Dec 15, 2014 6:30 AM

Gallery: The Best Science Books We Read in 2014

Metropolitan Books
01
beingmortal
Written by a man sometimes called the conscience of American medicine, *[Being Mortal](http://www.powells.com/biblio/18-9780805095159-0)* explores the intersection of health and care. By Atul Gawande.
University of Chicago Press
02
Book of beetles
More species of beetles exists than any other type of insect. *[The Book of Beetles](http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780226082752-0)* explores 600 of the shiniest, creepiest, and strangest. By Patrice Bouchard.

Portfolio Trade
03
fasterhigherstronger
Not all sports science involves doping. *[Faster, Higher, Stronger](http://www.powells.com/biblio/9781594631535)* explores how athletes and trainers are using genetics, psychology, and data to break records. By WIRED's Mark McClusky.
Graywolf Press
04
geek-sublime
Critical, smart, and self-reflective, *[Geek Sublime](http://www.powells.com/biblio/66-9780571310302-0)* thinks deeply about how the act of creating technology is similar to the process of making art. By Vikram Chandra.

Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
05
Molecules high res
The second installment in a planned trilogy about chemistry, *[Molecules](http://www.amazon.com/Molecules-Architecture-Everything-Theodore-Gray/dp/1579129714/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418167963&sr=1-1&keywords=molecules)* shows how, through seemingly endless recombinations, invisible atoms are the reason for everything from rope to dope. By Theodore Gray.
Henry Holt and Co.
06
Sixth-extinction-nonfiction-book-kobert
*[The Sixth Extinction](http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780805092998-14)* is a damning implication of human civilization in the biggest die-off of Earth's species since an asteroid wiped the world clean of dinosaurs 65 million years ago. By Elizabeth Kolbert.

Riverhead
07
stevenjohnson-howegottonow
Did mastering refrigeration make us what we are today? *[How We Got To Now](http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9781594632969-1)* makes the case for that, and five other innovations by brilliantly linking science with history. By Steven Johnson.
WILEY Blackwell
08
brainmyths
*[Great Myths of the Brain](http://www.amazon.com/Great-Myths-Brain-Psychology/dp/1118312716/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418238607&sr=1-1&keywords=great+myths+of+the+brain)* reintroduces neuroscience by debunking some of the most prevalent misconceptions about the mind. By [WIRED Science Blogger](http://stag4.wired.com/category/science-blogs/brainwatch/) Christian Jarrett.

Susan Middleton
09
Spineless-Cover
Beautiful pictures of undersea critters. *[Spineless](http://www.powells.com/biblio/2-9781419710070-0)* may be the best coffee table science book of 2014. By Susan Middleton.
W. W. Norton & Co.
10
EbolaPbk.indd
There are many months between now and the end of the current Ebola outbreak in western Africa. And the disease will likely come back. *[Ebola](http://www.powells.com/biblio/18-9780393351552-0),* is a tidy book that explains everything we know, and everything we don't, about this terrifying disease. By David Quammen.

Viking
11
The Lagoon
The knowledge of life began with the study of animals. *[The Lagoon](http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780670026746-0)* argues that Aristotle was the first person to lay an empirical eye on beasts, and therefore is the rightful father of not only biology, but all of science. By Armand Marie Leroi.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
12
Rogers-PROOF-cvr-HI-RES
Ever wonder why you like to drink alcohol? *[Proof: The Science of Booze](http://www.amazon.com/Proof-Science-Booze-Adam-Rogers/dp/0547897960)* goes deep into the wonders of whiskey, the a-ha of ales. the wow of wines, and who-da-thunk of hootch. By WIRED's own Adam Rogers.

Laurel Braitman
13
animalmadness
*[Animal Madness: How Anxious Dogs, Compulsive Parrots, and Elephants in Recovery Help Us Understand Ourselves](“http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Madness-Compulsive-Elephants-Understand/dp/1451627009/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418342904&sr=1-1&keywords=animal+madness”)* is an incredibly intimate look at the emotional lives of animals. It’ll make you realize how closely they mirror our own mental states. By Laurel Braitman.
Public Domain Review Press
14
PubDomRev
The Public Domain Review is a non-profit organization that curates, and revitalizes, the best creative works to fall out of copyright. *[The Public Domain Review](http://publicdomainreview.org/essay-book/)* is a book of essays collecting the very best from the website's past three years. Highlights include invented languages, made up museums, and courtroom dramas featuring pigs. Multiple authors.

The Audacity Is the Broligarchy Takedown You Were Waiting For

AMC’s new black comedy about a manchild tech titan spinning out of control is a skewering Silicon Valley’s billionaire class deserves.

Miles Klee

A Lot of Shops Won't Fix Electric Bikes. Here's Why

Bike shop mechanics have lost fingers and their shirts while repairing ebikes of dubious origins. Make sure yours is repairable and third-party certified.

Stephanie Pearson

It’s a Tablet! It’s a Laptop! After Testing the Best 2-in-1s, Here’s What I Recommend

Whether you want a detachable tablet or a laptop screen that spins, these 2-in-1 devices manage to balance being both a tablet and a laptop.

Luke Larsen

There’s a Secret Ingredient to Making Luxury Ice at Home

Nice ice is big business, but you can get perfectly clear cubes at home without freezing your assets.

Jeremy White

The Screenmaxxers Who Spend Every Waking Hour on Their Phones

As debates over social media addiction rage, people with extreme screen times tell WIRED they have no plans to cut back.

Miles Klee

Mammotion’s Spino E1 Pool Cleaner Isn’t Bad for the Price—It's Just Not That Good

This compact pool robot keeps its price down, but its performance doesn’t match that of more capable cleaners.

Christopher Null

The Best Coffee Mug Warmers Are Smart. But They Don’t Need an App

The first rule of coffee is that it must stay hot. After weeks or even years of testing, these are the three coffee warmers that will best keep it that way.

Matthew Korfhage