Do iceworms eat ice? Can you hear the aurora? How does mosquito repellent work? Why are Alaskan volcanoes evenly spaced along the coast? Is it possible for hot water to freeze faster than cold water? Where are Alaska's more than 125 hot springs? Why are northern twilights so long? Do glaciers slide or do they flow? Why do snowflakes flutter as they fall? In Alaska Science Nuggets, Neil Davis answers these and many other intriguing questions in the entertaining and informative style that makes him one of Alaska's favorite science writers. This compendium of nearly 400 articles, including articles by other contributors to a science column carried by various Alaska newspapers, discusses phenomena as diverse as the northern lights, permafrost, glaciers, meteorology, volcanoes, earthquakes, archaeology, Alaskan plants, mammoths, early humans, and northern living. Tourists and long-time Alaskans alike have made this much-loved book a bestseller for years. Alaska Science Nuggets is a great reference or gift for anyone interested in the phenomenal natural history of the North.

Alaska Science Nuggets (Natural History)

History

Davis, Neil

Americas

University of Alaska Press

Aurora Watcher's Handbook

Neil Davis's decades-long involvement with the aurora extends beyond study and research. He has also been explaining this magnificent phenomenon to diverse audiences, sharing the knowledge with his graduate students and his grandchildren, with his fellow scientists through professional publications, and with the general public through newspaper columns. His ability to communicate both the facts and the wonder of the northern lights shows clearly in this book. Starting at a basic level, the handbook begins appropriately with matters of immediate concern to someone who hopes to see an auroral display: what causes the aurora, where and when it is most often seen, and how best to capture it on film. Later sections provide a thorough and clear review of all aspects of auroral science, including the mysterious realm of auroral sound. In a concise and readable fashion, the handbook covers what is known about auroras, encompassing overviews of the northern Natives' legends and myths and the several theories geophysicists have produced to explain why auroras behave as they do. The Aurora Watcher's Handbook includes numerous illustrations, ranging from cartoons to color plates and drawings. 
"I am confident [this book] will become the aurora watcher's bible for many years to come." (Sky &amp; Telescope) "This is participatory science at its best!" (Midwest Book Review) "A delightful book, highly recommended." (CHOICE ) "A complete course for the layman with an interest in the northern lights." (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner) "[Davis] has written the book in a smooth, how-it-works style, and his presentation is remarkably clear. . . . [He] expended much effort on this book, forming from his lifetime of knowledge a coherent and comprehensible picture of the aurora for the non-specialist." (ARCTIC) "For a comprehensive guide to the northern lights, read Neil Davis's The Aurora." (Small Press Magazine)

Business & Money

Economics

Science & Math

Astronomy & Space Science

Very nice condition hardback. Signed by author on title page. Also, includes an orange swatch from a parachute that flew into space on a 3-stage rocket launched from the Poker Flat Research Range.

Rocket Over Alaska: The Genesis of Poker Flat

Alaska-Yukon Press

This is the story of a search for information about a Civil War painting unique in several respects: it is on an old-fashioned roll-down window blind, is the only known surviving work of previously unknown soldier artist John H. G. Hood, and is the only known one of a Union soldier in a Confederate uniform. The man on horseback in the painting, James A. Hensal, was a dashing figure who during the war was sentenced to death by court-martial after shooting and killing his superior officer. For reasons having to do with his exploits, Hensal's execution was never carried out and he later rose to become chief of scouts for Union General Grenville Dodge. Speaking of Hensal, Dodge said, "He was the bravest man I ever knew." The painting now resides at the Guthrie County Historical Village in Panora, Iowa, the location where the painting was executed and where both John H. G. Hood and James A. Hensal lived after the war.

The Painting on the Window Blind,: The Story of an Unknown Artist and a Daring Union Spy

Military

iUniverse

The College Hill Chronicles is an account of the formative years of a small subarctic university with big ambitions. Davis emphasizes the politics and personalities of the boardroom, but shows the cooperation and conflict that tied the boardroom debates to politics on a more grand scale in Juneau and in Washington.Davis doesn't judge the people who shaped the university, though he does marvel at them. He supports no theory of historical inevitabilities, except perhaps for Murphy's Law. Less interested in the philosophical explanation of the cause of events, Davis places more emphasis on people and how they dealt with those events. Administrators of any organization will appreciate and have empathy with the organizational pitfalls Davis describes. Some historians may find this approach unusual, but readers will enjoy the refreshing narrative of The College Hill Chronicles.

College Hill Chronicles: How the University of Alaska Came of Age

UA Foundation

Overall, this is an outstanding introductory book on seasonally frozen ground and permafrost for a broad audience. It is also an excellent reference book for students, permafrost scientists and engineers, and professionals in earth and environmental sciences. It provides a valuable orientation to motivate students who are contemplating careers in permafrost studies. It also appeals to social scientists and environmentalists studying northern regions and the effects of permafrost on society as a whole. Furthermore, this volume is well printed and illustrated. Neil Davis brings his unusual talent for communicating scientific concepts in an engaging and readable style to the topic of permafrost, the process of annual freezing and thawing that covers half of the land in the northern hemisphere. The consequences of the soil's fluctuating state affects everything from the stability of road surfaces to wildlife and human habitats, yet this critically important process is rarely discussed in language accessible to range of people it affects. Intended for a broad audience, Davis' prose will entertain everyone from scientists and engineers to students and interested northern residents: it belongs in the library of anyone with more than a passing interest in the colder regions of the world.

Permafrost: A guide to Frozen Ground in Transition

Earth Sciences

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Davis, Neil. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Davis, Neil

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Davis, Neil. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Alaska Science Nuggets (Natural History)

Aurora Watcher's Handbook

Aurora Watcher's Handbook

Rocket Over Alaska: The Genesis of Poker Flat

The Painting on the Window Blind,: The Story of an Unknown Artist and a Daring Union Spy

College Hill Chronicles: How the University of Alaska Came of Age

Permafrost: A guide to Frozen Ground in Transition