Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press imprint: 43 books
Spacefarers
Images of Astronauts and Cosmonauts in the Heroic Era of Spaceflight
Language: English
Release Date: November 6, 2013
The recent 50th anniversaries of the first human spaceflights by the Soviet Union and the United States, and the 30th anniversary of the launching of the first U.S. Space Shuttle mission, have again brought to mind the pioneering accomplishments of the first quarter century of humans in space. Historians,...
Ethnicity, Hunter-Gatherers, and the "Other"
Association or Assimilation in Africa
Language: English
Release Date: May 20, 2014
As the world continues to shrink owing to globalization, the need to understand the diversity of culturally distinct societies and their interactions with neighboring groups becomes greater than ever. Susan Kent has invited an international team of experts to present their insights into how one type...
A Chance for Lasting Survival
Ecology and Behavior of Wild Giant Pandas
Language: English
Release Date: March 4, 2014
From 1984 through 1995 a small band of ecologists led by Pan Wenshi from Peking University conducted a study of wild giant pandas in the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi Province. This project was the first Chinese-led conservation project in China and was conducted during a significant transition period...
by Paul A. Johnsgard
Language: English
Release Date: February 2, 2016
Language: English
Release Date: February 2, 2016
Swift and iridescent, hummingbirds are found only in the New World, and encompass an amazing variety of specializations. No other family of birds can lay claim to so many superlatives, including smallest size, most rapid wingbeat, and most specialized plumages. While many species can be attracted...
by Paul A. Johnsgard
Language: English
Release Date: December 3, 2014
Language: English
Release Date: December 3, 2014
Paul Johnsgard, one of the world's leading ornithologists, has written this book as a call to action. Conservationists have seen a marked decline in the populations of North American grouse, particularly the grassland-adapted species. Unless action is taken swiftly, at least one species -- Attwater's...
by Robert Poulin, Serge Morand
Language: English
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Language: English
Release Date: May 27, 2014
This comprehensive, groundbreaking book on the biodiversity of parasites offers a clear and accessible explanation of how parasite biodiversity provides insight into the history and biogeography of other organisms, the structure of ecosystems, and the processes that lead to the diversification of life.
Remaking the World
Myth, Mining, and Ritual Change Among the Duna of Papua New Guinea
Language: English
Release Date: June 3, 2014
Drawing on both their own fieldwork from 1991 to 1999 and older written sources, Stewart and Strathern explore how the Duna have remade their rituals and associated myths in response to the outside influences of government, Christianity, and large-scale economic development, specifically mining and...
by
Language: English
Release Date: February 2, 2016
Language: English
Release Date: February 2, 2016
In the twentieth century, scientists in the relatively new field of biology played an important role in exposing the threats of environmental degradation, loss of species diversity, habitat fragmentation, scarce energy resources, and human population growth. In the essays found in A New Century of...
Recreating First Contact
Expeditions, Anthropology, and Popular Culture
Language: English
Release Date: November 6, 2013
Recreating First Contact explores themes related to the proliferation of adventure travel which emerged during the early twentieth century and that were legitimized by their associations with popular views of anthropology. During this period, new transport and recording technologies, particularly...
Around the World in 175 Days
The First Round-the-World Flight
Language: English
Release Date: May 10, 2016
American military aviation reached a low point after World War I, lagging behind its European counterparts and facing a peacetime battle for survival. To raise the public profile of aviation, military leaders encouraged their pilots to enter air shows and vie for speed, endurance, and altitude records....
by
Language: English
Release Date: August 7, 2018
Language: English
Release Date: August 7, 2018
Death Across Oceans: Archaeology of Coffins and Vaults in Britain, America, and Australia brings together the leading researchers in historic mortuary practice from Britain, North America, and Australia. It is the first book dedicated to the material culture associated with burial in the historic,...
by William McShea
Language: English
Release Date: May 29, 2018
Language: English
Release Date: May 29, 2018
Guide to the Wildlife of Southwest China allows readers to enter the fascinating world of Southwest China, a biodiverse hot spot teeming with interesting wildlife. This field guide, designed to inform nature reserve staff, students of natural history, and casual wildlife tourists alike, presents...
Glorious Mud!
Ancient and Contemporary Earthen Design and Construction in North Africa, Western Europe, the Near East, and Southwest Asia
Language: English
Release Date: October 30, 2013
Invented about 13,000 years ago, mud architecture has since been one of the most common, economical, useful, and widespread forms of building. It has been--and is still being--used for grand palaces and temples as well as simple shops and homes. Research conducted over the last several decades has...
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.: American
An Autobiography
Language: English
Release Date: April 19, 2016
Set against the backdrop of twentieth-century America, against the social fabric of segregation and the broad canvas of foreign war, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.: American tells a compelling story of personal achievement against formidable odds. Born into an era when potential was measured according to...