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Evolution
by Carl Zimmer • 2001
One idea explains elaborate plumage, the fossil record, and why antibiotics stop working: evolution.
4.11
5k+
Evolution Summary
Evolution 94%
One idea explains elaborate plumage, the fossil record, and why antibiotics stop working: evolution.
by Carl Zimmer 2001
4.11
5k+ ratings
Climbing Mount Improbable
by Richard Dawkins • 1996
Eyes evolved from scratch forty times. Each time the path was a staircase, not a leap.
4.11
10k+
Climbing Mount Improbable Summary
Climbing Mount Improbable 93%
Eyes evolved from scratch forty times. Each time the path was a staircase, not a leap.
by Richard Dawkins 1996
4.11
10k+ ratings
What Evolution Is
by Ernst W. Mayr • 2001
An architect of modern evolutionary theory shows his work: fossils, genes, and islands all converge.
4.02
4k+
What Evolution Is Summary
What Evolution Is 93%
An architect of modern evolutionary theory shows his work: fossils, genes, and islands all converge.
by Ernst W. Mayr 2001
4.02
4k+ ratings
At the Water's Edge
by Carl Zimmer • 1998
Getting onto land was a 390-million-year project. Going back took whales just 15 million.
4.09
2k+
At the Water's Edge Summary
At the Water's Edge 92%
Getting onto land was a 390-million-year project. Going back took whales just 15 million.
by Carl Zimmer 1998
4.09
2k+ ratings
Oxygen
by Nick Lane • 2002
The molecule that powers every breath you take is also rusting you from the inside out.
4.13
3k+
Oxygen Summary
Oxygen 92%
The molecule that powers every breath you take is also rusting you from the inside out.
by Nick Lane 2002
4.13
3k+ ratings
Life Ascending
by Nick Lane • 2009
Evolution's hardest problems, from life's origin to death itself, all have a chemical answer.
4.13
5k+
Life Ascending Summary
Life Ascending 92%
Evolution's hardest problems, from life's origin to death itself, all have a chemical answer.
by Nick Lane 2009
4.13
5k+ ratings
Your Inner Fish
by Neil Shubin • 2008
Your wrist is a fish fin, your hiccup a gill. The body's 3.5-billion-year fossil record, decoded.
4.04
29k+
Your Inner Fish Summary
Your Inner Fish 92%
Your wrist is a fish fin, your hiccup a gill. The body's 3.5-billion-year fossil record, decoded.
by Neil Shubin 2008
4.04
29k+ ratings
Buddhism
by Damien Keown • 1996
Buddhism has no god, no bible, no pope. What holds its many traditions together?
3.74
3k+
Buddhism Summary
Buddhism 92%
Buddhism has no god, no bible, no pope. What holds its many traditions together?
by Damien Keown 1996
3.74
3k+ ratings
The Ancestor's Tale
by Richard Dawkins • 2004
Evolution traced backward, from human to the first cell: a pilgrimage through shared ancestry.
4.15
29k+
The Ancestor's Tale Summary
The Ancestor's Tale 92%
Evolution traced backward, from human to the first cell: a pilgrimage through shared ancestry.
by Richard Dawkins 2004
4.15
29k+ ratings
The Extended Phenotype
by Richard Dawkins • 1982
Genes don't stop at skin: a beaver dam is a genetic tool, like the teeth.
4.12
10k+
The Extended Phenotype Summary
The Extended Phenotype 92%
Genes don't stop at skin: a beaver dam is a genetic tool, like the teeth.
by Richard Dawkins 1982
4.12
10k+ ratings
Understanding Living Systems
by Raymond Noble • 2023
DNA is not your destiny: the cell rewrites its genome, and organisms direct evolution.
3.84
56
Understanding Living Systems Summary
Understanding Living Systems 92%
DNA is not your destiny: the cell rewrites its genome, and organisms direct evolution.
by Raymond Noble 2023
3.84
56 ratings
Creation
by Adam Rutherford • 2013
Life emerged once from chemistry. Now we write new genetic code and build cells from scratch.
3.97
762
Creation Summary
Creation 92%
Life emerged once from chemistry. Now we write new genetic code and build cells from scratch.
by Adam Rutherford 2013
3.97
762 ratings
Darwin and Evolution
by Paul Strathern • 1998
How a seasick naturalist and a stranger's letter launched the most disruptive idea in science.
