New Releases by Michael Brown

Puzzle Addiction Factors explores the compelling allure of puzzles, delving into the psychology and neuroscience behind why we find them so captivating. It examines the brain''s reward system, specifically how dopamine release reinforces puzzle-solving behavior, making us want to continue. Intriguingly, the book highlights how well-designed puzzles create a ""flow state,"" where challenge and skill are perfectly balanced, leading to heightened engagement. The book progresses systematically, first introducing the neurobiological basis of puzzle addiction, then unraveling the psychological factors at play, such as cognitive biases. It then details how game design principles contribute to a puzzles addictive quality. It combines insights from psychology, neuroscience, and game design to provide a holistic view. This interdisciplinary approach, combined with its accessible language and real-world applications in education, therapy, and employee engagement, sets the book apart.

Psychic Abilities explores the science and psychology behind phenomena like telekinesis and mind reading, critically examining paranormal claims through the lenses of cognitive psychology and neuroscience. The book seeks to understand the underlying mechanisms that might explain these abilities, or, alternatively, reveal the psychological factors that contribute to belief in them. One intriguing insight is how stage magic exploits our understanding of visual perception to create the impression of impossible feats. The book progresses systematically, first establishing a foundation in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. It then critically analyzes telekinesis and mind reading, contrasting claims of genuine ability with psychological principles like deception and nonverbal communication. By understanding perception, cognition, and cognitive biases, readers can better evaluate claims of psychic ability and avoid unfounded beliefs. The book emphasizes empirical evidence and logical reasoning, focusing primarily on psychological and cognitive explanations. It provides readers with the critical thinking skills needed to evaluate paranormal claims, bridging the gap between science and popular culture. The book also scrutinizes the methodologies used in parapsychological research, promoting a more nuanced and skeptical approach.

Desert Greenhouses explores the groundbreaking intersection of technology and agriculture, revealing how arid landscapes are being transformed into productive farmlands. It addresses the critical issue of food security in regions facing water scarcity by detailing how advanced irrigation techniques and climate control systems are revolutionizing desert farming. Traditional irrigation methods often lead to significant water wastage; however, innovations like drip irrigation are drastically improving water use efficiency. The book examines the science behind water management and the engineering of controlled environments. It progresses from foundational principles of plant physiology and soil science to detailed analyses of irrigation technologies and greenhouse designs. Case studies of successful desert greenhouse operations around the world highlight the practical applications of these concepts and technologies. Ultimately, Desert Greenhouses posits that integrating these technologies offers a sustainable path to food production in arid and semi-arid regions. The book emphasizes that adopting these methods can significantly contribute to food self-sufficiency and economic development in desert communities, presenting a valuable resource for those interested in sustainable agriculture and environmental science.

""Laugh Science"" explores the fascinating world of humor, moving beyond simple entertainment to uncover its profound impact on our brains, bodies, and social interactions. The book delves into what makes something funny, dissecting joke construction and examining how humor triggers that ""aha!"" moment. Did you know that laughter activates specific brain regions, impacting neurotransmitter release and potentially reducing stress and pain? This book illuminates the neurological underpinnings of laughter, providing a deeper understanding of the humor-brain connection. The book progresses from exploring humor theory to examining the neurological and psychological effects of humor. It also investigates the evolutionary roots of laughter, considering its purpose in early human communication. ""Laugh Science"" highlights humor''s role in social bonding, coping mechanisms, and emotional regulation, revealing its potential as a tool for resilience and empathy. By integrating findings from psychology, neuroscience, and sociology, the book offers a holistic, evidence-based analysis of humor''s significance, demonstrating its tangible effects in various aspects of life.

