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Editors’ Picks: Science & Mathematics
Our editors’ top reads to learn more about the world around us.
Published on June 11, 2021
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah HarariDr. Harari’s seminal work merges science with history to give a thorough saga of the human species. Beginning with the appearance of modern cognition, Harari traces the evolution of humanity to challenge commonly held beliefs about our biology, our history, and ourselves.
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
Mary RoachWhat happens when you can’t stop laughing in space? Roach will find out for you as she studies how all the human bodily functions (particularly the gross ones) continue to work in space flight; the answers are out of this world.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
Elizabeth KolbertAn incredibly accessible and informative look at the current mass extinction of species caused by human innovation. Kolbert leaps through thousands of years of history and travels the world in this Pulitzer Prize–winner.
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
Margot Lee ShetterlyThanks to Shetterly’s blockbuster book, the black female mathematicians whose calculations were critical to winning the space race in a still-segregated America are a hidden history no more. A crucial story that challenges our conceptions.
Midnight in Chernobyl: The Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster
Adam HigginbothamRead this after you binge HBO’s “Chernobyl.” You haven’t heard the horrifying details of the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown so thrillingly or nightmarishly as in this gripping account from journalist Adam Higginbotham. The chain of human errors and the systemic secrecy that led to this disaster are the heart of the book, and much more frightening than the radioactivity.
The Gene: An Intimate History
Siddhartha MukherjeeMukherjee is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Emperor of All Maladies,” a study of cancer that brought science from multiple disciplines into a readable and humane work of scholarship. “The Gene” achieves the same goals, making the study of genetics comprehensible to dilettantes and scientists alike.
Rust: The Longest War
Jonathan WaldmanAt heart, “Rust” captures the spirit of human ingenuity in the face of seemingly impossible odds in a duel with Mother Nature. Jonathan Waldman’s work is a testament to how rust can’t corrode human genius and perseverance.
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness
Susannah CahalanA truly shocking memoir that follows Cahalan through a series of seemingly inconsequential events that suddenly make her violent and psychotic. Her scattered-but-thorough account of her month of madness is frightening and engrossing.
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
Atul GawandeTake a step back from the battle over universal healthcare to get a larger overview of the price of living longer thanks to better technology and treatments. Surgeon Atul Gawande focuses specifically on end-of-life care. Don’t miss what The Guardian calls a breakout “brainy” book.
The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution
Richard DawkinsRichard Dawkins is known for providing incontrovertible evidence for some of the most politicized science of our time. He’s back in good form with this elegant definition of what he believes to be the true intelligent design behind our beautiful world: evolution.
Seeing Further: The Story of Science and the Royal Society
Bill BrysonHonoring the Royal Society’s 350th anniversary, these essays illuminate centuries of groundbreaking work and scientific contributions that have advanced humanity.
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate
Peter WohllebenEspecially in our age of climate change and deforestation, it’s important to understand the irreplaceable value of old-growth forests. Whether you love trees or want to learn more about the complex webs that impact our climate, “The Hidden Life of Trees” is a great read.