Nature and Science April 2026 |
|
|
|
| 99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them by Ashely Alker, MDAs a physician specializing in emergency services, Ashely Alker knows a thing or two about the myriad ways that humans can perish. Including pithy advice about how to avoid premature death and job-related anecdotes that are unsettling, funny, and flat-out scary, Alker’s book is “enormously informative and exceedingly entertaining” (Library Journal). For another witty read about dark topics, try The Chick and the Dead: Life and Death Behind Mortuary Doors by Carla Valentine. |
|
| The Company of Owls by Polly AtkinThe Company of Owls is a book about birdwatching, and yet author and poet Polly Atkin is no bird expert. Rather, she has written a thoughtful, lyrical memoir about observing the different species of owls around her home in England’s Lake District. Her interactions with these beings stir ruminations about chronic illness, solitude, and how intimacy with nature can enhance our understanding of ourselves. Try this next: The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl. |
|
| Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives by Daisy FancourtPsychologist and epidemiologist Daisy Fancourt’s debut touts the importance of the arts and creativity in a healthy lifestyle, even for the non-artistic. Fancourt’s inspiring book provides statistics and examples showing that an hour of art-related activity per week can improve mental health, memory, movement, and longevity, and can alleviate the symptoms of numerous ailments. For fans of: The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature by Sue Stuart-Smith. |
|
|
|
I Told You So!: Scientists Who Were Ridiculed, Exiled, and Imprisoned for Being Right by Matt KaplanAn energetic and impassioned work of popular science about scientists who have had to fight for their revolutionary ideas to be accepted--from Darwin to Pasteur to modern day Nobel Prize winners. In this passionately argued and entertaining book, Kaplan narrates the history of the 19th century Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis, who realized that Childbed fever was spread by doctors not washing their hands. Semmelweis was met with overwhelming hostility by those offended at the notion that doctors were at fault, and is a prime example of how the scientific community often fights new ideas, even when the facts are staring them in the face. In entertaining prose, Kaplan reveals scientific cases past and present to make his case. Kaplan shows how the scientific community can work faster and better by making reasonably small changes to the forces that shape it.
|
|
|
|
The Forgotten Sense: The New Science of Smell--And the Extraordinary Power of the Nose by Jonas OlofssonA fascinating exploration of our most essential yet least understood sense--enabling us to appreciate food and drink, warning us of dangers, and even influencing who we fall in love with in this compelling work of sensory science.Our sense of smell guides our lives far more than our screen-heavy, sight-privileged era would suggest. It animates our experience of food and drink, helps us access powerful olfactory memory, and strengthens our intimacy with each other. But, long considered our most beastly sense, the inner workings of smell have stumped scientists for centuries.Now, cognitive scientist and leading smell researcher Jonas Olofsson uncovers the sophisticated processes that drive our olfactory system, with profound implications for how we perceive the world around us.
|
|
|
|
Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe by Carl ZimmerEvery day we draw in two thousand gallons of air--and thousands of living things. From the ground to the stratosphere, the air teems with invisible life. This last great biological frontier remains so mysterious that it took over two years for scientists to finally agree that the Covid pandemic was caused by an airborne virus. In Air-Borne, award-winning New York Times columnist and author Carl Zimmer leads us on an odyssey through the living atmosphere and through the history of its discovery. Air-Borne also leaves readers looking at the world with new eyes--as a place where the oceans and forests loft trillions of cells into the air, where microbes eat clouds, and where life soars thousands of miles on the wind. Weaving together gripping history with the latest reporting on Covid and other threats to global health, Air-Borne surprises us on every page as it reveals the hidden world of the air.
|
|
| Why We Drink Too Much: The Impact of Alcohol on Our Bodies and Culture by Dr. Charles KnowlesIn his accessible debut, British medical professor Charles Knowles breaks down the science behind humans’ enduring fascination with drinking alcohol and explains why the urge to over-consume is all too common. Far from a sobriety diatribe, Knowles instead presents a straightforward summary of alcohol’s effects alongside the chilling story of how it nearly destroyed his own life, urging drinkers to retain perspective on their habit. Try this next: Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction by Judith Grisel. |
|
|
|
Turning to Birds: The Power and Beauty of Noticing by Lili TaylorFINALIST FOR THE GOTHAM BOOK PRIZE - Eye-opening essays about searching for peace in the cacophony of birds and discovering a world of meaning in small moments--from award-winning actor Lili Taylor. By turns introspective, inquisitive, and funny, the book is a love letter to nature and the solace it can provide. Most people don't really know birds--or rather, they aren't aware of them. Taylor's lyrical prose and thoughtful meditations on both the art we make and the art we discover around us create a sense of intimacy and wonder, inviting readers to see the world through new eyes and to find joy in the most unexpected places.
|
|
| Winter: The Story of a Season by Val McDermidAs we brace for another “hottest ever” summer, readers wistful for winter coziness will want to immerse themselves in Scottish crime novelist Val McDermid’s ode to the season of cold, rest, and reflection. McDermid’s beloved Edinburgh comes to life with her vivid childhood recollections of busy street scenes, sprinkled with Scottish holiday traditions and a few soup recipes. For fans of: The Light in the Dark: A Winter Journal by Horatio Clare. |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|