Meet Larisa, a kid like you and me, who grew up wanting to become a politician. Then she discovered fossils. Learn how Larisa uses fossil teeth to clarify the ancient ecology of saber-toothed cats and other ice age mammals. And learn how Larisa, with help from doctors, managed her epilepsy.The Who Me? series features inspirational biographies of scientists whom young readers will be able to identify with as people like themselves. Written by the scientists themselves and co-authors from Vanderbilt University, the books are designed to help young readers understand that scientists are regular people like themselves who are excited about learning and discovering new things, and who decided to work hard in school in order to create for themselves the opportunity to become scientists. As they learn the stories of these scientists, readers will also learn some basic scientific ideas that are well-explained and easily understood and be introduced to cutting-edge science these scientists are working on today.Who Me? series co-editors: David A Weintraub, Professor of Astronomy, of History, and of Communication of Science and Technology, College of Arts & Science, Vanderbilt University; Ann Neely, Associate Professor Emerita of the Practice of Education, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University; and Kevin Johnson, Professor of Biomedical Informatics and of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.In this series:

Meet Marcelo, a kid like you and me, who grew up in Brazil wanting to become a philosopher and solve logic puzzles. Philosophy led him to physics, and physics led him to mathematics. Learn how Marcelo thinks about mathematical equations as puzzles to solve and how solving one of those puzzles helped him learn about how the universe works.The Who Me? series features inspirational biographies of scientists whom young readers will be able to identify with as people like themselves. Written by the scientists themselves and co-authors from Vanderbilt University, the books are designed to help young readers understand that scientists are regular people like themselves who are excited about learning and discovering new things, and who decided to work hard in school in order to create for themselves the opportunity to become scientists. As they learn the stories of these scientists, readers will also learn some basic scientific ideas that are well-explained and easily understood and be introduced to cutting-edge science these scientists are working on today.Who Me? series co-editors: David A Weintraub, Professor of Astronomy, of History, and of Communication of Science and Technology, College of Arts & Science, Vanderbilt University; Ann Neely, Associate Professor Emerita of the Practice of Education, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University; and Kevin Johnson, Professor of Biomedical Informatics and of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.In this series:

“Bonnan combines wit and passion with the sensibilities of a talented instructor in this encyclopedic tour of the vertebrate skeleton.” —Publishers Weekly What can we learn about the evolution of jaws from a pair of scissors? How does the flight of a tennis ball help explain how fish overcome drag? What do a spacesuit and a chicken egg have in common? Highlighting the fascinating twists and turns of evolution across more than 540 million years, paleobiologist Matthew Bonnan uses everyday objects to explain the emergence and adaptation of the vertebrate skeleton. What can camera lenses tell us about the eyes of marine reptiles? How does understanding what prevents a coffee mug from spilling help us understand the posture of dinosaurs? The answers to these and other intriguing questions illustrate how scientists have pieced together the history of vertebrates from their bare bones. With its engaging and informative text, plus more than 200 illustrative diagrams created by the author, The Bare Bones is an unconventional and reader-friendly introduction to the skeleton as an evolving machine. “No bones about it, a text like The Bare Bones was sorely needed in the popular literature of vertebrate paleontology. Matthew Bonnan’s tome on the evolution, form, and function of the vertebrate skeleton may seem daunting in size, but it is written in an enjoyable and readable fashion that will absolutely delight all sorts of readers from expert to soon-to-be-expert.” —Palaeontologia Electronica “A remarkably fun book to read . . . his conversational style and wit make this an unintimidating yet highly informative book that would work wonderfully in college courses.” —The Quarterly Review of Biology

Meet Wonder, a kid like you and me, who moved around a lot and went to lots of different schools. As a teenager, she worked as a waitress, at a library, and helped out with older people. Then, she discovered she wanted to become a doctor. Along the way, she met a patient with an illness called sarcoidosis. This patient's immune system was not working the way it was supposed to. Wonder decided that she would learn how to do medical research so that she could learn about this disease. Someday, she hopes to help find a cure for sarcoidosis.The Who Me? series features inspirational biographies of scientists whom young readers will be able to identify with as people like themselves. Written by the scientists themselves and co-authors from Vanderbilt University, the books are designed to help young readers understand that scientists are regular people like themselves who are excited about learning and discovering new things, and who decided to work hard in school in order to create for themselves the opportunity to become scientists. As they learn the stories of these scientists, readers will also learn some basic scientific ideas that are well-explained and easily understood and be introduced to cutting-edge science these scientists are working on today.Who Me? series co-editors: David A Weintraub, Professor of Astronomy, of History, and of Communication of Science and Technology, College of Arts & Science, Vanderbilt University; Ann Neely, Associate Professor Emerita of the Practice of Education, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University; and Kevin Johnson, Professor of Biomedical Informatics and of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.In this series:

The Who Me? series features inspirational biographies of scientists who young readers will be able to identify with as people like themselves. Written by the scientists themselves and co-authors from Vanderbilt University, the books are designed to help young readers understand that scientists are regular people like themselves who are excited about learning and discovering new things and who decided to work hard in school in order to create for themselves the opportunity to become scientists. As they learn the stories of these scientists, readers will also learn some basic science ideas, that are well-explained and easily understood, and be introduced to the cutting-edge science these scientists are working on today.Who Me? series co-editors: David A Weintraub, Professor of Astronomy, of History, and of Communication of Science and Technology, College of Arts & Science, Vanderbilt University; Ann Neely, Associate Professor Emerita of the Practice of Education, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University; and Kevin Johnson, Professor of Biomedical Informatics and of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.In this series:

Drawing from sources across the field of bone histology, Chinsamy-Turan paints a holistic view of the current state of the science and presents a fresh perspective on the relevance of the field to understanding the Dinosauria.

More than three hundred million years ago—a relatively recent date in the two billion years since life first appeared—vertebrate animals first ventured onto land. This usefully illustrated book describes how some finned vertebrates acquired limbs, giving rise to more than 25,000 extant tetrapod species. Michel Laurin uses paleontological, geological, physiological, and comparative anatomical data to describe this monumental event. He summarizes key concepts of modern paleontological research, including biological nomenclature, paleontological and molecular dating, and the methods used to infer phylogeny and character evolution. Along with a discussion of the evolutionary pressures that may have led vertebrates onto dry land, the book also shows how extant vertebrates yield clues about the conquest of land and how scientists uncover evolutionary history.

A pair of fierce but beautiful eyes look out from the undergrowth of conifers. She is an intelligent killer... So begins one of the most extraordinary novels you will ever read. The time is 120 million years ago, the place is the plains of prehistoric Utah, and the eyes belong to an unforgettable heroine. Her name is Raptor Red, and she is a female Raptor dinosaur. Painting a rich and colorful picture of a lush prehistoric world, leading paleontologist Robert T. Bakker tells his story from within Raptor Red's extraordinary mind, dramatizing his revolutionary theories in this exciting tale. From a tragic loss to the fierce struggle for survival to a daring migration to the Pacific Ocean to escape a deadly new predator, Raptor Red combines fact an fiction to capture for the first time the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of the most magnificent, enigmatic creatures ever to walk the face of the earth.

In this provocative book two authors--one a scientist, the other a biblical scholar and pastor--recount the pilgrimages of understanding that have led them from the young-earth, "scientific creationist" position they were taught in their youths to new perspectives on what it can mean to believe in God as Creator.