Biology & Chemistry Audiobooks | Non-Fiction

Kaplan MCAT Biochemistry Audio Review Audiobook

"Get 27 hours of lessons and conversations on MCAT biochemistry from a full panel of Kaplan's MCAT experts, with a 150-page downloadable workbook to follow along as you listen. From the makers of the #1 MCAT course, Kaplan's MCAT Biochemistry Audio Review is designed to fit into times when you couldn't otherwise study-whether you're on the road, at the gym, or just looking for a change of pace from reading a textbook. Each of the 12 chapters is a multi-hour conversation with some of Kaplan's best biochemistry minds, where they share their deep knowledge of the content, their experience with students, and their most effective learning techniques as they go along. Hosted by Jeffrey Koetje, M.D., their conversations cover the full scope of MCAT biochemistry and are structured and informative, but also open and casual, almost as if they're reviewing the material themselves and you've joined their study group. By the end of this audio course, you'll hear their take on the best ways to learn and remember all the biochemistry (and much of the molecular biology) you need to know for the MCAT, including amino acids, plasma membranes, cell metabolism, and much more. You can listen to it on the go, follow along and take notes with the MCAT Biochemistry Audio Workbook (included as digital download, but also available in print), or even integrate this into a larger course of study with Kaplan's MCAT Complete 7-Book Subject Review. However you study, you'll enjoy the fresh and memorable perspective on this important material that you'll use on the MCAT, in medical school, and beyond."

Jeffrey Koetje (Author), Amit Raghavan, Elizabeth Flagge, Kiran Thomas, Owen Farcy, Tamara Miller (Narrator)

Audiobook

Head Space: How our brains rule our lives

"How much do you know about that three-pound hunk of tissue in your head - your brain? Its structure and function drive your behavior in profound ways. Scientists are studying the brain and its chemicals to find behavioral patterns, to figure out the sources of good moods and random outbursts, for example. This compilation from Science News for Students turns to brain science to answer all sorts of questions: Can you actually be addicted to your phone? Why is it so hard to sleep away from home? And does school really need to start so early?"

Amanda Leigh Mascarelli, Ashley Yeager, Esther Landhuis, Kathiann Kowalski, Laura Sanders (Author), Neil Holmes (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Secret Life of the Mind: How Our Brain Thinks, Feels and Decides

"• Where do our thoughts come from? • How can we manipulate our dreams? • What is the role of the unconscious? • How do we make choices and trust the judgement of both others and ourselves? These are some of the questions answered in this groundbreaking, personal and comprehensive guide about our thoughts. In this provocative, mind-bending international bestseller, prize-winning neuroscientist Mariano Sigman reveals his life’s work exploring the inner workings of the human brain. Sigman's ambition is to explain the mind so that we can understand ourselves and others more deeply. He shows how we form ideas during our first days of life, how we give shape to our fundamental decisions, how we dream and imagine, why we feel certain emotions, how the brain transforms and how who we are changes with it. Sigman looks at the development of language, how bilingualism helps us to think and our notions of what is good and fair develop far earlier than we think. Building on his awe-inspiring TED talk and spanning biology, physics, philosophy and medicine as well as gastronomy, magic, music, chess, literature and art, The Secret Life of the Mind revolutionizes how neuroscience serves us in our lives, revealing how the infinity of neurons inside our brains manufacture how we perceive, reason, feel, dream and communicate."

Mariano Sigman (Author), Peter Noble (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwin's Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Animal World - and

