Reviews
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How We See the Sky: A Naked-Eye Tour of Day and Night by Thomas Hockey
Learn to see more when you look up with this naked-eye guide to the day and night skies. Univ. of Chicago Press, 2011, 239 p., $20
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Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
A psychologist argues that separate mental systems organize decision making and inspire a litany of thinking errors. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011, 352 p., $27
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What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite by David DiSalvo
By weaving together the latest studies, a science writer examines why people’s desires often thwart their goals. Prometheus Books, 2011, 288 p., $19
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Controversial Bodies: Thoughts on the Public Display of Plastinated Corpses, John D. Lantos, ed.
A dozen authors discuss issues surrounding the display of human bodies whose flesh has been preserved by plastic. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 2011, 145 p., $35
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Caterpillars by Marilyn Singer
A colorful look at caterpillars — sometimes woolly, sometimes spotted, occasionally sporting fake faces — shows how they transform into delicate, winged insects. EarlyLight Books, 2011, 40 p., $14.95, ages 4–7
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Catch the Wind, Harness the Sun: 22 Super-Charged Projects for Kids by Michael J. Caduto
Do try these at home: Writing with the sun, powering a battery with a bicycle and creating mini-windmills are projects that help kids learn about renewable energy. Storey Publishing, 2011, 223 p., $16.95, ages 8–13
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What’s So Hot About Volcanoes (What’s So Cool About Geology) by Wendell A. Duffield
A volcanologist transports readers to Hawaii, Chile and Japan to show how volcanoes form, why they erupt and how scientists are trying to predict eruptions. Mountain Press, 2011, 89 p., $16, young adult
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You Just Can’t Help It!: Your Guide to the Wild and Wacky World of Human Behavior by Jeff Szpirglas
A teacher gives insight into human behavior by explaining the science behind involuntary reactions such as wrinkling the nose at a disgusting smell or laughing. Maple Tree, 2011, 64 p., $10.95, ages 9–12
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Worst-Case Scenario Ultimate Adventure #2: Mars! by Hena Khan and David Borgenicht
Kids must use their science know-how to navigate a mission to Mars in this choose-your-adventure book, picking up facts about space along the way. Chronicle Books, 2011, 204 p., $12.99, ages 8–12
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Eye-Popping 3-D Bugs: Phantogram Bugs You Can Practically Touch! by Barry Rothstein and Betsy Rothstein
Scientific facts about creepy crawlies boost this book’s real thrill —the phantogram images that make beetles, wasps and spiders pop off the page. Chronicle Books, 2011, 61 p., $19.99, ages 3 and up
