John D. Vairo Library   Brandywine

Addiction:

Ever wonder how and why people become addicted to drugs or other substances? How about the process of helping someone to recover from this problem? Learn more about one of many theories in Addiction and change : how addictions develop and addicted people recover by Carlo DiClemente.

Aging:

“Is it inevitable? Is it a burden or gift? What is successful aging? Why are some people better at aging than others? Where is aging located? How does it vary among individuals, within and between groups, cultures, societies, and indeed, over the centuries?” (Amazon book description). Answers to these questions can be found in the book Aging in Today’s World: conversations between an anthropologist and a physician by Renee Rose Shield and Stanley Aronson.

Behavior Modification:

This book “assumes no prior knowledge of behavior modification or psychology… it provides a comprehensive, practical presentation of both the elementary principles of behavior modification and step-by-step "how-to" guidelines” (Amazon.com). Check out Behavior Modification: What It Is and How to Do It by Garry L. Martin for more information.

Brewing:

The book, Beer: tap into the art and science of brewing by Charles W. Bamforth, “traces the history of beer from ancient Babylon some 8,000 years ago to today's brewing science, recounting important brewing milestones along the way” (Amazon.com description).

Cell “communication”:

"Using human language as a metaphor, science writer Niehoff takes us on a whirlwind tour, discussing how chemical communication is responsible for turning a fertilized egg into a complex, fully differentiated adult; how the human immune system is called into action to fight infection; and how homeostatic mechanisms protect us as we negotiate an environmentally unstable world but make it extremely difficult to lose significant amounts of weight. Niehoff also explores the host of medical possibilities, from curing cancer to effectively controlling diabetes, as scientists begin to fully understand the language of cells” (Publisher’s Weekly review). Find out more in The language of life : how cells communicate in health and disease.

Changing your mind:

What is the decision making process? How do you end up changing your mind? In Changing minds : the art and science of changing our own and other peoples minds , Howard Gardner explains that there are “seven powerful factors that impel or thwart significant shifts from one way of thinking to a dramatically new one” (Amazon product description).

Chemical Reactions:

If you have a strong interest in chemistry, check out the textbook called Why chemical reactions happen by James Keeler. It “explains the formation of ionic bonds in solids and the formation of covalent bonds in atoms and molecules, then identifies the factors that control the rates of reactions and describes more complicated types of bonding” (Amazon book description).

Climate/Weather processes:

In The winds of change: climate, weather, and the destruction of civilizations, Eugene Linden says that “if past worldwide weather cycles do portend the future, [this one] is fast coming to an end, with severe cultural and political consequences. Linden draws his conclusion from millennia of historical evidence… starting in the 14th century, that wiped out Norse settlers in Greenland; more recently, a fierce El Niño in 1876–1878 precipitated droughts that killed millions, and another in 1997– 1998—the most powerful ever recorded and a "taste of things to come"—cost the world economy $100 billion. [There are] several chapters explaining the science of climate change” (Publisher’s Weekly review).

Consciousness:

In A brief tour of human consciousness : from imposter poodles to purple numbers , V. S. Ramachandran “aims ‘to make neuroscience... more accessible to a broad audience.' In this he succeeds admirably, explaining how the roots of both psychological disorders and aesthetic accomplishment can be located in the various regions of the brain and the connections (or lack thereof) between them” (Publisher's Weekly).

Cooking:

Cooking involves a lot of science (chemistry) and experimental processes in order to achieve just the right recipe. Check out The Science of Cooking by Peter Barham to learn more.

Death:

“In this book a preeminent and eminently wise writer on death and dying proposes a new way of understanding our last transition. A fresh exploration of the final passage through life and perhaps through death, his work deftly interweaves historical and contemporary experiences and reflections to demonstrate that we are always on our way” (Amazon product description). Find out more in On our way: the final passage through life and death by R. Kastenbaum.

Electricity:

“Despite the fact that our lives are powered by electricity to an astonishing degree, most of us have little or no understanding of how or why it works. Instead, we rely on a blurry notion that it flows--like water--through wires to turn on our appliances. In Electric universe : the shocking true story of electricity, David Bodanis fools readers, by keeping them entertained and intrigued, into learning the science behind electricity” (Amazon Editorial Review).

Eugenics:

“The explosive true story of America’s century-long attempt to create a master race… Funded by America's leading corporate philanthropies, such as the Carnegie Institution and the Rockefeller Foundation, and entrenched in classrooms across America, eugenicists sought to eliminate social "undesirables” (Amazon book description). Learn more in War Against the Weak: eugenics and America’s campaign to create a master race by Edwin Black.

