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Lasers in the Conservation of Artworks VIII
by Roxana Radvan John F. Asmus Marta Castillejo Paraskevi Pouli Austin NevinLaser techniques offer possibilities for the examination and conservation of artwork, and for the prevention of cultural heritage. This collection of peer reviewed papers from the 8th International Conference on Lasers in the Conservation of Artworks, Sibiu, Romania, September 21-25, 2009, addresses various aspects of cultural heritage preservation
Lasers-Induced Plasmas and Applications
by Leon J. RadziemskiThis book discusses the physics of plasma initiation and reviews the features of dissipating, propagating plasmas. It deals with advances in diagnostics for high-energy, laser-fusion plasmas. The book reviews the basic physical processes, plasma characteristics of the "continuous optical discharge".
Lasers with Nuclear Pumping
by S. P. Melnikov A. A. Sinyanskii A. N. Sizov George H. MileyThis book covers the history of lasers with nuclear pumping (Nuclear Pumped Lasers, NPLs). This book showcases the most important results and stages of NPL development in The Russian Federal Nuclear Center (VNIIEF) as well as other Russian and international laboratories, including laboratories in the United States. The basic science and technology behind NPLs along with potential applications are covered throughout the book. As the first comprehensive discussion of NPLs, students, researchers, and application engineers interested in high energy lasers will find this book to be an extremely valuable source of information about these unique lasers.
Lash-Up
by Larry BondNew York Times bestselling author Larry Bond thrills again in Lash-Up, an explosive new novel. In a bid to dominate Asia and the western Pacific, China provokes a military crisis with the United States and then starts shooting down GPS satellites. America has only a short amount of time to devise some way of protecting its remaining satellites or China will gain an enormous advantage in the coming conflict. The only way the satellites can be protected is from orbit, so an armed spacecraft must be quickly designed, built, and launched to fight on this new battlefield.A team of soldier-scientists must construct a craft capable of knocking space weapons out of the sky. The fate of the United States rests on the shoulders of these determined people.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
The Last American Hero: The Remarkable Life of John Glenn
by Alice L. GeorgeOn February 20, 1962, John Glenn became a national star. That morning at Cape Canaveral, a small-town boy from Ohio took his place atop a rocket and soared into orbit to score a victory in the heavily contested Cold War. The television images were blurry black-and-white phantoms. The cameras shook as the rocket moved, but by the end of the day, one thing was clear: a new hero rode that rocket and became the center of the world's attention for the four hours and fifty-five minutes of his flight. He became celebrated in all corners of the world as not just the first American to orbit the Earth, but as the first space traveler to take the human race with him. From that day forward, Glenn restively wore the hero label. Wherever he went, people knew his name and what he had done. Refusing to let that dramatic day define his life, he went on to become a four-term US senator—and returned to space at the age of seventy-seven. The Last American Hero examines the many layers that formed the man and unravels the reasons for his singular role. He was a creation of the media, in some ways, but he was also a product of the Cold War. Not even Glenn himself seemed to fully understand his celebrity. He was a war hero, a two-time astronaut, a veteran senator, a devoted husband, a father, and much more. At a time when increasingly cynical Americans need heroes, his aura burns brightly in American memory.
The Last Beautiful Girl
by Nina LaurinFans of Black Mirror and There's Someone Inside Your House will devour this disturbing story about a dark descent into social media fame. Izzy is determined to use her family's new mansion, and the treasures inside, to outshine everyone in her new town, even when it's clear that something—or someone—in the house has deadly intentions...When Isabella Brixton is forced to move from New York City to a tiny town, she's not thrilled. The silver lining is the gorgeous old mansion she now calls home. As the former residence of a glamorous patron of the arts and muse who died many decades ago, the house has its quirks: whole floors are boarded up, old paintings are covered, and cell reception is nonexistent.Isa is ready to hate her new life, but things turn around when her classmate Alexa, a skilled photographer, suggests they start an Instagram account featuring portraits of Isa inside the mansion. Wearing gowns and jewelry hidden away in the house, Isa looks perfect in the unfiltered photos—almost unnaturally so—and they quickly go viral. Soon she's got a new best friend, a potential boyfriend, and is surrounded by a group of girls who want the photoshoots and fame for themselves. But there's a darkness in the house, and a darkness growing in Isa, too. When girls start getting hurt, it's clear that something—or someone—in the house is growing in power, with deadly intentions.
