| Something deeply hidden: Quantum worlds and the emergence of spacetime by Sean CarrollWhat it's about: quantum mechanics, "the heart and soul of modern physics." Although we all appreciate the technologies it has brought us (smartphones, lasers), no one really understands it.
What sets it apart: While many books on this topic emphasize the magic and mystery of quantum mechanics, this one attempts to demystify a complex topic for general readers without oversimplifying.
About the author: Caltech theoretical physicist Sean Carroll is the author of the bestselling The Big Picture. |
|
|
Novacene: The coming age of hyperintelligence by James LovelockJames Lovelock, creator of the Gaia hypothesis and the greatest environmental thinker of our time has produced an astounding new theory about future of life on Earth. He argues that the anthropocene - the age in which humans acquired planetary-scale technologies - is, after 300 years, coming to an end. A new age - the novacene - has already begun. New beings will emerge from existing artificial intelligence systems.
|
|
| Wildhood: The epic journey from adolescence to adulthood in humans and other animals by Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathryn BowersWhat it's about: An evolutionary biologist and a science journalist explore adolescence across species. Despite varying lifespans -- days for a fruit fly, decades for a human, centuries for a Greenland shark -- most species must achieve similar milestones of safety, status, sex, and self-reliance before they're considered adults.
Why you should read it: Whether you're in the throes of adolescence yourself, or know someone who is, you'll be reassured by the authors' conclusion that this stage of life "make[s] exquisite evolutionary sense." |
|
| Strange harvests: The hidden histories of seven natural objects by Edward PosnettWhat it's about: seven rare and expensive natural products that represent the "commodification of the natural world."
Namely: eiderdown, vicuña wool, sea silk, tagua nuts ("vegetable ivory"), civet coffee, bird guano, and edible birds' nests.
Why you might like it: Inspired by the curiosity cabinets of natural philosophers, author Edward Posnett entertainingly delves into the history and folklore surrounding the items he discusses. |
|
|
A cloud a day by Gavin Pretor-PinneyThis is a book of 365 cloud images, sometimes with a short piece of cloud science, an inspiring sky quotation or a detail of the sky depicted in a classic painting. The book helps explain almost every kind cloud type in easy laymen terms, from fair weather cumulus to the lenticularis cloud. A beautifully illustrated book.
|
|
| The gendered brain: The new neuroscience that shatters the myth of the female brainby Gina RipponWhat it is: a neuroscientist's evidence-based debunking of sex- and gender-based myths about the human brain, many of which emerged centuries before scientists were actually able to study the brain.
Why you might like it: Incorporating terms such as "neurosexism" and "neurotrash" into thought-provoking discussions of neuroplasticity and socialization, author Gina Rippon takes both researcher bias and media misrepresentation to task. |
|
| Inconspicuous consumption: The environmental impact you don't know you have by Tatiana SchlossbergEveryone pollutes: From food waste to fast fashion, we're all guilty of destroying the Earth. Our video streaming habits alone pump 50.3 million tons (45.6 billion kg) of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually.
Includes: eye-opening assessments of the (steep) environmental costs of our technology, food production, fashion, and fuel, presented in conversational style.
For fans of: Rose George's Ninety Percent of Everything, another examination of the unseen environmental impacts of human activities. |
|
|
Rewild yourself: Making nature more visible in our lives by Simon BarnesPerfect for readers who want to bring nature back into focus within their lives, this ideal companion features numerous ways to bring the magic of nature much closer to home, helping you become wilder in your mind and in your heart.
|
|
|
A year with nature: An almanac
by Martha L Crump
Presents an almanac combining science and aesthetics and offering daily affirmations of the richness of biodiversity.
|
|
| Horizon by Barry LopezWhat it is: a lyrical, elegaic autobiographical account of travels on six continents by the National Book Award-winning author of Arctic Dreams.
Reviewers say: "a contemporary epic, at once pained and urgent, personal and oracular" (The Guardian).
Want a taste? "To go in search of what once was is to postpone the difficulty of living with what is." |
|
| The sun is a compass: A 4,000-mile journey into the Alaskan wilds by Caroline Van HemertWhat it's about: wildlife biologist Caroline Van Hemert's six-month, 4,000-mile trek across the Alaskan wilderness with her husband, a journey undertaken without motorized transport.
Why you might like it: Van Hemert interweaves vivid descriptions of the natural world with her memories of growing up in Alaska, her anxieties about her career, and her reflections on life and love.
Word of the day: Zugunruhe, a German word referring to the migratory restlessness of birds. |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|