August 31, 2005
technica q&a: harm de blij (why geography matters)
technica q&a: edward burger (coincidences, chaos, and all that math jazz)
a pair of scientific biographies
hot titles
interview: neil gaiman
epic.org
history of science
ebooks
fup's favorites
fup foto fun
fall factoid
bestsellers
"Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but usually manages to pick
himself up, walk over or around it, and carry on."
— Winston S. Churchill
Harm de Blij, world-renowned Dutch geographer and author of Why Geography Matters, took some time from his demanding schedule to answer a few questions for Technica readers. What inspires Professor de Blij to write? What will impair America's current technological lead? What does a world-famous geographer like to read? Find out the answers, and for a limited time, save 30% on Why Geography Matters.
Not only did mathematics giant Edward Burger answer many of our favorite questions, he also completed the Geek Test just for the September edition. Where does he rank? And who inspired him to become the hip mathematician he is today? Check out Burger's answers and save 30% on Coincidences, Chaos, and All That Jazz.
The Sun: A Biography describes the sun as the Rosetta Stone of the universe: understand it and you will understand almost everything. Inscrutable, worshipped, emulated, and feared, the sun sustains and shapes our perceptions both of ourselves and of planet Earth. The Man Who Changed Everything is the first biography in twenty years of James Clerk Maxwell, whom Einstein called "the most magical figure of the 19th century." Maxwell taught us to see physical reality as continuous fields, thus changing the perception of physics forever. Take 30% off both these titles — only online, for a limited time.
Technophiles at Powell's Technical Books are pretty hot for these titles. Atomic physics, animation, bridges, and viticulture are a few of the topics on the front burner at Tech central.
Young adult author, illustrator, fantasy wunderkind, serious literary novelist: Neil Gaiman's amazing artistic output is only matched by his prodigious talent and ever-growing following. Gaiman discusses his inspiration for Anansi Boys, the afterlife of Sandman, what separates comedy from horror, why authors should be like otters, and more.
This month, we're spotlighting some of the extraordinary books featured on Epic.org's Hosted Bookshelf on Powells.com. Surveillance, free software, and web security is just a small taste of what's on offer.
"We are an impossibility in an impossible universe."
— Ray Bradbury
On August 24, 79 A.D., Mt. Vesuvius erupted, destroying Pompeii and Herculaneum. Vesuvius covered both cities with ash in such a way that later archeologists have been able to learn much about ancient Roman life. It was also the first eruption to be described in detail. Pliny the Younger was able to report everything from the first quakes to the twenty-mile-high column of ash that blew from the volcano.
Amongst other great fall eBooks, read how an overweight kid, peed on by bullies, reviled by many, became champion of the Dungeons-and-Dragons-with-a-deck-of-cards fantasy game known as "Magic: The Gathering," then stormed Las Vegas as a tournament-caliber Texas Hold 'em poker player.
Fup, as we all know, has likely absorbed at least as many science and technology texts in her seventeen years at Powell's Technical Books as any high school senior with a similar IQ (adjusted for the kitty quotient, of course). This is what she's reading this month.
If you haven't Photoshopped Fup yet, do not despair. There is still time to submit Fup in all manner of poses, positions, and places. The best submissions will be featured in the upcoming Technica newsletter.
Leaf colors come from three primary pigment groups: chlorophyll, carotenoids, and anthocyanins. Chlorophyll is of course green, and dominates leaf color through spring and summer. Carotenoids are responsible for oranges and yellows, and anthocyanins yield reds and purples. Chlorophyll and carotenoids are present all summer. As the days grow shorter in autumn, less chlorophyll is produced, unmasking the carotenoids. Anthocyanins are primarily produced in fall, in response to high sugar levels in leaves. What color a tree turns depends on pigment levels. Leaves with lots of carotenoids but few anthocyanins tend to be yellow. Leaves with both carotenoids and anthocyanins are orange. Leaves with lots of anthocyanins and few carotenoids tend to be red. Tannins make the brown of oak leaves.
1. Agile Web Development with Rails by Dave Thomas (Computer Languages)
2. Cascading Style Sheets by Eric A. Meyer (Internet)
3. The Bull of the Woods by J. R. Williams (Metal)
4. 2003 International Building Code by ICC (Construction)
5. Photoshop Classic Effects by Scott Kelby (Graphics)
6. Javascript Pocket Reference by David Flanagan (Nutshell)
7. National Electric Code 2005 by NFPA (Construction)
8. Web Database Applications with PHP and MySQL by Hugh E. Williams (Internet)
9. PHP for the World Wide Web by Larry Ullman (Internet)
10. C# in a Nutshell with CD-ROM by Peter Drayton (Computer Languages)
more tech bestsellers
By Steven and Amber
Copyright 2005 Powells.com
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