An Entangled Bank

An Entangled Bank PDF Author: Joel Bartholemew Hagen
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
ISBN: 9780813518244
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 284

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Book Description
This book was a revelation. I was simply enthralled by Joel Hagen's brilliance in reviewing the emergence of the discipline of ecosystem ecology (the study of biotic-abiotic interaction and nutrient flows in ecological systems). He does a magnificent job of introducing the personalities that midwived the new science. He explains their intellectual struggles, philosophical cross-currents, and different academic milieux. He also expertly illuminates sociopolitical context. Through his in-depth research he is able to dispel some misconceptions and truismsm, arriving at the heart of what made each scientist tick. Even when exploring some of the arcane figures and dead-end developments, he is so compelling that they become integral to the story, not sidetracks. His breadth of knowledge, his discerning inclusiveness, his clarity of thought, all make _An Entangled Bank_ a stimulating read. Very often in science courses we are presented only with the canonical "state of the science," having to swallow its agglomerated whole free of context. Hagen reveals the wisdom of understanding intellectual foundations. Through study of the origins and development of a science, we may better grasp the received tenets of current scientific understanding. As a young science, ecosystem ecology has a historical context that is relatively accessible to us, if less romantic than a tale of the origins of astronomy might be. A peek into the labs and offices of botanists, limnologists, and biogeochemists might not seem like the acme of excitement. Hagen inspires us with his insights. He makes his subject meaningful to us. Though it is not pleasure reading by any stretch, its clear-sighted intellectual vigor makes _An Entangled Bank_ pure enjoyment.

An Entangled Bank

An Entangled Bank PDF Author: Joel Bartholemew Hagen
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
ISBN: 9780813518244
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 284

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book was a revelation. I was simply enthralled by Joel Hagen's brilliance in reviewing the emergence of the discipline of ecosystem ecology (the study of biotic-abiotic interaction and nutrient flows in ecological systems). He does a magnificent job of introducing the personalities that midwived the new science. He explains their intellectual struggles, philosophical cross-currents, and different academic milieux. He also expertly illuminates sociopolitical context. Through his in-depth research he is able to dispel some misconceptions and truismsm, arriving at the heart of what made each scientist tick. Even when exploring some of the arcane figures and dead-end developments, he is so compelling that they become integral to the story, not sidetracks. His breadth of knowledge, his discerning inclusiveness, his clarity of thought, all make _An Entangled Bank_ a stimulating read. Very often in science courses we are presented only with the canonical "state of the science," having to swallow its agglomerated whole free of context. Hagen reveals the wisdom of understanding intellectual foundations. Through study of the origins and development of a science, we may better grasp the received tenets of current scientific understanding. As a young science, ecosystem ecology has a historical context that is relatively accessible to us, if less romantic than a tale of the origins of astronomy might be. A peek into the labs and offices of botanists, limnologists, and biogeochemists might not seem like the acme of excitement. Hagen inspires us with his insights. He makes his subject meaningful to us. Though it is not pleasure reading by any stretch, its clear-sighted intellectual vigor makes _An Entangled Bank_ pure enjoyment.

Darwin Deleted

Darwin Deleted PDF Author: Peter J. Bowler
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226068676
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 329

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Book Description
A history of science text imagining how evolutionary theory and biology would have been understood if Darwin had never published his "Origin of Species" and other works.--publisher summary.

The Evolutionary Imagination in Late-Victorian Novels

The Evolutionary Imagination in Late-Victorian Novels PDF Author: John Glendening
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN: 9780754658214
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 254

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Book Description
Dominated by Darwinism and its numerous guises, evolutionary theory presented opportunities and difficulties for late Victorian novelists. John Glendening shows how a range of texts, from The Island of Doctor Moreau and Dracula to Heart of Darkness, address the interrelationship between order and chaos uncovered by evolutionary thinking. His focus is on how these authors stressed, not objective truths, but rather the contingencies and confusions generated by theories of evolution.

Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love

Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love PDF Author: Elizabeth A. Johnson
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1472903730
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
An examination of the relationship between faith in God and the concept of ecological care within a crisis of biodiversity

The Tangled Bank

The Tangled Bank PDF Author: Carl Zimmer
Publisher: Macmillan Higher Education
ISBN: 1319268765
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 804

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Book Description
Used widely in non-majors biology classes, The Tangled Bank is the first textbook about evolution intended for the general reader. Zimmer, an award-winning science writer, takes readers on a fascinating journey into the latest discoveries about evolution. In the Canadian Arctic, paleontologists unearth fossils documenting the move of our ancestors from sea to land. In the outback of Australia, a zoologist tracks some of the world’s deadliest snakes to decipher the 100-million-year evolution of venom molecules. In Africa, geneticists are gathering DNA to probe the origin of our species. In clear, non-technical language, Zimmer explains the central concepts essential for understanding new advances in evolution, including natural selection, genetic drift, and sexual selection. He demonstrates how vital evolution is to all branches of modern biology—from the fight against deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria to the analysis of the human genome.

Royally Entangled

Royally Entangled PDF Author: Catherine Banks
Publisher: Catherine Banks
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
Ending a war makes her a savior to some…but a target to others. Videogamer Jolie Bernardo hadn’t planned on ending a war when she moved to Jinla, but fate stepped in and thrust her into the path of four sexy princes. Now her dream to make a name for herself in the video game community is threatened, as Others are out for her blood. When the four princes of Jinla inadvertently forge a bond with her, it draws and binds them to one another. Unfortunately for them, it now means abandoning their chances of pursuing females to focus on keeping her alive. But with a new battle on the horizon, Jolie will have to choose between her heart…and her life. ROYALLY ENTANGLED is a full-length reverse harem fantasy novel, the first in the complete HER ROYAL HAREM series.

