December 18, 202434 min read78 Books Scientific American Recommends in 2024A collection of nonfiction and fiction books Scientific American editorial staff and contributors read and recommend in 2024By Brianne Kane edited by Dean Visser Francesco ZorziEvery story is a science story, even the ones that sound more like science fiction. This year Scientific American introduced readers to real discoveries that sounded a bit like science-fiction, such as the crime rings trafficking sand around the world and the physicists searching for evidence of negative time. The U.S. governments former UFO hunter told readers about a past (and very real) search for such unidentified objects; and our editors described what to do when space junks falls into your yard. We watched the Great American Total Solar Eclipse of 2024 with our families and learned from neurologists how memories remain in the brain for a lifetime. After doing all that, we also read, shared and discussed some amazing books.This collection offers some recent staff favorites in fiction and nonfiction, a selection of titles we recently reviewed and some by familiar faces weve worked with this yearas well as a bountiful backlist to keep your to-be-read list stuffed.Happy reading! Jump to your favorite section here:On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.NonfictionOn Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Serviceby Anthony FauciViking, 2024(Tags: Health, Memoir)Anthony Fauci is arguably the most famousand most revereddoctor in the world today. His role guiding America sanely and calmly through Covid (and through the torrents of Trump) earned him the trust of millions during one of the most terrifying periods in modern American history.... His crucial role in researching HIV and bringing AIDS into sympathetic public view and his leadership in navigating the Ebola, SARS, West Nile, and anthrax crises, make him truly an American hero, the publisher says.I thoroughly enjoyed reading this memoir by Americas doctor. He writes candidly and engagingly about winning the trust of the HIV/AIDS activist community after being the target of its understandable rage at global inaction. He reminds us of the fearful days when bioterrorism and the anthrax scare were keeping some of the countrys top public health officials up at night. And he chronicles the COVID pandemic from the inside of one of the most erratic and dangerous administrations ever to occupy the White Housea time in which he became first a hero and then a target. Yet throughout it all, his devotion to furthering public health and serving his country are never in doubt. Tanya Lewis, Senior Editor, Health and MedicineThis memoir is inspiring, and the behind-the-scenes stories of the major public health events of the past four decades are riveting. Clara Moskowitz, Senior Editor, Space/PhysicsVanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creaturesby Katherine RundellDoubleday, 2024(Tags: Nature, Animals)This urgent, inspiring book of essays dedicated to 23 unusual and underappreciated creatures is a clarion call insisting that we look at the world around us with new eyesto see the magic of the animals we live among, their unknown histories and capabilities, and above all how lucky we are to tread the same ground as such vanishing treasures. Beautifully illustrated, and full of inimitable wit and intellect, the publisher says.Its a beautiful book, both in writing and in illustrations, that shares stories and trivia about some of the most magnificent animals on earth. It skews heavily toward the charismatic (the more than 50,000 species of spiders must share a single chapter). But despite this narrow lens, Rundelldoes an admirable job reminding us of the richness of the natural world. Meghan Bartles, Senior News ReporterThe Secret Life of The Universe: An Astrobiologist's Search for the Origins and Frontiers of Lifeby Nathalie A. CabrolSimon and Schuster, 2024(Tags: Astrobiology, Astrophysics)Celebrated astrobiologist and the director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute Nathalie A. Cabrol takes us to the frontiers of the search for life.... This dazzling interplanetary tour [illuminates] the likeliest places for life in our neighborhood: While Mars and the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn are among the top contenders, recent missions are redefining the limits of habitability to include unexpected worlds. Finally, we seek life beyond our solar system, becoming witness to a revolution in the night sky: the realization that there are as many planets as stars in our galaxy, the publisher says.Cabrol takes us on a whirlwind trip around the solar system, describing how life could have evolved on a variety of planets, moons and asteroids within the Milky Way. It almost has the feel of a mystery whodunitperhaps the culprits are the hydrocarbons in the subsurface ocean on Titan. Zane Wolf, Graphics Intern, JuneDecember 2024What I Ate in One Year (and Related Thoughts)by Stanley TucciGallery Books, 2024(Tags: Memoir, Food)Food has always been an integral part of Stanley Tuccis life: from stracciatella soup served in the shadow of the Pantheon, to marinara sauce cooked between scene rehearsals and costume fittings, to home-made pizza eaten with his children before bedtime. Now, in What I Ate in One Year Tucci records twelve months of eatingin restaurants, kitchens, film sets, press junkets, at home and abroad, with friends, with family, with strangers, and occasionally just by himself, the publisher says.To match the authors tone, Id say this book was a pleasant, appetizing read. Ill soon be testing out his Tucci Minestrone recipe from page 107. Isabella Bruni, Digital ProducerThe Cleopatras: The Forgotten Queens of Egyptby Lloyd Llewellyn-JonesBasic Books, 2024(Tags: History, Ancient Egypt)The Cleopatras were Greek-speaking descendants of Ptolemy, the general who conquered Egypt alongside Alexander the Great. They were closely related as mothers, daughters, sisters, half-sisters, and nieces. Each wielded absolute power, easily overshadowing their husbands or sons, and all proved to be shrewd and capable leaders. Styling themselves as goddess-queens, the Cleopatras ruled through the canny deployment of arcane rituals, opulent spectacles, and unparalleled wealth, the publisher says.I was a classics major in college, so I thought I was prepared for a deep dive on the Ptolemies, but I was not! The Cleopatras is a wild ride but an enjoyable oneand surprisingly easy to follow despite the uncreative names and the deeply tangled family tree. Meghan Bartels, Senior News ReporterTheres Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascensionby Hanif AbdurraqibRandom House, 2024(Tags: Memoir, Cultural Criticism, Sports)Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, in the 1990s, Hanif Abdurraqib witnessed a golden era of basketball, one in which legends like LeBron James were forged and countless others werent. His lifelong love of the game leads Abdurraqib into a lyrical, historical, and emotionally rich exploration of what it means to make it, who we think