Professor Shakhashiri's
RECOMMENDED READINGS

Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5 Billion Year History of the Human Body
by Neil Shubin
Pantheon, 2008

We don't need to find fossils for evidence of evolution-the evidence is right in our own bodies. This is a fascinating and eloquent tour of the human body and how its structures and functions developed from previous life forms. Shubin, Professor of Anatomy at the University of Chicago and provost of the Field Museum of Natural History, is best known for his discovery in 2006 of Tiktaalik, a "missing link" between fish and amphibians. Taktaalik, which lived about 365 million years ago, had both gills and lungs, a neck and shoulders, and front limbs/fins with which it could move on land. Shubin shows how anatomy developed by Tiktaalik, and all other earlier life forms, is still with us, and how the hand-me-down nature of the human body makes us vulnerable to disease and damage. The book provides great insights into both human physiology and evolution.

Science, Evolution, and Creationism
National Academy of Sciences
Institute of Medicine
The National Academy Press, 2008

This new book addresses current controversies over the teaching of evolution, now under attack by some people who propose a variety of ideas combined here under the title “creationism.” Written by a panel of 15 distinguished scientists, the book provides a clear and concise explanation of evolution. It also notes recent discoveries that add to the already overwhelming body of evidence from all scientific disciplines supporting evolution as the core explanation of the development of life on Earth and as the basis of all biological sciences including medicine. The book also deals directly with various challenges to evolution by creationists. It notes that the scientific use of the word “theory” is very different from everyday use of the word. The authors declare that science and religion are not opposing ideas, noting that many religions and religious leaders accept evolution as fact. They also declare that that creationism does not belong in the science classroom. It is not a scientific theory because it is not provable or disprovable, and it makes no predictions concerning further discoveries (Darwin made several predictions that have proven to be correct.). The authors state, “Science can neither prove nor disprove religion” and “The study of science need not lessen or compromise faith.” The book is short, just 55 pages, well-organized and illustrated, and readily accessible to any interested reader.  Science, Evolution and Creationism can be ordered and read on line from the The National Academies Press at www.nap.edu.

Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain
by Oliver Sacks
Alfred A. Knopf, 2007

This book explores the workings of the human brain by examining reactions to music in a wide variety of people, from great musicians to the tone-deaf, as well as people whose perceptions are altered by illness or injury. It also describes how music can relieve the symptoms of brain disease and injury. Sacks, Professor of Clinical Neurology and Psychiatry at Columbia University, explains the latest discoveries in neurology through fascinating and unforgettable stories of individual cases and delves deeply into the relationship between emotion and intellect. This is a rare book of “hard science” which is also capable of moving readers to tears of joy or sorrow. We heartily recommend this and all of Sacks’ books (10 in all).

Darwin and Intelligent Design
by Francisco J. Ayala
Fortress Press, 2006

This is a clearly written, short (104 pages) and inexpensive paperback that provides a concise rebuttal to the doctrine of intelligent design. While fully respectful of religion, it answers several creationist arguments, such as the claim that the human eye is too complicated to have arisen through evolution by natural selection. Ayala concludes, “Religious believers should see in the magnificent achievements of modern science a manifestation of the glory of God, not a threat to their faith.” Ayala is uniquely qualified to address this issue. He holds chairs as Professor of Biological Sciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and also Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Irvine. He is a former Catholic priest.

Electric Universe: The Shocking True Story of Electricity
by David Bodanis
Crown Publishers, 2005

This is the engrossing story of the development of the practical applications of electricity and the theoretical understanding of electricity from the early 1800s to the present. It includes the personal stories of many colorful characters involved in the development of electricity, some of them villainous, some heroic and some tragic. The book starts with the development of the telegraph and ends with the way the human brain uses electricity. Bodanis makes the case that the use of electricity has changed almost everything about human existence, conquering time and distance and banishing the night. There’s one puzzling omission–there’s no mention of Nicola Tesla, inventor of AC current and many improvements in electric motors, who was one of the most colorful characters in the history of electricity. Nevertheless, this book is both highly informative and a great job of story telling–you won’t want to put it down.