“Unsolved Mysteries” explores some of history''s most perplexing enigmas, from lost civilizations to strange disappearances, using scientific and historical analysis. The book emphasizes evidence-based investigation and critical thinking to offer plausible interpretations of unexplained phenomena. It delves into mysteries like what happened to the Indus Valley Civilization, an advanced society that seemingly vanished, or the odd case of the Mary Celeste, a ship found adrift and deserted. The book uniquely emphasizes the process of investigation, applying scientific methodologies and historical analysis to archaeological discoveries and more. It examines unexplained finds like the Antikythera mechanism, highlighting lost ancient technology. Beginning with the principles of investigative analysis, the book progresses through case studies, each dedicated to a specific unsolved mystery. By connecting history, archaeology, and sciences like climatology and forensic science, “Unsolved Mysteries” avoids sensationalism, instead focusing on careful analysis and well-supported interpretations. This approach fosters critical thinking, encouraging readers to approach complex questions with a skeptical yet open mind, making it valuable for anyone interested in science, history, and the art of unraveling intricate puzzles.

Dioxane Sneaks In exposes the alarming presence of 1,4-dioxane, a likely carcinogenic byproduct found in common household and personal care products like detergents and shampoos. This chemical contaminant, formed during a manufacturing process called ethoxylation, poses significant public health risks due to inadequate regulations and widespread exposure. The book argues for greater transparency, stricter rules, and safer manufacturing alternatives to protect consumers. It highlights the surprising fact that many people are unknowingly exposed to this chemical daily, despite its link to increased cancer risks and the availability of methods to minimize its formation. The book progresses by first explaining the science behind 1,4-dioxane''s toxicity, then scrutinizing the regulatory loopholes that allow its continued presence in consumer goods and even drinking water. It further investigates the manufacturing processes, revealing the use of ethoxylation and exploring alternative methods. Through scientific studies, government reports, and real-world examples, it connects the dots between exposure and potential health consequences. The book offers a solution-oriented approach, providing practical guidelines for consumers, health advocates, and policymakers to identify risky products, reduce exposure, and advocate for safer alternatives.

Scientific Revolution Milestones delves into the groundbreaking transformations in science from the 16th century onward, revealing how pivotal discoveries reshaped our comprehension of the universe and our place in it. This period marked a fundamental shift in epistemology, altering how knowledge was acquired and validated. One intriguing aspect was the move from the geocentric view of the universe, where Earth was believed to be the center, to the heliocentric model championed by Nicolaus Copernicus, sparking intense debate and revolutionizing astronomy. Another was the rise of empiricism and experimentation, exemplified by Galileo Galilei''s work, which challenged established Aristotelian views and laid the foundation for the Scientific Method. The book adopts a chronological and thematic approach, beginning with the pre-revolutionary scientific landscape and progressing through the Copernican Revolution, the rise of empiricism and experimentation, and the Newtonian synthesis. This synthesis, culminating in Isaac Newton''s laws of motion and universal gravitation, unified celestial and terrestrial mechanics, marking a high point in the revolution. By examining primary texts and historical accounts, Scientific Revolution Milestones not only offers a comprehensive understanding of this transformative era but also highlights its lasting impact on modern science and Western thought.

Santa’s littlest helper helps bring a lost kitten home on Christmas Eve in this newly discovered holiday picture book from Michael Brown. In this delightful Christmas Mouse story, Santa Claus and his trusty companion are on a mission to deliver toys to children all around the world. But as they fly through the winter night, they hear a small cry from a tiny kitten who is all alone. Will Santa Claus and Santa Mouse have enough time to save the Christmas kitten and deliver the toys to the children of the world?

Santa Mouse, Santa’s littlest helper, prepares the reindeer for their big Christmas Eve flight in this charming holiday storybook! With all the snow that has fallen this winter, the reindeers haven’t been able to practice flying. Will they be ready to pull Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve? They will with the help of Coach Santa Mouse, who trains the crew with a few reindeer games!

