Numerical Ratings and One-line Descriptions of Books Reviewed

Available Reviews Listed by Principal Author's Last Name

(Blue text indicates fiction.)

PRINCIPAL AUTHOR	TITLE (Linked to review)	DATE OF REVIEW	RATING (0-5)		TOPIC(s)	ONE-LINE DESCRIPTION
Reviews roster currently holds 277 titles.
Achenbach, Joel	Captured by Aliens	2/18/2004	5.0		Space	All those who have been so captured — that is, had their imaginations captured by aliens, scientists as well as UFO believers — are covered in this entertaining and thoughtful book.
Agin, Dan	Junk Science	2/24/2008	5.0		Politics Science	Dan Agin examines the damage that results when scientific findings are distorted for political ends, or to evade corporate responsibility.
Aldrin, Buzz	Encounter with Tiber	9/16/1996	5.0		Science Fiction	In this novel by Buzz Aldrin & John Barnes, a decoded ET signal reveals that visitors from Alpha Centauri once set up camp on Mars.
Alterman, Eric	The Book on Bush	5/05/2004	5.0		Current events	Read this wide-ranging, convincingly documented criticism of the administration of George W. Bush before the November elections.
Amato, John	Over the Cliff	11/14/2011	5.0	N E W	Politics	Two veterans of political blogging document the right-wing extremism that arose following President Obama's election.
Anthony, Patricia	Cradle of Splendor	7/05/2001	0.0		Science fiction	Here, the acclaimed author of Brother Termite presents an inconclusive mishmash of events which may or may not have happened to conflicted characters who, if they're male, are almost all weak or perverted.
Anthony, Piers	Isle of Woman	10/07/2011	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	Volume 1 of Piers Anthony's Geodyssey series dramatizes the ascent of humankind.
Archer, David	The Climate Crisis	6/30/2011	5.0	N E W	Environment	Written by two scientists with long and deep involvement in the study of Earth's climate system, this book is a commendably calm and clear explanation of current changes in that system for the lay public.
Ashby, Darren	Electrical Engineering 101	10/23/2011	4.0	N E W	Learning	An outstanding primer or refresher from a practicing engineer. (Look for the third edition, out September 2011.)
Asimov, Stanley (ed.)	Yours, Isaac Asimov	12/16/2000	5.0		Memoirs	An edited collection of The Good Doctor's surviving letters, organized by topic
Barley, Stephen R.	Gurus, Hired Guns, and Warm Bodies	1/26/2006	5.0		Anthropology	The authors examine the care and feeding of professional contractors in the high-tech culture of California's Silicon Valley, and speculate on contracting's future place in society.
Bauerlein, Mark	The Dumbest Generation	9/24/2008	5.0	N E W	Learning	With passion and scholarly precision, Mark Bauerlein reminds us of the ongoing decline in basic skills and general knowledge among our graduating students.
Belfiore, Michael	Rocketeers	11/18/2009	5.0	N E W	Space	Follow Michael Belfiore on a tour of NewSpace — the commercial space-launch companies competing to be the first private venture into the final frontier.
Benecke, Mark	The Dream of Eternal Life	4/05/2004	3.5		History Medicine	In a somewhat shallow and fragmentary account, forensic entomologist Benecke traces the much-desired but ever-elusive boon of immortality through recorded history.
Benjamin, Marina	Rocket Dreams	2/23/2004	5.0		Space History	Once we all dreamed of a glorious Space Age. What happened to those dreams? This engaging book holds the history of the thirty years since up for thoughtful examination.
Bergaust, Erik	Murder on Pad 34	7/05/2004	3.0		Space History	Bergaust was a true "space booster". But his analysis of the Apollo 204 fire, while useful, paints a distorted picture.
Berry, Adrian	The Giant Leap	1/04/2003	1.5		Space	A well-intentioned but sorely misguided attempt to describe how interstellar travel will be accomplished
Bhutto, Benazir	Reconciliation	3/17/2008	5.0		Politics	The former prime minister of Pakistan argues persuasively that Western powers should use more "soft power" in their quest to defeat Islamic militants.
Bickerton, Derek	Adam's Tongue	2/03/2012	5.0	N E W	Anthropology	Derek Bickerton, linguist at the University of Hawaii, has an idea how human language came to be — and a warning.
Biggers, Jeff	Reckoning at Eagle Creek	6/23/2011	5.0	N E W	Environment	By rediscovering his own roots, Jeff Biggers discloses the true extent of coal-company depredations — not only polluting our environment, but pulverizing important chunks of our shared history.
Biggle, Lloyd	The Chronocide Mission	5/14/2010	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	In this novel by the late, great Lloyd Biggle, a contemporary man mistakenly swept 300 years into a barbaric future finds a way to return and set time to rights.
Bloodworth, Dennis	An Eye for the Dragon	12/28/2002	5.0		History	Sketches of southeast Asia 1954-1970 by a reporter (not mild-mannered) for a great metropolitan British newspaper
Bodmer, Walter	The Book of Man	6/26/2003	5.0		Medicine	Pioneering geneticist Dr. Bodmer has penned a thorough and very readable introduction to the history of genetic science and its application to modern problems.
Borsook, Paulina	Cyberselfish	7/19/2011	4.5	N E W	Anthropology	A close look at Silicon Valley during the heyday of the personal computer revolution finds the creators of that revolution, by and large, too far into extreme, anti-government libertarianism and far too dedicated to the outlook of "I got mine; everybody else can fend for themselves."
Bova, Ben	Immortality	12/22/2001	5.0		Medicine	Dr. Bova surveys recent biomedical progress that may bring us nearer to this ancient goal.
Bova, Ben	Faint Echoes, Distant Stars	12/07/2004	4.5		Space	A competent overview of the search for life beyond Earth, now expanded to include the new science of astrobiology.
Bowen, Mark	Censoring Science	7/05/2008	5.0	N E W	Politics Science	In his second book, Mark Bowen takes us inside NASA and NOAA to observe in detail the censorship by political appointees at those organizations of scientific work on climate change.
Bowen, Mark	Thin Ice	8/17/2008	5.0	N E W	Politics Science	Physicist and mountaineer, Mark Bowen ably takes part in and reports on Dr. Lonnie Thompson's high-peak investigations of climate change.
Bradley, Marion Zimmer	Heritage and Exile	11/24/2011	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	Two of Marion Z. Bradley's popular and engrossing Darkover novels — The Heritage of Hastur and Sharra's Exile — are collected in this volume.
Bradley, Marion Zimmer	The Ruins of Isis	9/24/2011	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	Dallard Malocq came to the matriarchal planet of Isis to study its million-year-old ruins, believed to be those of the mysterious Builders. But all he got was delay — while the women looked on him as his wife's plaything.
Bradley, Marion Zimmer	Web of Light	7/24/2011	4.0	N E W	Science fiction	Domaris is just coming of age when the Atlantean Micon comes to her city. He sets in her young heart admiration which blossoms into love — and he sets in motion events which lead to a war of magics.
Broecker, Wallace	Fixing Climate	5/15/2009	5.0	N E W	Science	With the help of science writer Robert Kunzig, climatologist Wallace Broecker ably describes the current state of our climate and the prospects for averting unwanted changes.
