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Nature and Science June 2020
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| Nerve: Adventures in the Science of Fear by Eva HollandWhat it's about: When the thing she dreads most comes to pass, journalist Eva Holland embarks on a quest to understand the nature of fear by examining current scientific research, interviewing experts, and confronting some of her personal phobias.
What you'll learn: why we feel fear, what it does to the brain, and strategies for living with it ("overcoming" fear isn't really an option).
For fans of: the immersive, first-person reporting of Mary Roach. |
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A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Human Story Retold through Our Genes
by Adam Rutherford; foreword by Siddhartha Mukherjee
What it's about: "Geneticists have suddenly become historians," observes author Adam Rutherford, citing discoveries that have transformed our understanding of human evolution.
Contains: the (roughly) 2 million year history of the Homo genus, an accessible primer on genomics, and a discussion of what DNA can (and can't) tell us about ourselves.
About the author: Geneticist and journalist Adam Rutherford is the author of Humanimal: How Homo Sapiens Became Nature's Most Paradoxical Creature.
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| Trees in Trouble: Wildfires, Infestations, and Climate Change by Daniel MathewsStarring: the pine forests of the western United States, pushed to the brink by beetle infestations, diseases, and wildfires -- all of which are exacerbated by the greatest threat of all: climate change.
Try these next: Michael Kodas' Megafire, which traces the rise of large-scale, high-intensity wildfires; Lauren Oakes' In Search of the Canary Tree, which uses a single species to examine the myriad threats to North America's forests. |
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| Becoming Wild: How Animal Cultures Raise Families, Create Beauty, and Achieve Peace by Carl SafinaThe premise: Animals learn how to be animals from other members of their social groups, suggesting that culture isn't exclusively a human invention.
Contains: observations of sperm whales ("Raising Families"), scarlet macaws ("Creating Beauty"), and chimpanzees ("Achieving Peace")
Reviewers say: Biologist Carl Safina's latest combines "the knowledge of a seasoned scientist with the skills of a good storyteller" (NPR). |
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A Polar Affair: Antarctica's Forgotten Hero and the Secret Lives of Penguins
by Lloyd Spencer Davis
What it's about: the life and career of G. Murray Levick, a member of Robert Scott's Terra Nova expedition to Antarctica who became the first person to conduct extensive field research on penguins.
What sets it apart: While researching this book, penguin biologist Lloyd Spencer Davis gained access to Levick's original (coded) field notes and his unpublished (and censored) manuscript on penguin sexual behavior.
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Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects
by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson; translated by Lucy Moffatt; illustrated by Tuva Sverdrup-Thygeson
What it is: an entomologist's engaging, ultimately hopeful meditation on the importance of insects, enhanced with delicate pencil illustrations.
So why DO we need them? Without them, the planet would die (and, with it, us.)
Food for thought: "We have a moral duty to take the best possible care of our planet's myriad creatures, including those that do not engage in visible value creation..."
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Biography of Resistance: The Epic Battle Between People and Pathogens
by Muhammad H. Zaman, Ph.D.
What it's about: the emergence of antibiotic-resistant "superbugs," a problem that humans created but may not be able to solve.
Did you know? Some 35,000 people in the U.S. die every year from multi-drug-resistant infections; worldwide, such infections claim more lives than breast cancer, HIV/AIDS, or complications from diabetes.
Further reading: Matt McCarthy's Superbugs: The Race to Stop an Epidemic.
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Slime: How Algae Created Us, Plague Us, and Just Might Save Us
by Ruth Kassinger
What it's about: the 3.7 billion-year history of algae, "Earth's authentic alchemists": powered by sunlight and water, these organisms play a vital role in turning carbon dioxide into organic matter.
Why you might like it: Science writer Ruth Kassinger travels the world to learn about algae's culinary uses, its role in everyday consumer products, and its potential as a renewable fuel.
Don't miss: a selection of tasty, easy-to-prepare seaweed recipes.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Mary Riley Styles Public Library 601 S. Oak St. [Temporary Location] Falls Church, Virginia 22046 703-248-5030 (TTY 711)www.fallschurchva.gov/library |
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