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Posts tagged with ‘History of Science’

SEVEN SKELETONS by Lydia Pyne

October 5, 2016

SEVEN “CELEBRITY” FOSSILS provide an intriguing window into the world of paleoanthropology. Engaging writing! B PLUS

SEVEN SKELETONS
Viking
2016

Grade: B PLUS

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THE FEVER OF 1721 by Stephen Coss

June 29, 2016

FASCINATING AMERICAN HISTORY looks at Boston’s 1721 smallpox epidemic, its impact on science and politics. A MINUS

THE FEVER OF 1721: THE EPIDEMIC THAT REVOLUTIONIZED MEDICINE AND AMERICAN POLITICS
Simon & Schuster
2016

Grade: A MINUS

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INTO THE HEART OF OUR WORLD by David Whitehouse

April 13, 2016

BENEATH EARTH’S SURFACE with the researchers seeking to understand its depths. Fantastic science writing! A MINUS

INTO THE HEART OF OUR WORLD: A JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH: A REMARKABLE VOYAGE OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY
Pegasus
2016

Grade: A MINUS

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BREAKING THE CHAINS OF GRAVITY by Amy Shira Teitel

March 5, 2016

A ‘PREHISTORY’ OF US SPACEFLIGHT focuses on the integration of German scientists into US research aviation. SOLID B

BREAKING THE CHAINS OF GRAVITY: THE STORY OF SPACEFLIGHT BEFORE NASA
Bloomsbury USA
2016

Grade: SOLID B

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YOU ARE HERE by Hiawatha Bray

May 30, 2014

AN ENTERTAINING, INFORMATIVE HISTORY of navigational technology, from lodestones to satellites to GPS. SOLID B

Grade: SOLID B

YOU ARE HERE: FROM THE COMPASS TO THE GPS, THE HISTORY AND FUTURE OF HOW WE FIND OURSELVES
Basic Books
2014

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INHERITANCE by Sharon Moalem

May 21, 2014

A DOCTOR AND GENETICS RESEARCHER’S informal overview of how our environment can affect our gene expression. SOLID B

Grade: SOLID B

INHERITANCE: HOW OUR GENES CHANGE OUR LIVES---AND HOW OUR LIVES CHANGE OUR GENES
Grand Central Publishing
2014

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BETWEEN MAN AND BEAST, by Monte Reel

May 13, 2013

SUPERB TRUE ADVENTURE tale of the first Western explorer/naturalist to study, document (and hunt) gorillas.

Grade: B PLUS

BETWEEN MAN AND BEAST: AN UNLIKELY EXPLORER, THE EVOLUTION DEBATES, AND THE AFRICAN ADVENTURE THAT TOOK THE VICTORIAN WORLD BY STORM
Doubleday
2013

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STORM KINGS, by Lee Sandlin

April 26, 2013

EARLY TORNADO CHASERS in the US, from Ben Franklin through the 20th century, profiled in a lively history.

Grade: B PLUS

STORM KINGS: THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF AMERICA'S FIRST TORNADO CHASERS
Pantheon
2013

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THE KING OF INFINITE SPACE, by David Berlinski

April 19, 2013

THE PHILOSOPHY OF MATHEMATICS and science, elegantly explored in a concise meditation on Euclid’s “Elements”.

Grade: SOLID B

THE KING OF INFINITE SPACE: EUCLID AND HIS ELEMENTS
Basic Books
2013

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HALLUCINATIONS, by Oliver Sacks

March 12, 2013

INSIDE THE WORLD OF hallucinations with Oliver Sacks, the Willy Wonka of the human brain. Fun, informative.

Grade: B PLUS

HALLUCINATIONS
Knopf
2012

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