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.

Sarah Scoles—Astronomical Mindfulness: Your Cosmic Guide to Reconnecting with the Sun, Moon, Stars and Planets

“Looking at the night sky brings you into the here and now,” Christopher De Pree and NASW member Sarah Scoles assert. In Astronomical Mindfulness: Your Cosmic Guide to Reconnecting with the Sun, Moon, Stars and Planets, they provide a scientific and cultural history of human assessment and use of the world above us plus guided exercises to boost your perception and well-being. Just look up!

Emily Willingham—The Tailored Brain: From Ketamine, to Keto, to Companionship, A User's Guide to Feeling Better and Thinking Smarter

How can you best improve your cognition, creativity, attention, memory, and mood? Don’t rely on weird diets, drugs, or listening to Mozart, Emily Willingham says. To boost brainpower, interact with others, seek new experiences, and get enough sleep and exercise, she asserts in The Tailored Brain: From Ketamine, to Keto, to Companionship, A User's Guide to Feeling Better and Thinking Smarter.

Matt Bille—Of Books and Beasts: A Cryptozoologist's Library

Cryptozoology has a bad rep. Wikipedia calls it a pseudoscience fixated on Bigfoot and other fantasy creatures. Think instead, Matt Bille says, of Alan Rabinowitz, Robin Baird, and others who use established zoological methods to study “hidden” animals and identify new species. In Of Books and Beasts: A Cryptozoologist's Library, he reviews 400 books exploring scientific research in the field.

Natasha Vizcarra—Spikeys, Prickles & Prongies: A Coronavirus Discovery Story

To teach kids about Covid, use familiar scenes, activities, and characters, Natasha Vizcarra suggests. In Spikeys, Prickles & Prongies: A Coronavirus Discovery Story, she traces the path of one woman’s infection to explain what the coronavirus is, how it spreads, how it’s treated, and why we need vaccines. Jamie Bauza’s illustrations complement the Filipino and English text for readers aged 9+.

Timothy J. Jorgensen—Spark: The Life of Electricity and the Electricity of Life

An advanced arm and hand prosthesis allows an amputee to hold and control movement of a muffin, egg, soda can, and even a wine glass. It soon may be possible for a prosthesis-wearer to enjoy the sensation of petting a dog, Timothy Jorgensen reports. In Spark: The Life of Electricity and the Electricity of Life, he explores electricity from a biological perspective, detailing its role in health.

Mark A. Marchand: The Answer From Surveyor 3

Suppose Lee Harvey Oswald was not alone when he shot and killed President John Kennedy from the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas in 1963. Did Kennedy’s plan to send humans to the moon trigger his assassination? In his novel, The Answer from Surveyor 3, Mark A. Marchand provides an out-of-this-world explanation for questions conspiracy theorists still debate.

Brendan Borrell—The First Shots: The Epic Rivalries and Heroic Science Behind the Race to the Coronavirus Vaccine

“Researchers who run human clinical trials often say that mice lie and monkeys exaggerate, but everyone watching the progress of the Moderna vaccine was eager to hear the reports from the animal world,” Brendan Borrell relates. He interviewed 150 sources for his gripping in-the-moment narrative, The First Shots: the Epic Rivalries and Heroic Science Behind the Race to the Coronavirus Vaccine.