The best journeys are those of the mind. Here at Nautilus, we get to embark on new adventures daily, many sparked by new books we read. And often we even get to call up these writers and have a chat with them—or better yet, have them write something new for us.
From Pulitzer Prize-winner Richard Powers discussing his new novel, to neuroscientist Daniel Levitin on the healing power of music, to a humanist chaplain on a hopeful future for technology, and a Nautilus contributing editor who takes us to meet underappreciated neighbors, in recent months we’ve engaged with countless fascinating authors and their books.
Here are 10 of our favorites to start off your New Year.
1. Why Machines Learn: The Elegant Math Behind Modern AI by Anil Anathaswamy
Read Anil Anathaswamy’s “3 Greatest Revelations” while writing Why Machines Learn.
2. The Impossible Man: Roger Penrose and the Cost of Genius by Patchen Barss
Read the “3 Greatest Revelations” author Patchen Barss experienced while writing it.
3. Tech Agnostic: How Technology Became the World's Most Powerful Religion, and Why It Desperately Needs a Reformation by Greg Epstein
Read Harvard and MIT humanist chaplain Greg M. Epstein’s “3 Greatest Revelations” while writing Tech Agnostic.
4. Meet the Neighbors: Animal Minds and Life in a More-Than-Human World by Brandon Keim
Read an excerpt from Meet the Neighbors, and check out author Brandon Keim’s “3 Greatest Revolutions” while writing.
5. I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine by Daniel J. Levitin
Read more about the ways in which music can heal us here.
6. Adventures in Volcanoland: What Volcanoes Tell Us About the World and Ourselves by Tamsin Mather
Read volcanologist Tamsin Mather’s “3 Greatest Revelations” while writing.
7. Hum by Helen Philips
Read Nick Hilden’s review of Hum here.
8. Playground by Richard Powers
Read Pulitzer Prize-winner Richard Powers’ “3 Greatest Revelations” while writing Playground.
9. Linguaphile: A Life of Language Love by Julie Sedivy
Read an excerpt from Linguaphile and check out the “3 Greatest Revelations” author Julie Sedivy experienced while writing it.
10. The Living Medicine: How a Lifesaving Cure Was Nearly Lost—And Why It Will Rescue Us When Antibiotics Fail by Lina Zeldovich
Read about the comeback of bacteriophages in modern medicine here.
Lead image: Jorm Sangsorn / Shutterstock