Brown, Julian	Minds, Machines, and the Multiverse	8/20/2000	5.0		Science	A report on current scientific progress toward building the quantum computer, which — if it can be built — could consign all other computers to the dumpster of history.
Bruni, Frank	Ambling into History	10/27/2004	4.5		Politics	Based on months on the campaign trail with Bush during the 2000 election season, Bruni's "reporter's notebook" account shows us both the candidate's character flaws and occasional flashes of greater ability.
Bryce, Robert	Pipe Dreams	12/30/2005	5.0		Current events	Aftershocks from Enron's 2001 collapse are still being felt throughout the nation. Texas journalist Bryce tells us what brought the high-flying energy trading company down.
Burton, Levar	Aftermath	4/26/2010	4.5	N E W	Science fiction	Levar "Geordie LaForge" Burton's 1997 debut novel sends the inventor of a revolutionary medical device on a run for her life through an impoverished near-future America.
Cabbage, Michael	Comm Check...	3/25/2004	5.0		Space	Space journalists Michael Cabbage and William Harwood have done a solid and very detailed job of reporting on the Columbia disaster, its investigation, and the implications for the future of NASA.
Carson, Rachel	Silent Spring	4/27/2003	5.0		Biology Environment	This path-breaking book by a government wildlife biologist indicted the Department of Agriculture's pesticide programs and founded the environmental movement.
Chandrasekaran, Rajiv	Imperial Life in the Emerald City	2/10/2007	5.0		Current events	Veteran Washington Post reporter Chandrasekaran lives in Iraq, but penetrates the American bubble that is the Green Zone. He shows us what's inside it — and how it came to be.
Chapman, Clark R.	Cosmic Catastrophes	7/21/2002	5.0		Astronomy	No-nonsense but non-alarmist evaluation of the many ways the universe might do us hurt — with some science history thrown in for good measure
Chown, Marcus	The Magic Furnace	5/24/2004	5.0		Astronomy	A fascinating account of the multiple scientific discoveries that taught us how the star-stuff of which we are made came to be
Clarke, Arthur C.	Greetings, Carbon-Based Bipeds!	12/13/2001	5.0		Memoirs	A compendium of Sir Arthur's essays written from 1934-1998
Clarke, Richard A.	Against All Enemies	12/02/2005	5.0		Current events	Former National Security Coordinator Richard Clarke tells what was broken when the planes hit the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001.
Clavell, James	Shōgun	4/06/2011	5.0	N E W	Mainstream fiction	A crackling good tale, based on real history, of intrigue and battles in medieval Japan.
Conason, Joe	Big Lies	3/08/2010	5.0	N E W	Politics	Joe Conason delivers a very thorough dissection of the lies, hypocrisy and sheer short-sightedness which most Republican politicians of late cannot seem to rise above.
Cook, Gene	Stars' End	8/04/2011	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	To a region of the galaxy just recovering from the Human-Ulantonid War, and still plagued by Sangaree raiders, comes a new menace: a race out of galactic center that eradicates every living world it finds. Can the secrets hidden at Stars' End save the day?
Cook, Nick	The Hunt for Zero Point	9/26/2005	3.5		Science History	Intrepid editor for British bastion of defense data uncovers secret (pseudo)science of anti-gravity, time travel & zero-point energy — or does he?
Cooke, Stephanie	In Mortal Hands	11/18/2009	5.0	N E W	History	A long-time reporter on military and commercial nuclear developments, Ms. Cooke surveys that history and cautions us that its dangers did not vanish with the Soviet Union.
Corson, William R.	The Betrayal	5/28/2011	5.0	N E W	History	Some agonizing ground truth on the Vietnam War from Lt. Col. William R. Corson, USMC, who fought in it and was responsible for the only teams to actually win the "hearts and minds" of Vietnamese peasants.
Cousteau, Jacques-Yves	The Human, the Orchid, and the Octopus	3/20/2008	5.0		Environment Memoirs	This is both memoir and manifesto of the famed ocean explorer.
Cox, John D.	Climate Crash	12/28/2005	5.0		Science	A good layman's introduction to the history of climate science, and a glimpse of what we are learning portends
Cravens, Gwyneth	Power to Save the World	3/10/2010	5.0	N E W	Technology	Follow Gwyneth Cravens and her guide on a quest to discover the truth about nuclear power plants.
Crichton, Michael	State of Fear	1/05/2011	3.0	N E W	Science fiction	The late Dr. Crichton penned a decent adventure story, but it's intended as — and being used as — a scientific reference. That's its downfall.
Crier, Catherine	Contempt	12/27/2005	4.0		Current events	Ms Crier, a former Republican judge in Texas, warns us that the Religious Right, now in control of Congress and the White House, is trying for the federal judicial system.
Crier, Catherine	Patriot Acts	12/27/2011	5.0	N E W	Politics	Forthright and insightful as always, Ms Crier provides a cogent new analysis of what's wrong with the Right and how they attempt to govern our American republic.
Cuttle, Christopher	Lighting by Design	1/12/2010	4.0	N E W	Technology	For architects and others professionally concerned with building lighting systems, this highly theoretical book will be valuable; for homeowners, not so much.
Davidson, Osha Gray	Under Fire	10/07/1997	5.0		Current events	Inside the NRA in its battle against all forms of gun control
de Camp, L. Sprague	Lands Beyond	6/02/1998	5.0		History	One of the essential references for the historical truths behind Atlantis and other tales and legends.
Dean, John	Worse than Watergate	12/15/2005	4.0		Politics	John Dean, convicted in the Watergate scandal, here compares George W. Bush's administration to the Nixon White House in which he served — and finds Bush comes off second best.
Dean, John	Conservatives without Conscience	2/04/2007	5.0		Politics	Increasingly troubled by the damage to our democracy done by the neocons, John Dean investigates the roots of their movement and profiles its current principal players,
Dyer, Gwynne	Climate Wars	3/03/2011	5.0	N E W	Environment	Canadian observer of world affairs Gwynne Dyer provides a fresh perspective on how we are likely to handle our climate crisis.
Eberhart, Russell C.	Neural Network PC Tools	5/13/1992	5.0		Computers	A thorough and essential reference on the theory and implementation of neural networks
Elias, George Henry	Breakout into Space	3/16/1997	3.0		Space	Elias' thesis: that it is the duty of "the Gifted Generation" (baby boomers) — and in their own best interest — to expand into space.
Eldredge, Niles	Dominion	3/03/2011	4.5	N E W	Anthropology	Eldredge, a Curator at New York's Museum of Natural History, says our unnatural history is in big trouble if we don't change our profligate ways.
Epstein, Paul R.	Changing Planet, Changing Health	11/26/2011	5.0	N E W	Environment	Dr. Epstein (1943-2011), a physician, reports with journalist Dan Ferber here of the many impacts climate change is already having around the world — not just in public health, but in agricultural productivity too. This first-person account is not to be missed.
Falk, Dan	Universe on a T-Shirt	6/17/2004	5.0		Physics	A very readable introduction to the latest theories in physics, with an excellent review of the history of science thrown in — and, no equations!