Fat:

In How Fat Works, Philip Wood uses gene-knockout technology to study the way mouse genes regulate the metabolism of fat - research that provides insights into the workings of fatty-acid metabolism in humans and what can happen when that metabolic balance goes awry. He explains the role of fat in the healthy body, how fat is made, stored, and burned, and demonstrates how excess fat can lead to an array of metabolic disorders and diseases, from hypercholesterolemia and insulin resistance to diabetes” (Amazon Book Description).

Forensics:

A very precise and important aspect of every crime scene: determining the time of death. Forensics attempts to do this in several ways. Learn more about this science in Corpse: nature, forensics, and the struggle to pinpoint time of death by Jessica Snyder Sachs.

Garbage, disposal of:

Where does all of our trash go? How does it get there and what happens after it arrives? In Garbage land : on the secret trail of trash, Elizabeth Royte “takes the form of a quest for the surprising final resting places of her yogurt cups, beer bottles, personal computer, and organic-fig-cookie packaging, and leads to an impassioned attack on overconsumption in America” (New Yorker review).

Hearing (music):

How and why do we like certain tones or pitches? How did our ears choose these sounds over others, and how do they then get processed? Learn about this and much more in How We Hear Music: the relationship between music and the hearing mechanism by James Beament.

Heredity:

“Scientists have discovered that all living things, from yeasts to worms to humans, are guided by similar genes and proteins, which have passed down nearly intact for hundreds of millions of years” (Amazon book description). Learn more about the process of genes and our heredity in Chance in the House of Fate: a natural history of heredity by Jennifer Ackerman.

Human Development:

“In this landmark volume, the authors provide a full account of their impressive research on the development of the person from birth to adulthood. The Minnesota Study is one of the classic longitudinal studies in the history of the field of developmental psychology. Moreover, the theoretical approach utilized has been extremely influential in the emergence of the discipline of developmental psychopathology” (Amazon Review by Daniel Stern, MD, Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Switzerland, and Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University). Check out The development of the person: the Minnesota study of risk and adaptation from birth to adulthood for more information.

Hurricane Forecasting:

The book Hurricane Watch: forecasting the deadliest storms on Earth by Bob Sheets and Jack Williams, “covers everything from the earliest efforts by seafarers at predicting storms to the way satellite imaging is revolutionizing hurricane forecasting” (Amazon book description).

Insect evidence (for solving crimes):

In A fly for the prosecution: how insect evidence helps solve crimes by M. Lee Goff, you will learn about “the use of entomology in investigations, especially in estimating the postmortem interval--the time elapsed between death and discovery of the body. The interval can now be estimated with considerable accuracy by identifying the insects present on the corpse, their stages of development, and their relationships with other insects” (Library Journal Review).

Infant/toddler care:

Looking for a different cultural perspective on childcare and pre-school? Check out Bambini: the Italian approach to infant/toddler care by Lella Gandini and Carolyn Pope Edwards.

Jury system and selection:

“How are juries selected in the United States? What forces influence juries in making their decisions? Are some cases simply beyond the ability of juries to decide? How useful is the entire jury system?” (Amazon book description). Check out The American Jury System by Randolph Jonakait for more information.

Leadership:

This “book reveal[s] the passion and brilliance that allowed less-well-known leaders to achieve the extraordinary” (Book cover). Learn more about leadership in Nightly business report presents Lasting leadership: what you can learn from the top 25 business people of our times by Mukul Pandya, et al.

Learning:

Discover “basic brain facts that can help students learn, insights on how the brain processes information, and tips on maximizing retention” (Amazon book description). Read more in How the Brain Learns: a classroom teacher's guide by David Sousa.

Lecturing:

Want to learn more about the official techniques of lecturing? Interested in communication and public speaking? Check out Giving a lecture : from presenting to teaching by K. Exley for more information on this topic

Market system:

A book dedicated to explaining this economic system, check out The Market System: what it is, how it works and what to make of it by Charles Lindblom.

Migration:

“Migration is one of the most fascinating and dramatic of all animal behaviors. In Migration: the biology of life on the move by Hugh Dingle, the subject [of migration] shows how comparisons across taxa can in fact illuminate migratory life cycles and the relation of migration to other movements” (Amazon Book Description).

