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Nature and Science February 2021
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| Black Hole Survival Guide by Janna Levin; artwork by Lia HalloranWhat it is: a concise and conversational introduction to black holes.
Who it's for: armchair space travelers who want to know what it's like to visit a black hole -- without the risk of being destroyed.
About the author: Theoretical cosmologist Janna Levin is the author of Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space. |
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| An Outsider's Guide to Humans: What Science Taught Me About What We Do and Who We Are by Camilla Pang, PhDWhat it does: examines human behavior through the lens of autism, while using a variety of scientific concepts to explain it.
Topics include: what biochemistry can teach us about friendship, how game theory informs social etiquette, and why machine learning offers insight into human decision-making.
About the author: Camilla Pang, a biochemist with autism, ADHD, and generalized anxiety disorder, is both the youngest writer and the first person of color to win the Royal Society Science Book Prize. |
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What it is: Ethnobotanist Enrique Salmón highlights 80 plants revered by North America's indigenous peoples.
Why you should read it: Salmón teaches us the ways plants are used as food and medicine, the details of their identification and harvest, their important health benefits, plus their role in traditional stories and myths. You might also enjoy: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and The Incredible Journey of Plants by Stefano Mancuso
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| Fundamentals: Ten Keys to Reality by Frank WilczekWhat it is: a concise, accessible physics primer by a Nobel laureate that explains ten challenging yet essential concepts to non-scientists without sacrificing accuracy.
What sets it apart: Physicist Frank Wilczek places scientific discoveries in their historical context and clearly distinguishes between what we know and what we do not (yet) know.
For fans of: Carlo Rovelli's Seven Brief Lessons on Physics or Brian Greene's Until the End of Time. |
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| When Brains Dream: Exploring the Science and Mystery of Sleep by Antonio Zadra and Robert StickgoldThe big idea: To explain why we dream, sleep scientists Antonio Zadra and Robert Stickgold introduce their NEXTUP (network exploration to understand possibilities) model, a form of "sleep-dependent memory process" that enables our sleeping minds to make connections that may elude us while we're awake.
You might also like: Matthew Walker's Why We Sleep or Alice Robb's Why We Dream. |
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| Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life by Louise AronsonWhat it is: a thoughtful, comprehensive exploration of aging, from medical concerns to identity issues to depictions of the elderly in pop culture.
Why you should read it: We all grow old (if we're lucky), but aging also affects our families, our economies, and our societies.
For fans of: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, Spring Chicken by Bill Gifford. |
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Breath taking: the power, fragility, and future of our extraordinary lungs
by Michael J. Stephen
What it's about: Dr. Stephen examines the role of the lungs in our immune system, explores the history of oxygen on Earth, and the evolutionary origins of breathing.
Includes: Poignant stories of resilience from his patients with cystic fibrosis.
You may also enjoy: Breath by James Nestor
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| Clean: The New Science of Skin by James HamblinWhat it's about: the history of human hygiene, the rise of the cosmetics industry, and the microbiome that keeps our skin healthy.
Why you might like it: Physician and Atlantic staff writer James Hamblin (who stopped showering while writing this book) presents a wealth of information in entertaining vignettes.
Further reading: Monty Lyman's The Remarkable Life of the Skin, Ed Yong's I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life. |
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| An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System by Matt RichtelContains: four case studies that illuminate the human immune system, including a man who contracted HIV in 1977, two women with autoimmune conditions, and the author's childhood friend, recently diagnosed with cancer.
Why you might like it: Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Matt Richtel interweaves profiles of individuals with the evolution of our understanding of the immune system and advances in immunology.
Reviewers say: "brilliantly blurs the lines between biology primer, medical historical text and the traditional first-person patient story" (Washington Post). |
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Be Heart Smart : Understand, Treat and Prevent Coronary Heart Disease
by Waqar Khan
What it's about: Answers common questions about Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) with practical preventative measures you can take to stay heart healthy.
Why you should read it: Describes the different types of heart attacks and their warning signs. Explains the variety of medications and their uses as well as evidence-based advancements in surgical and non-surgical techniques.
Further reading: Heart by Sandeep Jauhar or The End of Heart Disease by Joel Fuhrman
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Contact Natasha for more great books! |
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