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Cosmology for Physicists (Series in Astronomy and Astrophysics)
by David LythWritten by an award-winning cosmologist, this brand new textbook provides advanced undergraduate and graduate students with coverage of the very latest developments in the observational science of cosmology. The book is separated into three parts; part I covers particle physics and general relativity, part II explores an account of the known history of the universe, and part III studies inflation. Full treatment of the origin of structure, scalar fields, the cosmic microwave background and the early universe are provided. Problems are included in the book with solutions provided in a separate solutions manual. More advanced extension material is offered in the Appendix, ensuring the book is fully accessible to students with a wide variety of background experience. Features: Incorporates the latest experimental results, at a time of rapid change in the field Explores the origin of structure and the Cosmic Microwave Background Includes an extensive number of problems and a corresponding solutions manual
Cosmology in Gauge Field Theory and String Theory
by D. Bailin A. LoveCosmology in Gauge Field Theory and String Theory focuses on the cosmological implications of the gauge theories of particle physics and of string theory. The book first examines the universe's series of phase transitions in which the successive gauge symmetries of the higher-temperature phase were spontaneously broken after the big bang, discussing relics of these phase transitions, more generic relics (baryons, neutrinos, axions), and supersymmetric particles (neutralinos and gravitinos). The author next studies supersymmetric theory, supergravity theory, and the constraints on the underlying field theory of the universe's inflationary era. The book concludes with a discussion of black hole solutions of the supergravity theory that approximates string theory at low energies and the insight that string theory affords into the microscopic origin of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy.Cosmology in Gauge Field Theory and String Theory provides a modern introduction to these important problems from a particle physicist's perspective. It is intended as an introductory textbook for a first course on the subject at a graduate level.
Cosmology in the Early Modern Age: A Web of Ideas (Logic, Epistemology, and the Unity of Science #56)
by Paolo Bussotti Brunello LottiThis volume addresses the history and epistemology of early modern cosmology. The authors reconstruct the development of cosmological ideas in the age of ‘scientific revolution’ from Copernicus to Leibniz, taking into account the growth of a unified celestial-and-terrestrial mechanics. The volume investigates how, in the rise of the new science, cosmology displayed deep and multifaceted interrelations between scientific notions (stemming from mechanics, mathematics, geometry, astronomy) and philosophical concepts. These were employed to frame a general picture of the universe, as well as to criticize and interpret scientific notions and observational data.This interdisciplinary work reconstructs a conceptual web pervaded by various intellectual attitudes and drives. It presents an historical–epistemological unified itinerary which includes Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Descartes, Huygens, Newton and Leibniz. For each of the scientists and philosophers, a presentation and commentary is made of their cosmological views, and where relevant, outlines of their most relevant physical concepts are given. Furthermore, the authors highlight the philosophical and epistemological implications of their scientific works. This work is helpful both as a synthetic overview of early modern cosmology, and an analytical exposition of the elements that were intertwined in early-modern cosmology. This book addresses historians, philosophers, and scientists and can also be used as a research source book by post-graduate students in epistemology, history of science and history of philosophy.
Cosmology in Theological Perspective: Understanding Our Place in the Universe
by Olli-Pekka VainioOlli-Pekka Vainio, a leading expert in science and theology, explores questions concerning the place and significance of humans in the cosmos. Vainio introduces cosmology from a "state of the question" perspective, examining the history of the idea in dialogue with C. S. Lewis. This work, which is related to a NASA-funded project on astrobiology, ties into the ongoing debate on the relationship between Christian theism and scientific worldview and shows what the stakes are for religion and theology in the rise of modern science.
The Cosmonaut Who Couldn't Stop Smiling: The Life And Legend Of Yuri Gagarin
by Andrew Jenks"Let’s go!" With that, the boyish, grinning Yuri Gagarin launched into space on April 12, 1961, becoming the first human being to exit Earth’s orbit. The twenty-seven-year-old lieutenant colonel departed for the stars from within the shadowy world of the Soviet military-industrial complex. Barbed wires, no-entry placards, armed guards, false identities, mendacious maps, and a myriad of secret signs had hidden Gagarin from prying outsiders not even his friends or family knew what he had been up to. Coming less than four years after the Russians launched Sputnik into orbit, Gagarin’s voyage was cause for another round of capitalist shock and Soviet rejoicing. The Cosmonaut Who Couldn’t Stop Smiling relates this twentieth-century icon’s remarkable life while exploring the fascinating world of Soviet culture.