Fallaci, Oriana	A Man (Un Uomo)	11/04/2002	5.0		Mainstream fiction	A novel based on the life of Alexandros Panagoulis, leader of a revolt against the Greek dictator George Papadopoulos
Fallaci, Oriana	If the Sun Dies	1/27/2002	5.0		Space History	The woman called "the greatest political interviewer of modern times" in the 1970s here tells us of the year she spent probing NASA's space program.
Fallaci, Oriana	Interview with History	2/28/2002	5.0		History	Fallaci's interviews provide deep insight into 14 important personages of the 1970s, and into the troubled times which they influenced and were influenced by.
Fallaci, Oriana	Letter to a Child Never Born	1/27/2002	5.0		Mainstream fiction	In this short novel, Fallaci explores the dilemma of a career woman pregnant out of wedlock.
Faris, Stephan	Forecast	6/08/2010	5.0	N E W	Environment	No one I've seen does a better job than globe-girdling journalist Stephan Faris at convincing us why we should worry about the climate changes that are happening *right now*.
Ferguson, Eugene S.	Engineering and the Mind's Eye	6/30/1998	5.0		Technology	Ferguson documents how — to its detriment — engineering education in America has changed since the 1960s, de-emphasizing practical, hands-on learning in favor of the purely analytical approach.
Findley, Paul	Silent No More	1/12/2002	3.5		Politics	Mostly succeeds in correcting America's false images of Islam, but poor on terrorism.
Fitzgerald, A. Ernest	The Pentagonists	7/28/1998	5.0		Politics	Testimony by a Pentagon cost analyst about the military-procurement culture of "waste, fraud and abuse".
Flannery, Tim	Now or Never	1/28/2010	5.0	N E W	Environment	Dr. Flannery demonstrates in these essays why there is hope not only of avoiding the worst impacts of climate change, but of avoiding ruinous costs of mitigation as well.
Fogg, Martyn	Terraforming	5/24/1996	5.0		Space Technology	This book bids fair to become the bible of its very abstruse field, which concerns making living conditions on other planets more like those of Earth.
Foster, Alan Dean	Bloodhype	10/02/2011	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	Ever on the hunt for ways to disadvantage their enemy the Humanx Commonwealth, minions of the AAnn Empire think they have something specially destructive in a creature called the Vom. They're right. But they're closer to the Vom.
Foster, Alan Dean	Cachalot	5/02/2011	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	Something is destroying the human settlements on the ocean world of Cachalot. Is it the whales that were moved there from Earth centuries ago, and have lived peacefully since? Everyone suspects human agency. Then the investigators catch whales in the act.
Foster, Alan Dean	The End of the Matter	8/26/2011	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	Flinx goes home to find the identity of his father, if he can. What he finds is a funny-looking, nonsense-babbling alien who is the key to a massive problem that menaces the whole of the Commonwealth.
Foster, Alan Dean	The Howling Stones	4/30/2010	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	Set in the universe of the Humanx Commonwealth created by Foster, this novel weaves an engrossing tale of a trade mission to the Parramati, who care nothing for trade, and the awesome secrets that make them that way.
Foster, Alan Dean	The Spoils of War	8/06/2011	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	Never mess with the bird-woman Lalelelang of Mahmahar. Sure she's small, physically fragile, and hates the sight of blood. But she's tough as they come where it counts — tough enough to end a thousand-year war.
Franken, Al	Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell them	6/12/2004	4.0		Current events	Al Franken's comedic style doesn't translate well to print. And the book has some flaws. Despite that, it conveys some vital messages about the political right — and will make you chortle as well.
Franken, Al	The Truth (with Jokes)	3/06/2010	5.0	N E W	Current events	Al Franken (now Senator Franken) has a real tour de force in this one. Many books expose and debunk the deceptive and greedy practices of some of today's politicians. Franken eviscerates those practices.
Freddoso, David	The Case Against Barack Obama	11/03/2008	4.0	N E W	Politics	David Freddoso's critique of Obama's character and career is mostly accurate, but contains some distortions that betray the author's right-wing bias.
Fuller, John G.	We Almost Lost Detroit	8/15/2011	5.0	N E W	Technology	Journalist Fuller's riveting account is overly alarmist in places but well researched and accurate about the slipshod performance of the AEC and the nuclear industry during their first three decades.
Garwin, Richard L.	Megawatts and Megatons	6/10/2005	5.0		Current events	Two vexing problems facing us today are nuclear power and nuclear weapons. Here, physicists Garwin and Chartak do an admirable job of describing the situation and presenting policy options.
Gelernter, David	Drawing Life	10/30/2000	5.0		Current events	A meditation on surviving both the Unabomber and the educational system that produced him
Gibson, James William	A Reenchanted World	12/13/2009	5.0	N E W	Environment	James Gibson chronicles the reawakening of a vitally needed spiritual view of nature.
Gingrich, Newt	Winning the Future	1/16/2006	4.0	N E W	Politics	Georgia Republican politician Gingrich has written a campaign book.
Gipe, Paul	Wind Energy Comes of Age	2/04/2010	5.0	N E W	Technology	Wind energy came of age fifteen years ago, according to this 1995 book. In it, Paul Gipe explains why by describing much about how the fastest-growing source of alternative energy works.
Goodell, Jeff	Big Coal	2/01/2010	5.0	N E W	Technology	Three years of world-ranging research went into this hard-hitting examination of the coal industry.
Goodell, Jeff	How to Cool the Planet	4/17/2010	4.5	N E W	Technology	Turning from the problem of climate change to possible solutions, Goodell once again produces a worthy read.
Gordon, Stuart	Time Story	10/27/2011	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	When he got a good look at the woman who rescued him from the well, Phil Kitson saw she was the same woman who had tried to kill him, and died herself. How could this be? And how did she know about the stolen moongems floating in the bag beside him? Time would tell.
Gore, Al	Our Choice	5/14/2010	5.0	N E W	Environment	The former vice president's third book on the environment sets forth clearly the tradeoffs involved in every aspect of the puzzles of climate-change mitigation and adaptation.
Gray, Mike	Angle of Attack	8/12/1998	5.0		Space History	Skilled Rockwell engineer and manager Harrison Storms drove himself and his team for six years to build the Apollo Command Module and the second stage of the Saturn rocket that would launch it — only to become the sacrificial lamb when the Apollo fire happened.
Grazier, Kevin R. (ed.)	The Science of Michael Crichton	5/14/2010	5.0	N E W	Science	Several authors well-versed in science investigate how well the novels of Michael Crichton treat the scientific underpinnings of his plots.
Grinspoon, David	Lonely Planets	5/13/2004	5.0		Space Biology	A wide-ranging account of humankind's quest to discover and understand life on other worlds — written in a breezy, irreverent style by one of the leading current practitioners of that quest.
Gutsch, William A.	The Search for Extraterrestrial Life	5/07/1996	5.0		Space	This book by Hayden Planetarium director Gutsch is a good introduction to the subject for children.
Hacker, Jacob S.	Off Center	11/13/2006	5.0		Politics	Two professors of political science dissect the Republican revolution.
Hammond, Allen	Which World?	9/18/2011	5.0	N E W	Anthropology	From a year of intense work, Dr. Hammond and others distilled three plausible scenarios for the next fifty years. Supporting information is provided.
