Science Fictions by Stuart Ritchie reveals how bias, mistakes and even outright forgery can influence everything from austerity economics to anti-vaccination movements, proposing vital remedies. The final two titles set their sights on the limitations and fallibility of scientific practice, highlighting how these can impact our societies and imagining how we might improve them.
#NPR BEST VBOOK 2019 SERIES#
In Sleeping Beauties, Suzanne O’Sullivan investigates a series of disparate diagnostic mysteries: psychosomatic illnesses, or medical disorders apparently caused as much by factors of the mind as by the body. Breath by James Nestor explores one of biology’s most basic functions, upending what we think we know about breathing and demonstrating how over thousands of years we have learned to do it wrong, with devastating consequences. In Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangled Life, our perspective shifts from the galactic to the fungal, taking the reader on a guided tour of the hidden world that supports and sustains nearly all living systems.Ī further two books deal with the human body, its remarkable systems but also its endless mysteries. In The Last Stargazers, Emily Levesque reveals the hidden world of stargazing, celebrating the ingenuity and curiosity of the profession, instilling cosmic awe in the reader. Two books take a closer look at the worlds beneath our feet and beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Important, accessible science writing is certainly alive and well with this enthralling list of titles.” “Each is important and compelling, conveying the wonder of science but also highlighting issues that we should all be concerned about.
The topics range from an account of what it’s like to be a woman in the field of astronomy (which also conveys the enduring fascination we have with the stars), why breathing optimally is so important for our health and well-being, the scientific basis of why we are so biased when it comes to our views, the related topic of fraud and bias in science, mystery illnesses and, finally, the fascinating world of fungi.
Every book is very accessible to all, and each in its own way is quite remarkable. “This year’s shortlist reflects more than ever the huge strength and diversity of topics evident in science writing.
#NPR BEST VBOOK 2019 FULL#
The full 2021 shortlist is (in order of author surname): Psychologist Dr Stuart Ritchie and biologist and writer Merlin Sheldrake complete the six-strong list, from which a winner will be chosen in November. They are joined by astronomer Emily Levesque and neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan. Two debut authors make the 2021 shortlist in journalist James Nestor and science and culture journalist, Jessica Nordell. This year’s shortlisted books, chosen from a record number of 267 submissions, demonstrate the breadth, depth, accessibility, and joy of the best popular science writing from all over the world. The Royal Society has revealed the shortlist for the Royal Society Science Book Prize 2021, sponsored by Insight Investment.
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