Science and Inquiry discussion

It's time to start thinking about what you'd like to read for September 2012. Make your nominations in comments below. Please be sure to use the "add book/author link" just above the comment box.

Don't hesitate to nominate something that has been nominated before.

eta: We recommend that you do not nominate something that is too new. It can take months for new releases to become available in libraries, as e-books, and in other countries. Keep in mind that our membership is varied.

Nominations will be closed on July 26th.

I nominate: SuperFuel: Thorium, the Green Energy Source for the Future

It is out there a bit but it actually isn't too crazy. To get a feel for it watch this great short documentary on the 'salt reactor.'

The reason I am nominating this book is because of that short doc, I was left with a 'no way' type of feeling after watching it. Hoping to dive deeper into the subject with this book.

Being a geocache enthusiast, I nominate by Ken Jennings. As a teenager, my walls were not plastered with rocks stars but with maps from old National Geographic magazines -- true life confession!!!

I nominate "Global Weirdness" by Climate Central ( out july 24).The book is talked about in the NY times today- in "The Endless Summer" by Mark Bittman.

I nominate: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/93...

Jon Ronson is a great writer, I am sure we can all get through this book quickly and have a fascinating discussion afterwards. It would also be a great break from the behemoths that we are reading now. Ronson has a way with words that makes his writing both appropriately scientific and accurate while absent of any dull technicalities.

Kathy F wrote: "Being a geocache enthusiast, I nominate Maphead: Charting the Wide Weird World of Geography Wonks by Ken Jennings."

We read this book in the Fans of Maps Group. It was really good, but then I'm a maphead.

Global Weirdness: Severe Storms, Deadly Heat Waves, Relentless Drought, Rising Seas and the Weather of the Future may be too new to be a good candidate for our group read. Keep in mind that we have members all over the world; we also have members who have to wait for e-book editions or library copies. Generally instead of nominating very new books, we recommend that they be posted to the Recent Releases thread:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/6...

In fact SuperFuel: Thorium, the Green Energy Source for the Future might also be too recent; it's only been out a couple months. There are e-book editions but I don't know whether it's available in non-U.S. countries or in libraries yet.

How about Epigenetics: The Ultimate Mystery of Inheritance? Or A Planet of Viruses?

I have read the summary forA Planet of Viruses. Looks great.

Secret Agents: The Menace of Emerging Infections
by Drexler, Madeline

sounds very interesting and appears to have global perspectives on disease/public health

but A planet of Viruses looks interesting as well.

There are some interesting looking reads in this thread. I would like to also nominate Radioactive: Marie and Pierre Curie, A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Redniss

Kathy wrote: "There are some interesting looking reads in this thread. I would like to also nominate Radioactive: Marie and Pierre Curie, A Tale of Love and Fallout[bookcover:Radioactive: Marie and Pierre Curie,..."

Interesting book--sort of an artistic graphic novel. Take a look at the Amazon page and click on the link "Click to Look Inside" to see what it's like. It's really about the artwork, the graphic design, and the printing process (called "cyanotype printing"), as much as about the Curies. Reviewers say that the book literally glows in the dark!

It does look like an interesting book, but it doesn't seem to be available in e-format or even paperback.

Betsy wrote: "It does look like an interesting book, but it doesn't seem to be available in e-format or even paperback."

I do love my e-reader. But I had missed the part where the book glows in the dark! I might just have to round up a copy just to see that.

Theres a couple from the August nominations that I'd like to nominate, The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos and A More Perfect Heaven: How Copernicus Revolutionized the Cosmos, partly because they sound very interesting and partly because my library has copies of them.

And Im also very keen on A Planet of Viruses or Epigenetics: The Ultimate Mystery of Inheritance as mentioned above as Ive been meaning to read them anyway.

Nomination have now been closed. Please vote on your choices at the following poll:

http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/69...