The sweeping diversity of complex life on Earth, Ward and Brownlee argue, evolved out of an extraordinary set of physical conditions and chance events that would be extremely hard to duplicate- though not impossible. Many planets throughout the vastness of the Universe may be teeming with microbial life, but advancement beyond this stage is very rare. Everyone with an interest in the possible extent of life in the Universe and the nature of life's evolution on our own planet will be fascinated by RARE EARTH.

"...likely to cause a revolution in thinking..." The New York Times

"...[the book] has hit the world of astrobiologists like a killer asteroid..." Newsday (New York)

"...a sobering and valuable perspective..." Science

"...a startling new hypothesis..." Library Journal

"...Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee offer a powerful argument..." The Economist "...provocative, significant, and sweeping..." Northwest Science & Technology

"...a stellar example of clear writing..." American Scientist...

For 65 million years dinosaurs ruled the Earth – until a deadly asteroid forced their extinction. But what accounts for the incredible longevity of dinosaurs? A renowned scientist now provides a startling explanation that is rewriting the history of the Age of Dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs are pretty amazing creatures. Real life monsters that have the power to fascinate us. And they’re fiery Hollywood ending only serves to make their story that much more dramatic. But fossil evidence demonstrates that dinosaurs survived several mass extinctions, seemingly unaffected by catastrophes that decimated most other life on Earth. What could explain their uncanny ability to endure through the ages?

Biologist and earth scientist Peter Ward now accounts for the remarkable indestructibility of dinosaurs by connecting their unusual respiration system with their ability to adapt to Earth’s changing environment – a system that was ultimately bequeathed to their descendants, birds. By tracing the evolutionary path back through time, slowly but deliberately connecting the dots from birds to dinosaurs, Ward describes the unique form of breathing shared by these two distant relatives – and demonstrates how this simple but remarkable characteristic provides the elusive explanation to a question that has thus far stumped scientists.

Nothing short of revolutionary in its bold presentation of an astonishing theory, this is a story of science at the edge of discovery. Ward is an outstanding guide to the process of scientific detection. Audacious and innovative in his thinking, meticulous and thoroughly detailed in his research, only a scientist of his caliber is capable of telling this surprising story....

Situada en la antigua China, dos hermanos luchan en esta historia la clasica batalla entre el bien y el mal mientras La Sombra hace los intentos de liberarse de su prision eterna mediante la utilizacion de la fuerza y el poder del famoso caballo-dragon. Rokshan y An Lushan estan involucrados en esta lucha de siglos, junto con una joven destinada a convertirse en la Spellweaver de su tribu nomada. / Set in ancient China, two brothers fight the classic battle between good and evil as the Shadow-without-name attempts to break free from an eternal imprisonment by utilizing the strength and power of the famed dragon horses. Rokshan and An-Lushan are drawn into this centuries-old struggle, along with a young girl destined to become the Spellweaver of her nomadic tribe. And as An-Lushan is pulled towards the dark, Rokshan must embark upon a dangerous journey into the lands of the Wild Horsemen - where he is to meet the great stallion Stargazer and, ultimately, must learn the innermost secrets of the dragons......

Homes are our most personal, private places, at the heart of how we conceive of life outside the public sphere. A History of Domestic Space explores how domestic architecture has shaped and been shaped by family and social relationships over the past three centuries. The changing form, setting, and technology of the home have profoundly affected our opportunities for individual privacy within a family and family privacy within a community.

The earliest Canadian house form consisted of a single room. We've added and moved rooms and their functions according to the needs and wants of the changing Canadian family. In the eighteenth century, for example, most people would expect neither bed nor bedroom to themselves. When bedrooms did appear, they first opened directly off the main room, only later moving upstairs or down a corridor to the most private part of the home. The bathroom, which now often takes the form of a spacious en suite, began life as the humble outdoor privy. Among the most revolutionary domestic technologies, indoor plumbing has changed the interior of the home forever. Peter Ward examines the evolution of each room in turn - its placement, priority, and purpose - before turning to the exterior of the house and its meaning.

How have today's big houses and small families affected the bond between parents and children? Does the occupant of a high-rise apartment have more or less privacy than the occupant of a farmhouse? What did Canadians consider to be enough domestic space for one person in the eighteenth century? What do they think in the present? These are just some of the questions that Peter Ward considers in this beautifully rendered exploration of the Canadian home. Its unique perspective breathes life into the homes of the past and throws the door open to the homes of the present. ...