In See Justice Done: The Problem of Law in the African American Literary Tradition, author Christopher Michael Brown argues that African American literature has profound and deliberate legal roots. Tracing this throughline from the eighteenth century to the present, Brown demonstrates that engaging with legal culture in its many forms—including its conventions, paradoxes, and contradictions—is paramount to understanding Black writing. Brown begins by examining petitions submitted by free and enslaved Blacks to colonial and early republic legislatures. A virtually unexplored archive, these petitions aimed to demonstrate the autonomy and competence of their authors. Brown also examines early slave autobiographies such as Olaudah Equiano’s Interesting Narrative and Mary Prince’s History, which were both written in the form of legal petitions. These works invoke scenes of Black competence and of Black madness, repeatedly and simultaneously. Early Black writings reflect how a Black Atlantic world, organized by slavery, refused to acknowledge Black competence. By including scenes of Black madness, these narratives critique the violence of the law and predict the failure of future legal counterparts, such as Plessy v. Ferguson, to remedy injustice. Later chapters examine the works of more contemporary writers, such as Sutton E. Griggs, George Schuyler, Toni Morrison, and Edward P. Jones, and explore varied topics from American exceptionalism to the legal trope of "colorblindness." In chronicling these interactions with jurisprudential logics, See Justice Done reveals the tensions between US law and Black experiences of both its possibilities and its perils.

Santa Mouse becomes Santa’s littlest helper…in the kitchen! Join Santa Mouse and the elves at the North Pole as they bake Christmas cookies in a sweet holiday tale. When Santa Mouse wakes to the delicious aroma of cookies on Christmas Eve, he finds the elves busy baking for Santa’s big day. Always ready to lend a helping paw, Santa Mouse joins in to bake and decorate a surprising plate of cookies for everyone at the North Pole, including Santa’s hardworking reindeer. This board book is the perfect celebration of the classic Christmas cookie tradition.

Santa gives a nameless mouse a special gift for Christmas.

"Originally published by Grosset & Dunlap"--Copyright page.

Santa Mouse searches for his true Christmas talent in Santa’s workshop in this magical 8x8 storybook about finding your own special way to celebrate the holiday. Life at the North Pole is exciting and different for Santa Mouse, who has become Santa’s littlest helper. Santa Mouse is full of Christmas joy, so he can’t wait to find out the best way to help the others at Santa’s workshop. First, he tries his paws at toy making with the elves, but it’s not quite right. Then he joins the present wrapping station, but it’s still not a good fit. Can Santa Mouse find his true calling?

Santa’s littlest helper returns in this novelty lift-the-flap board book. Can you find where Santa Mouse is hiding? Who’s the little friend on Santa’s shoulder? Who is it we look for when it’s colder? Join one of the bestselling Christmas book characters, Santa Mouse, on a holiday search-and-find adventure. Lift the flaps to see where Santa Mouse is hiding on each spread!

Did you know you’re likely to have had over 89,000 heated altercations with your closest relations before you reached the age of eight? By age 16, thousands more hours will have been spent by most of us in some form of disagreement with those in our extended social networks. As a species, we’re well practised at falling out with each other. We may even have a gene for it – certainly, some of us seem to be gifted. When it comes to finding resolutions, however, things don’t come quite so naturally: as much as 90% of all inter-personal conflicts never reach agreement. But it doesn’t have to be this way. I Don’t Agree is a fascinating exploration of new, powerful and surprising solutions to an ancient problem: why we disagree so much. It shows how to sidestep our animosities and get great things done, despite our differences. Underpinned by cutting-edge research and academic thinking (as well as fascinating real-life case studies and easy-to-use tools), author and marketeer Michael Brown reveals the eye-opening secrets that can lead to better leadership, stronger teams, swifter promotions, more effective collaboration, better organisational culture – as well as radically improving your life outside of work.

Could A Deceased Rabbi Be The Messiah? He was called the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and he was arguably the most influential Jewish leader of the twentieth century. Presidents and prime ministers sought personal audiences with him. He established outreach centers in virtually every Jewish community worldwide. And by the time of his death in 1994, his followers believed he was the Messiah. Many still believe this today, more than twenty-five years after his death. But is that possible? Michael L. Brown, PhD, takes you on a journey beginning in Brooklyn, New York, then back through Jewish history, looking at little-known Jewish beliefs about potential Messiahs in each generation and even the reincarnated soul of the Messiah. Discover how yes, a deceased rabbi could be the Messiah...but with one caveat. Also Available in Spanish ISBN: 978-1-62999-315-7 OTHER BOOKS BY DR. BROWN: Jezebel''s War With America (2019) ISBN: 978-1629996660 The Power of Music (2019) ISBN: 978-1629995953 Playing With Holy Fire (2018) ISBN: 978-1629994987

A photographic history of Colorado''s Alpine Tunnel of the Denver South Park & Pacific railroad. The book includes many photographs and maps of the highest narrow gauge railroad tunnel built in the United States.

The Adventures of Mike and William Issue #1 By: Michael Brown

"The Georgetown Loop became a major railroad landmark in the 19th-century. It was one of the most popular tourist attractions in Colorado and remained so well into the twentieth century. Silver Plume could be reached by rail on a day trip from Denver via the Georgetown Loop. A thrilling ride into the Colorado Rockies thru Clear Creek Canyon and over the loop could be done for a modest fee. ... Eventually automotive travel after WWI brought an end to passenger service over the line in 1928. ... Freight traffic continued until 1939 when the line was abandoned."--Page 1

Living on the Rock contains essential lessons for spiritual growth in the Christian life. Building on a sound biblical foundation, pastor Mike Brown explores areas of spiritual life that are essential for believers to grow in, in order for them to become strong, stable and healthy in their walk with the Lord. This book is an invaluable and inspiring resource for believers who want to grow in their faith.

If you’re a typical mid-career worker in a typical enterprise – been around a while, employs more than a handful of people – the chances are you are being squeezed. Hard. You’re under pressure like never before, coming at you from all directions. It’s getting worse, and the prospects are worse still. You’ve been asked to do more with less for years, and there is nothing left to give. You can’t trust people, you feel insecure, and the job seems a bit pointless. You’ve given up trying to fix the crappy processes you have to work with, because it’s easier to disengage. Meanwhile the outside world appears to have gone mad, the millennials are coming up fast behind at half your salary and you ought to be worrying about when a robot is going to take your job. Work-Life balance is an outdated concept, and you no longer know how to switch off. You find it hard to keep up technically, and worry about how relevant you are. You may well want out, but can’t work out how to do it, and so you’re stuck. Your career mojo - the engine which keeps you motoring at work - needs servicing, or worse still, it''s broken down. The great news is that there is a way through this. The engine can be repaired. You CAN find meaning and fulfilment in the work you do. In this book, Michael Brown reveals the 10 techniques he has used to help thousands of mid-career workers boost their career mojo. Discover the simple changes you can make to transform your work life. Using real-life stories and examples, he explains in concise and pragmatic terms how to make every day a good day at the office.

“Readers who enjoy plants and offbeat tales will find Brown’s book a happy mix” (Publishers Weekly). Mankind has always had a morbid fascination with poisonous plants. Over the centuries, poisonous plants have been used to remove garden pests—as well as unwanted rivals and deceitful partners. They have also been used for their medicinal qualities, as rather dangerous cosmetics, and even to help seduce a lover when perceived as an aphrodisiac. Some of these and other uses originate in a medieval book that has not yet been translated into English. This book delves into the history of these plants, covering such topics as: How shamans and priests used these plants for their magical attributes, as a means to foretell the future or to commune with the gods How a pot of basil helped to conceal a savage murder The truth about the mysterious mandrake A conundrum written by Jane Austen to entertain her family—the answer to which is one of the plants in this book These stories and many more will enlighten you on these treacherous and peculiar plants, their defensive and deadly traits, the facts behind them, and the folklore that has grown around them.

