Manning describes quantum theory as the most stunningly successful and important scientific development of the last 300 years. It introduced a new world in which the certainties of the old physics were swept away. A mathematical theory originally introduced by Max Planck in 1900, quantum theory is based on the idea that energy can be changed only in certain discrete amounts for a given system.

As humans change every centimeter of Earth, from what species live where to its very climate, strategies for saving nature must change. Marris’s book explains why, and more importantly, how. She argues convincingly that it is time to look forward and create the “rambunctious garden,” a hybrid of wild nature and human management. In this optimistic book, readers meet leading scientists and environmentalists; visit imaginary Edens, designer ecosystems, and Pleistocene parks.

Called “a nail-biting thrill ride for techies and armchair engineers” by Kirkus Reviews, The New Cool, by veteran journalist and bestselling author Neal Bascomb is the astonishing and inspiring story of a team of high school seniors and their mentor who come together not only to exercise their athletic prowess but to build a machine that will compete in the most heated, sophisticated robotics competition in the world.

Seth Fletcher, senior associate editor of Popular Science, takes us on a fascinating journey introducing us to the key players and ideas in an industry with the power to reshape the world. Electric cars are real—see the Tesla Roadster, Chevy Volt, and hybrids like the Nissan Leaf and Toyota Prius—but the drive to create safe, lightweight, and long-lasting batteries to power them has been anything but smooth.