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The Germ Code
by Jason TetroSince the dawn of the human race, germs have been making us sick. Whether the ailment is a cold, the flu, diabetes, obesity or certain cancers, the likely cause is germs. Our ancient enemies have four families - bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa - and many names: Ebola, E. coli, salmonella, norovirus, gonorrhea. . . Human beings are engaged in a "war on germs," in which we develop ever-more sophisticated weapons and defensive strategies. But it is a war we can never win. Our best plan for staying as healthy is to choose our battles carefully, and try to co-exist with germs as best we can. The Germ Code is a wise, witty and wonderfully readable guide to our relationship with these infinitesimal but infinitely powerful creatures. Microbiologist Jason Tetro takes us outside the lab and shows the enormous influence of germs upon humanity's past, present and future. He unlocks the mysteries of "the germ code" to reveal how these organisms have exploited our every activity and colonized every corner of the earth. From his own research and personal experience, Tetro relates how the most recent flu pandemic happened, how others may have been averted and how more may come about if we aren't careful. He also explains that not every germ is our foe, and offers advice on harnessing the power of good germs to stay healthy and make our planet a better place. The Germ Code is a fascinating journey through an unseen world, an essential manual to living in harmony with germs and a life-enhancing (as well as life-saving!) good read.
The Germ Files
by Jason TetroDoes for microbiology what Dr. Joe Schwarcz's Brain Fuel did for chemistry: informs and entertains with accessible mini-essays.Jason Tetro, author of The Germ Code, is back with a very different book but the same message: microbes are amazing, they deserve our respect and we should learn to live with them in harmony. The way we feel, think, look and even interact with the world is affected by the germs in and around us. Despite their reputation for making us ill, germs also keep us alive and healthy. They even offer us relationship advice: the millions of bacteria shared in a first kiss send the brain strong messages about compatibility. In a series of brief, brilliant essays, arranged into themes such as health, child care, sex and the environment, Jason Tetro is here again to advise us and amaze us about germs. They enjoy breast milk, and help look after our babies in return for it; feed them artificial sweeteners, though, and they're capable of showing their displeasure by making us put on weight. If we upset their balance, they can make us depressed or encourage us to drink too much and eat junk food. One way of maintaining that balance is for us to take probiotics--but do they really stay in the body long enough to do any good? Yes--so long as you choose the type that bribes the immune system with a selection of rich chemicals. Some items are purely fun, some are there to boggle the mind, some might just save your life. All are designed to improve our relations with germs for the benefit of human health and happiness.From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Geroch-Held-Penrose Calculus: Fundamentals and Applications (SpringerBriefs in Physics)
by Pedro Bargueño Ernesto ContrerasThis book offers a primer on the fundamentals and applications of the Geroch-Held-Penrose (GHP) calculus, a powerful formalism designed for spacetimes that occur frequently in the teaching of General Relativity. Specifically, the book shows in detail the power of the calculus when dealing with spherically symmetric spacetimes. After introducing the basics, a new look at all the classical spherically symmetric black hole solutions is given within the GHP formalism. This is then employed to give new insights into the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations for stellar structure, including a derivation of new exact anisotropic fluid solutions. Finally, a re-writing of some essential features of black hole thermodynamics within the GHP formalism is performed. The book is based on the authors' lecture notes, used in their undergraduate and graduate lectures and while supervising their upper undergraduate and graduate students. To fully benefit from this concise primer, readers only need an undergraduate background in general relativity.
The Ghost In The Machine
by Arthur Koestlerfrom the book's back cover: In The Sleepwalkers and The Act of Creation Arthur Koestler provided pioneering studies of scientific discovery and artistic inspiration, the twin pinnacles of human achievement. The Ghost in the Machine looks at the dark side of the coin: our terrible urge to self-destruction... Could the human species be a gigantic evolutionary mistake? To answer that startling question Koestler examines how experts on evolution and psychology all too often write about people with an 'antiquated slot-machine model based on the naively mechanistic world-view of the nineteenth century'. His brilliant polemic helped to instigate a major revolution in the life sciences, yet its 'glimpses of an alternative world-view' form only the background to an even more challenging analysis of the human predicament. Perhaps, he suggests, we are a species in which ancient and recent brain structures - or reason and emotion -- are not fully co-ordinated. Such in-built deficiencies may explain the paranoia, violence and insanity that are central strands of human history. And however disturbing we find such issues, Koestler contends, it is only when we face our limitations head-on that we can hope to find a remedy.
