Sean Runnette

The periodic table of the elements is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of passion, adventure, obsession, and betrayal. These tales follow carbon, neon, silicon, gold, and all the elements in the table as they play out their parts in human history. The usual suspects are here, like Marie Curie (and her radioactive journey to the discovery of polonium and radium) and William Shockley (who is credited, not exactly justly,...

In this easy to use, research-driven guide, a Christian psychiatrist takes an in-depth look at the aging process, showing how we can keep our brains young and prevent dementia, allowing us to maintain vitality, a sharp mind, and independence as we age.

An investigation into the correlation between mental illness and successful leadership reveals the disorders of notable leaders and explains how their struggles enabled them to empathize, recognize threats, and respond appropriately during times of crisis.

The Mind Illuminated is the first how-to meditation guide from a neuroscientist who is also an acclaimed meditation master. This innovative book offers a 10-stage program that is both deeply grounded in ancient spiritual teachings about mindfulness and holistic health, and also draws from the latest brain science to provide a roadmap for anyone interested in achieving the benefits of mindfulness. Dr. John Yates offers a new and fascinating model of...

Traces the inspiring life and career of the late founder of Apple, covering topics ranging from his struggles as an adopted child and a college dropout to his Buddhist faith and friendship with Steve Wozniak, in a portrait framed around his inspirational Stanford University commencement speech.

New York Times Bestseller * The inspiration for the TV series starring Dan Aykroyd

"There aren't many books this entertaining that also provide a cogent crash course in ancient, classical and modern history." -Los Angeles Times
Beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola: In Tom Standage's deft, innovative account of world history, these six beverages turn out to be much more...

Combining memoir, social criticism, and research, the author explores what it means to be solitary and celebrates the notion, common in his Roman Catholic childhood, that solitude is a legitimate and dignified calling. Delves into the lives and works of nearly a dozen iconic "solitaries," including Thoreau, Emily Dickinson, Bill Cunningham, Cézanne, and Zora Neale Hurston. "A meditation on solitude as a font of creativity and spirituality. Known...

Draws on interviews with confessed rare-map thief E. Forbes Smiley to document his experiences with mercenary explorers and mapmakers, offering insight into the cutthroat map trade while investigating allegations of hundreds of additional thefts.

Fifty years after Hannah Arendt examined the dynamics of conformity in her seminal account of the Eichmann trial, "Beautiful Souls" explores the flipside of the banality of evil, mapping out what impels ordinary people to defy the sway of authority and convention.

Describes how a quirky band of misfit science students at Berkeley in the 1970s altered the course of modern physics while studying quantum theory alongside Eastern mysticism and psychic mind reading while lounging in hot tubs and dabbling with LSD.