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Editors’ Picks: Science & Tech
Our editors pick top reads that explore the world as it is and as it will be.
Published on January 16, 2020
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah HarariDr. Harari’s seminal work merges science with history to give a thorough saga of the human species. Beginning with the appearance of modern cognition, Harari traces the evolution of humanity to challenge commonly held beliefs about our biology, our history, and ourselves.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
Elizabeth KolbertAn incredibly accessible and informative look at the current mass extinction of species caused by human innovation. Kolbert leaps through thousands of years of history and travels the world in this Pulitzer Prize–winner.
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
Mary RoachWhat happens when you can’t stop laughing in space? Roach will find out for you as she studies how all the human bodily functions (particularly the gross ones) continue to work in space flight; the answers are out of this world.
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Siddhartha MukherjeeAcclaimed science author Mukherjee tells the story of humanity’s most formidable adversary with the passion of a biographer in this Pulitzer Prize-winner.
The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution
Richard DawkinsRichard Dawkins is known for providing incontrovertible evidence for some of the most politicized science of our time. He’s back in good form with this elegant definition of what he believes to be the true intelligent design behind our beautiful world: evolution.
Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are
Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are
Seth Stephens-Davidowitz“Everybody Lies” is the new “Freakonomics.” As a former data scientist at Google, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz has a deep understanding of our psyche and the questions we desperately want answered. He provides an unfiltered look at what we’re all really doing, online and off.
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
Ashlee VanceThis thrilling biography of the visionary who went from making billions selling PayPal to creating innovative and ambitious companies like SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity is essential reading for anyone intrigued by entrepreneurs, technology, or the future.
Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future
Martin FordHow much disruption is too much? Though robots still have a ways to go before they can take over the world, they’re quickly taking away plenty of people’s jobs. Martin Ford argues our whole economic structure needs to be overhauled before it reaches dystopian conditions.
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
Margot Lee ShetterlyThanks to Shetterly’s blockbuster book, the black female mathematicians whose calculations were critical to winning the space race in a still-segregated America are a hidden history no more. A crucial story that challenges our conceptions.
Midnight in Chernobyl: The Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster
Adam HigginbothamRead this after you binge HBO’s “Chernobyl.” You haven’t heard the horrifying details of the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown so thrillingly or nightmarishly as in this gripping account from journalist Adam Higginbotham. The chain of human errors and the systemic secrecy that led to this disaster are the heart of the book, and much more frightening than the radioactivity.
In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives
Steven LevyEnter Google’s headquarters for an insider’s tour and learn about everything from the history and founders, to the policies and work ethos, that has shaped its innovative output for decades.
Rust: The Longest War
Jonathan WaldmanAt heart, “Rust” captures the spirit of human ingenuity in the face of seemingly impossible odds in a duel with Mother Nature. Jonathan Waldman’s work is a testament to how rust can’t corrode human genius and perseverance.
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness
Susannah CahalanA truly shocking memoir that follows Cahalan through a series of seemingly inconsequential events that suddenly make her violent and psychotic. Her scattered-but-thorough account of her month of madness is frightening and engrossing.
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
Atul GawandeTake a step back from the battle over universal healthcare to get a larger overview of the price of living longer thanks to better technology and treatments. Surgeon Atul Gawande focuses specifically on end-of-life care. Don’t miss what The Guardian calls a breakout “brainy” book.
The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution
The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution
Walter IsaacsonPersonal computers and the Internet completely revolutionized how we communicate, shop, and more. Author Walter Isaacson explores the balance of individual creativity and collaboration it took for numerous people like Steve Jobs to create the most disruptive technologies of our time.
Steve Jobs
Walter IsaacsonSpeaking of Steve Jobs, Isaacson’s exclusive biography brings this generation’s leading innovator to life again, illustrating the impact of imagination through interviews and anecdotes.
Seeing Further: The Story of Science and the Royal Society
Bill BrysonHonoring the Royal Society’s 350th anniversary, these essays illuminate centuries of groundbreaking work and scientific contributions that have advanced humanity.
The Innovator's Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth
Clayton ChristensenAs the creator of the “disruptive innovation” theory and a professor at Harvard Business School, Clayton Christensen knows a thing or two about how to successfully disrupt. Find out how to fan the flames of change in this follow-up to the explosive “The Innovator’s Dilemma.”