Diane Ackerman, author of A Natural History of the Senses and An Alchemy of Mind, combines science, nature, art, history, mythology, and more in this collection of essays that spans seasons and states. Separate but interconnected chapters include everything from observations of sunflowers and honey bees to reflections on Monet's use of light and the role of birds in ancient myth. "Ackerman creates a luxuriant word garden brimming with spirited observations, stories, and musings," says Booklist.

Having decided to live as low-impact a life as possible, author Colin Beavan recounts how, for a year, he shunned (among other things) electricity, heat, household appliances, takeout meals, and any form of fuel-powered transportation--although he kept his laptop so that he could blog about the experiment. Along with his wife, Michelle, a shopaholic with a serious Starbucks habit, and their two-year-old daughter, Beavan attempts to live in a one-bedroom, ninth-floor apartment (no elevators allowed!) resolving to eat nothing grown more than 250 miles away and buying only secondhand goods. From sharing the bathwater to giving up toilet paper, No Impact Man's story is one you might not want to emulate--but it sure is fascinating to read about.

The universe is "everything, the whole of what's out there, the sum total of existence," says author Brian Clegg. But where did it come from? Although the big bang theory is the most widely accepted explanation of how the universe came to be, Clegg points out that, unlike evolution, it's more of a "best guess" solution, riddled with frustrating inconsistencies and raising puzzling questions. In addition to exploring the event itself, Before the Big Bang also pays attention to alternate theories and will appeal to science fiction fans as well as science buffs. For more on the history of the universe, try Simon Singh's Big Bang.

This book by Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalist Jon Franklin is the product of over a decade of research, inspired by his promise to his future wife that once they married they would get a puppy. After adopting a poodle named Charlie, Franklin began to research the origins of man's best friend, discovering that the story begins nearly 12,000 years ago, as wolves that followed groups of humans for the food they left behind were gradually domesticated. Franklin proposes that humans and dogs coevolved and today exist in a symbiotic relationship that's as emotional as it is practical. Drawing on anthropology, zooarcheology, evolutionary biology, neuroanatomy, and behavioral science, The Wolf in the Parlor will appeal to both dog lovers and science enthusiasts.

Charles Darwin's legendary expedition around the world, which led to his 1839 book The Voyage of the Beagle, inspired three younger scientists who went on to make voyages of their own: biologist Thomas Henry Huxley, who sailed to Australia and New Guinea; botanist Joseph Hooker, whose travels included a trip to Antarctica; and zoologist Alfred Russel Wallace, who journeyed to the Amazon and later to Southeast Asia. And after Darwin published his seminal work On the Origin of Species, Huxley, Hooker, and Wallace became his most outspoken defenders, helping the theory of evolution to gain mainstream acceptance. Be sure to read this fascinating blend of history and science.

Founded by Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century, the science of taxonomy concerns the ordering and classification of the world--and, according to New York Times science writer Carol Kaesuk Yoon, reflects humankind's natural instinct to sort and name the elements of their surroundings. Exploring the science behind taxonomy, she explains that while it was once based on direct observation of the natural world, it now happens in the laboratory using DNA sequencing. As a result, she argues, the general population has become removed from nature--and is thus less invested in protecting it. Booklist calls Naming Nature "impossible to put down."

Did you know that out of the 75 varieties of vegetable seeds once available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 97 percent are now extinct? And that's just the tip of the iceberg, claims journalist and former environmental lawyer Claire Hope Cummings. In this book, Cummings examines how the rise of industrial agriculture and the advent of genetically modified seeds (which can be patented) have enabled a handful of large and largely unregulated corporations to effectively own the food we eat before it's even planted in the ground. If you enjoy Michael Pollan's books, The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food, try Uncertain Peril.

What happens when the wealthy can choose the kind of babies they have? What sort of leaders do people elect when they're highly dependent on mood-altering drugs? Can there be equality in a society where technological advances have increased longevity to the point where people no longer die? With these provocative questions and more, political scientist Francis Fukuyama explores the numerous social, political, economic, and ethical issues surrounding the biotechnology revolution. Publishers Weekly calls Our Posthuman Future a "well-written, carefully reasoned assessment of the perils and promise of biotechnology."

While the efforts of English doctors Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe resulted in the birth of the first "test tube baby" in 1978, similar experiments in the U.S. conducted by eccentric doctor Landrum Shettles yielded lawsuits and widespread controversy. In fact, claims author Robin Henig, in vitro fertilization (IVF) caused such an uproar that the U.S. Government refused to fund research--resulting in a field that today is virtually unregulated. In addition to presenting the history of assisted reproductive technology, this book also focuses on the moral and scientific consequences that resulted from this technological breakthrough while relating it to the current debate over such controversial topics as stem cell research, human cloning, and genetic engineering.

More than 60 years after the publication of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Erwin Schrödinger's influential 1945 book What Is Life?, science writer Ed Regis tries to answer the question by examining the fast-developing world of synthetic biology. From engineering gene sequences in order to manufacture viruses and vaccines to creating artificial "protocells" that will be able to clean up toxic waste and capture excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, scientists are hard at work not only defining life but also redefining it through the use of new technologies. Kirkus Reviews calls this book "lucid and exciting."

With the world's population expected to reach nine billion by 2050, this book by the husband-and-wife team of Pamela C. Ronald, a plant geneticist, and Raoul W. Adamchak, an organic farmer, is a timely investigation into the future of agriculture. Using a combination of instructive tips, scientific analysis, personal reflections, and even recipes, Ronald and Adamchak make a case for a combination of organic farming and genetic engineering as the best and most ecologically sound means of increasing crop yield while limiting the environmental impact of farming. For an evenhanded look at the debate about how our food is and should be produced, check out Tomorrow's Table.

What are stem cells, exactly? And why do people get so worked up about them? In this informative book, author Christopher Thomas Scott, director of Stanford University's Program in Stem Cells and Society, answers these questions, explaining the difference between adult and embryonic stem cells as well as describing their potential applications in scientific and medical research. Scott discusses how stem cells might play a role in treating spinal cord injuries and damaged organs, repairing the immune system, and curing diseases such as Parkinson's, cancer, and diabetes. At the same time, he examines the ethical issues surrounding stem cell research. For balanced coverage of a controversial issue, read Stem Cell Now.