Reviews

  1. Virtually You: The Dangerous Powers of the E-Personality by Elias Aboujaoude

    A psychiatrist examines online alter egos and how they can affect life offline, sometimes for the worse. W.W. Norton, 2011, 349 p., $17.95

    By
  2. The Quantum Universe (And Why Anything That Can Happen, Does) by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw

    Two physicists use simple analogies to explain the weird world of quantum theory. Da Capo Press, 2011, 256 p., $25

    By
  3. Wired for Culture: Origins of the Human Social Mind by Mark Pagel

    A biologist examines the development of human culture and argues that evolutionary history has shaped humankind’s social tendencies. W.W. Norton & Co., 2012, 416 p., $29.95

    By
  4. Vesuvius (Wonders of the World) by Gillian Darley

    This history of the famous Italian volcano examines its role as a cultural icon through the ages. Harvard Univ., 2011, 245 p., $22.95

    By
  5. Across Atlantic Ice: The Origin of America’s Clovis Culture by Dennis J. Stanford and Bruce A. Bradley

    A pair of archaeologists explore the earliest days of the first humans in North America and suggest these people may have had European roots. Univ. of California, 2012, 336 p., $34.95

    By
  6. How Not to Be Eaten: The Insects Fight Back by Gilbert Waldbauer

    Insects’ ingenious means of avoiding becoming lunch are examples of evolutionary one-upmanship in action. Univ. of California, 2012, 221 p., $27.95

    By
  7. The Life of Super-Earths: How the Hunt for Alien Worlds and Artificial Cells Will Revolutionize Life on Our Planet by Dimitar Sasselov

    The astronomer who coined the term “super-Earth” reviews the hunt for these possibly life-holding planets. Basic Books, 2012, 240 p., $25.99

    By
  8. BOOK REVIEW: The Forever Fix: Gene Therapy and the Boy Who Saved It by Ricki Lewis

    Review by Alexandra Witze.

    By
  9. Neuroscience

    That’s Disgusting

    Unraveling the Mysteries of Repulsion by Rachel Herz.

    By
  10. Reinventing Discovery: The New Era of Networked Science by Michael Nielsen

    Review by Rachel Ehrenberg.

    By
  11. Babel No More: The Search for the World’s Most Extraordinary Language Learners by Michael Erard

    Review by Nathan Seppa.

    By
  12. Lights of Mankind: The Earth at Night as Seen from Space by L. Douglas Keeney

    Panoramic images of Earth at night illustrate the story of humankind’s global spread. Lyons Press, 2012, 282 p., $32.50

    By