The Ghost Lab: How Bigfoot Hunters, Mediums, and Alien Enthusiasts Are Wrecking Science
by Matthew Hongoltz-HetlingA surprising and compelling journey into the business of paranormal investigation, and the state of scientific literacy in America. In 2010, a sleepy small-town business plaza in rural New Hampshire rented space to an unusual tenant: a ghost laboratory. The Kitt Research Initiative&’s mission was to use the scientific method to document the existence of spirits. Founder Andy Kitt was known as a straight-shooter; and was unafraid — perhaps eager — to offend other paranormal investigators by exposing the fraudulence of their less advanced techniques. Kitt&’s efforts attracted flocks of psychics, alien abductees, witches, mediums, ghost hunters, UFOlogists, cryptozoologists and warlocks from all over New England, and the world. And there were plenty of them around.The Ghost Lab tells the astonishing story of the wild ecosystem of paranormal profiteers and consumers. But it also reveals how the twin scourges of declining scientific literacy and eroding trust in institutions have created space for armies of pseudoscientists to step into the minds of an increasingly credulous public. With his distinct voice, eye for a story and ability to show how one community's experience reflects that of a society, Matt Hongoltz-Hetling crafts a powerful narrative about just how fragmented our understanding of what is real--and what is not--has become.
The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World
by Steven JohnsonA National Bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book, and an Entertainment Weekly Best Book of the Year from the author of Extra Life &“By turns a medical thriller, detective story, and paean to city life, Johnson's account of the outbreak and its modern implications is a true page-turner.&” —The Washington Post &“Thought-provoking.&” —Entertainment Weekly It's the summer of 1854, and London is just emerging as one of the first modern cities in the world. But lacking the infrastructure-garbage removal, clean water, sewers-necessary to support its rapidly expanding population, the city has become the perfect breeding ground for a terrifying disease no one knows how to cure. As the cholera outbreak takes hold, a physician and a local curate are spurred to action-and ultimately solve the most pressing medical riddle of their time. In a triumph of multidisciplinary thinking, Johnson illuminates the intertwined histories of the spread of disease, the rise of cities, and the nature of scientific inquiry, offering both a riveting history and a powerful explanation of how it has shaped the world we live in.
The Ghost of 29 Megacycles
by John G. FullerTHIS UNPRECEDENTED BOOK BRINGS US SHOCKING NEW EVIDENCE THAT MANKIND IS COMING TO THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW AGE-ONE IN WHICH DEATH IS NOT THE END
The Ghost of the Executed Engineer: Technology and the Fall of the Soviet Union (Russian Research Center studies ; #No. 87)
by Loren GrahamStalin ordered his execution, but here Peter Palchinsky has the last word. As if rising from an uneasy grave, Palchinsky’s ghost leads us through the miasma of Soviet technology and industry, pointing out the mistakes he condemned in his time, the corruption and collapse he predicted, the ultimate price paid for silencing those who were not afraid to speak out. The story of this visionary engineer’s life and work, as Loren Graham relates it, is also the story of the Soviet Union’s industrial promise and failure. We meet Palchinsky in pre-Revolutionary Russia, immersed in protests against the miserable lot of laborers in the tsarist state, protests destined to echo ironically during the Soviet worker’s paradise. Exiled from the country, pardoned and welcomed back at the outbreak of World War I, the engineer joined the ranks of the Revolutionary government, only to find it no more open to criticism than the previous regime. His turbulent career offers us a window on debates over industrialization. Graham highlights the harsh irrationalities built into the Soviet system—the world’s most inefficient steel mill in Magnitogorsk, the gigantic and ill-conceived hydroelectric plant on the Dnieper River, the infamously cruel and mislocated construction of the White Sea Canal. Time and again, we see the effects of policies that ignore not only the workers’ and consumers’ needs but also sound management and engineering precepts. And we see Palchinsky’s criticism and advice, persistently given, consistently ignored, continue to haunt the Soviet Union right up to its dissolution in 1991. The story of a man whose gifts and character set him in the path of history, The Ghost of the Executed Engineer is also a cautionary tale about the fate of an engineering that disregards social and human issues.