deserves success, the tension between excellence and expectation, and the very notion of role models, all of which he expertly weaves together with intimate, personal storytelling, the publisher says.Abdurraqibs profoundly moving narrative requires absolutely no interest in basketball for the reader to find something of beauty in it. It is a gorgeous and heartbreaking account of his childhood through early adulthood, a disquisition of that which binds him to the place he calls home. Hector Coronado, EngineerA Small Miracleby Tessa VenellSelf-published, 2024(Tags: Memoir)My book is about my experience recovering from a traumatic brain injury, when I came back to college, and the time immediately following my graduation from Brandeis University. It delves into the symbiotic relationship between medicine and the patient's environment, and how both elements can work together in unexpected ways. My story demonstrates these unexpected intersections of the medical profession and the patient's environment, and shows how these intersections provided key support to my ability to recover," says the authors in her description of the book.This is an astonishing, moving, profoundly authentic first-person account of my friend Tessas recovery from a traumatic brain injury (TBI). In her generous retelling of her struggle to become herself again, Tessa offers instructive insights for other TBI survivors, their loved ones or anyone interested in this fascinating field of study. Amanda Montaez, Associate Graphics EditorBecoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Lifeby Ferris JabrRandom House, 2024(Tags: Science and Technology)One of humanitys oldest beliefs is that our world is alive.... Acclaimed science writer Ferris Jabr reveals a radical new vision of Earth where lush forests spew water, pollen, and bacteria to summon rain; giant animals engineer the very landscapes they roam; microbes chew rock to shape continents; and microscopic plankton, some as glittering as carved jewels, remake the air and sea, the publisher says.Reading Becoming Earth feels like being taken by the hand and shown worlds you never knew existed. Its given me a newfound appreciation for the parts of this planet that are too big or too small for me to appreciate with my own eyes. Allison Parshall, Associate News EditorThird Millennium Thinking: Creating Sense in a World of Nonsenseby Saul Perlmutter, John Campbell and Robert MacCounLittle, Brown Spark, 2024(Tags: Psychology)In Third Millennium Thinking, a physicist, a psychologist, and a philosopher introduce readers to the tools and frameworks that scientists have developed to keep from fooling themselves, to understand the world, and to make decisions. We can all borrow these trust-building techniques to tackle problems both big and small, the publisher says.In dark times, this ones like a candle. If you want to learn how to avoid being fooled and how to make smarter, better decisions, reading this book is a great start. Lee Billings, Senior Editor, Space/PhysicsThe Forbidden Garden: The Botanists of Besieged Leningrad and Their Impossible Choiceby Simon ParkinScribner, 2024(Tags: History, Science, War)In the summer of 1941, German troops surrounded the Russian city of Leningradnow St. Petersburgand began the longest blockade in recorded history.... At the center of the besieged city stood a converted palace that housed the worlds largest collection of seeds.... After attempts to evacuate the priceless collection failed and supplies dwindled amongst the three million starving citizens, the employees at the Plant Institute were left with a terrible choice, the publisher says.Parkin weaves together an incredible accounting about the sacrifices and resolution of the scientists overseeing the seed bank during the Siege of Leningrad. Underneath the siege, the suffering, the political machinations and the military stratagems, there is the story of one manNikolai Vavilovwhose knowledge, passion and charisma inspired numerous scientists to follow his example in placing the safety of these seeds above everything else. This book is emotionally heavy but worth readingitll surprise you to learn just how big a role these tiny seeds played in World War II and our agriculture today. Zane Wolf, Graphics Intern, JuneDecember 2024Native Nations: A Millennium in North Americaby Kathleen DuValRandom House, 2024(Tags: History, Indigenous Peoples History)Long before the colonization of North America, Indigenous Americans built diverse civilizations and adapted to a changing world in ways that reverberated globally. And, as award-winning historian Kathleen DuVal vividly recounts, when Europeans did arrive, no civilization came to a halt because of a few wandering explorers, even when the strangers came well armed.... Power dynamics shifted after the American Revolution, but Indigenous people continued to command much of the continents land and resources, the publisher says.This is a great exploration of the ways Indigenous Americans thrived before and despite European colonization. Meghan Bartels, Senior News ReporterInto the Clear Blue Sky: The Path to Restoring Our Atmosphereby Rob JacksonScribner, 2024(Tags: Climate Change)In Into the Clear Blue Sky, climate scientist and chair of the Global Carbon Project Rob Jackson explains that we need to redefine our [climate] goals. As he argues here, we shouldnt only be trying to stabilize the Earths temperature at some arbitrary value.... Restoring the atmosphere means reducing the amount of greenhouse gases in the air to pre-industrial levelsstarting with super-potent methaneto heal the harm we have done, the publisher says.This is a wonderfully written book about our path to a cleaner climate, greener technology and overall better relationship to the natural world. I was fascinated by the developing technology Jackson was able to see firsthand and learned some terrifying truths about in-home gas emissions I will never forget. Brianne Kane, Editorial Workflow and Rights ManagerThe Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural Worldby Robin Wall KimmererScribner, 2024(Tags: Indigenous Studies, Economics)As ... Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most...? Meanwhile, the serviceberrys relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealthits abundance of sweet, juicy berries. And this distribution ensures its own survival, the publisher says.This is a breezy read about ecology and economics that offers a beautiful vision of what our world can be if we have the courage to put aside constant self-interest and a scarcity mindset. It will inspire you to reach out to a neighbor, share what you have and glory in the joys that dont come with price tags.Meghan Bartels, Senior News ReporterFictionJames: A Novelby Percival EverettDoubleday, 2024(Tags: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction)When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father, recently returned to town. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River, the publisher says.The author mingles the voices and lives of Jim and James to give us a truly engrossing look at how racism is always just below the surface in American society, more than 100 years ago and today. Maria-Christina Keller, Copy DirectorHouse of Flame and Shadowby Sarah J. MaasBloomsbury, 2024(Tags: Fantasy, Romance)Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she's going to need all her wits about her to get home again.... In this sexy, breathtaking sequel..., Sarah J. Maass Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunts world is brought to the brink of collapse, the publisher says.This is such a fun look at a modern world full of faeries, angels, demons and shady overlords. The series starts with a murder and ends with interplanetary travel. Its a good and quick read (or listen)! Megha Satyanarayana, Chief Opinion EditorMoonboundby Robin SloanMCD, 2024(Tags: Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction)It is eleven thousand years from now.... Ariel is a boy in a remote village under a wizards rule. Like many adventurers before him, Ariel is called to explore a world full of eye-popping discoveries and challenges: unknown enemies, a mission to rescue the world, a girl.... Ariel encounters an entity from an earlier civilization, a sentient, sensitive artificial intelligence with a special perspective on all of human history, the publisher says.Theres something really special about this book. It wanders through a far-future society full of wizards, talking animals, award-winning bogs, ancient buried spaceships and dragons on the moon. Its a mash-up of concepts and the narrative dips into each of them just long enough to get a taste of something alien but not long enough that the most bizarre ideas overstay their welcome. It feels like sitting cross-legged and listening to a storytellers yarn, forgetting the outside world. Sarah Lewin Frasier, Assistant News EditorIntermezzo: A Novelby Sally RooneyFarrar, Straus and Giroux, 2024(Tags: Literary Fiction)Peter is a Dublin lawyer in his thirtiessuccessful, competent, and apparently unassailable. But in the wake of their fathers death, hes medicating himself to sleep and struggling to manage his relationships with two very different women.... Ivan is a twenty-two-year-old competitive chess player. He has always seen himself as socially awkward, a loner, the antithesis of his glib elder brother. Now, in the early weeks of his bereavement, Ivan meets Margaret, an older woman emerging from her own turbulent past, and their lives become rapidly and intensely intertwined, the publisher says.Rooneys ability to bring to life such complicated relationships mesmerizes me in a way no author has before. Touching upon grief, love, family bonds, societal pressures, Intermezzo is just so well done. I could go on and on! Isabella Bruni, Digital ProducerThe Bright Sword: A Novel of King Arthurby Lev GrossmanViking, 2024(Tags: Fantasy, Literary Fiction)A gifted young knight named Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a place at the Round Table, only to find that hes too late. King Arthur died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table are left.... They must reclaim Excalibur and make this ruined world whole againbut first theyll have to solve the mystery of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell, the publisher says.King Arthur is gone, and the Round Table is a hollow shell. Though the few knights who remaina refreshingly diverse cast for an Arthurian sagaare broken and flawed, theirs is a story about hope. The book is long and meandering, but the plot is brisk, helped along by monsters and fairies and skull-cracking knight-on-knight combat. Ben Guarino, Associate Editor, TechnologyPlastic: A Novelby Scott GuildVintage, 2024(Tags: Literary Fiction, Humor, Dystopia)Erin is a plastic girl living in a plastic world.... If you cut her, she will not bleedbut she and her fellow figurines can still be cracked or blown apart by gunfire or bombs, or crumble away from nuclear fallout.... An attack at her place of work brings Erin another too-intimate experience, but it also brings her Jacob. Exploring the wild wonders of the virtual reality landscape together, it seems that possibly, slowly, Erin and Jacob may have a chance at healing from their trauma, the publisher says.This is a rollicking good time with a surprisingly deep message about families, the future, our environmental impact and where we stand in the middle of it. Ive recommended this book to more people than I could ever count! Brianne Kane, Editorial Workflow and Rights ManagerBury Your Gaysby Chuck TingleTor Nightfire, 2024(Tags: Horror, Science Fiction)Misha knows that chasing success in Hollywood can be hell. But finally, after years of trying to make it, his big moment is here: an Oscar nomination. And the executives at the studio for his long-running streaming series know just the thing to kick his career to the next level: kill off the gay characters, for the algorithm, in the upcoming season finale.... Misha refuses, but he soon realizes that hes just put a target on his back. And whats worse, monsters from his horror movie days are stalking him and his friends through the hills above Los Angeles, the publisher says.Bury Your Gays is a delightfully and chillingly meta novel that deals with queer identity and creativity in the age of algorithmic entertainment. Yes, there are literal monstersand theyre terrifying. But the studio executives trying to convince our hero to kill his queer characters offor straighten them outare somehow even scarier. Rachel Feltman, Host of Science QuicklyLet Us Descend: A Novelby Jesmyn WardScribner, 2023(Tags: Literary Fiction, Historical)Annis, sold south by the white enslaver who fathered her, is the readers guide. As she struggles through the miles-long march, Annis turns inward, seeking comfort from memories of her mother and stories of her African warrior grandmother.... While Annis leads readers through the descent, hers is ultimately a story of rebirth and reclamation, the publisher says.This is a beautiful, devastating story of American slavery. A young girl is separated from her mother and forced on a brutal trek through the Deep South. Ward is one of my favorite authors, but she will not spare your heart. Be prepared to feel. Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter EditorEnlightenment: A Novelby Sarah PerryMariner Books, 2024(Tags: Historical Fiction, Gothic)Thomas Hart and Grace Macaulay have lived all their lives in the small Essex town of Aldleigh. Though separated in age by three decades, the pair are kindred spiritstorn between their commitment to religion and their desire to explore the world beyond their small Baptist community.... Thomas develops an obsession with a vanished nineteenth-century astronomer said to haunt a nearby manor, and Grace flees Aldleigh entirely for London. Over the course of twenty years, by coincidence and design, Thomas and Grace will find their lives brought back into orbit as the mystery of the vanished astronomer unfolds into a devastating tale of love and scientific pursuit, the publisher says.Few books can reflect the devotional love between a stargazer and the night sky. I was pleasantly surprised by how this novel explored longing through romantic love, spiritual fervor and a complicated, decades-long friendshipall while a ghost story peaks its head around every chapter! This is a surprisingly philosophical and fast-paced read. Brianne Kane, Editorial Workflow and Rights ManagerRoman Storiesby Jhumpa Lahiri. Translated by Jhumpa Lahiri and Todd PortnowitzKnopf, 2023(Tags: Short Stories, Literary Fiction)Romemetropolis and monument, suspended between past and future, multi-faceted and metaphysicalis the protagonist, not the setting, of these nine stories.... [The] stories [are] steeped in the moods of Italian master Alberto Moravia and guided, in the concluding tale, by the ineluctable ghost of Dante Alighieri, whose words lead the protagonist toward a new way of life, the publisher says.In multiple short stories, all taking place in or around Rome, were given snippets into the daily lives of Italians and foreigners of different ages, classes and colors, who find their experiences and emotions intertwined. The vulnerability of the stories makes them all memorable, yet each makes the next story more humbling, heart-wrenching and raw. These stories feel very authentic to the human experiencewhich is probably the reason it hits so close to home. Isabella Bruni, Digital ProducerThe Familiar: A Novelby Leigh BardugoFlatiron Books, 2024(Tags: Fantasy, Historical Fiction)In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion.... What begins as simple amusement for the nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Prez, the disgraced secretary to Spains king, the publisher says.A servant reluctantly becomes famous for performing minor miracles in a world where the Inquisition decides whose magic is good and whose is evil. This is gorgeous historical world-building from the author of the Shadow and Bone and Ninth House series! Rachel Feltman, Host of Science QuicklyTabitha, Get Upby Lee UptonSagging Meniscus Press, 2024(Tags: Literary Fiction)Tabitha is a lonely fifty-year-old biographer who, in order to restore her self-respect and pay her rent, attempts to write two biographies simultaneously: one about an actor so famous his face is on the side of buses, and the other about a popular writer of childrens books recently outed as an author of erotic fiction. Is Tabitha ready to deal with interviewing an actor so handsome and charismatic...? Can she form a genuine friendship with a cult novelist who pressures her to compromise her values? the publisher says.This book is delightful for readers and would-be writers alike. The main character is trying to kick-start her career as a biographer, and her ups and downs are unexpected and entertaining. Think Diane Keaton in the 2003 movie Somethings Gotta Give. Maria-Christina Keller, Copy DirectorMiranda in Retrogradeby Lauren LayneGallery Books, 2024(Tags: Romance, Humor)Practical-minded Miranda Reed plans her life with minute precision. But thats before shes denied tenure and the promotion she thought was guaranteed.... With her faith in science shaken, Miranda turns to a practice shes long dismissed as preposterous: astrology. Determined to figure out why her life has suddenly gone sideways, Miranda commits to a year of letting her horoscope guide her. Soon shes taking on new home improvement projects, adopting a new pet, and studying what the stars have to say about her ideal love match, the publisher says.This is a breezy rom-com that would be enjoyed by anyone in grad school or working in academiaor just someone who was type A enough to obviously need a sabbatical. It has just the right amount of astrology and astronomy and is open-minded enough to balance the two. Brianne Kane, Editorial Workflow and Rights ManagerThe Book of Love: A Novelby Kelly LinkRandom House, 2024(Tags: Fantasy, Literary Fiction)Late one night, Laura, Daniel, and Mo find themselves beneath the fluorescent lights of a high school classroom, almost a year after disappearing from their hometown, the small seaside community of Lovesend, Massachusetts, having long been presumed dead. Which, in fact, they are. With them in the room is their previously unremarkable high school music teacher, who seems to know something about their disappearanceand what has brought them back again, the publisher says.After years of writing award-winning, deeply experimental short stories in the weird fiction/horror genre, Kelly Link has produced a thrilling novel about the cost of immortality, the power of friendship and the complexities of sisterhood. Rachel Feltman, Host of Science QuicklyFamiliar FacesBooks published this past year by Scientific American contributors from this past year.Countdown: The Blinding Future of Nuclear Weaponsby Sarah ScolesBold Type Books, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, Science, Physics)Drawing from years of on-the-ground reporting at the nations nuclear weapons labs, Scoles interrogates the idea that having nuclear weapons keeps us safe, deterring attacks and preventing radioactive warfare.... Through a sharp, surprising, and undoubtedly urgent narrative, Scoles brings us out of the Cold War and into the twenty-first century, opening readers eyes to the true nature of nuclear weapons and their caretakers, the publisher says.Scoles is a frequent contributor to Scientific Americans physics section. In two of her latest articles, she explored why its so hard to get back to the moon and gave readers a behind-the-scenes look at how nuclear bombs are built.Wild Chocolate: Across the Americas in Search of Cacaos Soulby Rowan Jacobsen Bloomsbury, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, Food)When Rowan Jacobsen first heard of a chocolate bar made entirely from wild Bolivian cacao, he was skeptical.... Chasing chocolate down the supply chain and back through history, Jacobsen travels the rainforests of the Amazon and Central America to find the chocolate makers, activists, and indigenous leaders who are bucking the system that long ago abandoned wild and heirloom cacao in favor of high-yield, low-flavor varietals preferred by Big Chocolate, the publisher says.In our February 2024 issue, Jacobson explored why brains arent required when it comes to thinking: some flatworms can even remember things after theyve been beheaded. (Dont worry; their head grows back.)Midlife Calculus: Poemsby Britt KaufmannPress 53, 2024(Tags: Poetry)Britt Kaufmann set out to take calculus for the first time at age 47 so she could cross it off her bucket list. She did not expect it to lead to her first full-length collection of poetry: Midlife Calculus. Calculus is the study of how things change, so its a fitting title for poems about midlife, about learning something difficult and new, and the state of public education post pandemic, the publisher says.Kaufman shared the poem Midlife Calculus in our February 2024 issues Meter column.The Progressive Parent: Harnessing the Power of Science and Social Justice to Raise Awesome Kidsby Kavin SenapathyHanover Square Press, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, Parenting)In this