Great Science eBooks You Can Read Today (But No Guarantees)

If you need something good to read now, check out some of these recent science titles, all of which (at least at the time of this writing) had copies in eBook format available for immediate checkout.

Are you an animal lover? Try one of the next three titles that demonstrate that animals are much more like us than we generally think.

Wildhood by Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathy Bowers demonstrates that being a teenager isn't unique to humans. Natterson-Horowitz and Bowers show, through portraits of four animals, how adolescence is something shared among species.

In Mama's Last Hug, Frans de Waal offers numerous examples demonstrating that animals experience many of the same emotions that we do.

I'll admit that I was put off initially by the title of the next book: Humanimal by Adam Rutherford. But I was wrong to judge a book by its title. Science writer Rutherford presents fascinating examples of how animals are more like us than we think as well as how we differ from them.

If you're not into our fellow animals, check out Aroused by Randi Hutter Epstein. This entertaining bit of medical history will leave you wiser about the role of hormones in our lives.

And if you're not into animals at all (human or otherwise), try The Plant Messiah. This title lets you tag along with Carlos Magdalena, senior botanical horticulturist at Kew Gardens, as he works to save rare plant species from extinction. 

Not into living things at all? How about something in the field of materials science? In Liquid Rules, materials science researcher Mark Miodownik uses an airplane flight (you remember those, don't you?) as the framework for exploring many of the liquids we encounter in our everyday lives. (His Stuff Matters is great too but there's usually a short wait.) And if liquids aren't your thing, try Caesar's Last Breath by Sam Kean. From the history of our atmosphere to how gasses have influenced human history to how humans have harnessed gasses for their own use, Kean tells a compelling and enlightening story of the gasses that surround us.

Not sure you want to read an entire book? Or just want a a buffet where you can pick and choose a few things? Try When Einstein Walked With Gödel. In this title, journalist Jim Holt marries clear explanations of groundbreaking ideas with entertaining expositions of the lives of the people that came up with them. Or try Everything in Its Place by neurologist Oliver Sacks. This collection of essays published after the author's death covers a wide range of forms and topics, from Sack's specialty, the case study, to the things (swimming, libraries) that brought the author joy.

For a quick view of what's available among the above titles (and a bonus title to boot), check out the list Great Science eBooks You May Have Missed.

Is there a title I missed that you've enjoyed recently? Mention it in the comments (especially if there are copies currently available for checkout).