Books

A Twisted Garden Code: ATG Price: $9.78 Quantity in Basket: none A science fiction novel by Simon Quellen Field What would it be like to be genetically engineered? To have your genes selected from thousands of the most successful athletes, scientists, businessmen, and scholars from all over the world? Jack Wright knows, because that's just what was done to him. Growing up with the expectations of greatness, all his successes taken for granted, all his accomplishments attributed to his genes, he can run faster than any Olympian, but will never get a medal, since genetic enhancements are considered unfair competition, like performance enhancing drugs. In a world where broad spectrum antiviral drugs have made most illnesses things of the past, including all sexually transmitted diseases, relationships form quickly and easily, without fear, except for Jack. Living alone, the scars of growing up as a lonely superman leave him particularly at a loss when his path intersects with two women, whose secrets get them all involved with murder, gang warfare, illegal drug trading, and a mystery that Jack is uniquely suited to solve.

Why There's Antifreeze in Your Toothpaste: The Chemistry of Household Ingredients Code: WTAIYT Price: $15.00 Quantity in Basket: none A Selection of the Scientific American Book Club Explaining why antifreeze is a component of toothpaste and how salt works in shampoo, this fascinating handbook delves into the chemistry of everyday household products. Decoding more than 150 cryptic ingredients, the guide explains each component's structural formula, offers synonymous names, and describes its common uses. This informative resource can serve curious readers as a basic primer to commercial chemistry or as an indexed reference for specific compounds found on a product label. Grouped according to type, these chemical descriptions will dissolve common misunderstandings and help make consumers more product savvy.

Gonzo Gizmos Code: GG Price: $15.00 Quantity in Basket: none Step-by-step instructions to building more than 30 fascinating devices are included in this book for workbench warriors and grown-up geeks. Detailed illustrations and diagrams explain how to construct a simple radio with a soldering iron, a few basic circuits, and three shiny pennies. Instructions are included for a rotary steam engine that requires a candle, a soda can, a length of copper tubing, and just 15 minutes. To use optics to roast a hot dog, no electricity or stove is required, just a flexible plastic mirror, a wooden box, a little algebra, and a sunny day. Also included are experiments most science teachers probably never demonstrated, such as magnets that levitate in midair, metals that melt in hot water, a Van de Graaff generator made from a pair of empty soda cans, and lasers that transmit radio signals. Every experiment is followed by an explanation of the applicable physics or chemistry.

Return of Gonzo Gizmos Code: ROGG Price: $15.00 Quantity in Basket: none A Selection of the Scientific American Book Club This fresh collection of more than 20 science projects—from hydrogen fuel cells to computer-controlled radio transmitters—is perfect for the tireless tinkerer. Innovative activities include taking detailed plant cell photographs through a microscope using a disposable camera; building a rocket engine out of aluminum foil, paper clips, and kitchen matches; and constructing a geodesic dome out of gumdrops and barbecue skewers. Organized by scientific topic, each chapter includes explanations of the physics, chemistry, biology, or mathematics behind the projects. Most of the devices can be built using common household products or components available at hardware or electronic stores, and each experiment contains illustrated step-by-step instructions with photographs and diagrams that make construction easy. No workbench warrior, science teacher, or grown-up geek should be without this idea-filled resource.