The Joy of Chemistry: The Amazing Science of Familiar Things
by Cathy Cobb and Monty L. Fetterolf
Prometheus Books, 2005

Written by a prep school science teacher and a chemistry professor, this book is an enjoyable introduction to chemistry using examples from everyday life and experiments you can do at home to explain the principles of chemistry. From making a bottle rocket to the chemistry of pizza when it goes bad, the authors explain what happens. Want to know the definition of hard water? How a semiconductor works? What causes body odor? The physics of the flush toilet? Why beans cause flatulence? All this and more is presented in an entertaining manner that’s relevant to our everyday lives. (Cathy Cobb is also author of Magick, Mayhem and Mavericks: The Spirited History of Physical Chemistry and co-author of Chemistry’s Lively History from Alchemy to the Atomic Age. )

The Physics of Baseball
by Robert K. Adair
Perennial, 1990, 1994, 2002

The Physics of Hockey
by Alain Hache
John Hopkins University Press, 2002

The Physics of Football
by Timothy Gay
Harper, 2004, 2005

We know that all sports are governed by the laws of physics, but these books delve into fascinating details. All three were written by physics professors who are also fans of the sport they examine. Want to know how far a curve ball actually curves or how a Zamboni ice- resurfacer works? Did you know that a professional football lineman can generate up to four horsepower firing off the line of scrimmage and hit with tons of force? Scientifically accurate and accessible to readers of high school age and up, these books make physics fun and add to the appreciation of sports.

Napoleon’s Buttons: 17 Molecules that Changed History
by Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson
Penguin Group (USA) 2004

This is a fascinating story of how certain desirable molecules shaped civilizations through trade and exploration and also stimulated technology through the search for substitutes. Among the molecules profiled are spices, glucose (sugar), silk and nylon, dyes (which led to the drug industry), the Pill, morphine, nicotine, caffeine, plastics and salt. Among the consequences of the search for these molecules was the colonization of much of the world by European nations and the establishment of slavery in the New World. The chemistry of the molecules is amply explained, but non-chemists can enjoy the book as well without delving into the equations. The title refers to a claim that the uniforms worn by Napoleon’s soldiers had buttons made of tin, which becomes brittle and crumbles in very cold temperatures. During Napoleon’s disastrous retreat from Moscow in the dead of winter, so the story goes, the soldiers’ buttons crumbled, leaving them even more susceptible to the cold. The authors can’t verify the story–“tin disease” was well known at the time and it seems unlikely that a major army would make such a mistake–but it illustrates how important a common chemical can be.

Uncorked: The Science of Champagne
by Gerard Liger-Belair
Princeton University Press, 2004

Liger-Belair is a physicist who is fascinated by bubbles. This is certainly appropriate, since he is a professor at the University of Reims in the heart of champagne country. He has used a high-powered, high-speed video microscope to reveal the secrets of the champagne bubbles, which tickle the nose and carry the aromas of the wine. The science presented here is accurate as well as accessible in this modest-length book of 143 pages, which contain many images produced by the microscope. The book is a delightful blend of science, practicality, and pleasure. Liger-Belair’s summary says it best: “Your capacity for enjoyment is, I hope, made richer for the time you took to gain insight into the physics and chemistry of effervescence. I hope that the experience inspires you to savor all your life’s moments just as you would relish every sip of champagne.”

Out of Gas: The End of the Age of Oil
by David Goodstein
W.W. Norton and Company, 2004

Goodstein, a professor of physics at Caltech, makes his position very clear: “Civilization as we know it will come to an end sometime in this century unless we can find a way to live without fossil fuels.” This short book (123 pages) is written in plain, easy to understand English. Goodstein provides clear explanations of each type of fuel and energy system as well as the laws of conservation of energy and thermodynamics. He makes it clear that trouble will start, not when each type of fossil fuel runs out, but when the supply of each starts to decline as demand continues to increase. With oil, we may already have reached that point. Goodstein says the only hope to save civilization is a massive commitment to developing new energy technologies, a commitment at least as great as the drive to put men on the moon in the 1960s. We have not yet made this urgent commitment. After reading this book, you may agree that we should.

Making Truth: Metaphor in Science
by Theodore L. Brown
University of Illinois Press, 2003

Brown, a chemistry professor and textbook writer, advances a controversial idea–that scientific inquiry and understanding is often based on conceptual metaphor. For example, a cell is often called a factory and biochemists use the concept of a “chaperone” protein to describe a protein that prevents unwanted interactions. Since metaphors are based on everyday life, they have cultural roots, and Brown argues that the way we think about a subject can distort our inquiry into it and our interpretation of the results. Brown says the central problem of science is making a connection between a metaphor, which serves as a kind of model or theory, and the results of experiments. Many scientists think of their work as an objective search for truth and reject the idea that science, like all human activities, has a cultural aspect. The book continues an ongoing dialogue about the way scientists think and work.