The Ghosts of Evolution: Nonsensical Fruit, Missing Partners, and Other Ecological Anachronisms
by Connie BarlowA new vision is sweeping through ecological science: The dense web of dependencies that makes up an ecosystem has gained an added dimension-the dimension of time. Every field, forest, and park is full of living organisms adapted for relationships with creatures that are now extinct. In a vivid narrative, Connie Barlow shows how the idea of "missing partners" in nature evolved from isolated, curious examples into an idea that is transforming how ecologists understand the entire flora and fauna of the Americas. This fascinating book will enrich the experience of any amateur naturalist, as well as teach us that the ripples of biodiversity loss around us are just the leading edge of what may well become perilous cascades of extinction.
The Ghosts of Iwo Jima
by Robert S. BurrellIn February 1945, some 80,000 U. S. Marines attacked the heavily defended fortress that the Japanese had constructed on the tiny Pacific island of Iwo Jima. Leaders of the Army Air Forces said they needed the airfields there to provide fighter escort for their B-29 bombers. At the cost of 28,000 American casualties, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions dutifully conquered this desolate piece of hell with a determination and sacrifice that have become legendary in the annals of war, immortalized in the photograph of six Marines raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi. But the Army Air Forces' fighter operations on Iwo Jima subsequently proved both unproductive and unnecessary. After the fact, a number of other justifications were generated to rationalize this tragically expensive battle. Ultimately, misleading statistics were presented to contend that the number of lives saved by B-29 emergency landings on Iwo Jima outweighed the cost of its capture. InThe Ghosts of Iwo Jima,Captain Robert S. Burrell masterfully reconsiders the costs of taking Iwo Jima and its role in the war effort. His thought-provoking analysis also highlights the greater contribution of Iwo Jima's valiant dead: They inspired a reverence for the Marine Corps that proved critical to its institutional survival and its embodiment of American national spirit. From the 7th War Loan Campaign of 1945 through the flag-raising at Ground Zero in 2001, the immortal image of Iwo Jima has become a symbol of American patriotism itself. Burrell's searching account of this fabled island conflict will advance our understanding of World War II and its continuing legacy for the twenty-first century. At last, the battle's ghosts may unveil its ultimate, and most crucial, lessons.
The Giant Germ (Magic School Bus #6)
by Eva Moore Joanna Cole John Speirs Ted EnikHi, I'm Keesha. I'm one of the kids in Ms. Frizzle's class. You've probably heard of Ms. Frizzle. She takes us on amazing field trips in the Magic School Bus. We never know what will happen when we get on that bus, but we do know that we'll learn a lot about one of her favorite subjects -- science! <p><p> You'd never believe how our picnic in the park turned into a tour of another world -- the mini world of microbes! We found out that there are living creatures all around us that we can't see because they are so small. We also learned that these tiny beings can have HUGE effects. That's how we knew we were in for BIG trouble when we ran into the GIANT GERM!
The Giant Liver Fluke, Fascioloides magna: Past, Present and Future Research
by Ivica Králová-Hromadová Ľudmila Juhásová Eva BazsalovicsováThis monograph presents complex data on Fascioloides magna from all aspects of its research (general information, distribution, spectrum of hosts) and summarizes the latest information on molecular structure of informative genes which were recently applied in resolving taxonomy and biogeography of this veterinary important parasite. The giant liver fluke, Fascioloides magna, is important liver parasite of free-living and domestic ruminants. Due to its biology, distribution, medical impact, and invasive character, this liver fluke attracts attention of wide spectrum of specialists - veterinary doctors, hunters and farmers, as well as scientists. The parasite utilizes wide range of free living and domestic ruminants as definitive hosts, with various pathological impacts ranging from moderate infections towards lethal effects. Fascioloides magna is of North American origin where it occurs in five enzootic regions. It was introduced to Europe along with its deer hosts in 19th century and it has established three permanent natural foci. The giant liver fluke represents an outstanding model for studying the origin, spatial distribution, migratory routs, and invasion processes of introduced species.
