Nonfiction Science

On the trail of Soviet infiltrator Agent Blériot, Svetlana Lokhova takes the reader on a thrilling journey through Stalin’s most audacious intelligence operation. On a sunny September day in 1931, a Soviet spy walked down the gangplank of the luxury transatlantic liner SS Europa and into New York. Attracting no attention, Stanislav Shumovsky had completed his journey from Moscow to enrol at a top American university. He was concealed in a group of 65 Soviet students heading to prestigious academic institutions. But he was after far more than an excellent education.

From the New York Times best-selling author of Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History comes the highly anticipated follow-up, a beautifully illustrated collectible detailing the lives of women creators around the world.

This essay comes from the NPR series This I Believe, which features brief personal reflections from both famous and unknown Americans. The pieces that make up the series compel listeners to rethink not only what and how they have arrived at their beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.

La plupart des gens aiment les maths. L'ennui, c'est qu'ils ne le savent pas. Dans les temps préhistoriques, les maths sont nées pour être utiles. Les nombres servaient à compter les moutons d'un troupeau. La géométrie permettait de mesurer les champs et de tracer des routes. L'histoire aurait pu en rester là, mais au fil des siècles, les Homo sapiens furent bien étonnés de découvrir les chemins sinueux de cette science parfois abstraite.

Jack liebt sein Stoffschwein über alles. Es war immer für ihn da, gemeinsam sind sie stets durch dick und dünn gegangen. Bis an einem Weihnachtsabend etwas Schreckliches passiert - das Stoffschwein ist verschwunden. Doch Weihnachten ist die Nacht der Wunder und der hoffnungslosen Fälle, die Nacht, in der sogar Spielzeuge zum Leben erwachen. Und Jacks neues Stofftier, das Weihnachtsschwein, das das alte nie ersetzen könnte, hat einen kühnen Plan.

Hey guys! It's me, A.K. Blakely, back with the second edition to incredible animal facts! If you bought the last book, welcome back and thank you for your support. If you are new to the series, welcome aboard! We are so happy to have you join us in our journey of learning about the animal kingdom! In the first book, we looked at the animals that we as humans keep as pets. In this edition, we are going to step into the wild and look at reptiles!

Based on the NPR series of the same name, This I Believe features 80 Americans—from the famous to the unknown—completing the thought that begins with the book's title. The pieces that make up the program compel listeners to re-think not only what and how they have arrived at their own personal beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.

In this simple question-and-answer audio program with immersive sound design, follow our intrepid babies on an adventure into the their own backyard. Discover the varieties of insects that can be found around the world—their sizes, shapes, and colors. Plus, learn how many species remain for young entomologists to discover in this simple text written in question-and-answer format. Nerdy Babies is a series that the very littlest nerds will want to return to again and again. Stay curious. There’s more to learn about everything!

Karl is an Abyssinian ground hornbill with a special challenge. His lower bill had broken off and made eating difficult. Karl did a great job of adapting and finding new ways to eat, but he wasn't getting all the food he needed. His zookeepers at the National Zoo and friends at the Smithsonian Institute wanted to help. Could an old bird skeleton and a 3D printer give Karl a new beak? Karl's new adventure was about to begin!

Learn what a mountain gorilla has in common with a hippopotamus. Find out what sets a mountain gorilla apart from a raccoon or a mountain lion. Listeners will compare key traits of mountain gorillas - their appearance, behavior, habitat, and life cycle - to traits of other mammals. Through gathering information about similarities and differences, listeners will make connections and draw conclusions about what makes this animal a mammal and how mammals are alike and different from each other.

No one thought much of young Thomas Alva Edison. He couldn’t focus at school and caused trouble around the house. But where others saw a distracted and mischievous boy, his mother saw imagination and curiosity. At only seven years old, Al, as he was called as a young child, was educated by his mother at home, who understood his potential could be unlocked with non-conventional learning, allowing him freedom to explore, dream, and be inquisitive.

What does it take to be a STEM genius? Check out these exciting, highly listenable profiles of a dozen contemporary women who are on the cutting edge of scientific research.

Lexi and Her Unicorn Glitter Puff and Fairy Friends Have Fun is about Lexi and how she travels around with her unicorn Glitter Puff and fairy friends. They always laugh, make cakes, visit amazing places, and experience so much fun. The roses taste like chocolate, and kangaroos are seen in the clouds. They even turn a mean troll into a sweet troll.

Maddie is beyond done with her cousin Genesis' entitled and shallow entourage. Genesis is so over Miami's predictable social scene, with its velvet ropes, petty power plays, and backstabbing boyfriends. While Maddie craves family time for spring break, Genesis seeks novelty - like a last-minute getaway to an untouched beach in Colombia. And when Genesis wants something, it happens. But paradise has its price.

On a hot day in the African savannah, a group of elephants searches for food. While foraging they often lose sight of one another. Yet at the end of the day, in one coordinated movement, the elephants suddenly regroup. This coordinated movement - and others like it - has puzzled scientists and caused them to question how elephants communicate with each other. Since the 1990s, scientists have gathered significant data on elephant “talk.”

The Scots are one of the world's greatest nations of emigrants. For centuries, untold numbers of men, women, and children sought their fortunes in every part of the globe, from the British Empire to the United States, in cities and on prairie farms, as traders, bankers, missionaries, soldiers, politicians, and engineers.

Both Thomas Edison and Henry Ford started off as insatiably curious tinkerers. That curiosity led them to become inventors - with very different results. As Edison invented hit after commercial hit, gaining fame and fortune, Henry struggled to make a single invention (an affordable car) work. Witnessing Thomas' glorious career from afar, a frustrated Henry wondered about the secret to his success.

In Nerdy Babies: Dinosaurs, follow our intrepid babies into the Mesozoic Era. Experience the different shapes, sizes, and colors of the reptiles that roamed the Earth before us. Plus, learn about how dinosaurs evolved over millions of years until becoming extinct.

This is the story of the first six months in the life of a baby bottle-nosed dolphin. You will see what dolphins eat, and how they protect themselves from sharks, killer whales, and other enemies. Learn about these intelligent mammals who live under the waves.

This essay comes from the NPR series This I Believe, which features brief personal reflections from both famous and unknown Americans. The pieces that make up the series compel listeners to rethink not only what and how they have arrived at their beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.