The Last Book You'll Ever Read and Other Lessons from the Future
by Frank Ogden"The only constant is change. Learn to love it. As the rate of change accelerates, the result will appear chaotic to the uninitiated. But there is elegant order in chaos. Few so far have learned to recognize and profit from it. This is where the future lies."<P> From his houseboat moored in Vancouver harbor — a floating electronic cottage — Frank Ogden monitors the world by computer phone link and satellite dish. His boundless curiosity, his gift for extrapolation, and his ability to synthesize information have made him one of the world's foremost futurists.<P> A consultant to corporations, professional organizations, and government agencies, he is in constant demand as a catalyst of change, stimulating his clients to think creatively about the future and their place in it.<P> Ogden has led a life of profitable nonconformity. Born in Toronto, he was educated in Canada and the United States before serving as a flight engineer in the Second World War. He has since done everything from selling airplanes to joining a team of therapists researching LSD at Hollywood Hospital. He helped establish Canada's first think-tank, was a founding member of the World Future Society in Canada, and in 1989 was elected a Fellow of the Explorers Club in New York.<P> Today Frank Ogden travels the world tirelessly, fascinated as ever by the process of change, seeking out the latest trends, and thinking about where they're leading us. How will the technological revolution affect the way we live? What will the Information Age ultimately mean for the "knows" and the "know-nots"? Is the next millennium to be feared or embraced?<P> Draw from his popular seminars and syndicated "Dr. Tomorrow" newspaper column, The Last Book You'll Ever Read is a sampling of the provocative insights and useful predictions that have made Frank Ogden, in the words of the Los Angeles Times, "possibly the world's most up-to-date futurist."
Last Days of the Concorde: The Crash of Flight 4590 and the End of Supersonic Passenger Travel (Air Disasters #3)
by Samme ChittumThe gripping true tale of a devastating plane crash, the investigation into its causes, and the race to prevent similar disasters in the future.On July 25, 2000, a Concorde, the world's fastest passenger plane, was taking off from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris when it suddenly burst into flames. An airliner capable of flying at more than twice the speed of sound, the Concorde had completed 25 years of successful flights, whisking wealthy passengers--from diplomats to rock stars to corporate titans--between continents on brief and glamorous flights. Yet on this fateful day, the chartered Concorde jet, en route to America, crashed and killed all 109 passengers and crew onboard and four people on the ground. Urgent questions immediately arose as investigators scrambled to discover what had gone wrong. What caused the fire? Could it have been prevented? And, most urgently, was the Concorde safe to fly? Last Days of the Concorde addresses these issues and many more, offering a fascinating insider's look at the dramatic disaster, the hunt for clues, and the systemic overhauls that followed the crash.
The Last Exit: A Jen Lu Mystery (A Jen Lu Mystery)
by Michael KaufmanPerfect for fans of Ben Winters and Cory Doctorow. In this thrilling near-future novel, the secret to eternal life is closely guarded by people who will do anything to protect it--even if it means destroying everything in their path. Set in Washington D.C. in the near future, climate change has hit hard, fires are burning, unemployment is high, and controversial longevity treatments are only available to the very rich. Enter resourceful young police detective, Jen B. Lu, and her 'partner', Chandler, a SIM implant in her brain and her instant link to the Internet and police records, and constant voice inside her head. He's an inquisitive tough guy, with a helluva sense of humor and his own ideas about solving crimes.As a detective in the Elder Abuse unit, Jen is supposed to be investigating kids pushing their aging parents to "exit" so they are eligible to get the longevity drug. But what really has her attention are the persistent rumors about Eden, an illegal version of the longevity drug, and the bizarre outbreak of people aging almost overnight, then suddenly dying--is this all connected? Is Big Pharma involved?When Jen's investigations of Eden take her too close to the truth, she is suspended, Chandler is deactivated, and her boyfriend is freaked out by "the thing inside her brain." This leaves Jen to pursue a very dangerous investigation all by herself.
