"COVID-19 reminds us how acutely the virus can impact humanity. In fact, viruses existed long before the emergence of homo sapiens. In this book on the history of antiviral drug discovery, the human aspects are highlighted. In Chapter 1, the author regales us with several episodes where history was shaped by viruses causing smallpox, yellow fever, etc. The fascinating history of the first discovery of virus, tobacco mosaic virus, was also recounted. Chapters 2-5 covered four classes of viruses such as HIV, hepatitis viruses, influenza viruses and coronaviruses. Each chapter begins how the virus was discovered, followed by vaccine development, and then focuses on the discovery of small molecule antiviral drugs. For chemistry aficionados, the end of the book is replete with abundant of bibliography for further understanding of the minutia of the stories, followed by molecular structures of the antiviral drugs. This book is of interest to anyone who wants to know the science behind virus, vaccines and antiviral drugs. It is especially useful for healthcare professionals who are interested in knowing how viruses, vaccines and antiviral drugs are discovered"--

In 'SF Ultimate Collection: Space Adventure & Alien Invasion Tales' by Garrett P. Serviss, readers are immersed in a captivating collection of science fiction stories that explore themes of space exploration, alien encounters, and humanity's place in the cosmos. Written in a fast-paced and engaging literary style, Serviss combines thrilling adventures with thought-provoking ideas, making this book a must-read for fans of the genre. With a nod to the literary context of early science fiction writing, Serviss's work stands out for its imaginative storytelling and vivid descriptions of otherworldly landscapes and creatures. Garrett P. Serviss, known for his groundbreaking contributions to early science fiction literature, brings a wealth of knowledge and imagination to the pages of this collection. Inspired by the scientific advancements and technological innovations of his time, Serviss's stories often reflect the fears and aspirations of a society on the brink of an unknown future. I recommend 'SF Ultimate Collection: Space Adventure & Alien Invasion Tales' to anyone interested in classic science fiction literature and fans of space exploration and alien encounters. Serviss's remarkable storytelling and visionary ideas will leave readers eagerly turning the pages, eager to explore the uncharted territories of the galaxy.

ROBERT MERRY’S BRILLIANT AND HIGHLY ACCLAIMED HISTORY OF A CRUCIAL EPOCH IN U.S. HISTORY. In a one-term presidency, James K. Polk completed the story of America’s Manifest Destiny—extending its territory across the continent by threatening England with war and manufacturing a controversial and unpopular two-year war with Mexico.

Medieval Islamic society set great store by the transmission of history: to edify, argue legal points, explain present conditions, offer political and religious legitimacy, and entertain. Modern scholars, too, have had much to say about the usefulness of early Islamic history-writing, although this debate has traditionally focused overwhelmingly on the central Islamic lands. This book looks instead at local and regional history-writing in Medieval Iberia. Drawing on numerous Arabic texts – historical, geographical and biographical – composed and transmitted in al-Andalus, North Africa and the Islamic east between the ninth and fourteenth centuries, Nicola Clarke offers a nuanced and detailed analysis of narratives about the eighth-century Muslim conquest of Iberia. Comparing how individual episodes, characters, and themes are treated in different texts, and how this treatment relates to intellectual debates, literary trends, and socio-political conditions at the time of writing, she shows how competing priorities shaped myriad variations on a single story and how the scholars and patrons of a corner of the Islamic world distant from Baghdad viewed their own history. Offering a framework in which historians of Christian Iberia (and of Christian Europe more generally) can approach and make sense of culturally-significant texts from Muslim Iberia, this book will also be relevant to broader debates about the historiography of early Islam. As such, it will be of great interest to scholars of historiography, world history and Islamic studies.