reviews

Choose to Believe... Author:  Sean B. Carroll Everyone who chooses to believe in evolution knows that Homo sapiens resides on a small twig on the primate branch of the immensely sprawling tree of life.  Likewise, those who choose to believe in atoms and molecules know that DNA provides the genetic blueprint that guides the development of every organism on the planet.  What was not understood until quite recently was how to connect the two concepts.  However, major advances in the field of embryology over the past two decades have succeeded in creating a new synthesis, known as evolutionary developmental biology, [...]

You've been warned... Author:  Matthew Inman I’ve lived with cats my entire adult life, yet I still find that the feline mind is a thing of deep mystery.   While searching for answers, I came across How to Tell If Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You, a graphic work by Matthew Inman, creator of theoatmeal.com and author of 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (and Other Useful Guides). The book is loaded with all sorts of tips that will prove useful for any cat owner, including proper petting technique, correct interpretation of feline expressions and [...]

Wide Open Spaces... Author:  Ian Frazier Travel writing is one of my favorite genres, especially when it’s motivated by a passion for history.  When an author can successfully incorporate dozens of intriguing historical nuggets into their own personal road trip, I’m frequently captivated.  A case in point is Great Plains, humorist Ian Frazier’s account of his wanderings in the 1980s, which manages to combines history, humor and adventure into one charming package. An award winning columnist for The New Yorker for decades, Frazier spent much of the 1980s alone, driving and exploring the quiet flat roads of America’s prairie heartland, [...]