The Royal Society today announced its . These 13 books represent some of 2008鈥檚 best and most exciting popular science books 鈥� from the debunking of pseudoscience to the scientific view of race and the world鈥檚 first computer.
The Royal Society will narrow these down to a shortlist of six on 25 June, and the winner of the 鈧�10,000 prize will be revealed 15 September.
Look for New 杏吧原创鈥榮 analysis of the shortlist 鈥� and the announcement of our science books reader competition 鈥� in our 11 July issue. In the meantime, check out what our reviewers thought of the contenders, and if you missed any of them, now is the time to catch up on your reading!
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What the nose knows: The science of scent in everyday life by Avery Gilbert
鈥淩emarkably entertaining, and a great read for anyone seeking a tour that awakens the senses,鈥� said reviewer Mick O鈥橦are.
Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
鈥淥ne of the essential reads of the year so far,鈥� according to our reviewer Michael Bond.
The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic generation discovered the beauty and terror of science by Richard Holmes
From New 杏吧原创 editor Roger Highfield鈥榮 Christmas wish list 鈥� a 鈥渕ust-read-if-I-just-had-a-spare-mo鈥�.
Living with Enza: The forgotten story of Britain and the great flu pandemic of 1918 by Mark Honigsbaum
鈥淩ead this book to understand what happened to a country caught up in both a war and a disease that killed millions worldwide, led by variously competent civil servants whose responses, or lack of them, have some worrying parallels with UK pandemic plans today,鈥� reviewer Debora MacKenzie advised.
Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the great debate about the nature of reality by Manjit Kumar
鈥淎 vivid account of the people behind the debate over the nature of reality,鈥� said Eleanor Harris in her Paperback Picks.
Strange Fruit: Why both sides are wrong in the race debate by Kenan Malik
鈥淢alik is a keen logician; he takes assertions literally, weighs the evidence and usually finds it wanting鈥� terrific for a college course on critical thinking鈥� three cheers for Malik鈥檚 rationalism,鈥� wrote reviewer Ian Hacking.
Decoding the Heavens: Solving the mystery of the world鈥檚 first computer by Jo Marchant
鈥淎 fascinating tale of an artifact that upends our estimation of Classical technology鈥� Decoding the Heavens conveys the wonder of a find one archaeologist hailed as 鈥榓s spectacular as if the opening of Tutankhamen鈥檚 tomb had revealed the decayed but recognisable parts of an internal combustion engine鈥�,鈥� reviewer Paul Collins wrote.
The Drunkard鈥檚 Walk: How randomness rules our lives by Leonard Mlodinow
鈥淎n engaging guide to the randomness of our everyday lives,鈥� according to Eleanor Harris.
Physics for Future Presidents: The science behind the headlines by Richard A. Muller
鈥淲ritten with a logic that is Feynmanesque in its simplicity and persuasiveness, this is a must-read for future presidents,鈥� said reviewer Justin Mullins.
Your Inner Fish: The amazing discovery of our 375-million-year-old ancestor by Neil Shubin
鈥淎 book that unpacks the history in our bones鈥� a deft synthesis of palaeontology, embryology and developmental biology,鈥� said reviewer Simon Conway Morris.
Ice, Mud and Blood: Lessons from climates past by Chris Turney
鈥淭urney surveys capricious climates of the past, from early Snowball Earth to the frost fairs of the Little Ice Age, and captures the intriguing stories of how science uncovered this unexpectedly volatile past. It is a sobering and vividly told tale 鈥� especially as we contemplate our growing contribution to its outcome,鈥� reviewer Fred Pearce wrote.
Microcosm: E. Coli and the new science of life by Carl Zimmer
鈥淓volution and genetics glitter among the pages, as do the lives and experiments of the scientists who have studied them. Microcosm is exciting, original and wholly persuasive of the beauty and utility of looking at the largest of issues from the smallest perspectives,鈥� said reviewer Druin Burch.
The Universe in a Mirror: The saga of the Hubble Space Telescope and the visionaries who built it by Robert Zimmerman
鈥淶immerman tells the tale of Hubble鈥檚 bumpy road to orbit, the dramatic rescue mission to fix its vision, and the campaign that won it a fourth servicing mission鈥� a fascinating inside look at how the great observatory came to be,鈥� said reviewer David Shiga.