The Cosmonaut Who Couldn’t Stop Smiling: The Life and Legend of Yuri Gagarin (NIU Series in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies)
by Andrew L. Jenks“Let's go!” With that, the boyish, grinning Yuri Gagarin launched into space on April 12, 1961, becoming the first human being to exit Earth's orbit. The twenty-seven-year-old lieutenant colonel departed for the stars from within the shadowy world of the Soviet military-industrial complex. Barbed wires, no-entry placards, armed guards, false identities, mendacious maps, and a myriad of secret signs had hidden Gagarin from prying outsiders—not even his friends or family knew what he had been up to. Coming less than four years after the Russians launched Sputnik into orbit, Gagarin's voyage was cause for another round of capitalist shock and Soviet rejoicing. The Cosmonaut Who Couldn't Stop Smiling relates this twentieth-century icon's remarkable life while exploring the fascinating world of Soviet culture. Gagarin's flight brought him massive international fame—in the early 1960s, he was possibly the most photographed person in the world, flashing his trademark smile while rubbing elbows with the varied likes of Nehru, Castro, Queen Elizabeth II, and Italian sex symbol Gina Lollobrigida. Outside of the spotlight, Andrew L. Jenks reveals, his tragic and mysterious death in a jet crash became fodder for morality tales and conspiracy theories in his home country, and, long after his demise, his life continues to provide grist for the Russian popular-culture mill. This is the story of a legend, both the official one and the one of myth, which reflected the fantasies, perversions, hopes and dreams of Gagarin's fellow Russians. With this rich, lively chronicle of Gagarin's life and times, Jenks recreates the elaborately secretive world of space-age Russia while providing insights into Soviet history that will captivate a range of readers.
The Cosmos: An Eye-Opening Look at Our Sun, Its Planets, and Their Moons (Idiot's Guides)
by Christopher De PreeMajor new discoveries in space are made almost weekly and there is so much for any new enthusiast to learn and explore. Beginning with the solar system, the Sun, all its planets, major moons, and other features, such as the asteroid belt, Idiot's Guides: The Cosmos is packed with information and features the best photos from various explorations. Beautiful photography and detailed descriptions of the various types of masses are compared to Earth-- making the information as easy to grasp as possible. The book also explores the Milky Way, the various star types, including black holes, galaxy filaments, and much more.Idiot's Guides: The Cosmos is a fascinating and easy-to-understand exploration of the universe. Dozens of stunning, full-color photos highlight the latest discoveries and beauty of space, including the solar system, the Sun, the asteroid belt, the Milky Way, various star types, black holes, and more.
Cosmos: Explore the Wonders of the Universe (DK Secret World Encyclopedias)
by DKAstonishing images bring every corner of the universe, from Mars to the farthest galaxies, to the printed page.Cosmos is a visually captivating journey through the universe and is as expansive as the cosmos itself. It covers everything from the asteroid belt to deep space probes, the ISS to the Oort Cloud, the Big Bang to the end of the universe, and (just about) everything in between. It presents space as humanity has never seen it before, featuring the latest images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, and a wealth of new pictures that also includes panoramic views of the surface of Mars and images captured by probes that have landed for the first time on comets and asteroids.Cosmos is a tour through space, starting with the sun and inner solar system then moving through the outer planets and into the Milky Way and finally the realm of distant galaxies. The gorgeous images are supported by illustrations that dissect the image or explain the processes going on, such as star birth or the workings of supermassive black holes. Throughout the book are features on the technology of space exploration, the history of astronomy, and our cultural connection to the night sky. With a clear, stylish, pared-back design, Cosmos is a perfect introduction to the wonders of the universe for young and old astronomers alike. Make time for space time!
