Reviews

  1. Book Review: Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle by Thor Hanson

    Review by Sid Perkins.

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  2. Book Review: For the Love of Physics: From the End of the Rainbow to the Edge Of Time – A Journey Through the Wonders of Physics by Walter Lewin, with Warren Goldstein

    Review by Devin Powell.

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  3. A Planet of Viruses by Carl Zimmer

    The engaging essays in this slim volume are chock-full of information about viruses, from the common cold to smallpox. Univ. of Chicago Press, 2011, 109 p., $20.

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  4. Inside Jokes by Matthew M. Hurley, Daniel C. Dennett, Reginald B. Adams Jr.

    http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Jokes-Using-Humor-Reverse-Engineer/dp/026201582X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1307032679&sr=1-1 Humor isn’t just fun, these authors argue; it’s evolution’s mechanism for building a brain that handles open-ended thinking. MIT Press, 2011, 359 p., $29.95.

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  5. Fizzics by F. Ronald Young

    A friendly foray into the humble bubble, from honeycombs and soaps to sunset flashes, written by a physicist in the field. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 2011, 114 p., $25.

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  6. Earth: The Operator’s Manual by Richard B. Alley

    A climate scientist uses real-world stories to survey climate problems and solutions. A companion PBS documentary is available online. W.W. Norton & Co., 2011, 479 p., $27.95.

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  7. Plastic: A Toxic Love Story by Susan Freinkel

    A well-researched history shows how plastics became a staple and examines current health and environmental concerns. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011, 324 p., $27.

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  8. Science & Society

    Blood Work

    A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution by Holly Tucker.

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  9. Book Review: Is the Internet Changing the Way You Think?: The Net’s Impact on Our Minds and Future by John Brockman, ed.

    Review by Nathan Seppa.

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  10. Dream Life: An Experimental Memoir by J. Allan Hobson

    A candid memoir of the author’s career studying the neurobiology of sleep and dreams. MIT Press, 2011, 296 p., $29.95.

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  11. The Theory That Would Not Die: How Bayes’ Rule Cracked the Enigma Code, Hunted Down Russian Submarines, and Emerged Triumphant from Two Centuries of Controversy by Sharon Bertsch McGrayne

    The history of Bayes’ theorem and its controversial role in science’s use of statistics. Yale Univ. Press, 2011, 336 p., $27.50.

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  12. The Darwin Archipelago: The Naturalist’s Career Beyond Origin of Species by Steve Jones

    A surprising look at Darwin’s lesser-known works uncovers the foundations of entire fields of biology, from soil science to early inklings of hormones. Yale Univ. Press, 2011, 248 p., $27.50.

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