The Last Hostage: The Last Hostage And Blackout (The Kat Bronsky Thrillers #1)
by John J. NanceAn FBI hostage negotiator confronts a commercial pilot who has hijacked his own plane in this spellbinding thriller from New York Times–bestselling author John J. Nance Airline pilot Ken Wolfe does not rattle easily. But when he learns that Rudolph Bostich is on his flight, his face goes pale. Bostich, the presumptive nominee for US Attorney General, bungled the case against the man who kidnapped and killed Wolfe&’s daughter. The pilot is prepared to do whatever it takes to get revenge—even setting off a bomb on a plane full of passengers. FBI agent, psychologist, and rookie hostage negotiator Kat Bronsky now has one hundred and thirty lives riding on her every word. As Bronsky speaks with the volatile Wolfe, she realizes she must solve the mystery of an eleven-year-old girl&’s murder—in a matter of hours—to avert disaster.
The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World
by Allison J. PughA timely and urgent argument for preserving the work that connects us in the age of automationWith the rapid development of artificial intelligence and labor-saving technologies like self-checkouts and automated factories, the future of work has never been more uncertain, and even jobs requiring high levels of human interaction are no longer safe. The Last Human Job explores the human connections that underlie our work, arguing that what people do for each other in these settings is valuable and worth preserving.Drawing on in-depth interviews and observations with people in a broad range of professions—from physicians, teachers, and coaches to chaplains, therapists, caregivers, and hairdressers—Allison Pugh develops the concept of &“connective labor,&” a kind of work that relies on empathy, the spontaneity of human contact, and a mutual recognition of each other&’s humanity. The threats to connective labor are not only those posed by advances in AI or apps; Pugh demonstrates how profit-driven campaigns imposing industrial logic shrink the time for workers to connect, enforce new priorities of data and metrics, and introduce standardized practices that hinder our ability to truly see each other. She concludes with profiles of organizations where connective labor thrives, offering practical steps for building a social architecture that works.Vividly illustrating how connective labor enriches the lives of individuals and binds our communities together, The Last Human Job is a compelling argument for us to recognize, value, and protect humane work in an increasingly automated and disconnected world.
The Last Hunger Season
by Roger ThurowAt 4:00 am, Leonida Wanyama lit a lantern in her house made of sticks and mud. She was up long before the sun to begin her farm work, as usual. But this would be no ordinary day, this second Friday of the new year. This was the day Leonida and a group of smallholder farmers in western Kenya would begin their exodus, as she said, “from misery to Canaan,” the land of milk and honey. Africa’s smallholder farmers, most of whom are women, know misery. They toil in a time warp, living and working essentially as their forebears did a century ago. With tired seeds, meager soil nutrition, primitive storage facilities, wretched roads, and no capital or credit, they harvest less than one-quarter the yields of Western farmers. The romantic ideal of African farmers––rural villagers in touch with nature, tending bucolic fields––is in reality a horror scene of malnourished children, backbreaking manual work, and profound hopelessness. Growing food is their driving preoccupation, and still they don’t have enough to feed their families throughout the year. Thewanjala––the annual hunger season that can stretch from one month to as many as eight or nine––abides. But in January 2011, Leonida and her neighbors came together and took the enormous risk of trying to change their lives. Award-winning author and world hunger activist Roger Thurow spent a year with four of them––Leonida Wanyama, Rasoa Wasike, Francis Mamati, and Zipporah Biketi––to intimately chronicle their efforts. InThe Last Hunger Season,he illuminates the profound challenges these farmers and their families face, and follows them through the seasons to see whether, with a little bit of help from a new social enterprise organization called One Acre Fund, they might transcend lives of dire poverty and hunger. The daily dramas of the farmers’ lives unfold against the backdrop of a looming global challenge: to feed a growing population, world food production must nearly double by 2050. If these farmers succeed, so might we all.
