Sir

Jon Turney's Books and Arts article “Top of the pops” (Nature 444, 819; 2006) begins by asking “What's special about the best popular science books?”. From his choice of examples — 11 authors, 13 books — one answer is obvious: they were all written by men.

As a female scientist whose Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control (Oxford Univ. Press, 2004) was one of four books short-listed for the prestigious 2005 Times Higher Education Supplement 'Young Academic Author of the Year' award, and as one of two women authors (with Patricia Fara) on the Royal Society's 2005 Aventis Prize long-list of 13, I recognize that Turney was looking at best-selling popular rather than academic books, and that 2006 may have been a leaner year for women authors. And I note that Mary Purton's accompanying “2006 all wrapped up” (Nature 444, 821–822; 2006) includes the novelist Allegra Goodwin and translator Carol Brown Janeway.

Still, I am glad that some organizations, such as the Times Higher Education Supplement and the Royal Society, include female science writers among their 'best'.