Part of the Johns Hopkins Biographies of Disease series, this history of anthrax describes the bacteria’s transformation from agricultural disease to biological weapon. Johns Hopkins Univ., 2010, 329 p., $24.95. (p. 32)

A historian explores Soviet science in this biography of Zhores Alferov, who won a Nobel Prize for discovering the heterojunction used in LEDs. MIT, 2010, 307 p., $29.95. (p. 32)

Tales relate the adventures of early naturalists who risked life and limb in the quest to discover new species. W.W. Norton, 2010, 464 p., $26.95. (p. 32)

A da Vinci expert takes a technical look at the design and engineering underlying one of the artist’s most popular but least understood drawings. Springer, 2010, 180 p., $59.95. (p. 32)

Highlights some of the most intriguing science articles of 2009, including a tale of sexual evolution by Science News’ Susan Milius. Ecco, 2010, 346 p., $14.99. (p. 32)

Twelve years ago, astronomers studying distant, exploding stars made a discovery that irrevocably altered humankind’s view of the universe. Most scientists had assumed that the universe’s expansion, which began during the Big Bang, had steadily slowed due to gravity. But the astronomers found that the cosmos was instead expanding faster; gravity had somehow transformed from a cosmic pull into a cosmic push. The unseen stuff supplying this mysterious push has come to be called dark energy. Together, dark energy and dark matter, the invisible material that scientists say must exist to e... (p. 32)

It’s a sure sign of evolution: Sharks, dominant predators on Earth for millions of years, are now threatened by humans. In the past few decades shark populations have plummeted and the very traits that long helped prevent the beasts from overpopulating the seas — low birthrates, slow growth and a late arrival at sexual maturity — hinder their recovery from the depredations of overfishing, pollution and habitat destruction. Owen, a Tasmanian author who has also demystified that island’s famous devil, takes a fascinating look at the biology of sharks, from the smallest (the 19-centi... (p. 32)