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Nature and Science June 2018
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| The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Steve BrusatteWhat it is: the most up-to-date research on the amazing rise, fantastic reign, and spectacular extinction of dinosaurs, presented in a captivating and lively manner.
Why you should read it: Paleontologists discover, on average, one new dinosaur species a week(!), so there is much new information to share.
About the author: American paleontologist Steve Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh is highly respected in his field. |
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| The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales... by Lucy CookeWhat it is: Zoologist Lucy Cooke -- the founder of the Sloth Appreciation Society -- probes some of the most intriguing myths about 13 animals, including beavers, pandas, and (of course) sloths.
For fans of: natural history and hilarious, quirky, and entertaining facts.
Try this next: Follow this fun collection of surprising essays with The Wasp That Brainwashed The Caterpillar: Evolution’s Most Unbelievable Solutions to Life’s Biggest Problems by Matt Simon. |
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| When Einstein Walked With Gödel: Excursions to the Edge of Thought by Jim HoltWhat it is: an examination of unlikely partnerships between eccentric geniuses -- including Albert Einstein and logician Kurt Gödel, and computer scientists Ada Lovelace and Alan Turing -- that breaks down some of science’s most groundbreaking ideas.
Why you might like it: If you enjoy science writer Jim Holt’s (Why Does The World Exist?) signature writing style -- entertaining, accessible, and humorous -- you won’t be disappointed by this fun and informative book. |
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| Milk! A 10,000-Year Food Fracas by Mark KurlanskyWhat it is: As he did in works such as Paper and Salt, historian Mark Kurlansky provides an illuminating microhistory of another familiar item: milk.
Why you should read it: This sweeping history of milk is also the story of human civilization itself, reaching across continents and throughout time. (And of course, recipes are included.)
You might also like: For more microhistories of edibles, try Tea by Laura C. Martin and Spice by Jack Turner. |
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| The Plant Messiah: Adventures in Search of the World's Rarest Species by Carlos MagdalenaWhat it’s about: one man’s heroic quest to save some of the world’s rarest plant species from extinction, an endeavor that takes him into a variety of breathtaking habitats around the globe.
About the author: Spanish-born Carlos Magdalena, a horticulturalist at Kew Gardens, has been nicknamed “the plant messiah” for his work saving endangered plants.
You might also like: The collective biography The Brother Gardeners by Andrea Wulf and the historical fiction novel The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert. |
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| Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins by Susan CaseyWhat it's about: Journalist Susan Casey (who wrote about sharks in The Devil’s Teeth) probes the astounding world of dolphins, examining their relationship with human beings (for better and for worse).
Did you know? Dolphins are highly intelligent creatures with x-ray vision who can recognize their own reflections and have been known to throw temper tantrums.
Further reading: Journey of the Pink Dolphins by Sy Montgomery. |
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The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World
by Jeff Goodell
What it's about: Climate change is melting the polar ice caps and causing sea levels to rise...and we are not prepared for it. At all.
Did you know? In this sobering book, journalist Jeff Goodell outlines "the future we are creating for ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren," in which rising tides will swallow coastal cities, costing trillions of dollars a year and displacing millions of people. If you're wondering what the future holds, get to higher ground immediately and then pick up this book.
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Junk raft : an ocean voyage and a rising tide of activism to fight plastic pollution
by Marcus Eriksen
What it's about: An exciting account of an activist scientist's fight in the movement against plastic marine pollution and of his expedition across the Pacific on a home-made "junk raft"
What is the greater problem: Marcus Eriksen with his wife, Anna, found instead of a stable mass of litter, they discovered that a "plastic smog" of microparticles permeates the world's oceans, defying simplistic clean-up efforts. What's more, these microplastics and their toxic chemistry have seeped into the food chain, threatening marine life and humans alike.
What is the solution: Eriksen recounts the successful efforts to fight corporate influence and demand that plastics producers take responsibility for a problem they've created. He provides concrete, actionable solutions: it's up to bold, brash, unapologetically activist "citizen scientists" to challenge the status quo for the sake of the planet"
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Fisherman's blues : a West African community at sea
by Anna Badkhen
What it's about: A first-hand account of life in a West African fishing village submerges readers in a community navigating a time of unprecedented environmental, economic and cultural upheaval with resilience, resourcefulness and wonder.
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| Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators... by Simon WinchesterBestselling author Simon Winchester turns his keen eye on the Pacific Ocean, the largest body of water on Earth, mainly focusing on events after 1950.
What’s inside: Assessing not only the ocean and what lies beneath it, Winchester also discusses the countries that border it (including China and the United States) as well as the islands within it.
Reviewers say: Kirkus Reviews calls Pacific a "superb analysis of a world wonder." |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Avon Lake Public Library 32649 Electric Blvd. Avon Lake, Ohio 44012 440-933-8128alpl.org |
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