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Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters: From Dating, Shopping, and Praying to Going to War and Becoming a Billionaire-- Two Evolutionary Psychologists Explain Why We Do What WeDo
by Alan S. Miller Satoshi KanazawaNow available in paperback-a provocative new look at biology, evolution, and human behavior "as disturbing [as it is] fascinating" (Publishers Weekly). Why are most neurosurgeons male and most kindergarten teachers female? Why aren't there more women on death row? Why do so many male politicians ruin their careers with sex scandals? Why and how do we really fall in love? This engaging book uses the latest research from the field of evolutionary psychology to shed light on why we do the things we do-from life plans to everyday decisions. With a healthy disregard for political correctness, Miller and Kanazawa reexamine the fact that our brains and bodies are hardwired to carry out an evolutionary mission- an inescapable human nature that actually stopped evolving about 10,000 years ago.
Why Biodiversity Matters (Changing Planet)
by Nigel DudleyAll life on Earth has the right to exist, but as we teeter on the verge of a sixth extinction this book discusses why biodiversity matters and why we should care if species go extinct. We are witnessing the largest and fastest rate of extinction in the history of the planet. While the concept of rights is a human one, all plants and animals strive to survive, and this book argues for their rights to continue doing so without being driven into premature extinction by human actions. Acknowledging and describing the practical reasons for conserving biodiversity, this book argues that these should not overshadow the compelling ethical reasons to care about the future of species other than our own. However, the issues are complex. What do we do when faced with an immediate ethical choice where biodiversity rights, animal rights, human rights, economic development and ecosystem survival all get mixed up together? There are seldom hard and fast answers, but thinking about and understanding a variety of points of view will help us make informed trade-offs. Drawing on his vast practical experience, the author presents insightful perspectives and real-world examples with the hope that this book will instigate a much-needed rethink about why and how we practise conservation. This book is essential reading for all those concerned with sustaining our planet, and all who inhabit it, in the face of climate breakdown, biodiversity loss and ecological collapse.
Why Birds Matter: Avian Ecological Function and Ecosystem Services
by Christopher J. Whelan Daniel G. Wenny Çağan H. Şekercioğlu, Daniel G. Wenny, and Christopher J. WhelanFor over one hundred years, ornithologists and amateur birders have jointly campaigned for the conservation of bird species, documenting not only birds’ beauty and extraordinary diversity, but also their importance to ecosystems worldwide. But while these avian enthusiasts have noted that birds eat fruit, carrion, and pests; spread seed and fertilizer; and pollinate plants, among other services, they have rarely asked what birds are worth in economic terms. In Why Birds Matter, an international collection of ornithologists, botanists, ecologists, conservation biologists, and environmental economists seeks to quantify avian ecosystem services—the myriad benefits that birds provide to humans. The first book to approach ecosystem services from an ornithological perspective, Why Birds Matter asks what economic value we can ascribe to those services, if any, and how this value should inform conservation. Chapters explore the role of birds in such important ecological dynamics as scavenging, nutrient cycling, food chains, and plant-animal interactions—all seen through the lens of human well-being—to show that quantifying avian ecosystem services is crucial when formulating contemporary conservation strategies. Both elucidating challenges and providing examples of specific ecosystem valuations and guidance for calculation, the contributors propose that in order to advance avian conservation, we need to appeal not only to hearts and minds, but also to wallets.
Why Can't We Be More Like Trees?: The Ancient Masters of Cooperation, Kindness, and Healing
by Judith Bluestone PolichReveals how we can learn from the intelligent communities of trees and plants• Shares breakthrough research on how tree and plant communities function, revealing a holistic, interconnected, communal, and sentient new world • Examines the attributes we share with trees and plants and how the behaviors of altruism, cooperation, and community are genetically coded in our beings • Looks at how to learn to see, think, imagine, and live with holistic eco-centric awareness and the benefits that come from working with our plant allies Breakthrough research is not only revealing a brilliant green world with amazing attributes like dispersed intelligence but also that humanity, like the tree and plant kingdom, thrives on innate cooperation, sharing, altruism, and community. Exploring the latest cutting-edge environmental and ecological studies, climate advisor and environmental advocate Judith Polich explains how we can now see how tree and plant communities function, revealing a holistic, interconnected, communal, and seemingly sentient new world. She explains how trees communicate, how they share resources, and other ways in which they express holistic and cooperative behaviors. Looking at the new scientific understanding of the evolutionary basis of altruism, cooperation, and community—and how these behaviors are genetically coded in our beings—the author examines the attributes we share with trees and other plant communities. She explores the healing powers offered by the plant kingdom, not just as medicines but through shared sentience that can help heal our sense of dissociation and disenchantment. Revealing how to see, think, imagine, and live with holistic eco-centric awareness, the author discusses how the stories we tell ourselves and our spiritual belief systems are becoming greener, including a resurgence of beliefs that originated with plant teachers. She also explores how to overcome our current cognitive biases through greater interaction with plant intelligence. By viewing the world through a greener lens, not only can we reframe and unravel the deeper causes of the climate crisis, but we can also help co-create a new more conscious world with our plant allies.
