false 249151 1260005 1594630380 9781594630385 128 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1260005.Banana_The_Fate_of_the_Fruit_That_Changed_the_World 3.62 310 A gripping biological detective story that uncovers the myth, mystery, and endangered fate of the world’s most humble fruit

To most people, a banana is a banana: a simple yellow fruit. Americans eat more bananas than apples and oranges combined. In others parts of the world, bananas are what keep millions of people alive. But for all its ubiquity, the banana is surprisingly mysterious; nobody knows how bananas evolved or exactly where they originated. Rich cultural lore surrounds the fruit: In ancient translations of the Bible, the “apple” consumed by Eve is actually a banana (it makes sense, doesn’t it?). Entire Central American nations have been said to rise and fall over the banana.

But the biggest mystery about the banana today is whether it will survive. A seedless fruit with a unique reproductive system, every banana is a genetic duplicate of the next, and therefore susceptible to the same blights. Today’s yellow banana, the Cavendish, is increasingly threatened by such a blight—and there’s no cure in sight.

Banana combines a pop-science journey around the globe, a fascinating tale of an iconic American business enterprise, and a look into the alternately tragic and hilarious banana subculture (one does exist)—ultimately taking us to the high-tech labs where new bananas are literally being built in test tubes, in a race to save the world’s most beloved fruit.]]> 249151 3.59 436 167 2007 1188469 1594630011 9781594630019 24 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181754661m/1188469.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181754661s/1188469.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1188469.To_See_Every_Bird_on_Earth_A_Father_a_Son_and_a_Lifelong_Obsession 3.49 87
What drives a man to travel to sixty countries and spend a fortune to count birds? And what if that man is your father?

Richard Koeppel's obsession began at the age of eleven, in Queens, New York, when he first spotted a Brown Thrasher and promptly jotted the sighting in a notebook. Several decades, one failed marriage, and two sons later, he added an astonishing 517 birds to that list on a single trip to Kenya. Soon after, he ended the last romantic relationship he would ever have, scaled down his medical practice, and decided to see every bird on earth, becoming a "Big Lister," a member of a subculture of competitive bird-watchers worldwide, all pursuing the same goal. Over twenty-five years, he collected more than 7,000 species (of a known 9,600), becoming one of about ten people ever to do so.

To See Every Bird on Earth explores the thrill of this chase, the all-absorbing crusade at the expense of all else, and travel, to places both dangerous and dull, for the sake of making a check mark in a notebook. It's also the story of obsession-answering the questions why list? and why birds?-and how it defines us. A riveting glimpse into a fascinating subculture, To See Every Bird on Earth traces the love, loss, and reconnection between a father and a son, and explains why birds are so critical to the human search for our place in the world.]]> 249151 3.59 436 167 2005 1260004 0761135200 9780761135203 3 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182330379m/1260004.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182330379s/1260004.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1260004.The_Tour_De_France_Companion_Victory_Edition 3.50 10
With the popularity of Armstrong and the Tour outstripping our knowledge of bicycle racing, here is The Tour de France Companion, a fully illustrated primer that explains the strategies, ground rules, history, personalities, techniques, and technology behind one of the world's most spectacular and brutal sporting events. It's all clear: How teams work together. How their bikes are different from our bikes. What it takes to be a racer--the rare combination of slow- and fast-twitch muscles, a huge cardiovascular system, and an extraordinary toughness that allows you to endure more pain than your rivals. The jerseys: yellow, green, polka-dot, white, and the "combativity prize" to the rider who tries the hardest (look for a red race number). The complicated timing structure, including why it's so difficult to finish a tour--every rider must finish within ten percent or so of the fastest guy every single day, or head for home. Even what happens when the leader needs to make a rest stop--no, the other contenders don't zoom off into the sunset. Includes a glossary, stats, historic timeline, 2004 tour map, and more.]]> 550805 3.79 58 12 249151 3.59 436 167 2004 1260003 076113798X 9780761137986 0 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182330378m/1260003.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182330378s/1260003.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1260003.Tour_De_France_Companion_2005 3.50 2 Tour de France Companion had a successful sale of over 50,000 copies. Now comes the second annual, poised as the essential guide for the millions of newer American fans who got swept up in Armstrong’s history-making 2004 ride, and discovered something that much of the sports community already knew: the Tour de France is arguably the world’s greatest sporting event, pushing 150 athletes to the edge of human endurance.

So what will happen in 2005? Can Lance possibly win a seventh? Will Tyler Hamilton avoid a cycling ban? What about the new kids, Thomas Voeckler and Vladimir Karpets? Written for the novice fan but with enough sophistication and insider’s knowledge to be an essential companion for the aficionado, The Tour de France Companion for 2005 is a fully illustrated pocket primer that covers the 2005 route, the teams and their prospects, strategies, ground rules, history, personalities, techniques, and technology. It’s all here: the colored jerseys explained; how teams work together; pulls, lead-outs, the peloton, and breakaways; the curious honor of finishing last. It delves into what it takes to be a racer, how to recover from burning 5,000–9,000 calories a day, and the ever-present issue of drug use. With vital information for 2005, and new sections, including an expanded “Visit the Tour” chapter for the ever-increasing numbers of travelers, and more on bikes and technology.]]> 550805 3.79 58 12 249151 3.59 436 167 2005 7008165 1615558853 9781615558858 0 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1259802413m/7008165.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1259802413s/7008165.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7008165-banana 4.00 1 249151 3.59 436 167 2007 7205526 1419340859 9781419340857 0 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7205526-to-see-every-bird-on-earth 0.0 0 249151 3.59 436 167 361702 3.29 62 20 2005 6450574 0737304359 9780737304350 0 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6450574-extreme-sports-almanac 0.0 0 249151 3.59 436 167 2000 7205525 0641863292 9780641863295 0 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7205525-to-see-every-bird-on-earth 0.0 0 249151 3.59 436 167 2006 7214221 1429593261 9781429593267 0 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7214221-banana 0.0 0 249151 3.59 436 167 2007 7205527 0641820666 9780641820663 0 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7205527-to-see-every-bird-on-earth 0.0 0 249151 3.59 436 167 2005 1260007 0737300337 9780737300338 0 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1260007.Extreme_Sports_Almanac_Prepack 0.0 0 249151 3.59 436 167 1998 7205524 1436296919 9781436296915 0 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7205524-to-see-every-bird-on-earth 0.0 0 249151 3.59 436 167 2006