Down to a Science Book Club

June: The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist by Ben Barres

Ben Barres was a renowned Stanford neuroscientist and fierce advocate for gender equality. In this book written shortly before his death from pancreatic cancer in 2017, Barres describes discovering his passion for science, his research experiences at MIT and Harvard, and his female-to-male transition later in life. Barres details his life’s work characterizing a previously-ignored type of brain cell called glia, mentoring aspiring students, and navigating discrimination as a transgender scientist. 

July: American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race by Douglas Brinkley

In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, historian and New York Times bestselling author Douglas Brinkley shines a new light on President John F. Kennedy and his role in the American space program. When Kennedy announced that the U.S. would put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s, he launched a cultural revolution that resonates to this day. By examining primary literature and scholarship, Brinkley brings to life the energy of the scientific, cultural, and political factors that defined the space race in the Cold War era.

August: Infinite Powers by Steven Strogatz 

Calculus. The very word inspires high-school nightmare flashbacks. However, Steven Strogatz challenges this stereotype in his new book, Infinite Powers. In reality, calculus is the foundation to many scientific and technological developments that have shaped our lives. Cell phones, GPS, and TV are only some of the things that would not be possible if calculus didn’t exist. Strogatz takes us back to the initial spark and wonder of solving problems by recounting the real-world implications of mathematical discoveries.

September: Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football by John Urschel and Louisa Thomas

“Matter and energy. Wave and particle. Athlete and mathematician. Why can’t something (or someone) be both?” In this memoir, professional football player John Urschel describes his parallel lives: offensive linemen for the Baltimore Ravens and PhD student in mathematics at MIT. In a world that sometimes makes us choose between two (or more) passions, Urschel inspires us to embrace the different sides of ourselves and find the intersection of our passions. Why not both?

October: Underland: A Deep Journey in Time by Robert Macfarlane

In this cultural and scientific journey through the underlands, Robert Macfarlane vividly describes the geography deep beneath the earth’s surface. Taking the reader on a journey through “deep time”, Macfarlane combines description of his own travels across Europe with tales of exploration into different underworlds across geologic time, from the prehistoric art of Norwegian sea caves to the catacomb labyrinth below Paris. In this sweeping tale, Underland: A Deep Journey in Time dives into the dirt underneath the world we thought we knew.