Task 7: Read a Boxall book by an author who is also a scientist.

[Karen]

Use this Topic to discuss books you are reading or that fit the 7th Scavenger Hunt task.

7. Read a Boxall book by an author who is also a scientist. (Note: The authors do not have to have degrees in a specific science. This can include science professors, researchers, and even (particularly pre-1900) authors who have a particular interest or fascination with science.

[Isabel]

Nabokov was a scientist. Thinking of reading his novel, Ada, this year. Carl Sagan’s Contact would fit the bill as would either of the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (also a physician).

[Amanda]

Primo Levi was a Chemist and has a handful of books on the list about his experiences with the holocaust. One of his off the list books is called "The periodic Table" and he uses the motif of different elements that became relevant to certain points of his life to tell his life story. Definitely recommend for an off the list read.

Since I've read all of those books, I'm personally going with "Celestial Harmonies" since Peter Esterhazy's obituary states that he was a mathematician before getting into writing.

Also, Frederic Van Eeden was a psychiatrist, and Tobias Smollett was a surgeon with an MD if we want to count both of those as health science.

[Pamela]

Thomas Pynchon studied engineering physics, and science often features in his work

[SaraSian]

This is a really challenging one with female authors as so little is known about some of them historically. Helen McDonald is a naturalist and Nawaal el Saadi is a medical doctor.
Would love any other suggestions.

[Maddy]

Barbara Kingsolver has a Master's in ecology and evolutionary biology.

[Bob]

Tono-Bungay by H.G. Wells, 1/24/24. Wells has Bachelor and Doctoral degrees of science from the Royal College of Science.

[Kimberly]

Nevil Shute was a successful aeronautical engineer.

[Dina]

I read The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham. He was physician.

[Caroline]

Kurt Vonnegut jr. majored in biochemistry.

[Molly]

I read Contact by Carl Sagan for this and thought it was fascinating!