lively, accessible exploration of modern parenting, Senapathy guides readers through the complex cultural, environmental, economic and political issues facing all families today. Equipped with practical tips and research-driven advice for parents of kids from infancy to early teens, she helps readers build a more fulfilling relationship with their children and themselves by addressing pressing questions, the publisher says.This year in SciAm, Senapathy profiled five advocates and researchers revolutionizing sickle cell care and wrote an opinion article on why its okay not to breastfeed.Our Moon: How Earths Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Areby Rebecca BoyleRandom House, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, Astronomy)Many of us know that the Moon pulls on our oceans, driving the tides, but did you know that it smells like gunpowder...? Mesopotamian priests recorded the Moons position in order to make predictions, and, in the process, created the earliest known empirical, scientific observations. In Our Moon, Boyle introduces us to ancient astronomers and major figures of the scientific revolution, including Johannes Kepler and his influential lunar science fiction, the publisher says.Space and physics editor Clara Moskowitz sat down with Boyle earlier this year to discuss her new book foran episode of our podcast Science Quickly, and it was reviewed by Erica Berry in our January 2024 issue as well. Among Boyles many articles for the magazine, this past March she explored how April 2024s total solar eclipse will change solar science forever.Leaving Fossil Fuels Underground: Actors, Arguments and Approaches in the Global South and Global Northedited by Joyeeta Gupta, Barbara Hogenboom, Arthur Rempel and Malin OlofssonAmsterdam University Press, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, Environment and Sustainability, Geology)How can the world move away from a century-old global system based on fossil fuels...? This book examines the role of key actors, arguments and approaches in promoting the much-needed rapid phase-out of fossil fuels.... In addition to local resistance, the book explores initiatives for national and international policies and financial mechanisms carried out by actors ranging from social movements to governments and large investors, the publisher says.In our March 2024 issue, Gupta outlined how different types of boundaries can protect people and preserve natural resources, with graphics by Angela Morelli and Tom Gabriel Johansen/InfoDesignLab.The Well-Connected Animal: Social Networks and the Wondrous Complexity of Animal Societiesby Lee Alan DugatkinUniversity of Chicago Press, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, Behavioral Biology)In this tour of the animal kingdom, evolutionary biologist Lee Alan Dugatkin reveals a new field of study, uncovering social networks that existed long before the dawn of human social media. He accessibly describes the latest findings from animal behavior, evolution, computer science, psychology, anthropology, genetics, and neurobiology, and incorporates interviews and insights from researchers he finds swimming with manta rays, avoiding pigeon poop, and stopping monkeys from stealing iPads, the publisher says.This year in SciAm, Dugatkin reported on animal evolution thats being driven by human activity. He also wrote about the work of geneticist Lyudmila Trut, whose decades-long experiments on silver foxes solidified the science of domestication.Why Machines Learn: The Elegant Math behind Modern AIby Anil AnanthaswamyDutton, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, Philosophy of Science)We are living through a revolution in machine learning-powered AI that shows no signs of slowing down. This technology is based on relatively simple mathematical ideas, some of which go back centuries, including linear algebra and calculus, the stuff of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century mathematics. In this enlightening book, Anil Ananthaswamy explains the fundamental math behind machine learning, while suggesting intriguing links between artificial and natural intelligence, the publisher says.Ananthaswamy is a regular contributor to our space and physics section, including a feature in our July/August 2024 issue that asked: If quantum mechanics depends on observations, what happens if AI is the observer? The Hunger Habit: Why We Eat When Were Not Hungry and How to Stopby Judson BrewerAvery, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, Self-Improvement)The Hunger Habit is based on Judson Brewers deeply researched plan proven to help us understand what is going on in our brains so that we can heal the guilt and frustration we experience around eating.... The step-by-step program focuses on training our brains to tap into awareness to change our relationship with food and eatingshifting it from fighting with ourselves to befriending our minds and bodies, the publisher says.Brewer contributed to our July/August 2024 issue alongside Matthew D. Sacchet. Their article delved into the emerging science of advanced meditation that could transform mental health and our understanding of consciousness.The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Scienceby Dava SobelAtlantic Monthly Press, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, History)For decades the only woman in the room at international scientific gatherings that probed new theories about the interior of the atom, Marie Curie traveled far and wide, despite constant illness, to share the secrets of radioactivity, a term she coined. Her two triumphant tours of the United States won her admirers for her modesty even as she was mobbed at every stop; her daughters, in [ve Curies] later recollection, discovered all at once what the retiring woman with whom they had always lived meant to the world. With the consummate skill that made bestsellers of Longitude and Galileos Daughter, and the appreciation for women in science at the heart of her most recent The Glass Universe, Dava Sobel has crafted a radiant biography and a masterpiece of storytelling, the publisher says.Sobel edits Scientific Americans Meter column. Space and physics editor Clara Moskowitz also interviewed Sobel about her new book earlier this year.Kids Field Guide to Birdsby Daisy YuhasCool Springs Press, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, Kids and Teens)Featuring a bright, illustrative design, this guide offers accessible species profiles along with birding basics and a selection of activities to help you and your kids learn more about the birds found in cities, backyards, and various ecosystems. Fun facts appear throughout, and spotlights cover everything from protecting birds from window collisions to a fun bird-beak experiment. The species inside include many of North Americas most common birds in all sorts of settings, the publisher says.Yuhas edits SciAms Mind Matters column and is a contributor to our Opinion section, where she recently interviewed social neuroscientist Dylan Wagner about parasocial relationships in a Mind Matters