Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

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  The Secrets of Alchemy

  Lawrence M. Principe

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  In The Secrets of Alchemy, Lawrence M. Principe, one of the world's leading authorities on the subject, brings alchemy out of the shadows and restores it to its important place in human history and culture. By surveying what alchemy was and how it began, developed, and overlapped with a range of ideas and pursuits, Principe illuminates the practice. He vividly depicts the place of alchemy during its heyday in early modern Europe, and then explores how alchemy has fit into wider views of the cosmos and humanity, touching on its enduring place in literature, fine art, theater, and religion as well as its recent acceptance as a serious subject of study for historians of science. In addition, he introduces the listener to some of the most fascinating alchemists, such as Zosimos and Basil Valentine, whose lives dot alchemy's long reign from the third century and to the present day. Through his exploration of alchemists and their times, Principe pieces together closely guarded clues from obscure and fragmented texts to reveal alchemy's secrets, and—most exciting for budding alchemists—uses them to recreate many of the most famous recipes in his lab, including those for the "glass of antimony" and "philosophers' tree." This unique approach brings the listener closer to the actual work of alchemy than any other book.

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  Cognitive Shortcuts That Mislead...

  William Rands

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  This book consists of two titles, which are: 
  - The Confirmation Bias: Confirmation bias is a cognitive phenomenon that plays a significant role in shaping our beliefs and perceptions. It refers to the tendency of individuals to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms their preexisting beliefs or theories, while disregarding or minimizing evidence that contradicts those beliefs. This bias is not limited to any particular field or context and can influence people in a variety of ways, from politics and religion to personal relationships and health decisions. 
  - The Representativeness Heuristic: At its core, the representativeness heuristic simplifies decision-making by allowing individuals to rely on surface-level similarities rather than delving into deeper, more complex analyses. For example, if someone observes a well-dressed, articulate individual discussing financial markets, they might assume the person is a financial expert, even without any concrete evidence. This judgment stems from the resemblance of the observed traits to the prototype of a financial expert. However, such assumptions often overlook critical information, such as actual expertise or experience. 
   

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  Pompeii - History of the Roman...

  Kelly Mass

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  Pompeii was an ancient Roman city situated near modern-day Naples in the Campania region of Italy, within what is now the comune of Pompei. It thrived as a bustling urban center until the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. This violent explosion buried Pompeii, along with the neighboring cities of Herculaneum and several luxurious villas in the surrounding countryside, including those at Boscoreale and Stabiae, beneath a thick blanket of volcanic ash and pumice. The depth of this sudden entombment ranged from four to six meters (13 to 20 feet), sealing the city and its inhabitants in a chilling moment of suspended animation.  
  When excavations began centuries later, Pompeii revealed itself as an unprecedented time capsule of Roman life. The city was preserved in remarkable detail, offering a rare and invaluable glimpse into the daily routines, architectural styles, and cultural expressions of its people. However, the early excavations, conducted with rudimentary methods, often led to the destruction of crucial evidence. Despite these losses, Pompeii remains one of the most well-documented archaeological sites, providing scholars with insights into the lives of Romans that would have otherwise been lost to history. 

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  Birds Beasts and Bedlam -...

  Derek Gow

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  Birds, Beasts and Bedlam recounts the adventures of farmer-turned-rewilder Derek Gow, who is saving Britain’s much-loved but dangerously threatened species, from the water vole to beaver, wildcat to white stork, and tree frog to glow worm. Derek tells us all about the realities of rewilding: how he reared delicate roe deer and a sofa-loving wild boar piglet, moved a raging bison bull across the country, got bitten by a Scottish wildcat, returned honking skeins of graylag geese to the land and water that was once theirs, and restored the white stork to the Knepp Estate with Charlie Burrell and Isabella Tree. Derek’s first book, Bringing Back the Beaver, was a riotously funny and subversive account of his single-handed reintroduction of the beaver in Britain. Birds, Beasts and Bedlam, a natural successor to Gerald Durrell’s A Zoo in My Luggage, tells the story of Derek’s rewilding journey and his work to save many more species by transforming his Devon farm into a wildlife breeding center. He now houses beavers, white storks, water voles, lynx, wildcats, and harvest mice, with the aim of releasing them into the wild one day. Tearing down fences literally and metaphorically, Derek Gow is the one person with the character and strength of will to defy authority, bend the rules, and save our wildlife.

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  Racing To Extinction - Why...

  Lyle Lewis, Foreword by Sue...

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  Global warming, loss of biodiversity, and toxic chemicals are undermining the ability of the planet to support complex life. Routinely overlooked in causing our current predicament is that several million years of evolution has predisposed Homo sapiens, both anatomically and behaviorally, to vanishing.A former endangered species biologist looks at the ongoing sixth mass extinction through the prism of human behavior, personal experience, ecology, evolutionary biology, and contemporary conservation efforts. He provides new insights into factors triggering the current mass extinction event and examines conventional wisdom regarding human intelligence. The author suggests—as humanity edges ever closer to disappearing forever—a clear-eyed, real-world rationale for resignation but also acceptance.Foreward by Sue Coulstock; Foreward narrated by Heather Henderson

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  The Big Sky Mountain Audio...

  Alex Milway

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  Welcome to BIG SKY MOUNTAIN: a home for everyone! This audio collection includes four exhilarating adventures in the great outdoors, from HOTEL FLAMINGO author Alex Milway.Big Sky Mountain Rosa has come from the city to live with Grandma Nan in the wilds of Big Sky Mountain. And what surprises are in store for her! Grandma Nan is not exactly an ordinary grandma, and Big Sky Mountain is like nowhere Rosa has dreamed about before. The Forest Wolves There is never a dull day on Big Sky Mountain! Rain or shine, there is always something that needs doing. Rosa and Grandma Nan are busy building a bigger cabin when a storm strikes, and a host of animals descend for shelter. There is one unexpected visitor: a tiny wolf cub.The Beach OttersLife never stays still for long on Big Sky Mountain. Rosa and Grandma Nan are off on an adventure to Toe-Dipper Bay, to see who's in trouble - a distress flare has gone up! When they arrive they find the beach covered in plastic rubbish, and a family of beach otters farming seaweed, while doing their best to tidy up.The Sky EaglesWhen Rosa wakes one morning to find Grandma Nan missing, she must use all of her survival skills to uncover her grandma's whereabouts. With the help of the mountain community, Rosa's investigation leads her to the very summit of Big Sky Mountain, where a family of eagles are facing huge problems of their own.

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