The Ten Best Science Books of 2024

by Smithsonian Magazine

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10 books

From a deep dive on a fatal space shuttle disaster to a study of a dozen iconic trees, these are our favorite titles this year.

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See the source list and commentary at www.smithsonianmag.com

The Light Eaters

How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth

Zoë Schlanger, 2024

Challenger

A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space

Adam Higginbotham, 2024

Why We Remember

Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to What Matters

Charan Ranganath, PhD, 2024

How to Kill an Asteroid: The Real Science of Planetary Defense

Robin George Andrews, 2024

I Heard There Was A Secret Chord

Music as Medicine

Daniel J. Levitin, 2024

What If We Get It Right?

Visions of Climate Futures

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, 2024

Twelve Trees

The Deep Roots of Our Future

Daniel Lewis, 2024

Our Moon

How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are

Rebecca Boyle, 2024

The Language Puzzle

Piecing Together the Six-Million-Year Story of How Words Evolved

Steven Mithen, 2024

Becoming Earth

How Our Planet Came to Life

Ferris Jabr, 2024