 A 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!
 "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.
 It'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.
 James 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.
 In 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.
 Huzzah! 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.
3D Modeling in Silo: The Official Guide
by Antony Ward
Create high-quality models in no time at all with these comprehensive, full-color, techniques and tutorials from Antony Ward and David Randall. These step-by-step tutorials walk readers through the creation of a high-quality female model while teaching...
( read more)
Your Price
$35.00
Sale - Trade Paper
California Condors in the Pacific Northwest
by Jesse D'elia
“The re-creation of a viable population of condors in the Northwest would constitute an achievement of substantial importance…This book goes a long way toward justifying such an effort.” —Noel Snyder, retired U.S...
( read more)
Your Price
$19.95
New - Trade Paper
Windows 8 for Dummies (For Dummies)
by Andy Rathbone
Just want to get going with Windows 8? This book was made for you! Windows 8 looks and acts differently than previous Windows versions. The touch-friendly Start screen and new apps can confuse even the most experienced Windows user. This book helps...
( read more)
Your Price
$24.99
New - Trade Paper
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
by Sam Kean
Sam Kean proves that chemistry makes for great storytelling with this entertaining look at the human stories behind the elements found in the periodic table. A delightful history of science, The Disappearing Spoon makes for both an engaging and...
( read more)
List Price $14.99
Your Price
$10.50
Used - Trade Paper
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
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
by Mary Roach
If you haven't read Mary Roach's previous bestsellers Bonk and Stiff (shame on you!), Packing for Mars is as good an introduction to Roach as you'll find. Space travel hasn't been this funny or intriguing since Douglas Adams — and best of all, it's...
( read more)
List Price $25.95
Your Price
$8.98
Sale - Hardcover
IPT's Pipe Trades Handbook
by Robert A. Lee
IPT's PIPE TRADES HANDBOOK sets the standard for piping handbooks. It contains all the necessary information previously combined in other reference books, plus much more. It includes information on: pipe and tube data; valves; fittings, flanges and...
( read more)
Your Price
$17.00
Used - Trade Paper
Making Pure Corn Whiskey: A Professional Guide For Amateur And Micro Distillers, 2nd Edition
by Ian Smiley
A comprehensive home-distilling book that specifically addresses the small-scale production of whiskey. Every aspect of how fresh grain is transformed into whiskey is detailed, with easy and inexpensive methods of fabricating the equipment and precise...
( read more)
Your Price
$25.00
New - Trade Paper
|
This Day in Tech History
Wednesday, June 19
Opening of Lowell
observatory
(Arizona) first in US
Jerrie Mock
becomes first woman
to fly solo
around the world 1964
Powell's buys quality used scientific and technical books. Click here for more information.
Be warned: it's addictive. Shuffle through Powells.com's selection of
used technical books and find some unbeatable deals.
|
