The Power of Music: Pioneering Discoveries in the New Science of Song

  • Elena Mannes
Walker 288 pp. $26 (2011)

Why does music move us? In a wide-ranging book that spans science and culture, documentary-maker Elena Mannes — who hails from a long line of musicians and patrons, including the builder of New York's Carnegie Hall — describes what the latest cognitive biology and neuroscience tell us about our emotional responses to music. She points to evidence that music can heal, and looks at why music seems to be almost universal across different cultures.

RNA: Life's Indispensable Molecule

  • James Darnell
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 416 pp. $39 (2011)

The RNA molecule is crucial for gene expression and protein synthesis. Molecular biologist and RNA expert James Darnell rounds up the latest findings on RNA research in this book aimed at biology graduates. He describes how RNA's varied biochemical and structural properties were discovered, how messenger RNAs are generated and produce proteins, how RNA molecules take on regulatory roles in the cell, and how RNAs might have initiated life on Earth.

The Rough Guide to Psychology: An Introduction to Human Behaviour and the Mind

  • Christian Jarret
Rough Guides 376 pp. £11.99 (2011)

The basics of psychology are outlined in the latest title in the Rough Guide science series. Starting from an individual perspective, journalist Christian Jarret explores the mind and the brain, touching on memory, intelligence and personality. He goes on to analyse our relationships with others, including how we choose our friends and partners. He covers the psychological basis of crime, learning, sport, politics and shopping, as well as conditions of impaired mental health such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia.

The Internet of Elsewhere: The Emergent Effects of a Wired World

  • Cyrus Farivar
Rutgers University Press 296 pp. $25.95 (2011)

Much of the power of the Internet — good and bad — stems from its global reach. Technology journalist and broadcaster Cyrus Farivar profiles web pioneers in four countries — Iran, Estonia, South Korea and Senegal — to illustrate how the Internet is transforming international communications, politics and economics. His case studies examine the Internet's history and effects in these diverse nations, showing that they are at the forefront of developments in Internet phone services, broadband access and digital law.

Meaning in Mathematics

Edited by:
  • John Polkinghorne
Oxford University Press 192 pp. £18.99 (2011)

Is mathematics discovered or invented? Nine top scholars, including mathematical physicist Roger Penrose and philosopher Gideon Rosen, muse on whether the discipline is a purely intellectual pursuit or a means of uncovering real aspects of nature. Intended for a broad audience, each essay in this volume — edited by mathematician-turned-theologian John Polkinghorne — is accompanied by comments from the other contributors.