We Loved It All

Finished February 23

We Loved It All: A Memory of Life by Lydia Millet

This is the first nonfiction book by the author and is very hard to classify as it includes so many different things. While Millet has written several works of fiction, she has also had a long career at the Center for Biological Diversity, advocating for wildlife and climate change preparedness. 

This book mixes her personal memories with scientific facts, vignettes of animal and plant interactions with humans, and thoughts about life in general. 

The book is split into three sections, and she works to show our connections to others' experiences, and to life beyond the human. You can feel her emotions around many of these elements. Paragraphs within sections jump from the personal to the other elements, and sometimes feel like an expression of a stream of consciousness, with one thought leading to another. 

There are many things here that reminded me of my own memories of interactions with nature, and that revived knowledge I forgot that I had. There are also times where she taught me something new. This is a book that is hard to rush through, that one needs to sit with, and take time to examine one's reactions and thoughts. 

The Story of V

Finished July 23

The Story of V: Opening Pandora's Box by Catherine Blackledge

This is an in-depth look into female sexual organs, sexuality, reproduction, and sexual pleasure. The author has a PhD in science, and worked in science and medical journalism. As one would guess from the title of this book, the central subject of the book is the vagina, but it goes beyond that.

She describes how female genitals have been studied over history and talks about how knowledge has ebbed and flowed. Some things were discovered, denied, and then discovered anew. Sometimes these complex organs were simplified or misrepresented. 

She also references female sexuality across numerous species, including insects, birds, and mammals, and talks about how, in many cases, it is the female that controls the sexual encounter and whether fertilization occurs. 

She also talks about how our sexuality goes beyond our genitals involving other areas of our body, and how scent is a big influence on our sexual pleasure. One thing I found interesting in the connection between the nose and sexual arousal was that, for many people, nasal stuffiness or congestion can occur in conjunction with sexual stimulation or orgasm. 

She talks about the structure of the different parts of our genitals, and when we learned about different aspects of them, linking research to knowledge and where we still have things to learn. 

This is an important book, particularly for women, to better understand their own bodies and responses. I read it slowly over many months, taking time to absorb the different learnings throughout. 

The Love Hypothesis

Finished March 22

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

This is a book I've been meaning to read for a while and now finally have. It was a quick read as it was hard to put down. I read it in one day, around work demands. 

Olive Smith is a Canadian Ph.D. candidate in biology at Stanford, working on a subject dear to her heart, a way to diagnose pancreatic cancer earlier, and thus provide better chances for survival. She is very focused on her work, but still finds time for her personal life, her best friend Anh and her roommate Matthew. 

The book starts with a short interlude from two years earlier when Olive had been at the university applying to do her Ph.D. there. It sets the tone for banter with a serious undertone.

I like that each chapter is headed with a hypothesis that gives a hint to the contents of that chapter. It is a fun way to continue the theme of the title and lead the reader into continuing. 

Olive dated Jeremy a couple of times and then discovered that Anh was interested in him, but wouldn't pursue it because she didn't want to intrude on Olive's relationship. Since Olive had no chemistry with Jeremy and isn't interested in continuing the relationship, she's told Anh to move forward, but Anh is still reluctant. So Olive told her that she had a date with someone else. But she doesn't. She's at the lab working and then she spotted Anh, so she grabs a guy walking in the hall and kisses him. And then she discovers that she has just kissed Dr. Adam Carlsen, a real hotshot in the department who is known for being aloof and not very nice. 

As Adam learns of her reasons for her sudden impulse, he agrees to get on board. The situation may have an upside for him as well. After setting some ground rules and coming up with a plan that works for both, they continue the charade.

Of course, they are thrown together unexpectedly by circumstances, and they talk a lot more, sharing more of themselves with each other than they've done with most other people. 

This situation is one that sets some interesting questions around power dynamics and we see that come up again with other characters. There are also themes of friendship with both main characters and the people who are important in their lives. The science theme is also very interesting, particularly Olive's research which focuses on a disease that touches so many people, myself included. There isn't just a nod to science here, but instead science is central to the plot, as it is central to the lives of the characters. 

The characters themselves also have depth and we discover them as they reveal themselves to each other, seeing beyond the looks and reputation to the real person. 

There is lots of intelligent banter, because they are after all academics and quite smart. So I loved that too. There is also some geekiness, which goes with the territory. And there are real issues, issues of research and how to fund it, issues of women's barriers in science, and issues of competition. 

All in all, a lot to love, and a story that kept me returning to it every chance I got. 

Measuring the World

Finished March 20

Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Carol Brown Janeway

This novel focuses on real historical figures from the late eighteenth /early nineteenth centuries, naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, and mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss. Humboldt collaborated with another scientist, Bonpland, and spent more than five years in Central and South America, gathering plant samples, examining the fauna, following rivers to find where they met, and climbing mountains including several volcanoes. Humboldt's interest in science expanded to include meteorology, magnetism, ocean currents and astronomy. 

