Reviews
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Cracking the Egyptian Code: The Revolutionary Life of Jean-Francois Champollion by Andrew Robinson
The first English-language biography of linguist Jean-François Champollion describes his quest to decipher hieroglyphs using the Rosetta Stone. Oxford Univ., 2012, 272 p., $29.95
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Legacy: A Genetic History of the Jewish People by Harry Ostrer
This history of the genetics of the Jewish people delves into the population biology and genetic diseases that tie the group together. Oxford Univ., 2012, 264 p., $24.95
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The Ballet of the Planets: A Mathematician’s Musings on the Elegance of Planetary Motion by Donald C. Benson
A mathematician describes the history of the science explaining planetary motion. Oxford Univ., 2012, 178 p., $35
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Moral Origins: The Evolution of Virtue, Altruism, and Shame by Christopher Boehm
An evolutionary anthropologist looks back through human evolution for clues to how groups of hunter-gatherers developed altruism and generous behaviors. Basic Books, 2012, 418 p., $28.99
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Bird Sense: What It’s Like to Be a Bird by Tim Birkhead
A look at what it’s like to be a bird explores avian senses and traces how scientists have studied birds through time. Walker & Co., 2012, 288 p., $25
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The Universe in Zero Words: The Story of Mathematics as Told through Equations Dana Mackenzie
This history of mathematics revels in the logical beauty of 24 equations that describe the workings of the universe. Princeton Univ., 2012, 224 p., $27.95
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The Value of Species by Edward L. McCord
A naturalist explores reasons to care about preserving species that don’t have practical use to people. Yale Univ., 2012, 184 p., $25
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No Time to Lose: A Life in Pursuit of Deadly Viruses by Peter Piot
A microbiologist tells tales of his adventures in Africa battling infectious diseases from Ebola to AIDS. W.W. Norton & Co., 2012, 304 p., $28.95
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Secret Lives of Ants by Jae Choe
Enter the miniature world of ants and learn about their societies, from massacres and power plays to self-sacrifice and factory-like enterprises. Johns Hopkins Univ., 2012, 156 p., $34.95
