Bio Reading List:
“Animals Make Us Human” Temple Grandin
It’s usually easy to pinpoint the cause of physical pain in animals, but to know what is causing them emotional
distress is much harder.Drawing on the latest research and her own work,Grandin identifies the core emotional
needs of animals.Then she explains how to fulfill them for dogs and cats, horses, farm animals, and zoo
animals.Whether it’s how to make the healthiest environment for the dog you must leave alone most of the day,
how to keep pigs from being bored, or how to know if the lion pacing in the zoo is miserable or just
exercising,Grandin teaches us to challenge our assumptions about animal contentment and honor our bond with
our fellow creatures.
“The Secret Rescue” Cate Lineberry **not available in library system
The compelling untold story of a group of stranded U.S. Army nurses and medics fighting to escape Nazi-occupied
Europe.
When 26 Army nurses and medics-part of the 807th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron-boarded a cargo
plane for transport in November 1943, they never anticipated the crash landing in Nazi-occupied Albania that would
lead to their months-long struggle for survival. A drama that captured the attention of the American public, the
group and its flight crew dodged bullets and battled blinding winter storms as they climbed mountains and fought
to survive, aided by courageous villagers who risked death at Nazi hands to help them.
“The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story” Richard Preston
The Hot Zone, a true story that took place in the late 1980's, is based upon an outbreak of the Ebola virus in a
monkey house located in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Reston, Virginia. The author weaves together the tales of
several previous outbreaks in Africa to describe clearly the potential damage such an outbreak could cause. The
first appearance of an Ebola-like virus takes place in Kenya and costs the life of a French expatriate named Charles
Monet. His bloody, painful death is re-told in graphic and terrifying terms. Hospital personnel treating Monet
become ill as well, demonstrating the extreme danger of exposure to this disease. Throughout the first half of the
book, several outbreaks and deaths are described.
“Why we love dogs, eat pigs, and wear cows” Melanie Joy **limited number available
The vast majority of Americans view eating meat as natural, normal and necessary while recognizing that vegetarianism is an
ideology, or belief system. Thanks to Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows by Melanie Joy, Ph.D. (published November,
2009 by Conari Press), the way we eat animals now has a name and is exposed to be every bit as much an ideology as
vegetarianism. "Carnism" is the belief system that says it's okay to eat certain animals and not others. Like feminism, racism,
ageism and speciesism, carnism has been inflicting harm for centuries. And because it was invisible and unnamed, it was
challenging, if not impossible, to confront it and and to argue against it.. Now that carnism has been identified, explored, and
brilliantly analyzed, it will become a powerful tool in changing the ubiquitous and dangerous misconceptions about eating meat.
“Double Helix” James D. Watson
By identifying the structure of DNA, the molecule of life, Francis Crick and James Watson revolutionized biochemistry and won
themselves a Nobel Prize. At the time, Watson was only twenty-four, a young scientist hungry to make his mark. His
uncompromisingly honest account of the heady days of their thrilling sprint against other world-class researchers to solve one of
science's greatest mysteries gives a dazzlingly clear picture of a world of brilliant scientists with great gifts, very human ambitions,
and bitter rivalries. With humility unspoiled by false modesty, Watson relates his and Crick's desperate efforts to beat Linus Pauling
to the Holy Grail of life sciences, the identification of the basic building block of life. Never has a scientist been so truthful in
capturing in words the flavor of his work.
“It’s not about the bike: My journey back to life” Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong, (currently) four time Tour de France cycling champion, is a survivor of metastatic testicular
cancer. This book is largely the story of how his life changed from the moment of his diagnosis (October 2, 1996)
onwards. He had been a world class cyclist prior to cancer, but his experience with cancer gave him profound
insight not only into his life as a cyclist and competitor, but into life itself.
“The Demon in the Freezer: A True Story” Richard Preston
The first major bioterror event in the United States--the anthrax attacks in October 2001--was a clarion call for scientists who work
with "hot" agents to find ways of protecting civilian populations against biological weapons. In The Demon in the Freezer, his first
nonfiction book since The Hot Zone, a #1 New York Times bestseller, Richard Preston takes us into the heart of Usamriid, the
United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, Maryland, once the headquarters of the U.S.
biological weapons program and now the epicenter of national biodefense.
“Darwin’s Radio” Greg Bear
Greg Bear's powerfully written, brilliantly inventive novels combine cutting-edge science and unforgettable characters, illuminating
dazzling new technologies--and their dangers. Now, in Darwin's Radio, Bear draws on state-of-the-art biological and anthropological
research to give us an ingeniously plotted thriller that questions everything we believe about human origins and destiny--as
civilization confronts the next terrifying step in evolution.
“Good Germs, Bad Germs” Jessica Snyder Sachs
Public sanitation and antibiotic drugs have brought about historic increases in the human life span; they have also unintentionally
produced new health crises by disrupting the intimate, age-old balance between humans and the microorganisms that inhabit our
bodies and our environment. As a result, antibiotic resistance now ranks among the gravest medical problems of modern times.
Good Germs, Bad Germs tells the story of what went terribly wrong in our war on germs. It also offers a hopeful look into a future in
which antibiotics will be designed and used more wisely, and beyond that to a day when we may replace antibacterial drugs and
cleansers with bacterial ones.
“Your Inner Fish” Neil Shubin
Why do we look the way we do? Neil Shubin, the paleontologist and professor of anatomy who co-discovered Tiktaalik, the “fish with
hands,” tells the story of our bodies as you've never heard it before. By examining fossils and DNA, he shows us that our hands
actually resemble fish fins, our heads are organized like long-extinct jawless fish, and major parts of our genomes look and function
like those of worms and bacteria. Your Inner Fish makes us look at ourselves and our world in an illuminating new light. This is
science writing at its finest—enlightening, accessible and told with irresistible enthusiasm.
