This post was originally published in “Download the Universe,” a multi-author blog about science ebooks edited by Carl Zimmer.

Planet Killers: A Spine-Tingling Look at Near Earth Objects, Mass Extinctions, and the Controversial Science of Planetary Defense. By Tad Friend. Published by Byliner Originals, 2011.

Reviewed by Tom Levenson

February 29, 2012

Continue reading “Doomsday Deflected”

This post was originally published in “Download the Universe,” a multi-author blog about science ebooks edited by Carl Zimmer.

SMILE: The Astonishing Power of a Simple Act. By Ron Gutman. Published by TED Books, 2011.

Reviewed by David Dobbs

February 28, 2012

Continue reading “SMILE: The Astonishing Destructive Power of Positive Thinking”

This post was originally published in “Download the Universe,” a multi-author blog about science ebooks edited by Carl Zimmer.

Into the Forbidden Zone: A Trip Through Hell and High Water in Post-Earthquake Japan. By William T. Vollmann. Published by Byliner Originals, 2011. 

Reviewed by Maggie Koerth-Baker

February 24, 2012

Continue reading “A Guided Tour of Hell”