The Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything (Abridged): Adventures in Math and Science

Rutherford and Fry (cohosts of the podcast The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry) offer an informative and entertaining look into the science behind everyday phenomena and questions (e.g., do humans have free will? do dogs feel love for their owners?). Human intuition was invaluable when a person’s primary focus was avoiding predators and finding food to stay alive, but in the modern era—as society at large begins to understand the often-counterintuitive scientific basis for how the universe functions—human senses and instincts sometimes get in the way of comprehension, Rutherford and Fry contend. Fry (a mathematician who specializes in patterns in human behavior) and Rutherford (a geneticist) are well-equipped to guide readers through this maze of thought, perception, and knowledge. Their writing is clever and personable, and they incorporate immersive stories of culture, art, and rudimentary science to explain seemingly complex topics (e.g., the theory of time) in consumable morsels. They reference several academic papers, but only to highlight some of the most entertaining research that has been done in the name of science.