Cynthia Stokes Brown was an avid reader and researcher. This collection is a digital representation of her personal library with the books categorized as Cynthia had them on the bookshelves in her home
These are the books she had in her Big History collection
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A Most Improbable Journey: A Big History of Our Planet and Ourselves
Walter Alvarez
Big History, the field that integrates traditional historical scholarship with scientific insights to study the full sweep of our universe, has so far been the domain of historians. Famed geologist Walter Alvarez―best known for the “Impact Theory” explaining dinosaur extinction―has instead championed a science-first approach to Big History. Here he wields his unique expertise to give us a new appreciation for the incredible occurrences―from the Big Bang to the formation of supercontinents, the dawn of the Bronze Age, and beyond―that have led to our improbable place in the universe.
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Big History: From The Big Bang to the Present
Cynthia Stokes Brown
Big History interweaves different disciplines of knowledge, drawing on both the natural sciences and the human sciences, to offer an all-encompassing account of history on Earth. This new edition is more relevant than ever before, as we increasingly grapple with accelerating rates of change and, ultimately, the legacy we will bequeath to future generations. Here is a path-breaking portrait of our world, from the birth of the universe from a single point the size of an atom to life on a twenty-first-century planet inhabited by seven billion people.
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Mountain: An Evolutionary Epic
William Carney
Have you ever wondered what the universe has in store for you? Scientific revelation and planetary crisis are now expanding the scope of questions that have always stirred when people gaze into the night sky: How big and how old is all of this? How did we come to be and where are we going? Does purpose permeate creation? Where does my story fit within the story of the universe? Join June and her friends for the ultimate campfire story. Journey with them for a week in the backcountry, as they take in the evolving saga of the cosmos and work out their own unfolding lives within that epic context. Share their everyday—and life-shifting—dramas, from love and grief to work and creativity, from spiritual practice to climate crisis, from war to classroom. Unifying this chorus of voices, feel their common wonder at the symphonic chords and abiding dilemmas of cosmic history—here writ large on that thin film of life briefly expressed each summer, between the granite and hard stars of the high Sierra.
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Epic of Evolution: Seven Ages of the Cosmos
Eric Chaisson
How did everything around us-the air, the land, the sea, and the stars-originate? What is the source of order, form, and structure characterizing all material things? These are just some of the grand scientific questions Eric J. Chaisson, author of the classic work Cosmic Dawn, explores in his enthralling and illuminating history of the universe. Explaining new discoveries and a range of cutting-edge ideas and theories, Chaisson provides a creative and coherent synthesis of current scientific thinking on the universe's beginnings. He takes us on a tour of the seven ages of the cosmos, from the formless era of radiation through the origins of human culture. Along the way he examines the development of the most microscopic and the most immense aspects of our universe and the complex ways in which they interact. Drawing on recent breakthroughs in astrophysics and biochemistry, Chaisson discusses the contemporary scientific view that all objects-from quarks and quasars to microbes and the human mind-are interrelated. Researchers in all the natural sciences are beginning to identify an underlying pattern penetrating the fabric of existence-a sweepingly encompassing view of the formation, structure, and function of all objects in our multitudinous universe. Moreover, as Chaisson demonstrates, by deciphering the scenario of cosmic evolution, scientists can also determine how living organisms managed to inhabit the land, generate language, and create culture. Epic of Evolution offers a stunning view of how various changes, operating across almost incomprehensible domains of space and nearly inconceivable stretches of time and through the evolutionary combination of necessity and chance, have given rise to our galaxy, our star, our planet, and ourselves.
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Cosmic Evolution: The Rise of Complexity in Nature
Eric J. Chaisson
"We are connected to distant space and time not only by our imaginations but also through a common cosmic heritage. Emerging now from modern science is a unified scenario of the cosmos, including ourselves as sentient beings, based on the time-honored concept of change. From galaxies to snowflakes, from stars and planets to life itself, we are beginning to identify an underlying ubiquitous pattern penetrating the fabric of all the natural sciences - a sweepingly encompassing view of the order and structure of every known class of object in our richly endowed universe. This is the subject of Eric Chaisson's new book." "In Cosmic Evolution Chaisson addresses some of the most basic issues we can contemplate: the origin of matter and the origin of life, and the ways matter, life, and radiation interact and change with time. Guided by notions of beauty and symmetry, by the search for simplicity and elegance, by the ambition to explain the widest range of phenomena with the fewest possible principles, Chaisson designs for us an expansive yet intricate model depicting the origin and evolution of all material structures. He shows us that neither new science nor appeals to nonscience are needed to understand the impressive hierarchy of the cosmic evolutionary story, from quark to quasar, from microbe to mind."--Jacket.
