Catalog All books
Daniel C. Dennett
Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life
In this book, he confronts this approach with the ideas of Charles Darwin and Darwinism, and addresses the question of evolution. What are the implications of the theory of evolution by natural selection? Why is evolution such a disturbing idea, not only for religious believers but also for philosophers and even for some biologists? How does it affect the concept of mind? In the midst of the current neo-Darwinian wave, this book offers a timely dialogue between the ideas of an important contemporary philosopher and those of the greatest nineteenth-century biologist. Daniel C. Dennett teaches cognitive sciences at Tufts University.
James Watson
A Passion for DNA Genes, Genomes and Society
In 1953, two young scientists, James Watson and Francis Crick, began a scientific revolution when they discovered the double helix structure of the DNA molecule, the substance that is the basis of heredity. James Watson, who won Nobel Prize in 1962 at the age of 34, has continued to play a central role in the field of genetics. Throughout his long scientific career, he has constantly sought to explain the latest developments and findings. The present volume is a collection of articles and lectures reflecting his views during the past fifty years on such subjects as GM foods, cancer, the sequencing of the human genome, and the ethical and social consequences of biology. This is a thought-provoking, often optimistic and always spirited book, reflecting the life and work of one of the great minds of the twentieth century.
Edward O. Wilson
The Diversity of Life
What are the mechanics of evolution? What is the force behind diversity and the proliferation of the species? Why does nature never stop inventing new forms of life? What is the effect of great catastrophes on the evolution of the species? What is the real effect of human action on nature? A professor at Harvard University, Edward O. Wilson is one of the most important theoricians of biological evolution. He is also one of the most ardent lobbyists for the preservation of nature.
André Brahic, Bradford Smith
Exoplanets Looking for life in the Universe
A brilliant, enthusiastic and accessible work by two of the greatest living astronomers
Gérard Chaliand, Jean-Pierre Rageau
The Atlas of Diasporas
For the first time, a complete and global presentation, both historical and geographical, of diasporas. Sixty maps, many illustrations, and accurate syntheses help reproduce the great archipelago of exile, wandering and migration. From the authors of The Strategic Atlas, The Political Atlas of the 20th Century, and The Atlas of Europeans.
Frank L. Sulloway
Born to Rebel
The author sets out to explain why children from the same family can be as unlike one another as children from different families. Why is it that some siblings within a family accept parental authority and others rebel? What led scientific innovators such as Copernicus and Charles Darwin to reject the accepted wisdom of their time and adopt a radically new world view? In Born to Rebel, which was highly acclaimed when it was published in the United States, Frank J. Sulloway compares families to ecosystems in which siblings must find their own specific niches when competing for parental attention and favours. Frank J. Sulloway is a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Yuval Ne'eman, Yoram Kirsh
The Particle Hunters
In this book, Yuval Neeman and Yoram Kirsh recount the story of particle physics in the twentieth century. They explain how physicists first discovered the various levels of the atom and then tried to describe its structure, culminating in the most recent "standard model". Assuming that the readers knowledge of physics is limited to basic notions such as energy, mass, and electrical charge, the authors explain the theory of relativity and the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics, which have guided physicists in their search for the ultimate particles of matter. Yuval Neeman teaches theoretical physics at the University of Tel Aviv. Yoram Kirsh teaches physics at the Open University of Israel.
Gérard Berry
The Hyperpower of Computer Science
An attractive (color illustrations) and very instructive book for which Gérard Berry has made use of his experience as a lecturer and a teacher of children 9-12 years-old at a Montessori school. A book that fills a gap in knowledge: quite simply, it helps to understand and better anticipate the great changes that are occurring right before our eyes.
Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer, Céline Jurgensen
Nuclear Imaginaries
A cross-sectional approach: from the curious to the specialist, all audiences will find food for thought here. From fiction (cartoons, cinema…) to the military perspective, and including literary references, a great variety of subjects are broached.
Edmund Phelps
Mass Prosperity
A profound reflection, at the meeting-point of economics and psychology, on the forces of innovation and economic well-being and the motivations of both. A view of innovation that confronts many accepted ideas — the Schumpeterian view of the entrepreneur, the development of science as a source of innovation, and so on — and which needs to be debated.