Reviews
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Lab Coats in Hollywood: Science, Scientists, and Cinema by David A. Kirby
A behind-the-scenes peek at how science consultants have helped movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Beautiful Mind try to present science realistically. MIT Press, 2011, 265 p., $27.95.
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Atlas of Oceans: An Ecological Survey of Underwater Life by John Farndon
This richly illustrated survey of marine life introduces basic principles of oceanography and highlights the hazards of environmental degradation. Yale Univ. Press, 2011, 256 p., $50.
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Let Them Eat Shrimp: The Tragic Disappearance of the Rainforests of the Sea by Kennedy Warne
For anyone wondering just what the heck “rainforests of the sea” might be, they’re the world’s largely unsung, highly imperiled, biologically fabulous coastal forests of mangroves. And it’s a telling point that the word mangroves does not appear on the cover of a book devoted to their marvels and troubles. LET THEM EAT SHRIMP: THE […]
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One Hundred Names for Love: A Stroke, a Marriage, and the Language of Healing by Diane Ackerman
Review by Laura Sanders.
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The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood by James Gleick
The story of information itself takes readers on a ride through history, from the first alphabet to the bits and bytes of the modern Information Age. Pantheon, 2011, 526 p., $29.95.
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The Cloud Collector’s Handbook by Gavin Pretor-Pinney
For weather buffs or anyone who has hunted cloud animals, this clearly written guide to the skies makes a game of spotting the many kinds of clouds. Chronicle Books, 2011, 143 p., $14.95.
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Quantify!: A Crash Course in Smart Thinking by Göran Grimvall
A fun survey of the use of numbers to make sound judgments, from gravity’s effects on sports records to statistical analysis of the weather. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 2011, 218 p., $25.
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The Great Sperm Whale: A Natural History of the Ocean’s Most Magnificent and Mysterious Creature by Richard Ellis
A rich exploration of the evolution and biology of this giant sea creature. Univ. Press of Kansas, 2011, 368 p., $34.95.
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Driven to Extinction: The Impact of Climate Change on Biodiversity by Richard Pearson
A scientist examines how species have reacted to past climate shifts and how organisms may respond in the future. Sterling, 2011, 263 p., $22.95.
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Success with Science: The Winners’ Guide to High School Research by Shiv Gaglani, ed.
In this guide to high school research, five Harvard students and past competition winners give tips on project ideas, finding mentors and more. Research Corp. for Science Advancement, 2011, 180 p., $19.95.
