Biology
Books
Put me on a path to read all sorts of history, evolutionary biology, and linguistics books.
Not quite as good as Guns, Germs, and Steel, but was still a great read.
Depressing, but Kolbert is a good writer.
Disgusting, but fascinating. The variety and innovation across parasite lifecycles is amazing.
Part African travelogue, part baboon behavioral study. The travelogue parts are interesting since traveling in Africa, especially in the 1980s, is always an adventure. But the stories of the baboons, and how similar they are to humans, are the highlight for me.
The two books are interesting takes on foreign intelligence. The third book is skippable.
Good intro to the benefits of fasting, in case (like me) you have to convince people you’re not crazy for not eating six times a day
There is very little new here if you’ve read Guns, Germs, and Steel and The Third Chimpanzee, both of which I recommend over this
Another plot-driven sci-fi popcorn read with a familiar story line