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Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History
David Christian
An introduction to a new way of looking at history, from a perspective that stretches from the beginning of time to the present day, Maps of Time is world history on an unprecedented scale. Beginning with the Big Bang, David Christian views the interaction of the natural world with the more recent arrivals in flora and fauna, including human beings.
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This Fleeting World: A Short History of Humanity
David Christian
A great historian can make clear the connections between the first Homo sapiens and today's version of the species, and a great storyteller can make those connections come alive. David Christian is both. This Fleeting World: A Short History of Humanity makes the journey a fascinating one. Christian takes us from the Big Bang to the earliest foraging era to the present Anthropocene epoch. This popular work, now in its fifth printing, has been reorganized to help the student and expanded to include material on "big history." Enter This Fleeting World - and give up the preconception that anything old is boring. A compact, easy-to-read overview of world history, ideal for curriculum development, classroom preparation, and student review.
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Big History: Between Nothing and Everything
David Christian, Cynthia Stokes Brown, and Craig Benjamin
Big History: Between Nothing and Everything surveys the past not just of humanity, or even of planet Earth, but of the entire universe. In reading this book instructors and students will retrace a voyage that began 13.7 billion years ago with the Big Bang and the appearance of the universe. Big history incorporates findings from cosmology, earth and life sciences, and human history, and assembles them into a single, universal historical narrative of our universe and of our place within it.
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Love Letter to the Milky Way: A Book of Poems
Drew Dellinger
A small book of very big poems. Drew Dellinger's poetry reaches out to the far ends of the Milky Way and to the inner depths of the soul. His poetry and performances have captivated thousands across six continents. He is, in the words of Cornell West, "one of the most creative, courageous and prophetic poets of his generation." This power of his poetry is tied to his passion for ecological survival and social justice movements. The Rev. Osagyefo Sekou calls Dellinger "the poet laureate of the global justice democracy movement."
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Earthwise: A Guide to Hopeful Creation Care
Calvin B. DeWitt
Sadly, our ways of life in today's global economy have led to increasing land and habitat destruction, pollution, species extinction, buildup of "greenhouse gases," and other degradations of the earth. But rather than grovel and wring our hands in despair, lifelong creation care scientist Calvin B. DeWitt suggests we discover a joyful, positive attitude about working together for good in this world. Looking forward in hope, we can make changes and take positive, lasting action that is more in harmony with the way the world works and is meant to be. This book, now in its third edition, helps to provide us and our friends, neighbors, coworkers, and fellow citizens with practical information and ideas to become truly "earthwise."
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Creation: From Nothing Until Now
Willem B. Drees
Presenting a brief and accessible overview of contemporary scientific thought, Creation is an imaginative and poetic exploration of the origins of the universe. WIllem Drees assesses the religious and philosophical impact of scientific theories of evolution and the natural world, and examines the changing relationship between us and our planet.
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Bang! The Universe Verse: Book 1
James Lu Dunbar
This rhyming comic book explains the scientific concepts surrounding the origin of the universe, life on Earth and the human race, from the Big Bang to the scientific method.
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Great Apes: The Universe Verse: Book 3
James Lu Dunbar
The third and final book in The Universe Verse series, "Great Apes!" is a scientifically accurate rhyming comic book that explains the origin of the human race and the dawn of civilization.
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It's Alive! The Universe Verse: Book 2
James Lu Dunbar
This rhyming comic book explains the scientific concepts surrounding the origin of the universe, life on Earth with captivating illustrations and whimsical rhymes.
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The Universe Verse
James Lu Dunbar
The Universe Verse is a scientifically-accurate rhyming comic book about the origins of the universe, life on Earth and the human race. It introduces and illuminates the most fundamental features of our existence in a way that is engaging and accessible to a wide audience, including young children. This book contains most major scientific milestones known to humanity, all in one rhyming comic book. Including, but not limited to: energy, space, time, the four fundamental forces, matter, particles, atoms, elements, fusion, stars, E=MC2, supernovae, galaxies, planets, solar systems, Earth, planetary crust, atmosphere, water, life, variation, reproduction, survival, evolution, cells, DNA, genes, sex, biodiversity, the food web, bacteria, photosynthesis, extinctions, respiration, eukaryotes, endosymbiosis, chloroplasts, mitochondria, multicellular organisms, tissues, organs, perception, nerves, brains, aquatic, terrestrial, flying creatures, fossils, dinosaurs, mammals, primates, humans, consciousness, language, agriculture, civilization, math, writing, books and science!
