Science and Natural History discussion

October nominations are now open! Choose one of your own books or find inspiration from the group's bookshelf.

New! Please include a rationale for why to read the book you suggest =)

- Only one nomination per person please.
- Books must be nonfiction, within our general theme.
- Nominations are open until 16th of September.
- Please add suggestions using add book/author.
- All recommendations will be featured in a subsequent poll.
- Feel free to pitch, especially in the comments at the poll.
- Our Group Read for October should be ready by the 22nd of September.

Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good

Conor wrote: "Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good"

I appreciate my posts actually being read, Conor. I'll repeat myself for now: "New! Please include a rationale for why to read the book you suggest =)"

wind your neck in
I heard an interview with Balcombe a few years back and as a vegetarian wanted to read his book.

Deadly Feasts: Tracking the Secrets of a Terrifying New Plague

This is a terrific book about prions. It is well written and interesting. One of the coolest things is that it was written during the Mad Cow scare, so no one really knew what the end result would be. It's interesting to see what could have happened as opposed to just what actually happened.

Inside the Outbreaks: The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service

This book has a great insight into the EIS, a branch of the CDC that investigates outbreaks of various things. It allows people to see things that happen in a branch that most people don't know about, but keep us safe everyday.

Henry wrote: "Inside the Outbreaks: The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service

This book has a great insight into the EIS, a branch of the CDC that investigates outbreaks of various thing..."

Lovely rationales, but could I ask you to choose one of them as your nomination?

Well, they are all good, but it depends on whether this group wants to read more of a connected story, or a book that has a bunch of smaller stories. Inside the Outbreaks has many small stories about each major EIS investigation from its inception to publishing, and Deadly Feasts is one big story about prions that follows advances in the discoveries about them over the years. So, I'm new to this group, and I'm not sure what would fit better. If it doesn't matter, I'd probably say Inside the Outbreaks.

Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash

Most of you have probably read this book years ago. It's on my list to read. I've heard great things about it.

Too bad there are not more nominations.

The book selection is a week late. I wonder why we are limited to only one suggestion? Also, I cannot seem to find how to nominate a text using your instructions. There are excellent books that would really engage a diverse group of natural scientists that were not proposed for October. Some of the proposals so far are good, but a group this size should be proposing more for us to vote on. Once I figure out how to propose November's book I will be able to participate.

I know, I've been somewhat of my game, I proposed selecting the book the week I knew I wouldn't be able to set it up for some reason that boggles my mind. And I'll have to admit being somewhat tired of being the sole active admin. You wouldn't want to join as one of the more active members of the group?

Yeah, I agree somewhat. Which is what I was suggesting you would be helping with. I've given you moderator rights, and could probably write down what needs to be done, but you seem to have as good a crasp of it as me, I forgot about the topic for October, thought you meant that the book wasn't showing, and just fixed that.. And yes: I'm tired and have to focus somewhat elsewhere at the moment.