Pleased to Meet Me

I adored this book. I by no means am a science guru, however I found this book to be delightfully informative, educational, and not too bogged down with details. This is a quick tour of the human body's inner workings for the average laymen. From what are the only two fears humans are born with to why old people use so much perfume to why certain people are attracted to each other to addiction. So many aspects of our personalities and bodies directly correlate to our genes, our parents, our bacteria, and our environment. Straight up fascinating stuff. The author may lose some readers with his section on belief (politics man - but the science is SO COOL) and his section on souls, but hey, the more you know. Personally I loved it. I liked learning about the factors that made me tick. I would never have known! It was straightforward, funny, filled with lots of Star Trek and pop culture references. This book really reminded me of Mary Roach's books (Stiff, Gulp, Spook, etc.) and fans of her would definitely enjoy this book as well.

The Brothers Vonnegut

Strand, Ginger. The Brothers Vonnegut: Science and Fiction in the House of Magic. 9 CDs. unabridged. 10.75 hrs. High Bridge Audio. 2015. ISBN 9781622319169. $34.99.

Strand (Killer on the Road: Violence and the American Interstate) beautifully illustrates the juxtaposition of the Vonnegut brothers, Bernard and Kurt in this compelling narrative of their lives and contributions in their respective fields. During WWII while Kurt was hunkered down beneath a slaughterhouse surviving the firebombing of Dresden (later a basis for his bestselling novel, Slaughterhouse Five), his brother Bernard, a scientist, was flying in the air testing out cloud seeding and producing rain.  The brothers led vastly different lives, but shared the similar experience of both working for GE (General Electric), which back then was lovingly referred to as the "house of magic." While there, Bernard studied the sky and experimented with weather control and Kurt reveled in all the fantastic things he saw and heard, many of which become the basis for his later novels and short stories. What happens when science is no longer used for good, but for evil; are scientists compelled to be moral or just make progress for progress's sake, regardless of the consequences? Strand breaks down Bernard's science and Kurt's stories and it produces a fascinating look at two different, yet very similar, brothers. Compellingly narrated by Sean Runnette, this eye opening read is perfect for both fans of science and Kurt Vonnegut. A must read.  - Erin Cataldi, Johnson Co. Public Library, Franklin, IN