"A FINALIST FOR THE PULITZER PRIZE NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, SMITHSONIAN, AND WALL STREET JOURNAL A major reimagining of how evolutionary forces work, revealing how mating preferences-what Darwin termed 'the taste for the beautiful'-create the extraordinary range of ornament in the animal world. In the great halls of science, dogma holds that Darwin's theory of natural selection explains every branch on the tree of life: which species thrive, which wither away to extinction, and what features each evolves. But can adaptation by natural selection really account for everything we see in nature? Yale University ornithologist Richard Prum-reviving Darwin's own views-thinks not. Deep in tropical jungles around the world are birds with a dizzying array of appearances and mating displays: Club-winged Manakins who sing with their wings, Great Argus Pheasants who dazzle prospective mates with a four-foot-wide cone of feathers covered in golden 3D spheres, Red-capped Manakins who moonwalk. In thirty years of fieldwork, Prum has seen numerous display traits that seem disconnected from, if not outright contrary to, selection for individual survival. To explain this, he dusts off Darwin's long-neglected theory of sexual selection in which the act of choosing a mate for purely aesthetic reasons-for the mere pleasure of it-is an independent engine of evolutionary change. Mate choice can drive ornamental traits from the constraints of adaptive evolution, allowing them to grow ever more elaborate. It also sets the stakes for sexual conflict, in which the sexual autonomy of the female evolves in response to male sexual control. Most crucially, this framework provides important insights into the evolution of human sexuality, particularly the ways in which female preferences have changed male bodies, and even maleness itself, through evolutionary time. The Evolution of Beauty presents a unique scientific vision for how nature's splendor contributes to a more complete understanding of evolution and of ourselves."

Richard O. Prum (Author), Dan Woren (Narrator)

Audiobook

Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong – and the New Research That’s Rewriting the Story

"From intelligence to emotion, for centuries science has told us that men and women are fundamentally different. But this is not the whole story. Shedding light on controversial research and investigating the ferocious gender wars in biology, psychology and anthropology, Angela Saini takes readers on an eye-opening journey to uncover how women are being rediscovered. She explores what these revelations mean for us as individuals and as a society, revealing an alternative view of science in which women are included, rather than excluded."

Angela Saini (Author), Tania Rodrigues (Narrator)

Audiobook

Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential

"Mindshift reveals how we can overcome stereotypes and preconceived ideas about what is possible for us to learn and become. At a time when we are constantly being asked to retrain and reinvent ourselves to adapt to new technologies and changing industries, this book shows us how we can uncover and develop talents we didn't realize we had-no matter what our age or background. We're often told to "follow our passions." But in Mindshift, Dr. Barbara Oakley shows us how we can broaden our passions. Drawing on the latest neuroscientific insights, Dr. Oakley shepherds us past simplistic ideas of "aptitude" and "ability," which provide only a snapshot of who we are now-with little consideration about how we can change. Even seemingly "bad" traits, such as a poor memory, come with hidden advantages-like increased creativity. Profiling people from around the world who have overcome learning limitations of all kinds, Dr. Oakley shows us how we can turn perceived weaknesses, such as impostor syndrome and advancing age, into strengths. People may feel like they're at a disadvantage if they pursue a new field later in life; yet those who change careers can be fertile cross-pollinators: They bring valuable insights from one discipline to another. Dr. Oakley teaches us strategies for learning that are backed by neuroscience so that we can realize the joy and benefits of a learning lifestyle. Mindshift takes us deep inside the world of how people change and grow. Our biggest stumbling blocks can be our own preconceptions, but with the right mental insights, we can tap into hidden potential and create new opportunities."

Barbara Oakley (Author), Barbara Oakley (Narrator)

Audiobook

Mirror Touch: Notes from a Doctor Who Can Feel Your Pain

"A doctor with a rare—seemingly superhuman—neurological trait takes us on a compelling tour deep into the human brain in this blend of memoir and scientific exploration that combines the compassionate wisdom of Oliver Sacks and the personal revelations of Jill Bolte Taylor’s My Stroke of Insight. Dr. Joel Salinas is a Harvard-trained researcher and neurologist with extraordinary gifts that provide him unique access to his patients and enable him to experience life in an extraordinary way. He has mirror-touch synesthesia, a neurological trait that allows him to feel others’ emotions and physical sensations. Susceptible to the pain and discomfort of his patients—most of whom suffer from strokes, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, and a host of other painful disorders and extreme injuries—Salinas uses his heightened emphatic ability—what he calls ''compulsory mindfulness''—to help understand and better treat their conditions. Using his own experiences as a neurologist and synesthete as a narrative through line, Salinas also shares the remarkable stories of equally remarkable subjects who similarly live in a heightened state of awareness, whether because of a congenital condition, after a seemingly debilitating stroke, or amidst an ecstatic seizure. Written with intelligence and compassion, and anchored by the latest developments in neurology, psychology and psychiatry, Mirror Touch is an enthralling investigation into the power of the brain—one that proves that the mind, in wondrous and mysterious fashion, continues to promise exciting and inexhaustible ways to think, to see, and to be."

