Five Excellent Books Where Science Is Key.
By Karen and Erica
W
e love books about science, where the joy of scientific effort and discovery illuminates us. Here are five we thought were great.
Jellyfish Age Backwards, by Niklas Brendbo. Sounds weird, right? But it is a really intriguing, and sometimes funny, book about how different species age differently—including us. The author had us when he pointed out that trees get bigger and stronger as they age. And that jellyfish go backwards and forwards, age-wise. Very exciting news here for short people, too—as far as longevity and age-related disease. Assume nothing about aging. We’re changing the way it’s done, and the information and role models in this book are pretty engaging.
An Immense World, by Ed Yong. We first came across Ed Yong when he wrote about Covid for the Atlantic magazine. We loved his style and his brains. Both come through in this simply amazing book. Yong describes the different ways the eyes—or other seeing apparatus—of different species work. He tells us that every species sees the same thing differently, and many see things the rest of us do not. Does our dog, or child, see neon pink the way we do? We found it intoxicating to ponder the possibilities.
Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus. Not a science book at all, but a book about a woman figuring out how to be a woman who succeeds without following the playbook. A bit of a slow start, but it picks up nicely. It will leave you feeling cheered and optimistic. We need that!
The Exceptions, by Kate Zernike. The world of high level science is a rarified and surprising place. (Another remarkable book set in this world is The Code Breaker, by Walter Isaacson.) The Exceptions tells the story of women breaking into that world, initially believing sexism is dead (how often have we all heard that?) and that their brains would prevail, then realizing the fight was on. A rousing story set in an absorbing context.
Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases and Transform Industries, by Safi Bahcall. We’re lawyers, so we believe firmly in research and preparation to develop and support a strategic position. But we have learned that, once all of that is done, an idea may suddenly come to you that will transform the game. That’s what this book is about. It is an exhilarating ode to the wild ideas that might save the world, and the importance of giving people the space to have them—and to act on them. A riveting read.
