warming’s existence, and its relationship to storms, has only heated things up. Mooney turns this complicated stew into a page-turner, making the science accessible to the general reader, vividly portraying the scientists and relating new discoveries while scientists and politicians change sides—or stubbornly ignore new evidence. Mooney draws hope from some researchers’ integration of both research methods and concludes that to be effective, scientists need to be clear communicators.” – Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review
Other exciting books for one last summer, leisure read:
Silence of the Songbirds by Bridget Stutchbury. Walker and Company, 2007.
QL676 .7 .S88
Toxic Exposures by Phil Brown. Columbia University Press, 2007.
RB152 .5 .B76
***We are currently undergoing a book shifting project on the ninth floor. Please be aware when looking for books and feel free to ask for assistance at the reference desk.
New Books Continued.
July 25, 2007 at 6:34 pm (New Books)
That’s right! New books have arrived and are now available for your reading pleasure. Here is a brief snapshot of what you can expect to find twirling around on the ninth floor’s new books cart:
Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain by Sharon Begley. Ballantine Books, 2007.
QP363 .5 .B44 2007
“…Begley walks readers through the seminal experiments showing that in fact new neurons are created in the brain every day, even in people in their 70s. With frequent tangents into Buddhist philosophy, Begley surveys current knowledge of neuroplasticity. Most interesting is a series of experiments with Buddhist adepts who have spent over 10,000 hours meditating. What these experiments show is tantalizing: it might be possible to train the brain to be better at feeling certain emotions, such as compassion. No less interesting are the hurdles the scientists face in recruiting participants; yogis replied that if these scientists wanted to understand meditation, they should meditate. Despite the title, the book holds no neuroplasticity tips, but it is a fascinating exploration of the ways the mind can change the brain.” – Publisher’s Weekly
From Satan’s Crown to the Holy Grail by Diane Morgan. Praeger Publishers, 2007.
QE394. E5 M67 2007
“Morgan discusses the origin of the emerald, its peculiar structure, and its strange allure. The story weaves across several continents and thousands of years. It is a tale of conquistadors, treachery, shipwrecks, and alchemy. Along the way, we meet scientists and kings and bear witness as the great emeralds are born, mined, smuggled, cut, and sold. The book also discusses the modern art of making synthetic emeralds. From the fastnesses of Afghanistan to the steamy jungles of Colombia and Zimbabwe, from the sands of Egypt to the bitter Urals, this is the story of a stone whose strange journey reflects the yearnings, greed, passions, and longing for beauty of the human race.” – Amazon.com
Here are a few more taste-making titles:
Why Beauty is Truth by Ian Stewart. Basic Books, 2007.
Q172 .5 .S95 S744 2007
The Architecture of Madness: Insane Asylums in the United States by Carla Yanni. University of Minnesota Press, 2007.
RC445 .Y36 2007
For more recent arrivals refer to our New Books List organized by subject.
More New Books
July 2, 2007 at 7:42 pm (Uncategorized)
The New Books display cases and cart are filling up with more tasty titles. Here is a brief review of one of our exciting new selections!
The Silent Deep by Tony Koslow. The University of Chicago Press, 2007.
QH541.5.D35 K67
“…an encyclopedic overview of 200 years’ worth of oceanographic discoveries, research and resource exploitation. Organized chronologically, part one begins with ancient thinkers like Aristotle before profiling the work of pioneering oceanic naturalists of the early 19th century like Forbes, Milne-Edwards, Sars and Darwin. Part two explores 20th-century methods for tackling the mysteries of the deep sea, including spectacular discoveries of unknown species, hydrothermal hot springs, methane seeps and whale falls. The third section considers the deep-reaching impact of humanity-not only through fishing, mining and dumping, but also global climate change-whose effects touch every region of the sea. This volume provides helpful information on any given sea-centric query and a thorough bibliography for finding additional material. Illustrations and figures range from reproductions of early drawings to high-resolution, in situ photographs, startling in beauty and detail. Informative, gorgeous and extremely well written, this title may be the only marine-life reference you’ll ever need.” – Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review
Also check out:
The Life of Numbers by Antonio Duran, Georges Ifrah, and Alberto Manguel.
QA141. L54 2006
For more recent arrivals, refer to our New Books List, organized by subject.
The Second Batch of New Books
June 11, 2007 at 9:25 pm (Acquisitions, Biology, New Books)
New summer books are continuing to arrive! Here are a few more interesting selections that can now be found in our New Books display cases and cart!
Sick by Jonathan Cohn. HarperCollins Publishers, 2007.
RA395 .A3 C635
“Cohn points out that managed care initially had an altruistic goal of making health-care affordable for all. But by 1997, two-thirds of HMOs were controlled by for-profit companies concerned with making money rather than preventing and easing sickness. The author convincingly argues that Medicare and universal health care in such countries as France, though not perfect, are far superior to the system most Americans face. Much of this is well-trod territory, but Cohn is eloquent, and he’s good at using case studies to dramatize and explain complex issues.” – Publisher’s Weekly
The Elephant’s Secret Sense: The Hidden Life of the Wild Herds of Africa by Caitlin O’Connell. Simon & Schuster, 2007.
QL737 .P98 O26
“Naturalist O’Connell’s memoir of her 14 years researching the complexities of elephant behavior is a successful combination of science and soulfulness, explaining her groundbreaking theory of how elephants use seismic communication; she also sympathetically illuminates current social and ecological conditions in Africa. O’Connell’s original goal in 1992 was to spend a year driving from South Africa to Kenya, but then she was hired for a three-year study of elephants in an area of northeastern Namibia, “where violent death is as much a part of the landscape as the capricious nature of rain.” Fascinated by the “particular way that elephants seemed to be listening with their feet,” she soon realized that the elephants were communicating with sound waves “that travel within the surface of the ground as opposed to the air.” Her efforts over the next decade to prove this “unexpected and controversial” hypothesis took her “to the bayous of Texas, the Nevada desert, southern India, northern Zimbabwe, the Oakland Zoo, and then back to the scrub desert” of Namibia.” – Publisher’s Weekly
Other new selections include:
Medieval Islamic Medicine by Peter E. Pormann and Emilie Savage-Smith. Georgetown University Press, 2007.
R128 .3 .P67
Camouflage by Tim Newark and Jonathan Miller. Thames & Hudson, 2007. UG449 .N46
For more recent arrivals, refer to our New Books List, organized by subject. Make sure to check Bobcat for their availability before you check the shelf. Happy Summer Reading!
New Books for the Summer
May 31, 2007 at 7:32 pm (Acquisitions, Biology, New Books)
The first new books of the summer have arrived, and can be found in our New Books display cases and cart! We welcome you to delve into our new and interesting selections!
Here are a few examples:
The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog by Bruce D. Perry and Maia Szalavitz. Basic Books, 2006.
RJ499.34 .P47
“…beautifully written, fascinating accounts of experiences working with emotionally stunted and traumatized children, child psychiatrist Perry educates readers about how early-life stress and violence affects the developing brain. He emphasizes that the brain of a traumatized child can be remolded with patterned, repetitive experiences in a safe environment. Most importantly, as such trauma involves the shattering of human connections, ‘lasting, caring connections to others’ are irreplaceable in healing; medications and therapy alone cannot do the job. ‘Relationships are the agents of change and the most powerful therapy is human love,’ Perry concludes.”- Publisher’s Weekly
The Sixth Extinction by Terry Glavin. St. Martin’s Press,2007.
QH75 .G58
“Prolific natural history author Glavin offers a startling new definition of extinction that includes not only loss of animal species but also disappearing aspects of the human condition. While traveling the world in search of scarlet macaws, Amur sturgeon, and the Malayan tiger, Glavin considers the diminishing whale culture of a Norwegian village and the loss of King apples. “We lose a distinct species, of one sort or another, every ten minutes,” he asserts, then reveals that languages, architecture, and entire vistas of human history are vanishing just as precipitously. Through carefully selected examples and thoughtful contemplation, Glavin suggests that we risk forgetting who we were, our stories, and our very notion of singularity and individuality as extinctions rise. In prose that tempts the reader to linger over each word, he turns a book of science and natural history into an elegy to the world in which we live and so casually disregard, creating nonfiction with a poet’s heart and a message of the utmost importance.”- Booklist
Other new selections include:
The Hudson: An Illustrated Guide to the Living River by Stanne, Panetta, and Forist
QH104.5.H83 S74
Bleeding to Ease the Pain: Cutting, Self-Injury, and the Adolescent Search for Self by Lori G. Plante
RJ506.S44 P43
Females are MOSAICS: X Inactivation and Sex Differences in Disease by Barbara R. Migeon
QH600.5 .M54
For more recent arrivals, refer to our New Books List which is organized by subject. Make sure to check Bobcat for their availability before you check the shelf!
