BOOK REVIEW14 August 2026Andrew Robinson reviews five of the best science picks.ByAndrew Robinson0Andrew RobinsonAndrew Robinson is a writer based in London and author of Earthshock (1993), The Story of Measurement (2007) and Einstein in Oxford (2024).View author publicationsSearch author on: PubMed Google ScholarSave articleView saved researchOutsider AnimalsMarlene Zuk Princeton Univ. Press (2026)Evolutionary biologist Marlene Zuk’s charming book begins with a night-time encounter with young raccoons (Procyon lotor) on the deck outside her bedroom in California. They were playing noisily with a hose — and when she tried to shoo them away, one stood up and raised its forelegs, as if inviting her to join in. Zuk calls them outsider animals: “creatures that can intrude upon our lives” but “that don’t need us to survive”. Also included are gulls, cockroaches and coyotes (Canis latrans) — each with its own chapter.ProphecyCarissa Véliz Swift (2026)Prophecy began with divination in ancient Mesopotamia in the third millennium bc. Today, it is integral to predictions made by artificial-intelligence tools, writes philosopher Carissa Véliz in her fascinating, and often worrying, analysis of AI. The close connections between tech bosses and political leaders remind her of the mystic Rasputin’s relationship with Russian tsar Nicholas II. Reliance on AI’s predictions, she argues, takes away our freedom: “Democracy needs uncertainty to thrive.” But philosophy can be an “antidote to prophecy”.The Powerful PrimateRoland Ennos Scribner (2026)As an academic, Roland Ennos researched comparative biomechanics: the design and function of animals and plants. Now retired, he has written a formidable history charting how humans learnt to generate increasing power and energy. He argues that industrialization “shaped modern history” by leading to urbanization, transformation of the countryside and globalization. Although Ennos admires this miracle, he accepts it is also devastating, because humans have become “bullies of the natural world”.EinsteinBrian Foster Oxford Univ. Press (2026)doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-02504-6SubjectsArtsCultureLatest on:ArtsCultureJobs NTU AI-for-X Postdoctoral Fellowship 2026NTU AI4X-PDF empowers early-career researchers to harness AI for breakthroughs in STEM, driving innovation and boosting Singapore’s AI ecosystemSingapore (SG)Nanyang Technological University (NTU)