The Last Hunger Season: A Year in an African Farm Community on the Brink of Change
by Roger ThurowAt 4:00 am, Leonida Wanyama lit a lantern in her house made of sticks and mud. She was up long before the sun to begin her farm work, as usual. But this would be no ordinary day, this second Friday of the new year. This was the day Leonida and a group of smallholder farmers in western Kenya would begin their exodus, as she said, "from misery to Canaan," the land of milk and honey.Africa's smallholder farmers, most of whom are women, know misery. They toil in a time warp, living and working essentially as their forebears did a century ago. With tired seeds, meager soil nutrition, primitive storage facilities, wretched roads, and no capital or credit, they harvest less than one-quarter the yields of Western farmers. The romantic ideal of African farmers--rural villagers in touch with nature, tending bucolic fields--is in reality a horror scene of malnourished children, backbreaking manual work, and profound hopelessness. Growing food is their driving preoccupation, and still they don't have enough to feed their families throughout the year. The wanjala--the annual hunger season that can stretch from one month to as many as eight or nine--abides.But in January 2011, Leonida and her neighbors came together and took the enormous risk of trying to change their lives. Award-winning author and world hunger activist Roger Thurow spent a year with four of them--Leonida Wanyama, Rasoa Wasike, Francis Mamati, and Zipporah Biketi--to intimately chronicle their efforts. In The Last Hunger Season, he illuminates the profound challenges these farmers and their families face, and follows them through the seasons to see whether, with a little bit of help from a new social enterprise organization called One Acre Fund, they might transcend lives of dire poverty and hunger.The daily dramas of the farmers' lives unfold against the backdrop of a looming global challenge: to feed a growing population, world food production must nearly double by 2050. If these farmers succeed, so might we all.
Last in Their Class: Custer, Pickett and the Goats of West Point
by James S. RobbinsToday's Goat, the West Point cadet finishing at the bottom of his class, is a temporary celebrity among his classmates. But in the 19th century, he was something of a cult figure. Custer's contemporaries at the Academy believed that the same spirit of adventure that led him to carouse at local taverns motivated his dramatic cavalry attacks in the Civil War and afterwards. And the same willingness to accept punishment from Academy authorities also sent George Pickett into the teeth of the Union guns at Gettsyburg. The story James S. Robbins tells goes from the beginnings of West Point through the carnage of the Civil War to the grassy bluffs over the Little Big Horn. The Goats he profiles tell us much about the soul of the American solider, his daring, imagination and desire to prove himself against high odds.
The Last Lone Inventor: A Tale of Genius, Deceit, and the Birth of Television
by Evan I. Schwartz“…Fascinating… A riveting American classic of independent brilliance versus corporate arrogance. I found it more fun than fiction.” — James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers“… The fascinating inside story of how this eccentric loner invented television and fought corporate America.” — Walter Isaacson, chariman, CNN“…Compelling…Strong, dramatic prose…” — Kirkus Reviews“…A lively and engaging account.” — Library Journal“[A] gripping and eminently readable saga of the birth of television and the death of the Edisonian myth.” — Darwin magazine
The Last Man on the Moon: One Man's Part in Mankind's Greatest Adventure
by Eugene Cernan Don DavisFrom the Apollo 17 commander and NASA veteran, “an exciting, insider’s take on what it was like to become one of the first humans in space” (Publishers Weekly).Eugene Cernan was a unique American who came of age as an astronaut during the most exciting and dangerous decade of space flight. His career spanned the entire Gemini and Apollo programs, from being the first person to spacewalk all the way around our world to the moment when he left man’s last footprint on the moon as commander of Apollo 17.Between those two historic events lay more adventures than an ordinary person could imagine as Cernan repeatedly put his life, his family, and everything he held dear on the altar of an obsessive desire. Written with New York Times–bestselling author Don Davis, The Last Man on the Moon is the astronaut story never before told—about the fear, love, and sacrifice demanded of the few who dare to reach beyond the heavens.“Thrilling highlights . . . a book not just about space flight but also about the often-brutal competition that went on between the US and the Soviet Union.” —Washington Times“A fascinating book.” —Charlotte Observer
The Last Man Who Knew Everything: The Life and Times of Enrico Fermi, Father of the Nuclear Age
by David N. SchwartzThe definitive biography of the brilliant, charismatic, and very human physicist and innovator Enrico FermiIn 1942, a team at the University of Chicago achieved what no one had before: a nuclear chain reaction. At the forefront of this breakthrough stood Enrico Fermi. Straddling the ages of classical physics and quantum mechanics, equally at ease with theory and experiment, Fermi truly was the last man who knew everything--at least about physics. But he was also a complex figure who was a part of both the Italian Fascist Party and the Manhattan Project, and a less-than-ideal father and husband who nevertheless remained one of history's greatest mentors. Based on new archival material and exclusive interviews, The Last Man Who Knew Everything lays bare the enigmatic life of a colossus of twentieth century physics.
