In his introduction to The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2006, Brian Greene writes that "science needs to be recognized for what it is: ...
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reviews
Jan 22, 2010
Andres
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I've enjoyed all the articles this series has had to offer because it gives me the chance to read about far ranging subjects that I normally wouldn't come across since I can't read all the science magazines out there. This collection includes 25 articles from 14 publications, the top contributor being Scientific American with 6. In place of reviewing the book as a whole, I'll point out the articles that interested me the most:
Almost Before We Spoke, We Swore by Natalie Angier
A More...
Almost Before We Spoke, We Swore by Natalie Angier
A More...
Oct 25, 2008
Billie
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This book is a wonderful popular science collection of recent articles published in various science-friendly 'zines. Some of my favorites in this collection are "Dr. Ecstacy," about the man who introduced a ridiculous amount of drugs to the world; "The Blogs of War," about the various blogs that have been kept during the Iraqi War by American soldiers; and "Remembering Francis Crick," about the man whom, I believe, sequenced the human genome (you might want to fact-
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Apr 11, 2010
Doug
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As always in this series, some articles better than others....another pretty good collection of science writing, although biased toward higher-end physics and astronomy articles (consider the editor...) which might make the lay reader lose interest. I particularly liked the articles memorializing Francis Crick; the one about the coming death shortage (anti-aging treatments and how they will affect health care, retirement, and social security policies); an article about the declining practice of
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Jul 18, 2008
Rebecca
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This is a great collection if you're interested in science but don't necessarily have a science background. Even if you do have a science degree under your belt, you would probably still learn something from the articles outside your field. The articles touch on several branches and sub-branches of science: biology, medicine, astrophysics, technology, seismology, linguistics, chemistry, animal behavior, nuclear physics, etc.
All of the articles in this anthology are clearly written, More...
All of the articles in this anthology are clearly written, More...
Dec 02, 2008
Natalie
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Very nice assortment of science essays, all of which are engaging and interesting. I admittedly skimmed one or two of them, but that's because my brain simply cannot grasp the concepts of quantum physics, even though they're fascinating ideas. I particularly liked Natalie Angier's essay on swearing, and the profile on Alexander Shulgin, the "father" of MDMA and apparently a member of Bohemian Grove. The piece on the neglect on the part of hospitals to perform autopsies was also rath
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Jul 24, 2007
Jlawrence
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Excellent collection of science essays/journalism. Especially fascinating were the articles on the inventor of ecstasy (and his encyclopedia of homemade hallucinogens!), cooperative deal-making behavior in primates, indigenous groups fighting being kicked off conservation preserves, possible sociological stresses of successful longevity treatments, the surprisingly complex (and sometimes beneficial) ecology of bacteria we carry and how antibiotics may be warping that ecology, and Oliver Sacks o
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Mar 12, 2010
The Best American Science and Nature Writing (Best American Science & Nature Writing) by Brian Greene (2006)
Aug 09, 2007
Jenni
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A few of the articles (namely, those on quantum physics and lupus) were too detailed for a novice. I didn't give up on any but certainly didn't enjoy them as much as others. My favorites were the pieces on intelligent design, conservation refugees, and the need to conduct autopsies.
I plan to read this every year.
I plan to read this every year.
Sep 20, 2008
Melodee
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This is a very enlightening book. I was impressed with the wide range of topics addressed, and their read-ability for the average Jane. I would like to read more books in this series. There were some issues brought up in the articles that I had never heard mention of before, but which I found quite interesting.
Jul 12, 2007
Megan
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As the title suggests, this is a collection of science and nature articles meant to be of interest to the "non-sciencey" among us. Other than the two articles on quantam physics that I found incomprehensible, it's very engaging and a great way to learn a little bit about a variety of currently relevant fields.
Nov 09, 2007
Brigette
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I love this series and eagerly await each new annual edition. The writing is almost always very good, and the topics are fascinating.
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