Why Conservation Is Failing and How It Can Regain Ground
by Eric T. FreyfogleCritics of environmental laws complain that such rules often burden people unequally, restrict individual liberty, and undercut private property rights. In formulating responses to these criticisms, the conservation effort has stumbled badly, says Eric T. Freyfogle in this thought-provoking book. Conservationists and environmentalists haven't done their intellectual homework, he contends, and they have failed to offer an understandable, compelling vision of healthy lands and healthy human communities. Freyfogle explores why the conservation movement has responded ineffectually to the many cultural and economic criticisms leveled against it. He addresses the meaning of good land use, describes the many shortcomings of "sustainability," and outlines six key tasks that the cause must address. Among these is the crafting of an overall goal and a vision of responsible private ownership. The book concludes with a stirring message that situates conservation within America's story of itself and with an extensive annotated bibliography of conservation's most valuable voices and texts--important information for readers prepared to take conservation more seriously.
Why Conserve Nature?: Perspectives on Meanings and Motivations (Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation)
by Stephen TrudgillHow we view nature transforms the world around us. People rehearse stories about nature which make sense to them. If we ask the question 'why conserve nature?', and the answers are based on myths, then are these good myths to have? Scientific knowledge about the environment is fundamental to ideas about how nature works. It is essential to the conservation endeavour. However, any conservation motivation is nested within a society's meanings of nature and the way society values it. Given the therapeutic and psychological significance of nature for us and our culture, this book considers the meanings derived from the poetic and emotional attachment to a sense of place, which is arguably just as important as scientific evidence. The functional significance of species is important, but so too is the therapeutic value of nature, together with the historic and spiritual meanings entwined in a human feeling for landscape and wildlife.
Why, Daddy? Why?
by Tamara GirardiBaby bear's favorite word is 'Why?' but daddy bear always responds with love and patience. The perfect book for new dads!
Why Do Bluebirds Hate Me?: More Answers to Common and Not-So-Common Questions about Birds and Birding
by Mike O'ConnorA collection of humorous Q&As about everything you've always wanted to ask about birds and birding Mike O'Connor knows bird watchers as well as he knows birds. He knows that if you're even slightly interested in identifying birds or attracting them to your backyard with a feeder, then you've also had your share of strange and silly questions about birds and their sometimes inexplicable behavior. In Why Do Bluebirds Hate Me?, O'Connor applies his deep knowledge of all things avian to answer the questions that keep birders up at night. Questions like · Should you clean your birdhouses? · Do swallows have a feather fetish? · How much does it cost to run a heated birdbath? · Is drinking coffee bad for birds? Other questions O'Connor covers range from the practical (Should I rotate the seed in my feeder?) to the quirky (Why are vultures eating my vinyl screen door?) to the just plain adorable (Are those birds kissing or feeding each other?). And he also explains why bluebirds just don't seem to like some people.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Why Do Cats Meow? (Easy-to-Read)
by Joan HolubDo you love cats? If you do, you're not alone! Cats are the most popular pet in the United States. There is so much to know about cats. Why do they meow, hiss and purr? Why do they have whiskers, tails and claws? Can they really see in the dark? You'll find out the answers to these questions and many more in this fun, fact-filled book.
Why Do Elephants Need the Sun?
by Robert E WellsThere are trillions of stars in the universe, but we rely on our sun to provide (or contribute to) most of what we need to survive and thrive: heat, light, plants, animals, wind, and water. Complete with fun, cartoon illustrations, Robert Wells's new book gives kids plenty of information about our sun in an easy-to-read-and-digest format. By focusing on the needs of an elephant, Wells makes clear just how important the sun is to life on Earth.
Why Do Leaves Change Color? (Let's-Read-and-Find-out Science #Level 2)
by Betsy MaestroExplains how leaves change their colors in autumn and then separate from the tree as the tree prepares for winter.
