363.73874 FLA
The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth by Tim F. Flannery2005
Are you concerned by all the talk about global warming? Are you looking for a clear explanation of the problems and possible solutions? If so, Flannery’s book is a good place to start. He presents the science in an accessible manner, and advocates for solutions from the point of view of a zoologist. Although not everyone may agree with his proposals, this is an excellent and highly readable introduction to the topic.

500 BRY
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson2003
In this award-winning book, Bryson presents a series of largely self-contained chapters covering a wide range of scientific topics, from ancient fossils to the current understanding of the human body, and from subatomic particles to the vastness of the universe. Writing with his usual wit, Bryson not only provides accessible scientific explanations, but also the stories behind the discoveries.

500 FIS
Weighing the Soul: Scientific Discovery from the Brilliant to the Bizarre by Len Fisher2004
A light-hearted history of science, focusing on the seemingly bizarre. Some of the ideas and attempts described by Fisher have held up to scientific scrutiny, while others have failed, sometimes spectacularly.

508.074 PIC
The Rarest of the Rare: Stories Behind the Treasures at the Harvard Museum of Natural History by Nancy Pick2004
Like visiting a museum in the comfort of your living room, this book offers photographs and very brief stories behind many of the more unusual, interesting, and historically significant exhibits at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

523.1 GRE
The Fabric of the Cosmos : Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality by B. (Brian) Greene2004
The author of the popular The Elegant Universe (539.7 GRE, and also available in video and DVD) presents a fascinating, and often surprising, look at the nature of the universe in a style easily accessible to the lay reader.

523.2 SOB
The Planets by Dava Sobel2005
Sobel provides numerous and interesting scientific facts in this lively overview of the solar system, but the book is much more than a scientific treatise. By also focusing on our historical and cultural relationships with the planets, she provides a richer understanding of our celestial neighborhood. The result is a fascinating blend of science and art that will appeal to all readers. Sobel’s Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time (526.62 SOB) is an equally enthralling story.

530.092 ACZ
Pendulum: Leon Foucault and the Triumph of Science by Amir D. Aczel2003
A wonderful story of the lone scientific mind at work. In 1854, Leon Foucault built a pendulum in his basement and, after a series of refinements and modifications, was able two years later to exhibit his work in the Pantheon in Paris. Despite his definitive showing of the earth’s rotation, Foucault struggled his entire life for acceptance by the scientific “establishment.”

537 BOD
Electric Universe: The Shocking True Story of Electricity by David Bodanis2004
Bodanis gives a surprisingly fascinating look at the practical importance of electricity across the spectrum of life, as well as the personalities of the many scientists whose breakthroughs helped to shape our modern world.

538.768 JAG
The Northern Lights by Lucy Jago2001
Jago describes the work of a Norwegian team, organized by Kristian Birkeland in 1899, to discover the nature and cause of the aurora borealis. This involved extended stays along the Arctic Circle, requiring not only scientific insight but also courage and endurance in the face of extreme physical adversity.

539.762 CAT
The Fly in the Cathedral by Brian Cathcart2005
A brilliant collection of scientific minds were gathered at Cambridge in the early 20th century, trying to discover, among other things, the essential building blocks of the atom. This is a story not only of the science but more importantly the personalities, the setbacks, and ultimately the triumphs involved in the quest.

551.792 BOL
The Ice Finders: How a Poet, a Professor, and a Politician Discovered the Ice Age by Edmund Blair Bolles1999
Bolles describes the interrelated efforts of Louis Agassiz, Elisha Kent Kane, and Charles Lyell to understand and convince others of the realities of the Ice Age. In doing so he offers a reflection on how scientific knowledge advances, arguing that it is never the systematic, orderly process that we would expect or hope for.

595.384 COR
The Secret Life of Lobsters: How Fishermen and Scientists Are Unraveling the Mysteries of Our Favorite Crustacean by Trevor Corson2004
A book that fishermen, environmentalists, ethicists, and gourmets can savor. Corson portrays the challenges of lobster fishing in Little Cranberry Island in the Gulf of Maine, describes the life of lobsters in interesting detail, and explores the ethical dilemmas of living within the food cycle.

598.72 HOOAlso in J 598.7 HOO
The Race to Save the Lord God Bird by Phillip M. Hoose2004
The recent sighting of an ivory-billed woodpecker in Arkansas has reignited interest in this stunning bird, previously thought extinct. Hoose explains, in a way that will appeal to both junior high and adult readers, the unique characteristics of the bird and the often unsuccessful efforts to maintain its habitat. In doing so, he also describes the rise of the Audubon Society and the growth of environmental awareness.

598.92 NIE
Condor: To the Brink and Back—The Life and Times of One Giant Bird by John Nielsen2006
On the brink of extinction in the 1970s, the condor is beginning a resurgence thanks to a successful, but controversial, captive breeding program. Nielsen lucidly describes the logistical and philosophical debates among the environmentalists. But his main focus is on the condor—its awkward and disarming beauty, its relationship with humans, and its struggle to survive as an ancient species in a modern world.

616.07 ABR
Possessing Genius: The Bizarre Odyssey of Einstein’s Brain by Carolyn Abraham2002
The strange and oddly intriguing story of the removal of Albert Einstein’s brain during his 1955 autopsy, and its history over the next forty years. During this time the brain was in the possession of Thomas Harvey, the pathologist who removed it during the autopsy. Abraham details the many travels of the brain and its role in research, while at the same time offering insights into the genius from which it came.

629.13092 TOB
To Conquer the Air: The Wright Brothers and the Great Race for Flight by James Tobin2003
A thorough yet highly readable look at the life and work of Wilbur and Orville Wright. Tobin also offers interesting portrayals of their family, friends and colleagues, as well as their competitors in the effort to build the first airplane.

738 GLE
The Arcanum: The Extraordinary True Story by Janet Gleeson1998
Not the more familiar quest to turn base metals into gold, the “Arcanum” described by Gleeson is the 18th-century European development of the formula for making fine porcelain. Centered in the town of Meissen, the story is filled with captivating characters like Johann Frederick Bottger, a frustrated and failed alchemist who discovered the porcelain-making secrets, and Augustus II, King of Poland and elector of Saxony, whose greed and gluttony fueled the efforts.

959.8 WIN
Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded, August 27, 1883 by Simon Winchester2003
Winchester describes one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history and the deadly tsunamis that resulted from it, setting the story vividly in the history and culture of the time. He also sets forth the current understanding of plate tectonics and the causes of such disasters.

Prepared by Chris Portman, March 2007