Advance Copy: Backstories on books by NASW members

For this column, NASW book editor Lynne Lamberg asks NASW authors to tell how they came up with the idea for their book, developed a proposal, found an agent and publisher, funded and conducted research, and put the book together. She also asks what they wish they had known before they began working on their book, what they might do differently the next time, and what tips they can offer aspiring authors. She then edits the A part of that Q&A to produce the author reports you see here.

NASW members: Will your book be published soon? Visit www.nasw.org/advance-copy-submission-guidelines to submit your report.

Publication of NASW members' reports in Advance Copy does not constitute NASW's endorsement of their books. NASW welcomes your comments and hopes this column stimulates productive discussions.

George Musser—Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation: Why Physicists are Studying Human Consciousness and AI to Unravel the Mysteries of the Universe

“We can’t understand the measurable, material universe beyond our minds without first understanding our minds,” George Musser asserts. He describes physicists’ efforts to achieve that goal by building and testing concrete models that illuminate the mind in Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation: Why Physicists are Studying Human Consciousness and AI to Unravel the Mysteries of the Universe.

Christopher Reddy—Science Communication in a Crisis: An Insider’s Guide

Science is like a jigsaw puzzle, environmental chemist Christopher Reddy asserts. In talking with the media and public in times of crisis, scientists may focus on small pieces while audiences seek a big picture, often while events still are evolving. In Science Communication in a Crisis: An Insider’s Guide, Reddy offers lessons derived from how he and other scientists conveyed info on eco-crises.

Ann B. Parson—The Birds of Dog: An Historical Novel Based on Mostly True Events

Ann Parson drew on news reports and other records to illuminate the awakening of the sciences in this country in the 1800s. In The Birds of Dog: An Historical Novel Based on Mostly True Events, she highlights growing efforts to protect birds and other wildlife from hunters’ “kill-and-collect” methods, explorers’ travels, and the repercussions of inventions such as photography and the telegraph.

Maggie Jackson—Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure

Every writer facing a blank screen struggles with uncertainty. Embrace it, Maggie Jackson suggests in Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure. Our uncertainty, she maintains, “equips us to envision the unimaginable, adjust to the unexpected, and value a question as deeply as an answer.” Jackson explores uncertainty in diverse realms: basic science, medicine, politics, space, AI, & more.

Jen Golbeck and Stacey Colino (NASW Member)—The Purest Bond: Understanding the Human-Canine Connection

Dog adoptions have doubled since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Dogs are comfort animals for all of us,” Jen Golbeck & NASW member Stacey Colino say in The Purest Bond: Understanding the Human-Canine Connection. They tell how dogs help us connect with our families and communities, encourage us to go outside, help children learn and grow, and stabilize our lives. Recipe for pupcakes included!

Brooke Borel—The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking, Second Edition

Since facts can be slippery, fact-checking is a vital part of the journalistic process. In The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking, 2nd ed, Brooke Borel describes the types of information that require fact-checking and explains what fact-checking involves. She tells how to judge a source and think like a fact-checker. She also offers exercises to help readers assess their newly acquired skills.

David D. Nolte—Interference: The History of Optical Interferometry & Scientists Who Tamed Light

“Light is one of the most powerful manifestations of the forces of physics because it tells us about our reality,” David Nolte asserts in The History of Optical Interferometry and the Scientists Who Tamed Light. Nolte illuminates work leading to the detection of exoplanets orbiting distant stars, discovery of the first gravitational waves, capture of images of black holes, & much more.

Karen Pinchin—Kings of Their Own Ocean: Tuna, Obsession, and the Future of Our Seas

“In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the sky is a dome over a dinner plate,” Karen Pinchin proclaims in Kings of Their Own Ocean: Tuna, Obsession, and the Future of Our Seas. The choice entrée: bluefin tuna. In tracking the transatlantic travels of a tagged tuna named Amelia, Pinchin explores new tuna management policies that aim to keep fish healthy worldwide and still let you enjoy your sushi.

Lisa M. Pinsker Munoz—Women in Science Now: Stories and Strategies for Achieving Equity

Over 5000 elementary school children took part in a 1970s classic “Draw a Scientist” study. Only 28 drawings, all by girls, showed a female scientist. While many hurdles remain, growing research on bias in STEM has fostered tools and policies to boost representation and make science more just and inclusive, Lisa M.P. Munoz reports in Women in Science Now: Stories and Strategies for Achieving Equity.