science Book Summaries

The Emperor of All Maladies is about the incredible history of "The War Against Cancer" and helps us to understand this terrible disease. Siddhartha Mukherjee explains the most common cancer treatments, including the science and story behind them.

Lifespan is about how to live longer and healthier, according to the latest science. Harvard researcher David Sinclair says that aging is a disease that will be treatable and—perhaps one day—completely preventable. For now, we can boost our longevity with practices like fasting, exercise and cold exposure.

Sapiens is about how we went from being simple primates 2.5 million years ago... to walking on the moon. Yuval Noah Harari explores the Cognitive, Agricultural and Scientific Revolutions, which made us who we are today. He says common myths like money, laws and nations hold human societies together.

Why We Sleep communicates the critical importance of sleep. Modern people don't know that getting less than 7-8 hours of sleep daily can cause dozens of serious problems for mental and physical health. Matthew Walker first helps you understand how sleep works, then how to get better sleep.

Behave explains why humans behave the way we do. Sapolsky breaks down complex science into enjoyable explanations, beginning at the level of our brains, then diving into hormones, genes, evolution and even culture and history. By the end, you'll be questioning many long-held assumptions about how much we control ourselves.

Food of the Gods says psilocybin mushrooms were responsible for the unusually fast evolutionary growth of the human brain. Also it talks about how our relationships to psychoactive plants (including caffeine, sugar and alcohol) shaped human cultures. Finally, how we may restore personal, social and ecological balance in the world.