7 Science Books That Will Blow Your Mind
Not all of us can be scientists, but we can all appreciate cool science facts when we see them! In these seven science books, you will learn tons of fun facts about everything from making conversation to making love, and from how animals think to how animals slack on the job.
These books prove once and for all that science is not an inaccessible, inscrutable, or irrelevant field of study: it is present in every aspect of our daily lives—and that’s a good thing! Whatever you love best or are simply curious about, there is a science to it, and knowing that science often makes the subject even more intriguing. So prepare to have your mind blown with these informative, hilarious, and surprising books!
The idea that pain can be pleasurable is not new, but it is often hidden from polite society behind a veil of controversy, disgust, condemnation, and mystery. Author Leigh Cowart flings back that veil to explore why pain and pleasure are so closely linked, the benefits and hazards of masochism, and the different forms masochism has taken across centuries and continents. Hurts So Good is an eye-opening look at how the human mind works and the lengths people will go to in the name of pleasure-seeking.
Sports and science are often placed in opposition to each other, as seen in the classic "jocks" versus "nerds" debates. But is it really true that these fields have nothing in common? Jennifer Swanson thinks not. In The Secret Science of Sports, she explains how science makes our favorite sports possible, from the physics of scoring a three-pointer to why the best gymnasts are so tiny. The use of basic concepts and fun illustrations makes this book perfect for science and/or sports lovers of all ages.
How often have we looked at our furry friends and wondered what they were really thinking? Not only can What It's Like to Be a Dog help answer this age-old question, it can also tell you more about the secret lives of dolphins, sea lions, and other favorite animals! Using the latest developments in neuroscience, Gregory Berns delves into the previously inaccessible world of the animal mind. It will certainly make your next trip to the vet more interesting!
Few activities are so fundamental to human life yet so taboo (in some countries, anyway) as sexual intercourse. Philippe Brenot and Laetitia Coryn disarm this charged topic with The Story of Sex, a cheeky, illustrated guide to the history of sex and relationships. It's a fun way to pick up interesting facts about how human attitudes towards sex have changed based on region and time period, as well as important milestones in the history of sex.
Language is such a basic, essential function that most of us don't even think about how we use it or how it developed—until something, like a language barrier or an unfamiliar slang term, gets in the way of a smooth conversation. How does language grow and evolve, and how has it affected our shared histories? Fortunately, N.J. Enfield has done plenty of thinking on this topic, and his book How We Talk is an intriguing look at the science of human communication. You'll never hear an "um" the same way again!
We've all heard weird weather stories, like tornadoes lifting animals off the ground and setting them down again, perfectly safe, several miles away. Are these stories fun rumors or based on true events? Author Randy Cerveny argues that not only are many of them completely accurate, but there are far stranger weather stories out there besides! Freaks of the Storm is a lighthearted look at the downright bizarre incidents precipitated by Earth's most brutal storms. You will be awed by nature's power and by how much we still don't know about our own planet.
For millennia, humans have projected particular thoughts and qualities onto the animals we share the Earth with. For example, owls are smart, elephants "never forget," and ants are industrious. But, as The Truth About Animals shows, such assumptions often say a lot more about humans than they do about animals. Lucy Cooke exposes the cold, hard facts about our animal brethren, including their penchant for getting drunk and pawning their work off on someone else. Animals: they really are just like us!
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