An Interview with Python Crash Course Author Eric Matthes

This Author Spotlight is on Python programmer/educator extraordinaire Eric Matthes, author of the international bestseller (now in its third edition) Python Crash Course  from No Starch Press. In the following Q&A, we discuss how reader feedback shaped the latest edition of his book, why he chose teaching over a career in physics, the importance of

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Breaking Through Author Katalin Karikó Awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Long before the search for a COVID-19 vaccine, the visionary, Hungarian-born biochemist Katalin Karikó knew that an ephemeral and underappreciated molecule called messenger RNA could change the world. Karikó worked for more than three decades at her lab bench, in the single-minded pursuit of a breakthrough that would confirm her hunch: that mRNA could transform ordinary cells into tiny factories

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FROM THE PAGE: An Excerpt from Catch a Crayfish, Count the Stars: Fun Projects, Skills, and Adventures for Outdoor Kids

Catch a Crayfish, Count the Stars by Steven Rinella is a hands-on, gloves-off, muddy-boots activity book for young adventurers ages eight and up, offering fun projects and adventures to build lifelong skills and knowledge about the natural world, including identifying constellations, collecting fossils, learning about weather patterns, making art projects, and more. Read on for

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An Interview with Sam Taylor, M.Ed., Author of The Coding Workbook

For Women’s History Month, we’re spotlighting the contributions and individual achievements that women authors have made in the world of tech and on our bookshelves. Meet Sam Taylor, M.Ed., a Bay Area curriculum developer, computer-science education advocate, and author of The Coding Workbook (No Starch Press). While teaching STEM to middle school students, Sam taught

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In Memoriam: Dr. Paul Farmer, Subject of Tracy Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountains (1959–2022)

Dr. Paul Farmer, medical anthropologist, physician, and professor at Harvard Medical School, passed away on February 21, 2022, in Butaro, Rwanda. Dr. Farmer was the subject of Tracy Kidder’s 2003 book Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World. The book is an account of the difference

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An Interview with Andy Weir

Andy Weir, author of The Martian, Artemis, and Project Hail Mary answers our questions about his latest book, reveals the benefit of writing relatable characters, and shares his feelings about the Fab Four. Abbe Wright: Andy, when I open one of your novels, I know we’re starting with a pretty big problem. In The Martian, we’ve got Mark Watney, who’s

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