The most important aspect of evolution, from a philosophical viewpoint, is the rise of complex, advanced creatures from simple, primitive ones. This "vertical" dimension of evolution has been downplayed, in large part because it was in the past associated with unsavory political views. This avoidance has, however, left evolutionary biology open to the perception that it deals merely with the diversification of similar creatures, all at the same level of "advancedness," from a common ancestor--for example, the classic case studies of finches with different beaks. The latest incarnation of creationism, dubbed Intelligent Design (or ID), has taken advantage of this. It portrays an evolutionary process that is guided--especially in its upward direction--by the hand of an unseen Creator, to ensure that it ends up producing humans. This book builds a persuasive picture of how "unaided" evolution produces advanced creatures from simple ones by an essentially accidental process.--From publisher description.

When a clumsy armadillo named Lola knocks over a glass pitcher, she sets off a silly chain of events, encountering chaos wherever she goes. But accidents happen—just ask the stoat snarled in spaghetti, the airborne sheep, and the bull who has broken a whole shop’s worth of china. In the tradition of beloved books like The Dot and Beautiful Oops, this charming, hilarious debut from author-illustrator Andrea Tsurumi shows that mistakes don’t have to be the end of the world.

Engaging essays that roam across uncertain territory, in search of sunken forests, unclassifiable islands, inflammable skies, plagiarized tabernacles, and other phenomena missing from architectural history. This collection by “architectural history's most beguiling essayist” (as Reinhold Martin calls the author in the book's foreword) illuminates the unfamiliar, the arcane, the obscure—phenomena largely missing from architectural and landscape history. These essays by Edward Eigen do not walk in a straight line, but roam across uncertain territory, discovering sunken forests, unclassifiable islands, inflammable skies, unvisited shores, plagiarized tabernacles. Taken together, these texts offer a group portrait of how certain things fall apart. We read about the statistical investigation of lightning strikes in France by the author-astronomer Camille Flammarion, which leads Eigen to reflect also on Foucault, Hamlet, and the role of the anecdote in architectural history. We learn about, among other things, Olmsted's role in transforming landscape gardening into landscape architecture; the connections among hedging, hedge funds, the High Line, and GPS bandwidth; timber-frame roofs and (spider) web-based learning; the archives of the Houses of Parliament through flood and fire; and what the 1898 disappearance and reappearance of the Trenton, New Jersey architect William W. Slack might tell us about the conflict between “the migratory impulse” and “love of home.” Eigen compares his essays to the “gathering up of seeds that fell by the wayside.” The seedlings that result create in the reader's imagination a dazzling display of the particular, the contingent, the incidental, and the singular, all in search of a narrative.

"From Harvard Yard to the Andes, a story of discovery, love, and loss." In 1985, three Harvard archaeology and anthropology graduate students travel to Peru to seek beauty, culture, and ancient ruins. While exploring the remote, snow-capped eastern slopes of the Andes, they witness an unspeakable tragedy - one they can do little about.Suddenly, their enchanting trip becomes a fight for survival.The three friends must come to terms with their experiences. Each student's healing process becomes intensely personal and offers different results.

When Riley and Asha now possess intellectual and physical powers beyond human limitations courtesy of the Transcendental Machine, but the a matter transmission device sends them to separate, unknown planets. Riley and Asha know that together they can change the galaxy, so they attempt to do the impossible--find each other.

Meet the animal kingdom's greatest talents in this illustrated encyclopedia of curious creatures! Drawn in a fun and vibrant style, this book groups animals by their special skills. Flick through these amazing animals that think, look, sound, and act in incredible ways! Introducing: 'the architects' Super-skilled animals that build objects using their legs, beaks, and mouths! the 'noisy neighbors' What’s all that racket?! Meet the loudest big mouths on the planet. the 'homebodies' These territorial creatures keep watch of the land around them. the 'forever faithfuls' Some animals mate for life! Discover which animals pair up. the ‘night owls’ These fascinating animals only come out at night. Filled with fascinating facts, curious creatures, and characterful cartoons, this book will keep young explorers busy for hours. The perfect gift for any young animal lover!

In the last two years a movement known as "trans-Architectures" has gotten under way among architects and media artists. Dedicated to the conceptual use of computers in the design process, the movement's practitioners might study such things as the form of a cloud or the surface of water through computer models -- in order to conceptualize a new kind of space. This book considers the concept of accident as explored in the November 1998 Dutch Electronic Art Festival by members of "trans-Architectures, " and provides project descriptions, illustrations, interviews and essays from the symposium. Contributors include Paul Virilio, John Rajchman, Greg Lynn, Humberto Maturana, Lieven de Cauter, Lars Spuybroek, Marcos Novak, Seiko Mikami, and Knowbotic Research.