Reviews
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The Spirit of Invention by Julie M. Fenster
A historian explores the role of innovation in American history, illustrated with archival photos and news clippings. Smithsonian Books/Collins, 2009, 256 p., $29.99. THE SPIRIT OF INVENTION BY JULIE M. FENSTER
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Poseidon’s Steed: The Story of Seahorse, from Myth to Reality by Helen Scales
A marine biologist distinguishes fact from fiction about these famous and elusive fish. Gotham Books, 2009, 254 p., $24. POSEIDON’S STEED: THE STORY OF SEAHORSE, FROM MYTH TO REALITY BY HELEN SCALES
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What Bluebirds Do by Pamela F. Kirby
Young readers can learn basic facts about the life history and ecology of these familiar backyard birds. Boyds Mill Press, 2009, 48 p., $18.95. WHAT BLUEBIRDS DO BY PAMELA F. KIRBY
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Life Ascending: The Ten Great Inventions of Evolution by Nick Lane
Review by Sid Perkins.
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Dark Side of the Moon: Wernher von Braun, the Third Reich, and the Space Race by Wayne Biddle
Review by Rachel Zelkowitz.
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Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life by Winifred Gallagher
Reality consists of what you pay attention to, and new research is unraveling how the brain chooses some things over others. Penguin Press, 2009, 256 p., $25.95. Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life by Winifred Gallagher
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The Mathematical Mechanic: Using Physical Reasoning to Solve Problems by Mark Levi
A Pennsylvania State University professor reveals how physics can simplify proofs, illustrate theorems and offer quick mathematical solutions. THE MATHEMATICAL MECHANIC: USING PHYSICAL REASONING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS BY MARK LEVI Princeton Univ., 2009, 186 p., $19.95.
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Summer World: A Season of Bounty by Bernd Heinrich
A naturalist’s observations reveal that the animal world is abuzz with activity during the summer. SUMMER WORLD: A SEASON OF BOUNTY BY BERND HEINRICH Ecco, 2009, 253 p., $26.99.
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Kinematics: The Lost Origins of Einstein’s Relativity by Alberto A. Martínez
This often-overlooked branch of mechanics, which describes objects’ motion, provided the foundation for special relativity, a historian argues. KINEMATICS: THE LOST ORIGINS OF EINSTEIN’S RELATIVITY BY ALBERTO A. MARTíNEZ Johns Hopkins Univ., 2009, 464 p., $65.
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The Wonders Inside: Bugs & Spiders by Jan Stradling
Illustrations for a young audience detail the anatomy and the ecosystems of these creatures. THE WONDERS INSIDE: BUGS & SPIDERS BY JAN STRADLING Silver Dolphin Books, 2009, 90 p., $19.95.
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Shorebirds of North America, Europe, and Asia: A Photographic Guide by Richard Chandler
A shorebird photographer offers detailed commentary on and vivid photos of 135 shorebird species. But no gulls. Princeton Univ., 2009, 448 p., $35. SHOREBIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, AND ASIA: A PHOTOGRAPHIC GUIDE BY RICHARD CHANDLER
