An intriguing blend of popular science, true crime, and medical history that will prove to be an educational treat for readers interested in any of those topics. This book reads like a collection of short stories as each even-paced chapter is devoted to a different poison and includes a brief history of the toxin, a breakdown of how it negatively affects the human body, and real-life circumstances where it was used maliciously straight from newspaper headlines.
Read-alikes:
The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century by Deborah Blum
Planting Clues: How Plants Solve Crimes by David J. Gibson
The Science of Murder: The Forensics of Agatha Christie by Carla Valentine
Jessicca Weber, The Smithtown Library - Kings Park Building
Part history, part science, part instruction manual, Stronger: The Untold Story of Muscle in Our Lives shows how important muscle is to our health. Progressive resistance exercise has health benefits for people of all ages, genders, and fitness levels. But the concept of muscle and weight training has historically been treated as antithetical to intelligence. As Gross points out in the introduction, “mind-body dualism has ancient roots.” (p. xviii) Over the course of history physicians have taken stances against the pursuit of muscle strengthening.
Stronger begins with a dive into Greek literature guided by Charles Stocking who is both a professor of classics and a professor of kinesiology. He is a power lifter who knows seven languages. Stocking is a scholar of athleticism, and Gross cites his work and perspective extensively as he sets the stage for the changes in societal perception of resistance training. Those changes in perception over time have also led to changes in how medical professionals view muscle and how they teach their patients to view and treat their own muscle mass.
Gross follows the changes in perception as he shares Thomas DeLorme’s work during WWII with injured soldiers. DeLorme prescribed weight training exercises to rehabilitate injured soldiers – effectively preparing them to re-enter the fighting force faster and more effectively than ever before. For many years physicians believed that what the body needed the most to repair itself was rest. DeLorme recognized that in order to rebuild strength soldiers needed to challenge muscle to instigate its growth.
As culture changed in the 1960’s and 1970’s, medical professionals began to recognize the importance of exercise in human health. But aerobic exercise ruled. Muscle building remained a stigmatized endeavor. With the advocacy and work of people like power lifter and academic historian Jan Todd and research completed by Walter Frontera, Maria Fiatarone-Singh, Nalin Sing, and others, the importance of muscle in our bodies and our society gained recognition and esteem.
In her June 1990 paper, “High-Intensity Strength Training in Nonagenarians” published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Maria Fiatarone wrote: “The known hazards of immobility and falls seem to outweigh the potential risks of muscle strengthening interventions in this population.” (p.233). Her groundbreaking work with nonagenarians opened the door for safe muscle strengthening in a variety of populations. She continued her work with her husband, Nalin Singh, at the Center for Strong Medicine.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s review of this book is quoted on the cover: “Even if you’ve never picked up a weight – Stronger is for you.” With great skill Gross walks the reader through the history of athleticism and strength in society. The gradual change from perceptions that athleticism is at the expense of intellectualism to physical fitness being important for all people to a society where physical strength is increasingly becoming an aspiration draws the reader in, and inspires.
By including a thorough review of scientific studies and expert advice Gross sets up readers to safely engage in their own journeys to get “Stronger.” He expertly guides the reader through a clear understanding and appreciation for the history and science of muscle. This book has the potential to be transformative for many.
Read-alikes:
Protocols: an operating manual for the human body by Andrew Huberman
A physical education: how I escaped diet culture and gained the power of lifting by Casey JohnstonLift: fitness culture, from naked Greeks and dumbbells to jazzercise and ninja warriors by Daniel Kunitz
Exercised: why something we never evolved to do is healthy and rewarding by Daniel Lieberman
Eat like a pig, run like a horse: how food fights hijacked our health and the new science of exercise by Anastacia Marx de Salcedo
Ellen Covino, Sayville Library
Who knew there was so much to know about seahorses? This is an easy-to-read book of 18 short chapters (206 pp.) covering different topics of the fish. Chapter titles are fun and inviting rather than academically scary, i.e. Bringing Up Baby, Lazybones are Good Hunters, Chatting, and Underwater Ballet. Chapters focus on seahorses’ origin, Greek mythology, mating rituals, and how they communicate.
