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In honor of Neil deGrasse Tyson, read any book where science or a scientist is the focus. Your selected book could be either fiction or nonfiction. The time period is not as important as is the focus on science.

Please use this thread to discuss task 20.4.

I don't read Science Fiction, but my impression is that some of it is simply space travel and/or adventure - which would not work - but some actually have science and its application at its core - which will work.

For nonfiction, all books classed as Dewey Decimal 500 will work. When first discussing this task we ended up broadening it because The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is classed in the 600s, so it and similar (if there are some) would work. Auto/Bio/Mems of scientists will work.

And then there is also non sci-fi fiction. A Fierce Radiance comes immediately to mind, but it is surely one small example. Crime novels where forensics plays a major role would also work. (Note the emphasis).

We can't have read even the tip of the iceberg for what might work for this task, so we're going to leave applicability in your hands. Use that power wisely, please!

I'm going to try for Dark Archives: A Librarian's Investigation into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin. It has a MPG of science - 22 users.

I won't be telling the sci-fi readers in the group anything new, but if you are considering dabbling in it for this task...... the type of sci-fi Elizabeth is alluding to is called 'hard science fiction'.

This wiki will tell you about it with some examples of authors:


There are a couple of listopias here on GR about hard sci-fi that you could explore (I searched 'hard science fiction').

And since Elizabeth opened my eyes to the possibility(!) I am going to slot The Windup Girl in for this task.

I found this interview with the author which seems to justify my choice:

Thanks, Valerie. I knew there should be some way of finding those, but as a non-reader of the genre, didn't know where to start.

Would this book qualify: Ready Player One from the Listopia "Best Hard Science Fiction of the 21st Century"?

Shannon wrote: "Would this book qualify: Ready Player One from the Listopia "Best Hard Science Fiction of the 21st Century"?"

I honestly don't know Shannon, but other members of the group have read it and could shed some insight for you.

Ready Player One is more about culture than science. The VR is pretty handwavey.... And how it works doesn't really matter to the plot. (As far as I remember from a couple years ago).

I recommend The Martian as heavily dependant on the science and interesting to read. Also if you like deep cultural interaction with your science, Red Mars is soaked in science and a lot of the cultural conflict is about how to apply the science. Much longer read though.

Would Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain work?
The Dewey classification is 612 (human physiology).

How about Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation? It's classed under 306.7--social science-sexual relations, but it seems to be about animal biology.

Rosemary wrote: "Would Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain work?
The Dewey classification is 612 (human physiology)."

This sounds as if it would work, especially with the word science in the title. My example of Henrietta Lacks is classed as 616, so in the same DDC group.

Joanna wrote: "How about Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation? It's classed under 306.7--social science-sexual relations, but it seems to be about animal biology."

Not sure about the "advice" part of this title, but if it is about animal biology, or studies based on science, then yes.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Shannon wrote: "Would this book qualify: Ready Player One from the Listopia "Best Hard Science Fiction of the 21st Century"?"

I honestly don't know Shannon, but other members of the..."

I'm not a fan of Sci Fi either...but I did read Ready Player One ...and I agree with Beth...the "science" isn't an emphasis in the story.

I'm wondering about Foucault's Pendulum. I think one or two of you have read it. The description says The title of the book refers to an actual pendulum designed by the French physicist Léon Foucault to demonstrate the rotation of the earth, which has symbolic significance within the novel. But the rest of the description makes it sound as if this has little if any application within the novel as to any actual science.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I'm wondering about Foucault's Pendulum. I think one or two of you have read it. The description says The title of the book refers to an actual pendulum designed by the French physicis..."

As far as I recall, there's not really any science in it. It's more occult conspiracy theories, and the pendulum only has "symbolic significance" as your quote says. Having said that... there might be some mathematics in the code-breaking sense - some playing with numbers. But my memory is hazy.

Thanks, Looking at reviews, it didn't seem to have much (if any) science, but I was curious. Geography doesn't seem much science to me although I'm sure there are applications.

Thank you people for feedback re Ready Player One, I'll keep looking :)

I'm reading Transcendent Kingdom right now and the main character is a neuroscientist. There is a lot of lab time with mice and lots of "talking science" so far.

Thanks, Karen.

I don't know how many would be interested in science nonfiction, but GR has a shelf - science.

Would Psychology and Sociology fit this task? Some examples:
The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
The Science of Evil: On Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty
Lost in the Mirror: An Inside Look at Borderline Personality Disorder
The Life of I: The New Culture of Narcissism
Character Disturbance: The Phenomenon of Our Age
Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men
The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry
The Brain Fog Fix: Reclaim Your Focus, Memory, and Joy in Just 3 Weeks
The Empathy Trap: Understanding Antisocial Personalities
The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression
Unfuck Your Brain: Using Science to Get Over Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Freak-Outs, and Triggers

Would Psychology and Sociology fit this task? Some examples:
The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
The Science of Evil: On Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty
Lost in the Mirror: An Inside Look at Borderline Personality Disorder
The Life of I: The New Culture of Narcissism
Character Disturbance: The Phenomenon of Our Age
Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men
The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry
The Brain Fog Fix: Reclaim Your Focus, Memory, and Joy in Just 3 Weeks
The Empathy Trap: Understanding Antisocial Personalities
The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression

Rebekah wrote: "Would Psychology and Sociology fit this task?"

From Post #2:

We can't have read even the tip of the iceberg for what might work for this task, so we're going to leave applicability in your hands. Use that power wisely, please!

Ok. Thanks. I don’t know how I posted it twice

Dr Karl's Random Road Trip Through Science

Cover & description sounds like it could be a children's book but maybe it's not? I haven't started yet (maybe in the next few days) but thought I should try to clear up on how this book should be treated.

It's not on BPL nor Lexile.
I'm going to listen on my library's borrowbox app which noted 'Targeted Audience: Adult' and the paperback is shelved, at my library, under 500 (as opposed to Q500 or J500). Here's the result of the classification search:

So... style or no style?

When it's not on BPL, the Lexile rule doesn't apply and we don't even look for it. (And I verified under both title and author, that it definitely is not there. Not that I didn't believe you, but a second set of eyes thing, you know?)

Thanks, Elizabeth.

I just wanted to make sure I've done all I could to verify :)

I've started The Scientist and the Spy: A True Story of China, the FBI, and Industrial Espionage and just want to make sure it'll fit: so far, it has mostly been science (I'm about 25% in)--specifically agricultural science (GMO seeds) with a smattering of quantum physics and mathematics for good measure--but I can tell we're about to enter spy-heavy territory...FBI trying to keep U.S. industries' intellectual property out of the hands of the Chinese...but even then, the central theme is what is happening with the scientific research and its fruits. :-/

Anika wrote: " the central theme is what is happening with the scientific research and its fruits."

This is why it will work!

Well, I'm more than 3/4 of the way through The Windup Girl, and I've decided it isn't 'science' enough to qualify for the task. It is very good, and raises all sorts of ethical questions about GMO, manipulation of DNA, etc it just doesn't seem 'hard' enough. Luckily it works for Lunar task, and I have many 'real' science books on my shelves. Just thought I'd mention in case anyone else was considering this book.

Bury Your Dead is about the quest to find (dig up) the body of Samuel de Champlain. Both a professional archaeologist and an obsessed amateur one are excavating and researching. Would this book work for the task because of the archaeology?

Owlette wrote: "Bury Your Dead is about the quest to find (dig up) the body of Samuel de Champlain. Both a professional archaeologist and an obsessed amateur one are excavating and researching. Woul..."

See Post #2.