Washoe County Library System

Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend the unveiling of a discovery that "will change the face of science forever". The evening's host is his friend and former student, Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old tech magnate whose dazzling inventions and audacious predictions have made him a controversial figure around the world. This evening is to be no exception: he claims he...

A New York Times-bestselling author explains how the physical world shaped the history of our species. When we talk about human history, we often focus on great leaders, population forces, and decisive wars. But how has the earth itself determined our destiny? Our planet wobbles, driving changes in climate that forced the transition from nomadism to farming. Mountainous terrain led to the development of democracy in Greece. Atmospheric circulation...

"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...

"First the quark then the particle First atom then the molecule First the sun then the solar system First the earth then the life First the love then the child... Little scientists will discover what came first in this new picture book from the #1 science author for kids, Chris Ferrie! The "first/then" pattern provides a deceptively simple introduction to the beginning of life, evolution, scientific inquiry, and more! It's the perfect love letter...

Over 3.5 billion years ago, a complex chemical appeared in the warm oceans of a young Earth. The chemical had a startling quality: it could reproduce itself. Over vast periods of time this ancient chemical gave rise to more than five million widely varied forms of life. This book tells the story of how life arose and evolved. It describes the discoveries of scientists who have tried to understand the very origins of life and crack the code that governs...

Based on a careful analysis of the earliest Christian documents and recent archaeological discoveries, The Jesus Dynasty offers a bold new interpretation of the life of Jesus and the origins of Christianity. Biblical scholar Tabor brings us closer than ever to the historical Jesus. He sheds new light on Jesus' relationship with John the Baptizer, the role played by his brother James, and how Paul's ministry transformed Jesus' message into what would...

"From Roman charioteers scarfing wild boar dung to astronauts guzzling their own pee to today's kids spreading insect vomit on their toast, this humorous compendium is chock-full of history, science, and fascinatingly gross facts. Bug secretions coating your candy corn? Rodent poop in your popcorn? Physicians tasting their patients' pee? It's deliciously disgusting!"--

Presents an illustrated account of how printed books came into existence, describing how the world's first books were made by hand and how Johannes Gutenberg invented a way to print books with moveable type.