Category Archives: Author Interview

Podcast: Reconstructing Earth’s Climate History

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Global climate change: arguably the buzz-words of our decade. Scientists and politicians around the globe discuss whether it’s happening, why it’s happening now, whether humans caused it or if it’s a natural cycle the planet is going through, or some combination thereof. But there’s one approach that not many people have taken.

With so much research being published in this area, finding someone with a new approach to the topic is rare. But co-authors Kristen St. John, Mark Leckie, Kate Pound, Megan Jones and Lawrence Krissek have taken a less common approach to thinking about climate change. They have been studying our past.

Reconstructing Earth’s Climate History delves into past climate cycles as far back as the Cenozoic climate change, and explores abrupt warming and cooling events the Earth has gone through in the past million years.

Here to talk with us some more about her book is co-author Kristen St John.

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Read more about Reconstructing Earth’s Climate History and other climate change books at www.wiley.com/go/climate.

A Guide to Academia

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A Guide to AcademiaThese days, when even the competition to gain an undergraduate degree is fierce, pursuing academic career can seem nearly impossible.

Drawing from experience as a college advisor, undergraduate instructor, PhD committee member, and mentor for graduate, undergraduate and high school students, Prosanta Chakrabarty has written a concise, practical guide to pursuing an academic career. A Guide to Academia: Getting into and Surviving Grad School, Postdocs and a Research Job advises students how to navigate the various stages of a career in academia, highlighting potential obstacles and suggesting strategies for conquering these obstacles.

With his recently published book in mind, we sat asked Dr. Chakraberty to discuss some of the experiences and inspirations that persuaded him to write this book.

  • What inspired you to write A Guide to Academia?

    • I was inspired by my own start (and false-starts) on the road to becoming an academic. I’ve always wanted to be a scientist but I didn’t always know the right path to becoming one. As an undergrad, I wasn’t sure how to apply for graduate schools or what I needed to do to have a good chance of getting in. As a graduate student, I wasn’t sure how I would figure out a topic for my thesis or how best to balance my time between teaching and my research. As a postdoc, I wasn’t sure how I could get a job or how to handle an interview. As an assistant professor, I wasn’t sure how best to spend start-up funds and build a lab. I wanted to write this book to help all the other people in those positions now and hopefully guide them to the best path towards success. Read more here! ⇒

    Exploring the Solar System

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    The exploration of our solar system is one of humanity’s greatest scientific achievements. The last fifty years in particular have seen huge steps forward in our understanding of the planets, the sun, and other objects in the solar system. Often referred to as the final frontier, many profound mysteries about our own solar system have yet to be answered.

    In his book Exploring the Solar System, award-winning author Peter Bond takes a look at the latest information we have on the celestial bodies in our own backyard. Today he has agreed to talk with us about his work.

  • Why did you feel this was an important book to write?

    • Science is often seen as a difficult subject to choose at school or college, and, as a result, students tend to avoid it. On the other hand, many young people are fascinated by space, and when I speak to school groups, they often show considerable knowledge of the stars and planets.

    I wanted to write a book that would be accessible to students and general readers with a limited science background, one that would, hopefully, also enthuse and inspire them about the scientific discoveries that are being made about our solar system. Since we live on the only easily habitable planet in the solar system, it is also important to compare Earth with the other worlds that have been discovered, in order to make people aware of how unique and precious it is. Our role as caretakers of this beautiful blue planet cannot be overstated.

  • What Solar System facts do you think would surprise your readers to learn?

    • During presentations to groups of school students or non-scientists, I always try to give them an idea of sizes and distances. For example, when they see an image of Earth next to the Sun, they are amazed to discover that 1.3 million (1,300,000) Earths would fit inside the Sun. 1,300 Earths would fit inside Jupiter – indeed, Jupiter is so big that all of the other planets would fit inside it – yet it rotates faster than any other major planet, taking less than 10 hours to complete one rotation. Continue reading →