Reviews

  1. Come See the Earth Turn by Lori Mortensen, illustrations by Raúl Allén

    Aimed at kids age 7 to 9, this picture book shows how Léon Foucault and his pendulum demonstrated the Earth’s spin. Tricycle Press, 2010, 32 p., $17.99.

    By
  2. Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson

    In what he calls a “natural history of innovation,” a science writer identifies patterns throughout history, mining the past for lessons in creativity. Riverhead Books, 2010, 336 p., $26.95.

    By
  3. From Jars to the Stars by Todd Neff

    by An engaging history recounts how the Ball Brothers Co. went from making mason jars to building the Deep Impact spacecraft. Earthview Media, 2010, 327 p., $24.95.

    By
  4. Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It’s So Hard to Think Straight About Animals by Hal Herzog

    Review by Susan Milius.

    By
  5. The Abacus and the Cross: The Story of the Pope Who Brought the Light of Science to the Dark Ages by Nancy Marie Brown

    The story of Pope Sylvester II, who introduced Islamic math and science to the West. THE ABACUS AND THE CROSS: THE STORY OF THE POPE WHO BROUGHT THE LIGHT OF SCIENCE TO THE DARK AGES BY NANCY MARIE BROWN Basic Books, 2010, 328 p., $27.95.

    By
  6. Cooking for Geeks by Jeff Potter

    Learn the science behind sautéing and other cooking techniques in this combination recipe book and introduction to food chemistry. COOKING FOR GEEKS BY JEFF POTTER O’Reilly Media, 2010, 432 p., $34.99.

    By
  7. Pluto by Barrie W. Jones

    An astronomer explores the demoted planet and shows how it has contributed to scientists’ knowledge of the solar system. PLUTO BY BARRIE W. JONES Cambridge Univ. Press, 2010, 231 p., $35.99.

    By
  8. Book Review: Shark: In Peril in the Sea by David Owen

    Review by Sid Perkins.

    By
  9. Death in a Small Package by Susan D. Jones

    Part of the Johns Hopkins Biographies of Disease series, this history of anthrax describes the bacteria’s transformation from agricultural disease to biological weapon. DEATH IN A SMALL PACKAGE BY SUSAN D. JONES Johns Hopkins Univ., 2010, 329 p., $24.95.

    By
  10. Lenin’s Laureate by Paul R. Josephson

    A historian explores Soviet science in this biography of Zhores Alferov, who won a Nobel Prize for discovering the heterojunction used in LEDs. LENIN’S LAUREATE BY PAUL R. JOSEPHSON MIT, 2010, 307 p., $29.95.

    By
  11. The Species Seekers by Richard Conniff

    Tales relate the adventures of early naturalists who risked life and limb in the quest to discover new species. THE SPECIES SEEKERS BY RICHARD CONNIFF W.W. Norton, 2010, 464 p., $26.95.

    By
  12. Leonardo da Vinci’s Giant Crossbow by Matthew Landrus

    A da Vinci expert takes a technical look at the design and engineering underlying one of the artist’s most popular but least understood drawings. LEONARDO DA VINCI’S GIANT CROSSBOW BY MATTHEW LANDRUS Springer, 2010, 180 p., $59.95.

    By