Cyber Monday Deals on Science Books

Elon Musk book — (Image credit: HarperCollins)

If you're shopping for that someone who loves to learn and is just curious about the world, how about a book? Here's a look at some of the best book deals on Amazon this Cyber Monday that are sure to dazzle the science lover in your life.

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History (Picador, 2015)

Five major extinctions have taken place over the course of Earth's geologic past; each wiped out significant portions of life on the planet. Could we be heading for a sixth mass extinction, spurred by human activity? As human populations have expanded across the globe, they have taken a toll on natural resources and reshaped ecosystems on land and sea. Author Elizabeth Kolbert outlines the many ways that people have changed the planet, noting the environmental costs along the way and the number of species that have already been lost — and hinting at losses that may be yet to come, unless we take action to preserve the precious biodiversity that still remains.

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In his new book, Bill Nye helps you to unlock your inner nerd. How? By finding that thing you're passionate about. "With his call to arms, he wants you to examine every detail of the most difficult problems that look unsolvable―that is, until you find the solution. Bill shows you how to develop critical thinking skills and create change, using his “everything all at once” approach that leaves no stone unturned," according to Amazon.

According to Amazon, "Dr. Wonderful loves asking big questions…and using science to answer them. She and her dog, Newton, want to know why the moon changes shape in the sky every night. But how can they study the moon when it’s so far away? By blasting off into space, of course! On their amazing journey, this detective duo gathers clues to solve their lunar mystery using the powers of science, curiosity, and teamwork."

According to Amazon, "This fascinating and easily accessible young readers’ adaptation of Ashlee Vance’s New York Times bestselling Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future features black-and-white photographs throughout and an epilogue. The version for adults has been praised as 'riveting' (The Financial Times), 'spirited' (The Wall Street Journal), and 'masterful' (Vice). Now younger readers can read about this innovative leader who is revolutionizing three industries at once: space, automotive, and energy."

In this kid-friendly book, basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reveals little-known African-American inventors, such as James West who invented the microphone in your cellphone and Fred Jones who invented the refrigerated truck that makes supermarkets possible. According to Amazon, "Offering profiles with fast facts on flaps and framed by a funny contemporary story featuring two feisty twins, here is a nod to the minds behind the gamma electric cell and the ice-cream scoop, improvements to traffic lights, open-heart surgery, and more ï¿½ inventors whose ingenuity and perseverance against great odds made our world safer, better, and brighter."

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Jeanna Bryner is managing editor of Scientific American. Previously she was editor in chief of Live Science and, prior to that, an editor at Scholastic's Science World magazine. Bryner has an English degree from Salisbury University, a master's degree in biogeochemistry and environmental sciences from the University of Maryland and a graduate science journalism degree from New York University. She has worked as a biologist in Florida, where she monitored wetlands and did field surveys for endangered species, including the gorgeous Florida Scrub Jay. She also received an ocean sciences journalism fellowship from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She is a firm believer that science is for everyone and that just about everything can be viewed through the lens of science.