Reviews

Octopus by Jennifer A. Mather, Roland C. Anderson and James B. Wood

An in-depth look reveals the uncanny smarts and elegant adaptations of these eight-armed wonders. OCTOPUS Timber Press, 2010, 208 p., $25.95.

The Dog Who Couldn’t Stop Loving by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

Not just an animal lover’s tale, this book looks at recent scientific research on how humans evolved to care for canine companions. THE DOG WHO COULDN’T STOP LOVING BY JEFFREY MOUSSAIEFF MASSON Harper, 2010, 249 p., $25.99.

The Music Instinct by Philip Ball

A journalist draws on neuroscience, anthropology and philosophy to explore the universal human experience of music. THE MUSIC INSTINCT BY PHILIP BALL Oxford Univ. Press, 2010, 452 p., $29.95.

The Man Who Invented the Computer by Jane Smiley

The best-selling author tells a quirky tale of John Atanasoff, an Iowa physics professor who in the 1930s pursued the dream of faster calculations. THE MAN WHO INVENTED THE COMPUTER BY JANE SMILEY Doubleday, 2010, 256 p., $25.95.

Portraits of the Mind by Carl Schoonover

From hand-drawn sketches to high-tech views of single neurons, a neuroscientist unpacks the visual history of brain imaging. PORTRAITS OF THE MIND BY CARL SCHOONOVER Abrams, 2010, 239 p., $35.

The Weather of the Future by Heidi Cullen

Review by Sid Perkins.

Book Review: Proofiness: The Dark Arts of Mathematical Deception by Charles Seife

Review by Alexandra Witze.

Book Review: The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean

Review by Rachel Ehrenberg.

The 50 Most Extreme Places in Our Solar System by David Baker and Todd Ratcliff

Tour Earth’s hottest, coldest, stormiest and stinkiest neighbors, plus the solar system’s weirdest phenomena. THE 50 MOST EXTREME PLACES IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM BY DAVID BAKER AND TODD RATCLIFF Harvard Univ. Press, 2010, 290 p., $27.95.

Spider Silk by Leslie Brunetta and Catherine L. Craig

Arachnid evolution is woven into this history of one of the strongest natural materials. SPIDER SILK BY LESLIE BRUNETTA AND CATHERINE L. CRAIG Yale Univ. Press, 2010, 229 p., $30.

2030: Technology That Will Change the World by Rutger van Santen, Djan Khoe and Bram Vermeer

A survey of science and engineering breakthroughs that may lead to technological leaps. 2030: TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL CHANGE THE WORLD BY RUTGER VAN SANTEN, DJAN KHOE AND BRAM VERMEER OxfordUniv. Press, 2010, 295 p., $29.95.

How to Mellify a Corpse by Vicki León

Eighty-eight tales tell of science and superstition in the ancient world (including Alexander the Great’s mellification, or embalming in honey). HOW TO MELLIFY A CORPSE BY VICKI LEóN Walker, 2010, 308 p., $17.