Bøker av Julia Soplop

"This is a book every citizen should read." -SY MONTGOMERY, New York Times bestselling author of The Soul of an Octopus and editor of The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2019The rapid and ubiquitous spread of information has failed to remedy one of humanity's most enduring challenges: making accurate sense of the world. Instead, a constellation of factors influencing how we interact with information-and, in particular, scientific information-has prevented us from digesting and adequately confronting many of the greatest problems of our time, from climate change to pandemics.The book, an essential read for non-scientists and scientists alike, offers both an analysis of this burgeoning crisis of (mis)information overload and a practical guide for navigating it. Soplop argues that becoming a more discerning and less vulnerable consumer, or producer, of health and science information is critical.Soplop has created an indispensable primer for reimagining how we think about and communicate what science really entails, including its profound social value and its many limitations. She also presents a series of engaging case studies-the decades-long disinformation campaign to sow doubt in climate change, the schemes in the wellness industry, the push for pseudoscience in the science classroom, the century-old rhetoric of the anti-vaccination movement, and the nation's unfathomable COVID-19 response-demonstrating how players across society employ common, and therefore easily identifiable, tactics of distorting scientific information to manipulate us for power and profit. In vivid prose, Soplop crafts a compelling and hopeful case that building a stronger foundation of science and media literacy can empower us to improve our lives both personally and collectively.

WINNER OF AN INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER (IPPY) BOOK AWARD (GOLD MEDAL)WINNER OF A FEATHERED QUILL BOOK AWARD (GOLD MEDAL)Weapon. Legend. Energy source. Shaper of cultures. Center of controversy. Throughout U.S. history, the horse has served as one of the most powerful influences on the country''s development. Beginning fifty-five million years ago with the evolution of the horse across the Great Plains, this story charts its extinction in North America, followed by its reintroduction to the continent by the Spanish. The eventual acquisition of Spanish horses by the native peoples of the plains had profound consequences for the continent''s future: it resulted in the explosion of wild horses across the West and unleashed some of the most talented and brutal mounted warriors in the world, the Comanche, who staved off European-American development of much of the plains for nearly two centuries. From there, the story tracks the horse''s incredible contributions-through warring and racing and hauling, through companionship and servitude and strength-across the broad arc of the country''s next three hundred years. Soplop employs the horse as a narrative thread not only to bind seemingly disparate events, but also to allow for the inclusion of figures often written out of traditional histories: women and minorities. Through a modern, unconventional lens, she skillfully weaves together science, policy, literature, and history to trace the fascinating story of how one animal shaped the nation. Captivating pen and ink illustrations by Montana artist Robert Spannring, interspersed with Soplop''s stunning photography, add further depth and visual interest.