Reviews

  1. Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures by Virginia Morell

    A science writer presents recent research that demonstrates a large repertoire of intellectual skills in a variety of animals. Crown, 2013, 291 p., $26

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  2. Turing: Pioneer of the Information Age by B. Jack Copeland

    The ideas of mathematician and computer visionary Alan Turing are explored through interviews of his friends and colleagues. Oxford Univ., 2012, 300 p., $21.95

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  3. BOOK REVIEW: The Kingdom of Rarities by Eric Dinerstein

    Review by Janet Raloff.

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  4. BOOK REVIEW: Louis Agassiz: Creator of American Science by Christoph Irmscher

    Review by Erin Wayman.

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  5. Alien Life Imagined: Communicating the Science and Culture of Astrobiology by Mark Brake

    See how humans’ fascination with the possibility of extraterrestrial life has evolved over the centuries. Columbia Univ., 2013, 279 p., $35

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  6. Radiation: What It Is, What You Need to Know by Robert Peter Gale and Eric Lax

    A medical doctor and a writer team up to dispel misconceptions about radioactivity and explain the risks of everyday exposures. Knopf, 2013, 270 p., $26.95

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  7. Friendfluence: The Surprising Ways Friends Make Us Who We Are by Carlin Flora

    Citing studies on evolution and psychology, this exploration of the nature of friendship shows the importance of making and keeping friends. Doubleday, 2013, 288 p., $25.95

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  8. Antarctica: An Intimate Portrait of a Mysterious Continent by Gabrielle Walker

    A science writer takes readers on a journey to the bottom of the Earth through firsthand accounts of her travels with scientists. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013, 388 p., $27

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  9. The Enlightenment Vision: Science, Reason, and the Promise of a Better Future by Stuart Jordan

    A physicist reviews the Enlightenment of the 17th and 18th centuries — considered the “rise of reason” — and the progression of scientific knowledge since. Prometheus, 2013, 295 p., $26

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  10. BOOK REVIEW: Visions of Infinity: The Great Mathematical Problems by Ian Stewart

    Review by Tom Siegfried.

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  11. Life

    The Lady and Her Monsters

    A Tale of Dissections, Real-Life Dr. Frankensteins, and the Creation of Mary Shelley's Masterpiece by Roseanne Montillo.

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  12. Mankind Beyond Earth: The History, Science, and Future of Human Space Exploration by Claude A. Piantadosi

    This history of the American space program illuminates the obstacles facing future space expeditions. Columbia Univ., 2013, 279 p., $35

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