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Humanity: The Chimpanzees Who Would Be Ants
Russell Merle Genet
A science story of how we came to be HUMANITY The Chimpanzees Who Would Be Ants by Russell M. Genet A highly-readable account of the physical, biological, and cultural evolution of humanity, from the big bang to present. The book makes a unique comparison between humans and chimpanzees as our genetic relatives and humans and ants as our social analogue. It also presents four possible future scenarios for humanity to allow the reader to "write their own ending."
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The Evolutionary Epic: Science's Story and Humanity's Response
Russel Genet (Ed), Brian Swimme (Ed), Linda Palmer (Ed), and Linda Gibler (Ed)
The essays in this book take you from the struggles of our primitive ancestors on the savannahs of Africa to a mountain climber’s epiphany on the snow-capped heights of the Andes, from the mysteries of the quantum world to the vast reaches of the universe. Begin with a story of humanity’s evolution from primeval stardust to planetary stardom. Then explore the emergence of the story through scientific research and wonder. View the multi-faceted story through unexpected lenses and follow the story as it is engages education, becoming a vital part of the enlightenment of young minds. Finally, experience the story as it shifts our scientific and cultural paradigms, serves our quest for a brighter future, and enriches humanity’s imaginative and spiritual dimensions. The Evolutionary Epic Science's Story and Humanity's Response Edited by Cheryl Genet, Russell Genet, Brian Swimme, Linda Palmer & Linda Gibler Foreword by David Christian
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The Cartoon History of the Universe, Volumes 1 - 7: From the Big Bang to Alexander the Great
Larry Gonick
An entertaining and informative illustrated guide that makes world history accessible, appealing, and funny.
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And Then There Was You…
Erika K.H. Gronek
And Then There Was You... is a story about everything. It was written and illustrated for my son about 6 months after he was born. One sleep-deprived night I nursed him in a rocking chair while pondering the design of his room. I had decorated the top half of the room with Maxfield Parrish-styled clouds and a layout of the summer constellations set in glow-in-the dark paint on the ceiling. I wanted this design to say: “the future is wide open” and “there is nowhere else to go but up.” The border of the room had wall paper that was a replica of a Victorian time-chart of all of human history. It started with Adam and Eve and was up-dated with the on-goings of the present day. Staring into my son’s eyes, I pondered all of the events that had to take place for all of his atoms to be aligned into his tiny form. That is when I decided to write and illustrate a children’s book that accidentally hit upon all of the major themes contained in “Big History.”
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A Walk Through Time: From Stardust to Us: The Evolution of Life on Earth
Sidney Liebes, Elisabet Sahtouris, and Brian Swimme
"Imagine a walk where every step forward transports you a few million years in time. Just such a mind-expanding premise inspired this landmark book, developed from the acclaimed "Walk Through Time" exhibit on tour around the world." "Here, in one volume, is the remarkable drama of the history of the universe and life on Earth. Travel from the furious blast of the Big Bang to the first pulse of life, and on through the rich pageant of life's evolution from primordial microbes to the rise of Homo sapiens. Span 15 billion years to discover life's greatest mysteries emerging. Over 130 beautiful four-color illustrations and an absorbing narrative highlight significant events and themes in Earth's life story. The original exhibit itself is re-created as a timeline that runs throughout the book, pinpointing key stages in the evolutionary drama and where they fall in the vast sweep of time."--Jacket.
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Born with a Bang, Book One: The Universe Tells our Cosmic Story
Jennifer Morgan
The big bang is where it all started! Kids will learn it all in this scientifically accurate book telling the story of the universe up until the formation of young Earth. Gorgeous and ethereal illustrations and a story that brings children into a state of connectedness with the universe makes this an amazing book for parents and teachers who want to instill in kids a deep appreciation for themselves, their community, and the need to protect this planet that we all reside.
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From Lava to Life, Book Two: The Universe Tells Our Earth Story
Jennifer Morgan
The Universe tells the story of your living Earth and the unbroken chain that connects you to the very first life that began to twitch in the sea four billion years ago.
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Mammals Who Morph, Book Three: The Universe Tells Our Evolution Story
Jennifer Morgan
This remarkable evolution series, narrated by the Universe itself, concludes with this third book, the amazing story of mammals and humans. It picks up after From Lava to Life: The Universe Tells Our Earth Story with the extinction of dinosaurs, and tells how tiny mammals survived and morphed into lots of new Earthlings ... horses, whales and a kind of mammal with a powerful imaginationyou! It is a story of chaos, creativity and heroesthe greatest adventure on Earth! And it is a personal story...about our bodies, our minds, and spirits. It is our story. As the president of the American Montessori Society said, These books are alive with wonder, radiance, and deep relevance.
