What is your most recently read science book? What did you think of it? Part 3

[David]

George P. wrote: "David wrote: "I just finished reading A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future by natural historian and broadcaster, David Attenborough. The author has..."

George, I watched the documentary on Netflix. It is wonderful! The film follows the book very closely. Here is a situation where I can say that the book and the movie are equally good!

[Jim]

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think has 5 star information with a really annoying delivery, so I gave it a 4 star review & highly recommend reading it.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Woman Reading]

This was written by two academician political scientists.
Addressing the political mystery of why an educated Russian populace has accepted Putin despite economic stagnation and repression of dissidents -
the nonfiction Putin v. the People: The Perilous Politics of a Divided Russia by Samuel A. Greene

It also provides deeper info about the Crimean annexation and "prisoner of conscience" Alexei Navalny.

My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/4168160681

[Woman Reading]

This is not a science book but it gives the background of one of the key parties in the opioid crisis in the US.

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe

My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/4194886731

[Jim]

Natural: How Faith in Nature's Goodness Leads to Harmful Fads, Unjust Laws, and Flawed Science was a really good, balanced look at the word 'natural' & how it is & has been used, as well as what it means to various people in different contexts. While a lot was fairly obvious, Levinovitz has some excellent insights & put this huge topic into a manageable form. I gave it a 5 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This was a good book to read before Hacking Darwin: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Humanity which I'll start later today.

[Camelia Rose]

Brain Bugs: How the Brain's Flaws Shape Our Lives, a nice summary of brain's 8 flaws and features. A lot of the topics are not new to me, but author writes well. My review

[Herman]

On 9/6/21, I posted my 40th pair of reviews, 1 for Scott's Planet Dinosaur: The Next Generation of Killer Giants (which is very good: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ) & 1 for Wexo's Dinosaurs (which is very good: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ).

[Jim]

Animal Weapons: The Evolution of Battle explains why some animals invest so much in extreme weapons & draws parallels to human societies. I gave it a 5 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It was a great follow up to Hacking Darwin: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Humanity. I highly recommend reading them back to back.

[David]

I recently finished the book The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire. This is not just a history book. The author dives very deep into the science of climate change and pandemics. He describes medical practices during the time of ancient Rome, and how the empire contributed to both pandemics and climate change.

Hmmm .... sound familiar? I would say that this book is quite apropos today.

Here is my review.

[Camelia Rose]

Two science related books:

A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age a very pratical book on critical thinking. I loved it. My review

This is Your Mind on Plants, a nice read but I find it less interesting than the author's previous book, How to Change Your mind. My review

[Camelia Rose]

David wrote: "I recently finished the book The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire. This is not just a history book. The author dives very deep into the science of climate ch..."

Thank you for bringing it to my radar. Definitely going to read it

[Jim]

Who Ate the First Oyster?: The Extraordinary People Behind the Greatest Firsts in History was a fun, quick read about various discoveries throughout our history. I gave it a 4 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Yuval]

"Our Final Hour" by Martin Rees.
In my view, a must for everyone.
And yet, I was somewhat puzzled.
Though the author shows how dreadful science is, he firmly believes in the rationality of science.

[Martin]

I just finished reading “Wilding” by Isabelle Tree. If you’re interested in ecology & biodiversity and how we can improve our local environment by letting nature itself take control, then I can strongly recommend this book. Here is a great review, not my own, but one I strongly agree with:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[David]

I just finished reading Fossil Men: The Quest for the Oldest Skeleton and the Origins of Humankind by Kermit Pattison. It is a deep dive into the life of paleoanthropologist Tim White. Such a strong-willed, almost obsessive scientist who didn't give a damn about what fellow scientists thought about him. He unearthed and documented one of the most amazing fossil discoveries of all time--the earliest ancestor of modern-day humans. Here is my review.

[Jim]

A Troublesome Inheritance: Genes, Race and Human History by Nicholas Wade was pretty good, but quite repetitious. His main points were the existence of human races & our continuing evolution, both points that are too often denied now since they're not politically correct. I gave it a 4 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Steve]

David wrote: "I just finished reading Fossil Men: The Quest for the Oldest Skeleton and the Origins of Humankind "

I recently read it as well. An interesting peek into the ornery world of paleontology. I followed it with Meave Leakey's The Sediments of Time: My Lifelong Search for the Past, which turned out to be an excellent segue. I heartily recommend both.

[RM(Alwaysdaddygirl)]

David wrote: "I just finished reading Fossil Men: The Quest for the Oldest Skeleton and the Origins of Humankind by Kermit Pattison. It is a deep dive into the life of paleoanthropologist Tim Whi..."

