Biology & Chemistry Audiobooks | Non-Fiction

Play Anything: The Pleasure of Limits, the Uses of Boredom, and the Secret of Games

"Life is boring: filled with meetings and traffic, errands and emails. Nothing we'd ever call fun. But what if we've gotten fun wrong? In Play Anything, visionary game designer and philosopher Ian Bogost shows how we can overcome our daily anxiety; transforming the boring, ordinary world around us into one of endless, playful possibilities. The key to this playful mindset lies in discovering the secret truth of fun and games. Play Anything, reveals that games appeal to us not because they are fun, but because they set limitations. Soccer wouldn't be soccer if it wasn't composed of two teams of eleven players using only their feet, heads, and torsos to get a ball into a goal; Tetris wouldn't be Tetris without falling pieces in characteristic shapes. Such rules seem needless, arbitrary, and difficult. Yet it is the limitations that make games enjoyable, just like it's the hard things in life that give it meaning. Play is what happens when we accept these limitations, narrow our focus, and, consequently, have fun. Which is also how to live a good life. Manipulating a soccer ball into a goal is no different than treating ordinary circumstances-like grocery shopping, lawn mowing, and making PowerPoints-as sources for meaning and joy. We can 'play anything' by filling our days with attention and discipline, devotion and love for the world as it really is, beyond our desires and fears. Ranging from Internet culture to moral philosophy, ancient poetry to modern consumerism, Bogost shows us how today's chaotic world can only be tamed-and enjoyed-when we first impose boundaries on ourselves."

Ian Bogost (Author), Jonathan Yen (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Human Superorganism: How the Microbiome Is Revolutionizing the Pursuit of a Healthy Life

"'Eyeopening... Fascinating... may presage a paradigm shift in medicine." -Kirkus Reviews (starred review) 'Teeming with information and big ideas... Outstanding." -Booklist (starred review) The origin of asthma, autism, Alzheimer's, allergies, cancer, heart disease, obesity, and even some kinds of depression is now clear. Award-winning researcher on the microbiome, professor Rodney Dietert presents a new paradigm in human biology that has emerged in the midst of the ongoing global epidemic of noncommunicable diseases. The Human Superorganism makes a sweeping, paradigm-shifting argument. It demolishes two fundamental beliefs that have blinkered all medical thinking until very recently: 1) Humans are better off as pure organisms free of foreign microbes; and 2) the human genome is the key to future medical advances. The microorganisms that we have sought to eliminate have been there for centuries supporting our ancestors. They comprise as much as 90 percent of the cells in and on our bodies-a staggering percentage! More than a thousand species of them live inside us, on our skin, and on our very eyelashes. Yet we have now significantly reduced their power and in doing so have sparked an epidemic of noncommunicable diseases-which now account for 63 percent of all human deaths. Ultimately, this book is not just about microbes; it is about a different way to view humans. The story that Dietert tells of where the new biology comes from, how it works, and the ways in which it affects your life is fascinating, authoritative, and revolutionary. Dietert identifies foods that best serve you, the superorganism; not new fad foods but ancient foods that have made sense for millennia. He explains protective measures against unsafe chemicals and drugs. He offers an empowering self-care guide and the blueprint for a revolution in public health. We are not what we have been taught. Each of us is a superorganism. The best path to a healthy life is through recognizing that profound truth."

Rodney Dietert (Author), Jonathan Todd Ross (Narrator)

Audiobook

Zika: The Emerging Epidemic

"A gripping narrative about the Zika virus from the New York Times science reporter covering the outbreak. Until recently, Zika virus-once considered a mild disease-was hardly a cause for global panic. But as early as August of 2015, doctors in Brazil's northeast region began to notice a trend: many mothers who had recently experienced Zika symptoms were giving birth to babies with microcephaly, a serious disorder characterized by unusually small heads and brain damage. By the beginning of 2016, Zika was making headlines as evidence mounted, and eventually confirmed, that microcephaly is a direct result of the virus, which can be contracted through mosquito bites or sexually transmitted. As reported cases inch northward, the question of the moment has become: how far will the epidemic spread? In Zika, New York Times science reporter Donald G. McNeil Jr. sets the facts straight in a fascinating exploration of Zika's origins, how it's spreading, the race for a cure, and what we can do to protect ourselves now."

Donald G. McNeil (Author), Dan Woren (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Gene: An Intimate History

"*Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2016* The Gene is the story of one of the most powerful and dangerous ideas in our history, from bestselling, prize-winning author Siddhartha Mukherjee. Spanning the globe and several centuries, The Gene is the story of the quest to decipher the master-code that makes and defines humans, that governs our form and function. The story of the gene begins in an obscure Augustinian abbey in Moravia in 1856 where a monk stumbles on the idea of a ‘unit of heredity’. It intersects with Darwin’s theory of evolution, and collides with the horrors of Nazi eugenics in the 1940s. The gene transforms post-war biology. It reorganizes our understanding of sexuality, temperament, choice and free will. This is a story driven by human ingenuity and obsessive minds – from Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel to Francis Crick, James Watson and Rosalind Franklin, and the thousands of scientists still working to understand the code of codes. This is an epic, moving history of a scientific idea coming to life, by the author of The Emperor of All Maladies. But woven through The Gene, like a red line, is also an intimate history – the story of Mukherjee’s own family and its recurring pattern of mental illness, reminding us that genetics is vitally relevant to everyday lives. These concerns reverberate even more urgently today as we learn to “read” and “write” the human genome – unleashing the potential to change the fates and identities of our children. Majestic in its ambition, and unflinching in its honesty, The Gene gives us a definitive account of the fundamental unit of heredity – and a vision of both humanity’s past and future."

