Science on the Go, Under Siege, And at the Edge (The GOOD Book) (Recommended Readings‪)‬

WHAT TO READ when time is short? Presumably, you will have torn through this issue of the Humanist by days end. And certainly you demand both substance and poignancy, regardless of word count. You likely crave variety, currency, and a hearty dose of apostasy too. A tall order often promised but seldom delivered? Not if you know where to look. Four outstanding science anthologies are guaranteed to please even the busiest and most discriminating reader. For a decade now, two annuals have showcased what their guest editors--luminaries including E.O. Wilson, Richard Dawkins, and Steven Pinker--have judged the best science articles published in the United States during the previous year. The most recent collection of one, The Best American Science Writing 2009 (Ecco, 2009) was edited by Natalie Angier, Pulitzer Prize-winning science reporter for the New York Times. With a remedy for the alarming surge of scientific illiteracy among Americans in mind, Angier imposed an onerous standard upon each piece: