In The Meaning of Human Existence, his most philosophical work to date, Pulitzer Prize-winning biologist Edward O. Wilson examines what makes human beings supremely different from all other species and posits that we, as a species, now know enough about the universe and ourselves that we can begin to approach questions about our place in the cosmos and the meaning of intelligent life in a systematic, indeed, in a testable way.

Overturns widely held misconceptions about race, war and peace, and human nature itself and asserts that creativity is what has made humans so exceptional among all the species on Earth. --Publisher.

The Credential Society by Randall Collins is a classic on higher education and its role in American society first published in 1979. Forty years later, it remains an essential text for understanding the reproduction of inequality. Its controversial claim that the expansion of American education has not increased social mobility, but created a cycle of credential inflation, has proven remarkably prescient. Collins shows how credential inflation stymies...

Explores how the human animal--the eponymous well-dressed ape--fits into the natural world, even as we humans change that world in both constructive and destructive ways.

Sang-Hee Lee explores some of the biggest evolutionary questions from unexpected new angles.

Picture yourself in China with this fun, graphic-novel inspired introduction to China, its culture and people! Ready to gain insight into Chinese culture in a fascinating way? This comprehensive introduction to Chinese culture lets you peer into what makes China unique-its people. Firsthand tips, background info, and illustrations give you graphic impressions of the real China, and allow you to get a feel for not only what it's like, but how to survive...

Examines how human networks drive inequality, social immobility, and political polarization and are often overlooked factors in success and failure, examining the role of social structures in patterns ranging from disease outbreak to financial crises.

In sharply argued, fast-moving chapters, Cory Doctorow's Information Doesn't Want to Be Free takes on the state of copyright and creative success in the digital age. Can small artists still thrive in the Internet era? Can giant record labels avoid alienating their audiences? This is a book about the pitfalls and the opportunities that creative industries (and individuals) are confronting today - about how the old models have failed or found new footing,...

Combining the ethical clarity of Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals with the disquieting vision of Alan Weissman's bestseller The World Without Us, a thought-provoking, entertaining exploration of a future where animal consumption is a thing of the past. Though increasing numbers of people know that eating meat is detrimental to our planet's health, many still can't be convinced to give up eating meat. But how can we change behavior when common...