Science and Natural History discussion

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

- Books must be nonfiction, within our general theme.
- Nominations are open until 9th.
- Please add suggestions using add book/author.
- No more than 3 book suggestions pr. person.
- All recommendations will be featured in a subsequent poll. Done by 16th.
- Feel free to pitch, especially in the comments at the poll.

The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes.
I found this book to be a wonderful, information packed account of scientists of the 18th and early 19th centuries. The major focus was on three men:

Joseph Banks had sailed as Chief Botanist with Lt. James Cook on the Endeavor. When Banks returned to London, he became President of the Royal Society, a post he held until near the time of his death. He mentored many young scientists and through the Society found funds for their research.

William Herschel was a renowned Astronomer who built telescopes larger than others and carefully explored the night skies. He was assisted by his sister, Caroline whose story was truly amazing. (I was entranced by Caroline's story.) Herschel's son was also an important scientist of the age and the book.

Humphrey Davy was a founder of the field of Chemistry and President of the Royal Society following Banks.
Davy would now be called a multipotential with interests and accomplishments in many fields.

All the characters were essentially autodidacts, exploring new fields and leaving broad records of accomplishments. They were interested in art, philosophy, and literature and associated with others such as Shelly, Coleridge and Byron as well as Darwin, Faraday and many other noteworthy scientists.

The author provides a listing of scientists of this age who are mentioned in the book.
(less)

It Ain't Necessarily So: The Dream of the Human Genome and Other Illusions
I really like Lewontin's other books.

Return to the Sea: The Life and Evolutionary Times of Marine Mammals by Annalisa Berta, James L. Sumich and Carl Buell

THE DOUBLE HELIX
by James D. Watson

IDEAS AND OPINIONS
by Albert Einstein

Carried from old topic: Weird Life: The Search for Life That Is Very, Very Different from Our Own

Adding with add book/author:
The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science
Return to the Sea: The Life and Evolutionary Times of Marine Mammals
The Double Helix
Ideas and Opinions

The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science

Neanderthal Man: In Search of Lost Genomes

In complete contrast to Bad Science, how about one of the great classics of natural history prose writing? Nan Shepherd's The Living Mountain steps away from human-centric observation and into the natural world.

Here is the poll: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/9...

Sorry about it being a day late, I haven't really been well.

Or a classic that has been forgotten, like "Tarka, the Otter" or "The Peregrine."

Do we have a new book for April?

Kathy wrote: "Do we have a new book for April?"

Yep, apologies, haven't thought of Goodreads the last days. How I wish one didn't have to change it manually from 'to read' to 'currently reading'.

Kristoffer wrote: "Kathy wrote: "Do we have a new book for April?"

Yep, apologies, haven't thought of Goodreads the last days. How I wish one didn't have to change it manually from 'to read' to 'currently reading'."

Yes, seems like that could be an automatic thing.

Nice choice for the April read. I plan to join in.