Hansen, James	Storms of My Grandchildren	2/15/2011	5.0	N E W	Environment	The foremost climatologist in this country explains the urgency of doing something about climate change.
Hapgood, Fred	Up The Infinite Corridor	1/24/1997	4.5		Technology	A penetrating but fragmentary look at MIT and the soul of engineering
Harrison, Albert A.	After Contact	3/24/2002	5.0		Current events	How will the human race react when it hears from ET? Psychologist Albert Harrison looks at the current state of human affairs, and is encouraged.
Hassoun, M. Nadim	Structural Concrete	6/30/2011	5.0	N E W	Technology	The fourth edition of a very thorough introductory textbook on the use of concrete in construction.
Hawking, Stephen W.	A Brief History of Time	1/12/2003	5.0		Astronomy	Professor Hawking's classic layman's introduction to black holes, the Big Bang, and cosmology in general
Hawking, Stephen W.	A Briefer History of Time	1/12/2006	5.0		Astronomy	An admirable update of the 1988 classic.
Hedges, Chris	The World As It Is	6/06/2011	5.0	N E W	Politics	A series of pull-no-punches essays on politics and governing from the author of War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning.
Heinlein, Robert A.	For Us, the Living	2/06/2004	4.5		Science Fiction	Heinlein's just-published first novel is a thinly disguised series of lectures, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Heintze, Carl	Search Among the Stars	3/09/1997	5.0		Space	This book on astronomy and SETI is part of the van Nostrand series for children.
Hersh, Seymour	Chain of Command	11/10/2005	5.0		Current events	Reporter Seymour Hersh shows he's still in top form as he documents the origins and possible aftermaths of the Pentagon's flawed "War on Terror".
Hessley, Rita K.	Coal Science	8/25/2011	5.0	N E W	Technology	An introduction to the classification and gasification of coal — useful, but with some errors and obscurities.
Hirsch, E. D.	The Schools We Need	5/27/2006	5.0		Learning	As Mark Twain might have said, "Everyone talks about the schools, but no one does anything about them." E.D. Hirsch explains the problem in this book, sets forth solutions, and reveals that he is doing something.
Hogan, James P.	Code of the Lifemaker	11/10/2011	5.0	N E W	Science Fiction	The mission was headed for Mars. At least, that's what the public and most of the participants were told. But, after the ship left Earth orbit, a stage psychic named Zambendorf learned they were bound for Titan, and picked up rumors of an alien civilization there — a civilization of machines.
Hogan, James P.	Inherit the Stars	12/10/2002	5.0		Science Fiction	Gifted scientist Victor Hunt embarks on an other-worldly quest that leads to a shattering conclusion.
Hogan, James P.	Mission to Minerva	1/08/2011	5.0	N E W	Science Fiction	Victor Hunt finds himself once again venturing into the wonder-worlds of fiction and science.
Hoggan, James	Climate Cover-Up	4/17/2010	5.0	N E W	Politics	Public relations, or PR, has been debased in the battle over climate change. PR professional James Hoggan explains how and by whom.
Horner, Christopher	The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming	11/20/2007	3.0		Politics	Here's another entry in the continuing campaign of Global Warming Denial. Its reasoning is as defective as others of its kind I have seen, but it is fairly well written.
Hujsak, Edward	The Future of U.S. Rocketry	3/12/1997	5.0		Space	Good data on U.S. launch vehicle families. Good opinions about where the launch industry can go in the future. Trenchant opinions about why it's not getting there fast.
Impey, Chris	How It Ends	1/26/2011	5.0	N E W	Astronomy	An astronomy professor, Dr. Impey writes more about beginnings than ends. (Descriptions of most endings are, of course, sheer speculation.) His book is enjoyable nevertheless.
Ivins, Molly	Shrub	10/16/2000	5.0		Politics	Famously forthright columnist Molly Ivins' possibly biased analysis of George W. Bush's record as governor of Texas
Ivins, Molly	Bushwhacked	12/19/2005	5.0	N E W	Politics	More from famously forthright columnist Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose on George W. Bush's record
Jackson, Maggie	Distracted	6/10/2010	5.0	N E W	Anthropology	We're deluged by information from a society that demands we be good at multitasking. What are these requirements doing to our minds? Maggie Jackson takes a good long look at the question.
Johnston, David Cay	Perfectly Legal	6/27/2004	5.0		Politics	This analysis of the tax code and its exploiters grew out of a Pulitzer-Prize-winning investigation that Johnston did for the New York Times. WARNING! It may cause your fists to clench.
Kelly, Marjorie	The Divine Right of Capital	9/01/2011	5.0	N E W	Business	Cofounder of the journal Business Ethics, Ms. Kelly makes the case for a new, more equitable form of corporate governance with passion, cogency and impeccable scholarship.
Kennedy, Jr., Robert F.	Crimes Against Nature	5/12/2005	5.0		Environment Politics	This report by the son of Robert F. Kennedy, now a lawyer defending the environment, weaves a familiar tale of Bush administration misdeeds. Familiar, yes, but not invalid — and not unimportant.
King, Betty	Women of the Future	12/15/2011	5.0	N E W	Science Fiction	The author traces the improving status of female characters in works of science fiction from the late nineteenth century through the 1980s.
Kintisch, Eli	Hack the Planet	7/09/2010	5.0	N E W	Technology	Another book on the hot topic of geoengineering, appropriately cautious about plunging into such measures as a means of adapting to climate change.
Kitchin, C. R.	Journeys to the Ends of the Universe	6/29/2003	5.0		Astronomy	A well-written popular treatment of astrophysical cosmology, but somewhat more technical than most
Klerkx, Greg	Lost in Space	11/05/2004	5.0		Space Politics	Space-age politics, the efforts of a bureaucratic NASA to preserve its empire, and the recent burgeoning of entrepreneurial spaceflight companies, form the heart of this engrossing narrative.
Kolata, Gina	Ultimate Fitness	9/16/2010	5.0	N E W	Anthropology	New York Times reporter Kolata here probes the world of workouts and exposes a health scam.
Kolbert, Elizabeth	Field Notes from a Catastrophe	1/20/2010	5.0	N E W	Environment Politics	Compelling accounts of its effects on ordinary people are the virtue of Elizabeth Kolbert's book on climate change.
Krantzler, Mel	Down and Out in Silicon Valley	6/30/2011	4.0	N E W	Business	Although it's worth reading, this book about the downside of the computer revolution contains little originality or insight.
Krauss, Lawrence M.	The Physics of Star Trek	11/09/1995	5.0		Physics	What are the real scientific prospects for the fictional technologies used aboard the starship Enterprise? Dr. Krauss prognosticates.
Krupp, Fred	Earth: The Sequel	2/10/2010	5.0	N E W	Technology	Fred Krupp and Miriam Horn of the Environmental Defense Fund offer us an entertaining and inspiring tour of today's clean-energy developments.
Kuttner, Robert	A Presidency in Peril	8/05/2010	5.0	N E W	Politics	Robert Kuttner gives us a tour de force explaining why President Obama has disappointed his base on the economic recovery — and how he can recover.
Lambright, W. Henry	Powering Apollo	6/08/2004	5.0		Space History	A fascinating introduction to the political machinations surrounding America's moon missions of the 1960s — and to the man who steered NASA through those reefs and shoals.
