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Nature and Science April 2020
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| Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life's Fundamental... by Lydia DenworthWhat it is: a cross-disciplinary survey of the science of social bonds -- and a powerful argument for friendship as the standard by which all relationships should be measured.
What it does: examines a growing body of research that suggests friendship is a biological necessity for humans and animals.
Want a taste? "Friendship...is a matter of life and death. It is carried in our DNA, in how we're wired. Social bonds have the power to shape the trajectories of our lives." |
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| Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe by Brian GreeneWhat it is: an accessible survey of some big ideas in physics, from the Big Bang to the end of time, which also addresses the role of science in humanity's ongoing search for the meaning of existence.
For fans of: the engaging blend of hard science and philosophical reflection in Carl Sagan's Cosmos.
About the author: Brian Greene is the director of Columbia University’s Center for Theoretical Physics. |
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The future we choose : surviving the climate crisis
by Christiana Figueres
A cautionary but hopeful report by the cofounders of Global Optimism and architects of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement outlines urgent measures that must be taken to adapt to or reverse climate change.
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| Why Good Sex Matters: Understanding the Neuroscience of Pleasure for a Smarter... by Nan Wise, PhDWhat it does: combines current research and practical, evidence-based suggestions for overcoming anhedonia (the inability to experience pleasure) and achieving a healthier relationship with one's sexuality.
About the author: Nan Wise is both a cognitive neuroscientist and a certified sex therapist.
Pro tip: "Orgasm may serve as the best possible ‘exercise’ for the brain." |
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Dancing with bees : a journey back to nature
by Brigit Strawbridge Howard
Brigit Strawbridge Howard was shocked the day she realised she knew more about the French Revolution than she did about her native trees. And birds. And wildflowers. And bees. The thought stopped her—quite literally—in her tracks. But that day was also the start of a journey, one filled with silver birches and hairy-footed flower bees, skylarks, and rosebay willow herb, and the joy that comes with deepening one’s relationship with place. Dancing with Bees is Strawbridge Howard’s charming and eloquent account of a return to noticing, to rediscovering a perspective on the world that had somehow been lost to her for decades and to reconnecting with the natural world. With special care and attention to the plight of pollinators, including honeybees, bumblebees, and solitary bees, and what we can do to help them, Strawbridge Howard shares fascinating details of the lives of flora and fauna that have filled her days with ever-increasing wonder and delight.Book Annotation
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| Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy by Cathy O'NeilWhat it's about: Big Data's capacity for reinforcing and exacerbating existing social inequalities, due to its scale and lack of transparency.
About the author: Mathematician Cathy O'Neil was a professor and a Wall Street quantitative analyst before becoming a blogger and activist.
You might also like: Shoshana Zuboff's The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, Virginia Eubanks' Automating Inequality, or John Cheney-Lippold's We Are Data. |
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| Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-PerezIntroducing: the "default male," a construct that sets the standards in everything from automobile safety to medical research to urban planning.
Why it matters: Journalist Caroline Criado-Perez argues that an emphasis on male data creates a gender data gap that renders women doubly invisible: their absence from research data is compounded by their occasional inclusion in research data that isn't dis-aggregated by sex.
The takeaway: "the consequences of living in a world built around male data can be deadly." |
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| Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World by Bruce SchneierContains: everything you should know about data, metadata, and surveillance (both government and corporate).
About the author: Self-described "public-interest technologist" Bruce Schneier is the creator of the popular website Schneier on Security.
Did you know? In a 2012 study, researchers were able to use cell phone data to predict where individuals would be 24 hours later, within a radius of 20 meters. |
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| Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really... by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz; foreword by Steven PinkerThe big idea: "The everyday act of typing a word into a compact, rectangular white box leaves a small trace of truth that, when multiplied by millions, eventually reveals profound realities."
In other words: our online behavior, in aggregate, reveals things about us that we would never admit -- and may not even be aware of!
You might also like: Christian Rudder's Dataclysm, another eye-opening examination of what our data can teach us about ourselves. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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