It’s 1963, and a team of nineteen Americans are embarking on the first expedition that will combine high-altitude climbing with scientific research. The primary objective of the six scientists on the team is to study how severe stress at high altitudes affect human behavior. Ultimately, the expedition will land the first American on the summit of Mount Everest. Science in an Extreme Environment by Philip W. Clements, examines the relationship between extreme environment and scientific inquiry, and investigates the expeditions science program for the first time. Below, we share the introduction from Clements new book:   A frigid gale rose as night fell across Mt. Everest…

The deadline for the 2018 Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize is approaching. ABOUT THE PRIZE: Awarded annually for a first full-length book of poems. Named after the first director of the Press, the prize carries a cash award of $5,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press in the Pitt Poetry Series. Winner will be announced in the fall of 2018. DEADLINE: Manuscripts must be received during March and April 2018 (postmarked on or after March 1 and on or before April 30). Each manuscript must include an entry fee of $25.00. We asked several past Starrett Prize winners to tell us what…

On September 19th, the University of Pittsburgh Press and author Patricia M. DeMarco celebrated the publication of her book Pathways to Our Sustainable Future: A Global Perspective from Pittsburgh. An enthusiastic crowd of about 100 filled the Tropical Forest area of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Oakland. Attendees included Max King, President and CEO of The Pittsburgh Foundation and his wife Peggy, David Feingold, President of Chatham University, Bernard Goldstein, former Dean of the Pitt Graduate School of Public Health and Member of the National Academy of Sciences and his wife Rossalyn, Terry Collins, Theresa Heinz Professor of Green…

This Father’s Day let dad brush up on his Pittsburgh sports history with The Slide: Leyland, Bonds, and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates by father-son writing duo Richard and Stephen Peterson and Chuck Noll: His Life’s Work by Michael MacCambridge. The Petersons trace Pirates baseball history from the 1970s to today, including the twenty-year bump along the road. MacCambridge gives life to the man who brought the Pittsburgh Steelers to the forefront of the National Football League, but removed himself from the spotlight. This is the first comprehensive biography of Chuck Noll.  With both books, you get a newfound understanding of the…

In a comprehensive guide, Butterflies of Pennsylvania: a field guide by James L. Monroe and David M. Wright, the butterflies that traverse the state are described in stunning detail, with over 900 color photos to complement them.  Here is a selection of ten out of the one hundred and eighty-six species that make up Pennsylvania’s unique butterfly population. Zebra Swallowtail So aptly named for the mammal that it resembles, male Zebra Swallowtails puddle, or rest in sandy or gravely areas to absorb salts and amino acids, which aid in their reproduction. Diana Fritillary The Diana Fritillary is incredibly rare, and…