piece.Absolution: A Southern Reach Novelby Jeff VandermeerMCD, 2024(Tags: Literary Fiction, Science Fiction)All told, the [Southern Reach] trilogy has sold more than a million copies and has secured its place in the pantheon of twenty-first-century literature. And yet for all this, for Jeff VanderMeer there was never full closure to the story of Area X.... There were stories left to tell. There remained questions about who had been complicit in creating the conditions for Area X to take hold; the story of the first mission into the Forgotten Coastbefore Area X was called Area Xhad never been fully told; and what if someone had foreseen the world after Acceptance? How crazy would they seem? the publisher says.Vandermeer reviewed a novel by Anton Hur for our September 2024 issue. And in our October, contributing editor Amy Brady interviewed Vandermeer about Absolution.Selections from Reviews SectionThe following excerpts from our Reviews column have been edited for brevity.A Quantum Love Story: A Novelby Mike ChenMIRA, 2024(Tags: Fiction, Romance)Grieving her best friend's recent death, neuroscientist Mariana Pinedas ready to give up everything to start anew.... Except the strangest thing happens: a man stops her and claims they've met before. Carter Cho knows who she is, why she's mourning, why she's there, the publisher says.Although the science of memory and the brain comes across as well researched and intriguing, the realm of quantum mechanics remains a cosmological question mark. Readers..., however, will appreciate how Chen builds a skiff made of paper to sail through the storm. Meg Elison, January 2024How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi: Collected Quirks of Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math from Nerd Niteedited by Chris Balakrishnan and Matt WasowskiSt. Martins Press, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, Humor)For 20 years, Nerd Nite has delivered ... the most interesting, fun, and informative presentations about science, history, the arts, pop culture, you name it. Finally, after countless requests..., co-founders ... Matt Wasowski and Chris Balakrishnan are bringing readers the quirky and accessible science content that they crave in book form. The resulting range of topics is quirky and vast, from kinky, spring-loaded spiders to the Webb telescopes influence on movie special effects, the publisher says.In How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi, I have found my new holy bible: a scattershot blast of science-y, math-y, tech-y micro essays that span a dizzying array of subjects.... The book succeeds in making its diverse subject matter immediately accessible. Chuck Wendig, February 2024Annie Bot: A Novelby Sierra GreerMariner Books, 2024(Tags: Science Fiction, Psychological)Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner Doug. True, shes not the greatest at keeping Dougs place spotless, but shes trying to please him.... But becoming more human also means becoming less perfect, and as Annies relationship with Doug grows more intricate and difficult, she starts to wonder: Does Doug really desire what he says he wants? And in such an impossible paradox, what does Annie owe herself? the publisher says.For all Annie Bots provocations, [Greer] never loses sight of the fact that this is not a love story. Instead it's a coming-of-age thriller, a sexbot bildungsroman page-turner.... Its a pained and moving study of a consciousness preparing itself for the moment when it will at last face what makes humans human: the burden and opportunity of choosing what it wants. Alan Scherstuhl, March 2024Fowl Play: A History of the Chicken from Dinosaur to Dinner Plateby Sally CoulthardApollo, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, Animals)Of all animals, chickens perhaps best represent the contradictory way we humans treat other species; both beloved pet and cheap commodity, symbol of a sustainable good life and brutalised object of factory farming. The chicken is also a bird we feel deeply familiar with and yet know very little about. As informative as it is entertaining, Fowl Play tells a remarkable tale of evolutionary change, epic global travel and ruthless exploitation as well as of companionship, ingenuity and the folly of human nature., the publisher saysFowl Play ... offers stories about the way chickens have shaped the human world, including the strange effects that domestication has had on chickens and humans alike. Tove Danovich, April 2024The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earthby Zo SchlangerHarper, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, Botany )It takes tremendous biological creativity to be a plant. To survive and thrive while rooted in a single spot, plants have adapted ingenious methods of survival. In recent years, scientists have learned about their ability to communicate, recognize their kin and behave socially, hear sounds, morph their bodies to blend into their surroundings, store useful memories that inform their life cycle, and trick animals into behaving to their benefit, to name just a few remarkable talents. The Light Eaters is a deep immersion into ... this wild and awe-inspiring world that challenges our very understanding of agency, consciousness, and intelligence, the publisher says.In an age when we often feel alienated from a living world in crisis, it is good to be reminded that other species have agency and acumen. Plants have thrived on Earth for half a billion years. They embody not only intelligence but wisdom about how to flourish in the face of change. David George Haskell, May 2024The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippiby Boyce UpholtW.W. Norton, 2024 (Tags: Nonfiction, Nature)In this landmark work of natural history, Boyce Upholt tells the epic story of ... centuries of human attempts to own, contain, and rework the Mississippi River, from Thomas Jeffersons expansionist land hunger through todays era of environmental concern.... Upholt reveals how an ambitious and sometimes contentious program of engineeringgovernment-built levees, jetties, dikes, and damshas not only damaged once-vibrant ecosystems but may not work much longer, the publisher says.There was a time when humans had a more intimate relationship with the river the Ojibwe people called the Misi-ziibi, which Upholt translates as the Great River, and in this fascinating and troubling book, he argues that we could choose this path again. Meera Subramanian, June 2024by Jim Baggott and John L. HeilbronOxford University Press, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, Physics)As Quantum Drama reveals, science owes a large debt to those who kept the discussions going against the apathy and indifference of most physicists before definitive experimental inquiries became possible. Although experiment moved the Bohr-Einstein debate to a new level and drew many into foundational research, it has by no means removed or resolved the fundamental question, the publisher says.This meticulous account of the tumultuous evolution of quantum physics spans more than a century.... Science writer Jim Baggott and professor of history John L. Heilbron balance depth and sophistication with sportscasterlike enthusiasm. Dana Dunham, July/August 2024Attention Is Discovery: The Life and Legacy of Astronomer Henrietta Leavittby Anna Von MertensMIT Press, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, History)Our galaxy, the Milky Way, has a diameter of about 100,000 light yearsa figure we can calculate because of the work of Henrietta Leavitt (18681921), who spent decades studying glass plate photographs of the night sky. Visual artist and researcher Anna Von Mertenss Attention Is Discovery is a fascinating portrait of this remarkable woman who laid the foundation for modern cosmology.... Ushering us into the scientific community of women who worked alongside Leavitt..., Von Mertens describes the inventive methodologies Leavitt devised to negotiate the era's emerging photographic technology, the publisher says.Blending complex science with human-interest stories, Von Mertens celebrates the constellation of women scientists who discovered how to calculate galactic distances and classify stars by chemical composition.... This deeply researched book is ultimately an homage to the process of observation and meaning making in science. Lucy Tu, September 2024Pillars of Creation: How the James Webb Telescope Unlocked the Secrets of the Cosmosby Richard PanekLittle, Brown, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, Astronomy)Pillars of Creation tells the story of one of the greatest scientific achievements in the history of civilization, a $10 billion instrument with a staggeringly ambitious goal: unlocking the secrets of the cosmos. Award-winning science writer Richard Panek stands us shoulder to shoulder with senior scientists as they conceive the mission..., and, now, use its unprecedented technology to yield new discoveries about the origins of our solar system ... all the way back to the birth of the first stars, the publisher says.Like any good profiler, Panek gets up close and personal with his subject, describing each layer of its sunshield as the length of a long tennis lob and the width of a tissue. Woven into the narrative is the importance of the public in shaping the missions trajectory, from electing leadership who fund the nations space agency to bestowing Internet virality on JWSTs first-released images of other worlds. Maddie Bender, October 2024Treekeepers: The Race for a Forested Futureby Lauren E. OakesBasic Books, 2024(Tags: Nonfiction, Ecosystems and Habitats)In Treekeepers, Lauren E. Oakes takes us on a poetic and practical journey from the Scottish Highlands to the Panamanian jungle to meet ... scientists, innovators, and local citizens.... Their work isnt just about planting lots of trees, but also about understanding what it takes to grow or regrow a forest and to protect what remains, the publisher says.Treekeepers is an ambitious memoir of Oakess boots-on-the-ground research under old-growth canopy and a rigorous exploration of forests and climate change. Most of all, its a hopeful profile of the people working to restore, retain and nurture strong forests. Lyndsie Bourgon, November 2024End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland: A New Translationby Haruki Murakami. Translated by Jay RubinEverymans Library, 2024(Tags: Literary Fiction, Fantasy)Across two parallel narratives, Murakami draws readers into a mind-bending universe in which Lauren Bacall, Bob Dylan, a split-brained data processor, a deranged scientist, his shockingly undemure granddaughter, and various thugs, librarians, and subterranean monsters collide to dazzling effect, the publisher says.First translated from the Japanese in 1991 by Alfred Birnbaum, Haruki Murakamis award-winning 1985 novel is a tale of two worlds. Although the relative limitations of English occasionally risk reduced complexity, the resulting language often still moves, as when one narrator pledges his emergent dream-reading skills to help his romantic interest recover her lost heart.... As it is when Murakamis two storylines finally come together, its where mind, heart and morality converge that End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland is at its best. Matt Bell, December 2024Bountiful BacklistMy Brilliant Friendby Elena Ferrante. Translated by Ann GoldsteinPublished in English by Europa Editions, 2012(Tags: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction)Terrifying at times but never without heart. I read this in a book club. We pretty much mourned (and celebrated) our collective dwindling girlhood every meeting. Cynthia Atkinson, Marketing and Customer Service AssistantA Discovery of Witchesby Deborah HarknessPenguin Books, 2011(Tags: Fiction, Romance)Its a fun book about a witch and a vampire and also alchemy and old manuscripts. What could be better? Meghan Bartels, Senior News ReporterYellowfaceby R. F. KuangWilliam Morrow, 2023(Tags: Literary Fiction, Satire)All the hype is spot on. But it was so much more twisted and fun than I expected. Brianne Kane, Editorial Workflow and Rights ManagerDoppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror Worldby Naomi KleinFarrar, Straus and Giroux, 2023(Tags: Memoir, Politics)This is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand why it has become so hard to tell whats real from something else that looks very similar but differs in a sinister way. Madhusree Mukerjee, Senior Editor, Science and SocietyWar in Val D'Orcia: An Italian War Diary, 19431944by Iris OrigoFirst edition, Jonathan Cape, 1947; Reprint edition, NYRB Classics, 2018(Tags: Nonfiction, Memoir)The diary mixes mundane life with awful peril to deliver moments both more immediate and more dreadful than any melodrama. Dan Vergano, Senior Opinion EditorThese Are the Words: Fearless Verse to Find Your Voiceby Nikita GillMacmillan Childrens Books, 2022(Tags: Poetry, Feminism)I needed something comforting and short, and These Are the Words fit the bill perfectlya pep talk combined with a big warm hug, even as it faces the very real challenges of our time. Meghan Bartels, Senior News ReporterBirnam Wood: A Novelby Eleanor CattonFarrar, Straus and Giroux, 2023(Tags: Literary Fiction, Suspense)I normally dont read much suspense, but this made me laugh out loud and cover my mouth in shockeasily one of my favorite reads this year! Brianne Kane, Editorial Workflow and Rights ManagerGo as a Riverby Shelley ReadSpiegel and Grau, 2023(Tags: Environment, Historical, Literary Fiction)This is a beautifully written epic set in a Colorado mountain town in the 1960s. A young woman is dealt numerous challenges surrounding her broken family, forbidden love, chance of motherhood and, ultimately, survival. The book is inspired by true events surrounding the destruction of the town of Iola, Colo. If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be exceptional. Isabella Bruni, Digital ProducerThe Poison Squad: One Chemists Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Centuryby Deborah BlumPenguin Press, 2018(Tags: Nonfiction, Politics)A gobsmacking look at what the U.S. food supply was like prior to laws that required food safety testing and regulated the practices of the food industryas well as the sheer lengths it took to get those laws enacted Andrea Thompson, Associate Editor, SustainabilityThe Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our Worldby Max FisherLittle, Brown, 2022(Tags: Nonfiction, Sociology)A harrowing account of the roles played by WhatsApp, YouTube and other social media platforms in deadly conflicts. Ill never look at Facebook-the-system in the same way. Ben Guarino, Associate Editor, TechnologyBunny: A Novelby Mona Awad(Tags: Literary Fiction, Fairy Tales)Viking, 2019This book is incredibly intense, funny and just bizarre. Simply put, its a fever dream I woke up from too quickly! Isabella Bruni, Digital ProducerTrustby Hernan DiazRiverhead Books, 2022(Tags: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction)In the 1920s in NYC, this novels three narrators delve into how relationships, power and bias impact perspective and memory. Kimberly Lau, PresidentVera Wongs Unsolicited Advice for Murderersby Jesse Q. SutantoBerkley, 2023(Tags: Mystery, Womens Fiction)This is a very cozy mystery with a delightfully enthusiastic amateur detective sleuthing her way to a found family. Meghan Bartels, Senior News ReporterThe Nutmegs Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisisby Amitav GhoshUniversity of Chicago Press, 2021(Tags: Nonfiction, Environmental History)This is a powerful and beautifully written meditation on the colonial underpinnings of climate change and the destruction of biodiversity and cultures. Its also a great read. Madhusree Mukerjee, Senior Editor, Science and SocietyWish You Were Here: A Novelby Jodi PicoultBallantine Books, 2021(Tags: Literary Fiction)A woman in her 30s is stranded in the Galpagos Islands as the COVID pandemic takes hold. The narrative brings back vivid fears and feelings as the world came to a halt. It explores the strange juxtaposition of devastating loss amid vibrant life and love. Kimberly Lau, PresidentNeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversityby Steve SilbermanAvery, 2015(Tags: Nonfiction, Psychology)Im sad that I only learned of this book after Silberman passed away this year. This is a deeply researched, elegantly written book about the history of autism and our understanding of it. A warning: the historical accounts of the treatment of autistic children are often gut-wrenching. But it is also a richly personal homage to autistic people. Amanda Montaez, Associate Graphics EditorInvisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Menby Caroline Criado PerezAbrams, 2019(Tags: Nonfiction, Feminism)Its not an over-exaggeration to say I think about this book multiple times a day as I go about my life. This book will make you angry, and you should read it anyway. Zane Wolf, Graphics Intern, JuneDecember 2024To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie Converseby Howard FishmanDutton, 2023(Tags: Memoir, Music History)This is a fascinating exploration of the enigmatic life, haunting music and enduring mystery surrounding the talented singer-songwriter Connie Converse. Highly recommended! Liz Tormes, Associate Photo EditorNinth Houseby Leigh BardugoFlatiron Books, 2019(Tags: Literary Fiction, Occult and Supernatural)I was hooked from the first scene, with its abrupt, graphic tour of Yale Universitywhere, by the way, all the secret societies practice ritual black magic. Its a blast, at once laugh-out-loud funny and edge-of-your-seat suspenseful. Jason Goldstein, Product and Technology DirectorEve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolutionby Cat BohannonKnopf, 2023(Tags: Nonfiction, Science)So much of our existence is male-centered, and it was incredibly empowering and revolutionary to realize just how fundamental and influential female biology has beenand how much it has been wrongly overlooked. Zane Wolf, Graphics Intern, JuneDecember 2024The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witchby Melinda TaubGrand Central Publishing, 2023(Tags: Fiction, Fantasy)In this take on Pride and Prejudice that stars the much-maligned Lydia Bennet, Wickham is a demon, and Kitty is a literal cat. I loved the way this book plays within the confines of Jane Austens plot while concocting a completely different story around ita really fun read! Meghan Bartels, Senior News ReporterLady Tans Circle of Women: A Novelby Lisa SeeScribner, 2023(Tags: Historical Fiction, China, Womens Health)This novel follows the true story of a female physician in Ming Dynasty China. Its a fascinating view into a provincial but familiar world where womens access to careand those daring to give itwere frequently life-or-death experiences. Kimberly Lau, PresidentThe Bangalore Detectives Club: A Novelby Harini Nagendra Pegasus Books, 2022(Tags: Mystery, Historical Fiction)This fun whodunit set in 1920s Bangalore gives a fascinating peek intro prerevolution India and how society is beginning to change for a smart woman. Clara Moskowitz, Senior Editor, Space/Physics Demon Copperhead: A Novelby Barbara KingsolverHarper, 2022(Tags: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction)Loosely based on Charles Dickenss classic David Copperfield, Kingsolvers latest book is another tour de force. Her characters are, as usual, beautifully drawn and painfully realistic, and she's able to capture the tragedy, beauty and complexity of Appalachia perfectly. Tanya Lewis, Senior Editor, Health and MedicineKnow My Name: A Memoirby Chanel MillerViking, 2019(Tags: Nonfiction, Memoir)The title of this book is apropos because when I mentioned to people that I was reading Millers memoir, the name typically didnt resonate. Then I would clarify that the author is the sexual assault survivor from the Brock Turner case. As one might guess, its a heavy read. But I found it incredibly valuable to hear from Miller. The story is haunting because its true. Amanda Montaez, Associate Graphics EditorHomegoingby Yaa GyasiKnopf, 2016(Tags: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction)Gyasis writing is so brisk and economical that each moment is rich with emotional depth, drawing you in and making you deeply invested in every character. Carin Leong, Contributing Multimedia EditorA Master of Djinnby P. Djl ClarkTor Books, 2021(Tags: Fantasy, Historical Fiction)Magical fantasy meets mystery meets steampunk meets historical political intrigue, with a healthy dash of LGBTQ representation thrown into the mix. This book is such a fun, bizarre and easy read. It comes out guns blazing in the first chapter and doesnt slow down for a second. Zane Wolf, Graphics Intern, JuneDecember 2024Mary Toft; Or, The Rabbit Queenby Dexter PalmerPantheon, 2019(Tags: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction)An 18th-century doctor and his apprentice encounter a woman who claims to be giving birth to rabbits, kicking off a national scandal. Of course, its a hoax, but how did all these people fall for it? Its captivating writing and almost enough to make you wonder if youd have been duped, too. Jason Goldstein, Product and Technology Director