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CULTURELAB 58 | NewScientist | 26 November 2011 For more books and arts coverage and to add your comments, visit newscientist.com/culturelab Pages to savour Popular science worth giving this Christmas 1 Survivors by Richard Fortey, Harper Press, £25 Retired palaeontologist Richard Fortey meanders into and out of deep time, chasing the species that have evaded extinction, and drawing on a career’s worth of fascinating anecdotes. 2 The 4% Universe by Richard Panek, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $26 In this impeccably researched book Richard Panek explores why we still don’t know the nature of dark matter and dark energy, even though they make up 96 per cent of the universe. 3 How the Hippies Saved Physics by David Kaiser, W.W. Norton, £19.99/$26.95 The Fundamental Fysiks Group was an entourage of freewheeling physicists in Berkeley, California, who pushed the boundaries of “experimental” science in the 1970s. 4 Evolution by Jay Hosler, illustrated by Kevin Cannon and Zander Cannon, Hill & Wang, $18.95 A superb comic book that tells the story of evolution on Earth from the perspective of aliens from the planet Glargal. 5 Knocking on Heaven’s Door by Lisa Randall, Bodley Head/Ecco Press £20/$29.99 This insider’s guide unveils – and explains –the hard and complicated work being done at the frontier of particle physics. The effect is like being taken behind the curtain in Oz and given a full tour by the wizard. 6 The Sun’s Heartbeat by Bob Berman, Little, Brown & Co, £25.99/$25.99 Astronomer Bob Berman is a masterful storyteller who spins the tale of our favourite star with a deft touch and leaves you desperate to see the Northern Lights for yourself. 7 The Hidden Reality by Brian Greene, Allen Lane/Alfred A. Knopf, £25/$29.95 Theoretical physicist Brian Greene makes abstract ideas about the multiverse both engaging and implausibly comprehensible. 8 1493 by Charles C. Mann, Knopf/Granta $30.50/£25 A complex tale, 1493 makes for compulsive reading because it illustrates the paradoxical nature of the ecological effects linking the world. 9 Global Climate Change: A primer by Orrin H. Pilkey and Keith C. Pilkey, illustrations by Mary Edna Fraser, Duke University Press, £12.99/$19.95 Gorgeous batik illustrations inspired by satellite and aerial photographs turn global catastrophes into works of art in this book on climate change basics. 10 The Physics Book by Clifford A. Pickover, Sterling, £19.99/$29.95 This gorgeously illustrated book tours chronologically through the major moments in the history of physics from the big bang to the “big rip” – a possible scenario for the end of the universe. A fine collection: from particle physics to our interwoven ecology 11 Paranormality by Richard Wiseman, Macmillan, £12.99 Psychologist Richard Wiseman demonstrates with wit and humour why so-called supernatural events are far less extraordinary than the complex inner workings of our brains. 12 Here on Earth by Tim Flannery, Allen Lane/Atlantic Monthly Press, £14.99/$25 Part scary exposition of how we’ve screwed things up, and part optimistic take on how we can undo that harm, this is a wonderful exploration of the intricate superorganism that is humankind. 13 Inflight Science by Brian Clegg, Icon Books, £12.99 Everything you ever wanted to know about the science of flying – from the terrible taste of tepid in-flight tea to how we manage to defy gravity in a pressurised aluminium cylinder. 14 Sciencia by Wooden Books, Walker & Company, £14.99/$20 This six-volume collection combines elegant design, informative cartoons and excellent explanation of science and mathematics. n
