Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




Science & Technology Book Reviews Available Now (page 7)


Showing

Cover art for JEFFERSON'S SHADOW
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 27, 2012

"Lucid and concise descriptions and analyses of an active, creative mind fully engaged with the natural world."
A bright, brisk assessment of the scientific interests and contributions of the Sage of Monticello. Read full book review >
Cover art for ANTIFRAGILE
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 27, 2012

"A stimulating modern rejoinder to Joseph Schumpeter's notion of creative destruction."
Engineer and trend-watcher Taleb builds on his best-selling hit The Black Swan (2007) to limn a world of uncertainty and chaos. Read full book review >
Cover art for BEYOND HUMAN NATURE
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 19, 2012

"A spirited nurturist polemic."
Cognitive Science editorial board member Prinz (Philosophy/City Univ. of New York; The Emotional Construction of Morals, 2008, etc.) tackles an age-old debate, making an argument for "the primacy of nurture over nature." Read full book review >
Cover art for MATHEMATICS MINUS FEAR
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 15, 2012

"Harried schoolteacher? Worried parent? Self-defined math klutz? All could profit from the text, but there is enough sophistication and wry humor in Potter's approach to appeal to more savvy readers of any age."
Potter (This May Help You Understand the World, 2008) accessibly deconstructs simple math. Read full book review >
Cover art for HOW TO CREATE A MIND
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 13, 2012

"A fascinating exercise in futurology."
A pioneering developer of optical character recognition and text-to-speech software explores the possibility of creating a synthetic neocortex that could surpass the human mind. Read full book review >
Cover art for RWANDA, INC.
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 13, 2012

"Despite an occasionally confusing narrative structure, the authors provide an instructive snapshot of Rwanda today."
A mostly optimistic assessment of the small East African nation nearly destroyed by genocide during the first half of the 1990s. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE PARTICLE AT THE END OF THE UNIVERSE
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 13, 2012

"A fascinating chronicle of an important chapter in fundamental science."
A leading particle physicist explains why the official confirmation of the existence of the elusive Higgs Boson ("the God Particle") was a world-changing scientific milestone. Read full book review >
Cover art for SPECTRUMS
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 13, 2012

"Longtime readers of popular science will find much that is familiar, but this is a fine introduction for beginners."
A cheerful, comprehensible and not-too-dumbed-down review of the material universe. Read full book review >
Cover art for KORE
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 13, 2012

"A profound celebration of the human spirit."
An eminent Polish physician reflects on his lifetime practice of medicine. Read full book review >
Cover art for UNCONSCIOUS BRANDING
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 13, 2012

"A provocative approach that should give pause to consumers as well as marketers."
The executive vice president of ad agency Deutsch LA argues that successful advertising depends on recognizing "the subtleties of nonverbal communication, body language, and unconscious micro-expressions of emotions." Read full book review >
Cover art for DOING CAPITALISM IN THE INNOVATION ECONOMY
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 13, 2012

"A well-written, occasionally humorous book most appropriate for specialists but useful for general readers as well."
A rewarding memoir about the learning, training and life experience required to achieve mastery in the venture economy. Read full book review >
Cover art for MAD SCIENCE
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 13, 2012
edited by Randy Alfred

"Edifying bathroom reading."
A mostly entertaining, random assemblage of inventions or discoveries (the safety pin, the Internet) sorted by day and year, reflecting advances that led to patents or widespread adoption. Read full book review >