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The Cosmic Verses: A Rhyming History of the Universe
James Muirden
From mankind's ancestors to Professor Stephen Hawking, James Muirden cleverly and humorously examines our quest to make sense of the cosmos in wonderful rhyming couplets. If you've ever wondered about the universe, or wanted to broaden your horizons, here are the theories, discoveries, writings and sayings of Aristotle, Plato and Pythagoras, Ptolemy, and the Arab astronomers and mathematicians who flourished during Europe's Dark Ages, Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Boyle and many more by way of Einstein and so to the present day…and now the education is fun! Here also are the thoughts of space scientists, alchemists, writers, and theologians all weighing in on the cosmos as, through Muirden's delightful presentation, he spins the history of science on a new axis.
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Everybody's Story: Wising Up to the Epic of Evolution
Loyal Rue
"Everybody's Story offers an exhilarating tour of natural history that illuminates the evolution of matter, life, and consciousness. As old myths, religious stories, and other shared narratives of humankind are increasingly viewed as intellectually implausible and morally irrelevant, they become less likely to fulfill their original purpose - to give people answers and provide a sense of stability and peace in daily life. Loyal Rue restores that imbalance with a new story based on fact."--Jacket.
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Teaching Big History
Richard B. Simon (Ed), Mojgan Behmand (Ed), and Thomas Burke (Ed)
Big History is a new field on a grand scale: it tells the story of the universe over time through a diverse range of disciplines that spans cosmology, physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, evolutionary biology, anthropology, and archaeology, thereby reconciling traditional human history with environmental geography and natural history.
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Big History and the Future of Humanity
Fred Spier
Big History and the Future of Humanity presents an original theoretical approach that makes “big history” – the placing of the human past within the history of life, the Earth, and the Universe -- accessible to general readers while revealing insights into what the future may hold for humanity.
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The Structures of Big History: From the Big Bang Until Today
Fred Spier
"The social and natural sciences have more in common than most people would perhaps suspect. This thought-provoking study, the first of its kind ever attempted, presents a single straightforward structure which unites the latest scientific views on the history of the Universe, the Solar System, Earth, life and humankind. It contributes to a better understanding of some long-standing academic controversies, such as the root causes for the origins of humankind, the rise of agriculture and the emergence of early states."--Jacket.
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The Universe Story: From the Primordial Flaring Forth to the Ecozoic Era
Brian Swimme and Thomas Berry
"Grounded in contemporary scientific understanding and inspired by the world's great wisdom traditions, cosmologist Brian Swimme and cultural historian Thomas Berry meld the findings of contemporary science - cosmology, geology, biology, and sociology - with the human search for meaning. The resulting account articulates fifteen billion years of existence with awe, delight, and vision." "Swimme and Berry remind us of the importance of story - "story is the only way of providing, in our times, what the mythic stories of the universe provided for tribal peoples and for the earlier classical civilizations in their times." In a richly detailed narrative of epic sweep, they recount the unfolding of the universe, from the "primordial flaring forth" and the formation of galaxies and supernovas to the "human emergence," classical civilizations, and imminent Ecozoic era." "The Universe Story compellingly explores humanity's place in the evolving cosmos and our ecological imperative. Crippling the Earth's biodiversity, "we are deciding what species will live or perish, we are determining the chemical structure of the soil and the air and the water, we are mapping out the areas of wilderness that will be allowed to function in their own natural modalities." This, Swimme and Berry remind us, "is filled with risk and presumption," for "the story of the Earth is also the story of the human."" "Honoring "the special capacity of the human to enable the universe and the planet Earth to reflect on and to celebrate ... in our music and our art, our dance and our poetry, and in our religious rituals," Swimme and Berry urge that we honor the knowledge gained by centuries of scientific inquiry with reverence, entrancement, and a commitment to renewal. Such joyous commitment is essential, for "there is eventually only one story, the story of the universe. Every form of being is integral with this comprehensive story. Nothing is itself without everything else.""--Jacket.
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Journey of the Universe
Brian Thomas Swimme and Mary Evelyn Tucker
In Journey of the Universe Brian Thomas Swimme and Mary Evelyn Tucker tell the epic story of the universe from an inspired new perspective, weaving the findings of modern science together with enduring wisdom found in the humanistic traditions of the West, China, India, and indigenous peoples. The authors explore cosmic evolution as a profoundly wondrous process based on creativity, connection, and interdependence, and they envision an unprecedented opportunity for the world's people to address the daunting ecological and social challenges of our times.
Journey of the Universe transforms how we understand our origins and envision our future. Though a little book, it tells a big story—one that inspires hope for a way in which Earth and its human civilizations could flourish together.
