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After curating titles released from January through June 2021, Amazon book editors have selected their picks for 2021's best books so far, including the top 20 within the science category. Two of the books, 'The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race' by Walter Isaacson, and 'Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It' by Ethan Kross, are among the editors' Top 10 picks among all genres and categories.
Credit: Glynis Condon

Amazon announces picks for best science books of 2021 — so far

Amazon has announced its picks for 2021 Best Books of the Year So Far, including its top book within the science category, "The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race".

By Staff writer
June 9, 2021
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  1. Earlier today, Amazon announced  its picks for 2021’s Best Books of the Year So Far, including those within the science category.

    Throughout the year, Amazon Books editors pore over thousands of pages to determine the Best Books of the Month, Best Books of the Year So Far, and Best Books of the Year, debating new releases across various categories.

    How Amazon Books editors made their selections

    In this interview, Amazon Books editor Al Woodworth explains how the Amazon Books editorial team makes its selections.

    After curating titles released from January through June 2021, Amazon editors selected options to read by the pool or listen to on summer road trips, or to help readers who seek to better understand diverse experiences and cultures.

    Here are the Top 20 picks of 2021 so far within the science category, as chosen by the Amazon Books editors.

  2. The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race

    By Walter Isaacson

    The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson

  3. How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need

    By Bill Gates

    How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates

  4. Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It

    By Ethan Kross

    Chatter by Ethan Kross

  5. Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future

    By Elizabeth Kolbert

    Under a White Sky by Elizabeth Kolbert

  6. What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing

    By Bruce D. Perry, Oprah Winfrey

    What Happened to You? by Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey

  7. Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else

    By Jordan Ellenberg

    Shape by Jordan Ellenberg

  8. The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred

    By Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

    The Disordered Cosmos by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

  9. A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds

    By Scott Weidensaul

    A World on the Wing by Scott Weidensaul

  10. The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine

    By Janice P. Nimura

    The Doctors Blackwell by Janice Nimura

  11. Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear

    By Carl L. Hart

    Drug Use for Grown-Ups by Dr. Carl L. Hart

  12. Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth

    By Avi Loeb

    extraterrestrial by Avi Loeb

  13. Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest

    By Suzanne Simard

    Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard

  14. The Premonition

    By Michael Lewis

    The Premonition by Michael Lewis

  15. The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything

    By Michio Kaku

    The God Equation by Michio Kaku

  16. Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty

    By Patrick Radden Keefe

    Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe

  17. A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters

    By Andrew H. Knoll

    A Brief History of Earth by Andrew H. Knoll

  18. Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer

    By Steven Johnson

    Extra Life by Steven Johnson

  19. The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain

    By Annie Murphy Paul

    The Extended Mind by Annie Murphy Paul

  20. Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn't, and Why It Matters

    By Steven E. Koonin

    Unsettled by Steven E. Koonin

  21. Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

    By Adam Grant

    Think Again by Adam Grant

  22. For more coverage of the books featured on the Best Books of the Year So Far list, as well as insightful reviews on new books, author interviews, and hand-curated roundups in popular categories, visit the Amazon Book Review. You can also follow the Amazon Book editors’ recommendations and conversations on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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