The author says his intended audience is “everybody from the age of 15 to 115 years.” To this end, there are few scientific words or descriptions. All the chapters are full of general information that anyone can understand. There are plenty of quotes and theories from biologists, scientists, and doctors to help the author along. And Elena Theys, the banker-turned-“seahorse whisperer” is a delight.
Besides learning about these ocean creatures, the author also wants to let readers know that they are endangered. There are around 50 seahorse species that are endangered due to overfishing and loss of habitat.
Both children and adults will enjoy learning about seahorses. Did you know that they don’t have stomachs? They also have no teeth. And they can rotate their eyes 360 degrees. They can change their colors depending on their mood. And people use dried, crushed seahorses for holistic healing.
My absolute favorite part of the book was learning that the male seahorses give birth. I watched a video and was enthralled!
Read-alikes:
Seahorses as Pets. Seashorse Complete Owners Manual. Seahorse Care, Health, Tank, Costs and Feeding by Edward Eldington
Crazt Horse by Till Hein
The Deep by Claire Nouvian
The Book of Eels by Patrik Svensson
Lori Ludlow, Babylon Public Library
Forest Euphoria was written by Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian, a scientist who holds multiple degrees including a PhD in Forest Pathology & Mycology. Much of her career has focused on fungi research and teaching at various academic institutions (teaching courses such as Fungal Diversity & Climate Change, and Queer Ecology), and she currently holds the position of Curator of Mycology at the New York State Museum. Forest Euphoria is marketed as a popular science book (coming under the BISAC subject of NATURE / Fungi & Mushrooms) but in truth it is much more than that: it is an intriguing melange of memoir, science, and reflections on social theory and history.
Kaishian’s fascinating introduction sets the stage for the book - she writes of her struggles with gender dysphoria as a child and coming to the realization that she was bi as a young person. This created a strong connection with nature as a child, since she saw parallels between her own struggles and the in-between existences of snakes and amphibians. She explains that “‘queer’ is the overarching term for a whole smattering of ways of being that defy expectations of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and family structure”. By examining scientific research through a queer lens, she finds the biases and blinders that are worn by scientists who have a more traditional perspective and may affect those scientists’ ability to accept facts that differ from their traditional (ie straight, human-centric) world view.
Each chapter centers its musings around a certain kind of creature, for example snails and slugs, fungi, crows, or eels. These musings are deeply connected to the author’s experiences as a queer person, and also their experience of sexual abuse or self-discovery. For example, she uses her experience of sexual abuse to launch into a explanation of how it’s much more difficult to separate organisms into clear-cut “male” and “female,” reflects on the true nature and queerness of swamps and how they have been unfairly coopted into a political metaphor, and examines how beauty and attraction has a much bigger role in evolution than survival of the fittest.
Each chapter is a dizzying and intelligent trip through science, queer theory, and reflections on current and historical social conditions. Sometimes the changes of topic within one chapter can be confusing and bemusing, and the reader may be unsure how the inclusion of all these disparate topics will come together by the end of the chapter… but with patience and some time to re-read and think, there’s a lot to be learned. It is definitely not a traditional Mary Roach-style popular science book, but it is well worth the time to read. This is a great book for people who want to expand their view of science and nature, and for those who wish to see the world from a “queer” perspective. It might not be the best for people with rigidly traditional world-views.
Read-alikes:
A Little Queer Natural History by Josh L. Davis
Women on Nature edited by Katharine Norbury
Meetings with Remarkable Mushrooms: Forays with Fungi Across Hemispheres by Alison Pouliot
Wild Life: Finding My Purpose in an Untamed World by Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant
Carolyn Brooks, The Smithtown Library - Commack Building
It might surprise you to learn that much of what we know about the nature of our galaxy and indeed the entire universe is the result of blind luck rather than careful, painstaking planning. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say it's the result of what happens when we have to rethink things when the planning goes awry. In fact, according to astrophysics professor Chris Lintott, being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time may be the key to unlocking the secrets of where we come from and where our universe is heading.
