Washoe County Library System

"Trace the history of life science in the first of a four-part MITeen series by mega-best-selling author Joy Hakim, who brought us The History of US. When did we start learning the scientific secrets of life? Step back to the Islamic Golden Age, when scholars ask questions about life science and medicine that will establish those fields. Chart a path through the Renaissance, as Leonardo da Vinci dissects cadavers by candlelight to learn human anatomy...

"Over the past four billion years of Earth's history, three organisms-cyanobacteria, plants, and humans--have altered the planet in profound ways by harnessing the availability of five key elements. Hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus are the most common elements in all forms of life on Earth, and all five circulate between the biotic and abiotic world in biogeochemical cycles. When organisms tap into stores of these elements and change...

"The flaws in our anatomy raise more than a few questions. Why is it that human mothers risk their lives giving birth? Why are there medical specialties for teeth and feet? And why is it that human babies can’t hold their heads up, but horses trot around minutes after they’re born? This detailed foray into the twists and turns of our ancestral past includes no shortage of curiosity and humor to find answers. In this funny, wide-ranging and often...

With the whimsy and heart of The Soul of an Octopus and the surprising details of the very best science writing, The Curious World of Seahorses brilliantly captures the ocean’s most charismatic and mysterious inhabitant. "When God created the seahorse," says one marine biologist, "he may have had one too many." Of all the creatures in the ocean, there are none more charming and magical—or more strange—than the seahorses. Masters of disguise,...

"Easily the most influential book published in the nineteenth century, Darwin’s The Origin of Species is also that most unusual phenomenon, an altogether readable discussion of a scientific subject. On its appearance in 1859 it was immediately recognized by enthusiasts and detractors alike as a work of the greatest importance: its revolutionary theory of evolution by means of natural selection provoked a furious reaction that continues to this day....

"Everyone’s favorite space rovers take on a dangerous rescue operation - inside the belly of the Beast! - in this hilarious title in the early graphic novel series. Interplanetary space explorers Rover and Speck have set out on a dangerous mission deep into the mysterious unknown: a visit to Unexplored Planet K2-18b. Though all seems calm to Rover when they first splash down on the watery surface, they soon find themselves in the mouth of a gigantic...

"An astonishing novel about a young microbiologist investigating an unfathomable deep vent in the ocean floor, leading her on a journey that will encompass the full trajectory of the cosmos and the passage of a single human life. Leigh grew up in Rotterdam, drawn to the waterfront as an escape from her unhappy home life and volatile father. Enchanted by the undersea world of her childhood, she excels in marine biology, traveling the globe to study...

"An unforgettable journey into our ancient past, containing powerful lessons to learn about our future. Today there are 20 million species on our planet. Yet what we see is just a snapshot in time. 99% of earth's inhabitants are lost to our deep past. The story of what happened to these lineages―their rise and their fall―is truly remarkable. Accompanying the ground-breaking Netflix series, Life on our Planet uses the latest technology to bring...