Last Mile Internet Access for Emerging Economies (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems #77)
by Wynand Lambrechts Saurabh SinhaThis book presents an investigative approach to globalization-driving technologies that efficiently deliver ubiquitous, last-mile, broadband internet access to emerging markets and rural areas. Research has shown that ubiquitous internet access boosts socio-economic growth through innovations in science and technology, and has a positive effect on the lives of individuals. Last-mile internet access in developing countries is not only intended to provide areas with stable, efficient, and cost-effective broadband capabilities, but also to encourage the use of connectivity for human capacity development. The book offers an overview of the principles of various technologies, such as light fidelity and millimeter-wave backhaul, as last-mile internet solutions and describes these potential solutions from a signal propagation perspective. It also provides readers with the notional context needed to understand their operation, benefits, and limitations, and enables them to investigate feasible and tailored solutions to ensure sustainable infrastructures that are expandable and maintainable.
The Last Notebook of Leonardo
by B. B. WurgePraise for Squiggle and Billy and the Birdfrogs:"The characters are exceptional, weird, true to life, funny, scary, different, and definitely perk the story . . . an exceptional job. . . . Children will truly enjoy this book."-Midwest Book Review"Billy survives by the sheer weight of its own insane internal logic. . . . For those funny-book junkies out there, Billy fulfills a need. Downright weird, and that's a-okay with me, it's worth a gander."-School Library Journal"One of the best books we have read this year . . . intelligent, well composed, with a strong narrative, likable characters, and just enough scariness and tension to make it hard to put down."-BooksForKids.com"Mystery, suspense, and conflict build a plot of nonstop adventure. Character development is superb . . . clever illustrations, delightful humor, and a marvelous story. . . . Entertaining, downright funny, and highly imaginative. A great read."-Midwest Book ReviewJem's father, a scientific genius, turns himself into a nine-foot orangutan. When their landlord suggests that they leave, they pack their belongings onto a huge wagon and set out on the ultimate adventure: to find the last resting place of Leonardo da Vinci, who, according to his last notebook, may not have died in Italy. They are joined by an old Indian woman, and the threesome's adventures lead to the most unlikely of places-and meetings. Tidbits of science, fun facts about da Vinci and his works, and B.B. Wurge's trademark wacky humor, minimalist illustrations, and lessons on the importance of family make this third novel as exciting as the last two.
The Last of NASA's Original Pilot Astronauts: Expanding the Space Frontier in the Late Sixties (Springer Praxis Books)
by Colin Burgess David J. ShaylerResulting from the authors' deep research into these two pre-Shuttle astronaut groups, many intriguing and untold stories behind the selection process are revealed in the book. The often extraordinary backgrounds and personal ambitions of these skilled pilots, chosen to continue NASA's exploration and knowledge of the space frontier, are also examined. In April 1966 NASA selected 19 pilot astronauts whose training was specifically targeted to the Apollo lunar landing missions and the Earth-orbiting Skylab space station. Three years later, following the sudden cancellation of the USAF's highly classified Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) project, seven military astronauts were also co-opted into NASA's space program. This book represents the final chapter by the authors in the story of American astronaut selections prior to the era of the Space Shuttle. Through personal interviews and original NASA documentation, readers will also gain a true insight into a remarkable age of space travel as it unfolded in the late 1960s, and the men who flew those historic missions.
