Reviews
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The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity (Scientists in the Field Series) by Elizabeth Rusch
As part of a series called Scientists in the Field, this book about the rovers Spirit and Opportunity is told through the eyes of rover lead scientist Steven Squyres. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012, 80 p., $18.99, ages 10–14
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The Book of Blood: From Legends and Leeches to Vampires and Veins by H.P. Newquist
Stories about blood — from ancient bloodletting to modern medicine — take advantage of kids’ fascination for the gross and explain science at the same time. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012, 152 p., $17.99, ages 10–14
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A Black Hole is Not a Hole by Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano
There’s plenty for both kids and adults to learn in this colorful look at the discovery of black holes and what scientists know about them today. Charlesbridge, 2012, 74 p., $18.95, ages 9–12
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What a Plant Knows: A Field Guide to the Senses by Daniel Chamovitz
Plants have senses too, a biologist shows. Though they can’t hear Chopin they do have ways to essentially touch, see and taste the world around them. Scientific American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012, 173 p., $23
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The Everett Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: Collected Works 1955-1980 with Commentary by Jeffrey A. Barrett and Peter Byrne, eds.
A collection of original documents, many hard to find, relating to one of the most controversial of the many interpretations of quantum mechanics. Princeton Univ., 2012, 389 p., $75
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BOOK REVIEW: Rabid: A Cultural History of the World’s Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy
Review by Alexandra Witze.
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Cracking the Egyptian Code: The Revolutionary Life of Jean-Francois Champollion by Andrew Robinson
The first English-language biography of linguist Jean-François Champollion describes his quest to decipher hieroglyphs using the Rosetta Stone. Oxford Univ., 2012, 272 p., $29.95
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Legacy: A Genetic History of the Jewish People by Harry Ostrer
This history of the genetics of the Jewish people delves into the population biology and genetic diseases that tie the group together. Oxford Univ., 2012, 264 p., $24.95
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The Ballet of the Planets: A Mathematician’s Musings on the Elegance of Planetary Motion by Donald C. Benson
A mathematician describes the history of the science explaining planetary motion. Oxford Univ., 2012, 178 p., $35
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Moral Origins: The Evolution of Virtue, Altruism, and Shame by Christopher Boehm
An evolutionary anthropologist looks back through human evolution for clues to how groups of hunter-gatherers developed altruism and generous behaviors. Basic Books, 2012, 418 p., $28.99
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