That sounds interesting. Mahalo!

[Woman Reading]

The Atlas of a Changing Climate: Our Evolving Planet Visualized with More Than 100 Maps, Charts, and Infographics by Brian Buma

- a different perspective on climate change from a professor of Integrative Biology.

My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/4289864022

[Joseph]

Emery & Remoins Principles and Practices of Medical Genetics and Genomics, a medical school textbook with chapters by leading experts in various topics. It quickly convinced me of a few things: (1) A lot has been learned and applied since I took a few genetics courses 40 years ago in college. (2) None of the chapter authors believed in genetic determinism, but rather that environmental interactions matter. (3) Geneticists and biochemists who authored the chapters have not done a particularly good job of communicating to the public in mainstream news how much they have learned. There were complicated parts that I skimmed over for lack of understanding, yet I was absolutely wowed by the majority of the book that I did understand. If you have a fairly strong science background and are interested in the latest discoveries of how genetics is being studied with the aim of treating human illnesses, it is a fascinating book. The chapters are well-written by some brilliant people who sometimes brought tears to my eyes with their wisdom.

[Woman Reading]

Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish

My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/4299696551


The World of Coral Reefs: Explore and Protect the Natural Wonders of the Sea

My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/4299694010

[Jim]

Nuking the Moon: And Other Intelligence Schemes and Military Plots Left on the Drawing Board was a fun romp through various schemes to gain an advantage. Many of the examples are from declassified Cold War documents & Houghton provides interesting background about the times, people, & problems. Still, it's a fast read. I gave it a 5 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Camelia Rose]

Finished The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race. I haven't read such a page-turner science book for a long time. Highly recommended. My review

[Jim]

A Natural History of Color: The Science Behind What We See and How We See it by Robert DeSalle didn't fit into an interest niche that I can think of. It's too detailed for the layman & not enough for the professional. I gave it a 3 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jim]

What to Think About Machines That Think: Today's Leading Thinkers on the Age of Machine Intelligence is a collection of 200 short essays written in response to an Edge question & edited by John Brockman. It's fantastic & very dense. I gave it a 5 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jill]

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Carbon Capture by: Howard J Herzog

Very informative yet with a nice flow. This was my first venture with CCS so my intent was to merely get my feet wet by the terminologies. I also just listened to the podcast, physics world weekly latest (10-28) episode, in which discussed carbon capture.

[Jim]

Ingredients: The Strange Chemistry of What We Put in Us and on Us wasn't just about nutrition, but also the scientific method & how food headlines are generated. It's short, topical, & explains the scientific method in the real world. Very well narrated & highly recommended for all. I gave it a 5 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Herman]

On 11/5/21, I posted my 41st pair of reviews, 1 for Stout's The New Dinosaurs (which is great: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ) & 1 for Brusha et al.'s "Discovery Channel's Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Predators" (which is terrible: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ).

[Betsy, co-mod]

I recently finished reading How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need by Bill Gates and I recommend it highly. It's short, and an easy read. Full of real world practical solutions. Here is my review.

[Betsy, co-mod]

I recently finished reading Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor. The science may be a little questionable, but it was interesting. Mostly it's about how we do it wrong and his search for better techniques. Here is my review.

[Woman Reading]

The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell, a scholar of the world's mythologies. He was fascinated with solving the mystery of Life.

My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/4353709378

[Jim]

The Wasp That Brainwashed the Caterpillar: Evolution's Most Unbelievable Solutions to Life's Biggest Problems by Matt Simon was a very funny take on some of evolution's works & quirks. It would be great for a teenager to learn just how fascinating it can be. I gave it a 5 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[jrendocrine at least reading is good]

The Crest of the Wave by Willard Bascom. Great tales about the beginnings of oceanography off the west coast- measuring waves, nuclear tests in the south seas - lots of pipe fitting and engineering - the first half of the book very fun and pretty hard core. Great characters spilling about, including John Steinbeck. The second starts to be a slog, more about business and less about science. Will write review shortly.

[George P.]

The Premonition: A Pandemic Story by Michael Lewis. Composed largely of anecdotes from people (physicians, scientists) who have tried to prepare for and deal with the current pandemic in the U. S. Talks a lot about what was done (or not done) wrong and by whom.

[KG]

Stung!: On Jellyfish Blooms and the Future of the Oceans by Lisa-Ann Gershwin. A truly informative and interesting book that describes the interplay and impacts of climate change, pollution and overfishing on marine species and food webs. It also explains the negative feedback loops that develop as existing systems become degraded and why restoration is so difficult, if not impossible, once the damage has occurred. Top that off with some really fascinating information about jellyfish - it’s well worth the read.

