The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2011 (The Best American Series)

This anthology of science and nature essays is edited by Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Packing for Mars. The collection features writing by Jonathan Lethem, Jaron Lanier, Malcolm Gladwell, Deborah Blum, Burkhard Bilger, Ian Frazier, David H. Freedman, Atul Gawande, Stephen Hawking, Christopher Ketcham, Jill Sisson Quinn, Oliver Sacks, and others. In her introduction, Roach explains that good science writing combats ignorance and misconception. Great science writing, she argues, adds engaging characters, stories, and wit to make the material accessible. The essays in this collection explore the human dimension of scientific inquiry and discovery. Topics range from avian mating behavior with unexpected political dimensions to examinations of concerns about artificial intelligence. The Washington Post has called Roach "America's funniest science writer."