Emily Lakdawalla

Science writer David Quammen explains how recent discoveries in molecular biology can change our understanding of evolution and life’s history, with powerful implications for human health and even our own human nature. In the mid-1970s, scientists began using DNA sequences to reexamine the history of all life. Perhaps the most startling discovery t...

Travel to deep space and back again with The Mars Challenge, a nonfiction graphic novel for teens about the science and logistics of a manned mission to Mars.Nadia is a teen with a dream: to be the first woman on Mars. But to get there, she's got to learn all she can about the science of spaceflight. It's a good thing her friend Eleanor is an Attit...

Roughly half the world's population speaks languages derived from a shared linguistic source known as Proto-Indo-European. But who were the early speakers of this ancient mother tongue, and how did they manage to spread it around the globe? Until now their identity has remained a tantalizing mystery to linguists, archaeologists, and even Nazis seek...

How do you get to another planet? Can gravity assist you? How do spacecraft communicate? Broad in scope and loaded with references, Basics of Space Flight identifies the many fields and concepts associated with robotic interplanetary space exploration, and shows how they operate together. Popular with teachers, students, and anyone who is curious a...

Master launch photographer Ben Cooper captures readers’ favorite subjects in a new light. Rather than presenting the standard “rocket lifting off the launch pad” images, he provides fresh perspectives. In addition to providing text about manned and unmanned crafts that will pique the interest of shuttle enthusiasts and newcomers alike, he shares wi...

A witty, informative guide to writing "good English" from Random House's longtime copy chief and one of Twitter's leading enforcers of proper grammar--a twenty-first-century Elements of Style. As authoritative as it is amusing, this book distills everything Benjamin Dreyer has learned from the hundreds of books he has copyedited, including works by...

From the international best-selling author of the His Dark Materials Trilogy, a spellbinding journey into the secrets of his art—the narratives that have shaped his vision, his experience of writing, and the keys to mastering the art of storytelling.One of the most highly acclaimed and best-selling authors of our time now gives us a book that chart...

Bold, black women in science—where will their inspiration take you? Throughout history, black women have blazed trails across the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Black Women in Science brings something special to black history books for kids, celebrating incredible black women in STEM who have used their brains, bravery...

With crisp illustration and intriguing science, Your Place in the Universe introduces readers to the mind-boggling scale of the known Universe.Most eight-year-olds are about five times as tall as this book... but only half as tall as an ostrich, which is half as tall as a giraffe... twenty times smaller than a California Redwood! How do they compar...

Share a wonderful learning experience with your child or give as a gift. "Sports Stars: Astronomy for the sports fan in all of us" is a great way for a child (6-12) to read child-appropriate biographies about their favorite athlete and enjoy the hand drawn illustrations. And then, if they feel adventurous, they can go outside and find the athlete o...