[Jim]

From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds by Daniel C. Dennett was a really interesting look at the evolution of consciousness. I gave it a 4 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Camelia Rose]

Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain a short book on human brains. The science is not all new but writing is clear and humous. I enjoyed it. My review

[Sharon]

Memory Rescue, Supercharge Your Brain, Reverse Memory Loss and Remember What Matters Most by Daniel G. Amen, MD.

I'm reading now The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World's Healthiest People by Dan Buettner.

Thanks for all the good books here! So rich for finding the next science book!

[Sharon]

I'm also reading Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. Fiction really but I like cryptology and there is some real world stuff in it. Intelligent author.

[Manda]

Just finished Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth, about the race to discover the deepest cave on Earth. Learned a lot about geology in addition to caving. Good read. Next up is probably Patient Zero: A Brief History of the Science Stories Behind the World's Worst Diseases or Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History, haven’t decided which yet.

[Jim]

A reread of The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins was fantastic. Again, I gave it a 5 star review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[David]

I just finished reading an interesting book about carbon footprints; How Bad Are Bananas?: The Carbon Footprint of Everything by Mike Berners-Lee. (The author is the brother of Tim Berners-Lee, credited as the inventor of the Internet.) The book really helps to put carbon footprints of various activities and products into perspective. Here is my review.

[David]

I finished reading a fascinating book, Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth by Professor Avi Loeb. The author is a well-respected astronomer, who was the chair of the astronomy department at Harvard for 11 years.

Loeb claims that in 2017, our solar system was visited by an interstellar probe launched by an alien civilization. His evidence is rather persuasive! Here is my review.

[Herman]

Jim wrote: "A Natural History of Color: The Science Behind What We See and How We See it by Robert DeSalle didn't fit into an interest niche that I can think of. It's too detailed for the layman & not enough for the professional."

That's why I don't review 3-ish star books. I like being able to recommend 1) getting definitely-good books, & 2) avoiding definitely-bad books. I can't really recommend middle-of-the-road books 1 way or the other.

[Mark]

The Sirens of Mars by Sarah Stewart Johnson was terrific: part history of Mars exploration, part personal history of the development of a scientist, and a celebration of the awesome things we can do to observe other planets.

[David]

Mark wrote: "The Sirens of Mars by Sarah Stewart Johnson was terrific: part history of Mars exploration, part personal history of the development of a scientist, and a celebration of the awesome things we can d..."

Thanks for the recommendation Mark -- I've checked it out from the library!

[Jill]

David wrote: "I finished reading a fascinating book, Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth by Professor Avi Loeb. The author is a well-respected astronomer, who was th..."

I just finished this book, thanks for sharing! The book was fascinating. One that really struck me(besides the thrilling main topic:) was when he said-paraphrased-
We like to think of ourselves as the descendants of Galileo, but we too are the descendants of those who imprisoned him.
If that’s not a slap to the dissent brain!

[Herman]

David wrote: "I finished reading a fascinating book, Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth by Professor Avi Loeb. The author is a well-respected astronomer, who was th..."

What I'm wondering is, did he describe his evidence in a peer-reviewed paper?

[Camelia Rose]

Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future, a well-written science book about the future of the natural world as we know of. My review

[David]

Herman wrote: "What I'm wondering is, did he describe his evidence in a peer-reviewed paper?"

Excellent question, Herman! The answer is yes, he wrote several peer-reviewed papers on the subject (see below). Of course, as you can imagine, there are also peer-reviewed papers that rebut Loeb's claims. Loeb's hypothesis is clearly controversial!

Loeb, Abraham (20 November 2018). "6 Strange Facts about the Interstellar Visitor 'Oumuamua". Scientific American. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.

Bialy, Shmuel; Loeb, Abraham (October 26, 2018). "Could Solar Radiation Pressure Explain 'Oumuamua's Peculiar Acceleration?". The Astrophysical Journal. 868 (1): L1. arXiv:1810.11490. Bibcode:2018ApJ...868L...1B. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aaeda8. S2CID 118956077.

Loeb, Abraham (September 26, 2018). "How to Search for Dead Cosmic Civilizations". Scientific American. Retrieved September 26, 2018.

Siraj, Amir; Loeb, Abraham (2019). "Identifying Interstellar Objects Trapped in the Solar System through Their Orbital Parameters". The Astrophysical Journal. 872 (1): L10.