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

October 7, 2012

Celebrating 30 years of the Space Shuttle Program. Designed by Adam Chen, Edited by William Wallack and George Gonzalez. Available as a PDF or iPad application (free)

Reviewed by John Timmer

Continue reading “NASA’s 30 years of Shuttle missions is both dull and compelling”

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

October 1, 2012

I was pleased to stumble across a site today that shares the spirit that gave rise to Download the Universe. New Books in Science, Technology, and Society is a series of interview podcasts conducted by Carla Nappi and Patrick Slaney of the University of British Columbia. It’s got a strong academic flavor, compared to, say, Fresh Air or Book TV, but the books cover some fascinating topics, ranging from Copernicus to the flu.

–Carl Zimmer (hat tip to Misc.ience)

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

September 25, 2012

The Kalinka Affair: A Father’s Hunt for His Daughter’s Killer, by Joshua Hammer,  published by The Atavist for Kindle, iPad, Nook, Google Play, and Kobo.

Reviewed by Deborah Blum

Continue reading “The Long Quest to Catch a Poisoner”

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

September 18, 2012

A reader writes:

I have a suggestion for the Download the Universe website, of which I am a regular reader. The current commenting system might make some people, including me, uncomfortable because it requires us to login through Facebook, Twitter, and similar systems. For example, if I choose to use Facebook-based login system, I have to let the app access to my basic info (including my friends IDs!). This is beyond what I am willing to share just to put a comment on any website. This might also be a reason that the website does not receive many comments. I suggest you to make it a bit easier for people to comment.

Continue reading “Liberating Commenters From Social Media Nosiness”