1) Johnson, Oscar and Susan Scott.
Hawai‘i’s Kōlea: The Amazing Transpacific Life of the Pacific Golden-Plover. 2016. University of Hawaii Press. Paperback: 61 pages. Price: $16.99 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: Oscar “Wally” Johnson, the undisputed world
expert on Pacific Golden-Plovers, and Susan Scott, a popular-science
writer, have combined their knowledge and enthusiasm to create a book
for everyone who admires the exceptional birds called "Kōlea" in
Hawaiian. With easy-to-understand yet scientifically accurate text and
outstanding color photographs,
Hawai`i's Kōlea: The Amazing Transpacific Life of the Pacific Golden-Plover is a handy, reliable source of information for both general readers and ornithology specialists.
Although
the Pacific Golden-Plover is a member of the shorebird group, Kōlea
spend most of their time inland, favoring open space with short
vegetation. This makes Hawai`i’s cemeteries, golf courses, and backyard
lawns prime real estate for these migratory birds. Each year Kōlea fly
thousands of miles nonstop from Alaska and return to the same spot in
the Islands, whether a condominium courtyard, a busy beach park, or a
strip of grass in downtown Honolulu. As a result, many Hawai`i
residents get to know individual birds, calling them “my Kōlea.” In
turn, urban plovers often grow tame around people, an endearing trait
uncommon in other birds. Their human admirers see city Kōlea as
charming, alert, and personable―qualities that, together with their
grace and beauty, have made them arguably Hawai`i’s favorite bird.
Observing
the birds gives rise to countless questions: “When do the birds leave
Hawai`i? When do they return? Do they have chicks in the Islands? How
long does it take them to fly to Alaska?” To answer these and other
questions, the authors have gathered together just about every detail
researchers know about Pacific Golden-Plovers. If you marvel at the
remarkable birds that prance through your park, strut in your street,
and rest on your rooftop, this book will make you love Kōlea even more.
RECOMMENDATION: For anyone with an interest in this species!
2) Helen Czerski.
W. W. Norton. Hardbound: 275 pages. Price: $
26.95 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: Take a look up at the stars on a clear night and you get a sense that
the universe is vast and untouchable, full of mysteries beyond
comprehension. But did you know that the key to unveiling the secrets of
the cosmos is as close as the nearest toaster?
Our home here on
Earth is messy, mutable, and full of humdrum things that we touch and
modify without much thought every day. But these familiar surroundings
are just the place to look if you’re interested in what makes the
universe tick. In
Storm in a Teacup, Helen Czerski provides the
tools to alter the way we see everything around us by linking ordinary
objects and occurrences, like popcorn popping, coffee stains, and fridge
magnets, to big ideas like climate change, the energy crisis, or
innovative medical testing. She guides us through the principles of
gases (“Explosions in the kitchen are generally considered a bad idea.
But just occasionally a small one can produce something delicious”);
gravity (drop some raisins in a bottle of carbonated lemonade and watch
the whoosh of bubbles and the dancing raisins at the bottom bumping into
each other); size (Czerski explains the action of the water molecules
that cause the crime-scene stain left by a puddle of dried coffee); and
time (why it takes so long for ketchup to come out of a bottle).
Along
the way, she provides answers to vexing questions: How does water
travel from the roots of a redwood tree to its crown? How do ducks keep
their feet warm when walking on ice? Why does milk, when added to tea,
look like billowing storm clouds? In an engaging voice at once warm and
witty, Czerski shares her stunning breadth of knowledge to lift the veil
of familiarity from the ordinary. You may never look at your toaster
the same way.
RECOMMENDATION: For anyone with an interest in physics.
