The Body Electric tells the fascinating story of our bioelectric selves. Robert O. Becker, a pioneer in the filed of regeneration and its relationship to electrical currents in living things, challenges the established mechanistic understanding of the body. He found clues to the healing process in the long-discarded theory that electricity is vital to life. But as exciting as Becker's discoveries are, pointing to the day when human limbs, spinal cords, and organs may be regenerated after they have been damaged, equally fascinating is the story of Becker's struggle to do such original work. The Body Electric explores new pathways in our understanding of evolution, acupuncture, psychic phenomena, and healing.

Power Laws, Scale-free Networks and Genome Biology deals with crucial aspects of the theoretical foundations of systems biology, namely power law distributions and scale-free networks which have emerged as the hallmarks of biological organization in the post-genomic era. The chapters in the book not only describe the interesting mathematical properties of biological networks but moves beyond phenomenology, toward models of evolution capable of explaining the emergence of these features. The collection of chapters, contributed by both physicists and biologists, strives to address the problems in this field in a rigorous but not excessively mathematical manner and to represent different viewpoints, which is crucial in this emerging discipline. Each chapter includes, in addition to technical descriptions of properties of biological networks and evolutionary models, a more general and accessible introduction to the respective problems. Most chapters emphasize the potential of theoretical systems biology for discovery of new biological phenomena.

This new second edition of Science and Practice of Strength Training comes with many additions and changes. A new coauthor, Dr. William Kraemer, joins Dr. Vladimir Zatsiorsky in expanding on the principles and concepts needed for training athletes. Among Dr. Kraemer's contributions are three new chapters targeting specific populations—women, young athletes, and seniors—plus the integration of new concepts into the other chapters.Together the authors have trained more than 1,000 elite athletes, including Olympic, world, continental, and national champions and record holders. The concepts they divulge are influenced by both Eastern European and North American perspectives. The authors integrate those concepts in solid principles, practical insights, coaching experiences, and directions based on scientific findings. This edition is much more practical than its predecessor; to this end, the book provides the practitioner with the understanding to craft strength training programs based on individuals' needs.Science and Practice of Strength Training, Second Edition, shows that there is no one program that works for any one person at all times or for all conditions. This book addresses the complexity of strength training programs while providing straightforward approaches to take under specific circumstances. Those approaches are applied to new physiological concepts and training practices, which provide readers with the most current information in the science and practice of strength training. The approaches are also applied to the three new chapters, which will help readers design safe and effective strength training programs for women, young athletes, and seniors. In addition, the authors provide examples of strength training programs to demonstrate the principles and concepts they explain in the book.The book is divided into three parts. Part I focuses on the basis of strength training, detailing concepts, task-specific strength, and athlete-specific strength. Part II covers methods of strength conditioning, delving into training intensity, timing, strength exercises, injury prevention, and goals. Part III explores training for specific populations. The book also includes suggested readings that can further aid readers in developing strength training programs.This expanded and updated coverage of strength training concepts will ground readers in the understanding they need in order to develop appropriate strength training programs for each person that they work with.

Basic Biomechanics provides balanced coverage of anatomical structure, biomechanics, and applications, as recommended by the Biomechanics Academy of AAHPERD. Numerous applications from sport, ergonomics, and daily living-both qualitative and quantitative—help demonstrate the relevance of biomechanical principles beyond elite sports performance and into everyday life. The quantitative aspects of biomechanics are presented in a manageable, progressive fashion, and a mathematics appendix helps make the material accessible to all students, regardless of mathematical skill level.

This highly regarded comprehensive guide provides an up-to-date overview of the variety of methods used in field archaeology, from research design to excavation strategies to conservation of artifacts and record-keeping. The contributors to the volume bring a wealth of expertise on diverse subjects and offer practical advice on their areas of special interest.

Optics--a field of physics focusing on the study of light--is also central to many areas of biology, including vision, ecology, botany, animal behavior, neurobiology, and molecular biology. The Optics of Life introduces the fundamentals of optics to biologists and nonphysicists, giving them the tools they need to successfully incorporate optical measurements and principles into their research. Sönke Johnsen starts with the basics, describing the properties of light and the units and geometry of measurement. He then explores how light is created and propagates and how it interacts with matter, covering topics such as absorption, scattering, fluorescence, and polarization. Johnsen also provides a tutorial on how to measure light as well as an informative discussion of quantum mechanics. The Optics of Life features a host of examples drawn from nature and everyday life, and several appendixes that offer further practical guidance for researchers. This concise book uses a minimum of equations and jargon, explaining the basic physics of light in a succinct and lively manner. It is the essential primer for working biologists and for anyone seeking an accessible introduction to optics.

The third edition of this established classic text reference builds upon the strengths of its very popular predecessors. Organized as a broadly useful textbook Principles of Fluorescence Spectroscopy, 3rd edition maintains its emphasis on basics, while updating the examples to include recent results from the scientific literature. The third edition includes new chapters on single molecule detection, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, novel probes and radiative decay engineering. Includes a link to Springer Extras to download files reproducing all book artwork, for easy use in lecture slides. This is an essential volume for students, researchers, and industry professionals in biophysics, biochemistry, biotechnology, bioengineering, biology and medicine.

Is it accurate to label Darwin's theory "the theory of evolution by natural selection," given that the concept of common ancestry is at least as central to Darwin's theory? Did Darwin reject the idea that group selection causes characteristics to evolve that are good for the group though bad for the individual? How does Darwin's discussion of God in The Origin of Species square with the common view that he is the champion of methodological naturalism?These are just some of the intriguing questions raised by distinguished philosopher Elliott Sober in this volume of interconnected philosophical essays on Darwin.Sober's approach is informed by modern issues in evolutionary biology, but is sensitive to the ways in which Darwin's outlook differed from that of many biologists today. The main topics that are the focus of the book--common ancestry, group selection, sex ratio, and naturalism--have rarely been discussed in their connection with Darwin in such penetrating detail.Professor Sober is the 2008 winner of the Prometheus Prize. This biennial award, established in 2006 through the American Philosophical Association, is designed "to honor a distinguished philosopher in recognition of his or her lifetime contribution to expanding the frontiers of research in philosophy and science."This insightful collection of essays will be of interest to philosophers, biologists, and laypersons seeking a deeper understanding of one of the most influential scientific theories ever propounded.

This book takes readers on an adventure into the inner workings of the molecular world, following a logical step-by-step progression of ideas and examples from the field.It helps readers understand the world around them in molecular terms. It features helpful pedagogy, including chapter ending-summaries, problems and brain teasers, with answers provided at the end of the book. It is filled with real-world examples ranging from casinos to lasers to endangered coral reefs.Starting with just a few basic principles of probability and the distribution of energy, the book takes students on an adventure into the inner workings of the molecular world like no other, from probability to Gibbs energy and beyond, following a logical step-by-step progression of ideas.