Books

Compared to a control brain (top), neuroscientist James Fallon’s brain (bottom) shows significantly decreased activity in areas of the frontal lobe linked to empathy and morality—anatomical patterns that have been linked with psychopathic behavior.

The Neuroscientist Who Discovered He Was a Psychopath

While studying brain scans to search for patterns that correlated with psychopathic behavior, James Fallon found that his own brain fit the profile

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There Are 58 Versions of Little Red Riding Hood, Some 1,000 Years Older Than the Brothers Grimm’s

Brothers Grimm may have popularized the tale but they certainly didn't win any prizes for originality

Rene Redzepi, chef/owner of Noma in Copenhagen, is one of the world’s most influential chefs.

Noma Chef Rene Redzepi on Creativity, Diversity in the Kitchen, and that Time Magazine Story

Before he talks at the Smithsonian about his new book, the famed chef identifies who he sees as the goddesses of food

Searles Lake, California

The Science Behind Earth’s Many Colors

A new book of breathtaking aerial photography by Bernhard Edmaier explains how the planet's vividly colored landscapes and seascapes came to be

First edition copies of “the world’s weirdest book”

A 360-Page Book That No One’s Ever Been Able to Read Is Coming Back Into Print

Original editions of the Codex sell for up to $2,000, but a new reprint is available for $125

The Youngest Winner of the Booker Prize Also Wrote the Longest Book

Eleanor Catton is 28, and her book The Luminaries is over 800 pages long

This Late-Night Reading Group Zipped Through Finnegans Wake in Seven Short Months

A Los Angles-based Finnegans Wake reading group recently buckled down and decided to spare themselves the dozen-year cliff hanger

Jonah is cast overboard to a sea monster in an image from the earliest known atlas, the Theatrum orbis terrarum, by Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius, first published in 1570.

The Enchanting Sea Monsters on Medieval Maps

Fictitious animals on 16th and early 17th century maps hint at how people's perception of the ocean has changed over time

The Queen Mary Psalter, c 1310-1320

Why Were Medieval Knights Always Fighting Snails?

It's a common scene in medieval marginalia. But what does it mean?

You probably wouldn’t eat this meal for breakfast—but why?

Why Do We Eat Cereal For Breakfast? And Other Questions About American Meals Answered

In her new book, food historian Abigail Carroll traces the evolution of American eating from colonial times to present-day

The Earliest Libraries-on-Wheels Looked Way Cooler Than Today’s Bookmobiles

These traveling libraries used to travel around bringing books to the people

Defrosting the Crests of Inca City, LAT: -81.5° LONG: 296.3° “The nature of this polygonal network, unique on Mars, remains poorly understood, but seems to be linked to volcanic dykes covered by eolian sand. These terrains are close to the South pole and undergo springtime defrosting in dark patches that become progressively larger as temperatures climb,” writes geophysicist Nicolas Mangold in This is Mars.

This Is Mars in Extremely High Resolution

French designer Xavier Barral pored over 30,000 images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's HiRISE camera, selecting the most appealing for his book

Read a Great Work of Literature, And You Could Understand Real People Better

Literary fiction presents a myriad of characters and leaves it up to the reader to piece together all of those takes on reality

We Can Guess What Holden Caulfield’s Reaction to the New Salinger Documentary Would Be: LMAO

Caulfield was one of the first to employ the phrase LMAO

Tom Clancy at a book signing at Boston College.

Espionage Thriller Author Tom Clancy Dies

Clancy authored more than 20 books and his final novel, Command Authority, is scheduled for release on December 3

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Exploring Alien Life, Cat Science and More New Books to Read

Our book reviewer looks at Red Cloud’s feat and the romance of hot air

The University of Coimbra’s grand old Biblioteca Joanina houses both books and bats.

Bats Act As Pest Control at Two Old Portuguese Libraries

It's not clear how long the bats have been doing this important job

Here’s What We Thought Earth Would Look Like from Space

Before we actually went to space, we had some ideas about what Earth might look like

Cerro Prieto Geothermal Power Station, Baja, Mexico 2012

Aerial Views of Our Water World

In a new book, documentary and exhibition, photographer Edward Burtynsky looks at humans' dramatic relationship with water

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These Beautiful 16th Century Watercolors Illustrate the History of Comets And Meteors

Today, studying comets and meteors involves billions of dollars worth of equipment and teams from all over the world

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