Newton’s Darkness–Two Dramatic Views
by Carl Djerassi and David Pinner
Imperial College Press, 2003

As the name implies, these plays explore the dark side of the personality of Issac Newton, focusing on his feuds with two other scientists over getting credit for discoveries. The title of Pinner’s play, Newton’s Hooke, refers to Robert Hooke, who also claimed credit for the discovery of the law of gravity. Djerassi’s play, Calculus–Newton’s Whores, explores Newton’s dispute with Gottfried Leibniz over credit for the invention of calculus. The authors make a case that Newton sometimes acted unethically and they say in their introduction, “At stake is an issue that is as germane today as it was 300 years ago: a scientist’s ethics must not be divorced from scientific achievement.” Djerassi is a distinguished chemist best known as the father of the birth control pill. He has devoted considerable effort to what he calls “science-in-fiction”, designed to “smuggle” science to the public. Pinner is a veteran actor, director and playwright who has had 18 plays produced on stage and many more on radio and television. For a longer review by Professor Shakhashiri click here: C&EN News Website.

NO
A play by Carl Djerassi and Pierre Laszlo
Deutscher Theaterverlag, 2003

NO is a relatively short “pedagogic wordplay” designed to be read in classrooms and similar settings rather than being fully staged. NO is nitric oxide, which has only recently been discovered to have many vital functions in the human body from penile erection to blood clotting to promoting nerve impulses. In the play, two scientists discuss NO with a venture capitalist who is a potential backer of their research. In the process, the audience learns a lot about science and the funding of scientific research. The co-authors are Carl Djerassi, a distinguished chemist best known as the father of the birth control pill, and Pierre Laszlo, a prolific French science writer who has been a professor of chemistry at several distinguished universities. Djerassi has devoted much of his time in recent years to “science-in-fiction”, attempting to “smuggle” science to the general public in the form of novels and plays. This book includes German, English and French versions of the play and a unique feature–a CD with the visuals used by the scientists in the play and a rap song about NO. The rap song always gets a big response from audiences and makes NO unforgettable. We highly recommend this marriage of science and art. Djerassi maintains his own web site, www.djerassi.com.

Science Literacy for the Twenty First Century
edited by Stephanie Pace Marshall, Judith A. Scheppler and Michael J. Palmisano
Prometheus Books, 2003

This is a collection of essays by 28 illustrious scientists and educators, compiled in honor of the 80th. birthday of Leon Lederman, who won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1988. During his distinguished career, Lederman has served as Director of the Fermi National Accelerator Lab and President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has devoted many years to reforming and promoting science education. The essays deal with both formal and informal education as well as the duties and ethics of scientists. They also provide examples of successful programs, some of which were started by Lederman. In his epilogue, Lederman says the failures of the education system have generated a rich rhetoric over the years but, “The rhetoric that promises results is wrong for the simple reason that the rhetoric has never been followed by action.” Lederman has gone beyond rhetoric. After joining the physics faculty of the University of Chicago in 1989 (he is also Pritzker Professor of Science at the Illinois Institute of Technology), he helped found the Teacher’s Academy for Mathematics and Science, designed to re-train 20,000 teachers in the Chicago public schools, and he also helped found the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, a public school for gifted children. This book raises all the issues and questions surrounding science literacy and also provides ideas and hope for the future.

The Man Who Found Time
by Jack Repcheck
Perseus Publishing, 2003

Most of the men whose discoveries changed the way we think about ourselves and our place in the Universe are famous–Copernicus, Galileo, Newton and Darwin. But the discoverer of deep time, Scottish gentleman farmer James Hutton (1726-1797) is virtually unknown. This concise and well-written book tells how Hutton, a self-taught geologist, proved that the Earth is millions of years old, at least, and why he is not well known. It also provides valuable insights into the development of the Bible-based young Earth chronology which Hutton overturned, and the Scottish Enlightenment, which included other great thinkers such as James Watt and David Hume.

