Here are Science News’ favorite science books of 2019
Charismatic creatures, a life-giving element, crime-solving spores, the first Apollo moon landing and multiple universes are among the subjects of the books that enthralled the Science News staff this year. Find longer reviews of these must-reads in our favorite books of 2019 collection. Mama’s Last HugFrans de WaalW.W. Norton & Co., $27.95 Joy, empathy, fear, envy, disgust, sadness and other emotions are found throughout the animal kingdom, a primatologist argues in this anecdote-filled book. Studying those reactions may lead to insights about the origins of human emotions (SN: 3/2/19, p. 28). SlimeRuth KassingerHoughton Mifflin Harcourt, $26 This ode to algae celebrates a diverse group of organisms that have shaped Earth’s environment for billions of years — and have proved useful to humankind in everything from agriculture to industry (SN: 6/22/19, p. 28). A Polar AffairLloyd Spencer DavisPegasus Books, $29.95 At the center of this thought-provoking scientific mystery is the question of why an early 20th century explorer...