Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

This thread is for dropping ideas, questions, resources, comments, and discussion about Task 2: Read a Nonfiction Book About Science.

A few resources to get you started:

http://bookriot.com/2015/09/12/read-o...

http://bookriot.com/2015/08/24/buy-bo...

http://bookriot.com/2014/03/06/books-...

http://bookriot.com/2014/11/06/books-...

http://bookriot.com/2014/12/28/nerds-...

I was surprised to find this memoir also labelled science - The Periodic Table by Primo Levi.

I plan on reading Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void or Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. Haven't decided which one yet.

I'm leaning strongly toward Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries by Neil deGrasse Tyson.

I'm planning to read Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. It looks really interesting...

I have two favorite books that fit this category that I recommend for those of you looking for ideas: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World.

Rainey wrote: "I plan on reading Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void or Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. Haven't decided which one yet."

Science is one of my least favorite subjects, but Stiff was also on my TBR, so I guess we'll go with that!

Tatiana wrote: "I'm planning to read Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. It looks really interesting..."

I've read it and found it very interesting. Good choice!

I will read Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human or The Art of Scientific Investigation, both of which are on my To-Read shelf.

Leslie Ann wrote: "I will read Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human."

Oh, thanks for the suggestion! I've heard good things about this book. I may not get to it for this task, but it's on my list now!

I am a scientist by training so this is in my wheel-house but I really admire authors who write science accurately and interestingly for non-scientists - it takes a lot of skill. Bill Bryson nailed it with A Short History of Nearly Everything. It covers just about all areas of science and it breaks some tough concepts into something highly engaging and funny. He won the Samuel Johnson prize for non-fiction in 2004 with this....

I'm thinking of reading The Hedgehog, the Fox & the Magister's Pox: Mending the Gap Between Science & the Humanities - even the title is interesting!

I plan on reading .

I'm going to have to come up with something else because I don't want to re-read a book for this challenge, but I remember thoroughly enjoying The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus years ago... and I'm not that crazy about science!

I was really dreading this topic, but after reading over everyone's posts I found a few books that piqued my interest--thanks all!

I've had The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on my to-read list for quite sometime; however, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus, and The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World are strong contenders.

I'm going to leave it up to my library to decide for me, ha!

Cheri wrote: "I have two favorite books that fit this category that I recommend for those of you looking for ideas: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World"

Cheri, The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World has been on my list for other challenges for a while now. I may change my mind and read it for this task. Thanks.

For Pauline or anyone else who enjoyed The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus, I'll recommend Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic and Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures -- both absolutely great reads and interesting and terrifying.

I'm thinking of reading a book called "the biology of desire" by Marc Lewis - it's about addiction and the author is a neuroscientist.

Would this qualify? Leaving Orbit: Notes from the Last Days of American Spaceflight

I'm planning on Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski.

I'm thinking Quiet by Susan Cain would qualify?

I've wanted to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks so there we go!

SibylM wrote: "For Pauline or anyone else who enjoyed The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus, I'll recommend [book:Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human P..."

I can second Spillover, as a very well researched and readable book on pandemics including Ebola, Influenza, Marburg and other strange illnesses - you will certainly think twice about bats after reading it ;)

Trudie wrote: "I am a scientist by training so this is in my wheel-house but I really admire authors who write science accurately and interestingly for non-scientists - it takes a lot of skill. Bill Bryson nailed..."

I LOVED that book! I agree that it's great for people in the sciences and non-science people alike. Bryson makes things really accessible and entertaining.

I'd also recommend The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History if anyone is looking to read an environmental book.

Right now I am thinking maybe something on the topic of forensic science. The two I have found are The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science and Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime.

Jaleenajo wrote: "Trudie wrote: "I am a scientist by training so this is in my wheel-house but I really admire authors who write science accurately and interestingly for non-scientists - it takes a lot of skill. Bil..."

Seconding The Sixth Extinction! What a fascinating book.