Envisioning Science: The Design and Craft of the Science Image
by Felice Frankel
MIT Press, 2002

At one level, this is a fascinating how-to book on photography for scientists to facilitate communicating their research, but it is also much more, presenting hundreds of beautiful and stunning images, many at the micro and nano scale. Frankel says, “Using compelling and accessible pictures is a powerful way to draw the public’s interest to the world of research. When the public develops a more intimate association with science the results will be both a richer society and one supporting the important efforts in scientific investigation.” Frankel, Director of the Envisioning Science Project at MIT, says scientists should not be afraid to ad marvel and wonder to their images. This book will delight anyone interested in science, photography or beautiful pictures. (Frankel is co-author of On the Surface of Things, also reviewed here.

Oxygen: The Molecule that made the World
By Nick Lane
Oxford University Press, 2002

Oxygen is both toxic and indispensable to life. The book takes the reader on an enthralling journey explaining the role of oxygen in evolution and why it’s necessary for biological diversity. The story of oxygen also explains the need for two sexes and for death. Oxygen offers the latest information about controversial topics like aging and cloning, drawing on many scientific disciplines. The book has enough information to satisfy serious students of science, yet it is clearly written and accessible to any interested lay person. Oxygen is a fascinating biography of the element that makes up more than half the human body and makes our existence possible.

Bright Earth: Art and the Invention of Color
by Philip Ball
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2001

We may assume that everyone thinks about color in the same way, but some tribal languages have only two words for color, light and dark, while other languages have only a few more. Our way of thinking about color is very recent. The use of color in art has often been denigrated. Roman writer Pliny the Elder thought the use of bold color was decadent and claimed the ancient Greeks used only four colors, black, white, red and yellow. Modern architect LeCorbusier asserted that color is “suited to simple races, peasants, and savages.” Ball, a science writer who holds a degree in chemistry from Oxford and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Bristol, takes the reader through a history of color and painting, including color photos of many famous paintings and explanations of what they looked like before their colors deteriorated. This comprehensive book is sure to leave the reader with a greater appreciation of art, science, history and culture.

This Man’s Pill: Reflections on the 50th Birthday of the Pill
by Carl Djerassi
Oxford University Press, 2001

One of the inventors of the birth control pill, Carl Djerassi gives his account of the development of the pill, which differs from some other accounts, and offers his personal insights into the consequences of the pill. Djerassi, a chemistry professor at Stanford, says development of the pill occurred during a period of technological euphoria, and could not be repeated today. He also talks about the barriers, mostly social and economic, to developing a birth control pill for men. Djerassi says the pill contributed to the sexual revolution of the 1960s but did not cause it. Djerassi also speculates about the future of contraception and sex, now that sex has been largely separated from procreation. In recent years, Djerassi has turned to writing what he calls “science in fiction”. His stated goal is to smuggle science to the general public disguised as fiction. Djerassi’s writing style is clear and direct and he’s a good storyteller. His novels include Cantor’s Dilemma, The Bourbaki Gambit, and Menachem’s Seed. Djerassi has also written plays and poetry as well as hundreds of scientific articles. Djerassi maintains his own website, www.djerassi.com.

Oxygen
by Carl Djerassi and Roald Hoffmann
Wiley-VCH-Weinheim, 2001

This play by two renowned chemists explores the human side of science, asking who should get credit for discovering oxygen (all three claimants and their wives are presented). Carl Djerassi of Stanford is one of the few recipients of both the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Roald Hoffmann of Cornell University is a Nobel Laureate . The play has been translated into many languages and produced in several countries. To order a DVD of a production at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, click here.

The Age of Science: What Scientists Learned in the Twentieth Century
by Gerard Piel
Basic Books, 2001

This is an ambitious and beautifully written overview of the explosive growth of scientific knowledge in the twentieth century. Piel, founder and longtime publisher of the Scientific American, starts with the basics, what scientists do, then describes the development of major fields of scientific knowledge: astronomy, biology, nuclear physics, earth history and the evolution of life. Piel is not a scientist–he admits to having math phobia in his student days–but he pioneered the field of science writing for the general public with Life magazine in the 1930's. He does not talk down to his audience and parts of the book are slow going, but it’s well illustrated and includes interesting insights concerning the scientists who made the discoveries. This is a great resource for anyone who wants a basic grounding in science and how it got where it is today.

