The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2015 (The Best American Series)

The Best American Series The next edition in a series praised as "undeniably exquisite" (Maria Popova), The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2015 includes work from both award-winning writers and up-and-coming voices in the field. From Brooke Jarvis on deep-ocean mining to Elizabeth Kolbert on New Zealand's unconventional conservation strategies, this is a group that celebrates the growing diversity in science and nature writing alike. Altogether, the writers honored in this year's volume challenge us to consider the strains facing our planet and its many species, while never losing sight of the wonders we're working to preserve for generations to come. The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2015 includes Sheri Fink, Atul Gawande, Leslie Jamison, Sam Kean, Seth Mnookin, Matthew Power, Michael Specter and others REBECCA SKLOOT's award-winning science writing has appeared in the New York Times Magazine and elsewhere. Her book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, was an instant New York Times bestseller. It was named a best book of 2010 by more than sixty media outlets, including Entertainment Weekly and NPR, and by the National Academies of Science and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, among others. Skloot is currently writing a book about humans, animals, science, and ethics. TIM FOLGER, series editor, is a contributing editor at Discover and writes about science for several magazines This anthology of essays and articles explores topics ranging from untouched wilderness to scientific ethics—and the nature of curiosity itself. Scientists and writers are both driven by a dogged curiosity, immersing themselves in detailed observations that, over time, uncover larger stories. As Rebecca Skloot says in her introduction, all the stories in this collection are “written by and about people who take the time, and often a substantial amount of risk, to follow curiosity where it may lead, so we can all learn about it.” The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2015 includes work from both award-winning writers and up-and-coming voices in the field. From Brooke Jarvis on deep-ocean mining to Elizabeth Kolbert on New Zealand’s unconventional conservation strategies, this is a group that celebrates the growing diversity in science and nature writing alike. Altogether, the writers honored in this volume challenge us to consider the strains facing our planet and its many species, while never losing sight of the wonders we’re working to preserve for generations to come. This anthology includes essays and articles by Sheri Fink, Atul Gawande, Leslie Jamison, Sam Kean, Seth Mnookin, Matthew Power, Michael Specter and others. Foreword -- by Tim Folger Introduction -- by Rebecca Skloot Waiting for light -- Jake Abrahamson In deep -- Burkhard Bilger A question of corvids -- Sheila Webster Boneham The health effects of a world without darkness -- Rebecca Boyle Spotted hyena -- Alison Hawthorne Deming Life, death, and grim routine fill the day at a Liberian ebola clinic -- Sheri Fink No risky chances -- Atul Gawande Linux for lettuce -- Lisa M. Hamilton Down by the river -- Rowan Jacobsen The empathy exams : a medical actor writes her own script -- Leslie Jamison The deepest dig -- Brooke Jarvis Phineas Gage, neuroscience's most famous patient -- Sam Kean At risk -- Jourdan Imani Keith Desegregating wilderness -- Jourdan Imani Keith Into the maelstrom -- Eli Kintisch The big kill -- Elizabeth Kolbert Digging through the world's oldest graveyard -- Amy Maxmen One of a kind -- Seth Mnookin A pioneer as elusive as his particle -- Dennis Overbye Blood in the sand -- Matthew Power Chasing Bayla -- Sarah Schweitzer Partial recall -- Michael Specter The city and the sea -- Meera Subramanian Curious -- Kim Todd The aftershocks -- David Wolman From billions to none -- Barry Yeoman. "Undeniably exquisite ... The essays in the collection [are] meditations that reveal not only how science actually happens but also who or what propels its immutable humanity."--Maria Popova, author of the blog Brain Pickings "An excellent introduction to the key issues in science today."--Page D. Smith, GuardianBest-selling author Rebecca Skloot selects the year's top science and nature writing from writers who balance research with humanity and in the process uncover riveting stories of discovery across the disciplines Presents an anthology of the best science and nature writing published in the previous year, selected from American periodicals Presents a collection of nature and science essays published in American periodicals in 2014.