Travel through time and space: New science books

Come for a journey through the vast universe to galaxies and dimensions far, far away. Explore the limits of human knowledge this month with our brand-new scientific books. If keeping your feet firmly on the ground is more appealing, we also have books set here on Earth for you! Pick up one of these books to begin your next science expedition.

To infinity and beyond : a journey of cosmic discovery / Tyson, Neil deGrasse
“No one can make the mysteries of the universe more comprehensible and fun than Neil deGrasse Tyson. The book begins as we leave Earth, encountering new truths about our planet’s atmosphere, the nature of sunlight, and the many missions that have demystified our galactic neighbors. When we finally arrive in the blackness of outer space, Tyson takes on the spookiest phenomena of the cosmos: parallel worlds, black holes, time travel, and more.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Deep sea : 10 things you should know : a deep dive into one of the most mysterious environments on our planet / Copley, Jon
“Uncover what lies at the deepest depths of our oceans… In ten brief and informative essays, Copley journeys to one of the most mysterious and fascinating environments on Earth, the deep sea. The Deep Sea: 10 things you should know is a brilliant guide to one of the most fascinating and curious places known to humankind.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Transient and strange : notes on the science of life / Greenfieldboyce, Nell
“An astonishing debut from the beloved NPR science correspondent: intimate essays about the intersection of science and everyday life. In this, her debut book, she delivers a wholly original collection of powerful, emotionally raw, and unforgettable personal essays that probe the places where science touches our lives most intimately. Transient and Strange captures the ache of ordinary life, offering resonant insights into both the world around us and the worlds within us.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

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Hidden stories of the universe: New science books

Science is about discovering the untold stories of the universe. Sometimes the most interesting stories come from unlikely places, a pocket calculator (in Empire of the Sun), the world of fungi (in Meeting with Remarkable Mushrooms) or how roads affect the world around them (in Crossings). When we look hard enough, everything has a story to tell! Discover great stories in our new science books.

Empire of the sum / Houston, Keith
“The hidden history of the pocket calculator — a device that ushered in modern mathematics, helped build the atomic bomb, and went with us to the moon — and the mathematicians, designers, and inventors who brought it to life.” (Catalogue)

 

 

Meetings with remarkable mushrooms : forays with fungi across hemispheres / Pouliot, Alison
“In this book, Pouliot uses visits around the world to show readers the diversity of this life-and makes the case that appreciating fungi is a key to understanding the power and fragility of our planet. Pouliot’s focus on the global community of fungus experts, the importance of local knowledge, and the historic and current contributions of women in mycology all reinforce her message that understanding fungi is fundamental for us all.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Crossings : how road ecology is shaping the future of our planet / Goldfarb, Ben
“An eye-opening and witty account of the global ecological transformations wrought by roads, from an award-winning author. In Crossings, Ben Goldfarb delves into the new science of road ecology to explore how roads have transformed our world. A sweeping, spirited and timely investigation into how humans have altered the natural world, Crossings also shows us how to create a better future for all living beings.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

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Rare species of New Zealand: Books from Te Pātaka

If the discovery of an ancient New Zealand dolphin species intrigues you, you might be interested in reading books about the unique and wonderful species of Aotearoa. Read stories about the fairy tern, Māui dolphin, yellow-eyed penguin, kakī, greater short-tailed bat, and tāiko; some of which are New Zealand’s most endangered species. These books come with beautiful photos, interesting stories, and scientific discoveries to take you on a journey, exploring the unique creatures of the wilderness.

Rare wildlife of New Zealand / Ballance, Alison
“This book contains 100 New Zealand endangered species of all kinds: plants, birds, insects, fungi, mammals. Organised by habitat forests, gardens, islands, wetlands, high country, and sea and shore, it gives an important snapshot of the critical state of the wildlife in our country. Beautifully photographed with accessible and informative text. At the same time, it contains many surprises: among our most endangered species are kiwi, tuatara, flax, grasshoppers, hebes, crabs, and dolphins.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Whio : saving New Zealand’s blue duck / Young, David
“The blue duck, or whio, is one of New Zealand’s ancient treasures, a beautiful torrent duck that once lived on clear, fast-flowing rivers throughout most of the country. Sadly the blue duck now belongs to the ‘second tier’ of endangered species (including kaka, kea, parakeets and North Island brown kiwi) whose numbers have dropped alarmingly in the last 15 years. A dedicated group of scientists, field workers and volunteers have set about saving the blue duck.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