The Last Plastic Straw: A Plastic Problem and Finding Ways to Fix It (Books for a Better Earth)
by Dee RomitoLearn how and why a useful, 5000-year-old invention has become a threat to our planet—and what you can do about it—in this history of the simple straw. <P><P> From reeds used by ancient Sumerians to bendy straws in World War II hospitals, people have changed the straw to fit their needs for 5000 years. Today however, this useful tool is contributing to the plastic problem polluting our oceans. Once again, the simple straw needs a reinvention. <P><P> With bright illustrations and well-researched text, children can read about the inventors behind the straw’s technological advancements, including primary sources like patents, as well as how disposable plastic harms the environment. See the newest solutions, from plastic straw alternatives to activism by real kids like Milo Cress who started the Be Straw Free campaign when he was 11 years old. <P><P> Learn about what kids can do to reduce plastic waste. The backmatter includes more information on the movement to stop plastic waste, action items kids can do, a bibliography, and additional resources on plastic pollution. <P><P><i>Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.</i>
The Last Raven (The Kenneth Aubrey & Patrick Hyde Series)
by Craig ThomasThe downing of a Russian military plane has dangerous global consequences in this spy thriller from the New York Times–bestselling &“master of suspense&” (The Pittsburgh Press). Spymaster Sir Kenneth Aubrey thinks operative Patrick Hyde is dead. Hyde is, in fact, alive, but after witnessing a military airline being shot down by a team including both KGB and CIA, he may not be for long. As Hyde tries to elude capture and get evidence to British intelligence, Aubrey is drawn into intrigue concerning the suspicious crash of a civilian airliner in America—and both will be racing against time to put the pieces together in this edge-of-your-seat thriller that ranges from Gorbachev&’s Russia to Central Asia to sunny California . . . &“Exciting . . . Aubrey and Hyde wear well.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“The denouement is stark and gripping.&” —Publishers Weekly
The Last Resort (A Jen Lu Mystery #2)
by Michael KaufmanMargaret Atwood meets Raymond Chandler meets Greta Thunberg: Jen Lu is back on the case when the death of a lawyer sparks an even more intriguing mystery in Michael Kaufman&’s second book in the thrilling series.It&’s March 2034, six months after D.C. police detective Jen Lu and Chandler, her sentient bio-computer and wannabe tough guy implanted in her brain, cracked the mystery of Eden. The climate crisis is hitting harder than ever: a mega-hurricane has devastated the eco-system and waves of refugees pour into Washington, D.C.Environmental lawyer and media darling Patty Garcia dies in a bizarre accident on a golf course. Of the seven billion people on the planet, only Jen thinks she was murdered. After all, Garcia just won a court case for massive climate change reparations to be paid out by oil, gas, and coal companies. Jen is warned off, but she and Chandler start digging. Signs point to Garcia&’s abusive ex, a former oil giant, but soon Jen turns up more suspects who have an even greater motive for committing murderSoon Jen is in the crosshairs of those who will ensure the truth never comes to light, no matter the cost. She has to move quickly before she becomes next on the killer&’s list.
The Last Seat in the House: The Story of Hanley Sound (American Made Music Series)
by John KaneKnown as the "Father of Festival Sound," Bill Hanley (b. 1937) made his indelible mark as a sound engineer at the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Fair. Hanley is credited with creating the sound of Woodstock, which literally made the massive festival possible. Stories of his on-the-fly solutions resonate as legend among festivalgoers, music lovers, and sound engineers. Since the 1950s his passion for audio has changed the way audiences listen to and technicians approach quality live concert sound. John Kane examines Hanley’s echoing impact on the entire field of sound engineering, that crucial but often-overlooked carrier wave of contemporary music. Hanley’s innovations founded the sound reinforcement industry and launched a new area of technology, rich with clarity and intelligibility. By the early seventies the post-Woodstock festival mass gathering movement collapsed. The music industry shifted, and new sound companies surfaced. After huge financial losses and facing stiff competition, Hanley lost his hold on a business he helped create. By studying both his history during the festivals and his independent business ventures, Kane seeks to present an honest portrayal of Hanley and his acumen and contributions. Since 2011, Kane conducted extensive research, including over one hundred interviews with music legends from the production and performance side of the industry. These carefully selected respondents witnessed Hanley’s expertise at various events and venues like Lyndon B. Johnson’s second inauguration, the Newport Folk/Jazz Festivals, the Beatles' final tour of 1966, the Fillmore East, Madison Square Garden, and more. The Last Seat in the House will intrigue and inform anyone who cares about the modern music industry.
The Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story of Astronomy's Vanishing Explorers
by Emily LevesqueThe story of the people who see beyond the starsHumans from the earliest civilizations were spellbound by the night sky-craning their necks each night, they used the stars to orient themselves in the large, strange world around them. Stargazing is a pursuit that continues to fascinate us: from Copernicus to Carl Sagan, astronomers throughout history have spent their lives trying to answer the biggest questions in the universe. Now, award-winning astronomer Emily Levesque shares the stories of modern-day stargazers, the people willing to adventure across high mountaintops and to some of the most remote corners of the planet, all in the name of science.From the lonely quiet of midnight stargazing to tall tales of wild bears loose in the observatory, The Last Stargazers is a love letter to astronomy and an affirmation of the crucial role that humans can and must play in the future of scientific discovery.In this sweeping work of narrative science, Levesque shows how astronomers in this scrappy and evolving field are going beyond the machines to infuse creativity and passion into the stars and inspires us all to peer skyward in pursuit of the universe's secrets.