Why Do Leaves Change Color? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)
by Betsy MaestroRead and find out about the magical process of how leaves change their color in this colorfully illustrated nonfiction picture book.This book includes simple, fun diagrams that help introduce concepts like photosynthesis and the different types of leaves. This book also includes a list of the best spots to view leaves changing color as well as simple activities to do with leaves, like leaf rubbings and leaf pressings.Questions addressed in this book include:How do leaves feed trees?What kind of weather brings out the best colors?Why is winter a time of rest for trees?Read and find out in the proven winner Why Do Leaves Change Color?This is a Level 2 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades. The 100+ titles in this leading nonfiction series are:hands-on and visualacclaimed and trustedgreat for classroomsTop 10 reasons to love LRFOs:Entertain and educate at the same timeHave appealing, child-centered topicsDevelopmentally appropriate for emerging readersFocused; answering questions instead of using survey approachEmploy engaging picture book quality illustrationsUse simple charts and graphics to improve visual literacy skillsFeature hands-on activities to engage young scientistsMeet national science education standardsWritten/illustrated by award-winning authors/illustrators & vetted by an expert in the fieldOver 130 titles in print, meeting a wide range of kids' scientific interestsBooks in this series support the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let's-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.
Why Do Rabbits Hop? And Other Questions About Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Hamsters, and Gerbils
by Joan HolubDo you love rabbits, gerbils, guinea, pigs, or hamsters? If you do, you're not alone! These small animals make very popular pets. And there's so much to know about all of them! Which rabbits have the longest ears? Are guinea pigs pigs? How are hamsters and gerbils different? Find out all the answers--and much more--in this lively, fact-filled introduction to these furry creatures.
Why Do Snakes Hiss?: And Other Questions About Snakes, Lizards, and Turtles
by Joan HolubDid you know that: snakes have six rows of sharp, pointed teeth? Basilisk lizards can run on top of water? Leatherback turtles can weigh up to 2,000 pounds? Geckos lick their eyeballs to clean them? Many of us are fascinated by reptiles and also enjoy them as pets. This fact-packed book takes a look at their behavior and characteristics and offers information to help us know and appreciate these unique animals. For instance, you'll discover what turtles need in order to eat, why a chameleon changes its skin color and pattern, and, of course, what all that snake-y hissing is about!
Why Do Some People Deny Climate Change?
by Lizzie WadeDespite a mountain of evidence, some people still don't believe that climate change is occurring. Why is that? Find out in this insightful Q & A.
Why Does Asparagus Make Your Wee Smell?: And 57 other curious food and drink questions
by Andy BrunningWhy does cooking bacon smell so good? Can cheese really give you bad dreams? Why do onions make you cry? Find out the answers in this illustrated compendium of amazing and easy-to-understand chemistry. Featuring 58 different questions, you will discover all sorts of wonderful science that affects us on daily basis. Andy Brunning opens up the chemical world behind the sensations we experience through food and drink - popping candy, hangovers, spicy chillies and many more. Exploring the aromas, flavours and bodily reactions with beautiful infographics and explanations, WHY DOES ASPARAGUS MAKE YOUR WEE SMELL? is guaranteed to satisfy curious minds. And did you know that nutmeg can make you hallucinate? Prepare to be astounded by chemical breakdown like never before.
Why Does It Snow?: Weather with The Very Hungry Caterpillar
by Eric CarleLearn why it snows with the help of The Very Hungry Caterpillar!In this nonfiction story, young readers will discover what makes snow fall. The wonders of nature come to life in this early-learning series centered around weather, featuring simple text and Eric Carle's classic illustrations!
Why Does the Wind Blow?: Weather with The Very Hungry Caterpillar
by Eric CarleLearn why the wind blows with the help of The Very Hungry Caterpillar!In this nonfiction story, young readers will discover what makes the wind whoosh around them. The wonders of nature come to life in this early-learning series centered around weather, featuring simple text and Eric Carle's classic illustrations!
Why Don't Woodpeckers Get Headaches?
by Mike O'ConnorIn 1983, Mike O'Connor opened the Bird Watcher's General Store on Cape Cod, which might well have been the first store devoted solely to birding in the United States. Since that time he has answered thousands of questions about birds, both at his store and while walking down the aisles of the supermarket. The questions have ranged from inquiries about individual species ("Are flamingos really real?") to what and when to feed birds ("Should I bring in my feeders for the summer?") to the down-and-dirty specifics of backyard birding ("Why are the birds dropping poop in my pool?"). Answering the questions has been easy; keeping a straight face has been hard.Why Don't Woodpeckers Get Headaches? is the solution for the beginning birder who already has a book that explains the slight variation between Common Ground-Doves and Ruddy Ground-Doves but who is really much more interested in why birds sing at 4:30 A.M. instead of 7:00 A.M., or whether it's okay to feed bread to birds, or how birds rediscover your feeders so quickly when you've just filled them after a long vacation. Or, for that matter, whether flamingos are really real.