Cosmos: An Illustrated History of Astronomy and Cosmology
by John D. NorthFor millennia humans have studied the skies to help them grow crops, navigate the seas, and earn favor from their gods. We still look to the stars today for answers to fundamental questions: How did the universe begin? Will it end, and if so, how? What is our place within it? John North has been examining such questions for decades. In Cosmos, he offers a sweeping historical survey of the two sciences that help define our place in the universe: astronomy and cosmology. Organizing his history chronologically, North begins by examining Paleolithic cave drawings that clearly chart the phases of the moon. He then investigates scientific practices in the early civilizations of Egypt, Greece, China, and the Americas (among others), whose inhabitants developed sophisticated methods to record the movements of the planets and stars. Trade routes and religious movements, North notes, brought these ancient styles of scientific thinking to the attention of later astronomers, whose own theories-- such as Copernicus' planetary theory-- led to the Scientific Revolution. The work of master astronomers, including Ptolemy, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton, is described in detail, as are modern-day developments in astrophysics, such as the advent of radio astronomy, the brilliant innovations of Einstein, and the many recent discoveries brought about with the help of the Hubble telescope. This new edition brings North's seminal book right up to the present day, as North takes a closer look at last year's reclassification of Pluto as a "dwarf" planet and gives a thorough overview of current research. With more than two hundred illustrations and a comprehensive bibliography, Cosmos is the definitive history of astronomy and cosmology. It is sure to find an eager audience among historians of science and astronomers alike.
The Cosmos: Astronomy in the New Millennium
by Jay M. Pasachoff Alex FilippenkoThe fifth edition of The Cosmos: Astronomy in the New Millennium provides you with the fundamentals of astronomical knowledge that have been built up over decades, with an expanded discussion of the incredible advances that are now taking place in this fast-paced field, such as New Horizons' flyby of Pluto, exoplanets, 'dark matter', and the direct detection of gravitational waves by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). Written in a clear and easily understandable style, this textbook has been thoroughly revised to include updated data and figures, new images from recent space missions and telescopes, the latest discoveries on supernovae, and new observations of the region around the four-million-solar-mass black hole at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. A rich array of teaching and learning resources is available at http://thecosmos5.com. The website is regularly updated to include the latest discoveries and photographs in the field.
The Cosmos
by Jay M. Pasachoff Alex FilippenkoJay Pasachoff and Alex Filippenko combine extensive research experience (including years of research in such areas as radio astronomy, solar eclipses, supernovae, active galaxies, black holes, and cosmology), teaching experience, and textbook-writing experience to offer a book that is unparalleled in its ability to present the latest science in a way that students can understand. This brief and beautifully illustrated text ? one of the briefest available for the course ? offers concise coverage of a wide range of astronomical topics. An early discussion of the scientific method stresses its importance in the verification of observations. The authors emphasize the study of origins in this text, first by singling out specifics in the headings of each chapter and then by dealing with a variety of relevant material in the text itself. This new edition includes a new chapter on the dozens of exoplanets that are being discovered around other stars. Automatically packaged with TheSky? CD-ROM and four months' free access to InfoTrac College Edition, the new edition extends student learning opportunities beyond the walls of the classroom.
Cosmos
by Carl SaganThis visually stunning book with over 250 full-color illustrations, many of them never before published, is based on Carl Sagan's thirteen-part television series. <P><P>Told with Sagan's remarkable ability to make scientific ideas both comprehensible and exciting, Cosmos is about science in its broadest human context, how science and civilization grew up together. <P><P>The book also explores spacecraft missions of discovery of the nearby planets, the research in the Library of ancient Alexandria, the human brain, Egyptian hieroglyphics, the origin of life, the death of the Sun, the evolution of galaxies and the origins of matter, suns and worlds. <P><P>Sagan retraces the fifteen billion years of cos-mic evolution that have transformed matter into life and consciousness, enabling the Cosmos to wonder about itself. He considers the latest findings on life elsewhere and how we might communicate with the beings of other worlds. <P><P>Cosmos is the story of our long journey of discovery and the forces and individuals who helped to shape modern science, including Democritus, Hypatia, Kepler, Newton, Huygens, Champollion, Lowell and Humason. <P><P> Sagan looks at our planet from an extra-terrestrial vantage point and sees a blue jewel-like world, inhabited by a lifeform that is just beginning to discover its own unity and to ven-ture into the vast ocean of space.
