Reviews
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The Scientists: An Epic of Discovery by Andrew Robinson, ed.
Short biographies of scientists through the ages, from Copernicus to Watson and Crick, illustrate where new ideas and discoveries come from. Thames & Hudson, 2012, 304 p., $45
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Human No More: Digital Subjectivities, Unhuman Subjects, and the End of Anthropology by Neil L. Whitehead and Michael Wesch, eds.
Online worlds are redefining what it means to be human, according to the authors of these anthropological essays on digital culture. Univ. Press of Colorado, 2012, 243 p., $75
- Space
The Real Story of Risk: Adventures in a Hazardous World by Glenn Croston
A biologist explores why humans are poor at judging risk — fearing rare shark attacks, for example, more than common heart attacks. Prometheus, 2012, 276 p., $19
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Darwin: Portrait of a Genius by Paul Johnson
A historian celebrates Charles Darwin’s triumphs and analyzes his weaknesses in the latest biography of the naturalist. Viking, 2012, 164 p., $25.95
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The Universal Sense: How Hearing Shapes the Mind by Seth S. Horowitz
This review of the science of hearing considers how people have learned to create and control music, sonic weapons and other noises. Bloomsbury, 2012, 305 p., $25
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Lynn Margulis: The Life and Legacy of a Scientific Rebel by Dorion Sagan, ed.
Friends and colleagues reflect on the contributions of one of the 20th century’s most influential biologists. Chelsea Green, 2012, 205 p., $27.95
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BOOK REVIEW: Apocalyptic Planet: Field Guide to the Everending Earth by Craig Childs
Review by Sid Perkins.
- Particle Physics
The Particle at the End of the Universe
How the Hunt for the Higgs Boson Leads Us to the Edge of a New World, by Sean Carroll.
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The Half-life of Facts: Why Everything We Know Has an Expiration Date by Samuel Arbesman
Learning how knowledge changes over time, a mathematician contends, will help humans better make sense of their world. Current, 2012, 242 p., $25.95
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The Miracle of Trees (Wooden Books) by Olavi Huikari
Packed with drawings and engravings, this pocket guide briefly covers the science of trees, from how they grow and reproduce to whether they feel pain. Walker & Co., 2012, 58 p., $12