The Giant Vesicle Book
by Rumiana Dimova Carlos MarquesGiant vesicles are widely used as a model membrane system, both for basic biological systems and for their promising applications in the development of smart materials and cell mimetics, as well as in driving new technologies in synthetic biology and for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry. The reader is guided to use giant vesicles, from the formation of simple membrane platforms to advanced membrane and cell system models. It also includes fundamentals for understanding lipid or polymer membrane structure, properties and behavior. Every chapter includes ideas for further applications and discussions on the implications of the observed phenomena towards understanding membrane-related processes. The Giant Vesicle Book is meant to be a road companion, a trusted guide for those making their first steps in this field as well as a source of information required by experts. Key Features • A complete summary of the field, covering fundamental concepts, practical methods, core theory, and the most promising applications • A start-up package of theoretical and experimental information for newcomers in the field • Extensive protocols for establishing the required preparations and assays • Tips and instructions for carefully performing and interpreting measurements with giant vesicles or for observing them, including pitfalls • Approaches developed for investigating giant vesicles as well as brief overviews of previous studies implementing the described techniques • Handy tables with data and structures for ready reference
The Gibbons
by Susan Lappan Danielle WhittakerThis volume will consist of an edited compilation of papers describing recent research on the socioecology, population biology, and conservation status of the small apes. As such, it will serve as a reference resource for researchers and students interested in the small apes specifically, as well as researchers interested in the gibbon perspective on a number of theoretical issues in primatology (e.g. mating systems, feeding ecology, biogeography, and conservation biology). As the volume will include research results from a diversity of small ape taxa, it will be useful for researchers interested in the diversity of adaptations displayed within the gibbon radiation, as well as those interested in specific taxa. The volume will be edited for internal consistency and clarity, and will be usable both as a compilation of individual articles and as a single document outlining the current state of research on wild gibbon populations. The volume will be organized into three sections, encompassing gibbon socioecology and mating systems, gibbon population biology and phylogeography, and gibbon conservation, respectively. The first section will include discussions of the socioecology of both little-known (e.g. N. gabriellae) and relatively well-studied (H. lar) taxa, as well as discussions of topics about which information has previously been unavailable, including patterns of dispersal in gibbons, and the function of male parental care in S. syndactylus. As the past two decades have seen the rapid accumulation of evidence of gibbon adaptations other than strict social and sexual monogamy, a particular focus of this section will be the diversity of mating and grouping patterns in gibbons, and their social and ecological correlates. The second section will include chapters about demographic patterns, community ecology, and evolutionary relationships among gibbon populations and species. The third section will provide updated information on the conservation status of several gibbon species (including H. lar, H. agilis, H. klossii, S. syndactylus, Nomascus spp., and H. hoolock). This section will also include chapters on conservation management topics, such as reintroduction of captive gibbons and managing fragmented forest habitats. The final contribution to the volume will be a concluding chapter summarizing the current state of research on gibbon socioecology, population biology, and conservation, and describing our revised understanding of the relationships among individual gibbons, gibbon groups, and gibbon populations. This chapter will also highlight areas where there is an urgent need for further information, especially in the field of gibbon conservation biology.
