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.

Rectangular photo of Ambika Kamath’s office bookshelf showing works on evolutionary theory, biology, nature, feminism, and writing. Photo credit: Ambika Kamath.

Ambika Kamath (NASW member) and Melina Packer—Feminism in the Wild: How Human Biases Shape Our Understanding of Animal Behavior

Forget biological determinism! “Mainstream science is not as objective, neutral, or singularly truthful as people might expect,” Ambika Kamath & Melina Packer write in Feminism in the Wild: How Human Biases Shape Our Understanding of Animal Behavior. Scientists view animal behavior through their own social, cultural, & political lenses, they note, calling for more study of diverse perspectives.

Rectangular photo of Edna Bonhomme’s office bookshelf showing works on illness, medical care, stigma, race, feminism, Nazi Germany, and more. These two shelves are a selection from a wall of books on the history of science. Photo credit: Edna Bonhomme.

Edna Bonhomme—A History of the World in Six Plagues: How Contagion, Class, and Captivity Shaped Us, from Cholera to COVID-19

“Pandemics start small, grow large due to negligence, and leave rot behind that we generally don’t bother to clean up before the next pandemic arrives,” Edna Bonhomme writes. In A History of the World in Six Plagues: How Contagion, Class, and Captivity Shaped Us, from Cholera to COVID-19, she details how racial, sexual, and class discrimination maintains disparities in healthcare and society.

Rectangular photo of Dennis Meredith’s office bookshelf showing works on denial, morality, disasters, technology, politics, and climate change. Photo credit: Dennis Meredith.

Dennis Meredith—Earthbound: The Obstacles to Human Space Exploration and the Promise of Artificial Intelligence

The human cost of prolonged space travel urgently needs attention, Dennis Meredith asserts in Earthbound: The Obstacles to Human Space Exploration & the Promise of Artificial Intelligence. Astronauts experience bone loss & problems with vision, digestion, heart and immune system functions, cognition, & more. Using AI robotic space probes instead of humans, Meredith says, offers an ethical option.

Rectangular photo of Carl Zimmer’s office bookshelf showing works on Anthrax, Black Death, airborne infections, airborne contagion, disease maps, biohazards, and atmospheric science. Photo credit: Carl Zimmer.

Carl Zimmer—Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe

“The Covid-19 pandemic was not a fluke,” Carl Zimmer writes in Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe. Public health authorities initially said close personal contact spread the disease via droplets and fomites on surfaces. It took months for them to recognize Covid-19’s airborne transmission. “The Covid-19 pandemic,” Zimmer notes, “made the ocean of gases surrounding us visible.”

Rectangular photo of Leigh Ann Henion’s office bookshelf showing books on glowworms, lightning bugs, night flowers, darkness, trees, birds, and the impact of artificial lighting on the environment. Photo credit: Leigh Ann Henion.

Leigh Ann Henion—Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark

Shut down your screens. Go outside at night. As your eyes adjust, revel in the darkness. Tag along as Leigh Ann Henion attends a bat outing and a moth festival. Look for wondrous nightlife that may include synchronous fireflies, hooting owls, glowing fungi, and other creatures and plants that Henion describes in Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark.

Rectangular photo of Ann Parson’s office bookshelf showing works on the brain, body, healing, love, and writing. Photo credit: Mary-Frances O’Connor.

Mary-Frances O’Connor—The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing

“We really can die of a broken heart,” Mary-Frances O'Connor reports in The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing. The brain/body connection is real, she says, though poorly understood. When death, chronic illness, or other major losses disrupt one’s equilibrium, she suggests, improved self-awareness, habit-change, and reconnection with others may help restore it.

Rectangular photo of Marie Zhuikov’s office bookshelf showing works of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction on nature themes. These include Leaves of Grass, the Overstory, and The Human Experiment. Photo credit: Marie Zhuikov.

Marie Zhuikov —The Path of Totality: Stories & A Novella

A lonely teenaged girl leading a birding tour in a northern Minnesota peat-moss bog finds a mummified Viking boy. A college biology student loses his way on a biosphere tour, finds he is locked in, and faces a creepy night. In The Path of Totality: Stories & A Novella, Marie Zhuikov draws on her experience as a science writer to craft stories that slip from real-world settings to science fiction.

Rectangular photo of Jessica Fries-Gaither’s office bookshelf showing works on evolution, fossils, insects, weather, and other sciences, along with education and writing. Photo credit: Jessica Fries-Gaither.

Jessica Fries-Gaither—Wild Wonderings: Scientists and Their Questions

“Questions aren’t just for scientists,” Jessica Fries-Gaither tells readers aged 3-5 in Wild Wonderings: Scientists and Their Questions She describes in short verses the studies Mary Leakey, Stephen Hawking, Adriana Ocampo, and six other scientists conducted. She also gives children advice on how to turn observations into questions, decide how to pursue answers, and conduct simple research.

Rectangular photo of Ellen Prager office bookshelf showing works on oceans, sea life, and climate change. Photo credit: Ellen Prager

Ellen Prager and Dave Jones—Megalodons, Mermaids, and Climate Change: Answers to Your Ocean and Atmosphere Questions

Do huge sharks, bigger than a school bus, still exist? Thanks (No thanks!) to fake news, some people think so. Ditto for mermaids, NASW Member Ellen Prager & Dave Jones note in Megalodons, Mermaids, and Climate Change: Answers to Your Ocean and Atmosphere Questions. The authors use cartoons, a conversational tone, & 16 photos to answer often-asked & zany questions on marine life and weather.