Science, culture and society : understanding science in the twenty-first century
Mark Erikson
Cambridge, UK : Polity, 2005.
Call# Q175.5 .E75 2005

From Polity Online:

“What is science? Science, Culture and Society tackles this difficult question. We used to be quite certain about science, and science used to be quite certain about the world: it was the form of knowledge and set of practical activities that would allow us to unravel the ‘mysteries of creation’ and the ‘laws of nature’. Yet despite the important contribution made by science to today’s knowledge economies and knowledge societies, it is considered by many to be remote, and even dangerous. As science becomes more important, we have less understanding of what science actually is.

Science, Culture and Society attempts to redress this knowledge gap and to provide an alternative framework for making sense of science. The book addresses key questions of what science is and how it is carried out, what the relationship between science and society is, how science is represented in contemporary culture, and how scientific institutions are structured. Drawing on methods from cultural studies and sociology the book locates science in a social and cultural perspective and provides a wide-ranging introduction to the social and cultural dimensions of science.

Designed as a primary text for undergraduates at all levels it will be key reading on courses in the sociology of science, cultural studies of science and technology, philosophy of science, and science and technology studies.”

Great Lakes Coastal Plants
Ellen Elliot Weatherbee
Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, 2006.
Call# QK130 .W43 2006

From University of Michigan Press:

“The coastal beaches of the Great Lakes are some of the most outstanding features of this vast chain of freshwater lakes. Many plants of this region grow nowhere else, and a number of protected species are found along the shoreline.

In Guide to Great Lakes Coastal Plants Ellen Elliott Weatherbee provides simple yet authoritative descriptions of sixty-seven of the most interesting plants found on the United States and Canadian shores. Each plant is illustrated with color photographs and line drawings for ease in identification. Wildlife and ethnobotanical uses add fascinating information about the plants, and distribution maps are included for easy reference.

This is a must-have field guide for anyone who enjoys the natural beauty of wildflowers.”

Asian Honey bees: biology, conservation, and human interactions
Benjamin P. Oldroyd
Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press, 2006.
Call# QL568 .A6 O53 2006

From Harvard University Press:

” The familiar European hive bee, Apis mellifera, has long dominated honey bee research. But in the last 15 years, teams in China, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand began to shift focus to the indigenous Asian honey bees. Benjamin Oldroyd, well known for his work on the genetics and evolution of worker sterility, has teamed with Siriwat Wongsiri, a pioneer of the study of bees in Thailand, to provide a comparative work synthesizing the rapidly expanding Asian honey bee literature. After introducing the species, the authors review evolution and speciation, division of labor, communication, and nest defense. They underscore the pressures colonies face from pathogens, parasites, and predators–including man–and detail the long and amazing history of the honey hunt. This book provides a cornerstone for future investigations on these species, insights into the evolution across species, and a direction for conservation efforts to protect these keystone species of Asia’s tropical forests.”

Atlas of Woody Plant Stems: evolution, sturcture, and environmental modifications
Fritz Hans Schweingruber
Berlin: Springer, 2006
Call# QK646 .S44 2006

From Springer.com:

“This atlas gives a unique assemblage of microscopic slides of wood anatomy and of the respective species in nature and demonstrates the reaction of stem anatomy to environments in which plants form woody stems. It provides insight into the evolution of wood, to the variation of wood anatomy in response to climate and disturbances, and it gives an introduction to the methodology used to study wood. Special attention has been given to the unique feature of secondary growth. In color throughout and with more than 700 both beautiful and instructive illustrations, the wide-ranging scientific content of this book makes it both attractive and unique.”

Emerging Threats to Tropical Forests
William F. Laurance
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006
Call# SD247 .E44 2006

From University of Chicago Press:

“Emerging Threats to Tropical Forests reveals the remarkably diverse panoply of perils to tropical forests and their biota, with particular emphasis on recent dangers. William F. Laurance and Carlos A. Peres identify four categories of emerging threats: those that have only recently appeared, such as the virulent chytrid fungus that is decimating rainforest amphibians throughout the tropical world; those that are growing rapidly in importance, like destructive surface fires; those that are poorly understood, namely global warming and other climatic and atmospheric changes; and environmental synergisms, whereby two or more simultaneous threats—such as habitat fragmentation and wildfires, or logging and hunting—can dramatically increase local extinction of tropical species. In addition to documenting the vulnerability of tropical rainforests, the volume focuses on strategies for mitigating and combating emerging threats. A timely and compelling book intended for researchers, students, and conservation practitioners, Emerging Threats to Tropical Forests will interest anyone concerned about the fate of the world’s most threatened tropical ecosystems.”

Biotechnological Applications of Photosynthetic Proteins: Biochips, Biosensors, and Biodevices
Maria Teresa Giardi
Georgetown, TX: Landes Bioscience/Eurekah.com, 2006
Call# TP248.65 .P76 B56 2006

From Amazon.com:

“Biotechnological Applications of Photosynthetic Proteins: Biochips, Biosensors and Biodevices provides an overview of the recent photosystem II research and the systems available for the bioassay of pollutants using biosensors that are based on the photochemical activity. The data presented in this book serves as a basis for the development of a commercial biosensor for use in rapid pre-screening analyses of photosystem II pollutants, minimising costly and time-consuming laboratory analyses.”

Childhood Obesity and Health Research
Richard K. Flamenbaum
New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2006
Call# RJ399 .C6 C474 2006

From Nova Science Publishers:

“Obesity in children and adolescents is a serious issue with many health and social consequences that often continue into adulthood. Implementing prevention programs and getting a better understanding of treatment for youngsters is important to controlling the obesity epidemic. The term “childhood obesity” may refer to both children and adolescents. Between 5-25 percent of children and teenagers in the United States are obese. As with adults, the prevalence of obesity in the young varies by ethnic group. It is estimated that 5-7 percent of White and Black children are obese, while 12 percent of Hispanic boys and 19 percent of Hispanic girls are obese. Some data indicate that obesity among children is on the increase. The second National Children and Youth Fitness Study found 6-9 year olds to have thicker skinfolds than their counterparts in the 1960s. During the same period, others documented a 54 percent increase in the prevalence of obesity among 6-11 year olds.This new book examines leading research in this area of great concern to society.”