Author Dan Drollette chronicles researchers’ effort to discover and defend the animals of Vietnam — including some of the rarest mammal species in the world, found only in the past decade. Unexpectedly, wildlife biologists have learned that the 20th century’s series of constant, low-level wars in Vietnam (against the Japanese, French, Americans, Chinese, Cambodians, and Laotians) may have actually protected the region’s wildlife.

The emergence of strange new diseases is a frightening problem that seems to be getting worse. In this age of speedy travel, it threatens a worldwide pandemic. We hear news reports of Ebola, SARS, AIDS, and something called Hendra that kills horses and people in Australia, but those reports miss the big truth that such phenomena are part of a single pattern. The bugs that transmit these diseases share one thing: They originate in wild animals and pass to humans by a process called spillover.

For years, schools and universities have had rocket clubs, where amateur scientists could create and fly their own homemade rockets. Now, amateurs are also building picosatellites, microsatellites of low mass and size that are made with inexpensive materials and can be launched into low-earth orbit. These picosatellites can be used for running scientific experiments, university research, art projects, or just for fun. Of course, after a picosatellite has been created, is it ready for launch?

David Bradley has written a book that examines the science behind many popular myths, revealing why much “received wisdom” is just plain wrong. For example: Why did your mother remind you to take off your coat when inside or you won’t “feel the benefit” when you leave? Why would someone advise that when you need to cool down what you need is a nice cup of tea? And must you really let red wine breathe first to improve its taste?