Faith, Madness, and Spontaneous Human Combustion


Book Description

Provides an exploration into how science has shaped our identity by examining the elements of our immune systems such as the thymuses, bone marrow, and lymph nodes to show how they define us in extremely individual ways, and reveals how faith and love are in fact programmed into our genes.




Blessed Unrest


Book Description

The New York Times bestselling examination of the worldwide movement for social and environmental change Paul Hawken has spent more than a decade researching organizations dedicated to restoring the environment and fostering social justice. From billion-dollar nonprofits to single-person dot.causes, these groups collectively comprise the largest movement on earth, a movement that has no name, leader, or location and that has gone largely ignored by politicians and the media. Blessed Unrest explores the diversity of the movement, its brilliant ideas, innovative strategies, and centuries of hidden history. A culmination of Hawken's many years of leadership in the environmental and social justice fields, it will inspire all who despair of the world's fate, and its conclusions will surprise even those within the movement itself.




Journeys in Social Education: A Primer


Book Description

Social education is quite a journey. Given the ongoing debate and struggle with “defining” social education, the following is at present a “working definition” - "While we resist ‘defining’ social education, we believe that social education emphasizes three areas of study: critical pedagogy, cultural/media studies, and social studies education. We also stress that education, interpreted broadly, has the potential to advance social justice." Thus emerged social education... a lifelong journey for all of us – to question, to challenge, to do, and to create. Connecting present and past, merging current issues with traditional curriculum, integrating alternative texts and perspectives, empowering and emancipating kids and educators, and transforming schools and society – the transgressions of social education scream out. Dewey, Freire, Kincheloe, Zinn, Greene, Giroux, Apple, hooks, McLaren, Kozol, Loewen, Said, Chomsky, even Bob Dylan and many others have provided the impetus. May we make them proud! The essays within this text demonstrate various journeys in social education. They are meant as stories, not maps or scripts. They are intended to serve as a primer of sorts, for those interested in a similar journey. Hopefully, this can be a meaningful experience for many – students, educators, parents, and society as a whole, of course. Well... the journey and struggle continues...




The Language of Emotions


Book Description

Featuring significant updates, the new edition of this beloved book takes readers to the heart of each emotion’s powerful gifts and messages. Every emotion—even shame, anger, and anxiety—brings us vital information and wisdom. Emotions—especially the unwanted and dishonored ones—hold a tremendous amount of energy. “Too often, we either repress our feelings or let them run wild,” says researcher and educator Karla McLaren. “What many of us were never taught are the fundamental skills for honoring and understanding our profound, powerful emotions.” In this new edition of The Language of Emotions, McLaren takes us much deeper than naming or managing our feelings—she teaches us to listen to the messages within each emotion, reflect on their questions, and incorporate their wisdom into our lives. Enhanced through more than a decade of research and teaching, this edition offers a time-tested emotional guidebook, including: • How to safely feel and identify emotions—especially the most intense ones • Practices for working with feelings—including setting boundaries, grounding, and the healing power of complaining consciously • Building your empathy—five key skills for awakening your emotional genius • The role of emotions in the resolution of trauma • Decoding the unique messages, gifts, and insights carried by each emotion • New to this edition: insights and practices on anxiety, an exploration of loneliness, and much more Learning the language of our emotions can deepen our self-understanding, improve our intuition, and enhance our relationships. “Emotions aren’t problems to be solved,” teaches McLaren. “If you learn their language, your emotions can become an indispensable source of vitality, personal growth, and profound healing.”




The Science of Sci-Fi Cinema


Book Description

Science fiction films present hypothetical futures, featuring imagined technological advancements--not yet realized but perhaps (more or less) plausible. Yet how much of what audiences see is within the bounds of possibility? Can we really envision what a black hole looks like? Can dinosaurs really be genetically re-engineered? Originating from an annual Science Fiction Film Series in Denver, Colorado, this volume of essays examines 10 films, with a focus on discerning the possible, the unlikely, and the purely science fictional. With essays by scientists in relevant fields, chapters provide analyses of the movies themselves, along with examination of the actual science (or lack thereof) in each film.