The Cosmos and the Creative Imagination
by Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka Patricia Trutty-CoohillThe essays in this book respond to Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka's recent call to explore the relationship between the evolution of the universe and the process of self-individuation in the ontopoietic unfolding of life. The essays approach the sensory manifold in a number of ways. They show that theories of modern science become a strategy for the phenomenological study of works of art, and vice versa. Works of phenomenology and of the arts examine how individual spontaneity connects with the design(s) of the logos - of the whole and of the particulars - while the design(s) rest not on some human concept, but on life itself. Life's pliable matrices allow us to consider the expansiveness of contemporary science, and to help create a contemporary phenomenological sense of cosmos.
The Cosmos Economy: The Industrialization of Space
by Jack GreggIf man’s next big step is to live and work in space, then what will everyone do out there that is so different from what we are now doing here on Earth? As the future of space comes into focus it is clear that profit and power are the core elements of the new space economy. This entertaining and informative book looks at human settlement in space as a mainstream business opportunity for investors, entrepreneurs and far-sighted individuals seeking to secure their place in the innovative commercial space sector. Dr. Jack Gregg presents a unique 5-phase development roadmap that shows how space will grow from a frontier economy to a mature integrated market. Written in simple, non-technical language, this book answers such questions as:• What is the new industrial space economy?• What are the challenges and roadblocks on the way to a robust space economy?• How will the rapid growth of the new space economy impact commerce back on Earth?• How can one best invest in profitable space-related enterprises? The Cosmos Economy is for readers who hope to be better equipped and more informed about the new space economy; and Investors, entrepreneurs, and futurists who wants to learn how to take part in the business opportunities of the new high frontier of commercial space.
El cosmos en la palma de la mano
by Manuel Lozano Leyva¿Cómo podemos pedir que alguien imagine una distancia de dos mil millones de años luz? Con el objetivo de que el lector tenga una idea clara del universo en que vivimos, este libro presenta, de forma amena y pedagógica, aunque supeditada al rigor científico, el sistema solar, las galaxias, el origen y la estructura del Universo, el nacimiento, vida y muerte de las estrellas, la generación del Sol y sus planetas y, finalmente, el surgimiento de la vida. El lector podrá comprobar que la parte esencial de nuestro ser y nuestro entorno proviene del polvo de las estrellas, esparcido por doquier cuando éstas mueren.
El cosmos en la palma de la mano: Del Big Bang a nuestro origen en el polvo de estrellas
by Manuel Lozano LeyvaEl cosmos y el origen de la vida narrado como una apasionante historia con ejemplos comprensibles para todos los públicos. ¿Cómo podemos pedir que alguien imagine una distancia de dos mil millones de años luz para entender el universo? Con el objetivo de que el lector se asome al cosmos, sin experimentar el vértigo del profano, y tenga una idea clara del universo en que vivimos, El cosmos en la palma de la mano nos habla con la sencillez, la amenidad y el rigor científico a los que nos tiene acostumbrados Manuel Lozano Leyva, del sistema solar, las galaxias, el origen y la estructura del universo, el nacimiento, vida y muerte de las estrellas, la generación del sol y sus planetas y, finalmente, el surgimiento de la vida. Además, el lector encontrará explicados con claridad los fundamentos básicos de la mecánica cuántica, la física nuclear y la relatividad general, así como a algunos de los protagonistas más relevantes de la historia de la física y la astronomía, y al final de la lectura habrá podido comprobar que la parte esencial de nuestro ser y de nuestro entorno proviene del polvo de estrellas esparcido por doquier cuando éstas mueren. Reseñas:«Plantea un cosmos con proporciones humanas.»ABC «Se nota que en el libro ha unido sus dos pasiones: la astrofísica y la docencia.»Revista Fusión
Cosmos, Gods and Madmen: Frameworks in the Anthropologies of Medicine
by Littlewood LynchThe social anthropology of sickness and health has always been concerned with religious cosmologies: how societies make sense of such issues as prediction and control of misfortune and fate; the malevolence of others; the benevolence (or otherwise) of the mystical world; local understanding and explanations of the natural and ultra-human worlds. This volume presents differing categorizations and conflicts that occur as people seek to make sense of suffering and their experiences. Cosmologies, whether incorporating the divine or as purely secular, lead us to interpret human action and the human constitution, its ills and its healing and, in particular, ways which determine and limit our very possibilities.
