More of Isaac Asimov's weekly science columns for the Los Angeles Times and those his wife, Janet, wrote during his illness and after his death in April 1992. The Asimovs discuss how close we are to producing life in a lab, the latest revelations about dinosaur extinction, recent startling sightings of planets and stars, if we can establish colonies on Mars, if computer intelligence can ever surpass human intelligence, and the gravest dangers to our environment. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This discussion of a range of interesting scientific phenomena deals with topics such as chaos theory, fingerprints, vampires, Damascus steel, and antibiotics. Discusses associated technology, and also the history behind various scientific discoveries. The author is the Julius Sumner Miller Fellow at the University of Sydney. He has appeared on popular TV and radio science shows, and published widely on various aspects of science.

Literary Nonfiction. Poet David Biespiel cracks open the creative process and invites readers to take a fresh look at the mysterious pathways of the imagination. "Failure is the engine of creativity," writes Biespiel, as he candidly tracks his own developent as a writer and challenges traditional assumptions about writing that can stifle creativity. The liberating message: Working past the brink of failure--being free to try and discard and try again--is what allows the creative process to playfully flourish, keeping the spirit open to unexpected discoveries. Both beginning and experienced writers--as well as artists, musicians, dancers, and anyone else on a creative path, will benefit from this elegant, surprising, and fresh perspective based on methods developed exclusively at the Attic, the unique literary studio Biespiel founded in Portland, Oregon in 1999. EVERY WRITER HAS A THOUSAND FACES will revolutionize the way readers look at their own creative process. It is a rich and rewarding book, a captivating glimpse into the inner life of some gifted writers and painters--and above all, a guide to a lifetime of discovery.