Siddhartha Mukherjee (Author), Dennis Boutsikaris (Narrator)

Audiobook

Why Diets Make Us Fat: The Unintended Consequences of Our Obsession With Weight Loss

""If diets worked, we'd all be thin by now. Instead, we have enlisted hundreds of millions of people into a war we can't win.' What's the secret to losing weight? If you're like most of us, you've tried cutting calories, sipping weird smoothies, avoiding fats, and swapping out sugar for Splenda. The real secret is that all of those things are likely to make you weigh more in a few years, not less. In fact, a good predictor of who will gain weight is who says they plan to lose some. Last year, 108 million Americans went on diets, to the applause of doctors, family, and friends. But long-term studies of dieters consistently find that they're more likely to end up gaining weight in the next two to fifteen years than people who don't diet. Neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt spent three decades in her own punishing cycle of starving and regaining before turning her scientific eye to the research on weight and health. What she found defies the conventional wisdom about dieting: ·Telling children that they're overweight makes them more likely to gain weight over the next few years. Weight shaming has the same effect on adults. ·The calories you absorb from a slice of pizza depend on your genes and on your gut bacteria. So does the number of calories you're burning right now. ·Most people who lose a lot of weight suffer from obsessive thoughts, binge eating, depression, and anxiety. They also burn less energy and find eating much more rewarding than it was before they lost weight. ·Fighting against your body's set point-a central tenet of most diet plans-is exhausting, psychologically damaging, and ultimately counterproductive. If dieting makes us fat, what should we do instead to stay healthy and reduce the risks of diabetes, heart disease, and other obesity-related conditions? With clarity and candor, Aamodt makes a spirited case for abandoning diets in favor of behaviors that will truly improve and extend our lives."

Sandra Aamodt (Author), Sandra Aamodt (Narrator)

Audiobook

On the Origin of Species

"Perhaps the most influential science book ever written, On the Origin of Species has continued to fascinate readers for more than a century after its initial publication. Its controversial theory that populations evolve and adapt through a process known as natural selection led to heated scientific, philosophical and religious debate, revolutionizing every discipline in its wake. With its clear, concise and surprisingly enjoyable prose, On the Origin of Species is both captivating and edifying."

Charles Darwin (Author), Peter Wickham (Narrator)

Audiobook

Life: The Leading Edge of Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Anthropology, and Environmental Science

"Scientists' understanding of life is progressing more rapidly than at any point in human history, from the extraordinary decoding of DNA to the controversial emergence of biotechnology. Featuring pioneering biologists, geneticists, physicists, and science writers, Life explains just how far we've come—and takes a brilliantly educated guess at where we're heading. Richard Dawkins and J. Craig Venter compare genes to digital information, and sketch the frontiers of genomic research. Edward O. Wilson reveals what ants can teach us about building a superorganism—and, in turn, about how cells build an organism. Elsewhere, David Haig reports new findings on how mothers and fathers individually influence the human genome, while Kary Mullis covers cutting-edge treatments for dangerous viruses. And there's much more in this fascinating volume. We may never have all the answers. But the thinkers collected in Life are asking questions that will keep us dreaming for generations."

John Brockman (Author), Antony Ferguson, Jonathan Yen, Mike Chamberlain (Narrator)

Audiobook

Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise

"Mozart wasn’t born with perfect pitch. Most athletes are not born with any natural advantage. Three world-class chess players were sisters, whose success was planned by their parents before they were even born. Anders Ericsson has spent thirty years studying The Special Ones, the geniuses, sports stars and musical prodigies. And his remarkable finding, revealed in Peak, is that their special abilities are acquired through training. The innate ‘gift’ of talent is a myth. Exceptional individuals are born with just one unique ability, shared by us all – the ability to develop our brains and bodies through our own efforts. Anders Ericsson’s research was the inspiration for the popular ‘10,000-hour rule’ but, he tells us, this rule is only the beginning of the story. It’s not just the hours that are important but how you use them. We all have the seeds of excellence within us – it’s merely a question of how to make them grow. With a bit of guidance, you’ll be amazed at what the average person can achieve. The astonishing stories in Peak prove that potential is what you make it."

