The Science of Evil
Simon Baron-Cohen
The depths of human cruelty are often
summed up in one stark term: evil.
But definitions of evil are frustratingly
circular, since evil is as evil does. “For
a scientist this is, of course, wholly
inadequate,” writes Baron-Cohen, a
developmental psychologist specializing in autism. He suggests that “evil”
is more properly defined as a complete
lack of empathy, the ability to imagine
and respond emotionally to another
person’s thoughts. Empathy, he argues,
is distributed througout the population
as a bell curve, with those at the low end
of the curve populating psychiatric categories such as psychopathy, narcissism
and borderline personality disorder.
The book argues that the roots of
the empathy bell curve lie in the brain
and are shaped both by genes and by
environmental factors such as parental
neglect and abuse. Chapters lay out differences in brain structure and function
found among people along the empathy
Periodic Tales
Hugh Aldersey-Williams
Before phosphorus became a common ingredient in lightbulbs and
bombs, early chemists isolated it from
urine — at the time, an at-hand source
of undiscovered chemicals. According
to a recipe by English scientist Robert
Hooke, it was best to start with 50 to
60 pails of the stuff.
Buckets of pee probably aren’t the
first thing most people think of when
they eye the periodic table, but such
images seem to pop
readily into Aldersey-
Williams’ mind. This
scientist-turned-
writer dives into the
discovery of many
of the table’s now
famous letters — P,
S and O — and even
some of the more obscure — Eu, Er and
Yb. But he’s also interested in the cul-
tural cachet of those elements. Phospho-
rus, for instance, went from a glowing,
spectrum, based on Baron-Cohen’s
and others’ research. Many questions
remain about the physical basis of
behavior, but the core idea that physiol-
ogy can affect empa-
thy is supported by
an emerging body
of research. And the
author’s own work
on autism, marked by
difficulties relating
to the minds of oth-
ers, offers excellent
examples of brain differences in action.
More provocative is Baron-Cohen’s
assertion that low empathy can in
some cases be associated with positive
traits, such as the strictly moral behav-
ior of some people with Asperger’s
syndrome. Whether this is a “positive”
outcome is not a scientific call but a
value judgment, and Baron-Cohen
is more persuasive when he sticks to
describing the cutting edge of neuro-
science. — Erika Engelhaupt
Basic Books, 2011, 240 p., $25.99
albeit stinky, symbol of scientific ingenuity to an ingredient in white-hot
bombs, capable of burning entire cities.
Like the periodic table itself, the book
is episodic. But that’s not always a bad
thing. Many of the elements highlighted
come with strong narratives (see the
chapter on chromium for the story of an
element that rose and fell in the public
eye over the span of a few decades).
Chemistry buffs should be warned,
however, that this sometimes personal
endeavor is about as far away from a
textbook as hydrogen is from radon
on the iconic table. Aldersey-Williams
doesn’t spend much time explaining
why neon is inert, but he does explore
the element’s associations with
American flashiness. In other words,
this is the book for those who spent
science class wishing they were reading Nabokov instead. Or, perhaps, for
chemistry buffs willing to take their
valence electrons with a touch of
whimsy. —Daniel Strain
The Stem Cell Hope
Alice Park
A narrative account
explores the history of
stem cells through the
stories of scientists
and patients. Hudson
Street Press, 2011, 318 p., $25.95
Sex, Murder and
the Meaning of Life
Douglas T. Kenrick
Anecdotes enliven
a psychologist’s take
on the role of evolu-
tion in murderous
fantasies, racial prejudice and other
unsavory aspects of human nature.
Basic Books, 2011, 238 p., $26.99
Saving Sea Turtles
James R. Spotila
A turtle biologist
makes a plea to save
sea turtles, remark-
able creatures that
start life buried in up
to two feet of sand. Johns Hopkins
Univ. Press, 2011, 216 p., $24.95
The Power of Music
Elena Mannes
A music lover interviews scientists and
musicians in this fun
exploration of the science of music. Walker
& Company, 2011, 263 p., $26
The Quest
for the Cure
Brent R. Stockwell
In this well-researched
look into the com-
plexities of making
medicines, a chemical
biologist gives a history of drug mak-
ing and details innovative methods of
drug discovery. Columbia Univ. Press,
2011, 265 p., $27.95
How to Order To order these books or others,
visit www.sciencenews.org/bookshelf. A click on
a book’s title will transfer you to Amazon.com.
