Hospitalized with the dreaded atom bomb disease, leukemia, a child in Hiroshima races against time to fold one thousand paper cranes to verify the legend that by doing so a sick person will become healthy.

"From the best-selling author of Why We Get Fat, a groundbreaking, eye-opening expose that makes the convincing case that sugar is the tobacco of the new millennium: backed by powerful lobbies, entrenched in our lives, and making us very sick. Among Americans, diabetes is more prevalent today than ever; obesity is at epidemic proportions; nearly 10% of children are thought to have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. And sugar is at the root of these,...

As we enjoy the Internet's bounties, are we sacrificing our ability to read and think deeply? Carr describes how human thought has been shaped through the centuries by "tools of the mind"--from the alphabet to maps, to the printing press, the clock, and the computer--and interweaves recent discoveries in neuroscience. Now, he expands his argument into a compelling exploration of the Internet's intellectual and cultural consequences. Our brains, scientific...

"Heart disease is the #1 killer. However, traditional heart disease protocols--with their emphasis on lowering cholesterol--have it all wrong. Emerging science is showing that cholesterol levels are a poor predictor of heart disease and that standard prescriptions for lowering it, such as ineffective low-fat/high-carb diets and serious, side-effect-causing statin drugs, obscure the real causes of heart disease. Even doctors at leading institutions...

Not another diet book: After seven years of research in every science connected with the impact of nutrition on health, science writer Taubes shows that almost everything we believe about a healthy diet is wrong. We are taught that fat is bad for us, carbohydrates better, and that the key to a healthy weight is eating less and exercising more--yet we see unprecedented epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Taubes argues persuasively that the problem lies...

The music instinct provides a ground-breaking exploration into how and why the human organism is moved by the undeniable effect of music, and the deep connection between music and our bodies and brains. The program follows visionary researchers and accomplished musicians to the crossroads of science and culture in search of answers to music's deep mysteries.

""A fascinating tale of poisons and poisonous deeds which both educates and entertains." --Kathy Reichs A brilliant blend of science and crime, A taste for poison reveals how eleven notorious poisons affect the body--through the murders in which they were used. As any reader of murder mysteries can tell you, poison is one of the most enduring-and popular-weapons of choice for a scheming murderer. It can be slipped into a drink, smeared onto the tip...

"A scientific look at something that affects us all--annoying spouses, car alarms, fingernails on a chalkboard, coworkers, missed planes, bad dreams, dropped calls, bed bugs, even the sounds coming out of everyone else's iPod--while still being humorous, surprising, and helpful"--Provided by publisher.

Describes how hurricanes are formed, how they are measured, the harmful and beneficial effects of these storms, and their impact on humans, animals, and plants.