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Nature and Science August 2018
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Heart: A History
by Sandeep Jauhar
The bestselling author of Intern and Doctored tells the story of the thing that makes us tick.
For centuries, the human heart seemed beyond our understanding - an inscrutable shuddering mass that was somehow the driver of emotion and the seat of the soul. As the cardiologist and bestselling author Sandeep Jauhar shows in Heart: A History, it was only recently that we demolished age-old taboos and devised the transformative procedures that have changed the way we live.
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| Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth's Most Awesome Creatures by Nick PyensonWhat it's about: Paleontologist Nicholas Pyenson recounts the evolution of whales from four-legged, dog-sized, land-dwelling creatures to today's aquatic leviathans, while contemplating their uncertain future.
Why you might like it: part natural history, part travelogue, Spying on Whales offers a glimpse at a hidden underwater world.
You might also like: Philip Hoare's The Whale: In Search of the Giants of the Sea; Micheline Jenner's The Secret Life of Whales. |
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| Still Waters: The Secret World of Lakes by Curt StagerWhat it is: a deep dive into the ecology of lakes, ponds, and inland seas by science writer Curt Stager, who reveals the "secret worlds within worlds hiding in plain sight."
Read it for: a highly literate and philosophical tour of the world's lakes, from Walden Pond to Lake Victoria.
For fans of: Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. |
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| The Secret Life of Cows by Rosamund YoungWhat it's about: Author Rosamund Young of Kite's Nest farm in Worcestershire, England introduces readers to her cattle and their personalities, while advocating for the humane treatment of animals and sustainable farming practices.
Read it for: the friendly and conversational writing style, and a herd of charmingly named cows ("Baby Jane," "Red Rum," and "The Bishop of Durham," among others.)
You might also like: Alice Walker's The Chicken Chronicles, in which the award-winning writer chronicles life with a flock of hens. |
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| Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, From Missiles to the Moon... by Nathalia HoltIntroducing: Barby Canright, Macie Roberts, Helen Yee Chow, Barbara Lewis, Janez Lawson, Susan Finley, and others.
Why they matter: This talented group of women calculated rocket trajectories, designed satellites, and analyzed massive amounts of experimental data for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
For fans of: Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures, another collective biography of the unsung heroines of the U.S. space program. |
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| Sally Ride: America's First Woman in Space by Lynn SherrWhat it is: a biography of the first American woman astronaut to go to space, written by a journalist who followed Sally Ride's career for decades.
Did you know? That Ride was a nationally ranked college tennis player? That she was the first (known) gay astronaut? That on her famous first flight she suffered from space sickness?
Want a taste? "Sally was very good at keeping secrets." |
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Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon
by Jeffrey Kluger
Citing the space race, Cold War and 1967 Apollo 1 tragedy, a riveting account of the harried mission to use an untested rocket to secure America's position as the first nation to reach the moon reveals the dangers endured by its crew and the ways the mission brought inspiration and renewal to an America ravaged by assassinations and war.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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