Joel Salinas (Author), Adam Verner (Narrator)

Audiobook

Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome

"In the vein of Quiet and The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth comes this illuminating look at what it means to be awkward—and how the same traits that make us socially anxious and cause embarrassing faux pas also provide the seeds for extraordinary success. As humans, we all need to belong. While modern social life can make even the best of us feel gawky, for roughly one in five of us, navigating its challenges is consistently overwhelming—an ongoing maze without an exit. Often unable to grasp social cues or master the skills and grace necessary for smooth interaction, we feel out of sync with those around us. Though individuals may recognize their awkward disposition, they rarely understand why they are like this—which makes it hard for them to know how to adjust their behavior. Psychologist and interpersonal relationship expert Ty Tashiro knows what it’s like to be awkward. Growing up, he could do math in his head and memorize the earned run averages of every National League starting pitcher. But he couldn’t pour liquids without spilling and habitually forgot to bring his glove to Little League games. In Awkward, he unpacks decades of research into human intelligence, neuroscience, personality, and sociology to help us better understand this widely shared trait. He explores its nature vs. nurture origins, considers how the awkward view the world, and delivers a welcome counterintuitive message: the same characteristics that make people socially clumsy can be harnessed to produce remarkable achievements. Interweaving the latest research with personal tales and real world examples, Awkward offers reassurance and provides valuable insights into how we can embrace our personal quirks and unique talents to harness our awesome potential—and more comfortably navigate our complex world."

Ty Tashiro (Author), George Newbern (Narrator)

Audiobook

Hood: Trailblazer of the Genomics Age

"Lee Hood did that rarest of things. He enabled scientists to see things they couldn’t see before and do things they hadn’t dreamed of doing. Scientists can now sequence complete human genomes in a day, setting in motion a revolution that is personalizing medicine. Hood, a son of the American West, was an unlikely candidate to transform biology. But with ferocious drive, he led a team at Caltech that developed the automated DNA sequencer, the tool that paved the way for the Human Genome Project. He captivated scientists with his almost religious fervor for the new biology enabled by the machines. Hood’s brilliance, rebellion, enthusiasm, and ego earned him detractors as well as admirers. His management style, once described as “creative anarchy,” alienated many. Some of his collaborators seethed, claiming he took too much credit. Fellow Caltech biologists charged that his empire building was out of control and ousted him as their chairman. A fraud in his lab made him consider, for a moment, quitting science. Wooed by money from Bill Gates, Hood started over at the University of Washington, creating the world’s first Department of Molecular Biotechnology. Seven years later, his impatience for rules drove him to depart. He left at age sixty-one to start his own Institute for Systems Biology. Would he finally achieve the ultimate application of the genome project—personalized medicine? In “Hood: Trailblazer of the Genomics Age,” journalist Luke Timmerman zeroes in on a charismatic, controversial personality. Never-before-reported details are drawn from the scientist’s confidential files, public records, and more than 150 interviews with Hood and his family, friends, collaborators, and detractors. The result is not just a revealing portrait of one of the most influential biologists of our time, but a deeply human look at science itself."

Luke Timmerman (Author), Xe Sands (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Knowledge Illusion: The myth of individual thought and the power of collective wisdom

"Human reasoning is remarkably shallow - in fact, our thinking and justifications just scratch the surface of the true complexity of the issues we deal with. The ability to think may still be the greatest wonder in the world (and beyond), but the way that individuals think is less than ideal. In The Knowledge Illusion, Sloman and Fernbach show that our intelligence resides not in individual brains but in the collective mind. To function, individuals rely not only on knowledge that is stored within our skulls but also on knowledge stored elsewhere, be it in our bodies, in the environment or especially in other people. Put together, human thought is incredibly impressive, but at its deepest level it never belongs to any individual alone. And yet the mind supports the most sublime, incredible phenomenon of all: consciousness. How can any of this be possible with a mind that is so imperfect? This is one of the key challenges confronted in this book. The Knowledge Illusion ties together established scientific facts whilst also considering what the mind is for. Understanding why the mind is as it is, and what it is for, will show why we need to consider it as extending beyond our skulls; why we should think about 'the mind' as far more than an extension of the brain but as an emergence from multiple brains interacting. Simply put, individuals know relatively little, but the human hive that emerges when people work together knows a lot."

