April 17: Books Published Today

 

The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild Side of Wildlife by Lucy Cooke

 

 Lucy Cooke has gone on some of the most amazing animal adventures and now she brings us myth busting truths about animals that challenge the bestiaries and everyday misconceptions about moose, penguins, and sloths.

Kirkus Reviews says it’s a “lighthearted but scientifically rigorous exploration…A pleasure for the budding naturalist in the family–or fans of Gerald Durrell and other animals.”

Listen to Lucy Cooke talk about her new book on the podcast “Book Shambles”:

What the Future Looks Like: Scientists Predict the Next Great Discoveries―and Reveal How Today’s Breakthroughs Are Already Shaping Our World by Jim Al-Khalili

 

 The scientists in these pages are interested only in the truth—reality–based and speculation–free. Here, they explain how their cutting edge research in genomics, robotics, AI, the “Internet of Things,” synthetic biology, transhumanism, interstellar travel, colonization of the solar system, and teleportation will shape tomorrow. Also available on audio.

Library Journal says, “The focus on sincere, factual presentation of current and future possibilities by leading experts is particularly welcome in this era of fake news and anti-science rhetoric.”

The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them) by Lucy Jones

Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones offers a bracing look at some of the world’s greatest natural disasters, including Pompeii, the California floods of 186, and the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. This history of natural disasters is a call to action and helps us ready ourselves to face them in the future. Also available on audio.

Library Journal says, “For all her impressive expertise, Jones delivers a very accessible book—without sacrificing the scientific content, the text is sprinkled with relatable analogies to help readers better understand some of the more technical geological processes.”

Catch Lucy Jones on tour in Beverly Hills, Seattle, Portland, Oakland, and Pasadena.

The Human Instinct: How We Evolved to Have Reason, Consciousness, and Free Will by Kenneth R. Miller

 

Biology professor Kenneth R. Miller challenges the pre-determinism inherent in human evolution. Combining philosophy with his scientific background, he takes a a radical look at evolution to explain reason, consciousness, and free will in a way that is more optimistic than you’ve ever heard before. Also available on audio.

Publishers Weekly (starred review) says the book “confronts both lay and professional misconceptions about evolution from both scientific and philosophical perspectives.

Breakpoint: Reckoning with America’s Environmental Crises by Jeremy B. C. Jackson and Steve Chapple

 

Firsthand interviews with farmers, fishermen, scientists, and policymakers along the Mississippi River reveals startling evidence that the country is being pushed to the breaking point of ecological collapse. The authors offer up achievable solutions to preserve the ecological and economical future of the United States.