Nature and Science
June 2026
 

Recent Releases
The Laws of Thought: The Quest for a Mathematical Theory of the Mind
by Tom Griffiths

Tom Griffiths, director of Princeton’s Computational Cognitive Science Lab, fascinates with an accessible survey of the attempts to reduce human thought to a discreet set of mathematical principles. While some approaches have proved useful in modelling certain kinds of problem solving, the failure of any single framework to capture the mind’s versatility is at the center of Griffiths' book, and has implications for the development of AI. 
Beyond Inheritance: Our Ever-Mutating Cells and a New Understanding of Health
by Roxanne Khamsi

Science journalist Roxanne Khamsi’s well-researched debut offers a peek at cutting-edge genetics and the idea that our DNA is not static, as previously thought, but constantly mutating, in as many as trillions of occurrences daily. Geneticists hope that better understanding these naturally occurring mutations will give us a window into the cause of genetic diseases like cancer and, more importantly, how best to treat them.
The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing by Mark Kurlansky
The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing
by Mark Kurlansky

National Outdoor Book Award Winner for Outdoor Literature From the award-winning, bestselling author of Cod--the irresistible story of the science, history, art, and culture of the least efficient way to catch a fish.
How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi: Collected Quirks of Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math from Nerd Nite by Chris Balakrishnan
How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi: Collected Quirks of Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math from Nerd Nite
by Chris Balakrishnan

For 20 years, Nerd Nite has delivered to live audiences around the world, the most interesting, fun, and informative presentations about science, history, the arts, pop culture, you name it. There hasn't been a rabbit hole that their army of presenters hasn't been afraid to explore. Finally, after countless requests to bring Nerd Nite to more fans across the globe, co-founders and college pals Matt Wasowski and Chris Balakrishnan are bringing readers the quirky and accessible science content that they crave in book form, focused on STEM and paired with detailed illustrations that make the content pop. The resulting range of topics is quirky and vast, from kinky, spring-loaded spiders to the Webb telescope's influence on movie special effects. Hilariously named after Dale Carnegie's iconic book, How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi features narratives, bursts, and infographics on all things STEM from scientists around the world. 
An Earthling's Guide to Outer Space: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Black Holes, Dwarf Planets, Aliens, and More by Bob McDonald
An Earthling's Guide to Outer Space: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Black Holes, Dwarf Planets, Aliens, and More
by Bob McDonald

Science commentator Bob McDonald takes us on a tour of our galaxy, unraveling the mysteries of the universe and helping us navigate our place among the stars. How big is our galaxy? Is there life on those distant planets? Are we really made of star dust? And where do stars even come from?--
The World of Insects
A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings: A Year of Keeping Bees by Helen Jukes
A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings: A Year of Keeping Bees
by Helen Jukes

Helen Jukes is entering her thirties and feeling disconnected and trapped by her office job. Then, for good luck, she is given a colony of honeybees. According to folklore, a colony, freely given, brings good fortune, and the author embarks on an emotional, rewarding journey during the course of a year as she cares for these wondrous beings and learns the art of beekeeping--
Insectopolis: A Natural History
by Peter Kuper

Eisner Award-winning graphic novelist Peter Kuper’s illustrated ode to insect life incorporates multiple timelines, talking bugs, and a human de-populated world where the insects happily visit museum exhibits devoted to them! Kuper provides a wealth of science information alongside his stunning illustrations in inventively arranged panels that will draw in readers who like graphic nonfiction. For something similar, try The Hidden Life of Trees, Fred Bernard’s and Benjamin Flao's graphic adaptation of the book by Peter Wohlleben.
Mischievous Creatures: The Forgotten Sisters Who Transformed Early American Science by Catherine McNeur
Mischievous Creatures: The Forgotten Sisters Who Transformed Early American Science
by Catherine McNeur

The nineteenth century was a transformative period in the history of American science, as scientific study, once the domain of armchair enthusiasts and amateurs, became the purview of professional experts and institutions. In [this book], historian Catherine McNeur shows that women were central to the development of the natural sciences during this critical time. She does so by uncovering the forgotten lives of entomologist Margaretta Hare Morris and botanist Elizabeth Morris--sister scientists whose essential contributions to their respective fields, and to the professionalization of science as a whole, have been largely erased--
Smithsonian Handbook of Interesting Insects by Gavin Broad
Smithsonian Handbook of Interesting Insects
by Gavin Broad

Stunning photographic guide to bugs, from the beautiful to the bizarre and every bug in between--
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