Addictive Books

From the Politzer Prize winner comes an exploration of medicine and our radical new ability to manipulate cells. Rich with Mukherjee’s revelatory and exhilarating stories of scientists, doctors, and the patients whose lives may be saved by their work. The discovery of cells - and the reframing of the human body as a cellular ecosystem - announced the birth of a new kind of medicine based on the therapeutic manipulations of cells. More ...

 From New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, Sy Montgomery has befriended octopuses with strikingly different personalities—gentle Athena, assertive Octavia, curious Kali, and joyful Karma. Each creature shows her cleverness in myriad ways: escaping enclosures like an orangutan; jetting water to bounce balls; and endlessly tricking companions with multiple “sleights of hand” to get food.  More ...

"The Body: A Guide for Occupants" is a highly recommended read for anyone interested in learning about the fascinating intricacies of the human body. Bryson's signature wit and humor, combined with a wealth of scientific knowledge, make this book an enjoyable and enlightening journey through the complex inner workings of our bodies. Whether you're a medical professional or simply curious about how our bodies function, this book offers a comprehensive and accessible look at human anatomy and physiology.

Dr. Anna Lembke, psychiatrist and author, explores the exciting new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain - and what to do about it. Condensing complex neuroscience into easy-to-under­stand metaphors, Lembke illustrates how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check. Their riveting stories of suffering and redemption give us all hope for managing our consumption and transforming our lives. More ...

Unlock the secrets of life with "Gene Machine: The Race to Decipher the Secrets of the Ribosome" by Venki Ramakrishnan. Join the author on a thrilling journey through the discovery of the ribosome, the molecular machine responsible for translating DNA into the building blocks of life. With captivating storytelling this book brings the cutting-edge of science to your fingertips. Explore the exciting race to uncover the mysteries of the ribosome and how it holds the key to life as we know it. Get ready to be inspired by the wonders of biology in "Gene Machine."

Yale professor and leading expert on the psychology of successful aging, Dr. Becca Levy, draws on her ground-breaking research to show how age beliefs can be improved so they benefit all aspects of the aging process, including the way genes operate and the extension of life expectancy by 7.5 years. She demonstrates that many health problems formerly considered to be entirely due to the aging process, such as memory loss, hearing decline, and cardiovascular events, are instead influenced by the negative age beliefs. More ...

"Why We Sleep" explores the crucial role of sleep for our health, longevity and well-being. In this book, the author uses 20 years of research to explain why sleep is linked to major diseases and how it affects our lives. The book covers topics from REM sleep, caffeine & alcohol's impact, and sleep patterns over a lifetime, offering a comprehensive look at the extraordinary phenomenon of sleep. Get ready to discover the mysteries of sleep and why it matters for your overall well-being.

Exploring the positive effects of nature on the brain through research and personal anecdotes, the author shows how time spent in nature can improve our health, happiness, and creativity. This engaging book delves into the science behind the nature fix and provides inspiration to reconnect with the great outdoors. A must-read for anyone seeking to understand the power of nature in our lives, "The Nature Fix" will leave you with a deeper appreciation for the natural world and a desire to spend more time in it.

In the Selfish Gene ethologist Richard Dawkins builds upon the principal theory of George C Williams's Adaptation and Natural Selection (1966). Dawkins uses the term "selfish gene" as a way of expressing the gene-centred view of evolution (as opposed to the views focused on the organism and the group). From this view, it follows that the more two individuals are genetically related, the more sense (at the level of the genes) it makes for them to behave cooperatively with each other.More ...

Watching from the edge of the Brazilian rain forest, witness to the sort of violence nature visits upon its creatures, Edward O. Wilson reflects on the crucible of evolution, and so begins his remarkable account of how the living world became diverse and how humans are destroying that diversity. Wilson takes us on a tour through time, traces the processes that create new species in bursts of adaptive radiation, and points out the cataclysmic events that have disrupted evolution and diminished global diversity over the past 600 million years.

Every animal, whether human, squid, or wasp, is home to millions of bacteria and other microbes. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ed Yong, whose humor is as evident as his erudition, prompts us to look at ourselves and our animal companions in a new light—less as individuals and more as the interconnected, interdependent multitudes we assuredly are. The microbes in our bodies are part of our immune systems and protect us from disease.  More ...