The Gilded Dinosaur: The Fossil War Between E. D. Cope and O. C. Marsh and the Rise of American Science
by Mark JaffeIt was an age of counterfeit giants, avaricious robber barons, corrupt politicians, intrepid pioneers, fierce Indian chiefs, and dinosaurs. The second half of the nineteenth century -- the so-called Gilded Age -- was a time when Americans were exploring the West and building a nation that would stretch from coast to coast. It was also a time of scientific ferment. Charles Darwin had shaken the very foundations of Victorian society with his theory of evolution by natural selection, and scientists across the civilized world were locked in a great battle over Darwin's idea. While the debate raged in Europe, the hunt for hard evidence increasingly focused on the American West, with its grand mesas, buttes, and badlands. "We must turn to the New World if we wish to see in perfection the oldest monuments of earth's history," advised Sir Charles Lyell, the father of modern geology, after a visit to America. "Certainly in no other country are these ancient strata developed on a grander scale or more plentifully charged with fossils." Could the answer to the history of life and the proof of evolution be found in those fossils? That was the question that two young American paleontologists--Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh--set out to answer. But what began as a friendly contest quickly turned into bitter rivalry that would spill over into American science and politics and rage relentlessly for nearly three decades. Cope and Marsh would battle on the prairies, in the halls of Congress, in science journals, and in the popular press. Both wealthy men, they launched lavish, western expeditions and raced across the plains and mountains searching for the remains of the magnificent beasts that once inhabited the continent. Along the way they would encounter George Custer, Sitting Bull, Buffalo Bill, and Red Cloud. Among the most remarkable fossil discoveries of Cope and Marsh are a bevy of dinosaurs, including some of the best known beasts -- the Triceratops, the Stegosaurus, the Camarasaurus, and the Brontosaurus. Even today, Marsh holds the record for dinosaur discoveries. Just as valuable, however, were some of Marsh's discoveries of ancient mammals and birds that provided the first real proof of Darwin's theory--"The best support for the theory in twenty years," the great Darwin himself proclaimed. The tale of Cope and Marsh is also the story of the rise of American science. When their story begins just after the Civil War, America was an intellectual backwater, with eminent scientists snookered by the great, fake stone statue, The Cardiff Giant--a hoax unmasked by Marsh. But even as Cope and Marsh waged war, they both fought to build up American science and its scientific institutions. Yet despite their discoveries and their Gilded Age celebrity, the names of Cope and Marsh have faded into the recesses of the library and archive. In The Gilded Dinosaur Mark Jaffe exhumes from those archives the notes, journals, and letters of Cope and Marsh to reanimate and retell one of the keenest rivalries in the history of science.
The Ginseng Genome (Compendium of Plant Genomes)
by Jiang Xu Tae-Jin Yang Hao-Yu HuThis book represents the first comprehensive compilation of information on all aspects of the medicinal plant Panax ginseng, ranging from its botany to applied aspects in medicine and molecular breeding. In contributions by respected experts, it also discusses the genetic background and biochemical profile of this important medicinal plant. Ginsenoside biosynthesis and metabolic dynamics are also described in detail. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable guide for students, educators and scientists in academia and industry interested in medicinal plants and pharmacy.
The Giraffe: Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour
by Bryan ShorrocksProvides a comprehensive overview of one of nature's most engaging mammals Covers fossil history, taxonomy, genetics, physiology, biomechanics, behavior, ecology, and conservation Includes genetic analysis of five of the six subspecies of modern giraffes Includes giraffe network studies from Laikipia Kenya, Etosha National Park, Namibia andSamburu National Reserve, Kenya
The Girl Who Built an Ocean: An Artist, an Argonaut, and the True Story of the World's First Aquarium
by Jess KeatingThe inspiring tale of a seamstress-turned-scientist who invented the world's first aquarium at a time when women in STEM were startlingly rare.The daughter of a seamstress and a cobbler, Jeanne Villepreux-Power began her career as a dressmaker, sewing beautiful gowns for the Parisian aristocracy. But her heart longed for more, and when she moved to the seaside, she became fascinated by the ocean's mysteries. She filled her pockets with seashells and specimens, and filled her notebooks with oservations about coral and crustaceans and all manner of marine life. The argonaut interested her most of all, but Jeanne's observations of this shy creature were confounded by its tendency to swim away when approached. Jeanne wanted a way to bring a piece of the ocean home with her, and that's she came to build the world's first aquarium—an invention that would pave the way for countless scientific discoveries in the years to come... Jess Keating (Shark Lady) and Michelle Mee Nutter (Allergic) bring Jeanne's story vividly to life with lively text and vibrant artwork that captures the curiosity and perseverance this pioneering woman in science brought to everything she did.
The Girl Who Codes
by Rachel SarahMae Foster is a young girl who loves to code! She is super excited to join her school’s Coding Club but feels guilty about leaving her sick mother at home. Can she figure out a way to continue coding and help her mother at the same time?
The Girl Who Could Dance in Outer Space (Into Reading, Trade Book #10)
by Maya CointreauNIMAC-sourced textbook <p><p> The Girl Who Could Dance in Outer Space is the second book in The Girls Who Could Series. It tells the tale of young Mae Jemison, the creative girl who became a doctor, an engineer, a dancer, and an astronaut. Mae Jemison teaches us that art and science are natural expressions of creativity and imagination. Nurture them both, and go where your dreams take you!
