Book List

Best Popular Science Books of 2018

NONFICTION

DARWIN COMES TO TOWN

by Menno Schilthuizen

An expert romp through urban natural history, which, despite the absence of glamorous megafauna, turns out to be a... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

HISTORY

THE PERFECTIONISTS

by Simon Winchester

Less a work of scholarship than an enthusiastic popular-science tour of technological marvels, and readers will love the... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

NONFICTION

THE CONSCIOUSNESS INSTINCT

by Michael S. Gazzaniga

As he has done in previous books, Gazzaniga easily draws readers into one of the most fascinating conversations taking place... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

NONFICTION

SHE HAS HER MOTHER'S LAUGH

by Carl Zimmer

A thoroughly enchanting tour of big questions, oddball ideas, and dazzling accomplishments of researchers searching to... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

HISTORY

ENERGY

by Richard Rhodes

Calling this a classic like Rhodes’ The Making of the Atomic Bomb (1987) may be slightly premature, but it’s definitely a... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

NONFICTION

THE TANGLED TREE

by David Quammen

A consistently engaging collection of vivid portraits of brilliant, driven, quarrelsome scientists in the process of... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

NONFICTION

THROUGH TWO DOORS AT ONCE

by Anil Ananthaswamy

Once again, Ananthaswamy delivers a book that has all the intrigue of science fiction while remaining rooted in the... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

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