With his book Accidental Astronomy: How Random Discoveries Shape the Science of Space Lintott asks us to change the way we view scientific discovery. In a series of fascinating and often very funny essays detailing some of the greatest breakthroughs in astronomy, Lintott posits the idea that the key to learning the secrets of the universe lies not so much in asking why the universe exists but rather, what are the chances of it existing at all?
Lintott is a marvelous storyteller and writes in an easy, friendly style that makes the daunting field of astrophysics feel totally accessible even to someone inclined to break out in hives at the mere mention of the word. Though he stresses that great advancements in astrophysics aren’t quite the dramatic scenes we see in the movies it’s hard not to get excited reading about moments like the Cassini probe’s accidental discovery in 2007 of giant plumes of water shooting out from one of Saturn’s moons when its original mission was diverted at the last moment in response to a strange magnetic reading a scientist wanted to investigate. Or to get sucked into the debate over the identity of “Oumuamua” (named in honor of the Hawaiian observatory that first spotted it in 2017), a silent interstellar visitor with a strange cigar like shape that entered our solar system, orbited the sun and then left us with many more questions than answers.
He also addresses some of the more common questions asked by those of us whose experience with astrophysics is confined mainly to films like “Men in Black” or "Armageddon." He allays fears on everything from the likelihood of the planet being incinerated by an asteroid (tenacious comet hunters and meteoricists have identified almost every asteroid around us and none are expected to get too close for comfort) to the imminent arrival of intelligent life from another planet (also sadly unlikely based on what we now know about the age and size of the universe).
While he might take some of the drama out of astronomical discoveries, Lintott points out that one of the field’s most amazing features lies in the truth that the more we learn about the nature of the universe the more we realize we don’t know. Rather than seeing that as something to be overwhelmed by, he stresses that it is in fact endlessly inspiring for him and other scientists to constantly have more questions to ask. Every new question affords opportunities for expanding the way we look for answers.
This is a riveting read that is perfect for any narrative non-fiction fan or a reader looking to break into the genre. It would also be a good fit for an older teen or college student thinking about a career in astronomy or astrophysics. It’s even a good fit for science fiction fans who will likely recognize many of the real-world analogues to the science fiction masterpieces of authors like Robert Heinlen, Frederick Pohl and Arthur C. Clarke.
Read-alikes:
Alien Earths by Lisa Kaltenegger
Cosmos by Carl Sagan
Chasing New Horizons: Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto by Alan Stern & David Grinspoon
Sara Fiore, Rogers Memorial Library
O’Sullivan, an Irish neurologist, explores various cases of illnesses across the globe having to do with sleep disorders, brain damage, seizures, and other mind-bending symptoms. Not knowing the cause of how the outbreaks began, O’Sullivan visits with the patient and their families to gain an understanding of what could have brought about the illness or disease as she tries to diagnose the sickness at hand. Many afflictions presented in this non-fiction work have taken place in poor areas of the world where healthcare is limited and the surrounding environment is unclean. We go on a journey with the author as she uncovers the deception of what has been told to the sick and their loved ones, discovering what could be essentially mass hysteria and psychosomatic disorders.
The book opens with a disease called Resignation Syndrome which involves two girls around the age of 10 who have been in a coma-like state for over a year and medical tests show nothing wrong with them. We later find that their families have fled their home country to seek refuge in Sweden and at any moment they may be deported back to their persecuted land. The anxiety of this situation has caused the girls to be non-responsive and fall into this catatonic state. O’Sullivan has labeled their case as sociocultural/psychosomatic disorder, believing their oppression to be the cause of their symptoms. Similarly, she has found this same disorder in Nicaragua where females show erratic behavior caused by a male dominant figure known as a demon spirit invoking their power on them. The indigenous Nicaraguans rely on their old beliefs to clarify why these females are acting strange when in turn, it really is the mind controlling the body.
