Francis Galton, credited with the discovery of identification by fingerprinting, also took a long term interest in the study of biometrics. In this book, many different faculties, both observable and measurable are discussed in length and methods of collecting data suggested. In addition, casual observations from personal memoirs, and drawing similar cases from other reputable sources are also compared. A wide variety of topics are mentioned, including differences in appearance within family members, to subtle habits and emotional responses comparing humans and animals are mentioned in a series of chapter length essays. - Summary by Leon Harvey

One of the earlier works on brain science, relating what was then known or conjectured about the connection between the physical brain and the individual personality, including the ability of speech and language. As this is an early work , some of the information related is, of course, outdated; but much of it is still relevant today.

"In the following Letters I have endeavoured to exhibit in their true light the singular natural phenomena of which old superstition and modern charlatanism in turn availed themselves—to indicate their laws, and to develop their theory." In 14 letters, British physiologist Herbert Mayo is giving the reader an overview of popular superstitions of previous times, like vampirism, somnambulism or even ghost sightings, and exposing how in previous times they were treated with fear, ignorance and intolerance, often leading to crime, while he endeavours to give rational explanations for the phenomena with the goal to find treatments and cures for the afflicted. - Summary by Sonia

Are you interested in learning about climate change and its current and future effects on the United States? The Fourth National Climate Assessment – Volume II is a 2018 report written in non-technical language by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, a panel of independent experts, as mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990. This report focuses on the human welfare, societal, and environmental elements of climate change and variability in the U.S., with particular attention paid to observed and projected risks and impacts...

John Kenlon became a New York City firefighter in 1887, and was appointed Fire Chief in 1911. In 1913, he wrote this authoritative book surveying the history of fire-fighting from ancient Rome to 20th-century New York. The first part of the book explores the evolution of fire-fighting techniques in various countries and the development of equipment and organization, and describes several famous historical fires and how they were fought. The remainder of the book discusses in greater detail some particular types of fires confronting an urban fire department in 1913, such as hotel, theater, factory, hospital, and school fires, sea port fires, and skyscraper fires...

In 1827 Thomas Southwood-Smith published The Use of the Dead to the Living, a pamphlet which argued that the current system of burial in the United Kingdom was a wasteful use of bodies that could otherwise be used for dissection by the medical profession. "If, by any appropriation of the dead, I can promote the happiness of the living, then it is my duty to conquer the reluctance I may feel to such a disposition of the dead, however well-founded or strong that reluctance may be". Southwood-Smith's lobbying helped lead to the 1832 Anatomy Act, the legislation which allowed the state to seize unclaimed corpses from workhouses and sell them to surgical schools...

This is a short booklet on science fact commissioned by the U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration . It tells the story of the origins of nuclear physics in terms understandable to an audience with minimal technical background. What were the steps through history - the discoveries that built upon one another - from alchemy to chemistry, physics, astronomy, mathematics, and quantum mechanics, that led to our understanding and harnessing nuclear energy? Asimov was a great writer of both science fact and fiction who wrote or edited more than 500 books, published in 9 of the 10 major categories of the Dewey Decimal Classification.

In this memoir, Meriel Buchanan links the history of Russia to powerful, lingering memories of her years living there. She was the daughter of the man who turned out to be the last British ambassador to Imperial Russia. As a young adult, in her role as the ambassador’s daughter, she had regular access to the court of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, providing her with unusual experiences and impressions. She describes first hand the sights, sounds, and some of the activities she remembers from this elevated and sheltered vantage point. The family left Russia in 1918, and the author’s memories are filled with nostalgia and longing for the Russia she experienced. - Summary by Jan M.

The Natural History of Pliny the Elder is one of the largest single works to have survived from the Roman Empire. The full work consists of 37 books, covering more than 20.000 topics ranging from astronomy and mathematics to botany and precious stones. The book became a model for later encyclopaedias and gives a fascinating overview of the state of scientific knowledge almost 2000 years ago. This version of the Natural History has been adapted for a younger audience. This first volume contains Book I and Book II out of a total of 9 books.