Cosmos: Possible Worlds
by Ann DruyanThis sequel to Carl Sagan's blockbuster continues the electrifying journey through space and time, connecting with worlds billions of miles away and envisioning a future of science tempered with wisdom.Based on National Geographic's internationally-renowned television series, this groundbreaking and visually stunning book explores how science and civilization grew up together. From the emergence of life at deep-sea vents to solar-powered starships sailing through the galaxy, from the Big Bang to the intricacies of intelligence in many life forms, acclaimed author Ann Druyan documents where humanity has been and where it is going, using her unique gift of bringing complex scientific concepts to life. With evocative photographs and vivid illustrations, she recounts momentous discoveries, from the Voyager missions in which she and her husband, Carl Sagan, participated to Cassini-Huygens's recent insights into Saturn's moons. This breathtaking sequel to Sagan's masterpiece explains how we humans can glean a new understanding of consciousness here on Earth and out in the cosmos--again reminding us that our planet is a pale blue dot in an immense universe of possibility.
Cosmosapiens: Human Evolution from the Origin of the Universe
by John HandsThe book that transforms our understanding of what we are and where we came from. Specialist scientific fields are developing at incredibly swift speeds, but what can they really tell us about how the universe began and how we humans evolved to play such a dominant role on Earth? John Hands’s extraordinarily ambitious quest is to bring together this scientific knowledge and evaluate without bias or preconception all the theories and evidence about the origin and evolution of matter, life, consciousness, and humankind. This astonishing book provides the most comprehensive account yet of current ideas such as cosmic inflation, dark energy, the selfish gene, and neurogenetic determinism. In the clearest possible prose it differentiates the firmly established from the speculative and examines the claims of various fields such as string theory to approach a unified theory of everything. In doing so it challenges the orthodox consensus in those branches of cosmology, biology, and neuroscience that have ossified into dogma. Its striking analysis reveals underlying patterns of cooperation, complexification, and convergence that lead to the unique emergence in humans of a self-reflective consciousness that enables us to determine our future evolution. This groundbreaking book is destined to become a classic of scientific thinking. (67 black and white illustrations)
Cosserat Continuum Mechanics: With Applications To Granular Media (Lecture Notes in Applied and Computational Mechanics #87)
by Ioannis VardoulakisThis textbook explores the theory of Cosserat continuum mechanics, and covers fundamental tools, general laws and major models, as well as applications to the mechanics of granular media. While classical continuum mechanics is based on the axiom that the stress tensor is symmetric, theories such as that expressed in the seminal work of the brothers Eugène and François Cosserat are characterized by a non-symmetric stress tensor. The use of von Mises motor mechanics is introduced, for the compact mathematical description of the mechanics and statics of Cosserat continua, as the Cosserat continuum is a manifold of oriented “rigid particles” with 3 dofs of displacement and 3 dofs of rotation, rather than a manifold of points with 3 dofs of displacement. Here, the analysis is restricted to infinitesimal particle displacements and rotations. This book is intended as a valuable supplement to standard Continuum Mechanics courses, and graduate students as well as researchers in mechanics and applied mathematics will benefit from its self-contained text, which is enriched by numerous examples and exercises.
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Groundwater Policy and Projects, with Case Studies: Groundwater Economics, Volume 2
by Charles A. JobThe competition for groundwater sources as a water supply reinforces the need for a strong economic rationale in decision-making. Evaluating economic decisions in the context of total water management and life-cycle water use is essential to making critical development and remediation choices. This revised volume provides fundamental economic and policy concepts related to groundwater, discusses important factors in life-cycle cost-benefit evaluation and explains triple-bottom-line analysis for different groundwater projects. It includes new and updated case studies on groundwater issues with solutions for a range of situations based on economic data. FEATURES OF THIS VOLUME Provides an understanding for the fundamental economic approaches to groundwater policy and project evaluation Incorporates life-cycle cost-benefit approaches in a triple-bottom-line framework Includes new case studies on the economics of health protection, managed aquifer recharge, local versus regional supply and strategic life-cycle analysis Addresses local and regional groundwater economic choices through a series of practical applications Explores transboundary, international, climate change and macroeconomic factors influencing groundwater project and program decisions Cost-Benefit Analysis of Groundwater Policy and Projects, with Case Studies, Second Edition, the second volume of the two-volume set Groundwater Economics, is a must-have for any professional or student who needs to understand and evaluate water resources and manage their use from a variety of sustainable approaches.