3.58
125
Darwin and Evolution Summary
Darwin and Evolution 92%
How a seasick naturalist and a stranger's letter launched the most disruptive idea in science.
by Paul Strathern 1998
3.58
125 ratings
The Next Species
by Michael Tennesen • 2015
Five mass extinctions cleared the board. The sixth is us, and evolution is picking the survivors.
3.71
310
The Next Species Summary
The Next Species 92%
Five mass extinctions cleared the board. The sixth is us, and evolution is picking the survivors.
by Michael Tennesen 2015
3.71
310 ratings
What Is Life?
by Paul Nurse • 2020
All life runs on five core principles. A Nobel laureate shows what they are.
3.94
3k+
What Is Life? Summary
What Is Life? 92%
All life runs on five core principles. A Nobel laureate shows what they are.
by Paul Nurse 2020
3.94
3k+ ratings
The Blind Watchmaker
by Richard Dawkins • 1986
A blind, unthinking algorithm built every wing, eye, and brain on Earth; no designer required.
4.09
42k+
The Blind Watchmaker Summary
The Blind Watchmaker 92%
A blind, unthinking algorithm built every wing, eye, and brain on Earth; no designer required.
by Richard Dawkins 1986
4.09
42k+ ratings
Domesticated
by Richard C. Francis • 2015
Selecting for tameness remakes body, brain, and behavior. The same force may have shaped us.
3.98
594
Domesticated Summary
Domesticated 92%
Selecting for tameness remakes body, brain, and behavior. The same force may have shaped us.
by Richard C. Francis 2015
3.98
594 ratings
Letters to a Young Scientist
by Edward O. Wilson • 2013
Think like an artist, then work like an accountant. The real path to scientific discovery.
3.90
5k+
Letters to a Young Scientist Summary
Letters to a Young Scientist 92%
Think like an artist, then work like an accountant. The real path to scientific discovery.
by Edward O. Wilson 2013
3.90
5k+ ratings
The Origin of Species
by Charles Darwin • 1859
How one blind, patient mechanism produced every species on Earth, from orchids to humans.
4.01
123k+
The Origin of Species Summary
The Origin of Species 92%
How one blind, patient mechanism produced every species on Earth, from orchids to humans.
by Charles Darwin 1859
4.01
123k+ ratings
Darwin Comes to Town
by Menno Schilthuizen • 2018
Evolution is unfolding faster on concrete than in any rainforest, right under your feet.
4.10
2k+
Darwin Comes to Town Summary
Darwin Comes to Town 91%
Evolution is unfolding faster on concrete than in any rainforest, right under your feet.
by Menno Schilthuizen 2018
4.10
2k+ ratings
A Crack in Creation
by Jennifer A. Doudna • 2017
The tool to rewrite the human genome came from bacteria. Our wisdom is still catching up.
4.13
7k+
A Crack in Creation Summary
A Crack in Creation 91%
The tool to rewrite the human genome came from bacteria. Our wisdom is still catching up.
by Jennifer A. Doudna 2017
4.13
7k+ ratings
Mosquito
by Andrew Spielman • 2001
Smaller than a fingernail, deadlier than all wars combined: the insect that decided empires.
3.89
436
Mosquito Summary
Mosquito 91%
Smaller than a fingernail, deadlier than all wars combined: the insect that decided empires.
by Andrew Spielman 2001
3.89
436 ratings
The Vital Question
by Nick Lane • 2016
Complex life arose exactly once in 4 billion years. The reason: a hidden energy constraint.
4.18
6k+
The Vital Question Summary
The Vital Question 91%
Complex life arose exactly once in 4 billion years. The reason: a hidden energy constraint.
by Nick Lane 2016
4.18
6k+ ratings
Learning From the Octopus
by Rafe Sagarin • 2012
Octopi mastered security without a memo. What they know that our defenses keep missing.
3.76
224
Learning From the Octopus Summary
Learning From the Octopus 91%
Octopi mastered security without a memo. What they know that our defenses keep missing.
by Rafe Sagarin 2012
3.76
224 ratings
Life on the Edge
by Johnjoe McFadden • 2014
Enzymes tunnel through walls, leaves harvest light near perfectly, birds steer by subatomic compass.
4.11
4k+
Life on the Edge Summary
Life on the Edge 91%
Enzymes tunnel through walls, leaves harvest light near perfectly, birds steer by subatomic compass.
by Johnjoe McFadden 2014
4.11
4k+ ratings
The Sixth Extinction
by Elizabeth Kolbert • 2014
The planet's fifth mass extinction killed the dinosaurs. We are the cause of the sixth.