The handbook of New Zealand mammals
“This is the only definitive reference on all the land-breeding mammals recorded in the New Zealand region (including the New Zealand sector of Antarctica). It lists 65 species, including native and exotic, wild and feral, living and extinct, residents, vagrants and failed introductions. It describes their history, biology and ecology, and brings together comprehensive and detailed information gathered from widely scattered or previously unpublished sources.” (Adapted from Amazon.com)

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Encourage your curiosity: New science books

Everything has a story to tell, from the big bang to the mushrooms growing in your garden. That is what science is all about, studying the world. It can be difficult to appreciate everything around us when our lives are so busy, but in Aotearoa and especially Wellington, we are lucky to have an abundance of nature to explore. Spending some time outside can open our minds to some immense questions about the complexities of the world. To begin to answer these questions and to further your curiosity, check out our recent picks for our new science books.

The universe in a box : a new cosmic history / Pontzen, Andrew
“This is the story of the technologies that allow us to look up, to learn and to discover our place in the cosmos. The Universe in a Box is Pontzen’s tribute to simulations that, over the last century, have allowed us to understand the distant past and far future of the universe. Illuminating, provocative and bold, this is the story of our home, the cosmos, through simulations- mini-universes inside computers.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

New Zealand’s biggest year / Boorman, Harry
“New Zealand’s biggest year is an epic birding tale of how two friends become rivals and set out to break the all-time record for the most Aotearoa New Zealand bird species seen in one year. Their rivalry results in more birds being spotted in a single year than ever before and two national records are broken. Full of twists and turns, pandemics and trip cancellations, Harry’s story gradually unfolds to its nail-biting conclusion.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

A year in the woods : twelve small journeys into nature / Ekelund, Torbjørn Lysebo
“A Year in the Woods asks if the secret to communing with nature lies in small rituals and reflection. As Ekelund greets the same trees, rocks, streams, and soil each month, he describes his changing relationship to the landscape. The perfect book for readers who want a deeper connection with nature but are realistic about time and money.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

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Controversy in the Science World: New Science Books

Books on Erebus, octopuses and paleoanthropology, superimposed over a watery ocean background

In amongst our new science books this month, is Lee Berger’s new book Cave of Bones — which follows the discovery of thousands of bones of a new hominin species, Homo naledi, in a cave deep underground in South Africa. This book is sending waves through the scientific world and not just for its exciting new discoveries. It is causing controversy for a variety of reasons; these include the speed the team worked to publish their findings and the involvement of the media through the making of a documentary for Netflix. Nevertheless, Berger has made his findings accessible to others allowing for discussion and analysis. If you want to hear more about both sides of the story, check out the episode covering this controversy on the Science Vs podcast or make up your own mind by reading the book yourself – link below!

Check out our new science books:

Cave of bones : a true story of discovery, adventure, and human origins / Berger, Lee R | Audiobook Available for Cave of bones
“Deep in the dark, stalactite-filled chambers of South Africa’s Rising Star cave system, internationally acclaimed paleoanthropologist Lee Berger and his intrepid team of explorers have found thousands of fossil bones from Homo naledi. It’s a tale rife with determination and discovery, challenging long-held assumptions about our evolutionary past and offering astounding implications poised to overturn the very definition of what it means to be human.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Many things under a rock : the mysteries of octopuses / Scheel, David
“Of all the creatures of the deep blue, none captivates us quite like the octopus. Marine biologist David Scheel’s lifelong preoccupation with octopuses has led to a career of groundbreaking research, from finding previously unknown species to the discovery of signalling communication among octopuses. The octopus is sometimes called the most alien animal on the planet, but here we learn just how much the octopus is like us. And how much we are like the octopus.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The swimmer : the wild life of Roger Deakin / Barkham, Patrick
“Roger Deakin is best known for his modern classic of nature writing, Waterlog, which frog-kicked the wild swimming movement into existence with wit, politics and poetry. But he was not simply a dazzling writer and eccentric Englishman. Barkham draws from notebooks, diaries, letters, recordings, published work and early drafts, to conjure his voice back to glorious life in these pages. Barkham’s biography follows Roger Deakin’s tree of life, from roots to fruits, revealing the inner life of an extraordinary man.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Erebus the ice dragon : a portrait of an Antarctic volcano / Monteath, Colin
“Haunting and searingly beautiful, Erebus has attracted explorers, mountaineers, artists and scientists; each drawn to the mountain by their own particular vision or curiosity. Antarctica veteran Monteath weaves history, science, art and adventure into a compelling tale, supported by superb images selected from his lifetime of working and voyaging in the area.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The heat will kill you first : life and death on a scorched planet / Goodell, Jeff | Audiobook Available
“The Heat Will Kill You First is about the extreme ways in which our planet is already changing. As an award-winning journalist who has been at the forefront of environmental journalism for decades, Goodell’s new book may be his most provocative yet, explaining how extreme heat will dramatically change the world as we know it.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Demystifying orchid pollination : stories of sex, lies and obsession / Karremans, Adam P.
Demystifying Orchid Pollination explores the fascinating natural history of orchids and the extraordinary means by which they reproduce. With sections named after famous songs and quotes sprinkled throughout the text, this is a truly engaging and fascinating read, leaving no stone unturned when it comes to the fertilization of orchid flowers.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Better living through birding : notes from a Black man in the natural world / Cooper, Christian
“Christian Cooper is a self-described Blerd (Black nerd), an avid comics fan, and an expert birder who devotes every spring to gazing upon the migratory birds that stop to rest in Central Park, just a subway ride away from where he lives in New York City. Better Living Through Birding is Cooper’s invitation into the wonderful world of birds, and what they can teach us about life, if only we would stop and listen.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Around the ocean in 80 fish & other sea life / Scales, Helen
“Dive beneath the waves to meet 80 of the ocean’s strangest and most surprising inhabitants. This beautifully illustrated aquatic world tour tells the fascinating stories of beguiling sea creatures and their ingenious feats of survival – from producing anti-freeze to enduring boiling temperatures – revealing the ways in which these seemingly remote creatures have shapes our own lives, whether through medicine, culture or folklore.” (Catalogue)

Dive Deep Into Our New Science Books

3 new oceanic science book covers silhouetted against a backdrop of a wave crashing on the shore

With scientists discovering around 2,000 new marine species every year, the science world is ripe with new knowledge about our oceans. Even so, they still hold so many unanswered mysteries — from strange bioluminescent creatures, to the ocean itself and the impact it has on the rest of the world.

In these new science books we can start to illuminate the unknown. We can follow ocean-obsessed individuals like Al Anderson in Kings of Their Own Ocean: Tuna, Obsession, and the Future of Our Seas (Al tagged and tracked over 60,000 fish), or we can go on adventures all around the world with Kennedy Warne in Soundings: Diving for Stories in the Beckoning Sea. We can also learn how to look after our world — either by looking back to ancient times in Against the Seas: Saving Civilizations from Rising Waters, or by learning about how the ocean works in Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes our World. Have a browse!

The underworld : journeys to the depths of the ocean / Casey, Susan
“From New York Times bestselling author Susan Casey, an awe-inspiring portrait of the mysterious world beneath the waves, and the men and women who seek to uncover its secrets. The Underworld is Susan Casey’s most beautiful and thrilling book yet, a gorgeous evocation of the natural world and a powerful call to arms.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Kings of their own ocean : tuna, obsession, and the future of our seas / Pinchin, Karen
“Over his fishing career, Al marked more than sixty thousand fish with plastic tags. His quest landed him in the crossfire of an ongoing fight between a booming bluefin tuna industry and desperate conservation efforts. Kings of Their Own Ocean is an urgent investigation that combines science, business, crime, and environmental justice.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Soundings : diving for stories in the beckoning sea / Warne, K. P | eBook Availablefor Soundings : diving for stories in the beckoning sea
“Perhaps the closest a human being comes to visiting another planet is to descend into the sea. In Soundings, Kennedy Warne connects his lifelong exploration of the underwater world with a global story of humanity’s relationship with the sea. From a myriad underwater encounters a wider conversation emerges about human engagement with the sea.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

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