Reviews
- Animals
Snakes are often the villains. A new book gives them a fair shake
From demon to danger noodle, human ideas about snakes can be as contradictory as the creatures themselves. In Slither, Stephen S. Hall challenges our serpent stereotypes.
- Health & Medicine
Tuberculosis could be eradicated. So why isn’t it?
John Green’s new book, Everything Is Tuberculosis, reveals how social injustice sustains the disease, despite available cures and vaccines.
- Neuroscience
Human memory is flawed. But a new book says that’s OK
The new book Memory Lane convincingly demonstrates how memories are like Lego buildings that are constantly being rebuilt.
- Life
A new book chronicles the science of life in the air
Carl Zimmer’s Air-Borne recounts centuries of aerobiology’s greatest moments and mistakes.
- Life
A new book explores the evolutionary romance between plants and animals
Riley Black’s new book, When the Earth was Green, uses the latest research to envision the ancient worlds of our favorite prehistoric animals.
- Environment
A podcast challenges us to reassess our relationship with wildfires
United by Fire lays out key insights from the two largest blazes in Colorado history, the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires of 2020.
- Humans
How child soldiers heal after the trauma of war
For more than two decades, Theresa Betancourt has studied Sierra Leone’s former child soldiers. Her new book Shadows into Light tells their stories.
- Science & Society
These are Science News’ favorite books of 2024
Books about killer asteroids, human consciousness, nuclear weapons and the collapse of the Late Bronze Age were among our top reads this year.
- Science & Society
A new biography of Benjamin Franklin puts science at the forefront
Richard Munson’s new book, Ingenious, shows how scientific research inspired the founding father’s diplomacy.
- Space
What will it take to defend the world from an asteroid?
In How to Kill an Asteroid, Robin George Andrews looks at the successes and shortcomings of planetary defense.
- Health & Medicine
‘The Power of Prions’ explores misfolded proteins’ role in brain diseases
Michel Brahic’s new book spotlights prions’ role in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
- Paleontology
‘Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior’ unearths paleontology’s biases
Paleontologist David Hone’s latest book fleshes out our understanding of dinosaur behavior.
