| The Blue Plate: A Food Lover's Guide to Climate Chaos by Mark J. EasterHow many of us take the food we eat for granted? Ecologist Mark J. Easter corrects this oversight, using research and fact-finding trips to give a full understanding of our food products’ origins. Easter not only informs but guides our choices for eating more sustainably, “leaving readers with a sense of purpose and hope” (Booklist). For more about food and the environment, try The Fate of Food by Amanda Little or Eating to Extinction by Dan Saladino. |
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| Living on Earth: Forests, Corals, Consciousness, and the Making of the World by Peter Godfrey-SmithPeter Godfrey-Smith’s book on natural history and ecology takes the intriguing perspective of viewing the world’s organisms as causes, as well as effects, of evolutionary progress, with living creatures (humans especially) giving shape to their environment through their actions. Other thought-provoking ecological reads include Becoming Earth by Ferris Jabr and Never Home Alone by Rob Dunn. |
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| The Immune Mind: The Hidden Dialogue Between Your Brain and Immune System by Dr. Monty LymanThe complexity of human brain function takes center stage in physician Monty Lyman’s book about that organ’s important role in protecting the body from pathogen-born threats, revealing “the profound connections between brain and body” (Publishers Weekly). For more intriguing reads about brain function, try The Man Who Tasted Words by Guy Leschziner or Why We Remember by Charan Ranganath. |
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| Math Mind: The Simple Path to Loving Math by Shalinee SharmaNonprofit founder Shalinee Sharma is enthusiastic about math, and insists in her debut book that “numeracy,” like literacy, should be accessible to all learners with proper instruction, and points out ways in which math skills are surprisingly similar to artistic and creative pursuits. Other fascinating books for math-phobic readers include Thinking Better by Marcus du Sautoy and How Not to Be Wrong by Jordan Ellenberg. |
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| The Singularity Is Nearer: When We Merge with Al by Ray KurzweilIn this follow-up to his 2005 work The Singularity Is Near, futurist Ray Kurzweil provides updates on the mounting evidence to support his claim that artificial intelligence will allow human brains and computers to interface directly by 2040! Intrigued? Look for more mind-blowing predictions in these books: The Future of Humanity by Michio Kaku; Brave New Words by Salman Khan. |
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| The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the 21st Century's Greatest Dilemma by Mustafa Suleyman with Michael BhaskarIn his sobering analysis of the sweeping societal changes that AI will bring, expert Mustafa Suleyman stresses the importance of careful regulation of any autonomous technologies, including built-in kill switches and other safeguards. Those interested in exploring the potential downsides of AI should also read A World Without Work by Daniel Susskind or The AI Dilemma by Juliette Powell and Art Kleiner. |
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