Explore the world of science! Popular science writers make scientific inquiry, theory, and technology accessible to the lay reader. Scientific research can be as enticing as a good mystery (The Double Helix), exciting as a medical thriller (The Hot Zone), a view of the coming apocalypse (A Plague of Frogs), a nice slice-of-life (Swallow Summer), or sweet as a boy-meets-girl story (Raising Daisy Rothschild). We read books from different types of popular science writing and discovered that science isn't boring!

Beltz, Ellin. Frogs: Inside Their Remarkable World. c2006.
Presents a concise history of the frog, dating back roughly 230 million years. Latin terms are presented along with English counterparts. Although it is impossible to include all 5,000 species, the book is filled with excellent color photographs of the species discussed. Through excellent use of background the detailed close-ups indicate size, too. Differences among the families are illustrated through evolution, physical need, and geographic location. Differences in breeding and hatching between the families is explained, including the differences in froglets and tadpoles. Relationships within the different families are depicted, including not only the female's, but also the male's and surrounding community members' roles in tending to the young. Very readable and the pictures are fascinating.
Linda Conrath, Orland Park Public Library

Casey, Susan. The Devil's Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America's Great White Sharks. 2006.
Located about twenty-seven miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge is a cluster of islands called the Farallones. These steep rocky cliffs that are home to 200,000 sea birds look like jagged teeth sticking out of the water from afar. Hence, their nickname, "Devil's Teeth." Weather conditions on the island are erratic. Ocean conditions outside the islands may be calm, but the water separating the islands is wild with swells so high that a crane is necessary to launch/dock a boat. This had to be done done with precision in timing the waves or the boat would be smashed against the rocks.

Each fall for twenty years two researchers stayed in the only inhabitable building on an island, whose only other structure is an old lighthouse. These two men were not there to study the bird population (although when spare time allowed significant observations of the birds were documented) but to observe the largest great white sharks in the world.Year after year the sharks returned to the islands and fed on the sea lion population.The researchers knew each of the sharks individually and gave them names based on their physical and personality characteristics.

While watching a television documentary, author, Susan Casey, editor of Sports Illustrated for Women, decided she wanted to see more. The next fall she joined the researchers on the island and witnessed first-hand the awesome behavior of these spectacular creatures. Her descriptive narrative gives the reader a keen sense of the danger, excitement, and solitude involved in this project.

Although others tried to make a profit from the shark feeding frenzies and whale citings (and they did), these men did it soley for the sake of research and did not interfere with nature. Through tagging the researchers were able to find out where the sharks went when they left the islands (200 miles off the coast of Escanada, Mexico). As is often the case, the government became involved along with the profiteers. In the epilogue the author ties up loose ends regarding those involved in the project. The writing conveys the suspense, danger and excitement. There is a color picture section in the middle of the book.
Linda Conrath, Orland Park Public Library

Davies, Pete, The Devil's Flu: The World's Deadliest Influenza Epidemic and the Scientific Hunt for the Virus That Caused It, 2000
Davies gives us some history of the 1918 flu pandemic, but concentrates more on the search for the 1918 virus, the virology of influenza, and the connections between earlier and later flu epidemics. This book is very readable, understandable, and not alarmist. Also of interest would be the PBS documentaries Killer Flu and Influenza 1918.
Debbie Wordinger, Indian Prairie Public Library


Feldman, Jay, When the Mississippi Ran Backwards: Empire, Intrigue, Murder and the New Madrid Earthquake, 2005
The cultural, political and geological background to the new Madrid earthquakes of the early 19th century are examined. Skirmishes between the Americans, English and Native Americans were prevalent in the Northwest Territory prior to and after the quake. Experiences of people on land and the Mississippi during the quake are related. This book, though full of interesting episodes and anecdotes, concentrates more on history than silence, and many of the stories recounted bare little connection to the quake. Recommended more for history than science buffs. For a fictional account of the New Madrid quake, read This Savage Race by Douglas C. Jones.
Debbie Wordinger, Indian Prairie Public Library

Freese, Barbara. Coal: A Human History. 2003
This microhistory is all about coal; its acquisition, uses, and effects on mankind. The book describes types of coal and mining techniques, as well as the experiences of the miners who spend their (often shortened) lives digging it from the ground. One of the most fascinating aspects is learning of other inventions and processes that were developed because of coal, such as steam engines and canal systems. The author also talks about detrimental effects of burning coal and how efforts are being made worldwide to deal with the resulting pollution.
Debbie Darwine, LaGrange Public Library

Gramo, Rebecca L. and Cox, Daniel, photographer. Wolf: Legend, Enemy, Icon. 2006.
Traces the evolving role wolves held in history. Early in time the wolf was regarded by humans as a creator and helper. In the middle ages they became symbols of evil, then hunted almost to distinction, and presently, an icon of the remaining wild. Contains brief true, mythical, cultural and legendary histories of the wolf, including their significant role in American Indian tribal history. Dating back over 55 million years ago, the evolution and extinction of the wolf species is concisely documented. Wolf communities are highly social and exhibit many qualities assumed to be only human-species related. In fact, in some aspects the wolves demonstrate human social skills that not all humans exercise! Their behavior in pecking order, mating, rearing of the young, hunting and protecting is extremely socialized. Includes an abundance of excellent color photographs that capture the beauty of these fascinating animals.
Linda Conrath, Orland Park Public Library

Hubbell, Sue. A Country Year: Living the Questions. 1986.
According to the book jacket, a country year is something like a baker's dozen: it contains an extra season. In this case, it's the chronicle of one spring to the next on Hubbell's Ozark farm, where she keeps bees and keenly observes the surrounding natural world. Among the book's warm, plain-spoken vignettes are descriptions of animal life from the common (dogs, deer, rabbits) to the creepy (wood cockroaches, moth ear mites, brown recluse spiders), as well as fascinating details on the art of beekeeping and Hubbell's reflections regarding her own life and humanity's place in the wild. Hubbell's contemplative prose is reminiscent of Annie Dillard; even the most dedicated city folk will want to head to the countryside after reading this lovely, peaceful narrative.
Annabelle Mortensen, Hinsdale Public Library

Kurlansky, Mark. Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World. 1997.
The discovery of the New World was driven by the need to find new fishing grounds for the world's most important fish. Cod were unimaginably abundant and dept well when salted--both essential to an era when people didn't eat meat on Fridays or holy days and there was no refrigeration. Cod is an absolutely fascinating treatise on how nature can drive human events, and how humans can impact natural resources. Also available as a children's book: A Cod's Tale.
Nancy Bent, LaGrange Public Library

Kurlansky, Mark. Salt: A World History. 2002.
I never guessed the importance of salt throughout human history.
From preserving foods (especially vegetables, fish and meat) to controversial salt taxes, to making roads and settlements where animals had left trails to salt licks (such as Buffalo, New York), Kurlansky lets us know that we'd be nowhere without salt.

Small and large industries developed around evaporating brine into salt and transporting it. Rock salt mines became so extensive that tourist would visit; one even had a ballroom carved from salt with its own orchestra. Buildings collapsed in England when too much brine was pumped out, and Gandhi staged a march and salt protest when the British forbid Indians from making their own, cheaper salt. Complete with recipes, Kurlansky entertains and informs as we learn all about salt.
Brenda O'Brien, Woodridge Public Library.


Laskin, David, Braving the Elements: The Story history of American Weather, 1996
From prehistory to global warming, weather has shaped the settlement, history, economy, and society of the United States. Laskin explores our changing views of the Great American Desert, the history of weather forecasting, and weather on the news among many other topics related to North American weather. Also recommended is Laskin's book The Children's Blizzard about a devastating blizzard that swept the Great Plains in the 1880s.
Debbie Wordinger, Indian Prairie Public Library

Lightman, Alan. A Sense of the Mysterious: Science and the Human Spirit. 2005
MIT professor Lightman, an astrophysicist, poet and celebrated novelist (Einstein's Dreams), is one of those rare beings who excels at both science and art. In this slim collection of previously published essays, he touches upon the graceful ways these disciplines can intersect. The author mixes autobiography (memories of his student days at Princeton and Caltech), biography (brief profiles of visionaries such as Albert Einstein and Richard Feynman) and insightful reflections (such as a discussion on how scientists rely on metaphors). Whether discussing the homemade rockets he launched as a kid or the principles of quantum theory, Lightman's prose is elegant and succinct, qualities that should appeal to readers looking for a short, accessible entry into the world of science writing.
Annabelle Mortensen, Hinsdale Public Library.

Lowman, Margaret. Life in the Treetops: Adventures of a Woman in Field Biology. 1999.
Lowman is a pioneer in studying the botany of tropical forest canopies. With rope, slingshots and slings, cherry pickers and swaying bridges, she studies the treetops while simultaneously raising two young sons. Lowman also deals with her husband's Australian family, who feel that a mother's place is on the ground. An excellent look at the frontiers of science, including work both tedious and exciting.
Brenda O'Brien, Woodridge Public Library


Ottaviani, Jim. Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards. 2001.
This terrific graphic novel highlights the late 1880's Bone War, in which paleontologists Cope and Marsh battled each other in print in the bone fields of the Old West over dinosaur fossils. It was an exciting time of discovery, and the two rivals raced each other to name more species and discover more spectacular bones. Paleontological artist Charles Knight also added to the stew as the lawlessness out West clashes with the scientific establishment back East. A wonderful romp! Jim Ottaviani is a reference librarian at the University of Michigan.
Nancy Bent, LaGrange Public Library

Ottaviani, Jim. Fallout: J. Robert Oppenheimer, Leo Szilard, and the Political Science of the Atom Bomb. 2001.
Exploring the science and politics of the creation of the atomic bomb in graphic novel format, the author examines the difficulties of combining iconoclastic physicists, the Army, and a top secret project. Focusing on Oppenheimer, Szilard (often his nemesis) and the generals nominally in charge of the Los Alamos site, the book delves into the relationships between the scientists, between the scientists and the military, and (post-war) between Oppenheimer and the Atomic Energy Commission (who were worried that he was a Communist). This succinct look at a crucial invention will appeal to students of the intersection of politics and science.
Nancy Bent, LaGrange Public Library

Preston, Richard. The Demon in the Freezer. 2003
Officially, smallpox is extinct in nature, and only exists in two places in the world in high security facilities in the U. S. and Siberia. In reality, however, a number of countries are believed to have acquired cultures of the deadly disease and are using them to develop either biological weapons or vaccines to use in the event of an attack. The author discusses the recent terrorist activities using anthrax, and explains why small pox is a much greater potential threat to humanity. This is a terrifying, fast read for someone who can handle gore.
Debbie Darwine, LaGrange Public Library

Sobel, Dava. Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time. 1995.
A fascinating story of the great race of the 1700s; a way to accurately measure longitude at sea. All the great explorers became lost at sea because they didn't have a way to find out how far east or west they had sailed; many ships ran aground. For a large prize, scientists raced to solve the problem. Astronomers thought they could chart the moon and stars to determine longitude, but it took decades to take enough measurements, which would only be useful on clear nights. English clockmaker John Harrison worked for years to develop a clock that would be portable and work at sea and be accurate despite changes in temperature and humidity, rust resistant, and sturdy. Sobel makes the race exciting even when you know that Harrison succeeded in the end.
Brenda O'Brien, Woodridge Public Library

Thompson, Dick. Volcano Cowboys: The Rocky Evolution of a Dangerous Science. 2000.
The eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 provided a wonderful research subject for geologists studying volcanoes. Before St. Helens, volcanologists had studied volcanoes after the erupted, or studied the relatively safe volcanoes of Hawaii. St. Helens was the first to be monitored before it erupted. What the geologists learned, and what they could apply to predicting future eruptions, makes for exciting reading.
Nancy Bent, LaGrange Public Library

Weiner, Jonathan. The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time. 1995.
Evolution didn't stop with the dinosaurs or with humans it is still operating today. And, with the advent of modern scientific techniques, evolution can not only be seen, it can be measured. Working with birds originally described by Charles Darwin, the book follows evolutionary biologists in the Galapagos Islands as the watch the evolutionary process by measuring the beaks of Darwin's Finches. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this book is a modern classic.
Nancy Bent, LaGrange Public Library

Winn, Marie. Red-Tails in Love. 1998
In this charming book, the author tells of six years in the life of Pale Male, a red-tailed hawk who finds his way to Central Park and decides to stay. Carefully observed by the dedicated bird watchers who congregate in the park, Pale Male has several fateful encounters with female hawks, nesting on high-rise buildings on adjacent Fifth Avenue, before successfully reproducing. Though the story of the hawks is the main focus of the book, the community of nature lovers and Central Park itself are interesting as well. Recommended for anyone who enjoys reading about nature.
Debbie Darwine, LaGrange Public Library

Wright, Robert. The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology. 1994.
Is the male propensity for adultery a result of natural selection? How about sibling rivalry or low self-esteem? These are some of the questions posed by the author, a journalist who writes lucidly about the evolutionary basis for human morality. Using examples from Charles Darwin's life to illustrate the Victorian naturalist's theories, Wright argues that moral behavior evolved for the purpose of passing on the individual's genes--in other words, our conscience developed as survival mechanism, not because of some innate sense of good. Straight forward and lively despite being dense with detail, this book triggered controversy when it was released more than a decade ago and remains just as provocative today.
Annabelle Mortensen, Hinsdale Public Library.