Sarah wrote: "Right now I am thinking maybe something on the topic of forensic science. The two I have found are [book:The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science|7893331..."

I may end up changing my planned book. I also like forensics and Bryson's books are well done, so several options are looking more attractive. Hmm.

I'm torn between three books
The only woman in the room by Eileen pollock
Cakes, custard and category theory by eugina Chang
Planets by dava sobel
All look really interesting and slightly outside of what I normally read

I believe this counts for science and comic (of sorts). The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage.

I am considering Five Quarts: A Personal and Natural History of Blood, The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York or The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

I'm looking at reading either Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us about Ourselves or Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic.

Rainey wrote: "I plan on reading Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void or Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. Haven't decided which one yet."

I read Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers a few years ago and absolutely loved it. I found it so fascinating and engrossing. The only hard part was when they started describing animal experiments - I don't handle animal mutilation well!

There are quite a few books on my shelf I may bust out for this one:

Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science-and the World
The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus
Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How to Love
and several others.

Kristin wrote: "Has anyone read the Emperor of All Maladies? Is it science-y enough to count for this challenge?"

It received a "Wilson Literary Science Award" in 2011. I'd say go for it. I might be reading Emperor of Maladies too since I have it.

Rainey wrote: "I plan on reading Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void or Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. Haven't decided which one yet."
You won't be sorry. Both are excellent. I started out with Stiff and the read Packing for Mars to my husband on a long car ride. There were tears of laughter.

I was thinking about Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life. I keep hearing it's fantastic.

But I also keep looking at The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer.

Bea wrote: "I was surprised to find this memoir also labelled science - The Periodic Table by Primo Levi."

I loved The Periodic Table. It's certainly not a straight science book, but reading it was probably the first time that I grasped how beautiful and creative chemistry could be.

SealyBug wrote: "I was thinking about Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life. I keep hearing it's fantastic.

But I also keep looking at The Emperor of A..."
I was looking at both those books too -- but I think I am going to try to get all my ReadHarder books written by women, so if I stick with that plan it'll be Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life for me.

SibylM wrote: "SealyBug wrote: "I was thinking about Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life. I keep hearing it's fantastic.

But I also keep looking at The E..."

You'll have to let me know what you think. ;-)

I'm going to read something by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Probably the one about Pluto. That's messed up, right?

The Lovelace/Babbage book looks good, though. I've added it to my to-read list. And I have had Stiff on my list for ages. If NdT doesn't work out, I may go with that one.

Kristin wrote: "Has anyone read the Emperor of All Maladies? Is it science-y enough to count for this challenge?"

Definitely science-y enough. Very interesting, but more complicated and dense than many people expect.

Planning to read The Emperor of Maladies: A Biography of Cancer.

I was thinking that I would read 'Complications' by Atul Gawande, it's subtitled, a surgeons notes on an imperfect science

I'm reaching back a ways for this one, I found a copy of Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence at a library book sale a few months ago and haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Gotta love Carl Sagan.

I think I am going to read The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. It's about locked-in syndrome after a stroke.

Claire wrote: "I was thinking that I would read 'Complications' by Atul Gawande, it's subtitled, a surgeons notes on an imperfect science "

I will read anything he writes! Loved Complications and Better, A Surgeon's Notes on Performance. Being Mortal is a book group read for January, but I'm not sure it counts as science.

A quick search through amazon's freebie section brought up String Theory Simplified: What is Theoretical Physics? by Eliot Hawkins, which I have duly downloaded. Quantum physics fascinates me, but I never had the desire to study it whilst in school. Oh well.

I'm considering the book Moody Bitches: The Truth About the Drugs You're Taking, the Sleep You're Missing, the Sex You're Not Having, and What's Really Making You Crazy. Does anyone know anything about this one? It was published just this year.

Can The Birth of the Pill: How Four Crusaders Reinvented Sex and Launched a Revolution or Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadaversconsider for this Challenge?

I'm planning on Arctic Dreams.