Why Geology Matters: Decoding the Past, Anticipating the Future

  • Doug Macdougall
University of California Press 304 pp. $29.95 (2011)

From mountain ranges to meteorite craters, the story of our planet is embedded in its rocks. In a wide-ranging and entertaining overview of the field, geologist Doug Macdougall explains how Earth scientists have unravelled the secrets of geological time, plate tectonics, volcanoes, earthquakes, past climates and the fossil record. He also muses on the role of geology in addressing pressing problems such as climate change and the continued provision of energy.

The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary: A True Story of Resilience and Recovery

  • Andrew Westoll
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 288 pp. $25 (2011)

Biologist-turned-writer Andrew Westoll relates his experience as a volunteer at Gloria Grow's chimpanzee sanctuary near Montreal in Canada. In a vivid narrative, he describes how he got to know the rescued chimps. Many of them had come from a biomedical facility or were kept as pets, and some showed psychological problems as a result. He tells how the more time he spent with the animals, the more he learned about their behaviour and the stresses they endured in their captive lives.

Vesuvius: The Most Famous Volcano in The World

  • Gillian Darley
Profile Books 224 pp. £15.99 (2011)

Looming over the bay of Naples, Vesuvius is the only active volcano on the European mainland. It has mesmerized locals and visitors alike for two millennia with its majestic beauty, geological treasure trove and vicious eruptions — although none has since matched the devastation of the explosion that destroyed Pompeii in AD 79. In an elegant exploration of the volcano's allure, author Gillian Darley recounts how Vesuvius has inspired literature, imagery and science, from the first serious studies of volcanic activity during the Enlightenment to paintings by Andy Warhol.

Listed: Dispatches from America's Endangered Species Act

  • Joe Roman
Harvard University Press 368 pp. $27.95 (2011)

In his tour of the places where rare species have stood in the way of dams and developments across the United States, ecologist and writer Joe Roman analyses the impact of the 1973 US Endangered Species Act. Using examples such as the whooping crane, North Atlantic right whale and the purple bankclimber — a freshwater mussel enmeshed in a water war with the city of Atlanta, Georgia — he argues that protecting biodiversity benefits economies and well-being alike, showing that species extinctions have a tangible impact on humans.

The Recursive Mind: The Origins of Human Language, Thought, and Civilization

  • Michael C. Corballis
Princeton University Press 288 pp. $29.95 (2011)

What makes us human? Psychologist Michael Corballis argues that it is our ability to embed thoughts in other thoughts — known as recursion — rather than language that allows us to conceive of ourselves and others, and to witness the passing of time. He suggests that recursive minds were crucial to the survival of our Pleistocene ancestors and led to the emergence of societies, toolmaking and culture as well as communication.