Cost-efficient Wastewater Treatment Technologies: Natural Systems (The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry #117)
by Mahmoud Nasr Abdelazim M. NegmThis is the first of two volumes that together provide a comprehensive overview of the current sustainable and low-cost wastewater treatment technologies applied in communities that lack the financial and technical resources needed for an environmental, disease prevention and health nexus.This book reviews natural wastewater treatment technologies and traces the current challenges in wastewater management and sustainability. Divided into 4 themed parts, the chapters from expert contributors cover topics such as simplified and low-energy natural treatment facilities, bioremediation and biotechnology for green future, environmental impact assessment of wastewater reuse, wastewater management and sustainability for irrigation, high-performance and cost-effective biosorbents for heavy metals removal, and eco-friendly nanomaterials for wastewater environmental management. The readers will discover essential recommendations for improving natural treatment systems to withstand emerging contaminants, namely, endocrine disruption chemicals, surfactants, personal care products, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. Readers will also find valuable guidelines to ensure sustainable and innovative solutions for wastewater treatment in the light of climate change, resource, demand, and funding challenges.Given the breadth and depth of its coverage, the book offers an invaluable source of information for researchers, students and environmental managers alike.
Cost-efficient Wastewater Treatment Technologies: Engineered Systems (The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry #118)
by Abdelazim M. Negm Mahmoud NasrThis is the second of two volumes that together provide a comprehensive overview of the current sustainable and low-cost wastewater treatment technologies applied in communities that lack the financial and technical resources needed for an environmental, disease prevention and health nexus. This book reviews engineered wastewater treatment technologies and discusses their application in regard to greenhouse gas emissions, natural resource utilization, land-use, and energy and water savings. The chapters from expert contributors cover topics such as aerobic and anaerobic biological treatments, chemical treatments and precipitation, and disinfection. Readers will also learn about simplified and low-energy wastewater treatment plants, strategies for wastewater reuse, and nanotechnologies for wastewater environmental management. The feasibility regarding time and cost of implementing such technologies is also discussed in this book, and particular attention is given to the removal of conventional and emerging pollutants, toxicants, and heavy metals. Given the breadth and depth of its coverage, the book offers an invaluable source of information for researchers, students and environmental managers alike.
The COST Manual of Laboratory Animal Care and Use: Refinement, Reduction, and Research
by Mustafa AlshawiCOST (European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research) is an intergovernmental initiative in science and research intended to promote the coordination of nationally funded research in Europe. Four working groups discuss the housing of animals, their environmental needs, refinement of procedures, genetically modified animals, and cost-benefit analysis. Based on the activities of these working groups, this book provides the European best practices for individuals and institutions working with laboratory animals. The text also discusses the ethical evaluation of experiments and procedures involving animals.
Costa Rican Ecosystems
by Maarten KappelleIn the more than thirty years since the publication of Daniel H. Janzen’s classic Costa Rican Natural History, research in this small but astonishingly biodiverse, well-preserved, and well-studied Latin American nation has evolved from a species-level approach to the study of entire ecosystems. And from the lowland dry forests of Guanacaste to the montane cloud forests of Monteverde, from the seasonal forests of the Central Valley to the coastal species assemblages of Tortuguero, Costa Rica has proven to be as richly diverse in ecosystems as it is in species. In Costa Rican Ecosystems, Maarten Kappelle brings together a collection of the world’s foremost experts on Costa Rican ecology—outstanding scientists such as Daniel H. Janzen, Jorge Cortés, Jorge A. Jiménez, Sally P. Horn, Robert O. Lawton, Quírico Jiménez M., Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, Catherine M. Pringle, and Eduardo Carrillo J., among others—to offer the first comprehensive account of the diversity, structure, function, uses, and conservation of Costa Rica’s ecosystems. Featuring a foreword and introductory remarks by two renowned leaders in biodiversity science and ecological conservation, Thomas E. Lovejoy and Rodrigo Gámez Lobo, in addition to chapters highlighting the geology, soils, and climate of Costa Rica, as well as the ecosystems of its terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats, and including previously unpublished information on Isla del Coco, this beautiful color-illustrated book will be an essential reference for academic scientists, students, natural history guides, conservationists, educators, park guards, and visitors alike.