Lapham, Lewis	Pretensions to Empire	12/21/2007	5.0		Politics	In a lively collection of essays, longtime journalist Lapham opines on current politics, popular culture, and the shortcomings of the Bush administration.
Lederer, William	The Ugly American	2/06/2011	5.0	N E W	Mainstream fiction	Fictional in only the narrowest sense, this famous novel by Lederer & Burdick lays bare the reasons behind the failures of America's battle against communism in Southeast Asia during the twentieth century.
Lederer, William	Our Own Worst Enemy	5/23/2011	5.0	N E W	History	Ten years after The Ugly American, William Lederer dropped his other plans and wrote a hard-hitting, factual analysis of why we were failing in Viet Nam.
LeGuin, Ursula	The Dispossessed	4/06/2011	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	LeGuin's award-winning novel of social criticism featuring Shevek, an idealistic temporal physicist, as the potential agent of change.
Lehman, Milton	This High Man	3/23/1998	5.0		Memoirs	A biography of rocketry pioneer Robert Hutchings Goddard
Levitt, Steven D.	Freakonomics	6/03/2007	5.0		Anthropology	Why do drug dealers live with their mothers? What was behind the drop in crime during the 1990s? Find out in this book by "rogue economist" Levitt and New York Times reporter Dubner. It's like no economics book you've read.
Lewis, John S.	Worlds Without End	6/02/2000	5.0		Astronomy	New science shows us many planets around nearby stars. What does this mean for extraterrestrial life?
Linden, Eugene	The Winds of Change	11/23/2006	5.0		Environment	A unique aspect of this book by long-time climate science writer Eugene Linden is his detailed discussion of the possible financial impacts of global warming.
Lord, M. G.	Astro Turf	10/10/2005	5.0		Space	A daughter of American aerospace engineering culture of the mid-twentieth-century examines how she — and we — got to the vastly different here and now.
Loewenstein, Werner R.	The Touchstone of Life	8/11/2000	5.0		Biology	Engrossing look at the molecular basis of life, slightly marred by errors in physics and information theory
Lynn, Barry W.	Piety and Politics	11/28/2011	5.0	N E W	Politics	Another voice, ordained minister Barry Lynn, warns of encroachment on constitutional rights by the Religious Right.
MacDonald, John D.	Time and Tomorrow	4/22/2010	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	From a master of the mystery form, three supremely fascinating tales of science fiction — including The Girl, the Gold Watch, and Everything
Magner, Mike	Poisoned Legacy	10/30/2011	5.0	N E W	Technology	British Petroleum (aka BP), as documented by journalist Mike Magner, has a history of putting profits before the safety of its workers or the health of the communities where its facilities lie.
Maguire, Joe	Brainless	4/12/2007	4.5		Politics	See the threadbare thinking of hard-right icon Ann Coulter dissolve under journalist Joe Maquire's trenchant analysis.
Mallaby, Sebastian	The World's Banker	2/15/2006	5.0		Politics	A lively profile of the World Bank and the complicated man who ran it for a decade starting in 1995.
Mandel, Thomas	Rules of the Net	11/14/1997	4.5		Computers	In this guide to proper on-line behavior, the key words are "personal responsibility".
Mann, Charles C.	Noah's Choice	6/11/2011	5.0	N E W	Environment	A deep investigation of species preservation efforts under the Endangered Species Act reveals the complexities that are not always apparent on the surface.
Margulies, Joseph	Guantanamo	8/24/2008	5.0		Current Events	The Bush administration's treatment of prisoners at Guantánamo defies both law and logic, as attorney Joseph Margulies reveals in this gripping account.
McClellan, Scott	What Happened	2/27/2010	3.5	N E W	Current	Scott McClellan tells us what was wrong with the Bush administration, as he saw it.
McConnell, Brian	Beyond Contact	9/03/2001	3.5		Science	How to construct an encoding scheme for interstellar messages that ET will want to read
McKibben, Bill	Eaarth	1/15/2011	5.0	N E W	Environment	"This is not your father's planet," says McKibben, author of The End of Nature. His prognosis is grim. But then he tells us what we can do about the situation.
McPhee, John	The Curve of Binding Energy	12/28/1997	5.0		Current events	Atom-bomb physicist Theodore B. Taylor presents his life — and a warning about the lack of security in America's nuclear materials stockpiles.
Meyer, Eric	Eric Meyer on CSS	12/21/2003	5.0		Computers	An excellent practical tutorial on CSS for those who have a beginner's knowledge of the subject
Mishkin, Andrew	Sojourner	4/30/2004	5.0		Space	Mishkin was a systems engineer on JPL's Sojourner Mars rover. His account conveys in readable wise all the tension, frustration, and lost sleep attendant to such projects — and the exultation when they succeed.
Monbiot, George	Heat	1/20/2010	4.5	N E W	Technology	Thinking "outside the box", British journalist George Monbiot looks for some unconventional options to slow the production of greenhouse gases. And he finds some.
Mooney, Chris	The Republican War on Science	3/26/2010	5.0	N E W	Politics	Here's a documentation of Republican depredations against science that's more thorough and wide-ranging than Seth Shulman's excellent work.
Mooney, Chris	Storm World	12/20/2010	5.0	N E W	Science	A thorough examination of the phenomenon of hurricanes, the men who study them, and their disparate theories.
Morone, Joseph G.	The Demise of Nuclear Energy?	7/31/2011	5.0	N E W	Technology	Why did the United States fail at developing nuclear power? The authors provide a well-researched, clear-eyed answer.
Morris, Charles R.	The Sages	6/18/2011	5.0	N E W	Business	You think economists know what they're talking about? Here are three very successful investors who beg to disagree.
Morton, Oliver	Mapping Mars	2/01/2004	5.0		Space	The exploration of Mars, and the scientists performing it, are portrayed in this informative book.
Morton, Oliver	Eating the Sun	9/20/2010	5.0	N E W	Science	Photosynthesis is a mystery only partly unraveled. Oliver Morton is our guide for an entertaining journey along the tangled pathways already pursued.
Nadeau, Robert L.	The Environmental Endgame	1/07/2009	5.0	N E W	Environment Politics	Professor Nadeau thoroughly demolishes the illusion that mainstream economics possesses rigor and reliable predictive power.
Nader, Ralph	The Good Fight	10/15/2004	4.5		Politics	Consumer advocate Ralph Nader continues his long battle for the public good. An Appendix, The Conscious Voter, reminds us how easily an inattentive electorate can be hoodwinked.
Nader, Ralph	Whistle Blowing	5/11/2011	5.0	N E W	Politics	A dated but comprehensive look at whistle-blowers and the abuses that motivated them in 1972. It's, like, *nowsville*, man!
O'Hanlon, Michael	Neither Star Wars nor Sanctuary	11/12/2004	5.0		Space Politics	An excellent layman's introduction to the timely subject of military space policy.
O'Neill, Dan	The Firecracker Boys	12/26/1997	5.0		History	The history of a Project Plowshare test that — but for local protests — might have produced a super-Chernobyl in Alaska in 1961.
