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Nature and Science August 2018
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| Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth's Most Awesome Creatures by Nick PyensonWhat it's about: Paleontologist Nicholas Pyenson recounts the evolution of whales from four-legged, dog-sized, land-dwelling creatures to today's aquatic leviathans, while contemplating their uncertain future.
Why you might like it: part natural history, part travelogue, Spying on Whales offers a glimpse at a hidden underwater world.
You might also like: Philip Hoare's The Whale: In Search of the Giants of the Sea; Micheline Jenner's The Secret Life of Whales. |
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Through Two Doors at Once : The Elegant Experiment That Captures the Enigma of Our Quantum Reality
by Anil Ananthaswamy
What it is: the story of quantum mechanics told through the lens of the "double-slit" experiment, showing how light passing through two slits cut into a cardboard sheet first challenged our understanding of light and the nature of reality almost two hundred years ago--and continues to do so.
Reviewers say: "This accessible, illuminating book shows that no matter how sophisticated the lab setup, the double-slit experiment still challenges physicists." (Publishers Weekly)
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Buzz : The Nature and Necessity of Bees
by Thor Hanson
What it is: Conservation biologist Hanson presents a natural and cultural history of the bee that traces its evolution and varieties while evaluating the environmental hazards placing them at risk.
Why you might like it: "Populations of many species of bees are in decline due to habitat loss, herbicides, pesticides, and introduced pathogens. Despite this news, the author is surprisingly optimistic that we can reform and protect our bees, citing recent research and improved agricultural practices. In Buzz, he states his case while entertainingly recounting human-and-bee history and his own experiences with many bee species." (Booklist)
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Unthinkable : An Extraordinary Journey Through the World's Strangest Brains
by Helen Thomson
What it's about: An award-winning science writer draws on years investigating some of the world's rarest brain disorders and the cases of nine extraordinary people to share insights into how the brain shapes life in unexpected, alarming and vibrant ways.
Reviewers say: "Thomson has a gift for making the complex and strange understandable and relatable. Oliver Sacks is noted as an inspiration and, indeed, this book will appeal to his many fans." (Library Journal)
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The Equations of Life : How Physics Shapes Evolution
by Charles S. Cockell
What it's about: Presents a new view on the theory of evolution, arguing that the laws of physics narrowly constrain how life can evolve, making evolution's outcomes predictable.
Reviewers say: Non-scientists, give it a try! "Many readers will find the equations incomprehensible, but they will relish a lucid, provocative argument that the dazzling variety of organisms produced by 4 billion years of evolution may seem unbounded, but all follow universal laws." (Kirkus)
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| Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, From Missiles to the Moon... by Nathalia HoltIntroducing: Barby Canright, Macie Roberts, Helen Yee Chow, Barbara Lewis, Janez Lawson, Susan Finley, and others.
Why they matter: This talented group of women calculated rocket trajectories, designed satellites, and analyzed massive amounts of experimental data for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
For fans of: Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures, another collective biography of the unsung heroines of the U.S. space program. |
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| Beyond: Our Future in Space by Chris ImpeyWhat it's about: Astronomer Chris Impey chronicles human space travel, from the Cold War "space race" to the rise of private space companies such as Space X and Virgin Galactic.
Why you might like it: In engaging fashion, Beyond describes our species' ongoing efforts to explore, colonize, and inhabit the final frontier.
You might also like: Neil deGrasse Tyson's Space Chronicles, which considers our future in space. |
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| Sally Ride: America's First Woman in Space by Lynn SherrWhat it is: a biography of the first American woman astronaut to go to space, written by a journalist who followed Sally Ride's career for decades.
Did you know? That Ride was a nationally ranked college tennis player? That she was the first (known) gay astronaut? That on her famous first flight she suffered from space sickness?
Want a taste? "Sally was very good at keeping secrets." |
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Breaking the Chains of Gravity: The Story of Spaceflight Before NASA
by Amy Shira Teitel
What it's about: A history of pre-NASA spaceflight describes how America's space agency drew some of the world's leading minds, discussing such subjects as Wernher von Braun's Jupiter rocket, the cutting-edge aircraft flown by NACA test pilot Neil Armstrong and the rivalries between the various arms of the U.S. military.
Reviewers say: "Aircraft and rocketry geeks will find the most to love in this jet-powered history, but it's a great primer for anyone interested in the origins of space travel." (Library Journal)
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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