Best for: People looking for fun, quick explanations of common machines (like helicopters or washer/dryers) and nature (like the night sky). In a nutshell: Creator of xkcd brings his cute drawings and research skills to a large-format book. Line that sticks with me: None really, but I did chuckle a bunch. Why I chose it: I thoroughly enjoyed his book “What If” — it was one of my top books last year. So it seemed natural to pick up his next one. Review: This is […]
Come for the Science; Stay for the End Notes
Sam Kean is my favorite science writer, for a few reasons. For one thing, he is a complete mad man about research. In chapter 2 of The Disappearing Spoon, Kean records the longest word in the English language. This champion of all English verbiage turns out to be a word that describes a protein on the first virus ever discovered and measures 1185 letters. (I’m not going to record it here because proofing that shit would take up the rest of my day.) What impresses […]
Pseudoscience and Nonsense
Man, this book was not good. Maybe not terrible (although, maybe terrible), but really not good. The premise was okay, but the writing was almost painfully bad. No, it wasn’t as bad as the dumpster fire that is Lola Montez Conquers the Spaniards (I’m linking to it not so you’ll read it, but so you can see the cover & know to never, ever pick it up). And it was marginally better than the very poorly written America Pacifica (again, please don’t read, just be aware […]
Throwing a kitten out a window was only a warning shot.
Halfway through Moonglow, I caught myself with my hand over my mouth, trying to keep my breath inside my body because the prose was so exceptionally beautiful. I had my worries before reading this book. I have only recently discovered Chabon, and have only otherwise read The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, which was so stunning that it made me want to punch something. There is a lot of hype surrounding Moonglow, and even I only got it by accident from the library on a strict, one […]
I Try Not To Judge, But…
Best for: People looking for some solid details on how vaccines work and facts about what they do and don’t lead to. In a nutshell: Infectious diseases expert provides an easy-to-read and detailed explanation of the history of anti-vaccine movements, from the 1800s to today. Line that sticks with me: “Because anti-vaccine activists today define safe as free from side effects such as autism, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, strokes, heart attacks, and blood clots — conditions that aren’t caused by vaccines […]
Excellent Surprise
Best for: You, assuming you like quality science writing, humor, and an unexpected amount of social justice talk. In a nutshell: Journalist and doctor answers questions about our bodies. Line that sticks with me: (mostly because it’s demonstrative of the author’s dry humor) “But in search of an actual definition, Cleveland clinic begs the question. “Sudden cardiac death is a sudden, unexpected death caused by loss of heart function.” (You guys, why do you have a website?)” p289 Why I chose it: Stopped by […]
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