Two incidents in the book involve mass anxiety hysteria which “Occurs when there is a background of chronic tensions within a close-knit community.” An example of mass anxiety hysteria was found in Havana Syndrome which was believed to be brought on by a sonic attack from Cuba. Individuals had multiple brain issues including hearing impairment, memory loss, dizziness, and fatigue while visiting the Cuban region. Those with the illness shared they had heard a sound blast before their symptoms began and since America has had negative political relations with Cuba, officials felt this was true. However, after investigating further, the FBI could not find any source of sound weaponry.
An interesting outbreak of mass anxiety hysteria occurred right here in upstate New York at Le Roy High School, involving teenage females who shouted and made involuntary movements. At first, physicians suspected it was Tourette’s syndrome but later realized it had to be something contagious since more and more girls obtained the same symptoms from the same school. While many were searching for the cause, some stumbled upon the fact that the answer may be a chemical spill from a train derailment that happened in 1971. This news story blew up so big, it even reached Erin Brockovich’s ears who started to investigate the situation and in doing so, it caused mass hysteria as the media covered her findings which did not uncover much truth.
These are just a few disorders mentioned, but the author dives into much more detail, writing in a narrative non-fiction style. This book is perfect for those who prefer short vignettes of true stories, providing a great explanation of diagnosis for the general reader to comprehend. I would recommend this title to individuals who have an interest in sociology and human behavior, focusing on outbreaks and epidemics, and wanting to understand the nature of the cause. With just over 300 pages, the author truly focuses on how our minds affect the way we feel, adding interesting cultural beliefs in hopes to clarify the symptoms at hand and how what we perceive to be true by medical physicians may not be the real truth. I also suggest listening to the audiobook read by the author herself who shares the correct pronunciation of medical terminology.
Read-alikes:
A Body Made of Glass by Caroline Crampton
Is It All In Your Head? by Suzanne O’Sullivan
Has Medicine Lost Its Mind by Robert C. Smith
Liana Coletti, West Islip Public Library
Zoë Schlanger is an environmental journalist and staff writer at The Atlantic. She has published in Newsweek, the New York Times, and NPR. She was the recipient of a 2017 National Association of Science Writers reporting award for coverage of air pollution in Detroit, and a finalist for the 2019 Livingston Award for a series on water politics at the Texas-Mexico border. At The Atlantic, she covers climate change. This is her first book.
In 1973, the book The Secret Life of Plants was published, claiming that plants could enjoy music and respond to the unspoken thoughts of people near them. This and other results from that book could not be replicated. From that point, the issue of “plant intelligence” was considered a forbidden topic in botany. Over 50 years later, Zoë Schlanger revisits and deconstructs this topic as an investigative journalist.
Key themes in "The Light Eaters" by Zoë Schlanger center on plant intelligence, communication, and the challenge to traditional human-centric views of nature. Plants have been shown the ability to recognize their “siblings”, hear sounds, camouflage themselves to blend into their surroundings, and trick animals into behaviors for the plants’ benefit. The book presents scientific discoveries and philosophical questions that might compel the reader to reconsider the value of plants.
This book required a fair amount of concentration to read. The author approaches her subject with intellectual rigor, and the book has extensive citations. Her love and awe of plant life imbue the book, however, so it is not a “dry” read by any means. At times it is heavily philosophical: you want to put down the book and think.
I would recommend this book for people specifically interested in the evolution, behavior, and genetic adaptations of plants. Although home gardeners may enjoy this book, it is not a book I would recommend for home gardening; I would say it’s closer to philosophy than gardening. I enjoyed it, but it was a long read at almost 300 pages, and one really needs to pay attention; very scientific.
Read-alikes:
What a Plant Knows by Daniel Chamovitz
Thus Spoke the Plant by Monica Gaglioni
Sleeping Beauties by Andreas Wagner
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
Karen Sonnessa, Babylon Public Library
“Morbid curiosity sits at the core of human nature and is infused in our cultures. Our species would be unrecognizable without it.”
