Science, Money, and Politics: Political Triumph and Ethical Erosion by Daniel S. Greenberg University of Chicago Press, $20, £14 “...the value of this book [is] as a unique and revealing perspective on the way that the science-funding process actually works in Washington. The picture it paints is not a flattering one. But — unlike many of those he writes about — Greenberg is not out to make friends in high places.” David Dickson, Nature 413, 355–356 (2001).

The Future of Life by Edward O. Wilson Abacus, £8.99 “[Wilson] accurately and passionately tells the story of the disappearance of many of the only living beings we know of in the Universe — key components of humanity's natural capital.” Paul R. Ehrlich, Nature 417, 21–22 (2002).

Secret Agents: The Menace of Emerging Infections by Madeline Drexler Penguin, $15.00