Gauss was a mathematician and physicist, a child prodigy who preferred a quiet life delving deeper into the science that he loved, was deeply affected by the loss of his first wife. His discoveries formed the basis for the work of other scientists as well. 

The two men, Humboldt and Gauss, did meet, but this book is a fictionalized account of both their lives, their interactions and correspondence and their scientific interests and achievements. 

Kehlmann brings the men to life, with complex personalities, individual quirks, and sometimes strange behaviour. This book has touches of humour, fantasy, and emotion. Enlightening and revealing. 

Quakeland

Finished August 29

Quakeland: On the Road to America's Next Devastating Earthquake by Kathryn Miles

This science novel by journalist Miles looks at the nature of earthquakes, mainly in the United States, both those naturally occurring and those that happened as a result of human actions. Many people think of earthquakes as something that happens in specific parts of the country like California, Hawaii, and Alaska, but as Miles travels around the country, she goes to many locations that have experienced major earthquakes in the past and/or lie of fault lines and that pose real risks of catastrophic earthquakes in the near future. 

She looks at the relatively short history of our understanding of earthquakes and how we have learned what we do know. She talks to many scientists from across the country, sometimes going on expeditions with them and accompanying them on research trips, lectures, and other explorations. While her main focus is on the risk of earthquakes in different parts of the United States, her discussions include earthquakes that have happened in other parts of the world, both in the distant and near past. I really enjoyed how she explored the subject from so many different angles. She looks at the study of core samples from fault lines, using tree rings to date earthquakes from the past, how actions such as mining, fracking, reservoirs, and other human activities have caused earthquakes in different areas and how we discovered and are still studying this connection. 

As a journalist she shows her discoveries through the science she is explaining in easily understandable terms, and doesn't impose judgement. She talks about the difficulties of mitigating risk due to much of the existing infrastructure not built to withstand the complex forces that earthquakes can have, and how they are one of the few natural disasters that it is difficult to predict in advance. 

She shows the scientists she talks to as people, with their own quirks and personalities, and makes her explorations come alive through her personal experiences. I learned so much from this book, and found the research that is going on in this area of science fascinating. 

The Last Stargazers

Finished May 18

The Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story of Astronomy's Vanishing Explorers by Emily Levesque

This is a fascinating look at the modern history of astronomy and the different ways astronomers examine the universe. The author, Emily Levesque is an astronomer and included here are her own experiences.

The first chapter includes her first experience at an observatory telescope, an opportunity related to her summer project in her sophomore year at MIT. This project launched her career interest in red supergiants, and the science of dying stars. Here we learn of the practicalities of how observing is done, how these large telescopes are managed and see into the personal side of this career.

The second chapter looks at the technical side of things, explaining what the prime focus is, and how time on the telescopes is assigned. It also looks at some of this wild experiences that people have had when things don't go as expected. 

The third chapter looks at how things like weather affect observing time, starting with a windy night that meant that Emily wasn't able to take advantage of the clear skies on offer. It also talks about the access to observatories, which are located in remote, high altitude locations, with no lighting. (In most cases, even using the car headlights when driving at night is not allowed.) She also discusses the different kind of data that you might be gathering for later analysis. Reading this chapter made me wonder how astronomers are working during Covid with the limitations on travel.

The fourth chapter looks at other reasons that your time on the telescope might be lost. From natural disasters such as volcanoes and earthquakes, to fires, insects, and animals. Animals also sometimes add to the adventure, from bears and skunks to tarantulas and scorpions.

The fifth chapter looks at things like rules in the areas near telescope locations that limit certain activities to lessen interference, from lack of WiFi and cellphone reception to limitations on fuel for vehicles. It also looks at some physical failures, when telescopes have collapsed. A few months after this book was published, the Arecibo telescope collapsed. She also discusses other physical failures and injuries to staff.

The sixth chapter looks at other obstacles to observing from sex, age, and race to groups arguing against the building of observatories or access, including environmentalists and hunters to land rights activists. She looks at some legal cases, and some where listening and collaboration resolved the issues. 

The seventh chapter introduces the VLA (Very Large Array) telescopes and how they work. These are radio telescopes and they work in groups, which can even include other VLA telescopes in other parts of the world for certain projects. And of course they operate even during the day, since they don't need darkness for their data gathering. I learned that while weather doesn't affect them as much, things like birds can be issue. 

The eighth chapter introduces telescopes that are brought to higher levels of the atmosphere in planes and can therefore see things that our atmosphere filters out. The telescope is mounted in it's own compartment on a giant ball bearing. This ensures that it remains steady and that a door can be opened during flight to have the telescope open to the sky. She describes some of the limitations and safety issues this brings and talks about other higher atmosphere telescopes, both in aircraft and those launched by balloon. 