The Dominant Animal

The Dominant Animal PDF Author: Paul R. Ehrlich
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 1597264601
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 475

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Book Description
In humanity’s more than 100,000 year history, we have evolved from vulnerable creatures clawing sustenance from Earth to a sophisticated global society manipulating every inch of it. In short, we have become the dominant animal. Why, then, are we creating a world that threatens our own species? What can we do to change the current trajectory toward more climate change, increased famine, and epidemic disease? Renowned Stanford scientists Paul R. Ehrlich and Anne H. Ehrlich believe that intelligently addressing those questions depends on a clear understanding of how we evolved and how and why we’re changing the planet in ways that darken our descendants’ future. The Dominant Animal arms readers with that knowledge, tracing the interplay between environmental change and genetic and cultural evolution since the dawn of humanity. In lucid and engaging prose, they describe how Homo sapiens adapted to their surroundings, eventually developing the vibrant cultures, vast scientific knowledge, and technological wizardry we know today. But the Ehrlichs also explore the flip side of this triumphant story of innovation and conquest. As we clear forests to raise crops and build cities, lace the continents with highways, and create chemicals never before seen in nature, we may be undermining our own supremacy. The threats of environmental damage are clear from the daily headlines, but the outcome is far from destined. Humanity can again adapt—if we learn from our evolutionary past. Those lessons are crystallized in The Dominant Animal. Tackling the fundamental challenge of the human predicament, Paul and Anne Ehrlich offer a vivid and unique exploration of our origins, our evolution, and our future.

Pollinators and Pollination

Pollinators and Pollination PDF Author: Jeff Ollerton
Publisher: Pelagic Publishing Ltd
ISBN: 1784272299
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 425

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Book Description
A unique and personal insight into the ecology and evolution of pollinators, their relationships with flowers, and their conservation in a rapidly changing world. The pollination of flowers by insects, birds and other animals is a fundamentally important ecological function that supports both the natural world and human society. Without pollinators to facilitate the sexual reproduction of plants, the world would be a biologically poorer place in which to live, there would be an impact on food security, and human health would suffer. Written by one of the world’s leading pollination ecologists, this book provides an introduction to what pollinators are, how their interactions with flowers have evolved, and the fundamental ecology of these relationships. It explores the pollination of wild and agricultural plants in a variety of habitats and contexts, including urban, rural and agricultural environments. The author also provides practical advice on how individuals and organisations can study, and support, pollinators. As well as covering the natural history of pollinators and flowers, the author discusses their cultural importance, and the ways in which pollinator conservation has been portrayed from a political perspective. The book draws on field work experiences in South America, Africa, Australia, the Canary Islands and the UK. For over 30 years the author has spent his career researching how plants and pollinators evolve relationships, how these interactions function ecologically, their importance for society, and how we can conserve them in a rapidly changing world. This book offers a unique and personal insight into the science of pollinators and pollination, aimed at anyone who is interested in understanding these fascinating and crucial ecological interactions.

From So Simple a Beginning

From So Simple a Beginning PDF Author: Charles Darwin
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 0393061345
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Hailed as "superior" by Nature, this landmark volume is available in a collectible, boxed edition. Never before have the four great works of Charles Darwin—Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle (1845), The Origin of Species (1859), The Descent of Man (1871), and The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals (1872)—been collected under one cover. Undertaking this challenging endeavor 123 years after Darwin's death, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward O. Wilson has written an introductory essay for the occasion, while providing new, insightful introductions to each of the four volumes and an afterword that examines the fate of evolutionary theory in an era of religious resistance. In addition, Wilson has crafted a creative new index to accompany these four texts, which links the nineteenth-century, Darwinian evolutionary concepts to contemporary biological thought. Beautifully slipcased, and including restored versions of the original illustrations, From So Simple a Beginning turns our attention to the astounding power of the natural creative process and the magnificence of its products.

Entangled Evolutions

Entangled Evolutions PDF Author: Peter Gross
Publisher: Woodrow Wilson Center Press
ISBN: 0801868521
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 238

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Book Description
The revolutions of 1989 swept away Eastern Europe's communist governments and created expectations on the part of many observers that post-communist media would lead the liberated societies in establishing and embracing democratic political cultures. Peter Gross finds that it was utopian to hold such expectations of the media in societies in transition. On the one hand, those countries' media professionals had all learned their jobs under the communist regimes and could not instantly transform themselves into guides for a politically enabled populace, Gross argues. On the other hand, newcomers to the media world, even those who were notable literary figures, viewed themselves as social and political leaders rather than mere informers and facilitators of the resocialization required to form new democracies. The news media have remained highly politicized and partisan. So how are the media, civil society, and political culture related in societies in transition? And can changes in these relationships be anticipated? To address these questions, Entangled Evolutions examines media in post-1989 Eastern Europe. It studies the effects of privatization of the media, journalists' relations to political figures, institutional structures such as media laws, professional journalistic culture, and the media's relation to their market. Sources include interviews with journalists and politicians, sociological and political data from national surveys, and media audience studies.