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Nature and Science April 2024
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Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic by Emily MonossonWhat it is: Tracing the history of fungal spread and the most recent discoveries in the field, Monosson meets scientists who are working tirelessly to protect species under threat, and whose innovative approaches to fungal invasion have the potential to save human lives.
Also read: "The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi" by Keith Seifert, "I Contain Multitudes" by Ed Yong and "Foreign Bodies" by Simon Schama.
Did you know?: Not all fungi are bad! However, there are multiple kinds that are currently threatening trees, amphibians and mammals across the U.S.
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The Allure of the Multiverse: Extra Dimensions, Other Worlds, and Parallel Universesby Paul HalpernWhat's inside: Drawing on centuries of disputation and deep vision from luminaries like Nietzsche, Einstein and the creators of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Halpern reveals the multiplicity of multiverses that scientists have imagined to make sense of our reality.
Further reading: "The Universe in a Nutshell" by Stephen Hawking, "The End of Everything" by Katie Mack and "Probable Impossibilities" by Alan Lightman.
Quote from the book: "Yet the very idea of a multiverse - supplementing the discernable universe with realms beyond direct detection - seems antithetical to the goal of testability. " - Paul Halpern
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| Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to What Matters by Charan Ranganath, PhDWhat it is: A new understanding of memory is emerging from the latest scientific research. In "Why We Remember," pioneering neuroscientist and psychologist Charan Ranganath radically reframes the way we think about the everyday act of remembering.
Read-alikes: "Remember" by Lisa Genova, "Before You Know It" by John Bargh and "Why We Forget and How to Remember Better" by Andrew Budson and Elizabeth Kensinger.
What reviews say: “Clever, insightful and humorous…The most significant lesson is that we need not be prisoners to our incompletely remembered past.” -The Wall Street Journal |
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The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monsterby John O'ConnorWhat's inside: A journalist travels across the United States in order to better understand the ongoing fascination with Bigfoot, and what it tells us about ourselves and our society.
For fans of: Colin Dickey's "The Unidentified," Tea Krulos' "Monster Hunters" and Jan Harold Brunvand's "Too Good to Be True."
Did you know?: 3,313 Bigfoot sightings were reported from 1921 to 2013 in the U.S. and Canada.
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| All in Her Head: The Truth and Lies Early Medicine Taught us About Women's Bodies and Why it Matters Today by Elizabeth Comen, M.D.What it is: Oncologist and medical historian Dr. Elizabeth Comen examines the history of misogyny in medicine and its ongoing impact on women's health.
Further reading: "Sex Matters" by Alyson J. McGregor, "Unwell Women" by Elinor Cleghorn and "Invisible Women" by Caroline Criado Perez.
Quote from the book: "Women remain underrepresented and overlooked in medical research, even though many treatments interact differently in a female body than in a male one." - Elizabeth Comen |
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Otter Country: An Unexpected Adventure in the Natural Worldby Miriam DarlingtonWhat's inside: Over the course of a single year, Darlington takes readers on a winding expedition in pursuit of the elusive wild otter. With each encounter, she reveals the scientific, environmental, and cultural importance of this creature and the places it calls home.
For fans of: Barry Lopez's "Horizon," Helen Macdonald's "H is for Hawk" and Erika Howsare's "The Age of Deer."
What reviews say: "Entrancing.... Darlington burnishes her reputation as a gifted nature writer with this vivid examination of the behavior, biology, and evolution of otters." - Publishers Weekly
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| Birding to Change the World: A Memoir by Trish O'KaneWhat it is: In "Birding to Change the World," O'Kane details the astonishing science of bird life, from migration and parenting to the territorial defense strategies that influenced her own activism.
You might also like: Mya-Rose Craig's "Birdgirl," Jack Gedney's "The Private Lives of Public Birds" and Christian Cooper's "Better Living Through Birding."
Did you know?: The state bird of North Carolina is the cardinal. |
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Secrets of the Octopusby Sy MontgomeryWhat's inside: The companion to the highly-anticipated National Geographic television special, this beautifully illustrated book explores the alluring underwater world of the octopus - a creature that resembles an alien lifeform, but whose behavior has earned it a reputation as one of the most intelligent animals on the planet.
For fans of: "Many Things Under a Rock" by David Scheel, "Below the Edge of Darkness" by Edith Widder and "Underwater Wild" by Craig Foster.
Quote from the book: "In the Amazon, river people tell stories of pink dolphins they call encantados, enchanted beings who may show up at dances as beautiful strangers, seduce men and women, and then dive back into the water and return to their dolphin form." - Sy Montgomery
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| Big Meg: The Story of the Largest and Most Mysterious Predator That Ever Lived by Tim Flannery and Emma FlanneryWhat it is: A father-daughter scientist duo dives into the mysteries surrounding the giant prehistoric shark Otodus megalodon, the largest predator to ever live.
You might also like: Darren Naish's "Ancient Sea Reptiles," Nick Pyenson's "Spying on Whales" and William McKeever's "Emperors of the Deep."
About the authors: Tim and Emma Flannery are an Australian father/daughter duo. Tim is a scientist, explorer, and conservationist who has published more than 130 scientific papers and several books. Emma is a scientist and writer. Her research on geology, chemistry and paleontology has been published in scientific journals, as children’s books and as museum-based adult education tours. |
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Four Thousand Paws: Caring for the Dogs of the Iditarod: A Veterinarian's Storyby Lee MorganWhat's inside: From the huskies of Iditarods past to the intrepid dogs of today, Morgan shows how these fierce competitors surmount the dangers of the Arctic, aided, along the way, by attentive mushers and volunteer veterinarians.
You might also like: Debbie Clarke Moderow's "Fast Into the Night," Kristin Knight Pace's "This Much Country" and Nick Jans' "A Wolf Called Romeo."
Quote from the book: "I told him that none of us thought the dogs' lives were in danger, and that if he stopped here, the chances were high that his team would be all right. If he carries on, though, there were risks. I told him that it would be a long, long time before he'd reach another vet." - Lee Morgan
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Forsyth County Public Library 660 W. Fifth St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101 336-703-2665forsythlibrary.org |
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