The Best American Science and Nature Writing, edited by Carl Zimmer with series editor Jaime Green, is a nice collection of writing that bridges the gap between peer-reviewed research reports and fluff, sometimes inaccurate, overviews. These dig deep but not always about the research it is highlighting, often about how it affects the world at large and, most important, the world of the reader.

I think Zimmer made two important, to me, points in his introduction. One is that some of the best science and nature writing isn't always about the science itself, but about how it affects some aspect of society (climate change affecting dog sledding is an example he mentions). The other point speaks more directly to this volume: he edited with an eye toward creating a diverse anthology that could serve as a teaching tool as well as an interesting and informative read. To that end I think this is a big success.

There are quite a few from major publications (Scientific American, The Atlantic, etc) as well as plenty from smaller or lesser-known publications. The mix is very good, showing how the science doesn't have to suffer when writing for a larger readership. I had read a few of these but revisiting them was great and speaks to the quality. My science reading is part semi-pop (Scientific American) and part review oriented (New Scientist, LabRoots, etc), so I loved getting more of how our knowledge of science can inform and hopefully influence our lives. Science is our lives, so a better understanding just makes sense.

Depending how much of this kind of writing you read regularly may be a good indicator of how you should read this book. If you read quite a bit of science and nature, you can read this as you would a normal collection of essays, a few every day. If this isn't part of your normal reading, this volume is ideal for reading an essay every couple days and letting some of the thoughts ferment a bit before moving on.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )