Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




Science & Technology Book Reviews Available Now (page 2)


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Cover art for A SKEPTIC'S GUIDE TO THE MIND
NONFICTION
Released: April 23, 2013

"An informative, witty, provocative meditation on the mind–brain paradox."
A neurologist criticizes the emerging new language that attaches the prefix "neuro" to economics, linguistics, marketing and attempts to explain market crashes by fMRI brain scans. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE INCIDENTAL STEWARD
NONFICTION
Released: April 22, 2013

"Sure to inform and delight nature lovers."
Essayist and former Metropolis contributing editor Busch (Patience: Taking Time in an Age of Acceleration, 2010, etc.) shows how ordinary people can play an important role in protecting the natural environment simply by "paying attention" to the creatures around us. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE UNPREDICTABLE SPECIES
NONFICTION
Released: April 21, 2013

"A fascinating though occasionally crotchety scholarly presentation of the relationship among biology, genetics and culture. May be difficult going for some general readers."
Lieberman (Emeritus Linguistics/Brown Univ.; Toward an Evolutionary Biology of Language, 2006, etc.) examines the unique creative potential of the human brain. Read full book review >
Cover art for MY BELOVED BRONTOSAURUS
NONFICTION
Released: April 16, 2013

"Readers will forgive Switek's detours into cuteness and bad jokes in exchange for a genuinely informative introduction to his favorite subject."
A dinosaur lover since childhood, science journalist Switek (Written in Stone: Evolution, the Fossil Record, and Our Place in Nature, 2010) chronicles his travels through North America visiting scientists, museums and fossil beds while delivering an enthusiastic account of the history, description, discoveries, ongoing controversies and inaccurate media obsession with these popular but extinct creatures. Read full book review >
Cover art for GOD AND THE ATOM
NONFICTION
Released: April 16, 2013

"A disappointing rehash of the science-vs.-religion debate."
An emeritus professor of physics and astronomy traces the roots of modern science, including the discovery of the Higgs boson, to the materialist Greek and Roman philosophers 2,500 years ago. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE UPCYCLE
NONFICTION
Released: April 16, 2013

"Mostly stimulating and inventive."
Architect McDonough and chemist Braungart (co-authors: Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, 2002) tender both an attitude and a strategy for a better-designed world. Read full book review >
Cover art for LETTERS TO A YOUNG SCIENTIST
NONFICTION
Released: April 15, 2013

"Glows with one man's love for science."
The eminent entomologist, naturalist and sociobiologist draws on the experiences of a long career to offer encouraging advice to those considering a life in science. Read full book review >
Cover art for CONCEALING COLORATION IN ANIMALS
NONFICTION
Released: April 9, 2013

"An intriguing study encompassing "a convergence of disciplines ranging from population ecology and animal behavior to genetics, molecular biology and biophysics.""
How differences in coloration within a species reveal new dimensions in the operation of natural selection. Read full book review >
Cover art for IN THE KINGDOM OF THE SICK
NONFICTION
Released: April 9, 2013

"A timely call to attention to a global health problem, but with no real solutions in sight."
The story of "where attitudes about chronic illness came from, and where they stand today." Read full book review >
Cover art for THE SECRET LIVES OF SPORTS FANS
NONFICTION
Released: April 4, 2013

"An intriguing ride through "all the wondrous quirks and oddities in human nature.""
In this often heady blend of science, philosophy and sociology, Simons (Univ. of California Graduate School of Journalism; Darwin Slept Here: Discovery, Adventure, and Swimming Iguanas in Charles Darwin's South America, 2009) tries to get at the root of fandom, that sometimes appalling display of irrational behavior, which appears to be "a species-level design flaw." Read full book review >
Cover art for SECRETS OF SILICON VALLEY
NONFICTION
Released: April 2, 2013

"A valuable glimpse of a mecca of innovation."
Solid overview of the world's "global innovation capital." Read full book review >
Cover art for SEEDS OF HOPE
NONFICTION
Released: April 2, 2013

"Personal warmth and enthusiasm increase the charm of this celebration of the "beauty, mystery, and complexity" of the plant world."
A wonderful introductory guide to the plant kingdom from one of the world's leading naturalists. Read full book review >