Ocean State Libraries

"The Nature of Nature explores how the natural world works, outlines the consequences of its unraveling by our activities, and offers practical solutions-with a description of societal and economic benefits. The first ten chapters of this book are a step-by-step crash course in ecology-you might call it "ecology for people in a hurry": what species do, how they co-exist, and how the natural world self-assembles and works, compared to our human-built...

This volume contains a collection of some of Emily Dickinson's poetry that illustrates not only her talent as a writer, but her profound love of language, nature, and life. Composing first in a fairly conventional style, the poetess soon began to experiment with her writing; her frequent use of dashes, sporadic capitalization of nouns, broken meter, and idiosyncratic metaphors made her work unparalleled for its time. Dickinson's poetry dealt not only...

There are still wild places out there on our crowded planet. Through a series of personal journeys, Dan Richards explores the appeal of far-flung outposts in mountains, tundra, forests, oceans and deserts. These are landscapes that speak of deep time, whose scale can knock us down to size. Their untamed nature is part of their beauty and such places have long drawn the adventurous, the spiritual and the artistic. For those who go in search of the...

"Meet the intelligent insects, marvelous minibeasts, and inspirational invertebrates that help shape our planet-and discover how you can help them help us by rebugging your attitude today! Remember when there were bugs on your windshield? Ever wonder where they went? We need to act now if we are to help the insects survive. Robin Wall Kimmerer, David Attenborough, and Elizabeth Kolbert are but a few voices championing the rewilding of our world. Rebugging...

THE book for sports fans searching for a deeper understanding of the games they watch and the people who play them. Bestselling author L. Jon Wertheim teams up with Tufts psychologist Sam Sommers to take readers on a wild ride into the inner world of sports. Through the prism of behavioral economics, neuroscience, and psychology, they reveal the hidden influences and surprising cues that inspire and derail us--on the field and in the stands--and by...

"From a #1 New York Times bestselling doctor comes an ingenious guide to what our fellow animals know about living longer, healthier, happier lives."--

"For thousands of years one animal has contributed to human survival more than any other. It has been a source of food, a means of transportation, a provider of physical labor and an instrument of war. This extraordinary creature is the horse. Throughout human history people have loved, owned and ridden horses. Horses fascinate us; they silently speak to our hearts. Young and old, rich or poor we are drawn; whether to books like The Horse Whisperer,...

"Alison Jolly believes that biologists have an important story to tell about being human--not the all-too-familiar tale of selfishness, competition, and biology as destiny but rather one of cooperation and interdependence, from the first merging of molecules to the rise of a species inextricably linked by language, culture, and group living. This is the story that unfolds in Lucyʼs Legacy, the saga of human evolution as told by a world-renowned primatologist...

"In the spirit of Bill Bryson and Ian Frazier comes this fascinating examination of our past, present, and future beneath the waves. In an age of unprecedented exploration and innovation, our oceans remain largely unknown, and endlessly fascinating: full of mystery, danger, beauty, and inspiration. Bill Streever--a longtime deep-sea diver himself--has masterfully woven together the science and history of Earth's last remaining frontier: the sea. In...

"Do you want to make a difference and help change the world? If the answer's yes then this book is for you! Turn the pages and discover everything you need to know about deforestation and the ways we can tackle it. From scientists and conservationists helping to protect forest creatures, to tech inventions like robot tree-planters, this book helps children aged 8 and up to discover the incredible solutions to deforestation that are being worked on...