Science, Money and Politics: Political triumph and Ethical Erosion
by Daniel S. Greenberg
University of Chicago Press, 2001

Veteran science writer Daniel Greenberg provides a detailed review of science funding in the U.S. since World War II and concludes that the science establishment has consistently and falsely claimed a lack of funding, an impending shortage of scientists and a lack of public respect. Greenberg also asserts that science is now endangered by “corporate contamination of academic scientific integrity” and a governmental/academic system that’s “bureaucratically calcified”. Greenberg’s prescription is to, “dislodge science from it’s comfortable ghetto and move it into the rough waters of the political mainstream,” where there would be more public accountability for the billions of dollars spent on research. Some will disagree with Greenberg’s conclusions in this thought-provoking book, but it provides a valuable overview of the politics and money behind scientific research.

Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood
by Oliver Sacks
Alfred A. Knopf, 2001

Oliver Sacks, a distinguished neurologist and engaging storyteller, was born into a large, science-oriented family. The book tells about his boyhood experiences with the wonders of chemistry (Sacks’ “Uncle Tungsten” owned a factory that made light bulb filaments). While relating his juvenile adventures, Sacks communicates a lot of science and history of science with a compelling and often humorous touch, drawing the reader into a journey of discovery. Sacks is the author of Awakenings, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, and many other books, for which he has received numerous awards.

A University for the 21st Century
by James J. Duderstadt
University of Michigan Press, 2000

Duderstadt, President Emeritus of the University of Michigan, says major changes are inevitable in higher education–the question is what form they will take. He analyzes the forces effecting universities, and there are many--technological, political, economic, social and cultural. While American universities have been very successful in many ways, Duderstadt says they are not well adapted to the rapidly changing world of the 21st century and will have to undergo the greatest transformation in their history. He predicts that the university of the future will be as different from today’s institutions as the research university is from the colonial college . In this comprehensive book, Duderstadt offers an action agenda to equip universities to continue making great contributions to society, an agenda which should interest anyone who cares about the future of higher education.

Galileo’s Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love
by Dava Sobel
Penguin, 2000

This book is a best seller which offers a unique perspective on the life and times of Galileo. It’s based on 124 letters to Galileo from his only daughter Sister Marie Celeste, a cloistered nun. (Unfortunately, Galileo’s letters to her have not been found.) Though Galileo’s dispute with the Roman Catholic Church is well known (the Church forced him to recant some of his discoveries), the letters show that Galileo himself saw no conflict between his search for scientific truth and his belief in God. Sister Marie Celeste was intelligent, educated and devoted to both her father and the Church, and the book reveals a very human side of scientific endeavor. Like Sobel’s other best seller, Longitude, and Sobel herself, this book has won several prestigious awards.

Consilience: the Unity of Knowledge
by Edward O. Wilson
Alfred A. Knopf, 1998

Wilson, a distinguished biologist who pioneered the concepts of biodiversity and sociobiology, attempts nothing less than unifying all branches of knowledge, not only the sciences but the arts, humanities and philosophy as well (he borrows the word consilience, meaning “a coming together”, from 19th century philosopher William Whewell). Wilson is an optimist who believes that the universe is orderly and that all knowledge is accessible through consistent natural laws. He says this belief reached an apogee during the Age of Enlightenment, when “natural philosophers” saw no distinctions between different branches of knowledge, a unity which has been lost with the increasing specialization of researchers in all fields. Wilson was raised a devout Southern Baptist and speaks with evangelical zeal concerning the quest for knowledge–he says, “..science is religion liberated and writ large.” Whether or not Wilson succeeds in his quest for unity, the book is an exciting and very readable journey through the history and philosophy of many fields of learning by the author of two Pulitzer Prize winning books, On Human Nature and The Ants.

Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
by Jared Diamond
W.W. Norton and Company, 1997

This ambitious book attempts to explain why civilization arose in some places and not others. One hundred years ago the popular explanation was racist–that Europeans are intellectually and morally superior. Diamond’s conclusion is different. After an exhaustive look at the development of domesticated plants and animals, and the diseases that came with the domestication of animals, he concludes that the chief reason is geography and the availability of suitable plants and animals. Diamond also asserts that history should be considered a science since it draws on many scientific disciplines including archaeology, anthropology, linguistics, genetics, molecular biology and epidemiology. Diamond says human history is a “historical science” just like many other sciences which do not lend themselves to laboratory experiments including astronomy, geology and climatology. Diamond’s book is a fascinating and informative best seller which won a Pulitzer Prize.

