Washoe County Library System

Life on Earth is endlessly amazing and complex. Learn about the systems and concepts that drive the great diversity of life on our planet. From the smallest cell to the process of photosynthesis, The Science of Life puts you and all other living things under the microscope.

Beth Shapiro, evolutionary biologist and pioneer in "ancient DNA" research, walks readers through the astonishing and controversial process of de-extinction. From deciding which species should be restored, to sequencing their genomes, to anticipating how revived populations might be overseen in the wild, Shapiro vividly explores the extraordinary cutting-edge science that is being used--today--to resurrect the past.

"Rosalind Franklin knows if she just takes one more X-ray picture-one more after thousands-she can unlock the building blocks of life. Never again will she have to listen to her colleagues complain about her, especially Maurice Wilkins who'd rather conspire about genetics with James Watson and Francis Crick than work alongside her. Then it finally happens-the double helix structure of DNA reveals itself to her with perfect clarity. But what happens...

When a DNA match on an online ancestry database leads him to a second cousin who disappears as quickly as he resurfaces after an epic fall from grace, Wilde must figure out if his cousin is linked to a cunning conspiracy involving a ruthless killer. After months away, Wilde has returned to the Ramapo Mountains in the wake of a failed bid at domesticity that confirms what he’s known all along: He belongs on his own, free from the comforts and constraints...