Oliphant, Thomas	Utter Incompetents	2/23/2010	5.0	N E W	Politics	Tom Oliphant, a Boston Globe columnist, examines the Bush administration on 16 performance areas and finds it wanting in all of them.
Oreskes, Naomi	Merchants of Doubt	8/25/2010	5.0	N E W	Politics	Decade after decade, from smoking & lung cancer to carbon dioxide & global warming, a few misguided ideologues have done their utmost to confuse the public about the seriousness of problems. Now, science historian Oreskes and NASA physicist Conway team up to set the record straight.
Orlova, Marina	Hot for Words	3/17/2010	3.5	N E W	Language	You've got to admit that this Russian philologist has a way with words.
Orwell, George	The Road to Wigan Pier	7/04/2004	4.0		History	Orwell's gripping account of working-class poverty in the industrial North of England, based on his own in-depth research, is diminished by a mistaken conception of technological progress.
Outside Magazine	Out of the Noösphere	12/24/2001	5.0	N E W	Environment	A collection of cracking good essays, chosen by the magazine's editors.
Pearce, Fred	With Speed and Violence	9/20/2007	5.0		Science	Fred Pearce looks at cutting-edge research that suggests the IPCC prediction of troublesome climate change may be far too mild.
Pendle, George	Strange Angel	3/15/2006	5.0		Space	Finally, a worthy biography of rocketry pioneer John Whiteside Parsons. In his rather bizarre life, the largely self-taught Parsons made major contributions to solid-fuel technology.
Perkins, John	Confessions of an Economic Hit Man	12/27/2005	3.5		Current events	I judge Mr. Perkins' confession heartfelt and reasonably well-crafted, but in the final analysis unreliable. Still, it's a good read.
Perkowitz, Sidney	Hollywood Science	11/26/2011	5.0	N E W	Visual Media	Cogent and reasonably flexible analysis of the scientific accuracy of Hollywood film-making through the years.
Peterson, Ivars	Newton's Clock	3/22/1995	5.0		Astronomy	Chaos reigns in the solar system!
Petroski, Henry	The Essential Engineer	7/10/2011	4.5	N E W	Technology	Henry Petroski's continuing mission: To raise the public's recognition of the engineering profession. In this book, his fifteenth, he achieves only mixed success.
Phillips, Ken	Bad Money	9/23/2009	5.0	N E W	Anthropology	Every American knows about the Great Recession of 2008, but few understand what caused it. Veteran economic reporter Ken Phillips provides a comprehensive education on the topic.
Pinker, Susan	The Sexual Paradox	1/12/2010	4.5	N E W	Anthropology	Developmental psychologist Susan Pinker gives us an empathetic and useful examination of how the career choices of men and women relate to their biological differences
Pohl, Frederik	Chernobyl	4/26/2010	5.0	N E W	Mainstream fiction	Veteran science-fiction author Pohl brings the 1986 Chernobyl disaster home in this gripping dramatization.
Pohl, Frederik	The Singers of Time	2/26/2011	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	Another hugely enjoyable collaboration from SF veterans Pohl & Williamson, with some surprising plot twists.
Pohl, Frederik	The Starchild Trilogy	9/26/2011	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	The Reefs of Space anchors this Pohl & Williamson classic, and is the standout of three enjoyable tales.
Pooley, Eric	The Climate War	7/14/2010	5.0	N E W	Politics	A lively and engrossing account of the last three years in the ongoing political struggle to get a handle on climate change
Pope, Carl	Strategic Ignorance	9/30/2004	5.0		Current events Environment	The Sierra Club's Executive Director has produced a devastating critique of the Bush administration record of protecting the environment.
Postrel, Virginia	The Future and its Enemies	6/17/2002	5.0		Current events	Those who try to prevent change, and those who try to control it, block the paths to genuine progress.
Powell, James Lawrence	The Inquisition of Climate Science	12/05/2011	5.0	N E W	Science	Former professor of geology Powell shows us in a clear, comprehensive and well-organized analysis why none of the persistent attacks on climate science and the scientists who investigate it should be taken seriously.
Press, Bill	Toxic Talk	1/15/2011	5.0	N E W	History Politics	Talk radio today is 90 percent right-wing. Bill Press examines how it got that way, and shows us the disappointing result.
Press, Bill	Train Wreck	1/20/2010	5.0		History Politics	Press documents the failure of the modern conservative movement with abundant facts and figures, and traces its origin in history.
Rasor, Dina	The Pentagon Underground	12/30/1997	5.0		Current events	Dina Rasor takes us inside the flawed procurement of the Army's M-1 Abrams tank.
Ravitch, Diane	The Death and Life of the Great American School System	1/22/2012	5.0	N E W	Learning	Diane Ravitch finds that NCLB leaves quality in education behind because (as Vince Lombardi might have said) it makes testing the only thing.
Ravitch, Diane	The Language Police	3/02/2006	5.0		Learning	All about how fringe-group pressure for politically correct language makes textbook publishers knuckle under
Ravitch, Diane	Left Back	12/13/2009	5.0	N E W	Learning	One hundred years of failed reforms of American education are chronicled in this book.
Ray, Paul H.	The Cultural Creatives	2/28/2003	5.0		Current events	Thirteen years of research went into this book, which portrays through anecdotes and statistics the cultural evolution being wrought by the 50 million people making up its namesake group.
Reece, Erik	Lost Mountain	12/28/2009	5.0	N E W	Environment Politics	This is Erik Reece's obituary for that eastern Kentucky mountain, which he watched being cut down during 2003 and 2004.
Rees, Martin	Our Cosmic Habitat	2/16/2002	4.5		Astronomy	Describes the concept of multiple universes, and speculates that we may soon be able to devise experimental ways of testing this mind-blowing idea.
Regis, Ed	Great Mambo Chicken	8/25/1996	5.0		Science	Regis explores cutting-edge scientific ideas that are literally far out — and the scientists behind them.
Reich, Richard B.	Supercapitalism	4/27/2011	5.0	N E W	Politics	Economics professor and Clinton's former Labor Secretary, Reich wants corporations free to be corporations and thinks the trend to personify them is terribly wrong — but wants them restrained by a well-educated and actively involved citizenry which induces government to pass laws which level businesses' playing field.
Rhodes, Richard	Nuclear Renewal	12/20/2005	4.5		Technology	Nuclear power, says Rhodes in this 1993 book, is poised to pull out of the power dive into which it was sent by Three Mile Island — and high time, too.
Rhodes, Richard	Visions of Technology	3/30/2003	5.0		Technology History	A veritable gold mine of short pieces on technology from throughout the 20th century
Ricks, Thomas E.	Fiasco	6/09/2008	5.0	N E W	Current events	Veteran Pentagon correspondent Ricks documents the U.S. military's blunders in its current occupation of Iraq.
Ride, Sally	To Space and Back	12/04/1994	5.0		Space (Juv. Lit.)	America's first woman in space tells how it is to fly on the Space Shuttle.
Rifkin, Jeremy	The European Dream	1/09/2006	5.0		Anthropology Politics	Is the American Dream obsolete? Jeremy Rifkin argues in this information-dense book that it is, and should be supplanted by the more communitarian model he labels the European Dream.
