"The fascinating lives and puzzling demise of some of the largest animals on earth. Until a few thousand years ago, creatures that could have been from a sci-fi thriller--including gorilla-sized lemurs, 800-pound birds, crocodiles that weighed a ton or more--roamed the earth. These great beasts, or "megafauna," lived on every habitable continent and on many islands. With a handful of exceptions, all are now gone. What caused the disappearance of these prehistoric behemoths? Paleomammologist Ross D. E. MacPhee explores that question, examining the leading extinction theories, weighing the evidence, and presenting his own conclusions. He shows how theories of human overhunting and catastrophic climate change fail to explain critical features of these extinctions, and how new thinking is needed to elucidate these mysterious losses. He comments on how past extinctions can shed light on future losses, and on the possibility of bringing back extinct species through genetic engineering. Gorgeous four-color illustrations by Peter Schouten bring these megabeasts back to life in vivid detail."-- Provided by publisher.

Consciousness creates all material reality. Biological processes do not create consciousness. This conceptual breakthrough turns traditional scientific thinking upside down. In An End to Upside Down Thinking, Mark Gober traces his journey-he explores compelling scientific evidence from a diverse set of disciplines, ranging from psychic phenomena, to near-death experiences, to quantum physics and beyond. With cutting-edge thinkers like two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr. Ervin Laszlo, chief scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences Dr. Dean Radin, and New York Times bestselling author Larry Dossey, MD, supporting this thesis, this book will rock the scientific community and mainstream generalists interested in understanding the true nature of reality. Today's disarray around the globe can be linked, at its core, to a fundamental misunderstanding of our reality. This book aims to shift our collective outlook, reshaping our view of human potential and how we treat one another. The book's implications encourage much-needed revisions in science, technology, and medicine. General readers will find comfort in the implied worldview, which will impact their happiness and everyday decisions related to business, health, and politics. Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time meets Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now.

Cats are barely domesticated wild animals whose compulsions might include shredding upholstery, knocking over plants, and trying to dominate the "territory" you call home. Delaney shares ten DIY projects that address the quirks of cat behavior head-on. -- adapted from back cove

In a world where medicine cabinets are packed full of prescription medications and synthetic drugs--with lists of dangerous side effects longer than benefits--it's time to discover a superior alternative with thousands of years of historical backing and current scientific review. It's time to be educated on what essentials oil are and why they are so powerful, to feel empowered to use essential oils safely and effectively to enrich your health and your family's health and get equipped to start enjoying the multiple benefits of essential oils in your everyday life: from treating cuts, scratches and stuffy noses to providing chemical-free personal care, household cleaning and natural pet care.

"A hands-on guide showing how essential oils can support and enhance meditative and mindful practices. Details safe and effective methods to incorporate essential oils into your mindfulness or meditation practice. Explains the many ways essential oils benefit the mind, such as how odors can immediately draw your attention to the present moment, trigger a specific state of consciousness, or provide a way to regain composure quickly. Provides the latest scientific research on the emotional, psychological, physiological, and neurological effects of essential oils on the mind, body, and nervous system. Includes an easy-to-follow chart to help you choose the right essential oil for you. For millennia, the spiritual power of odor--such as from incense or frankincense--has been used to symbolize intention, stimulate awareness of our spiritual self, and accentuate rite and ritual. Drawing on this power, as well as their healing qualities, essential oils can provide the perfect complement to meditation or mindfulness practice. Outlining the practice and benefits of meditation and mindfulness in combination with the use of essential oils, Heather Dawn Godfrey explains how these practices hone and sustain a conscious awareness of "being" in the present moment, focusing attention on what you are sensually experiencing and leaving no space for regrets, traumas, fears, anxiety, or anticipation. Providing the latest scientific research on the restorative, rehabilitative, and psycho-emotional healing effects of essentialoils, she explains how the sensory experience of odors can immediately draw your attention to the present moment, trigger a specific state of consciousness, such as a deeper meditative state, or offer a way to regain composure quickly when dealing with life's ups and downs. She shows how many essential oils naturally reduce stress and anxiety, promote a peaceful attitude, support concentration, regulate breathing, and stimulate serotonin and GABA pathways in the brain, making them ideal aids to mindfulness and meditation. Explaining methods to incorporate essential oils into your practice, Godfrey introduces readers to the "Gem" essential oils--a group of oils specifically selected for attaining and maintaining a state of mindfulness, as well as a broadspectrum of therapeutic properties--and she provides an easy-to-follow chart to help you select the oil that is right for you. Offering a hands-on practical guide to integrating essential oils into mindful and meditative practice, the author shows how each of us has the ability to self-generate a calm, tranquil, and worry-free state of mind"-- Provided by publisher.
""A hands-on guide showing how essential oils can support and enhance meditative and mindful practices"--Provided by publisher"-- Provided by publisher.

"This is an epic, kaleidoscopic history of a city indelibly associated with republicanism and dictatorship, Christian orthodoxy and its rivals; and high art and low life in all its forms. Ferdinand Addis tells this rich story in a grand narrative style for a new generation of readers" -- Inside book jacket.

In The Field of Blood, Joanne B. Freeman recovers the long-lost story of physical violence on the floor of the U.S. Congress. Drawing on an extraordinary range of sources, she shows that the Capitol was rife with conflict in the decades before the Civil War. Legislative sessions were often punctuated by mortal threats, canings, flipped desks, and all-out slugfests. When debate broke down, congressmen drew pistols and waved Bowie knives. One representative even killed another in a duel. Many were beaten and bullied in an attempt to intimidate them into compliance, particularly on the issue of slavery.---inside cover

"What are the consequences if the people given control over our government have no idea how it works? 'The election happened,' remembers Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, then deputy secretary of the Department of Energy. 'And then there was radio silence.' Across all departments, similar stories were playing out: Trump appointees were few and far between; those that did show up were shockingly uninformed about the functions of their new workplace. Some even threw away the briefing books that had been prepared for them. Michael Lewis's brilliant narrative takes us into the engine rooms of a government under attack by its own leaders. In Agriculture the funding of vital programs like food stamps and school lunches is being slashed. The Commerce Department may not have enough staff to conduct the 2020 Census properly. Over at Energy, where international nuclear risk is managed, it's not clear there will be enough inspectors to track and locate black market uranium before terrorists do. Willful ignorance plays a role in these looming disasters. If your ambition is to maximize short-term gain without regard to the long-term cost, you are better off not knowing the cost. If you want to preserve your personal immunity to the hard problems, it's better never to really understand those problems. There is an upside to ignorance, and downside to knowledge. Knowledge makes life messier. It makes it a bit more difficult for a person who wishes to shrink the world to a worldview. If there are dangerous fools in this book, there are also heroes--unsung, of course. They are the linchpins of the system: those public servants whose knowledge, dedication, and proactivity keep the machinery running. Michael Lewis finds them, and he asks them what keeps them up at night."--Dust jacket.

Fodo'rs correspondents highlight the best of England, including London's lively neighborhoods, the Cotswolds' idyllic villages, and the lake District's stunning landscapes. Our local experts vet every recommendation to ensure you make the most of your time, whether it's your fist trip or your fifth.