Other books that might interest you

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  The Great River - The Making and...

  Boyce Upholt

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  A sweeping history of the Mississippi River—and the centuries of human meddling that have transformed both it and America. 
   
   
   
  Over thousands of years, the Mississippi watershed was home to millions of Indigenous people who regarded "the great river" with awe and respect, adorning its banks with astonishing spiritual earthworks. But European settlers and American pioneers had a different vision: the river was a foe to conquer. In this landmark work of natural history, Boyce Upholt tells the epic story of human attempts to own and contain the Mississippi River, from Thomas Jefferson's expansionist land hunger through today's era of environmental concern. He reveals how an ambitious and sometimes contentious program of engineering—government-built levees, jetties, dikes, and dams—has not only damaged once-vibrant ecosystems, but may not work much longer, and explores how scientists are scrambling to restore what's been lost. Rich and powerful, The Great River delivers a startling account of what happens when we try to fight against nature instead of acknowledging and embracing its power.

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  Python Playground: An...

  Lisa Johnson

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  For young students excited to explore the world of coding, "Python Playground: An Interactive Guide to Python Programming for Kids: Learn Coding Through Fun Projects and Games" is the ideal place to start. Python is one of the world's most widely used and adaptable programming languages, and this book makes it simple and fun for youngsters to learn. It turns the sometimes complex programming world into a playground of creativity and exploration. 
  This book is not just a theoretical guide, but a practical handbook that makes learning to code enjoyable and interactive. It's filled with interesting, practical tasks that engage young learners and make the learning process fun. Each chapter introduces essential programming concepts like variables, loops, conditionals, and functions, accompanied by step-by-step instructions and concise explanations. Through the creation of engaging games, vibrant graphics, and interactive tests, children will have the opportunity to put what they have learned into practice while also developing their problem-solving and coding logic comprehension. 
  The book also introduces Popular Python libraries like `turtle` and `random` to promote experimentation and ignite creativity. By the conclusion of the book, young programmers will have the self-assurance and abilities necessary to create their projects, which they can then show off to friends and family. 
  "Python Playground" is an invitation to explore, create, and have fun with technology rather than merely a guide to coding. This book offers countless opportunities for those interested in learning by doing and are in the process of becoming budding programmers.

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  Fatal Abstraction - Why the...

  Darryl Campbell

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  Software was supposed to radically improve society. Outdated mechanical systems would be easily replaced; social media platforms like Facebook would bring people together; and generative AI would solve the world’s greatest ills. Yet in practice, few of the systems we looked to with such high hopes have lived up to their fundamental mandate. In fact, in too many cases they've made things worse. How did we get to this point? 
   
   
   
  In Fatal Abstraction, Darryl Campbell explains that the problem is "managerial software": programs created and overseen not by engineers but by professional managers with only the most superficial knowledge of technology itself. 
   
   
   
  A former tech worker himself, Campbell shows how managerial software fails, and when it does what sorts of disastrous consequences ensue, from the Boeing 737 MAX crashes to a deadly self-driving car to PowerPoint propaganda, and beyond. Yet just because the tech industry is currently breaking its core promise does not mean the industry cannot change. Campbell argues that the solution is tech workers with actual expertise establishing industry-wide principles of ethics and safety that corporations would be forced to follow. Fatal Abstraction is a stirring rebuke of the tech industry's current managerial excesses, and also a hopeful glimpse of what a world shaped by good software can offer.

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  The Miracle of the Black Leg -...

  Patricia J. Williams

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  Beginning with a jaw-dropping rumination on a centuries-old painting featuring a white man with a Black man's leg surgically attached (with the expired Black leg-donor in the foreground), contracts law scholar and celebrated journalist Patricia J. Williams uses the lens of the law to take on core questions of identity, ethics, and race. 
   
   
   
  With her trademark elegant prose and critical legal studies wisdom, Williams brings to bear a keen analytic eye and a lawyer's training to chapters exploring the ways we have legislated the ownership of everything from body parts to gene sequences—and the particular ways in which our laws in these areas isolate nonnormative looks, minority cultures, and out-of-the-box thinkers. 
   
   
   
  At the heart of "Wrongful Birth" is a lawsuit in which a white couple who use a sperm bank sue when their child "comes out Black." And "Hot Cheeto Girl" examines the way that algorithms give rise to new predictive categories of human assortment, layered with market-inflected cages of assigned destiny. 
   
   
   
  The Miracle of the Black Leg offers a brilliant meditation on the tricky place where law, science, ethics, and cultural slippage collide.

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  Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants

  Bradford Angier

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  Revised and updated: The classic illustrated reference for today’s foragers.   With essential information on each plant’s characteristics, distribution, and edibility, as well as updated taxonomy and eighteen new species, this is the second edition of Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants—the practical handbook for finding, preparing, and eating plants growing in the wild.   This guide to North American wild edibles has been a nature classic for over thirty years. Now David K. Foster revises Bradford Angier’s invaluable foraging reference. Scientific information for a general audience and full-color illustrations combine with intriguing accounts of the plants’ uses, making this a practical and informative resource for modern-day foragers.

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  Robotics and Automation -...

  Craig Dames

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  Robotics and automation have rapidly evolved from niche technological concepts to central pillars of modern industry and society. What once belonged to the realm of science fiction is now an integral part of how we produce, communicate, transport, and even care for one another. Understanding the foundations of these technologies is essential to grasp how they are reshaping the future of work. 
  The journey of robotics dates back to ancient times with early mechanical inventions, but it wasn’t until the 20th century that programmable machines began to take shape. The term "robot" gained popularity in the early 1920s, yet the real development of industrial robotics didn’t gain momentum until the 1960s, when the first robotic arms were introduced into assembly lines. Since then, robotics has grown exponentially, encompassing everything from humanoid robots to autonomous drones and AI-driven service machines. 
  Automation, often linked closely with robotics, refers to the use of technology to perform tasks with minimal human intervention. While automation began with simple mechanical devices, today it incorporates advanced software, machine learning algorithms, and sensor networks. Modern automation extends beyond factories and is now seen in financial services, healthcare, logistics, agriculture, and even our homes. From smart thermostats to self-checkout systems, the influence of automation is becoming ever more visible in daily life.

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