Robinson, George S.	Envoys of Mankind	7/20/2003	4.0		Space	An examination of the changes humanity may undergo when large numbers of people live off-planet, and the legal frameworks that will be needed to ensure civil order and a fair measure of freedom.
Romm, Joseph J.	Hell and High Water	5/04/2007	5.0	N E W	Environment Politics	Dr. Romm examines the arguments of the "Denyers and Delayers" — politically well-connected skeptics who have been blocking any U.S. action on global warming.
Romm, Joseph J.	The Hype About Hydrogen	1/03/2006	5.0		Technology	Dr. Romm's work with the Department of Energy convinced him that creating a hydrogen economy is vital — but only if we avoid half measures and do the job right.
Rotter, Andrew J.	Hiroshima: The World's Bomb	1/03/2010	5.0	N E W	History	The vexing question of whether atomic bombs should have been used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is reexamined by Andrew Rotter.
Ruddiman, William F.	Plows, Plagues, and Petroleum	5/24/2010	5.0	N E W	Science	We humans, says Dr. Ruddiman, took control of Earth's climate 8,000 years ago. Evidence? It's right here in the book.
Ruggiero, Vincent Ryan	Warning: Nonsense is Destroying America	4/24/2006	4.0		Anthropology	Mr. Ruggiero seeks to analyze the harmful effects of popular culture on America, but lets his hatred of that popular culture lead him to overstate his case.
Rushkoff, Douglas	Life Inc.	6/14/2010	5.0	N E W	Politics	Rushkoff, a prominent media critic, provides a penetrating analysis of corporate executives' continuing quest to acquire legal personhood for their firms — while natural persons, beset on all sides by rampant commercialism, act less and less like real people.
Russell, Eric Frank	The Mindwarpers	10/18/2011	4.5	N E W	Science fiction	Why had he killed Arline? Richard Bransome could not remember, though his memories of doing so were vivid. His home life in tatters, he had to take a leave from his defense job to track down the mystery. Soon he found a bigger one to grapple with.
Sagan, Carl	The Demon-Haunted World	1/07/1997	5.0		Anthropology	Why ignorance and superstition persist — and why they must not
Sagan, Carl	The Dragons of Eden	1/14/1997	5.0		Anthropology	Speculations on the origin of human intelligence
Sagan, Carl	Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors	1/22/1997	5.0		Anthropology	An exploration of human nature in its ecological and historical contexts
Sands, Philippe	Lawless World	1/31/2006	5.0		Politics	The complexity and difficulty of making and adhering to international treaties are well described in this account of recent developments in the field — as is America's short-sighted refusal to adhere to such norms of behavior.
Scammell, Henry	Giantkillers	11/11/2004	5.0		Politics	A gripping account of several hard-fought victories by whistle-blowers against greedy companies in the defense and health-care industries
Schell, Orville	Mandate of Heaven	9/15/2000	5.0		Current events	China expert Schell takes us inside the People's Republic of China when Tiananmen Square erupted.
Schneider, Stephen H.	Science as a Contact Sport	8/03/2010	5.0	N E W	Memoirs	A memoir of the late Dr. Schneider's remarkable life in climate science and politics
Schoen, Douglas	Pat	6/21/2004	5.0		History Politics	A biography of the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Seidl, Amy	Early Spring	12/14/2010	5.0	N E W	Environment	Ecologist Dr. Amy Seidl describes in gentle and evocative terms, often through the eyes of her two young daughters, ominous changes in the seasons experienced in her Vermont valley home.
Shapiro, Robert	Planetary Dreams	5/21/2001	5.0		Science	An examination of the quest to understand the origins of life
Shenkman, Rick	Just How Stupid Are We?	6/11/2009	4.0	N E W	Politics	Shenkman's examination of the American body politic finds it wanting of wit and will.
Shnayerson, Michael	Coal River	11/18/2009	5.0	N E W	Environment Politics	A long look at the valley of the Coal River in West Virginia, where the streams are getting filled up and the people are just about fed up.
Shostak, Seth	Confessions of an Alien Hunter	2/06/2010	4.5	N E W	Science	We still listen for alien signals, and we're getting better at it. Astronomer Seth Shostak tells us why and how in this interesting update on SETI — the search for extraterrestial intelligence.
Shulman, Seth	Undermining Science	8/01/2007	5.0		Politics	The administration of any president contains at least some crooks and liars. But none made a systematic effort to toss aside facts (and people) that don't support the party line — until George W. Bush became president. Shulman documents the debacle.
Shute, Nevil	A Town Like Alice	4/27/2011	5.0	N E W	Mainstream fiction	One of Shute's most engaging novels, about a plucky Englishwoman and her adventures in Malaysia during World War II as a prisoner of the Japanese — and her even more eventful life afterward.
Shute, Nevil	On the Beach	4/17/2011	4.5	N E W	Mainstream fiction	This novel of Shute's is his most familiar, at least in America. It is well-written, but I found its tone of resignation depressing.
Simon, Charlie May	Faith Has Need of All the Truth	12/25/1997	5.0		Memoirs	A biography of the Jesuit paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin for young readers
Smith, Clive Stafford	Eight O'Clock Ferry to the Windward Side	5/19/2010	5.0	N E W	Politics	At Guantánamo, explains British attorney Clive Smith, justice was often a shell game.
Solomon, Norman	War Made Easy	10/15/2005	5.0	N E W	Politics	Norman Solomon explains how a president can have a war whenever he wants — for good reasons or bad.
Specter, Michael	Denialism	9/16/2011	4.0	N E W	Science	With particular focus on drugs and vaccination, journalist Michael Specter examines the phenomenon of denialism in his first book.
Spudis, Paul D.	The Once and Future Moon	5/21/2001	5.0		Space	All about the value of Luna, and why we should get off our duffs and go back to Earth's natural satellite
Steel, Duncan	Rogue Asteroids and Doomsday Comets	2/13/1997	4.5		Astronomy	An Aussie astronomer describes the potential problem of these bodies colliding with Earth — and the underfunded efforts to detect them.
Stern, Gerald M.	The Scotia Widows	5/04/2010	5.0	N E W	History	Gerald Stern shows us that Appalachian coal mines and Appalachian justice looked much the same in 1976 as they do today. That's not a thing to celebrate.
Stipp, David	The Youth Pill	10/20/2011	5.0	N E W	Medicine	Another good report on the progress of gerontology in unraveling the very complex puzzle of human aging.
Stoll, Clifford	High Tech Heretic	11/24/2001	4.5		Computers	Computers, says Stoll, don't belong in the classroom — and should come in designer colors.
Street, Paul	Barack Obama	4/29/2009	4.5	N E W	Politics	A counterpoise to David Freddoso's book about Obama is provided by progressive historian Paul Street, who also thinks our new president is no messiah.
Strong, Douglas H.	Dreamers & Defenders	8/27/2001	5.0		Environment Memoirs	Short but comprehensive biographies of America's foremost conservationists, from Thoreau to Commoner
Suskind, Ron	The Price of Loyalty	12/20/2005	5.0		Politics	Alcoa CEO Paul O'Neill was lured back into government service. He became Treasury Secretary because he knew he could make a difference. However, his reality-based approach did not mesh well with the administration of George W. Bush.
Suskind, Ron	The One Percent Doctrine	2/25/2007	5.0		Politics	Veteran journalist Ron Suskind takes an unblinking look at the "War on Terror", based on extensive interviews with its leaders as well as those who are actually waging that war — and finds the leaders wanting.
Sweet, William	Kicking the Carbon Habit	2/13/2010	5.0	N E W	Technology	Another good treatment of options for dealing with the effects of global warming, especially strong on climate science.
Sykes, Bryan	Adam's Curse	5/31/2004	4.5		Biology	The genetics researcher who introduced the world to mitochondrial DNA here turns his attention to the male of the species — with disconcerting results.
Takei, George	To The Stars	3/28/1998	5.0		Memoirs	George Takei (Mr. Sulu of the original Star Trek) describes his life, from an Arkansas internment camp to college at UCLA and Berkeley and success in Hollywood.
Teilhard du Chardin, Pierre	The Phenomenon of Man	6/18/2003	4.0		Anthropology	In his best-known work, the renowned paleontologist and Jesuit Father attempts to reconcile evolution and Catholicism.
Trefil, James	Why Science?	9/24/2011	4.5	N E W	Learning	Physicist and educator James Trefil explains why the chief benefit of understanding science is not fancy new technology, but a citizenry empowered to make rational decisions about their nation's future.
Truss, Lynn	Eats, Shoots and Leaves	11/03/2005	4.5		Language	An entertaining book about the subtleties of punctuation: not a rule book, though it does have rules.
Tucker, Todd	Atomic America	8/18/2011	5.0	N E W	Technology	A seldom reported side of nuclear fission power plant development — that done by the Navy, Army and Air Force — is the subject of Todd Tucker's comprehensive and insightful account.
Vacca, John	The World's 20 Greatest Unsolved Problems	11/15/2005	2.0		Science	Not content with describing the 20 unsolved problems mentioned in the title, John Vacca presents a credulous compendium of scientific and pseudoscientific ideas.
Wallace, Mike	Between You and Me	1/03/2006	5.0		Memoirs	Long-time 60 Minutes reporter Mike Wallace presents a selection of interview excerpts, along with some news analysis and anecdotes from his eventful journalistic career.
Ward, Peter D.	The Flooded Earth	9/01/2010	4.5	N E W	Science	In another must-read book, Dr. Ward continues his cautionary forecasts and explanations of climate change.
Ward, Peter D.	The Life and Death of Planet Earth	5/30/2005	4.0		Science	An informative but needlessly pessimistic projection about the bleak future that awaits us and our home planet
Ward, Peter D.	Life As We Do Not Know It	5/12/2006	4.5		Biology	Peter Ward is an active participant in the fast-changing field of astrobiology. I've found his books inconsistent in spots, but always information-packed and enjoyable.
Ward, Peter D.	Out of Thin Air	6/15/2007	5.0	N E W	Science	In a book that is fascinating but somewhat technical, Dr. Ward investigates the relationship between body forms and changes in oxygen levels on prehistoric Earth.
Ward, Peter D.	Rare Earth	3/14/2004	4.5		Biology	A very useful survey of what is known today about the origin and development of life on Earth, and the implications of that understanding for the abundance of complex life elsewhere
Ward, Peter D.	Under a Green Sky	5/17/2010	5.0	N E W	Science	After pretending in his introduction to be Hunter S. Thompson, Dr. Ward turns serious as he tells of some early fossil-hunting expeditions and the once-radical theories they support — theories that relate to global warming.
Washington, Haydn	Climate Change Denial	12/06/2011	3.5	N E W	Science	The authors, both scientists, provide more well-reasoned arguments against the rampant climate-science denial that still persists.
Waterman, Jonathan	Where Mountains Are Nameless	6/18/2010	5.0	N E W	Environment	Wilderness guru Jonathan Waterman tells of his time in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and of the contending interests that strive to exploit or protect it.
Webb, Stephen	Where is Everybody?	2/26/2004	5.0		Space	Physicist Webb has done mighty research and created a thorough analysis of the Fermi Paradox and many of its possible solutions. Recommended, even if his conclusion is a downer.
Weeks, David	Eccentrics	11/08/2000	5.0		Anthropology	A layman's version of Dr. Weeks' report on the study he did of the eccentric personality
Weil, Elizabeth	They All Laughed at Christopher Columbus	12/07/2002	0.5		Space	A book about one of the most advanced aerospace engineering efforts of the 20th century, written by someone who doesn't understand engineering or aerospace
Weiner, Jonathan	Long for this World	7/02/2011	5.0	N E W	Medicine	This profile of Aubrey de Grey brings the vexing questions of the feasibility and the desirability of immortality into sharp focus.
Weissman, Dick	Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution	11/23/2011	4.5	N E W	Anthropology	Popular music has the ability to inspire, to comfort, even to heal. But can it — can protest music, especially — bring about social change?
Wilczek, Frank	Longing for the Harmonies	11/25/2000	4.5		Physics	The structure of modern physics considered as a musical composition
Williams, Joy	Ill Nature	12/31/2009	4.0	N E W	Anthropology	Novelist Joy Williams here holds forth on the environment (and a few other things) in a collection of her essays.
Williamson, Jack	Lifeburst	2/26/2011	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	The first of two novels from SF Grand Master Jack Williamson about the world of SkyWeb has humans provisionally accepted by the eldren.
Williamson, Jack	Mazeway	2/26/2011	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	In the Second of the two SkyWeb novels, humanity wins full acceptance through the actions of Benn Dain.
Williamson, Jack	Manseed	2/26/2011	5.0	N E W	Science fiction	SF Grand Master Jack Williamson gives us an original and engrossing tale with plenty of high tech.
Wilson, Joseph	The Politics of Truth	11/05/2004	5.0		Memoirs Politics	Former Ambassador Joe Wilson recounts his life, with special reference to the current controversy over the disclosure that his wife, Valerie Plame, was an undercover CIA operative.
Wilson, Valerie Plame	Fair Game	11/14/2007	4.5		Memoirs Politics	Unfairly exposed CIA covert agent Valerie Plame finally gets to tell her side of the story.
Winkler, Allan M.	Life Under a Cloud	12/21/1997	5.0		History	Historian Winkler describes the social and cultural effects on America of the first fifty years of the atomic age.
Wolfson, Richard	Nuclear Choices	1/17/2006	5.0		Technology	An excellent and insightful technical description of the principles, practical operation, and problems attendant to, nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons.
Wylie, Philip	Generation of Vipers	1/10/2006	5.0		Politics	Written in 1942, shortly after Pearl Harbor was attacked, this famously forthright work of social criticism has much about it that still rings true and valuable.

Quality Ranges for Book Reviews
The books are rated from 0 to 5 in increments of 0.5. Colors represent the following quality ranges:
4.0 to 5.0	Quality:	HIGH	(Color = Aqua)	Competent to exceptional; well worth the money
2.0 to 3.5	Quality:	FAIR	(Color = Lime)	Useful despite some flaws; may or may not be worth buying.
0.5 to 1.5	Quality:	POOR	(Color = Yellow)	Seriously flawed; read it if you wish, but don't buy it.
0.0 to 0.0	Quality:	YUCK	(Color = Fuchsia)	Avoid this book at all costs!