Erik Richardson – författare

Although we learn the fundamentals of counting and measuring in our early years, these concepts form the foundation of complex processes, from mountain climbing and skydiving to video game design. This title examines the seemingly simple ideas of number and quantity and shows how they are used in real life.

Much more than finding x, algebra forms the basis to describe any process that has variation. Everyday numbers like money and time are common variables. In this book, key concepts from algebra, such as lines, polynomials and the quadratic formula, are shown at work in surprising applications including industrial baking, robotics, and the natural world.

Functions, the language of advanced mathematical processes, model input and output. Some functions are direct, such as the result of pressing a computer key. Others are more complex, such as investigating car crashes or launching a satellite. This book discusses how the inputs and outputs of functions are at play in our daily lives.

Modeling offers us a way to explain past natural and cultural phenomena, and perhaps more importantly, it gives us mathematical forecasts for the future. This title explores familiar models such as linear regression and computer modeling to show how some aspects of everyday life, such as weather, can be shaped and predicted by mathematics.

The fundamental shapes of geometry can be built into the grand sweeps of the Sydney Opera House or something as small as a snowflake. This title takes geometric concepts like polygons, platonic solids, and angles and demonstrates their myriad appearances in the world around us. From the Great Pyramid of Giza to sinking a bank shot in pool, geometry abounds.

Stopping a plague (even zombies), tomorrow’s likelihood of rain, and buying a lottery ticket are united by chance. Wildlife conservation, a baseball box score, and governmental spending are united by the need to record numbers. Statistics and probability measure the current state of something and the relative likelihood of potential future states. This book will explore how common experiences are counted, evaluated, and used to make intelligent decisions for the future based on uncertain outcomes.

The looming threat of Communist expansion led the United States and eleven Western nations to establish the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Responding to NATO, the Soviet Union and the Communist Eastern bloc formed the Warsaw Pact. European nations soon aligned with one of the opposing military forces. This book takes a closer look at how NATO, the Warsaw Pact, and the Iron Curtain played a role in the sharp political division between the West and East.

When Nicolaus Copernicus stated that Earth revolves around the sun, he initiated a centuries-long conflict between proponents of heliocentrism and those that maintained a geocentric view of the universe. The fight to establish the Copernican system, which began in 1543, would have very real consequences for astronomers like Galileo, Kepler, and Newton. This book provides an in-depth look at the development of Copernicus’s theory, the effect it had on the lives of scientists willing to defend it at great personal cost, and heliocentrism’s role in the latest astronomical research.

Contemporary vaccination is rooted in centuries of scientific discovery. Some scholars believe that as far back as 1000 CE, Chinese Taoists used variolation (or inoculation) to control the spread of disease. In 1796, Edward Jenner developed a smallpox vaccine that ranks as one of the most important scientific breakthroughs of all time. This book explains how Jenner made his discovery based on the achievements of those who came before him, how vaccination works, and the many ways that vaccines continue to shape science (and generate controversy) today.

Alexander the Great explores the background, personality, and battle tactics of a legendary conqueror, whose prowess in battle cemented his name in human history. The engaging and comprehensive text depicts Alexander''s life, the lives of his soldiers, the stories of his battles, and the formations of cities and legends. Paintings, photographs, and engravings illustrate Greek culture and historical figures. Maps and diagrams depict the brilliant strategy of a commander who fought with his men. Though Alexander reigned and conquered over two thousand years ago, his battle successes and political ambitions had an enduring impact on military strategy and on the regions and cultures he ruled.