Showing results by narrator "Sean Runnette" in All Categories

Going against the conventional wisdom reinforced by the medical establishment and Big Pharma that more screening is the best preventative medicine, Dr. Gilbert Welch builds a compelling counterargument that what we need are fewer, not more, diagnoses. Documenting the excesses of American medical practice that labels far too many of us as sick, Welch examines the social, ethical, and economic ramifications of a health-care system that unnecessarily diagnoses and treats patients.

Genomics has transformed the biological sciences. From epidemiology and medicine to evolution and forensics, the ability to determine an organism's complete genetic makeup has changed the way science is done and the questions that can be asked of it. John Archibald explores the science of genomics and its rapidly expanding toolbox. Archibald tells us how the field of genomics is on the cusp of another quantum leap; the implications for science and society are profound.

Following the end of the Cold War, the world experienced a remarkable wave of democratization. Over the next two decades, numerous authoritarian regimes transitioned to democracies, and it seemed that authoritarianism as a political model was fading. But as recent events have shown, things have clearly changed. In Dictating the Agenda, authors Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis reveal how today's authoritarian states are actively countering liberal ideas and advocacy surrounding human rights and democracy across various global governance domains.

Liberal democracy is the dominant political ideology in the West today. Taken at face value it suggests an equivalency between its two central components-liberalism and democracy - but as Fred Dallmayr argues here, the two operate in very different registers. The two frequently conflict, endangering our public life. This is evident in the rise of self-centered neo-liberalism as well as autocratic movements in our world today.

The cycle of day and night and the cycle of seasons are two familiar natural cycles around which many human activities are organized. But is there a third natural cycle of importance for us humans? Nature's Third Cycle discusses the fascinating science behind the sunspot cycle, and gives an insider's perspective of this cutting-edge scientific research from one of the leaders of the field.

So many things have the power to change our lives dramatically - loss, fear, betrayal, failure. When everything goes wrong in life, it's so easy to give in to the pain, frustration, and anger that threaten to overwhelm us. Though we may feel like giving up, there is life - abundant, exciting, and fulfilling - after our world gets turned upside down. In fact, says John Westfall, it's often in the face of fear and loss that we truly learn to live with courage, faith, and surprising joy.

In 1943, Albert Schatz, a young Rutgers College Ph.D. student, worked on a wartime project in microbiology professor Selman Waksman's lab, searching for an antibiotic to fight infections on the front lines and at home. In his 11th experiment on a common bacterium found in farmyard soil, Schatz discovered streptomycin, the first effective cure for tuberculosis, one of the world's deadliest diseases.

We all have that one older funny family member. You know the one, he tells stories from his experiences and usually has people rolling their eyes. William Stokes is that person! He presents a delightful collection of memories that are truly life lessons even today! Stokes, through his memories and wit, provides opportunities to learn through laughter, sharing of memories and love.

Thomas Jackstraw, heir to a long family tradition of proud military men, was drummed out of West Point 20 years ago when he wouldn’t denounce fellow cadets for cheating. In the two decades since, he has traveled the world as a highly paid mercenary, training Third World armies and guerrilla factions and sometimes leading them into battle. After his young bride dies in a suspicious car crash, he grows disillusioned and retreats from the world of emotion.

Grimshaw leads the North Star crew on their most daring mission. When an ancient disease threatens to wipe out one of their few allies, Captain Grimshaw and Lieutenant Evans travel deep into enemy territory in search of a cure. The Kragak still lay dormant. Who knows what'll happen if the slumbering giants are disturbed? Meanwhile, Taza remains in the Shroud as he investigates a string of murders that could be linked to the deadly virus. Explorer-class vessels have already begun to report sightings of Aphnai war ships on the Fringe.

USS Nevada (BB-36) was America's first modern battleship. When its keel was laid in 1912, kings and emperors still ruled much of the world. When it finally slipped beneath the waves in 1948, America was the undisputed global superpower.

How did life begin? It is perhaps the most important question science has ever asked. Over the centuries, the search for an answer has been entwined with some of science's most revolutionary advances, including van Leeuwenhoek's microscope, Darwin's theory of evolution, and Crick and Watson's unveiling of DNA.

Customers everywhere describe their interactions with companies in a deeply personal way: We hate our banks, love our smartphones, and think the cable company is out to get us. What is actually going through our brains when we make these judgments? Customer loyalty expert Chris Malone and top social psychologist Susan Fiske have discovered that our perceptions arise from spontaneous judgments on warmth and competence, the same two factors that also determine our impressions of people.

Get the North Star to the Galactic Sentinel, sign off with the Galactic Council, and return to Fleet Academy Four. It should have been easy, but compared to the Galactic Council, Earth’s politicians are girl scouts selling Peanut Butter Patties to their grandmothers. Widespread riots and whispers of Chimera terrorists only make matters worse, especially when the terrorists are better armed than most of Sentinel Security.

What is consciousness and how can a brain, a mere collection of neurons, create it? In Consciousness and the Social Brain, Princeton neuroscientist Michael Graziano lays out an audacious new theory to account for the deepest mystery of them all. In Graziano's theory, the machinery that attributes awareness to others also attributes it to oneself. Damage that machinery and you disrupt your own awareness. Graziano discusses the science, the evidence, the philosophy, and the surprising implications of this new theory.

In this Very Short Introduction, John Heilbron draws on sources never before presented in English to cover the life and work of one of the most creative physicists of the 20th century. In addition to his role as a scientist, Heilbron considers Bohr as a statesman and Danish cultural icon, who built scientific institutions and pushed for the extension of international cooperation in science to all nation states. As a humanist he was concerned with the cultivation of all sides of the individual, and with the complementary contributions of all peoples to the sum of human culture.

When a murderous psychopath goes on a killing spree, law enforcement officials and the media never make his religion the central issue - unless he happens to be a Muslim. Then it sets off another frenzied wave of commentary about the inherent evils that lurk within the Muslim faith. From Fox News talking heads, who regularly smear Muslim leaders as secret terrorists, to Bill Maher, who has made Islam a routine target, it has become widely acceptable to libel a religion with a following of over 1.5 billion people.

We'll live to fight another day! With those words, a hero rose to the challenge and a family found the strength within themselves to face the unthinkable. The forces of evil have descended upon Armstrong Ranch. The family had worked this ranch since the 1800s and now invaders from a faraway land had plans to take it away. Will the Armstrongs persevere in the face of a well-trained, deadly enemy which intends to steal their home and end their lives?

Major and Lucy Armstrong's four children are spread around the globe and are in a race against time to return to Texas before societal collapse takes America to the depths of human depravity. They use their ingenuity, grit, and faith to persevere but find themselves facing a most unexpected enemy. The Lone Star Series is a thought-provoking, gut-wrenching look into a postapocalyptic country devastated by nuclear destruction.

American political leaders failed to heed the warnings as two bullies of the world unite. North Korea and Iran - the Axis of Evil - bring the battle to American soil. Most of the country is without power, and the new president must decide whether to retaliate and risk escalation of hostilities or focus on recovery to minimize loss of life. Through careful, prudent planning and protection of their power grid, the state of Texas emerged relatively unscathed from the EMP attack. But what now?