An examination of the ways in which the American experience influenced some of the major Jewish leaders during and between the world wars. The Israeli-American Connection examines the ways in which the American experience influenced some of the major leaders of the yishuv, the Jewish settlement in Palestine, during and between the world wars. In six biographical chapters, Michael Brown studies Vladimir Jabotinsky, Chaim Nahman Bialik, Berl Katznelson, Henrietta Szold, Golda Meir, and David Ben-Gurian, focusing on each leader''s involvement with and image of America, as well as the impact of America on their lives and careers.

Up for an atomic saga? But first, if little atoms could only talk, just think of the stories they could tell us about our planet and universe. This is a voyage of discovery on a celestial and planetary scale. Seven lovely little atoms are born in the Oort Cloud. They are thrown into a beautiful blue-water planet and are split up. They soon find that this water planet is the best atomic amusement park ever. They will meet and be hosted by many simple and complex life forms. They will suffer through earthquakes, asteroid strikes, thunderstorms, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions. They will see the best and worst of an emerging mankind. None of them will suffer, and all will have the fun of many lifetimes.

Nationally syndicated radio host and columnist Michael Brown provides a handbook for a biblically-based moral and cultural renaissance, revealing that the key to recapturing America’s greatness consists in returning to our spiritual and moral roots. America is at a tipping point, and never has this been more apparent than right now. We are in danger of losing our spiritual and moral heritage, making many believe that we have fallen beyond the point of recovery. This book is here to say, that, yes, we have fallen. In fact, fallen much further than we realize, but that our country’s best days are ahead—with the help of a radical, moral, and cultural revolution, beginning with the church. This book is a manual for the revolution. On all fronts, Americans are talking about the need for revolution, arguing from the left and the right that “the status quo must go!” This book comes at just the right time, as people are wondering what in the world has happened to our country—from the homes to the college campuses, from the inner cities to the White House, from our national debt to the material found on our computers and TV screens. In clear, compelling prose, Brown covers topics ranging from the sexualization of pop culture to the dumbing down of our schools to the undermining of family structures to a pervasive culture of entitlement, while pointing consistently to the Bible’s solution to these issues. A radical call for reformation written with sobriety and hope, Saving a Sick America provides the inspiration and guidance necessary for a moral and cultural revolution.

John Toland was notorious. A pamphleteer, a polemicist and a prankster of the first order, modern scholarship has struggled to position his writings within the debates of his day. This study is the first to fully recount his remarkable biography, situating his writings within the controversies that sparked and shaped them.

A comprehensive history of the Death Valley Region. Beginning with the native people who inhabited the area and the eventual discovery of the area by Europeans. The book details the history of the area from its initial development of mining and transportation to its eventual development into tourism and becoming a National Park. The book includes many maps and vintage photographs of the region.

Poet, essayist, chemist, geologist, educator, entrepreneur, publisher--Benjamin Silliman (1779-1864) was one of the virtuosi of the Early Republic and a founder of the American scientific community. This absorbing biography is not only a study of the youth and early career of a complex and remarkable man but also a window on his times. In lively and often moving detail, Chandos Michael Brown opens the broad context of Silliman''s life in his native Connecticut. From Silliman''s father''s disastrous captivity among the British during the Revolution to the intensities of New England religious revivals, from the international celebrity of the Weston Meteor to the economic hazards of introducing artificial mineral waters to the New York market, here is an engaging portrayal of the growth of an American scientist within his rich cultural setting. Brown tells how the young Silliman confronted the declining fortunes of his distinguished family and how he strove to invent a new career worthy of his ambition and social standing. He describes Silliman''s education at Yale College and in Philadelphia, his European tour, and his subsequent activities as a professor of chemistry and mineralogy, founder of the Yale Medical School, and editor of the American Journal of Science. Throughout this cultural biography, Silliman appears as the concerned member of an often troubled family--a man who nonetheless managed to achieve that elusive quality, greatly admired by his contemporaries, that of the representative American. Originally published in 1990. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Western history buffs and rail fans will find a rich and interesting history of the mining town of Austin, Nevada and the narrow gauge railroad that served the town for almost 60 years, the Nevada Central Railroad. Several photographs and maps show the town and the railroad as it was.