This study, published in 1923, examines the views regarding women's place in Ancient Greek society based especially on the writings of Homer, Euripides, Aristophanes, Plato, Socrates and Aristotle. As the author offers his opinion and judgement, that at times reflect views on women, homosexuality and other social groups and themes that might be considered controversial now, he leaves an interesting picture of the state of Classical scholarship in the early 20th century. "There is a question sometimes...

In 1910, when this book was published, the advancement of modern mechanism was still moving at a rapid pace. It must have seemed like very day, new inventions were made to make life easier. Most of these are still very much in use today, such as the lawn-mower, automatic milking machines in the dairy industry, fire engines, and escalators. Learn about how these worked in this volume. - Summary by Carolin

This is an immensely readable book explaining anything to do with air - the atmosphere, wind and clouds, and life. This 1896 explanation has since been overtaken by more specific scientific discoveries, but the general concepts certainly still hold true until today. Any beginner interested in meteorology will find this book a great place to start. - Summary by Carolin

Water is fascinating! Which child is not delighted by the sea shore, by rivers, even by puddles in the street? This little book explains to children that a river can cut through rock to weave its way to the sea, how sand is made, and how fish can breathe underwater. Grown-ups may learn some new things, too! - Summary by Carolin

Early twentieth century travel book about Alaska with stories of major cities, Indian tribes, customs and geography of what would become our 49th state. - Summary by BettyB.

From its man-made origins as a consequence of medieval peat excavations, the Broads of Norfolk and Suffolk have evolved into a natural ecosystem, providing habitat for a diverse range of flora and fauna , as well as a means of livelihood for the inhabitants of this region. In the company of the book’s author, a self-taught lifelong naturalist and undisputed expert of the Broads , we discover how the life of the Broads unfolds over the course of a single year. So, why not listen in, and join us...

This work according to the subtitle is "a chronicle of American life in the reign of the Georges." It describes land, locales, houses, habits, diversions, learning, religion, labor, and travel.

The first volume in Frazer's seminal 12 volume set on anthropology and traditional systems of belief. Topics covered include extensive discussion on the belief in sympathetic and contagious magic, magical influence on the environment, magicians and kings, magicians as priests, the origin of incarnate living gods, and a lengthy essay on the origin on the king of the wood at the lake of Nemi.

Seed Babies piques the child's interest about how seeds grow. It provides interesting information about seeds in a conversational style between two brothers and the various seeds they encounter. These seeds offer grammatical advice, chastises poor reasoning, provide enlightening information, and will often encourage the boys to go and discover answers to their questions themselves. In turn, the author lets the reader know that she too hopes that they will plant some seeds and make discoveries of their own...

These cases involved questions that came before the Supreme Court that needed answers. The questions in order of appearance in this project are as follows. Does Congress have the power to pass laws that override the Constitution? What shall we do about the international slave trade? In what respect does the right of an author differ from that of an individual who has invented a most useful and valuable machine? Is there any difference between property in slaves and other property? Can the House of...

Samuel Phillips Day traces the history of tea from Asia to England, exploring some of the romance of this treasured drink and its place in British culture. - Summary by Larry Wilson

Charles A. Ward was considered one of the most knowledgeable in his studies of the prophecies of Nostradamus. Ward viewed the prophecies of Nostradamus as predictions that only make sense in hindsight, rather than a tool for predicting future events. This work includes Ward's theories regarding the methods of prediction and his theoretical belief that the predictions were sequential. Ward details only a few of the actual predictions of Nostradamus in his interpretations but attempts to shed light on his theoretical orientation in hopes of making them easier to understand for the reader. - Summary by CJ Plogue

In recent years the number of people interested in keeping amphibians and reptiles in captivity has grown rapidly. All too often, these same people have little knowledge of the proper care needed for their captives, nor do they know where to turn in order to learn the needs of their animals. It is the intent of the authors of this special issue to offer the proper information needed to successfully keep amphibians and reptiles in captivity. We are by no means THE experts on the subject, nor do we claim to cover all the facts. However, we do hope that enough information is furnished to answer most of the common questions asked by people. - Summary by Tom R. Johnson