Philip Fernbach, Steven Sloman (Author), Mike Chamberlain (Narrator)

Audiobook

Never Out of Season: How Having the Food We Want When We Want It Threatens Our Food Supply and Our F

"The bananas we eat today aren't your parents' bananas: We eat a recognizable, consistent breakfast fruit that was standardized in the 1960s from dozens into one basic banana. But because of that, the banana we love is dangerously susceptible to a pathogen that might wipe them out. That's the story of our food today: Modern science has brought us produce in perpetual abundance once-rare fruits are seemingly never out of season, and we breed and clone the hardiest, best-tasting varieties of the crops we rely on most. As a result, a smaller proportion of people on earth go hungry today than at any other moment in the last thousand years, and the streamlining of our food supply guarantees that the food we buy, from bananas to coffee to wheat, tastes the same every single time. Our corporate food system has nearly perfected the process of turning sunlight, water and nutrients into food. But our crops themselves remain susceptible to the nature's fury. And nature always wins. Authoritative, urgent, and filled with fascinating heroes and villains from around the world, Never Out of Season is the story of the crops we depend on most and the scientists racing to preserve the diversity of life, in order to save our food supply, and us."

Rob Dunn (Author), Dan Woren (Narrator)

Audiobook

Head Strong: The Bulletproof Plan to Activate Untapped Brain Energy to Work Smarter and Think Faster

"From the creator of Bulletproof Coffee and author of the bestselling The Bulletproof Diet comes a revolutionary plan to upgrade your brainpower—in two weeks or less. For the last decade, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dave Asprey has worked with world-renowned doctors and scientists to uncover the latest, most innovative methods for making humans perform better—a process known as ''biohacking.'' In his first book, The Bulletproof Diet, he shared his biohacking tips for taking control of your own biology. Now, in Head Strong, Asprey shows readers how to biohack their way to a sharper, smarter, faster, more resilient brain. Imagine feeling like your mind is operating at its clearest and sharpest, and being able—possibly for the first time in your life—to do more in less time? What it suddenly became easier to do the very hardest things you do? Or if you could feel 100% confident about your intellect, and never again fear being the person in the room who just isn’t smart enough, or can’t remember something important? How would you treat people if the mood swings, short temper, and food cravings that disrupt your day could simply disappear? In Head Strong, Asprey shows us that all of this is possible—and more. Using his simple lifestyle modifications (or ''hacks'') to take advantage of how the structure of your brain works, readers will learn how to take their mental performance to the next level. Combining the latest findings in neuroscience and neurobiology with a hacker-inspired ''get it done now'' perspective, Asprey offers a program structured around key areas of brain performance that will help you: - Power the brain with exactly what it needs to perform at its best all day long - Eliminate the sources of ''kryptonite,'' both nutritional and environmental, that make the brain slower. - Supercharge the cellular powerhouses of our brains, the mitochondria, to eliminate cravings and turn up mental focus. - Reverse inflammation to perform better right now, then stay sharp and energized well into your golden years. - Promote neuron growth to enhance processing speed and reinforce new learning—hotwiring your brain for success. Asprey’s easy to follow, two-week program offers a detailed plan to supercharge brain performance, including: which foods to eat and which ones to avoid, how to incorporate the right kinds of physical activity into your day, a detox protocol for your home and body; meditation and breathing for performance, recommended brain-boosting supplements; and how to adjust the lighting in your home and work space to give your brain the quality light it thrives on. A better brain—and a happier, easier, more productive life—is within reach. You just need to get Head Strong."

Dave Asprey (Author), Dave Asprey, Rob Shapiro (Narrator)

Audiobook

Biology & Chemistry Audiobooks in Non-Fiction