Rachel Herz's THE SCENT OF DESIRE Recommended for Younger Readers by SCIENCE magazine

Science Books for Fun and Learning—Some Recommendations from 2008
Science, December 5, 2008

Far from a prissy survey of perfumes and odor—it starts with the suicide of a rock singer who had lost his sense of smell—this book explores how and why smell is such a central component of our lives. Explaining basic neurobiological principles in clear language, Herz intermixes them with stories and personal accounts of her research and experiences. She describes olfactory technologies, such as the development of electronic noses, that are already beginning to be used in the food industry and might even help diagnose diseases. She also dreams of a gel that would boost olfactory receptor function and restore sensation to older individuals. Her account will stimulate readers' interests in psychology and neuroscience.

The full list of recommended books is restricted to magazine subscribers, but to see a summary, click here.

Deborah Cramer's SMITHSONIAN OCEAN excerpted in SCIENCE NEWS magazine

Science Notebook: Scientific Observations
Science News, November 22, 2008

In a section excerpted from Smithsonian Ocean, Deborah Cramer observes how carbon—one of the building blocks of life—links us to the planet's past:

"Carbon is the foundation of life. It exists in every living organism, in every cell. While some is stilled, preserved in fossils over long stretches of time, most is continually recycled.... Humans are mostly water and, after that, carbon—carbon that has been passed down through the ages, from the flesh of a fish, the ear of an elephant, the leaves of a plant. Somewhere in each of us is a cell whose carbon elements may have nourished the planet's nascent life."

To check out the rest of the issue, click here.

Richard Thompson Ford's THE RACE CARD a NY TIMES Notable Book of 2008

100 Notable Books of 2008
The New York Times, November 26, 2008

The New York Times selected Richard Thompson Ford's The Race Card, in which "Ford vivisects every sacred cow in 'post-racist' America", as one of their 100 Notable Books of 2008.

To see the full list, click here.

Anthony Lewis's FREEDOM FOR THE THOUGHT THAT WE HATE a Best Book of 2008 in THE ECONOMIST

Pick of the Pile
The Economist, December 2, 2008

In this year's selection of best books, The Economist chose Anthony Lewis's Freedom for the Thought that We Hate for providing a "concise and wise presentation of the history and scope of freedom of thought in the United States, with conclusions that are well worth pondering."

To see the full list, click here.

Benjamin Taylor's THE BOOK OF GETTING EVEN a LA TIMES Favorite Book for 2008

Favorite Books 2008: The Book of Getting Even
LA Times, December 7, 2008

Alongside Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison and National Book Award-winner Peter Matthiessen, Benjamin Taylor's The Book of Getting Even was selected by the LA Times as a Favorite Book of 2008.

To see the full list, click here.

Moying Li's SNOW FALLING IN SPRING Selected as Best Book by Bloomsbury Review

Editors' Favorites 2008: Snow Falling In Spring
The Bloomsbury Review

In this year's roundups of notable and favorite books, The Bloomsbury Review selected Moying Li's Snow Falling In Spring, an inspiring memoir of a girl's coming-of-age during China's Cultural Revolution, as a favorite book for 2008!

Deborah Cramer's SMITHSONIAN OCEAN a USA TODAY Critic's Pick

Critic's picks: Coffee-table books for the holidays
USA Today, December 3

Holiday shopping got you anxious?

USA Today comes to the rescue with a handy gift guide that will satisfy all your bookworm friends, from the fashionista to the animal lover. For the environmentalist in your life, this holiday season's "it" book is Deborah Cramer's Smithsonian Ocean.

To check out USA Today's review and the full list, click here.