Why Ecology Matters
by Charles J. KrebsGlobal temperatures and seawater levels rise; the world’s smallest porpoise species looms at the edge of extinction; and a tiny emerald beetle from Japan flourishes in North America—but why does it matter? Who cares? With this concise, accessible, and up-to-date book, Charles J. Krebs answers critics and enlightens students and environmental advocates alike, revealing not why phenomena like these deserve our attention, but why they demand it. Highlighting key principles in ecology—from species extinction to the sun’s role in powering ecosystems—each chapter introduces a general question, illustrates that question with real-world examples, and links it to pressing ecological issues in which humans play a central role, such as the spread of invasive species, climate change, overfishing, and biodiversity conservation. While other introductions to ecology are rooted in complex theory, math, or practice and relegate discussions of human environmental impacts and their societal implications to sidebars and appendices, Why Ecology Matters interweaves these important discussions throughout. It is a book rooted in our contemporary world, delving into ecological issues that are perennial, timeless, but could not be more timely.
Why Elephants Cry: How Observing Unusual Animal Behaviours Can Predict the Weather (and Other Environmental Phenomena)
by John T. HancockWhy Elephants Cry is a fascinating frolic through the literature and evidence surrounding the use of unusual behavior of animals to measure and predict the environment. The role of animals, from the smallest ant to the biggest elephant, as predictors of environmental changes is framed around the climate crisis, which highlights the increasingly important part that animals will have to play in the future. Renowned biologist Professor John T. Hancock collects anecdotal stories and myths along with scientific evidence, demonstrating that observation of animals can be of tangible use. He looks at the measurement of the air temperature using ants, crickets and snakes, and goes on to assess the evidence that the observation of a wide range of animals can predict the weather or the imminent eruption of volcanoes and earthquakes. Evidence of animals being able to predict lunar and solar events, such as lunar cycles and the Northern Lights, is also considered. This is the only time that all this literature has been brought together in one place, a fascinating reference for anybody interested in animals and the environment. The book is also an ideal supplementary textbook for students studying animal behaviour.
Why Environmental Policies Fail
by Jan Laitos Juliana OkulskiThis book is for those who are not just interested in the ways humans have harmfully altered their environment, but instead wish to learn why the many governmental policies in place to curb such behavior have been unsuccessful. Since humans began to exploit natural resources for their own economic ends, we have ignored a central principle: nature and humans are not separate, but are a unified, interconnected system in which neither is superior to the other. Policy must reflect this reality. We failed to follow this principle in exploiting natural capital without expecting to pay any price, and in hurriedly adopting environmental laws and policies that reflected how we wanted nature to work instead of how it does work. This study relies on more accurate models for how nature works and humans behave. These models suggest that environmental laws should be consistent with the laws of nature.
Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves
by Annemarie Riley GuertinIn the spirit of Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince, Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves is a timeless story of why the fir, spruce, and juniper trees are evergreen all winter long.
Why Forests? Why Now?: The Science, Economics, and Politics of Tropical Forests and Climate Change
by Jonah Busch Frances SeymourTropical forests are an undervalued asset in meeting the greatest global challenges of our time-averting climate change and promoting development. Despite their importance, tropical forests and their ecosystems are being destroyed at a high and even increasing rate in most forest-rich countries. The good news is that the science, economics, and politics are aligned to support a major international effort over the next five years to reverse tropical deforestation. Why Forests? Why Now? synthesizes the latest evidence on the importance of tropical forests in a way that is accessible to anyone interested in climate change and development and to readers already familiar with the problem of deforestation. It makes the case to decisionmakers in rich countries that rewarding developing countries for protecting their forests is urgent, affordable, and achievable.
Why Frogs Are Wet (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)
by Judy HawesRead and find out about frogs in this colorfully illustrated nonfiction picture book.Frogs can jump thirty times their own body length, catch insects on the wing, and breathe underwater or on land. But they must always keep their skins wet. Read and find out why! This is a clear and appealing science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. It's a Level 2 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades. The 100+ titles in this leading nonfiction series are:hands-on and visualacclaimed and trustedgreat for classroomsTop 10 reasons to love LRFOs:Entertain and educate at the same timeHave appealing, child-centered topicsDevelopmentally appropriate for emerging readersFocused; answering questions instead of using survey approachEmploy engaging picture book quality illustrationsUse simple charts and graphics to improve visual literacy skillsFeature hands-on activities to engage young scientistsMeet national science education standardsWritten/illustrated by award-winning authors/illustrators & vetted by an expert in the fieldOver 130 titles in print, meeting a wide range of kids' scientific interestsBooks in this series support the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let's-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.