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Aisle 49

Aisle 49A new month brings a new theme to Aisle 49, stocked full of books you covet and desperately want. The beginning of the year is time for fresh starts, new ideas, and even a radical thought or two. Check out our favorite selections by noted inventors such as Nikola Tesla (Tesla: The Lost Inventions) and Buckminster Fuller (Your Private Sky). And for reworking the way we think, there's no one better than James Burke (Connections). For those of you who are working on a project in the basement, Nolo Press's 13th edition of Patent It Yourself is the ultimate DIY book. Intrigued? Check out what else we've picked out for you!

Technica Q&A: Joseph Hallinan

Joseph Hallinan"To err is human," Alexander Pope once said, but have you ever wondered why? Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Joseph Hallinan has. He describes his new book, Why We Make Mistakes, as "a field guide to human error" and also offers some helpful hints about making fewer of them. Adults tend to act and see in patterns, neglecting to notice the details. That's why your kids always know where your car keys are and you don't. In this Q&A, find out why Hallinan prefers the outdoors to chess, what famous scientist he'd like to be in his next life, and why the PedEgg is on his mind. Save 30% on Why We Make Mistakes for a limited time.

Technica Q&A: Nick Montfort and Ian Bogost

Nick Montfort and Ian BogostIt's not hard to imagine how Nick Montfort and Ian Bogost spent their youth. Their new book, Racing the Beam: The Atari Video Computer System, is one of the first to explore the "systems" of the Atari game console, and explains the relationship between platforms and creative expression. They discuss and dissect popular Atari games such as Pitfall, Adventure, Pac Man and Star Wars. In their Q&A, find out why E. coli spinach makes Ian sympathize with Dilbert, why Nick believes laptops make people think differently, and why Ian hasn't yet mastered Latin. Plus, save 30% on Racing the Beam.

Technica Q&A: James Boyle

James BoyleJames Boyle is a professor of law at Duke University and cofounder of the Center for the Study of the Public Domain there, as well. Boyle's newest book, The Public Domain, asserts the importance of a richer public domain in an increasingly private and litigious copyright law environment. In his Technica Q&A, find out why elementary school teachers failed to inspire him, how he has "vicarious geek cred," and learn why he hopes the Internet will be as beneficial to science as it has been for shoe shopping. For a limited time save 30% on The Public Domain.

Technica Q&A: Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil deGrasse TysonIn The Pluto Files, New York Times-bestselling author Neil deGrasse Tyson chronicles America's irrational love affair with Pluto. In his typically witty way, Tyson explores the history of planet classification and America's obsession with the "planet" that's recently been judged as a dwarf. "[H]ighly entertaining," cheers Booklist. Read Tyson's Tech Q&A and save 30% on The Pluto Files.

"What Do I Do with This Thing?"

Take Your iPod Touch to the MaxHuzzah! Santa was very good to you this year, and now you've got a new, shiny gadget that you haven't figured out yet. Between work, school, and spending time on Facebook, who has time to read those dull user manuals? Worry not! It's time for our annual "What Do I Do with This Thing?" promotion. New to the iPod Touch? Erica Sadun's Take Your iPod Touch to the Max teaches you all the new tricks. New to geocaching, or just want to go hiking with safety in mind? GPS Made Easy by Lawrence Letham will show you the way. Shop enthusiasts can't be without the classic text How to Run a Lathe by South Bend Machine Works. And for those of you who want to dig a well, but want to save on surveying costs, Dowsing: A Journey beyond Our Five Senses, by Hamish Miller, is just what you need.

Multimedia

How to Make Animated Films: Tony White's Complete Masterclass on the Traditional Principles of Animation [With DVD ROM] How to Make Animated Films: Tony White's Complete Masterclass on the Traditional Principles of Animation [With DVD ROM]
by Tony White

Become Tony White's personal animation student. Experience many of the teaching techniques of the golden era of Disney and Warner Brothers studios and beyond...all from the comfort of your own home or studio. Tony White's Animation Master Class is... (read more)
Your Price $49.95
New - Trade Paper

Popular Science

Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder: Pronged Ants, Horned Humans, Mice on Toast, and Other Marvels of Jurassic Techno Logy Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder: Pronged Ants, Horned Humans, Mice on Toast, and Other Marvels of Jurassic Techno Logy
by Lawrence Weschler

A nondescript storefront operation in Los Angeles, California, the Museum of Jurassic Technology actually exists — that may be the only thing about it that is for certain. The creation of David Wilson, a man of prodigiously unusual imagination, the... (read more)
Your Price $3.95
Used - Trade Paper

Operating Systems

In the Beginning...Was the Command Line In the Beginning...Was the Command Line
by Neal Stephenson

About twenty years ago Jobs and Wozniak, the founders of Apple, came up with the very strange idea of selling information-processing machines for use in the home. The business took off, and its founders made a lot of money and received the credit they... (read more)
Your Price $4.95
Used - Trade Paper

Chemistry

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
by Harold Mcgee

Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking is a kitchen classic. Hailed by Time magazine as "a minor masterpiece" when it first appeared in 1984, On Food and Cooking is the bible to which food lovers and professional chefs worldwide turn for an understanding of... (read more)
Your Price $40.00
New - Hardcover

Electricity

Tube Circuits for Audio Amplifiers: Power Amplifiers and Pre-Amplifiers, for Monaural and Stereophonic Reproduction from Microphone, Radio, Tape, and Pick-up Signals Tube Circuits for Audio Amplifiers: Power Amplifiers and Pre-Amplifiers, for Monaural and Stereophonic Reproduction from Microphone, Radio, Tape, and Pick-up Signals
by Mullard

The complete guide to building eleven power and control amps for sound systems with vacuum tubes, featuring a four-chapter tutorial on sound quality which is solid guidance on achieving the best sound with tubes. First published in 1959 by Mullard, one... (read more)
Your Price $16.95
New - Trade Paper

Physics

The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring
by Richard Preston

Hidden away in foggy, uncharted rain forest valleys in Northern California are the largest and tallest organisms the world has ever sustained — the coast redwood trees, Sequoia sempervirens. Ninety-six percent of the ancient redwood forests have... (read more)
Your Price $6.98
Sale - Trade Paper

Construction

Core Performance Guide Core Performance Guide
by New Buildings Institute

Core Performance Guide is the nationally recognized source on how to deliver best-in-class energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality in high-performance commercial buildings. Core Performance brings together over 30 criteria defining high... (read more)
Your Price $95.00
New - Spiral

Engineering

Electric Railway Dictionary Electric Railway Dictionary
by Rodney Hitt

If you are a fan of trolley cars, interurban streetcars and electric railroading, then The Electric Railway Dictionary is a book you need to have on your shelf This historic text is far more than just a dictionary, although it does contain over sixty... (read more)
Your Price $27.99
New - Trade Paper

This Day in Tech History

Friday, July 3

John Couch Adams decides to determine the position of an unknown planet by irregularities it causes in the motion of Uranus 1841

Joshua Slocum completes 1st solo circumnavigation of the globe 1898

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