Summer reading!

by Tara Smith     Department: Health & Life Sciences

As I was on the road quite a bit in May, I finally had time to catch up on some reading. I still have stacks of books on my shelves awaiting my attention, but the stack is down by three (and I have another review on the way for next week). In the meantime, some good summer reads:

The Devil in Dover" by Lauri Lebo. Lebo is a former journalist and a native of the Dover, Pennsylvania area--site of 2005's "intelligent design" circus trial. Her story of the trial brings home not only the science and the politics, but the behind-the-scenes material that's lacking in other books covering the situation.

Richard Preston's "Panic in Level 4". Preston's new release is a collection of essays on "the edge of science," covering familiar ground (Ebola) as well as mathematics, genetic disease, and invasive pathogens (of trees!).

Good Germs, Bad Germs" by Jessica Snyder Sachs. Sachs brings together a mountain of research into an excellent narrative discussing how bacteria are both our friends and foes--and what we can do to avoid the latter and encourage the former.

Tags: Book reviews, infectious disease, intelligent design, microbiology