Darwin's Orchestra


Book Description

A journal of 366 essays includes natural history anecdotes from ancient times to the present and covers such topics as King Tut, werewolves, natural disasters, Calvin and Hobbes, and Georgia O'Keefe. 12,500 first printing. $10,000 ad/promo.




Darwin's Unfinished Symphony


Book Description

Humans possess an extraordinary capacity for culture, from the arts and language to science and technology. But how did the human mind—and the uniquely human ability to devise and transmit culture—evolve from its roots in animal behavior? Darwin’s Unfinished Symphony presents a captivating new theory of human cognitive evolution. This compelling and accessible book reveals how culture is not just the magnificent end product of an evolutionary process that produced a species unlike all others—it is also the key driving force behind that process. Kevin N. Lala tells the story of the painstaking fieldwork, the key experiments, the false leads, and the stunning scientific breakthroughs that led to this new understanding of how culture transformed human evolution. It is the story of how Darwin’s intellectual descendants picked up where he left off and took up the challenge of providing a scientific account of the evolution of the human mind.




The Evolving Animal Orchestra


Book Description

A music researcher's quest to discover other musical species. Even those of us who can't play a musical instrument or lack a sense of rhythm can perceive and enjoy music. Research shows that all humans possess the trait of musicality. We are a musical species—but are we the only musical species? Is our musical predisposition unique, like our linguistic ability? In The Evolving Animal Orchestra, Henkjan Honing embarks upon a quest to discover if humans share the trait of musicality with other animals. Charles Darwin believed that musicality was a capacity of all animals, human and nonhuman, with a clear biological basis. Taking this as his starting point, Honing—a music cognition researcher—visits a series of biological research centers to observe the ways that animals respond to music. He has studied scientists' accounts of Snowball, the cockatoo who could dance to a musical beat, and of Ronan, the sea lion, who was trained to move her head to a beat. Now Honing will be able to make his own observations. Honing tests a rhesus monkey for beat perception via an EEG; performs a listening experiment with zebra finches; considers why birds sing, and if they intend their songs to be musical; explains why many animals have perfect pitch; and watches marine mammals respond to sounds. He reports on the unforeseen twists and turns, doubts, and oversights that are a part of any scientific research—and which point to as many questions as answers. But, as he shows us, science is closing in on the biological and evolutionary source of our musicality.




Darwin's Unfinished Symphony


Book Description

Humans possess an extraordinary capacity for culture, from the arts and language to science and technology. But how did the human mind—and the uniquely human ability to devise and transmit culture—evolve from its roots in animal behavior? Darwin’s Unfinished Symphony presents a captivating new theory of human cognitive evolution. This compelling and accessible book reveals how culture is not just the magnificent end product of an evolutionary process that produced a species unlike all others—it is also the key driving force behind that process. Kevin N. Lala tells the story of the painstaking fieldwork, the key experiments, the false leads, and the stunning scientific breakthroughs that led to this new understanding of how culture transformed human evolution. It is the story of how Darwin’s intellectual descendants picked up where he left off and took up the challenge of providing a scientific account of the evolution of the human mind.




Charles Dickens in Cyberspace


Book Description

Opens a window on a startling set of literary and scientific links between contemporary American culture and the nineteenth-century heritage it often repudiates.




The Rough Guide to Evolution


Book Description

Have you ever wondered what Charles Darwin would have had on his iPod? Or exactly how Cartman from South Park fits into the Theory of Evolution? The Rough Guide to Evolution delves into all of this and more, from the life and works of the eminent scientist to the impact of evolutionary thinking on modern times. Read about the evolutionary history of life on Earth, the stark evidence for evolution - including feathered dinosaurs - and how Darwin's breakthrough is still denied by creationists, who have repeatedly tried to ban evolution from the classroom. Providing a complete and authoritative overview of one of the most controversial topics of our age, the guide is an accessible one-stop-shop for all things Darwinian, while listing resources for those keen to dig deeper into our murky beginnings. Find out exactly how Charles Darwin and The Origin of Species have affected human life in the 150 years since its publication - everything from Darwinian tourism to the evolution of The Simpsons - as well as some new angles that make The Rough Guide to Evolution a must-have for die-hard Darwin fans. Rediscover Darwin's earth-shattering explanation for the diversity of life with The Rough Guide to Evolution.




InfoWorld


Book Description

InfoWorld is targeted to Senior IT professionals. Content is segmented into Channels and Topic Centers. InfoWorld also celebrates people, companies, and projects.




The Adventures of a Train Trekker


Book Description

I wrote this book to share the excitement, spirit and adventure of long-distance train travel. I hope that train trekkers and future trekkers alike will enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. Adriana Sydney 2021




A Chronological History of Australian Composers and Their Compositions - Vol. 4 1999-2013


Book Description

In this 4th and fi nal volume of a series that includes more than 800 composers and over 30,000 compositions Stephen traces the history and development of Classical music in Australia. From obscure and forgotten composers to those who attained an international reputation this volume reveals their output, unique experiences and travails. The foundation and demise of music ensembles, institutions, venues and festivals is part of the story and included in the narrative are performers, conductors, entrepreneurs, educators, administrators, instrument makers, musicologists, music critics and philanthropists. A concise yet comprehensive picture of Australian music making can be found in any given year.




The Wind Band and Its Repertoire: Two Decades of Research As Published in the CBDNA Journal


Book Description

For slightly over two decades, the College Band Directors National Association published the CBDNA Journal, a research outlet for all types of subjects of interest to the membership. Following cessation of activities in 2002, Michael Votta, Jr., the Journal's most recent editor, assembled representative articles on composers and their works, historical research and composition analysis investigations, and produced this fine collection of writings. As a source of well-constructed research by some of the country's leading musicians, it fills a much needed place in everyone's library.