Seven summer books for smarties - Cosmic Log

Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you have to turn your brain off. And just because it’s a science book doesn’t mean it has to be boring. If you’re trying to beat the heat, here are seven recently published or soon-to-be-published books that will keep your brain purring along even when you’re at the beach — or inside your air-conditioned heat-wave hideaway.

“2312″: This is the only fictional work on the list, but it’s a doozy. This 576-page novel from Kim Stanley Robinson who’s best-known for his Mars Trilogy is a crime-and-politics thriller set in an era when humans have colonized most of the solar system. There’s even an asteroid-mining angle, which fits well with the recent revelations about Planetary Resources’ plan to build a trillion-dollar industry. Some reviewers say the book meanders too much, but isn’t that part of the appeal of a summer read? “2312″ is one of the books on NPR’s list of summer sci-fi recommendations.

“Before the Lights Go Out”: BoingBoing‘s Maggie Koerth-Baker focuses on two big questions in her book about the looming energy crisis. “Why should I care about energy?” and “Now that I care, what do I do?” She teases apart what’s happening to the electricity grid and other elements of the world’s infrastructure, then delves into the strategies that are being developed to change energy policy as well as personal lifestyles. The subject matter is serious fare, but Koerth-Baker takes you on a readable ride — and there’s no better time than a heat wave to get smarter about global warming.

via Seven summer books for smarties – Cosmic Log.

Strange Random Book Quote:

“Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.” ― Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can’t Avoid

Related articles

• Book Review – “MBA Admission for Smarties” (rolipolli.wordpress.com)
• A ‘Smartie’ Teacher’s Gift (momvstheboys.com)
• Download The Composer Is Dead (Book & CD) e-book (rbnadpub.typepad.com)
• Downloads A Series of Unfortunate Events – the Reptile Room – Book Two book (iatkeno.typepad.com)
• Kim Stanley Robinson Sees Humans Colonizing the Solar System in 2312 (wired.com)
• Iain M. Banks and Kim Stanley Robinson in Conversation at the British Library in June (geeksyndicate.wordpress.com)
• Kim Stanley Robinson talks about his latest novel, 2312 (boingboing.net)