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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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On Gravity: A Brief Tour of a Weighty Subject
by A. Zee
Of the four fundamental forces of nature, gravity might be the least understood and yet the one with which we are most intimate. From the months each of us spent suspended in the womb anticipating birth to the moments when we wait for sleep to transport us to other realities, we are always aware of gravity. In On Gravity, physicist A. Zee combines profound depth with incisive accessibility to take us on an original and compelling tour of Einstein's general theory of relativity.
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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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A Wilder Time: Notes From a Geologist at the Edge of the Greenland Ice.
by William E. Glassley
A scientist experiences primordial wonders and the wisdom of solitude in one of Earth’s wildest and most endangered places. An invitation to experience a breathtaking place and the fascinating science behind its creation, A Wilder Time is nature writing at its best.
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Microbia : A Journey into the Unseen World Around You
by Eugenia Bone
Insightful and informative, a mix of memoir, reportage and arm-chair science book takes readers on a broad survey of the role of microbes in nature and their importance to the health of soil, plants and us, revealing the hidden world of these single-celled organisms to help us understand our relationship to the natural world. By the author of Mycophilia.
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Wild Moms: Motherhood in the Animal Kingdom
by Carin Bondar
An expert in population ecology and the host of online and television programs discusses the ins and outs of what it means to be a mother in the animal kingdom, including gestation, pregnancy and child-rearing and caring for disabled offspring. A fascinating and entertaining tour of motherhood in the animal kingdom that reveals a new perspective on the mother/child relationship.
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Birdmania: A Remarkable Passion for Birds
by Bernd Brunner
Presents anecdotes about the obsessions of bird lovers throughout history, describing the observations and encounters with birds of such artists, scholars, and ornithologists as Charles Darwin, John James Audubon, Erwin Stesemann, Roxie Laybourne, and Scott Weidensaul.
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Look Big: And Other Tips for Surviving Animal Encounters ... Of All Kinds
by Rachel Levin
As humans encroach on wild places, encounters with animals--from bears, bison, mountain lions, and mice to turkeys, ticks, rats, and raccoons--have become increasingly commonplace. But, wait, what are the rules for facing a moose up close? Do you run from a coyote or stand your ground? How deadly, really, are black widow spiders, rattlesnakes, and sharks? Packed with expert tips, fascinating animal facts, and harrowing true tales, Look Big is a must-have survival guide for outdoor, urban, and suburban adventurers alike. If you have ever feared the approach of a grizzly, the spray of a skunk, or an army of cockroaches in the kitchen, this book is for you.
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Adventures of a Young Naturalist: The Zoo Quest Expeditions
by David Attenborough
In 1954, David Attenborough, a young television presenter, was offered the opportunity of a lifetime--to travel the world finding rare and elusive animals for the London Zoo's collection, and to film the expedition for the BBC for a new show called Zoo Quest. This is the story of those voyages. Staying with local tribes while trekking in search of giant anteaters in Guyana, Komodo dragons in Indonesia, and armadillos in Paraguay, he and the rest of the team contended with cannibal fish, aggressive tree porcupines, and escape-artist wild pigs, as well as treacherous terrain and unpredictable weather, to record the incredible beauty and biodiversity of these regions. Written with his trademark wit and charm, Adventures of a Young Naturalist is not just the story of a remarkable adventure, but of the man who made us fall in love with the natural world and taught us the importance of protecting it--and who is still doing so today.
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Weather: From Cloud Atlases to Climate Change
by Andrew Revkin
Andrew Revkin, who is the senior climate reporter at ProPublica after a prize-winning 21-year stint at The New York Times, presents an intriguing illustrated history of humanity’s evolving relationship with Earth’s dynamic climate system and the wondrous weather it generates.
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Atlas of a Lost World: Travels in Ice Age America
by Craig Childs
From the author of Apocalyptic Planet, an unsparing, vivid, revelatory travelogue through prehistory that traces the arrival of the First People in North America twenty thousand years ago and the artifacts that enable us to imagine their lives and fates. This is a chronicle of the last millennia of the Ice Age, the gradual oscillations and retreat of glaciers, the clues and traces that document the first encounters of early humans, and the animals whose presence governed the humans' chances for survival.
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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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The Dog: A Natural History
by Aþdaþm Mikloþsi
An illustrated introduction to one of the oldest—and most beloved—domesticated species explores the dog’s prehistoric origins and examines dogs’ biology and behavior, paying close attention to the way they see, hear and smell, and how they communicate with other dogs and with humans.
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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 histories of edibles, try Tea by Saberi, 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 Attacking Ocean: The Past, Present, and Future of Rising Sea Levels by Brian FaganWhat it is: an eye-opening look at how rising sea levels have changed the planet -- and how humans have themselves contributed to ever-changing shorelines -- over the last 15,000 years.
Is it for you? Readers with an interest in global warming, climate change, and anthropology will find much to ponder here.
About the author: Brian Fagan is an emeritus professor of anthropology at U.C. Santa Barbara and the celebrated author behind The Little Ice Age: How Climate Made History, 1300 -1850. |
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| Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us about Ourselves by James NestorWhat it’s about: Competitive free diving is a sport in which participants plunge, unburdened by scuba gear, to depths of up to 300 feet in the span of a single breath. In Deep, author James Nestor begins training for free diving -- and in the process uncovers much about the enduring relationship between humans and the ocean.
Book buzz: Deep was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, an Amazon Best Science Book of 2014, and a Scientific American Recommended Read. |
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| The Ocean of Life: The Fate of Man and the Sea by Callum RobertsWhat it's about: Biologist Callum Roberts documents the past, present, and future of the world's oceans, which continue to undergo dramatic environmental changes.
Why you should read it: Filled with fascinating tidbits (albatross chicks eat an average of 70 pieces of plastic per meal) as well as meticulous scientific detail, The Ocean of Life makes a powerful case for ocean conservation.
About the author: Roberts has been called “the Rachel Carson of the fish world” (The New York Times). |
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| Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators... by Simon WinchesterWhat it’s about: bestselling 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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Never be without a book you love! |
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