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science
by Joyce SidmanBugs, of all kinds, were considered to be “born of mud” and to be “beasts of the devil.” Why would anyone, let alone a girl, want to study and observe them? <P><P>One of the first naturalists to observe live insects directly, Maria Sibylla Merian was also one of the first to document the metamorphosis of the butterfly. <P><P>In this visual nonfiction biography, richly illustrated throughout with full-color original paintings by Merian herself, the Newbery Honor–winning author Joyce Sidman paints her own picture of one of the first female entomologists and a woman who flouted convention in the pursuit of knowledge and her passion for insects.
The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney
by Alice B. McGintyAn empowering, inspiring--and accessible!--nonfiction picture book about the eleven-year-old girl who actually named the newly discovered Pluto in 1930.When Venetia Burney's grandfather reads aloud from the newspaper about a new discovery--a "ninth major planet" that has yet to be named--her eleven-year-old mind starts whirring. She is studying the planets in school and loves Roman mythology. "It might be called Pluto," she says, thinking of the dark underworld. Grandfather loves the idea and contacts his friend at London's Royal Astronomical Society, who writes to scientists at the Lowell Observatory in Massachusetts, where Pluto was discovered. After a vote, the scientists agree unanimously: Pluto is the perfect name for the dark, cold planet. Here is a picture book perfect for STEM units and for all children--particularly girls--who have ever dreamed of becoming a scientist.
The Girl With a Mind for Math: The Story Of Raye Montague (Amazing Scientists #3)
by Julia MoscaAfter touring a German submarine in the early 1940s, young Raye set her sights on becoming an engineer. Little did she know sexism and racial inequality would challenge that dream every step of the way, even keeping her greatest career accomplishment a secret for decades. Through it all, the gifted mathematician persisted―finally gaining her well-deserved title in history: a pioneer who changed the course of ship design forever. <p><p> The Girl With a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague is the third book in a riveting educational series about the inspiring lives of amazing scientists. In addition to the illustrated rhyming tale, you'll find a complete biography, fun facts, a colorful timeline of events, and even a note from Montague herself!
The Glass Cage: Automation And Us
by Nicholas CarrAt once a celebration of technology and a warning about its misuse, The Glass Cage will change the way you think about the tools you use every day. In The Glass Cage, best-selling author Nicholas Carr digs behind the headlines about factory robots and self-driving cars, wearable computers and digitized medicine, as he explores the hidden costs of granting software dominion over our work and our leisure. Even as they bring ease to our lives, these programs are stealing something essential from us. Drawing on psychological and neurological studies that underscore how tightly people's happiness and satisfaction are tied to performing hard work in the real world, Carr reveals something we already suspect: shifting our attention to computer screens can leave us disengaged and discontented. From nineteenth-century textile mills to the cockpits of modern jets, from the frozen hunting grounds of Inuit tribes to the sterile landscapes of GPS maps, The Glass Cage explores the impact of automation from a deeply human perspective, examining the personal as well as the economic consequences of our growing dependence on computers. With a characteristic blend of history and philosophy, poetry and science, Carr takes us on a journey from the work and early theory of Adam Smith and Alfred North Whitehead to the latest research into human attention, memory, and happiness, culminating in a moving meditation on how we can use technology to expand the human experience.
The Glass Half Full: How Optimists Get What They Want From Life - and Pessimists Can Too
by Suzanne C. SegerstromRose-colored glasses may look silly, but they're actually quite practical. In The Glass Half Full, psychologist Suzanne Segerstrom surveys the scientific data on optimism (including her own award-winning research) to reveal that it's not what you believe about the future that matters, but what you do about it. While pessimists debate whether their goals are attainable, optimists are out there trying to achieve them. Without insisting that you learn to "think positive," The Glass Half Full teaches you practical ways to appropriate the habits and skills that optimists use to get what they want from life. Segerstrom - who reluctantly admits her research on the topic has transformed her into an optimist -imparts the lesson with a mix of humor and intelligence that will convince even the most cynical readers that a brighter tomorrow might be just around the corner.