Montessori education:

The book Montessori From the Start: the child at home from birth to age three by Paula Polk Lillard describes the early years of this theory of education.

National Parks (the making of):

"Through compelling text enriched with stunning photographs, maps, and paintings—many of which have never been seen—this volume gives three centuries of American history an original and unexpected twist” (Amazon book description). Check out An American Idea: the making of the national parks by Kim Heacox.

Online commerce:

The book Selling Online: how to become a successful e-commerce merchant by Jim Carroll, Rick Broadhead, “leads readers through a five-step process for creating an online store: planning, preparation, development, education, and refinement” (Library Journal).

Parenting/Childrearing:

The book Anxious Parents: a history of modern childrearing by Peter N. Stearns “examines the new issues the twentieth century brought to bear on families. Stearns shows how schooling, physical and emotional vulnerability and the rise in influence of commercialism became primary concerns for parents” (Amazon book description).

Parole/Prisoner re-entry to society:

The book When Prisoners come home: parole and prisoner re-entry by Joan Petersilia asks “what happens when a large percentage of inner-city men, mostly Black and Hispanic, are regularly extracted, imprisoned, and then returned a few years later in worse shape and with dimmer prospects than when they committed the crime resulting in their imprisonment?” (Amazon book description).

Pyramids (the building of):

Sticks, Stones and Shadows: building the Egyptian pyramids by Martin Isler, “presents an entirely original approach to the subject of pyramid building. This book reveals the connection between devices that served both a practical need for survival and a spiritual belief in gods and goddesses” (Amazon book description).

Reading:

Teaching children the process of reading is no easy task. In the book Learning to Read: lessons from exemplary first-grade classrooms by Lesley Morrow, et al., you can learn about the studies conducted in some of the best classrooms in the nation.

Reasoning:

“We are constantly doing it, but rarely take notice... This book focuses on how people draw conclusions from information and discusses the roles that the brain, our memory, and our knowledge play in drawing conclusions in everyday life” (Amazon description). Learn more in the book: The nature of reasoning by R. J. Sternberg and J. P. Leighton.

SETI (alien communication):

"Brian McConnell, in Beyond Contact: a guide to SETI and communicating with alien civilizations discusses how we might carry out high-level communication across interstellar distances by building a general-purpose language to exchange messages with an intelligent alien race" (Book News).

Sign Language:

If you ever wondered what the process is to make certain phrases or words using your hands, this reference book is a place to start. Check out Talking With Your Hands, Listening With Your Eyes: a complete photographic guide to American Sign Language by Gabriel Grayson.

Stress (coping mechanisms):

Coping with stress is a process that we should all know more about! Check out Coping With Stress: effective people and processes by C. R. Snyder to learn more.

Telling Stories:

In The seven basic plots: why we tell stories, Christopher Booker “shows that there are seven archetypal themes which recur throughout every kind of storytelling… Drawing on a vast array of examples, Christopher Booker then leads us through the extraordinary changes in the nature of storytelling over the past 200 years. Booker analyses why evolution has given us the need to tell stories and illustrates how storytelling has provided a uniquely revealing mirror to mankind's psychological development” (Amazon Book Description).

Thought:

In The birth of the mind : how a tiny number of genes creates the complexities of human thought , author G. F. Marcus “ brings together current research on how our genetic code assembles that most mysterious physiological structure, the brain. He chronicles exactly how genes create the infinite complexities of the human mind” (Amazon review and description).

Tornado Forecasting:

Scanning the Skies: a history of tornado forecasting by Marlene Bradford, “traces the history of today's tornado warning system, a unique program that integrates federal, state, and local governments, privately controlled broadcast media, and individuals” (Amazon book description).

Waitressing:

Hey Waitress!: the USA from the other side of the tray by Alison Owings “show[s] the intimate, illuminating, and often shocking behind-the-scenes stories of waitresses' daily shifts and daily lives” (Amazon book description).

Wind Energy:

This textbook describes basically everything you need to know about the process of wind energy. Check out Wind Energy Explained: theory, design and application by J. F. Manwell, et al.

Writing:

In From where you dream: the process of writing fiction, Robert Olen Butler's credo is, "Art does not come from the mind. Art comes from the place where we dream." Consequently, he teaches wanna-be fiction writers not how to brainstorm but how to "dreamstorm"… Butler's electrifying theories are backed by illuminating examples and startling practices (you'll never look at index cards in the same way again)” (Booklist Review).

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