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Natural & Physical Sciences Books in this online selection represent only a sliver of what we offer in the store. If you've got a particular book in mind and want to check on its availability, call us at 415-362-8193.

<<< 1 2     sort list by title | author The Theory That Would Not Die How Bayes' Rule Cracked the Enigma Code, Hunted Down Russian Submarines, and Emerged Triumphant from Two Centuries of Controversy Sharon Bertsch McGrayne Bayes' rule appears to be a straightforward, one-line theorem: by updating our initial beliefs with objective new information, we get a new and improved belief. To its adherents, it is an elegant statement about learning from experience. To its... 101 Quantum Questions What You Need to Know About the World You Can't See Kenneth W. Ford Ken Ford's mission is to help us understand the "great ideas" of quantum physics—ideas such as wave-particle duality, the uncertainty principle, superposition, and conservation. These fundamental concepts provide the structure for 101 Quantum... The Poisoner's Handbook Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York Deborah Blum Fascinating and entertaining, tinged with both humor and horror, this account of the early years of forensic medicine in New York City is near unputdownable. We follow the city's Medical Examiner and head toxicologist as they develop the techniques for... Death & Sex Dorion Sagan, Tyler Volk This is actually two books, both written by eminent science writers, but it is "Sex" I wish to dwell on (pun intended). Dorion is the son of Carl and an engaged, engaging, and omnivorous philosopher of science. Ranging over love, lust, sex, reproduction, A Place of My Own The Architecture of Daydreams Michael Pollan Michael Pollan’s unmatched ability to draw lines of connection between our everyday experiences— whether eating, gardening, or building—and the natural world has been the basis for the popular success of his many works of nonfiction, including the... I Am a Strange Loop Douglas R. Hofstadter Can thought arise out of matter? Can self, soul, consciousness, “I” arise out of mere matter? If it cannot, then how can you or I be here? I Am a Strange Loop argues that the key to understanding selves and consciousness is the “strange loop”—a... God Created the Integers The Mathematical Breakthroughs That Changed History The Omnivore's Dilemma A Natural History of Four Meals Michael Pollan A New York Times bestseller that has changed the way readers view the ecology of eating, this revolutionary book by award winner Michael Pollan asks the seemingly simple question: What should we have for dinner? Tracing from source to table each of... QED The Strange Theory of Light and Matter Richard P. Feynman Celebrated for his brilliantly quirky insights into the physical world, Nobel laureate Richard Feynman also possessed an extraordinary talent for explaining difficult concepts to the general public. Here Feynman provides a classic and definitive... The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill A Love Story . . . with Wings Mark Bittner Like a lot of young people in the 1970s, Mark Bittner took the path of the “dharma bum.” When the counterculture faded, Mark held on, seeking shelter in the nooks and crannies of San Francisco’s fabled bohemian neighborhood, North... Surviving the Extremes What Happens to the Body and Mind at the Limits of Human Endurance Kenneth Kamler Combining personal experience and scientific knowledge, Kammler weaves together the stories of victims and survivors of the most extreme conditions on Earth: high altitudes, deserts, open sea, deep sea, jungles, and outer space. An amazing book. Guns, Germs, and Steel The Fates of Human Societies Jared Diamond Explaining what William McNeill called The Rise of the West has become the central problem in the study of global history. In Guns, Germs, and Steel Jared Diamond presents the biologist's answer: geography, demography, and ecological happenstance... A Brief History of Time Stephen Hawking A Brief History of Time, published in 1988, was a landmark volume in science writing and in world-wide acclaim and popularity, with more than 9 million copies in print globally. Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! Richard P. Feynman, Ralph Leighton The outrageous exploits of one of this century's greatest scientific minds and a legendary American original. In this phenomenal national bestseller, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard P. Feynman recounts in his inimitable voice his adventures... <<< 1 2