Coltan Scrivner, PhD is a pioneer of research into the psychology of morbid curiosity, focusing on all things scary in his 2025 book, Morbidly Curious.
Why do we rubberneck car accidents, binge serial killer documentaries, and enjoy horror movies? Doctor Scrivner argues that these guilty pleasures don’t make us weird; they’re rooted in evolution. Rather than fleeing from the frightening, humans have developed the ability to simulate threats and use them to our advantage, exploring risk in order to prepare for real-world threats from a safe space. Scrivner’s research reveals that consuming unsettling media allows us to get close to danger without actually being in harm’s way.
Scrivner draws on research from psychology, evolutionary biology, and even haunted house experiments to make sense of why we seek out fear. Whether it’s serial killer documentaries or disaster headlines that pique your interest, this book helps us figure out why exactly we’re so drawn to the morbid, reframing our curiosity as something normal, healthy, and beautifully human.
He compares this human behavior to that of a zebra approaching a lion after it has fed, not because the zebra is reckless, but because it’s safe. By observing threats when the risk is low, the zebra learns more about its predator. We do something similar: engaging with morbid content to better understand the threats that might one day come our way.
Morbidly Curious blends science with cultural commentary, offering explanations for why themes of death and danger are so prominent. The writing and composition are accessible and engaging, allowing the casual reader access to complex ideas without becoming too dense.
Read-alikes:
Dying to Meet You: Confessions of a Funeral Director by Angolie Mei
Over My Dead Body; Unearthing the Hidden History of America’s Cemeteries by Greg Melville
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker
Hanna Auer, Patchogue-Medford Library
Reflecting on the Apollo program, she writes, “Since Eugene Cernan stepped off the Moon’s surface in 1972, no one has returned. What seemed like the dawn of a journey for humanity turned out not to be.” Whereas others might stop there and lament that we have not been back to the moon in over five decades, Vaudo looks ahead: “Instead, what changed forever was the scope of the possibilities open to us.”
Discussing the ways we discuss time in relation to space, she tells us that, “In cultures where the script goes from left to right, the sequence of temporal events follows the same direction. The past is behind, the present here, and the future ahead. By contrast, other cultures … visualize time in a sequence inverted 180 degrees: the past is in front of us, we can see it because we know it, and thus discuss it; whereas the future is unknown to us, the subject of speculation, and hence lies behind us, where our gaze cannot reach. As outlandish as it may seem, this latter representation of time is consistent with how the Universe is presented to us. When we look at the sky, the past is in front of us.”
Bringing Isaac Newton forward to the Space Age, she muses, “the tree in Newton’s mother’s garden—which is still there, on the family estate in Lincolnshire— [is] the embodiment of one of the most innovative insights ever gained by a human being. So much so that, 300 years later, NASA took a small piece of it to the International Space Station and created a somewhat disorienting phenomenon: the wood of the tree that had inspired Newton’s theory of universal gravitation suddenly found itself floating in space, as if in the absence of gravity.”
These are just three examples of Vaduo’s way with words. Unfortunately, even her lyricism is no match for the actual work of astrophysics, and those with little background in the field will still struggle with the details of what she presents. Still, at just 200 pages, Vaduo gets her point across, even to laymen: Five times in the course of history, the field of astrophysics has been revolutionized. First, by Isaac Newton’s insight that gravity must also control the movement of the planets. Second, by Albert Einstein’s discovery of the speed of light. Third, from Einstein again, the theory of relativity. Fourth, the beginnings of our understanding of the Big Bang, and fifth, with inquiries into the nature of antimatter. Most important, though, may be Vaudo’s conclusion, wherein she asks her readers to contemplate the next revolution, and how that might affect our understanding of the universe.
Read-alikes:
Into the Unknown: The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos by Kelsey Johnson (2024)
Accidental Astronomy: How Random Discoveries Shape the Science of Space by Chris Lincott (2024)
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson (2017)
Mara Zonderman, Westhampton Free Library
