Reviews

  1. BOOK REVIEW: Periodic Tales: A Cultural History of the Elements, from Arsenic to Zinc by Hugh Aldersey-Williams

    Review by Daniel Strain.

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  2. The Stem Cell Hope: How Stem Cell Medicine Can Change Our Lives by Alice Park

    A narrative account explores the history of stem cells through the stories of scientists and patients. Hudson Street Press, 2011, 318 p., $25.95

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  3. Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life: A Psychologist Investigates How Evolution, Cognition, and Complexity are Revolutionizing our View of Human Nature by Douglas T. Kenrick

    Anecdotes enliven a psychologist’s take on the role of evolution in murderous fantasies, racial prejudice and other unsavory aspects of human nature. Basic Books, 2011, 238 p., $26.99

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  4. Saving Sea Turtles: Extraordinary Stories from the Battle against Extinction by James R. Spotila

    A turtle biologist makes a plea to save sea turtles, remarkable creatures that start life buried in up to two feet of sand. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 2011, 216 p., $24.95

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  5. The Power of Music: Pioneering Discoveries in the New Science of Song by Elena Mannes

    A music lover interviews scientists and musicians in this fun exploration of the science of music. Walker & Company, 2011, 263 p., $26

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  6. The Quest for the Cure: The Science and Stories Behind the Next Generation of Medicines by Brent R. Stockwell

    In this well-researched look into the complexities of making  medicines, a chemical biologist gives a history of drug making and details innovative methods of drug discovery. Columbia Univ. Press, 2011, 265 p., $27.95

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  7. Book Review: A Planet of Viruses by Carl Zimmer

    Review by Tina Hesman Saey.

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  8. Book Review: Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman

    Review by Laura Sanders.

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  9. The Ragged Edge of the World by Eugene Linden

    Buy this book A journalist follows cargo cults in New Guinea, Pygmies in Africa and other groups to trace industrialization’s effects. Viking, 2011, 256 p., $26.95

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  10. Epigenetics by Richard C. Francis

    Buy this book A rollicking narrative goes beyond the gene to show how external influences shape genetic legacy. W. W. Norton & Co., 2011, 224 p., $25.95

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  11. Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime: The Oceans’ Oddest Creatures and Why They Matter by Ellen Prager

    Buy this book A tastefully scandalous tour of defensive secretions and extreme sexual flexibility backs up a plea for ocean conservation. Univ. of Chicago Press, 2011, 200 p., $26

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  12. Antarctic Wildlife: A Visitor’s Guide by James Lowen

    Buy this book This photographic field guide could come in handy on a cruise of the Antarctic Peninsula, or just be a fun way to learn about life way down under. Princeton Univ. Press, 2011, 240 p., $22.95

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