Washoe County Library System

A Short History of Nearly Everything is a quest, the intellectual odyssey of a lifetime, as this curious writer attempts to understand everything that has transpired from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization.

Few of us realize what strange wet miracles of science operate inside us after every meal. In her trademark style, Mary Roach investigates the beginning, and end, of our food.

Explains Einstein's theory of general relativity, quantum mechanics, black holes, the complex architecture of the universe, elementary particles, gravity, and the nature of the mind. Seven Brief Lessons on Physics is a book about the joy of discovery. Carlo Rovelli brings a playful, entertaining, and mind-bending introduction to modern physics, offering surprising—and surprisingly easy to grasp—explanations of Einstein's general relativity, quantum...

"A new epidemic is sweeping the country. Some people call it "ADHD," "scatter brain," or "brain fog." And some people simply say they "just don't feel like themselves"--and haven't for a long time. People are thinking and feeling worse than ever. Why? Because our brains are not getting the support they need to produce the essential brain chemicals that keep us energized, calm, focused, and inspired. In fact, if you look at the way that most of us...

Roach explores how and why sexual arousal and orgasm is difficult, and presents what scientific efforts are being made to make the bedroom experience more satisfying.

The author of Stiff and Bonk explores the irresistibly strange universe of space travel and life without gravity. Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can't walk for a year? have sex? smell flowers?...

It's the biggest revolution you've never heard of, and it's hiding in plain sight. Over the past decade, Silicon Valley executives like Eric Schmidt and Elon Musk, Special Operators like the Navy SEALs and the Green Berets, and maverick scientists like Sasha Shulgin and Amy Cuddy have turned everything we thought we knew about high performance upside down. Instead of grit, better habits, or 10,000 hours, these trailblazers have found a surprising...

Examines eating habits in light of contemporary trends toward ultra diet-concsiousness. Presents arguments for more tradition- and ecology-based approaches to eating rather than regarding foods in more scientific or clinical terms. "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." These simple words go to the heart of food journalist Pollan's thesis. Humans used to know how to eat well, he argues, but the balanced dietary lessons that were once passed down...

"The #1 New York Times best-selling author and beloved healing authority reveals how taking your liver off overload can help resolve a wide range of symptoms and conditions--and transform your health in ways you've never imagined. What if you could focus on one aspect of your well-being to transform all the others--and at the same time prevent health problems you didn't even know were lurking beneath the surface? In today's world, we have no idea...

"Is high-quality sleep the missing component to help you shed fat for good, stave off diseases, and keep you productive? In Sleep Smarter, Shawn Stevenson, host of the popular podcast, The Model Health Show, answers these and many other sleep-related questions.As a teenager, Stevenson was diagnosed with a degenerative bone disease. He gave up on his health and his body, until he decided to fight back.Through years of research and consulting health...