"The Honey-bees are buzzy-fuzzy little pepper pots" Thus this wonderful nature writer begins to tell us about bees, their habits, their way of living and their many contributions to the world and to ourselves. The author writes for all ages and everyone can listen to and enjoy this book. - Summary by Phil Chenevert

A treatise on the increasing loudness of modern life, including philosophical and scientific discussion of what noise is, how effects us physically, mentally, and socially in cities, on railways, at home, in workplaces, and on battlefields of war. The book concludes with some strong suggestions for protecting ourselves from noise as well as for lessening noise altogether. - Summary by Amelia Chesley

This book discusses a great variety of plants and their seeds in a simple, yet interesting way that children will enjoy. As the books says, "Plants are great travelers; they often wander far and wide. Sometimes they even cross the ocean and take up their abode in a new land.” The importance of why seeds “travel” and the various means by which they move are investigated.

John Woodhouse Audubon , son of the famous painter John James Audubon and an artist in his own right, joined Col. Henry Webb's California Company expedition in 1849. From New Orleans the expedition sailed to the Rio Grande; it headed west overland through northern Mexico and through Arizona to San Diego, California. Cholera and outlaws decimated the group. Many of them turned back, including the leader. Audubon assumed command of those remaining and they pushed on to California, although he was forced to abandon his paints and canvases in the desert…...

This is a collection of articles written by W. Mattieu Williams on different subjects, that in his opinion "are likely to be interesting to all readers who are sufficiently intelligent to prefer sober fact to sensational fiction, but who, at the same time, do not profess to be scientific specialists." This book offers and intriguing glimpse into the scientific ideas of late 19th century. Though nowadays these essays should not be seen as wholly scientifically accurate, they are still entertaining and in many basic aspects remain truthful. - Summary by Kikisaulite

This 1955 book by an acknowledged authority is an absorbing account of meteorology before the advent of weather satellites. “This is the lively account of the hair-raising experiences of the men who have probed by sea and air into the inner mysteries of the world’s most terrible storms…. Here is the first intimate revelation of what the human eye and the most modern radars see in the violent regions of the tropical vortex. The descriptions of the activities of these valiant scouts of the storms are taken from personal interviews with military flyers and weathermen who have risked their lives in the furious blasts in all parts of the hurricane...

Mae Watkins, a University of Michigan student, unexpectedly falls in love with a Chinese international law student in the midst of World War I. Despite the socially unacceptable pairing the couple decide to tie the knot and forge ahead with an unsure future. Mae demonstrates her unique ability to observe and describe a foreign culture after their move to Shanghai. She documents in detail her perceptions of Chinese fashion and food in addition to her knowledge of such controversial customs as foot binding and widow suicide...

The court of French King Louis XIV was not a safe place to be. It was filled with plots and intrigues, leaving observers and commentators with more questions than answers among speculation and innuendo. Funck-Brentano was a scholar, librarian and expert on the political climate of eighteenth century France. Backing up his work with research in the archives of the Bastille, he attempts to explain and throw light on the tumultuous times. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

When Albert Einstein published his first paper on relativity theory, it caused a stir in the physicists' community. When more and more evidence was gathered to prove the theory correct, even laymen became interested in it. Since the theory of relativity uses involved higher mathematics, it is considered notoriously difficult to grasp, and at the time it was published, it was claimed that only 12 people in the world were able to fully understand it. One of these was the Dutch physicist Hendrik Lorentz, who wrote the articles collected in this book for a lay audience...

"In this little book I have sought, in a series of stories or sketches, to present only the first steps in human progress. Man has risen from a stage of lowest savagery, little higher than the apes, buffeted by the hand of Nature, dependent upon the wild game he might kill or the food he found ready to hand, a fearing and a furtive creature of the forests and of the plains, preyed upon by a thousand stronger foes, to a being able to provide warmth and clothing and shelter against the rains and the cold and food against the seasons...