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I haven't shared much book news lately, but today's the perfect day to catch up. That's because The Best Science Writing Online - formerly known as The Open Laboratory - has just been published by Scientific American/FSG books! I'm proud to see my essay "The Dodo is Dead, Long Live the Dodo!" printed alongside fifty other fantastic contributions from my science blogging neighbors, some of which I helped review as a judge for this edition. (Note: I didn't vote or otherwise judge my own entries during the selection process.) This anthology includes some of the best online essays and articles from 2011, and I am already looking forward to next year's collection. Speaking of which, there's still two weeks left to submit entries to The Best Science Writing Online 2013! For more on the new anthology, see Jennifer Ouellette's post at Scientific American (she did a great job as this year's editor) and Deborah Blum's at the Knight Science Journalism Tracker.
But that's not all. A few weeks back, I sent in the final draft of My Beloved Brontosaurus (also published by Scientific American/FSG). There are still some final checks to do, but the book is almost done and will hit shelves in mid-April of 2013. Even better, my excellent editor Amanda Moon recently sent me the completed cover art (check out the snippet above). Artist Mark Stutzman did a marvelous job bringing Apatosaurus and its 150 million year old habitat to life, and actually pulled double duty on a special edition cover that will give readers an in-depth look at this cherished sauropod. If you're so inclined, the book is already available for pre-order in the United States.
If you really can't wait for April, though, you should check out The Half-Life of Facts by my WIRED Science neighbor Sam Arbesman. I have a cameo in the book regarding the legacy of "Brontosaurus", and, more importantly, the book is an insightful exploration of how the public relates to the ever-shifting body of scientific knowledge. If you were upset by Pluto's demotion to a dwarf planet, or still prefer the name "Brontosaurus" to Apatosaurus, Arbesman's book will be well worth your time.
