Nature and Science June 2019 Recent Releases Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste by Nolan Gasser What it's about: the science of music (what it is) and the sociology of musical taste (why we like what we like and what it says about us). About the author: Musicologist Nolan Gasser is the architect of Pandora’s Music Genome Project. Is it for you? Readers with some background in music theory or practice will get the most out of this eclectic and comprehensive book. Sprout Lands: Tending the Endless Gift of Trees by William Bryant Logan What it is: an arborist's lyrical examination of the lost arts of coppicing and pollarding, tree pruning techniques that once formed the basis of a mutually beneficial relationship between humans and trees. What sets it apart: the author's travels to California, Japan, Norway, and the Basque country to learn firsthand about traditional forest management practices. For fans of: Peter Wohlleben's The Hidden Life of Trees. Never Home Alone : From Microbes to Millipedes, Camel Crickets, and Honeybees, The Natural History of Where We Live by Rob R Dunn A distinguished biologist presents a natural history of the wilderness in everyday homes, revealing the presence of some 200,000 species, from shower microbes to cupboard moths, including many who benefit human health. Borrowed Time : The Science of How and Why We Age by Sue Armstrong Discusses the scientific quest to understand how and why organisms age by describing astonishing experiments including transfusing blood between young and old rats and transplanting the first human head and interviewing key scientists in the field. Wayfinding: The Science and Mystery of How Humans Navigate the World by M.R. O'Connor What it is: a multidisciplinary examination of wayfinding, which includes spatial orientation, navigation, perception, and culturally specific practices of interacting with one's environment. What else it is: a thought-provoking book that frames maps, compasses, and other navigation technologies as tools of European imperialism.  Read it for: the author's interactions with experts in traditional navigation from the Arctic, Australia, and the South Pacific. Falter : Has the Human Game Begun To Play Itself Out? by Bill McKibben The prizewinning author of Eaarth and The End of Nature shares cautionary insights into how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and robotics, are being developed through fervent ideologies that are threatening the diversity of human experience Humans and Other Animals Mama's Last Hug : Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us About Ourselves by F. B. M. de Waal The influential primatologist and best-selling author of Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? draws on renowned primate studies in an exploration of animal emotions that touches on such subjects as expressions, animal sentience and free will. Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari The big question: So now that we've mitigated the effects of famine, plague, and war, what's next for human beings? About the author: Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari is the author of the bestselling Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. Is it for you? Believers in the march of human progress should be aware that Home Deus forecasts several possible futures for our species, most of them downright dystopian. Genesis : The Deep Origin of Societies by Edward O Wilson Just as Darwin, in his 1871 Descent of Man, proposed humanity's origins through the study of apes and human behavior, Wilson here synthesizes the most updated research in evolutionary science to offer a pithy yet path-breaking work of evolutionary theory. In Genesis, Wilson eloquently braids twenty-first-century scientific research with the lyrical biological and humanistic observations for which he is known and admired. Let dogs be dogs : understanding canine nature and mastering the art of living with your dog by Marc Goldberg Drawing on stories, case studies and years of experience, America’s foremost authorities on dog care and training present a “foundational” guide for dog owners that shows them how to lead, provide for and be a friend to their canine companions. Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert M. Sapolsky What it is: an interdisciplinary study of human behavior by neurobiologist and primatologist Robert Sapolsky. What it does: Behave explores human behavior by taking a single (re)action and examining what's going on in the brain and body in the seconds, minutes, hours, days, and even years before it occurs. Don't miss: the author's top ten strategies for reducing violence in our species. Contact your librarian for more great books!