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My relationship with bugs is probably a
lot like yours: antagonistic but resigned to an extended leery détente,
with occasional hostilities on both sides. The mosquito buzzes; I swat
it aside. But insects also exert a queasy fascination — they’re so
alien, and so ubiquitous, that they become ideal subjects for scientific
study, and for books. In “Underbug,” one of our recommended titles this
week, the journalist Lisa Margonelli takes a close look at termites and
the entomologists who love them. Bonus for curious but grossed-out
readers: The book includes no photos.
If
you like science writing but aren’t ready for termites, you might check
out Mimi Swartz’s “Ticker,” about the historical quest to develop an
artificial heart. We also recommend not one but two collections of sly
meta-essays (by Brian Dillon and Ashleigh Young), along with a survey of
the Supreme Court’s role in public education, an account of the true
crime that served as a model for “Lolita,” a memoir by an undocumented
immigrant, and new novels by Esi Edugyan and Robert Galbraith (or
“Robert Galbraith”). And since football season is in full swing, this
would be a good time to pick up Mark Leibovich’s new book, “Big Game:
The NFL in Dangerous Times.” If nothing else, it will make you think
about the league’s business model, and you’ll wince a little harder each
time a player is carried off the field.
Source: New York Time
