Tag Archives: books

Rediscovered Manuscript Shows How Isaac Newton Dabbled In Alchemy | Gizmodo #manuscripts #science #books #libraries #archives #historical #isaacnewton

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The 17th century manuscript, which was handwritten by Isaac Newton, describes a procedure for making mercury—a substance that alchemists thought could turn lead into gold. Sir Isaac Newton Image: Godfrey Kneller As reported in Chemistry World, the US Chemical Heritage Foundation has purchased the document, which languished in a private collection for decades. The newly surfaced manuscript was authored by an American chemist but handwritten and owned by Isaac Newton.

Source: Rediscovered Manuscript Shows How Isaac Newton Dabbled In Alchemy

Good news for #bookworms: 6 scientific reasons #reading is good for you | PresentNation #books #science #research #health #wellness

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Could a chapter a day keep the doctor away? READ: Good news for bookworms: 6 scientific reasons reading is good for you | PresentNation

#Kids Are Practicing Their #Reading #Skills to Soothe Shy Shelter #Dogs | My Modern Met #books #volunteer

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What an amazing program!

The Shelter Buddies Reading Program is collaborating with the Humane Society of Missouri to make a huge difference in the lives of both children and animals. Since shy and fearful dogs are less likely to be adopted, it’s important that they have a chance to interact with others. That’s why the program’s director, Jo Klepacki, came up with the idea to have children read to these dogs. “Ideally the shy and fearful dog will approach and show interest. If so, the kids reenforce that behavior by tossing them a treat,” Klepacki told The Dodo. “Hearing a child reading can really calm those animals. It is incredible, the response we’ve seen in these dogs.” READ MORE: Kids Are Practicing Their Reading Skills to Soothe Shy Shelter Dogs | My Modern Met

#JohnGrisham thinks his new #book is so important he’s giving it away for #free | WaPo #medical #tech #fiction

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There are no lawyers or courtrooms in John Grisham’s new thriller. There is not even a single bad guy. The protagonist is Paul, a 35-year-old suburbanite with a pretty wife, three beautiful children, and a tumor quietly swelling in his brain. One day his wife hears a loud thump in the bathroom. “She finds him on the floor,” Grisham writes, “shaking in a full-blown grand mal seizure.” And so begins “The Tumor,” one of the stranger literary digressions in recent memory.

Against the wishes of his agent, editor and publisher, the author famous for (and rich from) legal thrillers, from “The Firm” to “The Rogue Lawyer,” just published a free book whose hero is a medical device called focused ultrasound. Grisham says it’s the most important book of his career. READ MORE: John Grisham thinks his new book is so important he’s giving it away for free | The Washington Post

#Fairytales teach #robots not to murder | CNET #crime #AI #books #tech #values

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The fairy tale performs many functions. They entertain, they encourage imagination, they teach problem-solving skills. They can also provide moral lessons, highlighting the dangers of failing to follow the social codes that let human beings coexist in harmony.

Such moral lessons may not mean much to a robot, but a team of researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology believes it has found a way to leverage the humble fable into a moral lesson an artificial intelligence will take to its cold, mechanical heart. READ MORE: Fairy tales teach robots not to murder | CNET

#Punctuation in #novels | Adam J. Calhoun | Medium #books #analysis #writing

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When we think of novels, of newspapers and blogs, we think of words. We easily forget the little suggestions pushed in between: the punctuation. But how can we be so cruel to such a fundamental part of writing? Inspired by a series of posters, I wondered what did my favorite books look like without words. Can you tell them apart or are they all a-mush? In fact, they can be quite distinct. READ MORE: Punctuation in novels — Medium

The Tiny London Shop Behind Some of the Very Best #Libraries | TNYT #books #collections #booksellers #bookstores #curation

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London’s Heywood Hill curates impressive collections for discerning customers in 60 different countries — and specializes in the obscure. READ MORE: The Tiny London Shop Behind Some of the Very Best Libraries | The New York Times

David Bowie’s Idea Of Perfect #Happiness Was #Reading | HuffPost + David Bowie’s List of 100 Favorite #Books… | Mashable #DavidBowie #RIP

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David Bowie’s Idea Of Perfect Happiness Was Reading | Huffington Post
According to his 1998 Proust Questionnaire, which is just as wonderfully weird as we hoped.

David Bowie’s List of 100 Favorite #Books… | Mashable
We all know David Bowie as a music and pop culture icon. But if you are hoping looking for a crash course in must-read literature, look no further than Bowie’s 100 favorite books…

 

Anne of Green Gables is coming to CBC | Quill and Quire #adaptations #books #TV #Canada

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An updated version just seems wrong…the original was perfection...

An updated take on Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic Anne of Green Gables is on its way, this time in the form of a TV series from CBC. READ MORE: Anne of Green Gables is coming to CBC Television | Quill and Quire

Is This The Most Technologically Advanced Book Ever Published? | FastCompany #books #publishing #science #interactive #personalization #startups #tech

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It began as an audacious side project. Three dads and an uncle got together to make a personalized book for children. The Little Boy/Girl Who Lost His/Her Name, in which any child’s name, thanks to some nifty algorithms, dictates the plot turns, became a surprise hit. It was the bestselling picture book in the U.K. last year. This week, it topped a million copies sold worldwide (to actual customers, mind you, not retailers).

How do you follow up that sort of debut? Lost My Name, the London startup that grew out of the project—part tech company, part book publisher, and backed by Google Ventures and others—just launched its second personalized tale, The Incredible Intergalactic Journey Home. READ MORE: Is This The Most Technologically Advanced Book Ever Published? | FastCompany