4.15
80k+
The Sixth Extinction Summary
The Sixth Extinction 91%
The planet's fifth mass extinction killed the dinosaurs. We are the cause of the sixth.
by Elizabeth Kolbert 2014
4.15
80k+ ratings
An Immense World
by Ed Yong • 2022
Your world is one sliver of reality. A tour through the sensory universes other animals inhabit.
4.46
37k+
An Immense World Summary
An Immense World 91%
Your world is one sliver of reality. A tour through the sensory universes other animals inhabit.
by Ed Yong 2022
4.46
37k+ ratings
How Life Works
by Philip Ball • 2023
Genes don't give orders; cells decide for themselves. Biology's central metaphor was wrong.
4.21
651
How Life Works Summary
How Life Works 91%
Genes don't give orders; cells decide for themselves. Biology's central metaphor was wrong.
by Philip Ball 2023
4.21
651 ratings
The Story of the Human Body
by Daniel E. Lieberman • 2013
Our bodies evolved for a vanished world, and the mismatch now drives modern chronic disease.
4.27
9k+
The Story of the Human Body Summary
The Story of the Human Body 91%
Our bodies evolved for a vanished world, and the mismatch now drives modern chronic disease.
by Daniel E. Lieberman 2013
4.27
9k+ ratings
The Catalyst
by Thomas R. Cech • 2024
DNA is famous. RNA built life, runs complexity, and will drive the next medical revolution.
4.28
831
The Catalyst Summary
The Catalyst 91%
DNA is famous. RNA built life, runs complexity, and will drive the next medical revolution.
by Thomas R. Cech 2024
4.28
831 ratings
The Chemical Age
by Frank von Hippel • 2020
Chemistry's greatest triumphs also produced Zyklon B, nerve agents, and the hole in the ozone layer.
4.17
184
The Chemical Age Summary
The Chemical Age 91%
Chemistry's greatest triumphs also produced Zyklon B, nerve agents, and the hole in the ozone layer.
by Frank von Hippel 2020
4.17
184 ratings
What an Owl Knows
by Jennifer Ackerman • 2023
Silent flight, asymmetrical ears, and the minds that decode them. A new portrait of the owl.
4.14
7k+
What an Owl Knows Summary
What an Owl Knows 91%
Silent flight, asymmetrical ears, and the minds that decode them. A new portrait of the owl.
by Jennifer Ackerman 2023
4.14
7k+ ratings
The Demon in the Machine
by Paul C.W. Davies • 2020
Life runs on information, not chemistry. Molecular demons manage it with near-perfect efficiency.
4.06
944
The Demon in the Machine Summary
The Demon in the Machine 91%
Life runs on information, not chemistry. Molecular demons manage it with near-perfect efficiency.
by Paul C.W. Davies 2020
4.06
944 ratings
This Is Your Brain on Parasites
by Kathleen McAuliffe • 2016
A parasite makes rats run toward cats. It may shape your personality, politics, and disgust.
3.98
3k+
This Is Your Brain on Parasites Summary
This Is Your Brain on Parasites 91%
A parasite makes rats run toward cats. It may shape your personality, politics, and disgust.
by Kathleen McAuliffe 2016
3.98
3k+ ratings
Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation
by Olivia Judson • 2002
An animal advice column: promiscuous bees, murderous ducks, and the rotifers who ditched sex.
4.06
4k+
Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation Summary
Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation 91%
An animal advice column: promiscuous bees, murderous ducks, and the rotifers who ditched sex.
by Olivia Judson 2002
4.06
4k+ ratings
Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party
by Edward Dolnick • 2024
Before Darwin, bizarre fossils had already cracked the God-ordained universe wide open.
3.74
3k+
Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party Summary
Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party 91%
Before Darwin, bizarre fossils had already cracked the God-ordained universe wide open.
by Edward Dolnick 2024
3.74
3k+ ratings
Arrival of the Fittest
by Andreas Wagner • 2014
10^130 possible proteins. Random search fails. Evolution's shortcut is hidden in the mathematics.
3.82
726
Arrival of the Fittest Summary
Arrival of the Fittest 91%
10^130 possible proteins. Random search fails. Evolution's shortcut is hidden in the mathematics.
by Andreas Wagner 2014
3.82
726 ratings
Unweaving the Rainbow
by Richard Dawkins • 2000
Keats was wrong: explaining the rainbow reveals an elegance no myth can match.