Anders Ericsson, Robert Pool (Author), Geoffrey Beevers (Narrator)

Audiobook

Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions

"A fascinating exploration of how computer algorithms can be applied to our everyday lives, helping to solve common decision-making problems and illuminate the workings of the human mind All our lives are constrained by limited space and time, limits that give rise to a particular set of problems. What should we do, or leave undone, in a day or a lifetime? How much messiness should we accept? What balance of new activities and familiar favorites is the most fulfilling? These may seem like uniquely human quandaries, but they are not: computers, too, face the same constraints, so computer scientists have been grappling with their version of such problems for decades. And the solutions they've found have much to teach us. In a dazzlingly interdisciplinary work, acclaimed author Brian Christian (who holds degrees in computer science, philosophy, and poetry, and works at the intersection of all three) and Tom Griffiths (a UC Berkeley professor of cognitive science and psychology) show how the simple, precise algorithms used by computers can also untangle very human questions. They explain how to have better hunches and when to leave things to chance, how to deal with overwhelming choices and how best to connect with others. From finding a spouse to finding a parking spot, from organizing one's inbox to understanding the workings of human memory, Algorithms to Live By transforms the wisdom of computer science into strategies for human living."

Brian Christian, Tom Griffiths (Author), Brian Christian (Narrator)

Audiobook

Introduction to Chemistry

"Chemistry studies the nature (atomic and molecular structure, etc.), properties, composition and transformations of matter. Here are some benefits that chemistry can provide: ♦ fabrics of the clothes we use in day-to-day are materials obtained through the development of Chemistry; - the artificial fibers (nylon, tergal, etc.), synthetic rubbers, plastics, part of a group of materials called polymers; polymers have been numerous applications: plastic bags, towels, bottles, plastic pipes, electrical coatings, toys, records, upholstery, pan coatings; Biochemistry has allowed not only to know precise mechanisms of the body, such as influence them, enabling the development of molecular biology and pharmacology, fundamental to the progress of medicine. And in the area of Food Engineering, for example, is that chemistry plays a significant role? Yes. It is vital! For example, the food industry uses the so-called 'additives': substances are capable of providing the following foods: - antioxidant (inhibits the oxidation process); - Preservatives (increase durability); - Stabilizers (helps keep emulsions and suspensions); - Sweeteners (transmits sweet taste to products), etc. Most countries have four types of artificial sweeteners found in the consumer market: - saccharin (Pan American) - the CYCLAMATE (Brasfanta) - the ACESULFAME-K (Hoechst) - aspartame (Monsanto). Obtaining these sweeteners requires well-established synthetic routes developed in research in the field of chemistry. To understand the metabolism of sweeteners in humans and investigate the toxicity mechanisms have been proposed that involve a series of chemical reactions (w / details, see ref. *). As can be seen, chemistry has provided numerous benefits to humanity. On the other hand, we can not forget that many chemical processes are responsible for the degradation of the environment in which we live."

Introbooks Team (Author), Tracy Tupman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Microbiology

"Microbiology, along with mathematics, chemistry, and physics, is one of the fundamental branches of basic sciences. The knowledge and detailed study of microorganisms and their functions can establish its use in a variety of applications, from medical, food and environmental, agricultural and industrial field. Thus, microbiology is consolidated as one of the pillars of biotechnology. In this specification the modern general microbiology, which is aimed to study morphology, their arrangements and reactions to staining processes, physiology, metabolism, characterization and identification of microorganisms. When entering the microbial universe, you will be able to multiply their knowledge, but as in every discipline, will not be the issue here started exhausted, providing the resumption and completion of the issues addressed through activities and study suggestions in the virtual teaching environment course learning. An important source of information will be electronic sites on microbiology. Also, so you can better enjoy this material, we suggest dear student, you make a careful reading of the text, also exploring the figures that accompany and illustrate the explanations. As in any way, or in any new situation, there will be challenging times, which will lead us to changes, which are essential for our training."

Introbooks Team (Author), Tracy Tupman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Genetics

"Genetic gone through a breakthrough in the discovery that DNA would be the fundamental structure carrying the genetic information. Among the various work with this molecule, he stood out to Watson, Crick, Wilkins, and Franklin in 1953, which demonstrated the structure of the DNA double helix. After the discovery of DNA structure, several other studies have been conducted to understand who was responsible for producing the proteins. The idea that DNA would be responsible for the synthesis of RNA and that this, in turn, would be responsible for producing proteins was postulated by Crick in 1958 and became known as Molecular Biology of the Central Dogma. From these findings, many advances have occurred in Molecular Biology and directly affected the development of genetics. Among this significant progress, there is the technique of recombinant DNA, which is characterized by the ability to isolate a stretch of DNA and replace inside a bacterium to produce copies of this section. Thus, it was possible to make organisms produce substances of economic interest. The advance of genetics completely changed the modern world, making it possible, for example, create clones, resistant transgenic crops to pests, perform paternity tests and solve crimes, map diseases and perform genetic counseling. In this book on genetics, you will check the prepared topics below to see what's new in the field of genetics and to understand the principles that guide this biology field. "

Introbooks Team (Author), Tracy Tupman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Biology & Chemistry Audiobooks in Non-Fiction