On the Surface of Things: Images of the Extraordinary in Science
by Felice Frankel and George M. Whitesides
Chronicle Books, 1997

A collaboration of art and science has produced a book of stunning photographs of the surface of substances, some at the sub-microscopic level, along with explanations by Harvard chemistry professor George M. Whitesides.  Felice Frankel is artist-in-residence and a research scientist at MIT. The images range in scale from ice crystals on a window pane to strands of DNA and the dots and dashes on the surface of a compact disc.   All the photos are colorful and eye-catching.  The close-up of rust is as beautiful in its own way as the close-up of a butterfly?s wing, and the explanations of why things look the way they do add to the reader's appreciation.  This book should appeal not only to science and photography buffs, but to anyone with a curious mind and an eye for beauty.  Frankel is the author of Envisioning Science: The Design and Craft of the Science Image, also reviewed here.

The Same and Not the Same
by Roald Hoffmann
Columbia University Press, 1995

This is a fascinating look at the importance of small differences in chemicals and in art, and the difficult choices facing scientists. For example, a molecule called d- and l-carvone is the chief ingredient in the odor of caraway while its mirror image, identical in all other respects, is the chief ingredient in spearmint. Hoffmann, a Nobel laureate in chemistry and a published poet, explains many of these seemingly small but extremely important differences, the conflict between human nature and the goal of scientific objectivity and the social responsibility of scientists in a democracy. Hoffmann weaves together an eloquent story of science, art and human nature that makes chemistry accessible to everyone and provides an insiders explanation of how science is done.

A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper
by John Allen Paulos
BasicBooks, 1995

Paulos is a Professor of Mathematics at Temple University and winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science award for promoting public understanding of science and technology. This is one of several books he has written to promote mathematical literacy. An earlier book, Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and It’s Consequences, was a best seller. This book contains many useful insights to important subjects like risk assessment, evaluating medical test results and exposing conspiracy theories. Written in a concise, newspaper-like style, it offers a handy guide to reading a newspaper and understanding what the information really means. Paulos’ most recent book, A Mathematician Looks at the Stock Market, was prompted by his own losses in the dot-com crash. Paulos admits that even a mathematician can be taken in by clever manipulation of numbers.

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
by Dava Sobel
Walker and Company, 1995

The greatest scientific problem of the time (1700s) was determining longitude at sea. Poor navigation caused many shipwrecks and the problem had defeated the greatest scientific minds for 200 years. This is a story of science–the search brought about other discoveries including the first accurate determinations of the weight of the earth, the distance to the stars and the speed of light. It is also a very human story of adversity, perseverance and ultimate triumph as the lone genius, John Harrison, fought for 40 years to claim the prize that he had earned. This award winning book is very accessible to almost any reader, teen or adult, telling a fascinating and compelling story in just 175 pages.

Chemistry Imagined: Reflections on Science
By Roald Hoffmann and Vivian Torrence
Smithsonian Institution Press, 1993

This book is a rare collaboration of art and science. Vivian Torrence is an artist who works in watercolor and collage. Roald Hoffmann is a Nobel Prize winning chemist. The book, which grew out of an exhibit sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Science Foundation, the Maytag Corporation, and Cornell University, contains 30 works by Torrence with poems and essays by Hoffmann. The two met when they were both in residence at the Djerassi Foundation, an artists’ colony founded by Stanford University chemist Carl Djerassi. Sometimes Torrance created a collage and Hoffmann responded with a poem or essay. Sometimes Hoffmann’s writings inspired a collage and at other times they passed ideas back and forth. The authors maintain that science and art have a lot in common, most obviously creativity, and that the perceived gap between them is entirely artificial. In his essays, Hoffmann offers an explanation of basic chemistry that’s far more lucid and compelling than any textbook. This book is a good choice for those seeking basic literacy in chemistry with an artistic touch.

Advice to a Young Scientist
by Peter Medawar
Harper and Row, 1979

While it’s not a recent edition, this short (106 pages) and charmingly written book offers valuable insights into the nature of science and scientists. Medawar participated in the early development of penicillin, won the Nobel Prize in 1960 for his research on the rejection of organ and tissue transplants and was knighted by the Queen of England. For many years he headed the British National Institute for Medical Research. To Medawar, science is more than just a search for facts–research must be directed by hypotheses which require imagination and creativity to formulate and science is “a logically connected network of theories that represents our current opinion about what the natural world is like.” He says a scientist is simply a seeker after truth and the Scientific Method just plain common sense. Aspiring young scientists would do well to heed this personal advice from an old hand, which also provides an insiders level of understanding for anyone interested in science.