Infection


Book Description

Explores how infection shapes our lives and discusses the various ailments linked to infections, the use of infection to treat disease, and the dangers of the overuse of antibiotics.




The Stem Cell Dilemma


Book Description

Today’s scientists are showing us how stem cells create and repair the human body. Unlocking these secrets has become the new Holy Grail of biomedical research. But behind that search lies a sharp divide, one that has continued for years. Stem cells offer the hope of creating or repairing tissues lost to age, disease, and injury. Yet, because of this ability, stem cells also hold the potential to incite an international biological arms race. The Stem Cell Dilemma illuminates everything you need to know about stem cells, and in this new edition the authors have included up-to-date information on scientific advances with iPS cells, clinical trials that are currently underway, hESC policy that is in the U.S. courts, stem cells and biodefense, developments at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and growing international competition, plus all the basics of what stem cells are and how they work.




Lousy Sex


Book Description

In Lousy Sex Gerald Callahan explores the science of self, illustrating the immune system’s role in forming individual identity. Blending the scientific essay with deeply personal narratives, these poignant and enlightening stories use microbiology and immunology to explore a new way to answer the question, who am I? “Self” has many definitions. Science has demonstrated that 90 percent of the cells in our bodies are bacteria—we are in many respects more non-self than self. In Lousy Sex, Callahan considers this microbio-neuro perspective on human identity together with the soulful, social perception of self, drawing on both art and science to fully illuminate this relationship. In his stories about where we came from and who we are, Callahan uses autobiographical episodes to illustrate his scientific points. Through stories about the sex lives of wood lice, the biological advantages of eating dirt, the question of immortality, the relationship between syphilis and the musical genius of Beethoven, and more, this book creates another way, a chimeric way, of seeing ourselves. The general reader with an interest in science will find Lousy Sex fascinating.




Supernatural Lore of Southern Utah


Book Description

Explore humanity through what haunt us in Supernatural Lore of Southern Utah! From the fanciful and revelatory to the horrifying and sorrowful, the folklore of Southern Utah hints at a complex history. Whether spiritual or spooky, home-grown legends are a window to understanding local culture. Visit Grafton, Utah's most haunted ghost town. Explore what haunts Southern Utah University in Cedar City, the St. George Temple and Touquerville's "murder house." Learn about skinwalkers and the theft of Native American beliefs. Examine the numerous urban legends surrounding Route 666, "The Devil's Highway." Uncover the secrets of the Mountain Meadows Massacre and the curse of Escalante Petrified Forest. Drawing on information from over two hundred interviews, Darren M. Edwards investigates the tales and myths that permeate and persist in communities throughout red rock country.




From Accidents to Zero


Book Description

As leaders increasingly understand the importance of good safety practice to support their business objectives, safety and health practitioners develop better tools and solutions. However, there is still a gulf between these two groups where engagement, communication and shared understanding can be found lacking. From Accidents to Zero opens up the field of safety culture and breaks it down into bite-sized pieces to facilitate new, critical thought and inspire practical action. Based on the concept of creating safety, as opposed to just preventing accidents, each of the 26 chapters in this user-friendly book includes explanation, commentary, reflections and practical activities designed to systematically and sustainably improve workplace safety culture. Core topics range from behaviour to values, daily rituals to unsafe acts, felt leadership to trust. Andrew Sharman's practical guide blends current academic thinking with authoritative guidance and sets up the opportunity for all parts of the organization to close the gap by providing very clear steps to thinking and acting differently. It sparks insight into how both traditional methods and novel approaches can be brought to life in real world situations. From Accidents to Zero offers a clear route to culture change through over one hundred pragmatic ideas to motivate and lead people, influence behaviour and drive a positive evolution in workplace safety.