4.01
12k+
Unweaving the Rainbow Summary
Unweaving the Rainbow 91%
Keats was wrong: explaining the rainbow reveals an elegance no myth can match.
by Richard Dawkins 2000
4.01
12k+ ratings
Consilience
by Edward O. Wilson • 1998
The biologist who thinks evolution can reunite sciences with the humanities, from neurons to art.
3.98
5k+
Consilience Summary
Consilience 91%
The biologist who thinks evolution can reunite sciences with the humanities, from neurons to art.
by Edward O. Wilson 1998
3.98
5k+ ratings
Power, Sex, Suicide
by Nick Lane • 2005
Complex life required an improbable merger two billion years ago. Everything since follows.
4.25
4k+
Power, Sex, Suicide Summary
Power, Sex, Suicide 91%
Complex life required an improbable merger two billion years ago. Everything since follows.
by Nick Lane 2005
4.25
4k+ ratings
Other Minds
by Peter Godfrey-Smith • 2016
Intelligence evolved twice on Earth. The other mind has eight arms and no fixed shape.
3.88
28k+
Other Minds Summary
Other Minds 91%
Intelligence evolved twice on Earth. The other mind has eight arms and no fixed shape.
by Peter Godfrey-Smith 2016
3.88
28k+ ratings
Under a White Sky
by Elizabeth Kolbert • 2021
Every environmental solution spawns a new problem. The next ones alter genes and block the sun.
4.10
13k+
Under a White Sky Summary
Under a White Sky 90%
Every environmental solution spawns a new problem. The next ones alter genes and block the sun.
by Elizabeth Kolbert 2021
4.10
13k+ ratings
Genome
by Matt Ridley • 1999
What 23 chromosomes reveal about human origins, personality, and the limits of genetic fate.
4.06
28k+
Genome Summary
Genome 90%
What 23 chromosomes reveal about human origins, personality, and the limits of genetic fate.
by Matt Ridley 1999
4.06
28k+ ratings
The Hidden Life of Trees
by Peter Wohlleben • 2015
A forester reveals trees are social, caring parents that communicate through an underground network.
4.06
90k+
The Hidden Life of Trees Summary
The Hidden Life of Trees 90%
A forester reveals trees are social, caring parents that communicate through an underground network.
by Peter Wohlleben 2015
4.06
90k+ ratings
A Short History of Nearly Everything
by Bill Bryson • 2004
How the universe built itself from nothing, and the eccentric scientists who figured it out.
4.22
431k+
A Short History of Nearly Everything Summary
A Short History of Nearly Everything 90%
How the universe built itself from nothing, and the eccentric scientists who figured it out.
by Bill Bryson 2004
4.22
431k+ ratings
Darwin's Doubt
by Stephen C. Meyer • 2013
The Cambrian explosion produced complex animals without ancestors. The math points to a designer.
4.19
2k+
Darwin's Doubt Summary
Darwin's Doubt 90%
The Cambrian explosion produced complex animals without ancestors. The math points to a designer.
by Stephen C. Meyer 2013
4.19
2k+ ratings
The Genesis Machine
by Amy Webb • 2022
Life is becoming programmable. The technology is here; the rules for using it are not.
3.94
745
The Genesis Machine Summary
The Genesis Machine 90%
Life is becoming programmable. The technology is here; the rules for using it are not.
by Amy Webb 2022
3.94
745 ratings
Evolution Controversy, The
by Thomas B. Fowler • 2007
Four schools, three definitions, one unspoken fight: the evolution controversy, surveyed.
4.04
26
Evolution Controversy, The Summary
Evolution Controversy, The 90%
Four schools, three definitions, one unspoken fight: the evolution controversy, surveyed.
by Thomas B. Fowler 2007
4.04
26 ratings
Humanimal
by Adam Rutherford • 2016
We alone compose symphonies. Yet every supposedly unique human trait exists elsewhere in nature.
3.83
3k+
Humanimal Summary
Humanimal 90%
We alone compose symphonies. Yet every supposedly unique human trait exists elsewhere in nature.
by Adam Rutherford 2016
3.83
3k+ ratings
Shark Life
by Peter Benchley • 2002
Sharks kill fewer than 10 people a year. The author of Jaws explains why.
4.01
845
Shark Life Summary
Shark Life 90%
Sharks kill fewer than 10 people a year. The author of Jaws explains why.
by Peter Benchley 2002
4.01
845 ratings
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