“What I Eat, Around the world in 80 diets” Peter Menzel & Faith D’Aluisio
In this fascinating study of people and their diets, 80 profiles are organized by the total number of calories each person puts away in
a day. Featuring a Japanese sumo wrestler, a Massai herdswoman, world-renowned Spanish chef Ferran Adria, an American
competitive eater, and more, these compulsively readable personal stories also include demographic particulars, including age,
activity level, height, and weight. Essays from Harvard primatologist Richard Wrangham, journalist Michael Pollan, and others
discuss the implications of our modern diets for our health and for the planet. This compelling blend of photography and
investigative reportage expands our understanding of the complex relationships among individuals, culture, and food.
“Next of Kin: My Conversations with Chimpanzees” Roger Fouts ** limited availability
For 30 years Roger Fouts has pioneered communication with chimpanzees through sign language--beginning with a mischievous
baby chimp named Washoe. This remarkable book describes Fout's odyssey from novice researcher to celebrity scientist to
impassioned crusader for the rights of animals. Living and conversing with these sensitive creatures has given him a profound
appreciation of what they can teach us about ourselves. It has also made Fouts an outspoken opponent of biomedical
experimentation on chimpanzees. A voyage of scientific discovery and interspecies communication, this is a stirring tale of
friendship, courage, and compassion that will change forever the way we view our biological--and spritual--next of kin.
“Eat your genes: how genetically modified food is entering our diet” Stephen Nottingham
This book gives us the facts about how genetically engineered food is entering our diet. It looks at what they are, how they are
produced, why they remain unlabeled, and how they arrive on our plates unannounced.
“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” Rebecca Skloot
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same
land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine. The
first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you
could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more than 50 million metric tons—as much as a hundred Empire
State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s
effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by
the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.
“Silent Witness: How Forensic Anthropology is used to Solve the World’s Toughest Crimes” Roxanna
Ferillini
As portrayed in mystery novels and more than nine television shows including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, American Justice
and City Confidential, forensic anthropologists work in an environment where the stakes are high, the pressure is intense, and their
findings are vital in criminal investigations. It's a fascinating and often dramatic world.
Go behind the scenes with forensic anthropologists and learn about their techniques, how they locate a body, how they carefully
uncover evidence, and how the unique characteristics of each body bears silent witness to age, sex, cause of death and clues as to
who or what was responsible.
“Cracking Cases: The Science of Solving Crimes” Dr. Henry C. Lee
Truly a legend in his own time, Dr. Henry C. Lee is considered by many to be the greatest forensic scientist in the world. He gained
widespread public recognition through his testimony in the televised O. J. Simpson trial. Since that time he has helped with the Jon
Benet Ramsey case and the investigations of mass murder in Croatia.
This book will take the reader through the entire investigative process of five murder cases, with Dr. Lee as the tour guide.
“Survival of the Sickest: A Medical Maverick Discovers Why We Need Disease” Sharon Moalem
Dr. Sharon Moalem looks at disease through the lens of evolution, asking, "if evolution is all about survival, why would it
select for deadly diseases?" He answers the question in breezy and inviting prose with plenty of science to back up his
claims.
“The Science of Jurassic Park and the Lost World or How to Build a Dinosaur” Rob DeSalle & David
Lindley
For the millions fascinated by "Jurassic Park and "The Lost World"--and for all those young and old who have a secret love affair
with dinosaurs--this second book in the series that began with "The Physics of Star Trek" brings the far-reaching imaginings of
dinosaur creation into the very real world of cutting-edge science and DNA.
“Peeps” Scott Westerfield
A year ago, Cal Thompson was a college freshman more interested in meeting girls and partying than in attending biology class.
Now, after a fateful encounter with a mysterious woman named Morgan, biology has become, literally, Cal's life.
Cal was infected by a parasite that has a truly horrifying effect on its host. Cal himself is a carrier, unchanged by the parasite, but
he's infected the girlfriends he's had since Morgan. All three have turned into the ravening ghouls Cal calls Peeps. The rest of us
know them as vampires. It's Cal's job to hunt them down before they can create more of their kind. . . .
“What Evolution Is” Erst Mayr
At once a spirited defense of Darwinian explanations of biology and an elegant primer on evolution for the general reader, What
Evolution Is poses the questions at the heart of evolutionary theory and considers how our improved understanding of evolution has
affected the viewpoints and values of modern man.
“Crashing Through” Robert Kurson
A true story of a man who was blinded at age 3 and went on to break world records in downhill skiing. He joined the CIA, became a
successful inventor and family man who never dreamed of vision.
Bio Reading Sheet #1
Name ____________________________________________
Book Title:
Author:
Year Written:
Write a complete paragraph describing why you chose this book.
Bio Reading Sheet #2
Name ____________________________________________
Book Title:
Page you read this week (numbers):
Summarize what you read:
Bio Reading Sheet #3
Name ____________________________________________
Book Title:
Pages you read this week (numbers):
Choose two quotes and describe how you can relate them to something else you have read or seen on
tv or in movies.
Bio Reading Sheet #4
Name ____________________________________________
Book Title:
Pages you read this week (numbers):
Draw a picture to illustrate what you read this week. It must be detailed and in color.
Bio Reading Sheet #5
Name ____________________________________________
Book Title:
Pages you read this week (numbers):
Find an article that relates to the topic of your book. Print a copy and turn it in. Then write a paragraph
comparing the article and your book.
Bio Reading Sheet #6
Name ____________________________________________
Book Title:
Pages you read this week (numbers):
Describe the main topic of your book.
Would you recommend this book to someone else? Why or why not?