Atoms and Alchemy: Chymistry and the Experimental Origins of the Scientific Revolution

  • William R. Newman
University of Chicago Press 235 pp. $36 (2011)

The alchemical roots of chemistry are laid bare by historian of science William Newman. Countering the view that these medieval practices were unscientific, he argues that alchemists seeded ideas such as the particulate nature of matter, the mechanical view of the Universe and the concept of the elements. By discussing how seventeenth-century chemist Robert Boyle was influenced by his predecessors, Newman demonstrates how alchemy helped rather than hindered the emergence of modern science.

Loving and Hating Mathematics: Challenging the Myths of Mathematical Life

Reuben Hersh and Vera John-Steiner. Princeton University Press 428 pp. $29.95 (2011)

Mathematics gets a bad press. Its practitioners are often portrayed as aloof hyper-rationalists with oodles of logic but no emotional intelligence. Not so, say mathematician Reuben Hersh and linguist Vera John-Steiner. Focusing on the emotional side of the discipline, they reveal mathematicians' passions, collaborations and love affairs. The stories range from those who sought solace in equations to some who were driven to murder by a maths obsession.

The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom

  • Evgeny Morozov
PublicAffairs 432 pp. $27.95 (2011)

The Internet is often said to be synonymous with democracy and freedom. But there is a dark side, cautions journalist Evgeny Morozov. Rather than liberating citizens worldwide from oppressive rule, digital technology can be just as powerful in suppressing free speech, enabling surveillance and in pacifying populations through immersive entertainment. He calls for an end to glib assumptions that the Internet is inherently good, and for increased efforts towards digital diplomacy, which he says needs as much oversight and consideration as any other kind.

The Science of Kissing: What Our Lips Are Telling Us

  • Sheril Kirshenbaum
Grand Central Publishing 272 pp. $19.99 (2011)

We really do remember our first kiss, explains science writer Sheril Kirshenbaum in her palatable book about why we pucker up. Weaving together evolutionary biology, psychology and anthropology, she describes how different cultures do it differently, and reveals how we sense the fitness of our kissing partner while enjoying the neurological hit of close sensory contact. She explains how men and women kiss differently and why kissing disappeared during the Dark Ages.

Stolen World: A Tale of Reptiles, Smugglers, and Skulduggery

  • Jennie Erin Smith
Crown 336 pp. $25 (2011)

The alien appeal of alligators, snakes and lizards leads enthusiasts to scour the world for rare reptile species. Some collectors will go to great lengths to get them, resulting in a multimillion-dollar black market in illegally imported animals. Through interviews with knife-wielding reptile dealers, science reporter Jennie Smith uncovers this bizarre underworld. She finds that not even zookeepers are exempt from pushing the limits of morality to obtain an unusual breed.