Category Archives: science

Two Sides of the Moon

Posted on September 5, 2013 by smellincoffee

Two Sides of the Moon© 2006 Alexei Leonov and David Scott448 pages Remember the fifties, those fat complacent days when the Future seemed a century away? Then up went Sputnik, gave the world a butt-kick, and made it clear tomorrow … Continue reading →

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The Making of the Fittest

Posted on August 22, 2013 by smellincoffee

The Making of the Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution304 pages© 2006 Sean B. Carroll Sean B. Carroll’s The Making of the Fittest examines the genetics of evolution, relating to readers not only how changes come about … Continue reading →

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Gulp

Posted on July 2, 2013 by smellincoffee

Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal© 2013 Mary Roach352 pages Mary Roach is no stranger to delving into topics which others find icky — like corpses. Even her more conventional works flirt with taboo, and in Gulp she embraces disgust whole-heartedly, by … Continue reading →

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The Botany of Desire

Posted on May 17, 2013 by smellincoffee

The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s Eye View of the World© 2001 Michael Pollan256 pages      Meander through your garden and ponder the meaning of life; such is the advice of Michael Pollan, who in The Botany of Desire … Continue reading →

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eaarth

Posted on May 4, 2013 by smellincoffee

earth: making a life on a tough new planet© 2010 Bill McKibben253 pages Oh, we’re in trouble.  For two decades, forward-thinking politicians have made noise about climate change. “We’ve gotta do something to save the world for our grandchildren,” they say. But … Continue reading →

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Chimpanzee Politics

Posted on May 2, 2013 by smellincoffee

Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes©  1983 Frans de Waal256 pages Back in the 1970s, primatologist Frans de Waal conducted one of the first extensive studies into the social structures of chimpanzees.  Chimpanzee Politics is the result,  establishing facts … Continue reading →

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The Humans Who Went Extinct

Posted on December 21, 2012 by smellincoffee

The Humans Who Went Extinct: Why Neanderthals Died Out and We Survived© 2010 Clive Finlayson256 pages Whatever happened to the Neanderthals? Did Homo sapiens drive our beefy cousins into extinction in the first of many exercises in genocide as we … Continue reading →

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Space Chronicles

Posted on November 19, 2012 by smellincoffee

Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier© 2012 Neil deGrasse Tyson; edited by Avis Lang384 pages On July 20th, 1969, America mesmerized the world by landing men on the Moon. For the first time in history, human feet stepped on the soil … Continue reading →

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The Sun’s Heartbeat

Posted on September 16, 2012 by smellincoffee

The Sun’s Heartbeat: and Other Stories from the Life of the Star that Powers Our Planet2011 pages290 pages Consider the sun. For thousands of generations, it has loomed over our kind, radiating heat and light down from above, illuminating our … Continue reading →

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The Wild Life of Our Bodies

Posted on August 29, 2012 by smellincoffee

The Wild Life of Our Bodies: Predators, Parasides, and Partners that Shape Who We Are Today© 2011 Rob Dunn290 pages You can take the man out of the jungle, but not the jungle out of the man. Such is the … Continue reading →

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