Nature and Science
Einstein's Shadow: A Black Hole, a Band of Astronomers, and the Quest to See...
by Seth Fletcher
The plan: to create a virtual telescope (the Event Horizon Telescope) the size of Earth by linking observatories throughout the world.
The goal: to observe supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, which is thought to sit at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.
Further reading: Chris Impey's Einstein's Monsters, which offers an accessible introduction to the science of black holes.
Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World
by Maryanne Wolf
What it's about: Wolf's book Proust and the Squid analyzed how reading and writing have altered the human brain; now, she takes that research and applies it to our more digital modern era.
About the author: Wolf 's impressive CV (available on her website!) lists her many positions at Tufts University, including the Director of the Center for Reading and Language Research.
Reviewers say: "This is a clarion call for parents, educators, and technology developers to work to retain the benefits of reading independent of digital media" (Publishers Weekly).
Nine Pints: A Journey through the Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of Blood
by Rose George
What it is: a deep dive into the subject of human blood that encompasses history, science, politics, culture, and commerce.
About the author: From The Big Necessity (about human waste) to Ninety Percent of Everything (about the freight shipping industry), journalist Rose George specializes in the unseen aspects of everyday life.
Reviewers say: Nine Pints is an "absorbing, vital book by one of the best non-fiction writers working today" (The Guardian).
Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms
by Hannah Fry
What it's about: Mathematician Hannah Fry explains what algorithms are, how they work, and why they matter.
For fans of: Virginia Eubanks' Automating Inequality, John Cheney-Lippold's We Are Data.
Book buzz: Hello World was shortlisted for the 2018 Royal Society Investment Science Book Prize.
Plight of the Living Dead: What the Animal Kingdom's Real-Life Zombies Reveal...
by Matt Simon
Guess what? Zombies are real. But in this case, they're not the enemy--they're the victims of parasites that have hijacked their brains.
Starring: a variety of microbes, fungi, worms, wasps, and other organisms who invade the bodies of their unsuspecting hosts.
Is it for you? While squeamish readers might want to pass on this book, fans of body horror may get a kick out of its detailed descriptions of zombification.
Heat: Adventures in the World's Fiery Places
by Bill Streever
What it's about: Biologist Bill Streever, author of the bestselling Cold, embarks on a wide-ranging discussion of heat in all its forms.
Why you might like it: Whether hiking through Death Valley, California, or cooking popcorn on lava in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Streever leaves no stone unturned in his quest to understand heat.
Want a taste? "After an hour, our gallon of water has become a half gallon. The breeze has died. I begin to wish that we had told someone where we were going."
A World Without Ice
by Henry Pollack
What it is: a comprehensive survey of ice as a force of nature. Pollack describes potential catastrophic consequences of ice shortages in a reference that outlines recommended steps for avoiding environmental threats.
Why so serious? "Pollack shows that no single natural force can reverse the present trend, which if unchecked will render the Earth uninhabitable" (Publishers Weekly).
About the author: Henry Pollack is an emeritus professor of geophysics at University of Michigan, and he was part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which co-won the Nobel Prize in 2007 with Al Gore.
Megafire: The Race to Extinguish a Deadly Epidemic of Flame
by Michael Kodas
Contains: Everything you ever wanted to know about megafires.
Such as: What are they? How do they start? Why are they so destructive? Can they be stopped? (Should they be stopped?)
Did you know? Research by the U.S. Forest Service suggests that by 2050, megafires could consume 20 million acres per year -- an area larger than the state of Maine.
Chilled: How Refrigeration Changed the World, and Might Do So Again
What it's about: Science writer Tom Jackson traces the multi-millennial history of artificial refrigeration from the ice pits of the ancient Persian Empire to today's "cold chain," the food industry's "temperature-controlled transport corridor" that links farms, fishing boats, supermarkets, and consumers.
Did you know? Refrigeration is responsible for more than midnight snacks! It has also made possible such scientific breakthroughs as in vitro fertilization, superconductors, and penicillin.
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