A selection of science-based books from the year that together shine new light on who we are and why we think and act as we do.

Clear out your shelves for a bumper new crop of books by authors including Naomi Klein, Rebecca Solnit and Xand Van Tulleken, ...

From a deep dive on a fatal space shuttle disaster to a study of a dozen iconic trees, these are our favorite titles this year Joe Spring, Riley Black, Shi En Kim, Dan Falk, Christian Elliott and ...

Mind-blowing science books offer a staggering look at the secret logic of fungi, the evolution of the human mind, and the ...

AFTER THE second world war, Leo Szilard, a pioneering nuclear physicist who had worked on the Manhattan Project, decided to move into biology instead: life; not death. But there was a problem. As a ...

It’s that time of the year when you’re making your list, checking it twice, for gifts that spark a love of science for the kids in your life. Ira talks with Mahnaz Dar, young readers’ editor at Kirkus ...

One of my most anticipated books of the year is out this month: a collection of short stories set in the post-apocalyptic devastation of Stephen King’s The Stand. I love a good end-times story, and ...

The author of the Red Rising series recommends books cloaked in myth that use fantastic adventures to explore what it means to be human. By Pierce Brown Pierce Brown is the number-one New York Times ...

From “experimental archaeology” to the mysterious appeal of exploration, the wide-ranging subjects detailed in these titles captivated Smithsonian magazine’s science contributors this year Joe Spring, ...

Thankfully, we can still turn to our bookshelves — and podcasts — to ground us. We tapped science doyenne Alie Ward, the host of the funny cult favorite “ Ologies” podcast, to share her picks for the ...

Kid lit experts weigh in on some of the year’s best science titles. Plus, what to look for when choosing a book for the child in your life. Are you hoping to inspire a young reader in your life with ...

In 2025, our science reporters followed the first confirmed glimpse of a colossal squid and a rare look at dinosaur blood vessels. We watched the odds of a future asteroid impact climb to ...