The ninth chapter talks about special observations, such as eclipses including the lunar and solar ones we often hear about as well as ones by smaller objects such as asteroids. This chapter also details some of the access issues that occur when timing becomes a big part of the observing data.

The tenth chapter introducing the subject of gravitational waves and how they are observed. It also introduces another kind of observatory, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and its unique design and features. 

Chapter eleven looks at supernovae and the importance of confirming observations, and chapter twelve looks at how the automation and remote control of some observing has begun, eliminating the need to travel and observe on site. Chapter thirteen goes even further down this road, showing how computer controlled telescopes optimize observing time by scheduling jobs efficiently and prioritizing observing based on its nature and relationship to other jobs in the queue. 

A lovely addition to this book is a reading group guide at the back with some suggested discussion questions. 

This book was written in a very accessible narrative style that makes this science understandable to the average reader. A fantastic read.

Roanoke Ridge

Finished August 31
Roanoke Ridge: A Creature X Mystery by J.J. Dupuis

This book takes place in the mountainous temperate rainforest area of Oregon. The main character, Laura Reagan, is a science nerd who runs a website dedicated to promoting science, gathering information on new discoveries and providing information in a friendly accessible way. But she grew up in this part of Oregon and her father shot some of the little existing video that appears to be showing a creature whose existence is debated: bigfoot. Laura spent a lot of time with her father, camping and exploring the wilderness and is comfortable in the outdoors.
Now one of her professors, Berton Sorel, one of only three people that knew where that footage was shot, has gone missing while doing preparatory work for a documentary on the subject. His wife has asked Laura to come as support and to help search for her husband, and Laura is willing. She arrives with a close friend, Saad, a man that one senses that she wishes was more than just a friend. Also going on in the area is an annual Bigfoot Convention. After meeting with the professor's wife, and attending some of the convention talks, Laura and Saad meet with the forest ranger group organizing the search for the missing man. They are assigned a ranger, and an EMT to search with, but as they approach the area, they find more then they bargained for.
With skeptics, fanatics, tourism promoters, and academics the convention goers are prolific and it seems like they are everywhere. But there are other elements in play here as well, including groups of militants armed to the teeth and ready to shoot at anything that moves.
Laura isn't sure who she can trust or rely on besides Saad, and with more bigfoot sightings things only get murkier.
This was a quick and fast-paced read, that I enjoyed. I liked the media quotes regarding bigfoot sightings of the past that headed the chapters, and the scientific discussions that became part of the plot.

A Little History of Science

Finished May 29
A Little History of Science by William Bynum

This book consists of short chapters (around 6 pages each) taking us from the beginnings of science to the present. Bynum shows how science and religion often went together in the past, with the first people doing science being priests. He shows that science can be both simple observation and complex laboratory work or complicated formulas. He shows the development over time and how each new advance built on work done earlier. The writing assumes no prior knowledge of the different aspects of science, with all technical terms explained in words even a child can understand. Bynum makes science both interesting and approachable and shows how science has influenced humans and the world we live in over time. From astronomy to zoology, chemistry to physics, medicine to technology, genetics to geology, he shows the progress over time and the interrelationships between different branches of science. A great introduction to the subject that leaves the reader with many avenues for future investigation.

Science Book Challenge

I first heard of this challenge through the blogger Indextrious Reader last year, and had been checking the site regularly to see whether they were going to have a challenge again this year, and now they have!
Of course, Indextrious Reader has joined again, and this will be my first time participating in this challenge. I've always had a love of math and science (was actually in Honors Mathematics my first year at university), so look forward to pushing myself to read more in this area.

Here is how the challenge works.

The 2013 Science Book Challenge

1. Read three (or more!) nonfiction books in 2013 related to the theme "Science & Culture". Your books should have something to do with science, scientists, how science operates, or the relationship of science with our culture. Your books might be popularizations of science, they might be histories, they might be biographies, they might be anthologies; they can be recent titles or older books, from the bookstore or your local library. We take a very broad view of what makes for interesting and informative science reading, looking for perspectives on science as part of culture and history.
2. After you've read a book, write a short note about it giving your opinions of the book. Tell us what you'd tell a friend if you wanted to convince your friend to read it--or avoid it. You can read some of the existing Book Notes for ideas. You might like to read our Book-note ratings for ideas about how to evaluate your books; we include ratings with every book note.
3. Don't worry if you find that you've read a book someone else has also read; we welcome multiple notes on one title.
4. Get your book note to us and we'll post it with the other notes in our Book Note section. Use the book-note form or the comment form to get in touch with us.
5. Spread the scienticity and tell other people about the Science Book Challenge, either here,http://scienticity.net/wiki/Science_Book_Challenge, or at our Facebook group.

Probably my favourite areas of science are natural science and physics, but I'll be checking through my unread piles to see what fits, and scanning the new books at work to see what appeals in this area.