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Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of
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Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep Hardback - 2023

by Kenneth Miller

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Reader reviews for Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep

From the publisher

WINNER OF THE 2024 ASJA BOOK AWARD, BIOGRAPHY/HISTORY

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 BY THE NEW YORKER

NEW YORK TIMES EDITOR'S CHOICE SELECTION

From award-winning journalist Kenneth Miller comes the definitive story of the scientists who set out to answer two questions: "Why do we sleep?" and "How can we sleep better?"

A century ago, sleep was considered a state of nothingness--even a primitive habit that we could learn to overcome. Then, an immigrant scientist and his assistant spent a month in the depths of a Kentucky cave, making nationwide headlines and thrusting sleep science to the forefront of our consciousness.

In the 1920s, Nathaniel Kleitman founded the world's first dedicated sleep lab at the University of Chicago, where he subjected research participants (including himself) to a dizzying array of tests and tortures. But the tipping point came in 1938, when his cave experiment awakened the general public to the unknown--and vital--world of sleep. Kleitman went on to mentor the talented but troubled Eugene Aserinsky, whose discovery of REM sleep revealed the astonishing activity of the dreaming brain, and William Dement, a jazz-bass playing revolutionary who became known as the father of sleep medicine. Dement, in turn, mentored the brilliant maverick Mary Carskadon, who uncovered an epidemic of sleep deprivation among teenagers, and launched a global movement to fight it.

Award-winning journalist Kenneth Miller weaves together science and history to tell the story of four outsider scientists who took sleep science from fringe discipline to mainstream obsession through spectacular experiments, technological innovation, and single-minded commitment. Readers will walk away with a comprehensive understanding of sleep and why it affects so much of our lives.

"A propulsive, utterly engrossing history... None of it is simple and all of it is captivating."--The New York Times

"Mapping the Darkness offers two narratives at once: a sweeping journey of discovery about dreams, sleep and the terra incognita of unconsciousness; and a wake-up call about the dangers of chronic exhaustion. It's time, Mr. Miller tells us, to take our sleep back."--The Wall Street Journal

Details

  • Title Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep
  • Author Kenneth Miller
  • Binding Hardback
  • Pages 432
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Grand Central Publishing
  • Publication date 2023-10-03
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Bibliography, Illustrated, Index
  • ISBN 9780306924958 / 0306924951
  • Weight 1.45 lbs (0.66 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.4 in (23.11 x 15.49 x 3.56 cm)
  • Category Science
  • Library of Congress subjects Sleep, Physiology
  • Dewey Decimal Code 616.849

Media reviews

Citations

  • Booklist, 09/01/2023, Page 34
  • Choice, 08/01/2024, Page 0
  • Kirkus Reviews, 07/01/2023, Page 0
  • Publishers Weekly, 08/21/2023, Page 0

About the author

Kenneth Miller is a contributing editor for Discover, and his work has appeared in Time, Life, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Mother Jones, Aeon, and many other publications. His honors include the John Bartlow Martin Award for Public Interest Magazine Journalism, the ASJA Award for Best Science Writing, and the June Roth Memorial Award for Medical Writing. He lives in Los Angeles.

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Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep
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Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep

by Miller, Kenneth

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780306924958 / 0306924951
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Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep
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Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep

by Miller, Kenneth

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780306924958 / 0306924951
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Grand Central Publishing. Used - Acceptable. Book is readable with major wear, creases, and rips. Has a publisher remainder mark. Heavy wear to covers creases tears may be missing dust jucket, may have tape to fix tears. Texrt good. READER COPY ONLY !!!!!!!! hardcover Used - Acceptable 2023
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Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep
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Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep

by Miller, Kenneth

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Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep
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Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep

by Miller, Kenneth

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Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep
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Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep

by Miller, Kenneth

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep
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Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep

by Miller, Kenneth

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Grand Central Publishing, 2023. Hardcover. Very Good. Former library book; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Mapping the Darkness : The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep
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Mapping the Darkness : The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep

by Miller, Kenneth

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9780306924958 / 0306924951
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Mapping the Darkness : The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep
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Mapping the Darkness : The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep

by Miller, Kenneth

  • Used
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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780306924958 / 0306924951
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Grand Central Publishing. Used - Very Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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Mapping the Darkness : The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep
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Mapping the Darkness : The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep

by Miller, Kenneth

  • Used
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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780306924958 / 0306924951
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Description:
Grand Central Publishing. Used - Very Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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A$13.00
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Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep
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Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep

by Miller, Kenneth

  • Used
  • Hardback
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Used
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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780306924958 / 0306924951
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